bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single-molecule imaging of stochastic interactions that drive dynein activation and cargo movement in cells
Authors: Tirumala Nireekshit Addanki , Redpath Gregory Michael Ian , Skerhut Sarah Viktoria , Dolai Pritha , Kapoor-Kaushik Natasha , Ariotti Nicholas , Vijay Kumar K. , Ananthanarayanan Vaishnavi
Published: January 2024

Cytoplasmic dynein 1 (dynein) is the primary minus end–directed motor protein in most eukaryotic cells. Dynein remains in an inactive conformation until the formation of a tripartite complex comprising dynein, its regulator dynactin, and a cargo adaptor. How this process of dynein activation occurs is unclear since it entails the formation of a three-protein complex inside the crowded environs of a cell. Here, we employed live-cell, single-molecule imaging to visualize and track fluorescently tagged dynein. First, we observed that only ∼30% of dynein molecules that bound to the microtubule (MT) engaged in minus end–directed movement, and that too for a short duration of ∼0.6 s. Next, using high-resolution imaging in live and fixed cells and using correlative light and electron microscopy, we discovered that dynactin and endosomal cargo remained in proximity to each other and to MTs. We then employed two-color imaging to visualize cargo movement effected by single motor binding. Finally, we performed long-term imaging to show that short movements are sufficient to drive cargo to the perinuclear region of the cell. Taken together, we discovered a search mechanism that is facilitated by dynein’s frequent MT binding–unbinding kinetics: (i) in a futile event when dynein does not encounter cargo anchored in proximity to the MT, dynein dissociates and diffuses into the cytoplasm, (ii) when dynein encounters cargo and dynactin upon MT binding, it moves cargo in a short run. Several of these short runs are undertaken in succession for long-range directed movement. In conclusion, we demonstrate that dynein activation and cargo capture are coupled in a step that relies on the reduction of dimensionality to enable minus end–directed transport in cellulo and that complex cargo behavior emerges from stochastic motor–cargo interactions.
International comparison of measurements of neutron source emission rate (2016-2021) - CCRI(III)-K9.Cf.2016
Authors: Roberts N J , Horwood N A , Vykydal Z , Park H , Kim J , Pereira W W , Fonseca E S da , Thiam C , Hui Zhang , Dewey M S , Mumm H P , Harano H , Matsumoto T , Masuda A , Manabe S , Archambault J P , Moiseev N N , Didyk A V
Published: January 2024

Main text

Section III (neutron measurements) of the Comité Consultatif des Rayonnements Ionisants, CCRI, conducted a comparison of primary measurements of the neutron emission rate of a 252Cf radionuclide source. A single 252Cf source was circulated to all participants between 2016 and 2020. Ten laboratories participated -CMI (Czech Republic), KRISS (Republic of Korea), IRD/LNMRI (Brazil), LNE-LNHB (France), NIM (China), NIST (USA), NMIJ (Japan), NPL (UK), NRC (Canada) and VNIIM (Russia) - with NPL making their measurements at the start and repeating them at the end of the exercise to verify the 250Cf content of the source. Each laboratory reported the emission rate into 4π sr together with a detailed uncertainty budget. All participants used the manganese bath technique except NMIJ who used a relative method based on measurements with a 3He detector in a graphite pile. VNIIM also made measurements using an associated particle technique. CMI, KRISS, LNE-LNHB, NIM, NPL and VNIIM also measured the anisotropy of the source although this did not formally form part of the comparison.

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCRI, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
Integrated-mode proton radiography with 2D lateral projections
Authors: Simard Mikaël , Robertson Daniel G , Fullarton Ryan , Royle Gary , Beddar Sam , Collins-Fekete Charles-Antoine
Published: January 2024

Integrated-mode proton radiography leading to water equivalent thickness (WET) maps is an avenue of interest for motion management, patient positioning, and in vivo range verification. Radiographs can be obtained using a pencil beam scanning setup with a large 3D monolithic scintillator coupled with optical cameras. Established reconstruction methods either (1) involve a camera at the distal end of the scintillator, or (2) use a lateral view camera as a range telescope. Both approaches lead to limited image quality. The purpose of this work is to propose a third, novel reconstruction framework that exploits the 2D information provided by two lateral view cameras, to improve image quality achievable using lateral views. The three methods are first compared in a simulated Geant4 Monte Carlo framework using an extended cardiac torso (XCAT) phantom and a slanted edge. The proposed method with 2D lateral views is also compared with the range telescope approach using experimental data acquired with a plastic volumetric scintillator. Scanned phantoms include a Las Vegas (contrast), 9 tissue-substitute inserts (WET accuracy), and a paediatric head phantom. Resolution increases from 0.24 (distal) to 0.33 lp mm−1 (proposed method) on the simulated slanted edge phantom, and the mean absolute error on WET maps of the XCAT phantom is reduced from 3.4 to 2.7 mm with the same methods. Experimental data from the proposed 2D lateral views indicate a 36% increase in contrast relative to the range telescope method. High WET accuracy is obtained, with a mean absolute error of 0.4 mm over 9 inserts. Results are presented for various pencil beam spacing ranging from 2 to 6 mm. This work illustrates that high quality proton radiographs can be obtained with clinical beam settings and the proposed reconstruction framework with 2D lateral views, with potential applications in adaptive proton therapy.
Numerical investigation on the discharge formation in micrometer pores in structured catalyst irradiated by a helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet
Authors: Wenjun Ning , Hao Shang , Xueming Shen , Saikang Shen , Xiaolong Huang , Lihua Zhao , Shenli Jia
Published: January 2024

Non-thermal plasma catalysis is a promising way to achieve high efficiency in applications such as energy conversion and chemical engineering. Although synergistic effects between plasmas and catalysts have been preliminarily considered as an underlying mechanism of this type of catalysis, the formation of discharges in small-size catalyst pores, which is possibly a crucial factor in plasma-activated catalysis, is still not well understood. In this paper, investigations on the interactions between a helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) and catalysts with micrometer-sized pores of different shapes and sizes are conducted with a 2D fluid model. Simulation results show that the existence of pores makes a subtle difference to the APPJ by changing the equivalent capacitance, indicating the potential to achieve moderate and stable APPJ-catalyst interactions. Traces of air impurities in helium can promote discharges in catalyst pores, and thus allow discharges to form in smaller pores. In the case when the catalyst channel is too small for direct APPJ penetration, we propose a method by producing a prior discharge in a relatively large cavity to supply seed electrons to ignite discharges inside the channel. The effects of channel and cavity sizes are discussed from the perspectives of discharge behavior and plasma-surface interactions. This work will contribute to the preparation of structured catalysts to potentially achieve higher efficient plasma catalysis, and better understanding of the physical processes in plasma-surface interactions inside micrometer pores.
Health monitoring of an assembly-type structure using raw time-domain EMI signals and a novel hybrid deep learning algorithm
Authors: Alazzawi Osama , Wang Dansheng
Published: January 2024

Deep learning models are widely used to extract features from data through supervised or unsupervised methods. However, when these two methods are used separately, their generalization ability is insufficient. In this study, a structural health monitoring technology based on a novel hybrid deep learning (HDL) model and time-domain electromechanical impedance (TEMI) has been proposed. The HDL is a highly efficient combination of deep auto-encoder (DAE) and two-dimensional convolutional neural network (2D CNN). The DAE is used for unsupervised reconstruction of the high-level features of 1D TEMI signals, and then, the features extracted by DAE are arranged and fed into a supervised 2D CNN that is designed to learn the optimal feature representations of the multi-label signals. This increases effectively the model’s learnability and generalizability. The robustness of the developed approach has been tested using TEMI signals that are collected from a scaled model of a rectangular pipe gallery subjected to transversal joint damage. Results indicate that the maximal identification errors of joint damage severity are 2.4% and 9.33% when the corresponding structural conditions are used and unused by the training process of HDL, respectively.
Study on the dissociation properties and spectra of iodobenzene under external electric field
Authors: Tang Jing , Aizezi Nuerbiye , Yu Cong , Liu Yuzhu
Published: January 2024

In accordance with density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) method, the characteristics of iodobenzene (C6H5I) under the impact of various external electric field (EEF) (0 V · nm−1∼10.28 V · nm−1) are calculated, using B3LYP/LanL2DZ group. As evident from the computational results, an escalation in EEF corresponds to a decrease in total energy, an increase in dipole moment, elongation of the 6C-12I bond, contraction of the 2C-7H bond, and a reduction in the energy gap. With an increase in EEF, there is an observed enhancement in the intensity of infrared spectral characteristic peaks associated with the stretching and bending vibrations of the 6C-12I bond; The Raman spectral characteristic peak corresponding to the 6C-12I bond experiences a redshift. When EEF increases, the single point energy decreases first and then increases. The barrier almost disappears when EEF reaches 16.46 V · nm−1. Furthermore, as EEF attains higher magnitudes, the excitation energy of the first nine excited states experiences a reduction and the oscillator strength changes. Examining the impact of EEF on the characteristics and spectra not only offers a theoretical foundation for understanding the dissociation of iodobenzene but also provides valuable insights for the development of detection methods for other organic pollutants.
Enhanced magnetic anisotropy and high hole mobility in magnetic semiconductor Ga1-x-y
Fe
x
Ni
y
Sb
Authors: Deng Zhi , Wang Hailong , Wei Qiqi , Liu Lei , Sun Hongli , Pan Dong , Wei Dahai , Zhao Jianhua
Published: January 2024

(Ga,Fe)Sb is a promising magnetic semiconductor (MS) for spintronic applications because its Curie temperature (T
C) is above 300 K when the Fe concentration is higher than 20%. However, the anisotropy constant K
u of (Ga,Fe)Sb is below 7.6 × 103 erg/cm3 when Fe concentration is lower than 30%, which is one order of magnitude lower than that of (Ga,Mn)As. To address this issue, we grew Ga1-x-y
Fe
x
Ni
y
Sb films with almost the same x (≈24%) and different y to characterize their magnetic and electrical transport properties. We found that the magnetic anisotropy of Ga0.76-y
Fe0.24Ni
y
Sb can be enhanced by increasing y, in which K
u is negligible at y = 1.7% but increases to 3.8 × 105 erg/cm3 at y = 6.1% (T
C = 354 K). In addition, the hole mobility (µ) of Ga1-x-y
Fe
x
Ni
y
Sb reaches 31.3 cm2/(V∙s) at x = 23.7%, y = 1.7% (T
C = 319 K), which is much higher than the mobility of Ga1-x
Fe
x
Sb at x = 25.2% (µ = 6.2 cm2/(V∙s)). Our results provide useful information for enhancing the magnetic anisotropy and hole mobility of (Ga,Fe)Sb by using Ni co-doping.
A 24−30 GHz 8-element dual-polarized 5G FR2 phased-array transceiver IC with 20.8-dBm TX OP1dB and 4.1-dB RX NFin 65-nm CMOS
Authors: Yi Yongran , Zhao Dixian , Zhang Jiajun , Gu Peng , Xu Chenyu , Chai Yuan , Liu Huiqi , You Xiaohu
Published: January 2024

This article presents an 8-element dual-polarized phased-array transceiver (TRX) front-end IC for millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) 5G new radio (NR). Power enhancement technologies for power amplifiers (PA) in mm-Wave 5G phased-array TRX are discussed. A four-stage wideband high-power class-AB PA with distributed-active-transformer (DAT) power combining and multi-stage second-harmonic traps is proposed, ensuring the mitigated amplitude-to-phase (AM-PM) distortions across wide carrier frequencies without degrading transmitting (TX) power, gain and efficiency. TX and receiving (RX) switching is achieved by a matching network co-designed on-chip T/R switch. In each TRX element, 6-bit 360° phase shifting and 6-bit 31.5-dB gain tuning are respectively achieved by the digital-controlled vector-modulated phase shifter (VMPS) and differential attenuator (ATT). Fabricated in 65-nm bulk complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), the proposed TRX demonstrates the measured peak TX/RX gains of 25.5/21.3 dB, covering the 24−29.5 GHz band. The measured peak TX OP1dB and power-added efficiency (PAE) are 20.8 dBm and 21.1%, respectively. The measured minimum RX NF is 4.1 dB. The TRX achieves an output power of 11.0−12.4 dBm and error vector magnitude (EVM) of 5% with 400-MHz 5G NR FR2 OFDM 64-QAM signals across 24−29.5 GHz, covering 3GPP 5G NR FR2 operating bands of n257, n258, and n261.
Anisotropic etching mechanisms of 4H-SiC: Experimental and first-principles insights
Authors: Yang Guang , Xu Lingbo , Cui Can , Pi Xiaodong , Yang Deren , Wang Rong
Published: January 2024

Molten-alkali etching has been widely used to reveal dislocations in 4H silicon carbide (4H-SiC), which has promoted the identification and statistics of dislocation density in 4H-SiC single crystals. However, the etching mechanism of 4H-SiC is limited misunderstood. In this letter, we reveal the anisotropic etching mechanism of the Si face and C face of 4H-SiC by combining molten-KOH etching, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and first-principles investigations. The activation energies for the molten-KOH etching of the C face and Si face of 4H-SiC are calculated to be 25.09 and 35.75 kcal/mol, respectively. The molten-KOH etching rate of the C face is higher than the Si face. Combining XPS analysis and first-principles calculations, we find that the molten-KOH etching of 4H-SiC is proceeded by the cycling of the oxidation of 4H-SiC by the dissolved oxygen and the removal of oxides by molten KOH. The faster etching rate of the C face is caused by the fact that the oxides on the C face are unstable, and easier to be removed with molten alkali, rather than the C face being easier to be oxidized.
Large deviations for trajectory observables of diffusion processes in dimension d > 1 in the double limit of large time and small diffusion coefficient
Authors: Monthus Cécile
Published: January 2024

For diffusion processes in dimensiond > 1, the statistics of trajectory observables over the time-window[0,T]can be studied via the Feynman–Kac deformations of the Fokker–Planck generator, which can be interpreted as Euclidean non-Hermitian electromagnetic quantum Hamiltonians. It is interesting to compare the four regimes corresponding to the timeT, either finite or large, and to the diffusion coefficientD, either finite or small. (1) For finiteTand finiteD, one needs to consider the full time-dependent quantum problem that involves the full spectrum of the Hamiltonian. (2) For large timeT→+∞and finiteD, one only needs to consider the ground-state properties of the quantum Hamiltonian to obtain the generating function of rescaled cumulants and to construct the corresponding canonical conditioned processes. (3) For finiteTandD → 0, one only needs to consider the dominant classical trajectory and its action satisfying the Hamilton–Jacobi equation, as in the semi-classical Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) approximation of quantum mechanics. (4) In the double limitT→+∞andD → 0, the simplifications in the large deviations inTDof trajectory observables can be analyzed via the two orders of limits, i.e. either from the limitD → 0 of the ground-state properties of the quantum Hamiltonians of (2), or from the limit of long classical trajectoriesT→+∞in the semi-classical WKB approximation of (3). This general framework is illustrated in dimensiond = 2 with rotational invariance.
Entanglement asymmetry and quantum Mpemba effect in the XY spin chain
Authors: Murciano Sara , Ares Filiberto , Klich Israel , Calabrese Pasquale
Published: January 2024

Entanglement asymmetry is a quantity recently introduced to measure how much a symmetry is broken in a part of an extended quantum system. It has been employed to analyze the non-equilibrium dynamics of a broken symmetry after a global quantum quench with a Hamiltonian that preserves it. In this work, we carry out a comprehensive analysis of the entanglement asymmetry at equilibrium taking the ground state of the XY spin chain, which breaks theU(1) particle number symmetry, and provide a physical interpretation of it in terms of superconducting Cooper pairs. We also consider quenches from this ground state to the XX spin chain, which preserves theU(1) symmetry. In this case, the entanglement asymmetry reveals that the more the symmetry is initially broken, the faster it may be restored in a subsystem, a surprising and counter-intuitive phenomenon that is a type of a quantum Mpemba effect. We obtain a quasi-particle picture for the entanglement asymmetry in terms of Cooper pairs, from which we derive the microscopic conditions to observe the quantum Mpemba effect in this system, giving further support to the criteria recently proposed for arbitrary integrable quantum systems. In addition, we find that the power law governing symmetry restoration depends discontinuously on whether the initial state is critical or not, leading to new forms of strong and weak Mpemba effects.
Development of prototype backscatter X-ray security scanner for luggage inspection
Authors: An Geunyoung , Park Junsung , Lee Byeong-no , Yoon Seonkwang , Seo Hee
Published: January 2024

In the Republic of Korea, for the purpose of security screening at ports and airports, the
present system for inspecting small cargo/luggage relies on transmission X-ray imaging, with which
discernment of organic and powder-form materials in images is difficult. Backscatter X-ray imaging
techniques, contrastingly, are sensitive to organic materials (i.e., low-Z elements) due to a
higher probability of Compton scattering relative to other photon interactions. Such techniques,
therefore, have the potential to be used in security screening systems for the detection of
organic compounds such as drugs and explosives. In the present study, a prototype backscatter
X-ray security scanner for luggage screening was developed, and its performance was evaluated at
various tube voltages. It was found that the isolation contrast, which indicates the minimum
discernible thickness of a plastic panel when the background material of the image is steel, was
approximately 1 mm at the tube voltage of 120 kVp. Moreover, amorphously shaped contraband
articles randomly hidden inside the luggage were clearly visible at tube voltages ranging from 80
to 160 kVp. The developed backscatter X-ray security scanner is expected to provide improved
detection efficiency for thin objects and/or illicit organic materials compared to a
transmission-based X-ray imaging system.
Upgrade of ATLAS hadronic Tile Calorimeter for the High Luminosity LHC
Authors: Leone Sandra ,   the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter System
Published: January 2024

The Tile Calorimeter (TileCal) is the hadronic calorimeter covering the central region of
the ATLAS experiment. The High-Luminosity phase of LHC, delivering five times the LHC nominal
instantaneous luminosity, is expected to start in 2029. TileCal will require new electronics to
meet the requirements of a 1 MHz trigger, higher ambient radiation, and to ensure better
performance under high pile-up conditions. Both the on- and off-detector TileCal electronics will
be replaced during the shutdown of 2026–2028. Approximately 10% of the PMTs, those reading out
the most exposed cells, will be replaced. PMT signals from every TileCal cell will be digitized
and sent directly to the back-end electronics, where the signals are reconstructed, stored, and
sent to the first level of trigger at a rate of 40 MHz. This will provide better precision of
the calorimeter signals used by the trigger system and will allow the development of more complex
trigger algorithms. The modular front-end electronics feature radiation-tolerant components and
redundant design to minimise single points of failure. The timing, control and communication
interface with the off-detector electronics is implemented with modern Field Programmable Gate
Arrays (FPGAs) and high speed fiber optic links running up to 9.6 Gb/s. The TileCal upgrade
program has included extensive R&D and test beam studies. A Demonstrator module equipped with the
new electronics but with reverse compatibility with the existing readout system was inserted in
ATLAS in 2019 for testing in actual detector conditions. The status of the various components and
the results of test-beam campaigns with the electronics prototypes will be discussed.
SystemC framework for architecture modelling of electronic systems in future particle detectors
Authors: Brambilla Francesco Enrico , Ceresa Davide , Dhaliwal Jashandeep , Esposito Stefano , Kloukinas Kostas , Llopart Cudie Xavier , Pulli Adithya
Published: January 2024

The prototyping cost in advanced technology nodes and the complexity of future detectors require the adoption of a system design approach common in the industry: design space exploration through high-level architectural studies to achieve clear and optimized specifications.
This contribution proposes a configurable SystemC framework to simulate the readout chain from the front-end chips to the detector back-end. The model is transaction accurate, includes an event generator, interfaces with real physics events, and provides metrics such as readout efficiency, latency, and average queue occupancy.
This contribution details the structure of the framework and describes a case study based on the LHCb VeLo upgrade II.
The KM3NeT4RR project in Bologna
Authors: Benfenati F. ,   the KM3NeT4RR project,   and the KM3NeT collaboration,   the KM3NeT4RR project and the KM3NeT collaboration
Published: January 2024

KM3NeT4RR is a project for the Kilometre Cube Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT), which is a
large European research infrastructure composed of two underwater large-scale neutrino telescopes,
ARCA and ORCA, located in the Mediterranean Sea off-shore Portopalo di Capo Passero (Sicily,
Italy) and Toulon (Provence, France) respectively. The telescopes are mainly designed for studying
cosmic neutrinos and neutrino properties, but the observatory infrastructure also offers
opportunity for geological and marine sciences research, providing instrumentation connections for
long-term, high-bandwidth and continuous data collection. The KM3NeT4RR project, led by the
Italian Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, has started at the end of 2022 and during the
following 30 months it includes a set of activities aimed at extending the ARCA seafloor network
and the Italian on-shore facilities, building and operating an additional significant number of
detection elements, thus significantly advancing the final completion of the infrastructure.
Within this project, the KM3NeT laboratories present at the INFN-Bologna section are going to be
expanded and a new setup will be created that will serve for both the detectors calibration
studies and for deep-sea environmental research.
Synthesis and application of ZSM-5/Graphene composite for photocatalytic degradation of industrial dyes
Authors: Sodha Veena , Bandyopadhyay Mahuya , Gaur Rama , Bandyopadhyay Rajib , Shahabuddin Syed
Published: January 2024

Various materials and technologies are being employed to address the concern of increased wastewater generation. In this work, the synthesis of ZSM-5 (Zeolite Socony Mobil-5) and graphene (GR) composite, their characterisation, and application for the removal of dyes are presented. Two composites of ZSM-5 and GR composites were prepared via the hydrothermal method by varying the loading amount of GR, i.e. 1% and 5%, and labelled as GZ1 and GZ5. The parent and composite materials were characterised using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), x-ray photoelectrons spectroscopy (XPS), Raman, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The materials were then employed for the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) dye. The adsorption efficiencies for ZSM-5, GR, GZ1, and GZ5 were found as 0%, 17.8%, 0%, and 16% respectively. According to photodegradation results, the GZ1 composite exhibits the maximum degradation efficiency of 75.3% for 20 ppm of MO, within 180 min of light exposure. The scavenger studies were performed to evaluate the role of active oxygen species (AOS) in the photocatalysis mechanism. All studies were performed with the catalyst dosage of 0.5 mg ml−1. The degradation efficiencies for GR, GZ5, and Z5 were reported as 34.2%, 20.8%, and 17.5%, respectively. On increasing the irradiation time to 240 min, the degradation efficiency of GZ1 reached 92%. The removal efficiencies for MO (7 ppm) and methyl blue (5 ppm) in a 12-ppm dye mixture were observed to be 98% and 97.2% respectively within 180 min of light exposure with GZ1 composite.
Epigravettian in the Eastern Adriatic and its Hinterland: An Overview of Settlement Dynamics, Chronology, Subsistence Strategies and Material Culture
Authors: Vukosavljević Nikola
Published: January 2024

The Epigravettian is the best-documented period of human presence in the Eastern Adriatic during the Late Pleistocene. In comparison to the scanty Early Upper and Mid-Upper Palaeolithic record, the number of Late Upper Palaeolithic Epigravettian sites increases significantly, spreading from the northern to the southern coasts. The Epigravettian archaeological record is biased towards cave sites, and towards higher frequencies in the northern part. Open-air sites in the region are almost unknown, other than a few surface lithic scatters. In this chapter paper we will present Epigravettian settlement dynamics, together with main technological and typological features of lithic industries, and other aspects of human behaviour, i.e., subsistence strategies, raw material procurement, body adornment, osseous technology. The Eastern Adriatic Late Upper Palaeolithic record is highly fragmented because the region experienced significant palaeogeographic changes across the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, when the Pleistocene Adriatic Plain was flooded and completely disappeared. Changes in technology did not accompany changes in physical environment, hence the Epigravettian tradition is clearly present in early Holocene assemblages. On the other hand, significant changes in lithic raw material procurement strategies happened during the early Holocene, and these could be interpreted within the framework of environmental changes that caused transformation of the Pleistocene Adriatic geography.
Movement or plasticity: acoustic responses of a torrent frog to stream geophony
Authors: Turin Rubens A F , Nali Renato C
Published: January 2024

Vocalization is the main form of communication in many animals, including frogs, which commonly emit advertisement calls to attract females and maintain spacing. In noisy environments such as streams, mechanisms to maximize signaling efficiency may include vocal plasticity and/or movement of individuals to quieter sections, but which strategy is used is still uncertain. We investigated the influence of stream geophony on the advertisement call of the torrent frog Hylodes perere in the Atlantic Rainforest, in southeastern Brazil. In a mark-recapture study, we tested if males remain in their territories and thus adjust their advertisement calls to maximize their communication. We ran linear mixed models to verify the relationship of call parameters and stream geophony, body size, and environmental temperature. We found that males remained in the same location across time, increased call intensity in noisier environments, but did not reduce call effort. Males also increased the dominant frequency in these situations, suggesting a modulation in this parameter. Our results indicate that territoriality is an important factor for males to increase call intensity to surpass stream noise instead of repositioning along the stream. However, because call effort was maintained, we suggest that sexual selection is crucial in this system, favoring males that better detect others and adjust their call efficiency. This is the first study to evaluate simultaneously frog movements and adaptations to geophony, which contributes to the investigation of the concomitant environmental and sexual selective pressures in species that communicate in noisy environments.
A granularity-level information fusion strategy on hypergraph transformer for predicting synergistic effects of anticancer drugs
Authors: Wang Wei , Yuan Gaolin , Wan Shitong , Zheng Ziwei , Liu Dong , Zhang Hongjun , Li Juntao , Zhou Yun , Wang Xianfang
Published: January 2024

Combination therapy has exhibited substantial potential compared to monotherapy. However, due to the explosive growth in the number of cancer drugs, the screening of synergistic drug combinations has become both expensive and time-consuming. Synergistic drug combinations refer to the concurrent use of two or more drugs to enhance treatment efficacy. Currently, numerous computational methods have been developed to predict the synergistic effects of anticancer drugs. However, there has been insufficient exploration of how to mine drug and cell line data at different granularity levels for predicting synergistic anticancer drug combinations. Therefore, this study proposes a granularity-level information fusion strategy based on the hypergraph transformer, named HypertranSynergy, to predict synergistic effects of anticancer drugs. HypertranSynergy introduces synergistic connections between cancer cell lines and drug combinations using hypergraph. Then, the Coarse-grained Information Extraction (CIE) module merges the hypergraph with a transformer for node embeddings. In the CIE module, Contranorm is a normalization layer that mitigates over-smoothing, while Gaussian noise addresses local information gaps. Additionally, the Fine-grained Information Extraction (FIE) module assesses fine-grained information’s impact on predictions by employing similarity-aware matrices from drug/cell line features. Both CIE and FIE modules are integrated into HypertranSynergy. In addition, HypertranSynergy achieved the AUC of 0.93${\pm }$0.01 and the AUPR of 0.69${\pm }$0.02 in 5-fold cross-validation of classification task, and the RMSE of 13.77${\pm }$0.07 and the PCC of 0.81${\pm }$0.02 in 5-fold cross-validation of regression task. These results are better than most of the state-of-the-art models.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy dysfunction mimicked in human engineered heart tissue and improved by sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors
Authors: Wijnker Paul J M , Dinani Rafeeh , van der Laan Nico C , Algül Sila , Knollmann Bjorn C , Verkerk Arie O , Remme Carol Ann , Zuurbier Coert J , Kuster Diederik W D , van der Velden Jolanda
Published: January 2024

Aims

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiomyopathy, often caused by pathogenic sarcomere mutations. Early characteristics of HCM are diastolic dysfunction and hypercontractility. Treatment to prevent mutation-induced cardiac dysfunction is lacking. Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are a group of antidiabetic drugs that recently showed beneficial cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acquired forms of heart failure. We here studied if SGLT2i represent a potential therapy to correct cardiomyocyte dysfunction induced by an HCM sarcomere mutation.

Methods and results

Contractility was measured of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) harbouring an HCM mutation cultured in 2D and in 3D engineered heart tissue (EHT). Mutations in the gene encoding β-myosin heavy chain (MYH7-R403Q) or cardiac troponin T (TNNT2-R92Q) were investigated. In 2D, intracellular [Ca2+], action potential and ion currents were determined. HCM mutations in hiPSC-CMs impaired relaxation or increased force, mimicking early features observed in human HCM. SGLT2i enhance the relaxation of hiPSC-CMs, to a larger extent in HCM compared to control hiPSC-CMs. Moreover, SGLT2i-effects on relaxation in R403Q EHT increased with culture duration, i.e. hiPSC-CMs maturation. Canagliflozin’s effects on relaxation were more pronounced than empagliflozin and dapagliflozin. SGLT2i acutely altered Ca2+ handling in HCM hiPSC-CMs. Analyses of SGLT2i-mediated mechanisms that may underlie enhanced relaxation in mutant hiPSC-CMs excluded SGLT2, Na+/H+ exchanger, peak and late Nav1.5 currents, and L-type Ca2+ current, but indicate an important role for the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. Indeed, electrophysiological measurements in mutant hiPSC-CM indicate that SGLT2i altered Na+/Ca2+ exchange current.

Conclusion

SGLT2i (canagliflozin > dapagliflozin > empagliflozin) acutely enhance relaxation in human EHT, especially in HCM and upon prolonged culture. SGLT2i may represent a potential therapy to correct early cardiac dysfunction in HCM.
Wright was right: leveraging old data and new methods to illustrate the critical role of epistasis in genetics and evolution
Authors: Burch Jorja , Chin Maximos , Fontenot Brian E , Mandal Sabyasachi , McKnight Thomas D , Demuth Jeffery P , Blackmon Heath
Published: January 2024

Much of evolutionary theory is predicated on assumptions about the relative importance of simple additive versus complex epistatic genetic architectures. Previous work suggests traits strongly associated with fitness will lack additive genetic variation, whereas traits less strongly associated with fitness are expected to exhibit more additive genetic variation. We use a quantitative genetics method, line cross analysis, to infer genetic architectures that contribute to trait divergence. By parsing over 1,600 datasets by trait type, clade, and cross divergence, we estimated the relative importance of epistasis across the tree of life. In our comparison between life-history traits and morphological traits, we found greater epistatic contributions to life-history traits. Our comparison between plants and animals showed that animals have more epistatic contribution to trait divergence than plants. In our comparison of within-species versus between-species crosses, we found that only animals exhibit a greater epistatic contribution to trait divergence as divergence increases. While many scientists have argued that epistasis is ultimately of little importance, our results show that epistasis underlies much of trait divergence and must be accounted for in theory and practical applications like domestication, conservation breeding design, and understanding complex diseases.
The value of PMCTA in the diagnosis of coronary atherosclerosis in isolated human hearts
Authors: Wan Lei , Chen Jiemin , Zhou Zhilu , Li Zhengdong , Wang Yahui , Zou Donghua , Liu Ningguo , Song Fengxiang , Huang Ping , Zhang Zhiyong , Wang Maowen , Xia Wentao
Published: January 2024

Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) has a limited value in investigating coronary artery disease, despite several obvious advantages over the conventional autopsy. To address this issue, postmortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA) has been introduced into various studies, where it has been used to investigate natural and unnatural deaths involving vascular damage, occlusion, or other pathologies of the vascular system. To investigate the application value of PMCTA in the diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis in ex situ hearts, the water-based contrast media were injected into isolated hearts, scaned, and finally compared with gold standards (autopsy and histology findings of the coronary artery). This study involved 16 subjects from the Academy of Forensic Science who were suspected to have died of sudden death without traumatic injuries. Unenhanced PMCT was performed first, followed by PMCTA using a water-based contrast agent, injected into the coronary arteries of isolated hearts using a self-designed angiography device. The image data were reconstructed into three-dimensional (3D) angiography images using software in the angiography facility. The 3D images were recorded and evaluated by two radiologists and then statistically analysed. The results of PMCTA were consistent with the gold standards for the diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis (P > 0.05). However, water-based contrast media can only be used to examine the pathological changes of blood vessels, which may have limitations in the diagnosis of causes of death such as myocardial oedema. PMCTA can be used as a new method to evaluate the degree of coronary atherosclerosis in addition to traditional autopsy. The 3D reconstruction technique reveals the coronary artery lesions more objectively and vividly and provides the opportunity to re-read the data at any time.

Key points
Protection against unfair competition—African Regional Intellectual Property Organization member states and South Africa
Authors: Schonwetter Tobias
Published: January 2024

This article summarizes the current status of protection against unfair competition in 19 Member States of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) as well as South Africa. Since several study countries are Member States to at least one Regional Economic Community (RECs) or customs union, which have introduced regional or sub-regional competition regimes to advance regional integration in this area, the relevant RECs and customs unions are also briefly analysed. This is followed by some reflections on the impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the AfCFTA’s recently adopted Phase II protocols on Intellectual Property Rights and Competition Policy. The article then examines the different approaches adopted in the study countries to fulfil the obligation to ensure effective protection against unfair competition, as stipulated in Article 10bis(1) of the Paris Convention (PC), and investigates how the concept of ‘honest practices in industrial or commercial matters’ (Article 10bis(2) PC) is interpreted and applied. The article also explores how study countries have implemented the examples of prohibited acts of unfair competition contained in Article 10bis(3) PC, and addresses the question whether additional acts fall within the scope of protection against unfair competition in the study countries. The findings here are presented in such a way that observations from several countries are typically clustered together to exemplify general approaches and categories. The article observes that while countries in the region typically provide some form of legal protection to safeguard fair play in the business sector, study countries represent a variety of legal systems (civil law, common law, a combination of civil law and common law and/or religious law). This influences the way of how they address unfair competition.
When Taking Pay off the Table: A Qualitative Study of Gender Equity for Academic Leaders in the US Military
Authors: Schulz Elizabeth V , Wyatt Tasha R , Ma TingLan , Maggio Lauren A
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Although gender inequity persists globally in academic leadership positions, the United States Military has equitable pay and, in academic pediatrics, has equitable gender representation in leadership positions. To better understand how the US Military framework affects physician leaders, pediatricians were interviewed to illuminate the factors that facilitated their success and what barriers they faced in their career.

Materials and Methods

In 2022, following institutional review board approval, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 total participants (69% female, 31% male) serving as general pediatricians or pediatric subspecialists in the US Military. These pediatricians were in leadership positions of military academic medicine across seven graduate medical education (GME) sites. The interviews examined the leaders’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers to their success. The authors analyzed the interviews using Acker’s theory of gendered organizations as a theoretical framework, which explains embedded gender roles within work environments.

Results

Drawing on the theory of gendered organizations, the authors identified that participants described several facilitators to their success, including the availability of mentorship/sponsorship, inclusive leadership, and early and persistent exposure to women leaders in GME training and beyond. Because medicine’s ideal worker was normed around the traditional roles of men, men observed and women experienced barriers to leadership success around issues related to childbearing, maternity leave, and microaggressions.

Conclusions

This study revealed that equitability for pediatric GME leadership in the military heavily relied on structures and support created by former leaders and mentors. Isolating these structures within a unique context of military academic medicine can illuminate physicians’ experiences to address barriers and better support equitable leadership roles in both military and civilian academic medicine.
Misuse of Tourniquets in Ukraine may be Costing More Lives and Limbs Than They Save
Authors: Stevens Rom A , Baker Michael S , Zubach Ostap B , Samotowka Michael
Published: January 2024

Hands-on training and social media sites have heavily emphasized the use of tourniquets to treat limb injuries during the Ukraine war. Tourniquet overuse or misuse can lead to significant tragedy—limb loss, physiologic complications, and even death. Casualty evacuation in Ukraine often exceeds 6 hours, and the liberal use of limb tourniquets may have unintentionally increased morbidity. Tourniquet application was appropriate in 24.6% of the wounded with tourniquets in one recent publication by a Ukrainian vascular surgeon. The longer a limb tourniquet is in place raises the risk of compartment syndrome, vascular thrombosis, rhabdomyolysis, and irreversible myonecrosis resulting in major tissue loss and often necessitating limb amputation. If bleeding is controlled with a tourniquet, attempts to remove the tourniquet as early as possible to avoid the negative consequences are essential. Training in tourniquet use without explaining possible limb loss and other complications resulting from tourniquets left in situ more than 2 hours makes use risky. Tourniquets should be loosened at one hour if the tactical situation allows, and the injury assessed to determine if major bleeding persists or to determine if other methods of hemostasis would be effective. Ukraine must improve the training so that everyone becomes aware of the risks of prolonged or improper tourniquet use. This tourniquet training information must be transmitted to military medical leaders, Ukrainian military medics, civilian volunteers, volunteers in Ukraine, and NATO trainers in allied countries conducting medical training for Ukrainian soldiers. A trauma registry and tracking through echelons of care can enhance performance improvement through timely feedback.
Prospective Observational Study of Ramucirumab Plus Docetaxel After Combined Chemoimmunotherapy in Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Katayama Yuki , Yamada Tadaaki , Sawada Ryo , Kawachi Hayato , Morimoto Kenji , Watanabe Satoshi , Watanabe Kageaki , Takeda Takayuki , Chihara Yusuke , Shiotsu Shinsuke , Hibino Makoto , Harada Taishi , Nishioka Naoya , Iwasaku Masahiro , Tokuda Shinsaku , Takayama Koichi
Published: January 2024

Background

A history of pre-administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors has been reported to be associated with good outcomes of ramucirumab (RAM) plus docetaxel (DOC) combination therapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, existing knowledge on the clinical significance of RAM and DOC following combined chemoimmunotherapy is limited. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of RAM plus DOC therapy after combined chemoimmunotherapy and attempted to identify the predictors of its outcomes.

Patients and Methods

This multicenter, prospective study investigated the efficacy and safety of RAM plus DOC after combined chemoimmunotherapy. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints were the objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and incidence of adverse events. An exploratory analysis measured serum cytokine levels at the start of treatment.

Results

Overall, 44 patients were enrolled from 10 Japanese institutions between April 2020 and June 2022. The median PFS and OS were 6.3 and 22.6 months, respectively. Furthermore, the ORR and DCR were 36.4% and 72.7%, respectively. The high vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) group had a significantly shorter PFS and OS. A combination of high VEGF-A and low VEGF-D levels was associated with a longer PFS.

Conclusion

Our results showed that RAM plus DOC after combined chemoimmunotherapy might be an effective and relatively feasible second-line treatment for patients with advanced NSCLC in a real-world setting.
Who Asked You? The (Dis)Use of Questions Presented at the U.S. Supreme Court
Authors: Wofford Claire , Krell Matthew Reid
Published: January 2024

When the United States Supreme Court agrees to hear a case, it also determines what legal questions it will answer in that case. We investigate the variation in the Court's acceptance, alteration, and addition of questions presented (QPs) in petitions for the writ of certiorari. Examining data on granted cases from 2010–2020, we find that the Court is overwhelmingly passive, accepting the petitioners’ QPs without comment in most cases. We also find variation related to ideological alignment and petitioner identity. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the Court’s policymaking efforts and its exercise of agenda-setting power and underscore the important role that litigants play in legal development.