bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maximum gonad investment of the sexes of the broadcast-spawning sea cucumber Holothuria (Halodeima) inornata (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)
Authors: Avila-Poveda Omar Hernando , Benítez-Villalobos Francisco , Parker Geoff A. , Cancino-Guzman Heleni , Ramos-Ramirez Everardo
Published: February 2022

An organism's maximum gonad investment (MGI) typically indicates its reproductive season and is often measured by the peak of the gonadosomatic index. Since external sexual dimorphism is often not evident, intrinsic sex differences remain unstudied. We analysed the reproductive seasonality of each sex of the broadcast-spawning sea cucumber Holothuria (Halodeima) inornata in two populations (Caleta de Campos, Michoacán ‘CC’ and Puerto Madero, Chiapas ‘PM’) in the southern coast of the Mexican Pacific by examining: intensity and duration of MGI, frequency of each gonadal developmental stage (GDS) through time, sexual asymmetry in GSI, sexual asymmetry in GDS, and adult sex ratio. We observed a trade-off between the intensity (%) and duration (months) of each sex's MGI: as intensity decreases, duration increases and conversely. The frequency of ripe and spawning stages was consistently higher in females than males. Sexual asymmetry in GSI was slightly female-biased in the PM population, but male-biased in the CC population. Sexual asymmetry in GDS showed a more recurrent sexual equality at PM than at CC. The adult sex ratio of each population did not differ significantly from unity, but showed a near-significant trend for male bias in the CC. Although H. inornata exhibited different MGI responses between males and females and more markedly in CC than in PM, it also showed a synchronized relation between its mass investment (GSI) and physiological investment (GDS), possibly reflecting an optimum reproductive strategy. Lastly, changes in GSI were not underpinned by changes in local temperature, but rather by regional temperature.
Ameliorative patterns of grey matter in patients with first-episode and treatment-naïve schizophrenia
Authors: Li Mingli , Deng Wei , Li Yinfei , Zhao Liansheng , Ma Xiaohong , Yu Hua , Li Xiaojing , Meng Yajing , Wang Qiang , Du Xiangdong , Sham Pak Chung , Palaniyappan Lena , Li Tao
Published: February 2022

Background

Grey matter (GM) reduction is a consistent observation in established late stages of schizophrenia, but patients in the untreated early stages of illness display an increase as well as a decrease in GM distribution relative to healthy controls (HC). The relative excess of GM may indicate putative compensatory responses, though to date its relevance is unclear.

Methods

343 first-episode treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia (FES) and 342 HC were recruited. Multivariate source-based morphometry was performed to identify covarying ‘networks' of grey matter concentration (GMC). Neurocognitive scores using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and symptom burden using the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) were obtained. Bivariate linear relationships between GMC and cognition/symptoms were studied.

Results

Compared to healthy subjects, FES had prominently lower GMC in two components; the first consists of the anterior insula, inferior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate and the second component with the superior temporal gyrus, precuneus, inferior/superior parietal lobule, cuneus, and lingual gyrus. Higher GMC was seen in adjacent areas of the middle and superior temporal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, inferior parietal cortex and putamen. Greater GMC of this component was associated with lower duration of untreated psychosis, less severe positive symptoms and better performance on cognitive tests.

Conclusions

In untreated stages of schizophrenia, both a distributed lower and higher GMC is observable. While the higher GMC is relatively modest, it occurs across frontoparietal, temporal and subcortical regions in association with reduced illness burden suggesting a compensatory role for higher GMC in the early stages of schizophrenia.
The Distinctiveness of Smaller Voluntary Organisations Providing Welfare Services
Authors: DAYSON CHRIS , BENNETT ELLEN , DAMM CHRIS , REES JAMES , JACKLIN JARVIS CAROL , PATMORE BETH , BAKER LEILA , TERRY VITA , TURNER KATIE
Published: February 2022

This article presents empirical findings about the distinctiveness of smaller voluntary sector organisations (VSOs) involved in welfare service provision, based on in-depth, qualitative case study research. We identify a series of organisational features and practices which can mean that smaller VSOs are distinctive from larger organisations. These include how they are governed and managed, their approach to their work, and their position relative to other providers. To explain our findings, we draw on the concept of stakeholder ambiguity. This idea was posited by Billis and Glennerster (1998) and is commonly cited in relation to distinctiveness. We identified several manifestations of stakeholder ambiguity and confirm the concept’s explanatory importance, although we argue that our understanding of distinctiveness is enhanced when stakeholder ambiguity is considered alongside other closely related features, such as being embedded in a local geographic community and informal familial care-based organisational cultures. Our findings also highlight the fragility of smaller VSOs. We argue that this combination of distinctiveness and fragility creates a tension for social policy makers, many of whom recognise the value of smaller VSOs and the risks that they face but must weigh this against a requirement to allocate resources for statutory services as effectively as possible.
Income Insecurity and the Relational Coping Strategies of Low-Income Households in the UK
Authors: YOUNG DAVID
Published: February 2022

Changes in the labour market, high rates of working age poverty, major welfare reforms and more recently the Covid-19 pandemic have drawn renewed attention to income security. Existing research has identified the important role of relational support in helping people cope with low income, but less is known about the role of support for those coping with the potentially destabilising effects of income change which can affect people over relatively short periods of time. This article focuses on how relational coping strategies are utilised by those experiencing such income change. The data are drawn from a qualitative longitudinal study of the experience of income change and insecurity in 15 low-income households in the UK which included repeated in-depth interviews and weekly financial diaries completed in periods of up to five months. The article explores the relational strategies adopted by participants to ‘get by’ as well as examining how strategies are adopted by those on different levels of low income and with differing networks. The article argues that these strategies illuminate the importance of income change in the experience of low-income households, develop the concept of income insecurity, and provide lessons for policy in providing flexible and responsive support when income changes.
Politics of Life and Labor: French Colonialism in China and Chinese Coolie Labor During the Construction of the Yunnan–Indochina Railway, 1898–1910
Authors: Altan Selda
Published: February 2022

The Yunnan–Indochina railway, built by France across the China–Vietnam border between 1898–1910, never realized the expansionist dreams of French colonialists in Indochina and therefore has been studied as a failure of French imperialism. Taking a labor perspective, this article examines the labor conflicts along the Yunnan railway against the backdrop of the emergence of a global labor market where different colonial powers competed for cheap Chinese labor after the emancipation of black slaves. At the time of the railway's construction, access to cheap labor was so central to colonial competition that the metropolitan, colonial, and business agents of the French empire found themselves in a dire conflict over labor shortages in Yunnan. To the extent that France failed to restrain the railway company agents from abusing the labor force, other European colonial powers used worker misery to dispute French claims to conducting a “civilizing mission.” At the same time, both Qing imperial officials and Chinese nationalists advanced their arguments for national sovereignty in the name of protecting their national subjects, i.e., the railway workers. As a result, French recruiters had to reconsider the terms of Chinese coolie employment, increase wages, improve worker contracts, and invest in welfare systems. In sum, worker resistance during the construction of the Yunnan railway not only delayed the railway's completion and diminished French colonial prestige in the region but also empowered the workers, giving them leverage to increase the value of their labor in a market extending beyond Chinese national borders.
Brain activity in constrained and open design: the effect of gender on frequency bands
Authors: Vieira S. , Benedek M. , Gero J. , Li S. , Cascini G.
Published: February 2022

This paper presents results from a design neurocognition study on the effect of gender on EEG frequency band power when performing constrained and open design. We used electroencephalography to measure the brain activity of 84 professional designers. We investigated differences in frequency power associated with gender of 38 female and 46 male designers, while performing two prototypical design tasks. The aim of the study was to explore whether gender moderates brain activity while performing a constrained versus an open design task. Neurophysiological results for aggregate activations across genders and between tasks indicate a main effect of gender for theta, alpha 2, and beta 1 frequency bands. Females show higher theta, alpha 2, and beta 1, namely in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right occipitotemporal cortex, secondary visual cortex, and prefrontal cortex in both tasks. Females show higher beta bands than males, in areas of the left prefrontal cortex, in the constrained design. While in the open design, females showed higher theta, alpha, and beta 2 in the left prefrontal cortex and secondary visual cortex for all frequency bands. Results within gender between tasks indicate higher theta and alpha in the prefrontal cortex in the constrained design for both genders. Whilst for open design, results indicate higher theta and alpha 1 in the right hemisphere and higher alpha 2 and beta bands across hemispheres for both genders. Results within gender reveal common brain areas and frequency bands in distinguishing constrained from open design.
Historiographical Reflections on the Beethoven Year 250
Authors: Mauro Rose
Published: February 2022

For a certain subset of eminent Beethoven scholars, the celebration of Beethoven's 250th birthday in 2020 represented a challenge. In taking up the opportunity to communicate with a wider population of educated music lovers, the standard vehicle, a Beethoven biography, was off the table for them – because they had already written one. In the three books reviewed here, each author responds to this dilemma by focusing on themes in reception history. I will attempt to clarify their main points, comment on similarities and differences in their approaches, and evaluate how successful each one might be in in making recent Beethoven scholarship more accessible for the general reader. I will argue that all three of these books successfully target the more musically literate segment of lay readers, and that any weak points arise at the intersection between their academic content and the address to these members of their presumed readership.
Defining the Songs of Incarceration: The Lomax Prison Project at a Critical Juncture
Authors: Ivanova Velia
Published: February 2022

This article illuminates an underexplored moment in the formation of the well-known archive of recordings of incarcerated people collected by the folklorists John and Alan Lomax. In 1934, John Lomax wrote to 350 correctional institutions across the country, asking officials to transcribe the texts of songs “current and popular among prisoners or ‘made up’ by them.” Despite contacting institutions incarcerating people of many races, ethnicities, genders, and ages, however, the Lomaxes ultimately continued to center on music performed by Black men in Southern prisons. Because of this, I position the letter as a critical juncture in the formation of the Lomaxes’ prison work. Choices made by prison officials (whether to respond to the letter and in what manner to respond) and by the Lomaxes themselves (whether to express interest in songs addressed by correspondents) were influenced by perceptions of the role of music in relation to criminality, imprisonment, reform, and race. These perceptions in turn defined the boundaries of the Lomax prison project. The correspondence considered in this article therefore offers a counternarrative to popular representations of music and incarceration and suggests the limits of the well-known Lomax prison song collection.
Broadband millimeter-wave absorbers: a review
Authors: Choudhary Anupriya , Pal Srikanta , Sarkhel Gautam
Published: February 2022

This paper reports an exhaustive review of recent research progress in the development of millimeter-wave absorbers. With the advancement in technologies, microwave absorbers have shown their evolution in several applications such as defense, security identification, stealth technology, and several more. The importance of these absorbers is increasing due to electromagnetic interference (EMI) effects. Primarily, an abundant amount of absorbers has been developed in lower frequency bands and with the increasing demand for 5G technology, the usage of millimeter-wave bands has gained attention. This in turn requires the development of millimeter-wave absorbers to provide EMI shielding in several applications. Out of several materials, polymers have grabbed attention in the mitigation of EMI. An absorber that combines carbonaceous elements with polymers offers large design flexibility and tunability per the filler concentration. This paper focuses on the classification of these absorbers based on geometry as well as that by using polymers with their design challenges, merits, and demerits with their industrial applications. Comparative studies of geometrically based absorbers and polymeric-based absorbers are also shown.
Chinese Named Entity Recognition in the Geoscience Domain Based on BERT
Authors: Lv Xia , Xie Zhong , Xu Dexin , Jin Xiangguo , Ma Kai , Tao Liufeng , Qiu Qinjun , Pan Yongsheng
Published: February 2022

Geological reports are frequently used by geologists involved in geological surveys and scientific research to record the results and outcomes of geological surveys. With such a rich data source, a substantial amount of knowledge has yet to be mined and analyzed. This paper focuses on automatically information extraction from geological reports, namely, geological named entity recognition. Geological named entity recognition has an important role in data mining, knowledge discovery and Knowledge graph construction. Existing general named entity recognition models/tools are limited in the domain of geoscience due to the various language irregularities associated with geological text, such as informal sentence structures, several domain‐geoscience words, large character lengths and multiple combinations of independent words. We present Bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT)‐(Bidirectional gated recurrent unit network) BiGRU‐ (Conditional random field) CRF, which is a deep learning‐based geological named entity recognition model that is designed specifically with these linguistic irregularities in mind. Based on the pretrained language model, an integrated deep learning model incorporating BERT, BiGRU and CRF is constructed to obtain character vectors rich in semantic information through the BERT pretrained language model to alleviate for the lack of specificity of static word vectors (e.g., word2vec) and to improve the extraction capability of complex geological entities. We demonstrate our proposed model by applying it to four test datasets, including a geoscience NER data set from regional geological reports, and by comparing its performance with those of five baseline models.
Semi‐Supervised Surface Wave Tomography With Wasserstein Cycle‐Consistent GAN: Method and Application to Southern California Plate Boundary Region
Authors: Cai Ao , Qiu Hongrui , Niu Fenglin
Published: February 2022

Machine learning algorithm has been applied to shear wave velocity (Vs) inversion in surface wave tomography, where a set of starting 1‐D Vs profiles and their corresponding synthetic dispersion curves are used in network training. Previous studies showed that the performance of such trained network is dependent on the diversity of the training data set, which limits its application to previously poorly understood regions. Here, we present an improved semi‐supervised algorithm‐based network that takes both model‐generated and observed surface wave dispersion data in the training process. The algorithm is termed Wasserstein cycle‐consistent generative adversarial networks (Wasserstein Cycle‐GAN [Wcycle‐GAN]). Different from conventional supervised approaches, the GAN architecture enables the inclusion of unlabeled data (the observed surface wave dispersion) in the training process that can complement the model‐generated data set. The cycle‐consistency and Wasserstein metric significantly improve the training stability of the proposed algorithm. We benchmark the Wcycle‐GAN method using 4,076 pairs of fundamental mode Rayleigh wave phase and group velocity dispersion curves derived in periods from 3 to 16 s in Southern California. The final 3‐D Vs model given by the best trained network shows large‐scale features consistent with the surface geology. The resulting Vs model has reasonable data misfits and provides sharper images of structures near faults in the top 15 km compared with those from conventional machine learning methods.
Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for relapsed multiple myeloma performed with cells procured after previous transplantation–study on behalf of CMWP of the EBMT
Authors: Drozd-Sokołowska Joanna , Gras Luuk , Zinger Nienke , Snowden John A. , Arat Mutlu , Basak Grzegorz , Pouli Anastasia , Crawley Charles , Wilson Keith M. O. , Tilly Herve , Byrne Jennifer , Bulabois Claude Eric , Passweg Jakob , Ozkurt Zubeyde Nur , Schroyens Wilfried , Lioure Bruno , Colorado Araujo Mercedes , Poiré Xavier , Van Gorkom Gwendolyn , Gurman Gunhan , de Wreede Liesbeth C. , Hayden Patrick J. , Beksac Meral , Schönland Stefan O. , Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim
Published: February 2022

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) may be performed in multiple myeloma (MM) patients relapsing after a previous auto-HCT. For those without an adequate dose of stored stem cells, remobilization is necessary. This retrospective study included patients who, following disease relapse after the first auto-HCT(s), underwent stem cell remobilization and auto-HCT performed using these cells. There were 305 patients, 68% male, median age at salvage auto-HCT was 59 years. The median time to relapse after the first-line penultimate auto-HCT(s) was 30.6 months, the median follow-up after salvage auto-HCT 31 months. The 2- and 4-year non-relapse mortality (NRM) after the salvage auto-HCT was 5 and 9%, the relapse incidence 56 and 76%, respectively. Overall survival (OS) after 2 and 4 years was 76 and 52%, progression-free survival (PFS) 39 and 15%. In multivariable analysis an increasing interval between the penultimate auto-HCT and relapse was associated with better OS and PFS, later calendar year of salvage auto-HCT with better OS. In conclusion, salvage auto-HCT performed with cells remobilized after a previous auto-HCT was associated with acceptable NRM. The leading cause of failure was disease progression of MM, which correlated with a shorter interval from the penultimate auto-HCT to the first relapse.
Enhanced valley splitting of WSe2 in twisted van der Waals WSe2/CrI3 heterostructures
Authors: Ge Mei , Wang Han , Wu Jizheng , Si Chen , Zhang Junfeng , Zhang Shengbai
Published: February 2022

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures composed of different two-dimensional (2D) materials offer an easily accessible way to combine properties of individual materials for applications. Owing to the discovery of a set of unanticipated physical phenomena, the twisted 2D vdW heterostructures have gained considerable attention recently. Here, we report enhanced valley splitting in twisted 2D vdW WSe2/CrI3 heterostructures. In particular, the splitting can be 1200% (or 5.18 meV) of the value for a non-twisted heterostructure. According to the k·p model, this value is equivalent to a ~20 T external magnetic field applied perpendicular to the 2D sheet. The thermodynamic stability of 2D vdW WSe2/CrI3 heterostructures, on the other hand, depends linearly on the interlayer twisting angle.
The first otologic surgery in a skull from El Pendón site (Reinoso, Northern Spain)
Authors: Díaz-Navarro Sonia , Tejedor-Rodríguez Cristina , Arcusa-Magallón Héctor , Pastor-Vázquez Juan Francisco , Santos-Pérez Jaime , Sánchez-Lite Israel , Gibaja-Bao Juan Francisco , García-González Rebeca , Rojo-Guerra Manuel
Published: February 2022

Archaeological research in the Dolmen of El Pendón (Reinoso, Burgos, Spain) has brought to light the complex biography of a megalithic monument used throughout the 4th millennium cal. BC. The ossuary of this burial holds the bones of nearly a hundred individuals who suffered from diverse pathologies and injuries. This study presents the discovery of a skull with two bilateral perforations on both mastoid bones. These evidences point to a mastoidectomy, a surgical procedure possibly performed to relieve the pain this prehistoric individual may have suffered as a result of otitis media and mastoiditis. The hypothesis of surgical intervention is also supported by the presence of cut marks at the anterior edge of the trepanation made in the left ear. Furthermore, the results of this paper demonstrate the survival of the individual to both interventions. Given the chronology of this dolmen, this find would be the earliest surgical ear intervention in the history of mankind.
Association between type 2 diabetes and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Zhang Linjing , Tang Lu , Huang Tao , Fan Dongsheng
Published: February 2022

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are associated consistently. However, it is currently unknown whether this association is causal. We aimed to estimate the unconfounded, causal association between T2D on ALS using a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach both in European and East Asian ancestry. Genetic variants strongly associated with T2D and each T2D markers were used to investigate the effect of T2D on ALS risk in European (involving 20,806 ALS cases and 59,804 controls) and East Asian (involving 1234 ALS cases and 2850 controls) ancestry. We found that the OR of ALS per 1 SD increase in T2D was estimated to be 0.96 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92–0.996; p = 0.03] in European populations. Similarly, all 8 SNPs were associated with T2D in East Asian ancestry, the OR of ALS per 1 SD increase in T2D was estimated to be 0.83 [95% CI 0.70–0.992; p = 0.04] in East Asian populations. Examining the intercept estimates from MR-Egger regression also leads to the same conclusion, in that horizontal pleiotropy unlikely influences the results in either population. We found that genetically predicted T2D was associated with significantly lower odds of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis both in European and East Asian populations. It is now critical to identify a clear molecular explanation for this association between T2D and ALS and to focus on its potential therapeutic implications.
Association between long noncoding RNA rs944289 and rs7990916 polymorphisms and the risk of colorectal cancer in a Chinese population
Authors: Wang Yan , Qiu Zhiyuan , Tian Guangyu , Zhu Qianqian , Zhang Zhao , Qin Rong , Peng Yong , Tang Weifeng , Zhang Sheng , Xi Yan
Published: February 2022

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play vital roles in the tumorigenesis of many cancers. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the lncRNA also play vital roles in tumorigenesis. We explored lncRNA rs944289 and rs7990916 polymorphisms and analyzed the relationship between these lncRNA polymorphisms with the colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in a Chinese population. We recruited 1003 CRC patients from the Affiliated People’s Hospital of Jiangsu University and the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from October 2014 to August 2017. Genomic DNA was extracted using a DNA Kit from lymphocytes of peripheral blood and the genotyping was performed with a SNPscan method. We found that the rs944289 TT homozygote was associated with the decreased CRC risk in the overall population. LncRNA rs944289 TT decreased the CRC risk in the subgroup of female, male, age ≥ 61, without alcohol intake, smoking and BMI ≥ 24 by logistic regression. The subgroup analysis revealed that lncRNA rs7990916 was not associated with CRC risk except for age < 61. Logistic regression analysis revealed that lncRNA rs944289 TT homozygote was associated with the increased risk of rectum cancer (TT vs. CC + CT: adjusted OR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.10–1.66, P = 0.041) or colon cancer. In summary, we proved that lncRNA rs944289 might be significantly related to the decreased CRC risk in the Chinese Han populations and lncRNA rs7990916 was not associated with the CRC risk except for patients of age < 61. In the future, studies with larger samples should be conducted to validate our results.
Understanding the structure and composition of recalcitrant oligosaccharides in hydrolysate using high-throughput biotin-based glycome profiling and mass spectrometry
Authors: Xue Saisi , Pattathil Sivakumar , da Costa Sousa Leonardo , Ubanwa Bryan , Dale Bruce , Jones A. Daniel , Balan Venkatesh
Published: February 2022

Novel Immunological and Mass Spectrometry Methods for Comprehensive Analysis of Recalcitrant Oligosaccharides in AFEX Pretreated Corn Stover. Lignocellulosic biomass is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel and is extensively used for developing bio-based technologies to produce products such as food, feed, fuel, and chemicals. The key to these technologies is to develop cost competitive processes to convert complex carbohydrates present in plant cell wall to simple sugars such as glucose, xylose, and arabinose. Since lignocellulosic biomass is highly recalcitrant, it must undergo a combination of thermochemical treatment such as Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX), dilute acid (DA), Ionic Liquid (IL) and biological treatment such as enzyme hydrolysis and microbial fermentation to produce desired products. However, when using commercial fungal enzymes during hydrolysis, only 75–85% of the soluble sugars generated are monomeric sugars, while the remaining 15–25% are soluble recalcitrant oligosaccharides that cannot be easily utilized by microorganisms. Previously, we successfully separated and purified the soluble recalcitrant oligosaccharides using a combination of charcoal and celite-based separation followed by size exclusion chromatography and studies their inhibitory properties on enzymes. We discovered that the oligosaccharides with higher degree of polymerization (DP) containing methylated uronic acid substitutions were more recalcitrant towards commercial enzyme mixtures than lower DP and neutral oligosaccharides. Here, we report the use of several complementary techniques that include glycome profiling using plant biomass glycan specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to characterize sugar linkages in plant cell walls and enzymatic hydrolysate, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) using structurally-informative diagnostic peaks offered by negative ion post-secondary decay spectra, gas chromatography followed by mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to characterize oligosaccharide sugar linkages with and without derivatization. Since oligosaccharides (DP 4–20) are small, it is challenging to mobilize these molecules for mAbs binding and characterization. To overcome this problem, we have applied a new biotin-coupling based oligosaccharide immobilization method that successfully tagged most of the low DP soluble oligosaccharides on to a micro-plate surface followed by specific linkage analysis using mAbs in a high-throughput system. This new approach will help develop more advanced versions of future high throughput glycome profiling methods that can be used to separate and characterize oligosaccharides present in biomarkers for diagnostic applications.
Tofacitinib and metformin reduce the dermal thickness and fibrosis in mouse model of systemic sclerosis
Authors: Karatas Ahmet , Oz Burak , Celik Cigdem , Akar Zeynel Abidin , Akkoc Ramazan Fazil , Etem Ebru Onalan , Dagli Adile Ferda , Koca Suleyman Serdar
Published: February 2022

Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway is important in the process of inflammation and fibrosis. The adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) enzyme can affect JAK/STAT pathway. Tofacitinib is a pan-JAK inhibitör. Metformin activates AMPK enzyme. We aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of tofacitinib and metformin on IL-17 and TGF-β cytokines, skin fibrosis and inflammation in mouse model of systemic sclerosis (SSc). 40 Balb/c female mice were divided into 4 groups: (control, sham (BLM), tofacitinib and metformin). The mice in the tofacitinib group received oral tofacitinib (20 mg/kg/daily) and mice in the metformin group received oral metformin (50 mg/kg/day) for 28 days. At the end of 4th week, all groups of mice were decapitated and tissue samples were taken for analysis. Histopathological analysis of skin tissue was performed, and mRNA expressions of collagen 3A, IL-17 and TGF-β were assessed by real-time PCR and ELISA. Repeated BLM injections had induced dermal fibrosis. Moreover, the tissue levels of collagen 3A, IL-17 and TGF-β were elevated in the BLM group. Tofacitinib and metformin mitigated dermal fibrosis. They reduced dermal thickness and tissue collagen 3A, IL-17 and TGF-β levels. Tofacitinib and metformin demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects in the mouse model of SSc.
Deep learning in image-based breast and cervical cancer detection: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Xue Peng , Wang Jiaxu , Qin Dongxu , Yan Huijiao , Qu Yimin , Seery Samuel , Jiang Yu , Qiao Youlin
Published: February 2022

Accurate early detection of breast and cervical cancer is vital for treatment success. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic performance of deep learning (DL) algorithms for early breast and cervical cancer identification. Four subgroups are also investigated: cancer type (breast or cervical), validation type (internal or external), imaging modalities (mammography, ultrasound, cytology, or colposcopy), and DL algorithms versus clinicians. Thirty-five studies are deemed eligible for systematic review, 20 of which are meta-analyzed, with a pooled sensitivity of 88% (95% CI 85–90%), specificity of 84% (79–87%), and AUC of 0.92 (0.90–0.94). Acceptable diagnostic performance with analogous DL algorithms was highlighted across all subgroups. Therefore, DL algorithms could be useful for detecting breast and cervical cancer using medical imaging, having equivalent performance to human clinicians. However, this tentative assertion is based on studies with relatively poor designs and reporting, which likely caused bias and overestimated algorithm performance. Evidence-based, standardized guidelines around study methods and reporting are required to improve the quality of DL research.
A deep learning-based toolbox for Automated Limb Motion Analysis (ALMA) in murine models of neurological disorders
Authors: Aljovic Almir , Zhao Shuqing , Chahin Maryam , de la Rosa Clara , Van Steenbergen Valerie , Kerschensteiner Martin , Bareyre Florence M.
Published: February 2022

In neuroscience research, the refined analysis of rodent locomotion is complex and cumbersome, and access to the technique is limited because of the necessity for expensive equipment. In this study, we implemented a new deep learning-based open-source toolbox for Automated Limb Motion Analysis (ALMA) that requires only basic behavioral equipment and an inexpensive camera. The ALMA toolbox enables the consistent and comprehensive analyses of locomotor kinematics and paw placement and can be applied to neurological conditions affecting the brain and spinal cord. We demonstrated that the ALMA toolbox can (1) robustly track the evolution of locomotor deficits after spinal cord injury, (2) sensitively detect locomotor abnormalities after traumatic brain injury, and (3) correctly predict disease onset in a multiple sclerosis model. We, therefore, established a broadly applicable automated and standardized approach that requires minimal financial and time commitments to facilitate the comprehensive analysis of locomotion in rodent disease models.
Mechanical stimuli-induced multiple photophysical responsive AIEgens with high contrast properties
Authors: Wang Jing , Yue Bingbing , Jia Xiaoyong , Cao Ruirui , Niu Xiling , Zhao Huimin , Li Juntan , Zhu Liangliang
Published: February 2022

A new cyano-distyrylbenzene derivative with mechano-induced high contrast change in color and emission was demonstrated. Under mechanical stimuli, the emission peak can redshift from 440 nm to 650 nm, while the appearance can switch from white to pink.
Ordered carbonaceous frameworks: a new class of carbon materials with molecular-level design
Authors: Yoshii Takeharu , Chida Koki , Nishihara Hirotomo , Tani Fumito
Published: February 2022

Ordered carbonaceous frameworks are a new class of carbon materials, which comprise graphene-based three-dimensional ordered frameworks with regularly aligned single-atomic metal species.
A novel cyan-emitting phosphor KScSrSi2−yGeyO7:0.07Bi3+ for white LEDs with high color rendering index and low correlated color temperature
Authors: Yao Yao , Wang Zhijun , Yang Zhibin , Cui Jia , Zhang Mengya , Wang Xuejiao , Zheng Mingjie , Cao Lingwei , Ding Wenge , Li Panlai
Published: February 2022

The cyan-emitting KScSrSi1.5Ge0.5O7:0.07Bi3+ phosphors can compensate for the cyan gap in the emission spectra of traditional near-UV-pumped white LEDs.
Fundamental studies of vibrational resonance phenomena by multivalued resummation of the divergent Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory series: deciphering polyad structures of three H216O isotopologues
Authors: Chang Xuanhao , Dobrolyubov Egor O. , Krasnoshchekov Sergey V.
Published: February 2022

Deciphering of vibrational phenomena in water isotopologues using large order Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory series and multivalued Padé–Hermite approximants.
Frozen water NMR lineshape analysis enables absolute polarization quantification
Authors: Koptyug Igor V. , Stern Quentin , Jannin Sami , Elliott Stuart J.
Published: February 2022

Echo-detected 1H NMR spectra of water molecules hyperpolarized by dissolution-dynamic nuclear polarization alleviates deleterious dead time induced lineshape distortions and enables accurate nuclear spin polarization quantification.
Charge density wave in a SnSe2 layer on and the effect of surface hydrogenation
Authors: Tayran C. , Çakmak M.
Published: February 2022

Atomic and electronic structures of SnSe2 layers on the surface and hydrogenation of this surface have been studied theoretically. The results were shown to explain the CDW induced band gap.
High energy state interactions, energetics and multiphoto-fragmentation processes of HI
Authors: Jiang Meng-Xu , Kvaran Ágúst
Published: February 2022

High energy multiphoto-fragmentation processes of HI and involvement of Rydberg state interactions and properties.
A vector correlation study using a hexapole-oriented molecular beam: photodissociation dynamics of oriented isohaloethane
Authors: Che Dock-Chil , Kawamata Hiroshi , Nakamura Masaaki , Kasai Toshio , Lin King-Chuen
Published: February 2022

The transition dipole moment was determined by the vector correlation between laser polarization and molecular dipole moment using an oriented molecular beam.
A quantum computing view on unitary coupled cluster theory
Authors: Anand Abhinav , Schleich Philipp , Alperin-Lea Sumner , Jensen Phillip W. K. , Sim Sukin , Díaz-Tinoco Manuel , Kottmann Jakob S. , Degroote Matthias , Izmaylov Artur F. , Aspuru-Guzik Alán
Published: February 2022

This review presents a comprehensive overview of the Unitary Coupled Cluster (UCC) ansatz and related ansätze which are used to solve the electronic structure problem on quantum computers.
Selective catalysis in a cellular microenvironment—a living cell catalytic system with intracellular nanopalladium for olefin hydrogenation
Authors: Liu Peng , Ru Xiangli , Chang Yi , Ma Nana , Li Ge , Chen Huifeng , Ren Xueqing , Bai Zhengyu , Ma Xiaoming , Yang Lin
Published: February 2022

Here, we report a size-responsive and high-active hydrogenation living cell catalytic system (LCCS). The “gating” effect of the channels in the cell membrane endows the LCCSs with excellent size-responsivity for catalytic substrates.
Synthesis of jet fuel range high-density polycycloalkanes with vanillin and cyclohexanone
Authors: Gao Haofei , Han Fengan , Li Guangyi , Wang Aiqin , Cong Yu , Li Zhizhou , Wang Wei , Li Ning
Published: February 2022

Diesel and jet fuel range C13 polycycloalkanes were first synthesized with vanillin and cyclohexanone, two platform compounds which can be derived from lignin.
Effect of multiple rescatterings on continuum harmonics from asymmetric molecules in multicycle lasers
Authors: Le Cam-Tu , Phan Ngoc-Loan , Vu Dinh Duy , Ngo Cong , Le Van-Hoang
Published: February 2022

The underlying physics of high-order harmonic generation of carbon monoxide (CO) in a multicycle near-infrared laser: multiple rescatterings and their effect through time-frequency analysis and classical electron trajectories.
Ultrafast manipulation of the NiO antiferromagnetic order via sub-gap optical excitation
Authors: Wang Xiaocui , Engel Robin Y. , Vaskivskyi Igor , Turenne Diego , Shokeen Vishal , Yaroslavtsev Alexander , Grånäs Oscar , Knut Ronny , Schunck Jan O. , Dziarzhytski Siarhei , Brenner Günter , Wang Ru-Pan , Kuhlmann Marion , Kuschewski Frederik , Bronsch Wibke , Schüßler-Langeheine Christian , Styervoyedov Andriy , Parkin Stuart S. P. , Parmigiani Fulvio , Eriksson Olle , Beye Martin , Dürr Hermann A.
Published: February 2022

We present a comprehensive investigation of ultrafast demagnetisation and accompanying band gap reduction in a charge transfer insulator using time-resolved resonant X-ray reflectivity.
Double metal synergistic synthetic urea: an electrocatalytic study
Authors: Zhang Zhijia , Guo Ling , Du Jinping , Hou Yingjun
Published: February 2022

Urea was synthesized from CO2and N2electrocatalyzed by doping V and M on an –N–C substrate.
Visible-light-mediated oxidative C–S bond cleavage of benzyl thiols through in situ activation strategy
Authors: Hong Boseok , Lee Anna
Published: February 2022

A visible-light-mediated oxidative C–S bond cleavage of benzyl thiols through an in situ activation strategy was developed.
Tuning chemotactic and diffusiophoretic spreading via hydrodynamic flows
Authors: Chu Henry C. W. , Garoff Stephen , Tilton Robert D. , Khair Aditya S.
Published: February 2022

We quantify the macrotransport of chemotactic and diffusiophoretic colloids, demonstrating how hydrodynamic flows could tune the colloid spreading.
Non-canonical roles of ATG8 for TFEB activation
Authors: Nakamura Shuhei , Akayama Shiori , Yoshimori Tamotsu
Published: February 2022

Autophagy is an evolutionally conserved cytoplasmic degradation pathway in which the double membrane structure, autophagosome sequesters cytoplasmic material and delivers them to lysosomes for degradation. Many autophagy related (ATG) proteins participate in the regulation of the several steps of autophagic process. Among ATGs, ubiquitin-like protein, ATG8 plays a pivotal role in autophagy. ATG8 is directly conjugated on lipid in autophagosome membrane upon induction of autophagy thus providing a good marker to monitor and analyze autophagy process. However, recent discoveries suggest that ATG8 has autophagy independent non-canonical functions and ATG8 positive structures are not always autophagosomes. This review briefly overviews canonical and non-canonical roles of ATG8 and introduce novel function of ATG8 to activate Transcriptional Factor EB(TFEB), a master transcription factor of autophagy and lysosome function during lysosomal damage.
Early Childhood Professionals' Management of Young Children Who Stutter: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Kefalianos Elaina , Guttormsen Linn Stokke , Hansen Elisabeth Holm , Hofslundsengen Hilde Christine , Næss Kari-Anne Bottegård , Antypas Konstantinos , Kirmess Melanie
Published: February 2022

Purpose:

Early childhood professionals must accurately identify, refer, and treat children who stutter (CWS) within the scope of their respective roles to ensure each child receives the best possible care. This study aimed to investigate similarities and differences between the practices of speech-language pathologists (SLPs), preschool teachers, and public health nurses when they initially meet a young child reported as stuttering.

Method:

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Norway. A sample of 342 early childhood professionals (126 preschool teachers, 95 public health nurses, and 121 SLPs) completed an online survey about their management practices with young children reported as stuttering. Descriptive statistics, ordinal regression, and chi-square analyses were used to analyze data.

Results:

Initial management practices reflected the different roles and competencies of each profession. Less than 15% of SLPs reported they have access to guidelines for working with CWS. This figure was even lower for public health nurses (6.5%) and preschool teachers (12%). The most common recommendations provided to parents by all professions was giving the child time to talk and maintaining eye contact. Each profession's referral for further speech-language pathology management was most commonly influenced by stuttering severity. All professions reported collaborating about management of CWS; the most common reported collaboration was with preschool teachers.

Conclusions:

Initial management practices varied between professions; however, differences largely reflected the roles and competencies of each profession. The development of guidelines and interdisciplinary seminars is recommended to develop a more complementary approach across professions to improve management practices and ensure young CWS receive the best possible care.
Black hole virial masses from single-epoch photometry
Authors: Chaves-Montero J. , Bonoli S. , Trakhtenbrot B. , Fernández-Centeno A. , Queiroz C. , Díaz-García L. A. , González Delgado R. M. , Hernán-Caballero A. , Hernández-Monteagudo C. , Lópen-Sanjuan C. , Overzier R. , Sobral D. , Abramo L. R. , Alcaniz J. , Benitez N. , Carneiro S. , Cenarro A. J. , Cristóbal-Hornillos D. , Dupke R. A. , Ederoclite A. , Marín-Franch A. , Mendes de Oliveira C. , Moles M. , Sodré L. , Taylor K. , Varela J. , Vázquez Ramió H. , Civera T.
Published: February 2022

Context. Precise measurements of black hole masses are essential to understanding the coevolution of these sources and their host galaxies.

Aims. We develop a novel approach for computing black hole virial masses using measurements of continuum luminosities and emission line widths from partially overlapping, narrow-band observations of quasars; we refer to this technique as single-epoch photometry.

Methods. This novel method relies on forward-modelling quasar observations for estimating emission line widths, which enables unbiased measurements even for lines coarsely resolved by narrow-band data. We assess the performance of this technique using quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) observed by the miniJPAS survey, a proof-of-concept project of the Javalambre Physics of the Accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey (J-PAS) collaboration covering ≃1 deg2 of the northern sky using the 56 J-PAS narrow-band filters.

Results. We find remarkable agreement between black hole masses from single-epoch SDSS spectra and single-epoch miniJPAS photometry, with no systematic difference between these and a scatter ranging from 0.4 to 0.07 dex for masses from log(MBH)≃8 to 9.75, respectively. Reverberation mapping studies show that single-epoch masses present approximately 0.4 dex precision, letting us conclude that our novel technique delivers black hole masses with only mildly lower precision than single-epoch spectroscopy.

Conclusions. The J-PAS survey will soon start observing thousands of square degrees without any source preselection other than the photometric depth in the detection band, and thus single-epoch photometry has the potential to provide details on the physical properties of quasar populations that do not satisfy the preselection criteria of previous spectroscopic surveys.
The galaxy group NGC 507: Newly detected AGN remnant plasma transported by sloshing
Authors: Brienza M. , Lovisari L. , Rajpurohit K. , Bonafede A. , Gastaldello F. , Murgia M. , Vazza F. , Bonnassieux E. , Botteon A. , Brunetti G. , Drabent A. , Hardcastle M. J. , Pasini T. , Riseley C. J. , Röttgering H. J. A. , Shimwell T. , Simionescu A. , van Weeren R. J.
Published: February 2022

Jets from active galactic nuclei (AGN) are known to recurrently enrich their surrounding medium with mildly relativistic particles and magnetic fields. Here, we present a detailed multi-frequency analysis of the nearby (z = 0.01646) galaxy group NGC 507. In particular, we present new high-sensitivity and high-spatial-resolution radio images in the frequency range 144–675 MHz obtained using Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) and upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) observations. These reveal the presence of previously undetected diffuse radio emission with complex, filamentary morphology likely related to a previous outburst of the central galaxy. Based on spectral ageing considerations, we find that the plasma was first injected by the AGN 240–380 Myr ago and is now cooling. Our analysis of deep archival X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) data confirms that the system is dynamically disturbed, as previously suggested. We detect two discontinuities in the X-ray surface-brightness distribution (towards the east and south) tracing a spiral pattern, which we interpret as cold fronts produced by sloshing motions. The remarkable spatial coincidence observed between the newly detected arc-like radio filament and the southern concave X-ray discontinuity strongly suggests that the remnant plasma has been displaced by the sloshing motions on large scales. Overall, NGC 507 represents one of the clearest examples known to date in which a direct interaction between old AGN remnant plasma and the external medium is observed in a galaxy group. Our results are consistent with simulations that suggest that filamentary emission can be created by the cluster or group weather, disrupting AGN lobes and spreading their relativistic content into the surrounding medium.
Equilibrium price formation with a major player and its mean field limit
Authors: Fujii Masaaki , Takahashi Akihiko
Published: February 2022

In this article, we consider the problem of equilibrium price formation in an incomplete securities market consisting of one major financial firm and a large number of minor firms. They carry out continuous tradingviathe securities exchange to minimize their cost while facing idiosyncratic and common noises as well as stochastic order flows from their individual clients. The equilibrium price process that balances demand and supply of the securities, including the functional form of the price impact for the major firm, is derived endogenously both in the market of finite population size and in the corresponding mean field limit.