bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous demixing of chiral active mixtures in motility-induced phase separation
Authors: Ai Bao-Quan , Quan Shan , Li Feng-guo
Published: June 2023

The demixing and sorting strategies for chiral active mixtures are crucial to the biochemical and pharmaceutical industries. However, it remains uncertain whether chiral mixed particles can spontaneously demix without the aid of specific strategies. In this paper, we investigate the demixing behaviors of binary mixtures in a model of chiral active particles to understand the demixing mechanism of chiral active mixtures. We demonstrate that chiral mixed particles can spontaneously demix in motility-induced phase separation (MIPS). The hidden velocity alignment in MIPS allows particles of different types to accumulate in different clusters, thereby facilitating separation. There exists an optimal angular velocity or packing fraction at which this separation is optimal. Noise (translational or rotational diffusion) can promote mixture separation in certain cases, rather than always being detrimental to the process. Since the order caused by the hidden velocity alignment in this process is not global, the separation behavior is strongly dependent on the system size. Furthermore, we also discovered that the mixture separation caused by MIPS is different from that resulting from explicit velocity alignment. Our findings are crucial for understanding the demixing mechanism of chiral active mixtures and can be applied to experiments attempting to separate various active mixtures in the future.
Spreading properties of partially coherent multi-Gaussian Schell-model and modified Bessel-correlated vortex beams in anisotropic turbulent plasma
Authors: Alkelly Abdu A , Khaled M A H , Hassan Labiba F
Published: June 2023

We investigate the propagation characteristics of partially coherent multi-Gaussian Schell-model (MGSM) and modified Bessel-correlated (MBc) vortex beams traveling in a turbulent plasma. Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle, the cross-spectral density expressions for partially coherent MGSM and MBc vortex beams propagating through turbulent plasma were derived. The results show that the dark spot at the center of the partially coherent MGSM beams disappears in the low-coherence states and remains in the high-coherence states only. In contrast, the intensity of partially coherent MBc vortex beams exists in low- and high-coherence states and does not change during propagation in a weak turbulent plasma.
Molecular dynamics studies of the effect of intermediate Fe layer thickness on the enhanced strength and ductility of Cu/Fe/Ni multilayer
Authors: Pang Weiwei , Feng Xiaotong , Chen Renbin , Liu Aosong , Xin Kai
Published: June 2023

The synergistic strength-ductility is very important for composite materials. In this work, we studied the effect of intermediate layer thickness on the mechanical properties of Cu/Fe/Ni multilayer by introducing harder intermediate layer and non-coherent interface using molecular dynamics simulation, and revealed the relationship between the deformation mechanism and the strength-ductility from atomic scale. The results show that the yield strength and flow stress increase with increasing Fe layer thickness, but the tensile strain is opposite. Plastic deformation of all models are triggered by slipping of misfit partial dislocation originating from the decomposition of perfect dislocation on semi-coherent interface. However, the addition of Fe layer and non-coherent interface increases the resistance of dislocation crossing interface, and changes the dominant deformation mechanism from Shockley partial dislocation slipping to deformation twinning migration, thus improving the strength and ductility of multilayer. In addition, the evolution laws of the dislocation length and interface morphology as well as the shear strain distribution are discussed.
Non-equilibrium Green’s function approach for simulation asymmetric source-drain silicene-based photodetectors
Authors: Alaee Fateme , Sadeghzadeh Mohammad Ali , Ostovari Fatemeh
Published: June 2023

Photodetectors based on Armchair-Silicene-Nanoribbons (ASiNR) with asymmetric source (Ir-doped silicene) and drain (Cu-, Ag-, or Au-doped silicene) contacts have been simulated employing tight-binding approximation coupling to Non-Equilibrium Green’s Function (NEGF) approach. Monochromatic 1 kW cm−2 illumination in the range of 0.1–10 eV has been used for the simulation of the photocurrent, photoresponsivity, quantum efficiency, and detectivity. It is shown that the highest peak in the photocurrent spectrum occurs at the 273 nm incident wavelength for all devices, and the Ir-Cu device has presented enhanced photodetector characteristics than Ir-Ag and Ir-Au devices. It is also found that only transitions between two subbands with identical indexes are allowed. Moreover, the first peak in the photocurrent spectrum is related to the main band gap of ASiNR. Additionally, the simulated dark and total currents versus source-drain voltage reveal that photocurrent caused a negative shift in the total current proportional to incident light intensity.
Anisotropic momentum distribution of 11B and 11C produced from 12C beam at 100 MeV/nucleon
Authors: Momota S , Ohtsubo T , Honma A , Kitagawa A , Sato S
Published: June 2023

Longitudinal (P
L) and transverse (P
T) momentum distributions of 11B and 11C produced from a 12C beam with C, Al, Nb, Tb, and Au targets observed at E = 100 MeV/nucleon are investigated. The observed P
T distribution systematically changes according to the target and this change in behavior can be consistently explained by the orbital deflection effect, which is determined by the competitive contributions of attractive nuclear and repulsive Coulomb potentials acting between the projectile and target. The comprehensive examination of the observed P
L and P
T distributions resolves the fragmentation reaction into two reaction channels. One is the pure abrasion channel, which is characterized by small momentum transfer and an isotropic Gaussian function. The second is the two-step reaction channel, which is characterized by large momentum transfer and an anisotropic Gaussian function. The anisotropy of the second channel is consistently explained by the momentum of a picked-up nucleon.
JCAP 20th anniversary retrospective: editorial
Authors: Mukhanov Viatcheslav , Verde Licia
Published: June 2023

This year the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (JCAP) celebrates its 20th anniversary. “A journal by scientists for scientists” is the motto that has driven JCAP since its inception, which epitomises its philosophy of being an innovative and community-driven journal. Over the past two decades, JCAP has become one of the premier outlets for high-quality research, now publishing circa 800 papers per year, almost all of which are Open Access (either green or gold route), and with submissions originating from more than 60 countries around the world. JCAP encompasses theoretical, observational, and experimental areas as well as computation and simulation, and this special issue represents a testament to the role of the journal and its impact within the fields of cosmology and astroparticle physics. Over the years, JCAP has published influential papers on topics ranging from the early universe and dark matter to large-scale structure, gravitational waves and high-energy astrophysics, all of which are presented in this celebratory collection of the journal’s 20th year of publication.
Multimodality-based Wind Speed Forecasting Method for the Wind Resistance Control of Large Radio Telescope
Authors: Wang Wen-Juan , Han Bao-Qing , Wang Long-Yang , Luan Tian , Yan Yue-Fei , Zhao Wu-Lin , Kong De-Qing , Wu Yang , Wang Cong-Si
Published: June 2023

A large, fully steerable radio telescope is susceptible to the wind load, leading to structure deformation and pointing deviation of the telescope. To effectively suppress the influence of dynamic wind load, the wind resistance control of the telescope is carried out based on wind speed forecasting. This study developed a wind speed forecasting model to efficiently forecast the wind speed at the telescope position. The proposed model successfully eliminates the random noise of the original wind speed, effectively extracts the wind speed features and solves the automatic optimization of the hyperparameters of the forecasting network. This model significantly improves the accuracy and reliability of wind speed forecasting. To verify the forecasting performance of the proposed model, the wind data from the Qitai Radio Telescope site is examined as a case study. The wind speed forecasting model’s MAE, RMSE and MAPE are 0.0361, 0.0703 and 3.87%, respectively. The performance of the proposed model meets the requirements of wind resistance control and can provide data support for the radio telescope.
A high precision VIS/NIR dynamic goniometer-spectrometer
Authors: Vishnyakov Gennady , Yurin Alexander , Minaev Vladimir , Golopolosov Alexander
Published: June 2023

We present a method for measuring the refractive index (RI) and spectral characteristics of transparent triangular prisms based on the minimum deviation technique. The proposed method has been developed to automatically measure RI simultaneously for three different wavelengths to determine the spectral dependence of RI. A high precision dynamic goniometer with a He-Ne ring laser and continuously rotating autocollimation mirror was used to implement the proposed method. A set of reference prisms made of optical glass were experimentally studied and the measurement uncertainty budget was estimated. The obtained values of the expanded measurement uncertainty did not exceed 4.6 × 10−6 for near-infrared and 1.2 × 10−5 for visible wavelength ranges with a coverage factor k = 2 (95% level of confidence). It is shown that this method can be used for high-precision measurements of the RI and determine the spectral characteristics.
Optimization of ear electrodes for SSVEP-based BCI
Authors: Zhao Huiqing , Zheng Li , Yuan Miao , Wang Yijun , Gao Xiaorong , Liu Ruping , Pei Weihua
Published: June 2023

Objective. Current ear electrodes often require complex placing or long stimulation durations to achieve good detection of steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP). To improve the practicability of ear electrode-based SSVEP-BCI (brain-computer interface) system, we developed a high-performance ear electrode that can be easily placed. Approach. Hydrogel based disposable and replaceable semi-dry electrodes are developed to improve the contact impedance and wear feeling. The best combination of electrodes for SSVEP-BCI application around the ear is optimized by assessing the electrode on volunteers, and the performance of the electrode was compared with that of the occipital electrode. Main results. The developed ear hydrogel electrode can achieve an impedance close to that of the wet electrode. Three combinations of ear electrode groups demonstrate high information transfer rate (ITR) and accuracy in SSVEP-BCI applications. According to the rating of the comprehensive assessment and BCI performance in the online session, the behind-aural electrode is the best electrode combination for recording SSVEP in the ear region. The average preparation time is the shortest, and the average impedance is the lowest. The ITR of the behind-aural electrode based SSVEP-BCI system can reach 37.5 ± 18 bits min−1. The stimulus duration was as low as 3 s compared to 5 s or 10 s in other studies. Significance. The accuracy, ITR, and wear feeling can be improved by introducing a semi-dry ear electrode and optimizing the position and the combination of ear electrode. By providing a better trade-off between performance and convenience, the ear electrode-based SSVEP-BCI promises to be used in daily life.
Commissioning of a hadron blind detector for dielectron measurement in pA reactions at J-PARC
Authors: Kanno K. , Aoki K. , Arimizu D. , Ashikaga S. , Ebata K. , Honda R. , Ichikawa M. , Kajikawa S. , Kimura Y. , Kondo T.K. , Kyan S. , Morino Y. , Murakami H. , Murakami T.N. , Nakai W. , Nakasuga S. , Naruki M. , Nonaka T. , Noumi H. , Ogata N. , Ozawa K. , Sako H. , Sato S. , Sekimoto M. , Shirotori K. , Takahashi T.N. , Takaura Y. , Tatsumi R. , Tsukui K. , Yahiro K. , Yokkaichi S.
Published: June 2023

The J-PARC E16 experiment measures mass spectra of low-mass vector mesons,
 ρ, ω, and ϕ, in nuclei via e
+
e
- decays. Vector mesons are produced in
pA reactions. A spectrometer with a large acceptance and a high-intensity beam up to 1
× 1010 protons per ∼2-sec duration pulse are utilized to collect a sufficient number
of vector mesons. We have developed a spectrometer, which has two types of electron
identification detectors: a hadron blind detector (HBD) and a lead-glass calorimeter.
Commissioning runs have been performed at the J-PARC high-momentum beam line. The HBD
successfully observed on average 11 ± 1 photoelectrons for an incident electron. We achieved
the pion rejection of 0.9 ± 0.2% with the electron detection efficiency of 61 ± 4% for
the HBD, which was consistent of the expected performance.
Integration of CVD graphene in gaseous electron multipliers for high energy physics experiments
Authors: Orlandini G. , Brunbauer F.M. , Coletti C. , Convertino D. , Doser M. , Floethner K.J. , Janssens D. , Lisowska M. , Mishra N. , Oliveri E. , Ropelewski L. , Scharenberg L. , Starke U. , van Stenis M. , Utrobicic A. , Veenhof R.
Published: June 2023

To enhance the performance of micro-patterned gaseous detectors (MPGDs) to meet the
challenging requirements of future high energy physics (HEP) experiments, two-dimensional (2D)
materials are attractive candidates to address the back flow of positive ions, which affects
detector performance by distorting electric field lines. In this context, graphene is promising
to work as selective filter for ion back flow suppression, being transparent to electrons while at
the same time blocking ions. Also, graphene membranes can physically separate drift and
amplification regions of the detectors, offering additional flexibility in the choice of gas
mixtures and allowing independent optimizations of detector sensitivity and electron
multiplication processes. Here we present an approach to integrate graphene grown via chemical
vapor deposition (CVD) on gaseous electron multiplier (GEM) prototypes via a wet transfer
procedure in order to suspend graphene over thousands of holes with 60 μm diameter and overcome
the challenges encountered due to process steps involving liquids, mostly related with the
capillary effects during drying and evaporation of them. In order to overcome the risk of damaging
the membrane and decreasing the yield of suspended 2D material membranes, critical point dryer
(CPD) and inverted floating method (IFM) procedures are investigated. In addition to the
necessity to cover the full holes in the active area, polymeric residuals have to be minimized in
order to evaluate the graphene transparency at the electron energies (i.e., < 15 eV) typically
obtained in the operating conditions, measurements in these energy ranges are still not deeply
investigated.
Neural-network-based level-1 trigger upgrade for the SuperCDMS experiment at SNOLAB
Authors: Meyer zu Theenhausen H. , von Krosigk B. , Wilson J.S.
Published: June 2023

The extended physics program of the SuperCDMS SNOLAB dark
matter search experiment aims to maximize the sensitivity to
low-mass dark matter. To realize this, an upgrade of the existing
level-1 trigger of the data acquisition system is proposed by making
use of a recurrent neural network to be implemented on the trigger
FPGA. This provides an improved amplitude estimator and signal-noise
discriminator based on the combined information of filtered traces
from individual detector channels. The architecture and
configuration of this neural trigger are discussed in this article,
and the improvements in key performance indicators such as the
efficiency, resolution, and noise rate are quantified based on
signal simulations and noise data. Based on the findings in this
proof of concept, the trigger threshold is expected to be lowered by
 ∼ 22%.
The high level applications for the HEPS Linac
Authors: Zhao Y.-L. , Ji H.-F. , Lu X.-H. , Meng C. , Peng Y.-M. , Jiao Y. , Li J.-Y. , Xu G. , Xu H.-S.
Published: June 2023

The High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) is a 6 GeV diffraction-limited storage ring based
light source, which is under construction in Beijing, China. The HEPS accelerator consists of a
Linac, a booster, a storage ring and three transfer lines. Installation and high-power
conditioning of the Linac has been completed. For beam commissioning and measurements of the HEPS
Linac, it is necessary to develop high level applications (HLAs). The development of the Linac
HLAs, based on the framework named Python accelerator physics application set(Pyapas), has been
completed. All the applications are physics quantity based, including measurement applications,
control applications and monitoring applications. All the applications have been tested and
verified on virtual accelerator. The results show the validity of the algorithm and indicate that
the developed applications could meet the requirements of Linac commissioning. All the
applications have been deployed to the actual machine environment and communication and control
test with hardware system have been completed.
Interactive effects of air pollutants and temperature on incidence of dementia: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Wang Jiali , Gao Yinyan , Lin Yijuan , Sun Xuemei , Ye Shuzi , Shi Yan , Wu Irene X Y , Dai Wenjie , Xiao Fang
Published: June 2023

Mounting evidence has linked air pollution with dementia and temperature modifies the association of air pollution with other disease. However, their interactions on dementia are unclear. We used a prospective cohort study (the UK Biobank) included 498 660 adults without cognitive impairment or dementia at baseline and followed up for 11.50 years (5734 907 person-years). We applied Cox proportional hazards regression with time-varying exposures to examine the effects of air pollutants [particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), nitrogen oxides (NO2, NO
X
) and sulphur dioxide (SO2)], the mean and variability of seasonal temperature, and their interactions on dementia. During the follow-up time, we ascertained 4119 cases of dementia. We observed a higher hazard of incident dementia for 1 μg m−3 increase in SO2 (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08, 1.14), NO2 (HR [95% CI] = 1.02 [1.01, 1.02]), NO
X
(HR [95% CI] = 1.01 [1.00, 1.01]), PM2.5 (HR [95% CI] = 1.03 [1.02, 1.05]), and PM10 (HR HR [95% CI] = 1.02 [1.00, 1.03]). A lower risk of dementia in summertime temperature variability (HR for 1 °C increment above 1.27 °C = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.51, 0.72) was found. We observed a nonlinear relationship between higher risk of dementia and higher summer temperatures, and strong U-shaped relation of both wintertime temperature and wintertime temperature variability with dementia. We found the significantly synergistic effect between SO2 and summertime temperature (p < 0.001), the antagonistic effect between NO2 (p = 0.043), NO
X
(p = 0.026) and summertime temperature variability. Participants in a lower social economic position dominated susceptibility in temperature-air pollution interaction on dementia. In conclusion, some evidence of interactive effects between summer temperature and air pollutants was found, but no consistent interaction could be identified during the winter. Our study added weight to the evidence of air pollutants, temperature and their interaction on the onset of dementia.
Promoting future sustainable utilization of rare earth elements for efficient lighting technologies
Authors: Zhong Chen , Geng Yong , Ge Zewen , Rui Xue , Liang Jingjing , Wei Wendong
Published: June 2023

Energy efficient lights, such as fluorescent lamps (FLs) and light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, can greatly help energy saving, which is critical for achieving carbon neutrality in the building sector. Yttrium, europium, and terbium are three essential rare earth elements (REEs) for energy efficient lighting. However, due to the ongoing lighting technology transition from FLs to LED lamps, the demands for yttrium, europium, and terbium have decreased significantly. It resulted in oversupplies of these three REEs in the lighting sector, indicating an economically and environmentally unsustainable supply chain. This study aims to estimate the supply and demand dynamics of yttrium, europium, and terbium in China from 2021 to 2060 under China’s carbon neutrality target by applying a dynamic-material-flow-analysis framework. Key flows and stocks along their life cycles are examined. Results show that the annual demands for yttrium, europium, and terbium in China’s lighting sector will decrease by 87%–100% from 2021 to 2060 under two demand scenarios. Driven by the demands for other co-produced critical REEs, the overall growing REEs supply will result in high surplus risks of yttrium and europium. Meanwhile, terbium deficit risk deserves more attentions due to its demand growth in other fields. Such surpluses of these three REEs in 2060 under six combined demand and supply scenarios are estimated to reach between 71 727 tonnes and 274 869 tonnes for yttrium, 530 tonnes and 1712 tonnes for europium, and −1360 tonnes (i.e. deficit) and 540 tonnes for terbium. Recycling activities of major co-produced REEs, such as neodymium, and the export expansion of surplus products can effectively mitigate such surplus risks. Finally, policy recommendations are proposed to improve the overall REEs efficiency by addressing the supply–demand imbalance and mitigating corresponding environmental impacts.
Modified toric code models with flux attachment from Hopf algebra gauge theory
Authors: Conlon A , Pellegrino D , Slingerland J K
Published: June 2023

Kitaev’s toric code is constructed using a finite gauge group from gauge theory. Such gauge theories can be extended with the gauge group generalized to any finite-dimensional semisimple Hopf algebra. This also leads to extensions of the toric code. Here we consider the simple case where the gauge group is unchanged but furnished with a non-trivial quasitriangular structure (R-matrix), which modifies the construction of the gauge theory. This leads to some interesting phenomena; for example, the space of functions on the group becomes a non-commutative algebra. We also obtain simple Hamiltonian models generalizing the toric code, which are of the same overall topological type as the toric code, except that the various species of particles created by string operators in the model are permuted in a way that depends on the R-matrix. In the case of

Z

N

gauge theory, we find that the introduction of a non-trivial R-matrix amounts to flux attachment.
Enhanced dual-band absorption of graphene mediated by an aluminum metastructure
Authors: Khan Ghulam Abbas , Lu Yonghua , Wang Pei
Published: June 2023

Graphene absorption from the visible to infrared spectrum has great potential and broad applications in miniature of modern optoelectronic biosensors and photodetectors. However, graphene has zero bandgap energy, which limits its absorption to 2.3% in the visible and infrared spectrums. Here, we propose a metastructure to optimize graphene absorption in the visible to near-infrared frequency regions. The metastructure, comprising an array of aluminum square blocks (Al-SBs) on a graphene layer, a silica spacer, and an Al reflector, is investigated for absorption enhancement. This work deciphers the effect of the periodicity of decorated Al-SBs on the evolution of dual-band absorption in single-layer graphene under normal incidence. The electromagnetic signatures of two excited modes indicate that surface plasmons and magnetic dipole plasmons are mediators of absorption. The investigation into the impact of geometrical parameters illustrates that the coexisting phenomena of a relative broad peak and a relative sharp peak have been achieved simultaneously with high efficiency. The dynamic manipulation of surface plasmons and magnetic dipole plasmons presents great potential for a diverse range of applications, such as sensing and imaging. By controlling the periodicity of Al-SBs, it is possible to achieve active control of surface plasmon resonance, and a detection range of 300 nm is observed. Dynamic control of the magnetic dipole plasmon is successfully achieved by modifying the electrical environment of the graphene layer, which is realized by altering the underlying spacer material. Collectively, the findings of this study demonstrate the significant potential of the suggested metastructure for its prospective applications in optoelectronic devices, including biosensors, photovoltaics, and photodetectors that rely on the dynamic control of surface and magnetic plasmon resonances.
Analytical model for predicting coverage in suspension waterjet shot peening and its influence on fatigue
Authors: Ma Yongtao , Li Chunfan , Sun Ning , Liu Lanrong , Lu Chunsheng , Wang Junlong , Zhang Bin
Published: June 2023

Suspension waterjet peening is an emerging technology for surface modification. Coverage is a key factor affecting the integrity of a modified material surface, however such an experimental method that can be utilized for precise control has not yet been established. To determine the numerical value of coverage after surface peening treatment, In this paper, a coverage analytical method was proposed and then verified by the results through experiments. Furthermore, to explore the impact of high coverage on surface integrity, a large-scale coverage peening modification was performed on 18CrNiMo7-6 carburized steel specimens using a specialized suspension waterjet equipment. The results indicate that coverage has a significant impact on roughness and compressive residual stress field, with the highest improvement on surface and their maximum values reaching 51.6% and 24.7%, respectively. It is shown that the fatigue performance of the specimens can be significantly enhanced.
Preparation and properties of PVA nanofibers with spiral ordered internal structure
Authors: Zhao Lei , Zhu Ting , Wei Li , Wang Qianwen , Zhao Jumei , Yi Shixiong , Wang Jun
Published: June 2023

The spinning solution of PVA(polyvinyl alcohol) was chosen as the spiral spinning research object. With enough needle length, the macromolecules were straightened and aligned under laminar flow theory. The spiral spinning needle controlled the spiral twisting of the straightened macromolecules. The motion trajectory of titanium dioxide(nanoparticles) in nanofibers was photographed by TEM(transmission electron microscope) under the action of spiral centripetal force, which directly verified the feasibility of the spiral spinning principle. The greater the number of spiral spinning needles, the tighter the spiral arrangement inside the nanofibers and the greater the crystallinity of the nanofibers. The SEM(scanning electron microscope) observation revealed that the diameter of nanofibers had a relationship with the number of spiral spinning needles. When the spiral number of spinning needle was 13, the tensile and bursting properties of the nanofiber membrane were optimal, but when the spiral number of spinning needle was 19, the pore structure, electrical resistance, and antibacterial properties of the nanofiber membrane were optimal.
A study of grid failure mode drivers and methods for accelerated life testing of a 30 cm diameter ion thruster
Authors: SUN Mingming , LONG Jianfei , CHEN Juanjuan , YANG Wei , GUO Weilong , CHEN Xinwei
Published: June 2023

In view of the high cost caused by the 1:1 lifetime verification test of ion thrusters, the lifetime acceleration test should be considered. This work uses the PIC-MCC (Particle-in-Cell Monte-Carlo Collision) method to analyze the five failure factors that lead to the failure of the accelerator grid of a 30 cm diameter ion thruster under the working mode of 5 kW. Meanwhile, the acceleration stress levels corresponding to different failure factors are obtained. The results show that background pressure has the highest stress level on the grid’s erosion. The accelerator grid aperture’s mass sputtering rate under the rated vacuum degree (1 × 10−4 Pa) of 5 kW work mode is 8.78 times that of the baseline vacuum degree (1 × 10−6 Pa), and the mass sputtering rate under worse vacuum degree (5 × 10−3 Pa) is 5.08 times that of 1 × 10−4 Pa. Under the influence of the other four failure factors, namely, the voltage of the accelerator grid, upstream plasma density, the screen grid voltage and mass utilization efficiency, the mass sputtering rates of the accelerator grid hole are 2.32, 2.67, 1.98 and 2.51 times those of the accelerator grid hole under baseline condition, respectively. The ion sputtering results of two 30 cm diameter ion thrusters (both installed with new grids assembly) after working for 1000 h show that the mass sputtering rate of the accelerator grid hole under vacuum conditions of 5 × 10−3 Pa is 4.54 times that under the condition of 1 × 10−4 Pa, and the comparison error between simulation results and test results of acceleration stress is about 10%. In the subsequent ion thruster lifetime verification, the working vacuum degree can be adjusted according to the acceleration stress level of background pressure, so as to shorten the test time and reduce the test cost.
Development of a Revised Version of Subjective Memory Complaints Questionnaire in Taiwan: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Ku Yi-Ting , Chiu Pai-Yi , Hua Mau-Sun , Liao Yu-Chi , Chang Hsin-Te
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Research has suggested that subjective memory complaints (SMC) are predictive of cognitive decline in cases of Alzheimer’s disease; however, multidimensional characteristics of SMC make it difficult to formulate causal links. The Subjective Memory Complaints Questionnaire (SMCQ) has proven effective in capturing the nature of SMC. In this study, we developed a revised version of SMCQ (SMCQ-R) with corresponding normative data for application in Taiwan.

Methods

This study recruited 100 cognitively normal participants (> 45 years) stratified according to demographic characteristics. Assessments were performed to evaluate test-retest reliability, criterion-related validity, and construct validity of SMCQ-R. SMCQ-R scores of 20 matched patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were also compared with those of normal participants to test construct validity.

Results

Reliability of SMCQ-R was satisfactory (0.81–0.95). Factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure: everyday memory problems (EMP), recent severe memory problems (RSMP), and long-term memory problems (LTMP). EMP and RSMP scores were negatively associated with objective cognitive function (r = −.20 to .39). Depressive symptoms were positively associated with all factors (r = .23–.33). Age was positively associated with total (b = 0.09, p < .05) and EMP scores (b = 0.06, p < .01). MCI patients obtained higher scores (p < .05) on all subscales. SMCQ-R scores discriminated between normal and MCI individuals (area under the curve = 0.77). This study established a norm based on scores adjusted to control for effects of age.

Conclusions

SMCQ-R has sound psychometric properties and could potentially be used as a tool to assess SMC in clinical settings.
Structure-based pathogenicity relationship identifier for predicting effects of single missense variants and discovery of higher-order cancer susceptibility clusters of mutations
Authors: Wang Boshen , Lei Xue , Tian Wei , Perez-Rathke Alan , Tseng Yan-Yuan , Liang Jie
Published: June 2023

We report the structure-based pathogenicity relationship identifier (SPRI), a novel computational tool for accurate evaluation of pathological effects of missense single mutations and prediction of higher-order spatially organized units of mutational clusters. SPRI can effectively extract properties determining pathogenicity encoded in protein structures, and can identify deleterious missense mutations of germ line origin associated with Mendelian diseases, as well as mutations of somatic origin associated with cancer drivers. It compares favorably to other methods in predicting deleterious mutations. Furthermore, SPRI can discover spatially organized pathogenic higher-order spatial clusters (patHOS) of deleterious mutations, including those of low recurrence, and can be used for discovery of candidate cancer driver genes and driver mutations. We further demonstrate that SPRI can take advantage of AlphaFold2 predicted structures and can be deployed for saturation mutation analysis of the whole human proteome.
DAmiRLocGNet: miRNA subcellular localization prediction by combining miRNA–disease associations and graph convolutional networks
Authors: Bai Tao , Yan Ke , Liu Bin
Published: June 2023

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are human post-transcriptional regulators in humans, which are involved in regulating various physiological processes by regulating the gene expression. The subcellular localization of miRNAs plays a crucial role in the discovery of their biological functions. Although several computational methods based on miRNA functional similarity networks have been presented to identify the subcellular localization of miRNAs, it remains difficult for these approaches to effectively extract well-referenced miRNA functional representations due to insufficient miRNA–disease association representation and disease semantic representation. Currently, there has been a significant amount of research on miRNA–disease associations, making it possible to address the issue of insufficient miRNA functional representation. In this work, a novel model is established, named DAmiRLocGNet, based on graph convolutional network (GCN) and autoencoder (AE) for identifying the subcellular localizations of miRNA. The DAmiRLocGNet constructs the features based on miRNA sequence information, miRNA–disease association information and disease semantic information. GCN is utilized to gather the information of neighboring nodes and capture the implicit information of network structures from miRNA–disease association information and disease semantic information. AE is employed to capture sequence semantics from sequence similarity networks. The evaluation demonstrates that the performance of DAmiRLocGNet is superior to other competing computational approaches, benefiting from implicit features captured by using GCNs. The DAmiRLocGNet has the potential to be applied to the identification of subcellular localization of other non-coding RNAs. Moreover, it can facilitate further investigation into the functional mechanisms underlying miRNA localization. The source code and datasets are accessed at http://bliulab.net/DAmiRLocGNet.
Robust sample weighting to facilitate individualized treatment rule learning for a target population
Authors: Chen Rui , Huling Jared D , Chen Guanhua , Yu Menggang
Published: June 2023

Learning individualized treatment rules is an important topic in precision medicine. Current literature mainly focuses on deriving individualized treatment rules from a single source population. We consider the observational data setting when the source population differs from a target population of interest. Compared with causal generalization for the average treatment effect that is a scalar quantity, individualized treatment rule generalization poses new challenges due to the need to model and generalize the rules based on a prespecified class of functions that may not contain the unrestricted true optimal individualized treatment rule. The aim of this paper is to develop a weighting framework to mitigate the impact of such misspecification, and thus facilitate the generalizability of optimal individualized treatment rules from a source population to a target population. Our method seeks covariate balance over a nonparametric function class characterized by a reproducing kernel Hilbert space and can improve many individualized treatment rule learning methods that rely on weights. We show that the proposed method encompasses importance weights and overlap weights as two extreme cases, allowing for a better bias-variance trade-off in between. Numerical examples demonstrate that the use of our weighting method can greatly improve individualized treatment rule estimation for the target population compared with other weighting methods.
Theological and Ethical Problems with Medicalizing Risk
Authors: Curlin Farr , Scherz Paul
Published: June 2023

While the COVID-19 pandemic riveted public attention on questions regarding how to respond reasonably to risk of illness, everyday medical care involves more mundane forms of pharmaceutical risk management for conditions like high blood pressure, prediabetes, or high cholesterol. This essay, and the collection it introduces, explore medicalization of risk as a theological problem, drawing on resources such as the Sermon on the Mount that caution us about the potential dangers of risk management to Christian discipleship. Medicalization of risk threatens to become an idol that promises immanent security at the cost of one’s relationship with God and others. It misleads contemporary society as to the true human end and medicine’s own capabilities to provide temporal salvation. The essays in this special issue illustrate these problems with respect to pharmaceutical risk management.
Vesiculopustular eruption in a patient with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Pereira Ana S , Figueiredo Carolina , Martins André , Cardoso José C
Published: June 2023

Two days following an injection of iodinated contrast, an 80-year-old man with stage 4 chronic renal disease, who was also taking amiodarone long term, presented with a vesiculopustular eruption on his face and neck. Blood analysis showed elevated serum iodine levels and a skin biopsy revealed a neutrophilic dermatosis with cryptococcus-like structures
Eurasian otters prefer to prey on religious released non-native fish on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wang Qiaoyun , Han Xuesong , Wang Zichen , Zheng Kaidan , Dong Zhengyi , Zhang Peng , Fan Pengfei , Zhang Lu
Published: June 2023

Religious wildlife release is prevalent worldwide, especially in Asia countries. It is one of the anthropogenic pathways to cause biological invasions. Religious fish release is common on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, yet few studies have assessed the influences of religious fish release on local species. In Yushu, a city on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, we interviewed local people, conducted fish trap surveys in local rivers, and examined the diet of Eurasian otters Lutra lutra using a fecal DNA metabarcoding approach. We found that fish release started at least in 1980–1990s in Yushu. Tibetan residents released fish in large amounts and released fish were usually exotic commercial fish purchased from market. Despite such long-term and intensive fish release activities, released fish were few in local rivers. On the other hand, Eurasian otters mainly prey on fish and released fish accounted for ~20% of relative read abundance of prey DNA in otters’ diet, indicating their high preference on released fish. Our study suggested that religious fish release may provide additional food resources for otters, whereas otters, as a top predator in local rivers, may deplete non-native fish once they were released and, therefore, reduce the probability of colonization of released fish, although further studies are required to assess otters’ impact. Our study revealed otters’ diet in Yushu, providing basic information for local otter management and conservation. Furthermore, it represents a case showing that native predators prey on religious released animals, implying a probable direction for controlling invasive species through native predator conservation.
MPO activity determined by molecular MRI is associated with ruptured and destabilised human atherosclerotic plaques
Authors: Nadel J , Bongers A , Tumanov S , Giannotti N , Chen W , Jabbour A , Stocker R
Published: June 2023

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): National Health & Medical Research Council - Postgraduate Scholarship

National Heart Foundation - PhD Scholarship

University of New South Wales - RTP Scholarship

Introduction

Intraplaque MPO activity is associated with unstable atherosclerosis and elevated following acute cardiovascular events. Imaging probes for the detection of MPO exist, including MPO-Gd, a gadolinium-based probe activated and retained in the presence of MPO-specific chlorinating species. To date, the utility of MPO activity in plaque rupture has not been examined. We sought to assess the association between intraplaque MPO activity and ruptured human plaques.

Method

Carotid endarterectomy specimens (CEA) were collected from 30 patients undergoing surgery. Following pre-surgical in vivo MRI for plaque characterisation, ex vivo plaques were activated using MPO-Gd. MPO-Gd retention was then correlated to AHA plaque grading both histologically and by in vivo MRI as well as liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) through the addition of hydroethidine tissue sections and it’s conversion to the MPO-specific adduct 2-chloroethidium (2-Cl-E+).

Results

MPO-Gd retention in CEA was greater in both histologically and MRI-graded ruptured and destabilised AHA type VI plaques compared to types III-V (T1 percentage recovery from baseline: VI: 52% ± 5.7 vs. V: 77% ± 7.8, IV: 83% ± 8.2 and III: 84% ± 6.8; p < 0.0001). This association was confirmed by comparing histological AHA grade to MPO activity determined by LC-MS/MS (2-Cl-E+ corrected to internal standard per mgp: VI: 0.2 ± 0.2 vs. V: 0.00 ± 0.01, IV: 0.01 ± 0.01, and III: 0.03 ± 0.03; p = 0.005).

Discussion

We demonstrate that MPO activity determined by MPO-Gd and compared to histology is increased in ruptured human plaques. These results highlight the unique and specific role of intraplaque MPO activity and its potential application as a molecular probe in the detection of vulnerable atherosclerosis.
Prognostic value of myocardial strain on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Tao M , Despotidis G , Ghosalkar D , Tam E , Goldschmidt M , Mann N
Published: June 2023

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Myocardial strain measurements using feature tracking imaging (FTI) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as a reliable method for evaluating myocardial function. However, the prognostic value of left ventricular strain measurements on CMR remains unclear in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM).

Purpose

The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the association of myocardial strain measurements with adverse outcomes in patients with NICM.

Methods

A literature search was conducted for studies reporting on the association of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), left ventricular global circumferential strain (LVGCS), and left ventricular global radial strain (LVGRS) using FTI on CMR with cardiovascular outcomes on long term follow-up in patients with NICM. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The search included the following databases: Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The search was not restricted to time or publication status.

Results

A total of 6 studies with 1004 participants (251 with MACE and 753 without MACE) met inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up duration was 39 months. Mean ejection fraction was 27%. Baseline LVGLS, LVGCS, and LVGRS were significantly lower in NICM patients who subsequently experienced MACE on follow-up compared to patients without MACE (SMD −0.58, 95% CI −1.01, −0.15; p<0.01; SMD −0.58, 95% CI −0.96, −0.21; p<0.01; SMD −0.43, 95% CI −0.81, −0.05; p = 0.03).

Conclusions

Myocardial strain measurement using FTI on CMR may represent a useful clinical tool for risk stratification of NICM patients at risk for adverse cardiac events.
Comparison of effective regurgitant orifice area by the PISA method and tricuspid coaptation gap measurement to identify very severe tricuspid regurgitation and stratify mortality risk
Authors: Bohbot Y , Tordjman L , Dreyfus J , Le Tourneau T , Lavie Badie Y , Selto C , Elegamandji B , L'official G , Fraix A , Aghezzaf S , Turgeon P Y , Enriquez Sarano M , Coisne A , Donal E , Tribouilloy C
Published: June 2023

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Various definitions of very severe (VS) tricuspid regurgitation (TR) have been proposed based on the effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) or tricuspid coaptation gap (TCG). Because of the inherent limitations associated with the EROA, we hypothesized that the TCG would be more suitable for defining VSTR and predicting outcomes.

Purpose

To compare EROA and TCG for outcome prediction in patients with severe TR

Methods

In this French multicentre retrospective study, we included 606 patients with ≥ moderate-to-severe isolated TR (without structural valve disease or an overt cardiac cause) according to the recommendations of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. Patients were further stratified into VSTR according to the EROA (≥60 mm²) and then according to the TCG (≥10 mm). The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality and the secondary endpoint was cardiovascular mortality.

Results

The relationship between the EROA and TCG was poor (R²=0.21), especially when the size of the defect was large. Four-year survival was comparable between patients with an EROA <60 mm² vs. ≥ 60 mm² (67±3% vs. 64±4%, p = 0.64), even after adjustment, for all-cause (p = 0.72) and cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.18). A TCG ≥10 mm was associated with lower four-year survival than a TCG <10 mm (53±7% vs. 69±3%, p<0.001). After adjustment for covariates, including age, comorbidity, right heart failure, dose of diuretics, and right ventricular dysfunction, a TCG ≥10 mm remained independently associated with higher all-cause mortality (adjusted HR[95%CI]=1.46[1.15–2.18], p = 0.015) and cardiovascular mortality (adjusted HR[95%CI]=1.95[1.22–3.14], p <0.001), whereas an EROA ≥60 mm² was not associated with all-cause or cardiovascular mortality (adjusted HR[95%CI]:1.07[0.75–1.51], p = 0.720, and adjusted HR[95%CI]:1.35[0.87–2.09], p = 0.176, respectively)

Conclusion

The correlation between the TCG and EROA is weak and decreases with increasing defect size. A TCG ≥10mm is associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and should be used to define VSTR in isolated TR.
Assessment of left atrial appendage flow velocities to unmask atrial fibrillation in cryptogenic stroke
Authors: Dhont S , Wouters F , Deferm S , Bekelaar K , Nuyens D , Verhaert D , Vandervoort P , Bertrand P B
Published: June 2023

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Hemostasis in the left atrial (LA) appendage (LAA) is a common cause of stroke, particularly in atrial fibrillation (AF). LAA flow have been determined to quantify LAA function.

Objectives

To investigate whether LAA peak flow velocities early after cryptogenic stroke have a predictive value for AF occurrence and to determine the determinants of impaired flow.

Methods

Consecutive cryptogenic stroke patients (139) were enrolled. LAA flow velocities during sinus rhythm were assessed early post-stroke with transesophageal echocardiography. All patients received rhythm monitoring using 7-day Holter and if negative, an implantable cardiac monitor.

Results

47 Patients (34%) developed AF during a median follow-up of 554 days, median time to AF diagnosis was 93 days. Both, LAA filling (LAAfv) and emptying (LAAev) velocities were lower in stroke patients who developed AF (resp. 44.3±14.2 cm/s and 50.7±13.3 cm/s) compared with those who didn’t (resp. 59.8±14.0 cm/s and 76.8±17.3 cm/s). LAAev was the strongest predictor of AF with an AUC of 0.878 in ROC curve analysis and with optimal cut-off value of 55 cm/s. Age and mitral regurgitation were independent determinants of reduced LAAev.

Conclusions

Reduced LAA flow velocities can identify cryptogenic stroke patients at high risk of occult AF, and who may benefit from intensive rhythm monitoring or anticoagulation strategies.