bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Irrigation Water and Organic Fertilizer on Reducing Nitrate Accumulation and Boosting Lettuce Productivity
Authors: Abd–Elrahman Shaimaa Hassan , Saudy Hani Saber , El–Fattah Dalia Ahmed Abd , Hashem Fadl Abd–Elhamid
Published: February 2022

Accumulation of high level of nitrate (NO3−) in leaves is a serious issue for vegetable crops like lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Therefore, this study aimed to limit NO3− level by adjusting the balance between fertilization and irrigation program in lettuce. In a strip plot design with three replicates, lettuce plants were grown under four fertilizer treatments and three irrigation regimes. Three organic fertilizers (biochar, compost and vermicompost), in addition to mineral fertilizer, were used. The irrigation regimes were 60, 80 and 100% of crop evapotranspiration, ETc (ETc60, ETc80, and ETc100). Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) potassium (K) and organic matter (OM) in soil as well as yield, N, P, K and NO3− of lettuce were estimated. Findings showed that vermicompost or biochar (with any irrigation regime) as well as compost with irrigation by ETc60 were the effective combinations for increasing K content in soil after harvest. Under irrigation by ETc80 or ETc100, vermicompost or biochar were the efficient treatments for increasing lettuce yield equaling the farmer common practice (ETc100 x mineral fertilizer). Under irrigation by ETc60, mineral fertilizer or vermicompost showed the highest lettuce leaf content of K. Moreover, ETc60 or ETc80 x mineral fertilizer recorded the maximum NO3− content of lettuce leaves. The accumulation of nitrate in lettuce leaves owing to mineral fertilizer reached about 1.24 times than that of organic fertilizers. Compost x ETc80 or ETc100 showed the minimal NO3–N accumulation, hence, high relative reductions in NO3–N accumulation as compared to the common practice (ETc100 x mineral fertilizer) were observed. In conclusion, irrigation by 80% instead of 100% of crop evapotranspiration of organically fertilized lettuce (especially with vermicompost) could be adopted since such practice recorded high lettuce productivity with low NO3− content.
Conflicts of Colonialism
Authors: Roberts Richard L.
Published: February 2022

Based around the life of Mademba Sèye, an African born in the colonial town of Saint Louis du Sénégal in 1852, who transformed himself with the help of his French patrons from a telegraph clerk into an African king, this book examines Mademba's life and career to reveal how colonialism in French West Africa was articulated differently at different times and how Mademba survived these changes by periodically reinventing himself. Investigating Mademba's alleged abuses of power and crimes that pitted French colonial indirect rule policy with its foundations in patronage and loyalty against its stated commitment to the rule of law and the civilizing mission, Conflicts of Colonialism sheds light on conflicts between different forms of colonialism and the deep ambiguities of the rule of law in colonial societies, which, despite serious challenges to Mademba's rule, allowed him to remain king until his death in 1918.
Sensitivity and downstream influence of the impinging leading-edge vortex instability in a bileaflet mechanical heart valve
Authors: Zolfaghari Hadi , Kerswell Rich R. , Obrist Dominik , Schmid Peter J.
Published: February 2022

Bileaflet mechanical heart valves (BMHV) create unphysiological turbulent flow. Such turbulent flow involves multiple instability mechanisms interacting with one another in a confined geometry. For instance, an impinging leading-edge vortex (ILEV) instability creates disturbances at the leading edge of the valve leaflets, while potentially promoting turbulence downstream of the BMHV (Zolfaghari and Obrist, Phys. Rev. Fluids, vol. 4, 2019). In this article, we use adjoint-based methods to study the structural sensitivity of the ILEV instability in the BMHV, and to quantify the role of this instability in the maximum disturbance energy growth in the wake of the BMHV. We first present a direct numerical simulation to show the effect of the ILEV instability on the turbulent flow in the wake of the valve. Second, we perform a modal linear stability analysis on a two-dimensional subdomain attached to the leading edge of one leaflet. We investigate the sensitivity of the global modes associated with this flow using their adjoints, and then show a passive control scenario using a local feedback source. This results in a partial improvement in the flow oscillations downstream of the leaflets. We finally present a non-modal approach to identify the optimal initial conditions for achieving maximum energy growth at arbitrary locations. We show that, for sufficiently large times, the optimal initial condition for highest energy growth in the wake points at the leading edge, which includes the ILEV instability. Our study illustrates that an improved leading-edge shape can effectively reduce turbulence in the wake of the BMHV.
Surface tension as the destabiliser of a vortical interface
Authors: Ramadugu Rashmi , Perlekar Prasad , Govindarajan Rama
Published: February 2022

We study the dynamics of an initially flat interface between two immiscible fluids, with a vortex situated on it. We show how surface tension causes vorticity generation at a general curved interface. This creates a velocity jump across the interface which increases quadratically in time, and causes the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. Surface tension thus acts as a destabiliser by vorticity creation, winning over its own tendency to stabilise by smoothing out interfacial perturbations to reduce surface energy. We further show that this instability is manifested within the vortex core at times larger than

${\sim}(k We)^{1/4}$

for a Weber number

$We$

and perturbation wavenumber

$k$

, destroying the flow structure. The vorticity peels off into small-scale structures away from the interface. Using energy balance we provide the growth of total interface length in time. A density difference between the fluids produces additional instabilities outside the vortex core due to centrifugal effects. We demonstrate the importance of this mechanism in two-dimensional turbulence simulations with a prescribed initial interface.
Personal diet–microbiota interactions and weight loss
Authors: Roager Henrik M. , Christensen Lars H.
Published: February 2022

The aim of this review is to provide an overview of how person-specific interactions between diet and the gut microbiota could play a role in affecting diet-induced weight loss responses. The highly person-specific gut microbiota, which is shaped by our diet, secretes digestive enzymes and molecules that affect digestion in the colon. Therefore, weight loss responses could in part depend on personal colonic fermentation responses, which affect energy extraction of food and production of microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which exert various effects on host metabolism. Colonic fermentation is the net result of the complex interplay between availability of dietary substrates, the functional capacity of the gut microbiome and environmental (abiotic) factors in the gut such as pH and transit time. While animal studies have demonstrated that the gut microbiota can causally affect obesity, causal and mechanistic evidence from human studies is still largely lacking. However, recent human studies have proposed that the baseline gut microbiota composition may predict diet-induced weight loss-responses. In particular, individuals characterised by high relative abundance of Prevotella have been found to lose more weight on diets rich in dietary fibre compared to individuals with low Prevotella abundance. Although harnessing of personal diet–microbiota interactions holds promise for more personalised nutrition and obesity management strategies to improve human health, there is currently insufficient evidence to unequivocally link the gut microbiota and weight loss in human subjects. To move the field forward, a greater understanding of the mechanistic underpinnings of personal diet–microbiota interactions is needed.
Simultaneous Observations of EMIC‐Induced Drifting Electron Holes (EDEHs) in the Earth's Radiation Belt by the Arase Satellite, Van Allen Probes, and THEMIS
Authors: Nakamura S. , Miyoshi Y. , Shiokawa K. , Omura Y. , Mitani T. , Takashima T. , Higashio N. , Shinohara I. , Hori T. , Imajo S. , Matsuoka A. , Tsuchiya F. , Kumamoto A. , Kasahara Y. , Shoji M. , Spence H. , Angelopoulos V.
Published: February 2022

We present an observation of rapid flux depressions in relativistic electrons, which is referred to as “EMIC‐induced drifting electron holes (EDEHs).” The Arase, Van Allen Probes, and THEMIS detected simultaneously electron flux fluctuations. The time variation of flux shows depressions of 1‐min scale with energy dispersion, which appear only in the relativistic energy range and small pitch angles. These characteristics of the flux depression indicate that electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves caused pitch angle scattering on a short time scale in a longitudinally limited region. The Arase satellite detected the local depression of the phase space density of 1,000 MeV/G electron, indicating that EMIC waves cause the true loss of electrons. Tracing the energy dispersion profile of EDEHs, we show that EDEHs are formed at localized region in the dusk side. Multisatellite observations demonstrate that a series of EDEHs eventually cause a substantial depression of the radiation belt on 1‐hr time scale.
The Decadal Variation of Eastward‐Moving Tropical Cyclones in the South China Sea During 1980–2020
Authors: Luo Xi , Yang Lei , Chen Sheng , Liang Dong , Chan Johnny C. L. , Wang Dongxiao
Published: February 2022

The track of tropical cyclones (TCs) formed in the South China Sea (SCS) can be divided into eastward and westward directions. Significant decadal variation during 1980–2020 only exists in the number of eastward‐moving TCs, especially during July–September, with 47% TCs moving eastward during 1994–2004 (Period II), 22% during 1980–1993 (Period I) and only 15% during 2005–2020 (Period III). This decadal change is related to the zonal shift of Western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH). An eastward‐retreated WPSH during 1994–2004 leads to upward motion and westerly flow anomaly over the northern SCS, and therefore favors TC genesis and eastward motion. The eastward‐retreated WPSH is associated with a warm sea surface temperature anomaly over the tropical western‐central Pacific which induces a cyclonic flow and weakens the WPSH. With the weaker modulation of WPSH, stronger intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) in the SCS during Period II favors eastward‐moving TCs due to the westerly flow associated with the ISO.
A Comprehensive Set of Juno In Situ and Remote Sensing Observations of the Ganymede Auroral Footprint
Authors: Hue V. , Szalay J. R. , Greathouse T. K. , Bonfond B. , Kotsiaros S. , Louis C. K. , Sulaiman A. H. , Clark G. , Allegrini F. , Gladstone G. R. , Paranicas C. , Versteeg M. H. , Mura A. , Moirano A. , Gershman D. J. , Bolton S. J. , Connerney J. E. P. , Davis M. W. , Ebert R. W. , Gérard J.‐C. , Giles R. S. , Grodent D. C. , Imai M. , Kammer J. A. , Kurth W. S. , Lamy L. , Mauk B. H.
Published: February 2022

Jupiter's satellite auroral footprints are a manifestation of the satellite‐magnetosphere interaction of the Galilean moons. Juno's polar elliptical orbit enables crossing the magnetic flux tubes connecting each Galilean moon with their associated auroral emission. Its payload allows measuring the fields and particle population in the flux tubes while remotely sensing their associated auroral emissions. During its thirtieth perijove, Juno crossed the flux tube directly connected to Ganymede's leading footprint spot, a unique event in the entire Juno prime mission. Juno revealed a highly‐structured precipitating electron flux, up to 316 mW/m2, while measuring both a small perturbation in the magnetic field azimuthal component and small Poynting flux with an estimated total downward current of 4.2 ± 1.2 kA. Based on the evolution of the footprint morphology and the field and particle measurements, Juno transited for the first time through a region connected to the transhemispheric electron beam of the Ganymede footprint.
Multi-omics reveals mitochondrial metabolism proteins susceptible for drug discovery in AML
Authors: Caplan Mika , Wittorf Karli J. , Weber Kasidy K. , Swenson Samantha A. , Gilbreath Tyler J. , Willow Hynes-Smith R. , Amador Catalina , Hyde R. Katherine , Buckley Shannon M.
Published: February 2022

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a devastating cancer affecting the hematopoietic system. Previous research has relied on RNA sequencing and microarray techniques to study the downstream effects of genomic alterations. While these studies have proven efficacious, they fail to capture the changes that occur at the proteomic level. To interrogate the effect of protein expression alterations in AML, we performed a quantitative mass spectrometry in parallel with RNAseq analysis using AML mouse models. These combined results identified 34 proteins whose expression was upregulated in AML tumors, but strikingly, were unaltered at the transcriptional level. Here we focus on mitochondrial electron transfer proteins ETFA and ETFB. Silencing of ETFA and ETFB led to increased mitochondrial activity, mitochondrial stress, and apoptosis in AML cells, but had little to no effect on normal human CD34+ cells. These studies identify a set of proteins that have not previously been associated with leukemia and may ultimately serve as potential targets for therapeutic manipulation to hinder AML progression and help contribute to our understanding of the disease.
Epigenome-wide association study of posttraumatic stress disorder identifies novel loci in U.S. military veterans
Authors: Montalvo-Ortiz Janitza L. , Gelernter Joel , Cheng Zhongshan , Girgenti Matthew J. , Xu Ke , Zhang Xinyu , Gopalan Shyamalika , Zhou Hang , Duman Ronald S. , Southwick Steven M. , Krystal John H. ,   Traumatic Stress Brain Research Study Group, Friedman Matthew J. , Duman Ronald S. , Girgenti Matthew J. , Krystal John H. , Montalvo-Ortiz Janitza L. , Pietrzak Robert H.
Published: February 2022

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic and disabling psychiatric disorder prevalent in military veterans. Epigenetic mechanisms have been implicated in the etiology of PTSD, with DNA methylation being the most studied to identify novel molecular biomarkers associated with this disorder. We performed one of the largest single-sample epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of PTSD to date. Our sample included 1135 male European–American U.S. veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS). DNA was collected from saliva samples and the Illumina HumanMethylation EPIC BeadChip was used for the methylation analysis. PTSD was assessed using the PTSD Checklist. An EWAS was conducted using linear regression adjusted for age, cell-type proportions, first 10 principal components, and smoking status. After Bonferroni correction, we identified six genome-wide significant (GWS) CpG sites associated with past-month PTSD and three CpGs with lifetime PTSD (prange = 10−10–10−8). These CpG sites map to genes involved in immune function, transcription regulation, axonal guidance, cell signaling, and protein binding. Among these, SENP7, which is involved in transcription regulation and has been linked to risk-taking behavior and alcohol consumption in genome-wide association studies, replicated in an independent veteran cohort and was downregulated in medial orbitofrontal cortex of PTSD postmortem brain tissue. These findings suggest potential epigenetic biomarkers of PTSD that may help inform the pathophysiology of this disorder in veterans and other trauma-affected populations.
Metabolic effects of the schizophrenia-associated 3q29 deletion
Authors: Pollak Rebecca M. , Purcell Ryan H. , Rutkowski Timothy P. , Malone Tamika , Pachura Kimberly J. , Bassell Gary J. , Epstein Michael P. , Dawson Paul A. , Smith Matthew R. , Jones Dean P. , Zwick Michael E. , Warren Stephen T. , Caspary Tamara , Weinshenker David , Mulle Jennifer G.
Published: February 2022

The 1.6 Mb 3q29 deletion is associated with developmental and psychiatric phenotypes, including a 40-fold increased risk for schizophrenia. Reduced birth weight and a high prevalence of feeding disorders in patients suggest underlying metabolic dysregulation. We investigated 3q29 deletion-induced metabolic changes using our previously generated heterozygous B6.Del16+/Bdh1-Tfrc mouse model. Animals were provided either standard chow (STD) or high-fat diet (HFD). Growth curves were performed on HFD mice to assess weight change (n = 30–50/group). Indirect calorimetry and untargeted metabolomics were performed on STD and HFD mice to evaluate metabolic phenotypes (n = 8–14/group). A behavioral battery was performed on STD and HFD mice to assess behavior change after the HFD challenge (n = 5–13/group). We found that B6.Del16+/Bdh1-Tfrc animals preferentially use dietary lipids as an energy source. Untargeted metabolomics of liver tissue showed a strong sex-dependent effect of the 3q29 deletion on fat metabolism. A HFD partially rescued the 3q29 deletion-associated weight deficit in females, but not males. Untargeted metabolomics of liver tissue after HFD revealed persistent fat metabolism alterations in females. The HFD did not affect B6.Del16+/Bdh1-Tfrc behavioral phenotypes, suggesting that 3q29 deletion-associated metabolic and behavioral outcomes are uncoupled. Our data suggest that dietary interventions to improve weight phenotypes in 3q29 deletion syndrome patients are unlikely to exacerbate behavioral manifestations. Our study also highlights the importance of assessing sex in metabolic studies and suggests that mechanisms underlying 3q29 deletion-associated metabolic phenotypes are sex-specific.
CytofIn enables integrated analysis of public mass cytometry datasets using generalized anchors
Authors: Lo Yu-Chen , Keyes Timothy J. , Jager Astraea , Sarno Jolanda , Domizi Pablo , Majeti Ravindra , Sakamoto Kathleen M. , Lacayo Norman , Mullighan Charles G. , Waters Jeffrey , Sahaf Bita , Bendall Sean C. , Davis Kara L.
Published: February 2022

The increasing use of mass cytometry for analyzing clinical samples offers the possibility to perform comparative analyses across public datasets. However, challenges in batch normalization and data integration limit the comparison of datasets not intended to be analyzed together. Here, we present a data integration strategy, CytofIn, using generalized anchors to integrate mass cytometry datasets from the public domain. We show that low-variance controls, such as healthy samples and stable channels, are inherently homogeneous, robust against stimulation, and can serve as generalized anchors for batch correction. Single-cell quantification comparing mass cytometry data from 989 leukemia files pre- and post normalization with CytofIn demonstrates effective batch correction while recapitulating the gold-standard bead normalization. CytofIn integration of public cancer datasets enabled the comparison of immune features across histologies and treatments. We demonstrate the ability to integrate public datasets without necessitating identical control samples or bead standards for fast and robust analysis using CytofIn.
Charge-noise spectroscopy of Si/SiGe quantum dots via dynamically-decoupled exchange oscillations
Authors: Connors Elliot J. , Nelson J. , Edge Lisa F. , Nichol John M.
Published: February 2022

Electron spins in silicon quantum dots are promising qubits due to their long coherence times, scalable fabrication, and potential for all-electrical control. However, charge noise in the host semiconductor presents a major obstacle to achieving high-fidelity single- and two-qubit gates in these devices. In this work, we measure the charge-noise spectrum of a Si/SiGe singlet-triplet qubit over nearly 12 decades in frequency using a combination of methods, including dynamically-decoupled exchange oscillations with up to 512 π pulses during the qubit evolution. The charge noise is colored across the entire frequency range of our measurements, although the spectral exponent changes with frequency. Moreover, the charge-noise spectrum inferred from conductance measurements of a proximal sensor quantum dot agrees with that inferred from coherent oscillations of the singlet-triplet qubit, suggesting that simple transport measurements can accurately characterize the charge noise over a wide frequency range in Si/SiGe quantum dots.
Atomically unveiling the structure-activity relationship of biomacromolecule-metal-organic frameworks symbiotic crystal
Authors: Tong Linjing , Huang Siming , Shen Yujian , Liu Suya , Ma Xiaomin , Zhu Fang , Chen Guosheng , Ouyang Gangfeng
Published: February 2022

Crystallization of biomacromolecules-metal-organic frameworks (BMOFs) allows for orderly assemble of symbiotic hybrids with desirable biological and chemical functions in one voxel. The structure-activity relationship of this symbiotic crystal, however, is still blurred. Here, we directly identify the atomic-level structure of BMOFs, using the integrated differential phase contrast-scanning transmission electron microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy and x-ray absorption fine structure techniques. We discover an obvious difference in the nanoarchitecture of BMOFs under different crystallization pathways that was previously not seen. In addition, we find the nanoarchitecture significantly affects the bioactivity of the BMOFs. This work gives an important insight into the structure-activity relationship of BMOFs synthesized in different scenarios, and may act as a guide to engineer next-generation materials with excellent biological and chemical functions.
Protease-controlled secretion and display of intercellular signals
Authors: Vlahos Alexander E. , Kang Jeewoo , Aldrete Carlos A. , Zhu Ronghui , Chong Lucy S. , Elowitz Michael B. , Gao Xiaojing J.
Published: February 2022

To program intercellular communication for biomedicine, it is crucial to regulate the secretion and surface display of signaling proteins. If such regulations are at the protein level, there are additional advantages, including compact delivery and direct interactions with endogenous signaling pathways. Here we create a modular, generalizable design calledRetainedEndoplasmic CleavableSecretion (RELEASE), with engineered proteins retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and displayed/secreted in response to specific proteases. The design allows functional regulation of multiple synthetic and natural proteins by synthetic protease circuits to realize diverse signal processing capabilities, including logic operation and threshold tuning. By linking RELEASE to additional sensing and processing circuits, we can achieve elevated protein secretion in response to “undruggable” oncogene KRAS mutants. RELEASE should enable the local, programmable delivery of intercellular cues for a broad variety of fields such as neurobiology, cancer immunotherapy and cell transplantation.
Rough and smooth variants of Mycobacterium abscessus are differentially controlled by host immunity during chronic infection of adult zebrafish
Authors: Kam Julia Y. , Hortle Elinor , Krogman Elizabeth , Warner Sherridan E. , Wright Kathryn , Luo Kaiming , Cheng Tina , Manuneedhi Cholan Pradeep , Kikuchi Kazu , Triccas James A. , Britton Warwick J. , Johansen Matt D. , Kremer Laurent , Oehlers Stefan H.
Published: February 2022

Prevalence of Mycobacterium abscessus infections is increasing in patients with respiratory comorbidities. After initial colonisation, M. abscessus smooth colony (S) variants can undergo an irreversible genetic switch into highly inflammatory, rough colony (R) variants, often associated with a decline in pulmonary function. Here, we use an adult zebrafish model of chronic infection with R and S variants to study M. abscessus pathogenesis in the context of fully functioning host immunity. We show that infection with an R variant causes an inflammatory immune response that drives necrotic granuloma formation through host TNF signalling, mediated by the tnfa, tnfr1 and tnfr2 gene products. T cell-dependent immunity is stronger against the R variant early in infection, and regulatory T cells associate with R variant granulomas and limit bacterial growth. In comparison, an S variant proliferates to high burdens but appears to be controlled by TNF-dependent innate immunity early during infection, resulting in delayed granuloma formation. Thus, our work demonstrates the applicability of adult zebrafish to model persistent M. abscessus infection, and illustrates differences in the immunopathogenesis induced by R and S variants during granulomatous infection.
Subsurface hydrocarbon degradation strategies in low- and high-sulfate coal seam communities identified with activity-based metagenomics
Authors: Schweitzer Hannah D. , Smith Heidi J. , Barnhart Elliott P. , McKay Luke J. , Gerlach Robin , Cunningham Alfred B. , Malmstrom Rex R. , Goudeau Danielle , Fields Matthew W.
Published: February 2022

Environmentally relevant metagenomes and BONCAT-FACS derived translationally active metagenomes from Powder River Basin coal seams were investigated to elucidate potential genes and functional groups involved in hydrocarbon degradation to methane in coal seams with high- and low-sulfate levels. An advanced subsurface environmental sampler allowed the establishment of coal-associated microbial communities under in situ conditions for metagenomic analyses from environmental and translationally active populations. Metagenomic sequencing demonstrated that biosurfactants, aerobic dioxygenases, and anaerobic phenol degradation pathways were present in active populations across the sampled coal seams. In particular, results suggested the importance of anaerobic degradation pathways under high-sulfate conditions with an emphasis on fumarate addition. Under low-sulfate conditions, a mixture of both aerobic and anaerobic pathways was observed but with a predominance of aerobic dioxygenases. The putative low-molecular-weight biosurfactant, lichysein, appeared to play a more important role compared to rhamnolipids. The methods used in this study—subsurface environmental samplers in combination with metagenomic sequencing of both total and translationally active metagenomes—offer a deeper and environmentally relevant perspective on community genetic potential from coal seams poised at different redox conditions broadening the understanding of degradation strategies for subsurface carbon.
Bone mineral density in women newly diagnosed with breast cancer: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Fraenkel Merav , Novack Victor , Mizrakli Yuval , Koretz Michael , Siris Ethel , Norton Larry , Shafat Tali , Geffen David B.
Published: February 2022

Estrogen may have opposing effects on health, namely increasing the risk of breast cancer and improving bone health by increasing bone mineral density (BMD). The objective of this study was to compare dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) BMD between women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and matched controls without breast cancer. Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer treated between April 2012 and October 2017 were prospectively enrolled. A control group was established of women with negative mammography or breast ultrasound, matched 1:1 by age, body mass index, parity, and the use of hormone replacement therapy. All those included had DXA BMD, and lab assessments at enrollment. Of 869 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer, 464 signed informed consent. Of the 344 who completed the study protocol, 284 were matched to controls. Overall, the mean age was 58 years. Compared to the control group, for the breast cancer group, the mean vitamin D level was lower (48.9 ± 19.0 vs. 53.8 ± 28.8 nmol/L, p = 0.022); and mean values were higher of total hip BMD (0.95 ± 0.14 vs. 0.92 ± 0.12 g/cm2, p = 0.002), T score (−0.38 ± 1.17 vs. −0.68 ± 0.98, p = 0.002), and Z score (0.32 ± 1.09 vs. 0.01 ± 0.88, p < 0.001). Among the women with breast cancer, no correlations were found of baseline BMD with tumor size or grade, nodal involvement, or breast cancer stage. We concluded that women with newly diagnosed breast cancer tend to have higher BMD than women with similar characteristics but without breast cancer. This implies that BMD might be considered a biomarker for breast cancer risk.
Reconfigurable quantum phononic circuits via piezo-acoustomechanical interactions
Authors: Taylor Jeffrey C. , Chatterjee Eric , Kindel William F. , Soh Daniel , Eichenfield Matt
Published: February 2022

We show that piezoelectric strain actuation of acoustomechanical interactions can produce large phase velocity changes in an existing quantum phononic platform: aluminum nitride on suspended silicon. Using finite element analysis, we demonstrate a piezo-acoustomechanical phase shifter waveguide capable of producing ±π phase shifts for GHz frequency phonons in 10s of μm with 10s of volts applied. Then, using the phase shifter as a building block, we demonstrate several phononic integrated circuit elements useful for quantum information processing. In particular, we show how to construct programmable multi-mode interferometers for linear phononic processing and a dynamically reconfigurable phononic memory that can switch between an ultra-long-lifetime state and a state strongly coupled to its bus waveguide. From the master equation for the full open quantum system of the reconfigurable phononic memory, we show that it is possible to perform read and write operations with over 90% quantum state transfer fidelity for an exponentially decaying pulse.
The jam session between muscle stem cells and the extracellular matrix in the tissue microenvironment
Authors: Loreti Mafalda , Sacco Alessandra
Published: February 2022

Skeletal muscle requires a highly orchestrated coordination between multiple cell types and their microenvironment to exert its function and to maintain its homeostasis and regenerative capacity. Over the past decades, significant advances, including lineage tracing and single-cell RNA sequencing, have contributed to identifying multiple muscle resident cell populations participating in muscle maintenance and repair. Among these populations, muscle stem cells (MuSC), also known as satellite cells, in response to stress or injury, are able to proliferate, fuse, and form new myofibers to repair the damaged tissue. These cells reside adjacent to the myofiber and are surrounded by a specific and complex microenvironment, the stem cell niche. Major components of the niche are extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, able to instruct MuSC behavior. However, during aging and muscle-associated diseases, muscle progressively loses its regenerative ability, in part due to a dysregulation of ECM components. This review provides an overview of the composition and importance of the MuSC microenvironment. We discuss relevant ECM proteins and how their mutations or dysregulation impact young and aged muscle tissue or contribute to diseases. Recent discoveries have improved our knowledge about the ECM composition of skeletal muscle, which has helped to mimic the architecture of the stem cell niche and improved the regenerative capacity of MuSC. Further understanding about extrinsic signals from the microenvironment controlling MuSC function and innovative technologies are still required to develop new therapies to improve muscle repair.
Robustness of the thermal Hall effect close to half-quantization in α-RuCl3
Authors: Bruin J. A. N. , Claus R. R. , Matsumoto Y. , Kurita N. , Tanaka H. , Takagi H.
Published: February 2022

A key feature of quantum spin liquids is the predicted formation of fractionalized excitations. They are expected to produce changes in the physical response, providing a way to observe the quantum spin liquid state1. In the honeycomb magnet α-RuCl3, a quantum spin liquid has been proposed to explain the behaviour observed on applying an in-plane magnetic field H||. Previous work reported that the thermal Hall conductivity took on a half-integer quantized value and suggested this as a signature of a fractionalized Majorana edge mode predicted to exist in Kitaev quantum spin liquids2. However, the temperature and magnetic-field range of the half-quantized signal2–4 and its association with Majorana edge modes are still under debate5,6. Here we present a comprehensive study of the thermal Hall conductivity in α-RuCl3 showing that approximately half-integer quantization exists in an extended region of the phase diagram, particularly across a plateau-like parameter regime for H|| exceeding 10 T and temperature below 6.5 K. At lower fields, the thermal Hall conductivity exhibits correlations with complex anomalies in the longitudinal thermal conductivity and magnetization, and is suppressed by cooling to low temperatures. Our results can be explained by the existence of a topological state in magnetic fields above 10 T.
Quantum phase transition from superconducting to insulating-like state in a pressurized cuprate superconductor
Authors: Zhou Yazhou , Guo Jing , Cai Shu , Zhao Jinyu , Gu Genda , Lin Chengtian , Yan Hongtao , Huang Cheng , Yang Chongli , Long Sijin , Gong Yu , Li Yanchun , Li Xiaodong , Wu Qi , Hu Jiangping , Zhou Xingjiang , Xiang Tao , Sun Liling
Published: February 2022

Copper oxide superconductors continue to fascinate the communities of condensed matter physics and material sciences because they host the highest ambient-pressure superconducting transition temperature and unconventional electronic behaviour that are not fully explained1–3. Searching for universal links between the superconducting state and its normal metallic state is believed to be an effective approach to elucidate the underlying mechanism of superconductivity. One of the common expectations for copper oxide superconductors is that a metallic phase will appear after the superconductivity is entirely suppressed by chemical doping4–8 or the application of a magnetic field9. Here we report the first observation of a quantum phase transition from a superconducting state to an insulating-like state as a function of pressure in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi2212) superconductors with two CuO2 planes in a unit cell for doping below, at and above a level that achieves the highest transition temperature. We also find the same phenomenon in related compounds with a single CuO2 plane as well as three CuO2 planes in a unit cell. This apparently universal phenomenon poses a challenge for achieving a unified understanding of the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity.
Tile-based massively scalable MIMO and phased arrays for 5G/B5G-enabled smart skins and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces
Authors: He Xuanke , Cui Yepu , Tentzeris Manos M.
Published: February 2022

This work presents a novel tile based approach to constructing, in a modular fashion, massively scalable MIMO and phased arrays for 5G/B5G millimeter-wave smart skins and large-area reconfigurable intelligent surfaces for Smart Cities and IoT applications. A proof-of-concept 29 GHz 32 elements phased array utilizing $$2 \times 2$$

2
×
2

“8-element subarray” tiles was fabricated and measured and demonstrates $$+/-$$

+
/
-

30beamsteering capability. The unique benefits of the proposed tile approach utilizes the fact that tiles of identical sizes can be manufactured in large quantities rather than have arrays of multiple sizes serve various user capacity coverage areas. It has to be stressed that the proof-of-concept flexible $$2 \times 2$$

2
×
2

tile array features no performance degradation when it is wrapped around a 3.5 cm radius curvature. This topology can be easily scaled up to massively large arrays by simply adding more tiles and extending the feeding network on the mounting tiling layer. The tiles are assembled onto a single flexible substrate which interconnects the RF, DC and digital traces, allowing for the easy realization of on-demand very large antenna arrays on virtually any practical conformal platform for frequencies up to sub-THz frequency range.
Simulation of emergency evacuation from construction site of prefabricated buildings
Authors: Xiao Mufeng , Zhou Xihua , Pan Xinxin , Wang Yanan , Wang Jue , Li Xianlin , Sun Yashengnan , Wang Yumeng
Published: February 2022

To ensure the safe construction of prefabricated buildings and improve the efficiency of the safe evacuation of construction personnel after a fire caused by improper operation during construction, this study used the PyroSim software to numerically simulate a fire situation based on the size and volume of a prefabricated building construction site. The variation rules of smoke visibility, CO concentration, and ambient temperature in the construction site of prefabricated buildings were analyzed and the available safe evacuation time was determined. Moreover, the Pathfinder software was used for simulation in combination with the physical attributes of personnel, evacuation speed, and personnel proportions. The time required for safe evacuation was determined and the factors influencing the evacuation time, such as the quantity and location of stacked prefabricated components, machinery, and appliances, and the number of on-site construction personnel, were analyzed. The data collected by the temperature sensor, CO concentration sensor, and visibility sensor reveal that the visibility and crash time are the key factors restricting the efficiency of personnel avoidance and evacuation. At 400 s, the visibility at the escape exit of the prefabricated apartment construction site was lower than 5 m. The crashing time of the building was 360 s, which is the critical point for casualties. The first emergency evacuation simulation took 398.7 s. The required safe evacuation time (TREST) > available safe evacuation time (TASET), and the original site layout cannot facilitate the safe evacuation of all construction workers. The evacuation time can be effectively reduced by re-planning the stacking positions of prefabricated construction site components, construction equipment, and other items, and reducing the number of personnel in the construction plane. The results of the second simulation reveal that the safe evacuation time (TREST) is 355.2 s. Because it is required that the safety evacuation time (TREST) < available safe evacuation time (TASET), the results are in line with the emergency evacuation requirements. The findings of this study can provide a theoretical basis for the rational planning of evacuation passages at the construction sites of prefabricated buildings and assist the management of construction site safety.
LIM Tracker: a software package for cell tracking and analysis with advanced interactivity
Authors: Aragaki Hideya , Ogoh Katsunori , Kondo Yohei , Aoki Kazuhiro
Published: February 2022

Cell tracking is one of the most critical tools for time-lapse image analysis to observe cell behavior and cell lineages over a long period of time. However, the accompanying graphical user interfaces are often difficult to use and do not incorporate seamless manual correction, data analysis tools, or simple training set design tools if it is machine learning based. In this paper, we introduce our cell tracking software “LIM Tracker”. This software has a conventional tracking function consisting of recognition processing and link processing, a sequential search-type tracking function based on pattern matching, and a manual tracking function. LIM Tracker enables the seamless use of these functions. In addition, the system incorporates a highly interactive and interlocking data visualization method, which displays analysis result in real time, making it possible to flexibly correct the data and reduce the burden of tracking work. Moreover, recognition functions with deep learning (DL) are also available, which can be used for a wide range of targets including stain-free images. LIM Tracker allows researchers to track living objects with good usability and high versatility for various targets. We present a tracking case study based on fluorescence microscopy images (NRK-52E/EKAREV-NLS cells or MCF-10A/H2B-iRFP-P2A-mScarlet-I-hGem-P2A-PIP-NLS-mNeonGreen cells) and phase contrast microscopy images (Glioblastoma-astrocytoma U373 cells). LIM Tracker is implemented as a plugin for ImageJ/Fiji. The software can be downloaded from https://github.com/LIMT34/LIM-Tracker.
Assessing systemic risk in financial markets using dynamic topic networks
Authors: So Mike K. P. , Mak Anson S. W. , Chu Amanda M. Y.
Published: February 2022

Systemic risk in financial markets refers to the breakdown of a financial system due to global events, catastrophes, or extreme incidents, leading to huge financial instability and losses. This study proposes a dynamic topic network (DTN) approach that combines topic modelling and network analysis to assess systemic risk in financial markets. We make use of Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to semantically analyse news articles, and the extracted topics then serve as input to construct topic similarity networks over time. Our results indicate how connected the topics are so that we can correlate any abnormal behaviours with volatility in the financial markets. With the 2015–2016 stock market selloff and COVID-19 as use cases, our results also suggest that the proposed DTN approach can provide an indication of (a) abnormal movement in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and (b) when the market would gradually begin to recover from such an event. From a practical risk management point of view, this analysis can be carried out on a daily basis when new data come in so that we can make use of the calculated metrics to predict real-time systemic risk in financial markets.
Decoding Individual differences and musical preference via music-induced movement
Authors: Agrawal Yudhik , Carlson Emily , Toiviainen Petri , Alluri Vinoo
Published: February 2022

Movement is a universal response to music, with dance often taking place in social settings. Although previous work has suggested that socially relevant information, such as personality and gender, are encoded in dance movement, the generalizability of previous work is limited. The current study aims to decode dancers’ gender, personality traits, and music preference from music-induced movements. We propose a method that predicts such individual difference from free dance movements, and demonstrate the robustness of the proposed method by using two data sets collected using different musical stimuli. In addition, we introduce a novel measure to explore the relative importance of different joints in predicting individual differences. Results demonstrated near perfect classification of gender, and notably high prediction of personality and music preferences. Furthermore, learned models demonstrated generalizability across datasets highlighting the importance of certain joints in intrinsic movement patterns specific to individual differences. Results further support theories of embodied music cognition and the role of bodily movement in musical experiences by demonstrating the influence of gender, personality, and music preferences on embodied responses to heard music.
Increase in landslide activity after a low-magnitude earthquake as inferred from DInSAR interferometry
Authors: Martino S. , Fiorucci M. , Marmoni G. M. , Casaburi L. , Antonielli B. , Mazzanti P.
Published: February 2022

On August 16th, 2018, a Mw 5.1 earthquake struck the Molise region (central Italy), inducing 84 earthquake-triggered landslides that predominantly involved soil covers of clayey materials and flysch on gently dipping slopes. To quantify the spatiotemporal landslide activity in the months immediately after the earthquake, a differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) analysis was performed for a time span from 2 years before to one year after the earthquake, recognising both first-time and reactivated landslides. The results showed a clear increase in landslide activity following the low-magnitude earthquake with respect to the activities recorded in the same months of the previous years. Several coherent landslides (earth slides and earth flows) were observed following seasonally recurrent rainfall events. Such increases were observed for both reactivated and first-time landslides, showing decreases in inactive periods and activity over longer periods. Furthermore, the spatial density distribution of the landslides was investigated in the postseismic time interval along transects perpendicular and parallel to the direction of the tectonic element responsible for the seismic event. An asymmetrical distribution was deduced parallel to the fault strike with a higher number of landslides located inside the compressional sector according to a strike-slip faulting mechanism.
Platelet-activating factor (PAF) strongly enhances contractile mechanical activities in guinea pig and mouse urinary bladder
Authors: Liu Ge , Kaneko Mizuki , Yoshioka Kento , Obara Keisuke , Tanaka Yoshio
Published: February 2022

In this study, we investigated the effects of platelet-activating factor (PAF) on the basal tone and spontaneous contractile activities of guinea pig (GP) and mouse urinary bladder (UB) smooth muscle (UBSM) tissues to determine whether PAF could induce UBSM tissue contraction. In addition, we examined the mRNA expression of the PAF receptor, PAF-synthesizing enzyme (lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase, LPCAT), and PAF-degrading enzyme (PAF acetylhydrolase, PAF-AH) in GP and mouse UB tissues using RT-qPCR. PAF (10−9–10−6 M) strongly enhanced the basal tone and spontaneous contractile activities (amplitude and frequency) of GP and mouse UBSM tissues in a concentration-dependent manner. The enhancing effects of PAF (10−6 M) on both GP and mouse UBSM contractile activities were strongly suppressed by pretreatment with apafant (a PAF receptor antagonist, GP: 10−5 M; mouse: 3 × 10−5 M). The PAF receptor (Ptafr), LPCAT (Lpcat1, Lpcat2), and PAF-AH (Pafah1b3, Pafah2) mRNAs were detected in GP and mouse UB tissues. These findings reveal that PAF strongly enhances the contractile mechanical activities of UBSM tissues through its receptor and suggest that the PAF-synthesizing and -degrading system exists in UBSM tissues. PAF may serve as both an endogenous UBSM constrictor and an endogenous mediator leading to detrusor overactivity.
Neural oscillations promoting perceptual stability and perceptual memory during bistable perception
Authors: Zhu Michael , Hardstone Richard , He Biyu J.
Published: February 2022

Ambiguous images elicit bistable perception, wherein periods of momentary perceptual stability are interrupted by sudden perceptual switches. When intermittently presented, ambiguous images trigger a perceptual memory trace in the intervening blank periods. Understanding the neural bases of perceptual stability and perceptual memory during bistable perception may hold clues for explaining the apparent stability of visual experience in the natural world, where ambiguous and fleeting images are prevalent. Motivated by recent work showing the involvement of the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) in bistable perception, we conducted a transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) study with a double-blind, within-subject cross-over design to test a potential causal role of rIFG in these processes. Subjects viewed ambiguous images presented continuously or intermittently while under EEG recording. We did not find any significant tDCS effect on perceptual behavior. However, the fluctuations of oscillatory power in the alpha and beta bands predicted perceptual stability, with higher power corresponding to longer percept durations. In addition, higher alpha and beta power predicted enhanced perceptual memory during intermittent viewing. These results reveal a unified neurophysiological mechanism sustaining perceptual stability and perceptual memory when the visual system is faced with ambiguous input.