bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Response Analysis of Ballasted Railway Track–Ground System under Train Moving Loads using 3D Finite Element Numerical Modelling
Authors: Sayeed Md. Abu , Shahin Mohamed A.
Published: March 2022

The faster and heavier trains in modern railway traffic are getting popularity in the public transportation authorities of many countries. Such trains cause higher stresses and excessive deformations in the ballasted railway track substructure under train dynamic loadings, which raises the risk of track damage and derailment. It is thus essential to investigate the impact of different influencing factors on the dynamic response of ballasted railway track–ground systems. In this study, a sophisticated three-dimensional finite element model simulating realistic train moving loads is presented and used to investigate the dynamic response of ballasted railway tracks in terms of stress transmission and track deflections under various train–track–ground conditions. The influencing factors considered in this study include the modulus and thicknesses of track substructure layers, the amplitude of train moving loads and the train speed. The outcomes of this study encompass important guidance to railway engineers to assist in finding the best possible scheme for the design of ballasted railway tracks and lifetime maintenance.
Management of patients at very high risk of osteoporotic fractures through sequential treatments
Authors: Curtis Elizabeth M. , Reginster Jean-Yves , Al-Daghri Nasser , Biver Emmanuel , Brandi Maria Luisa , Cavalier Etienne , Hadji Peyman , Halbout Philippe , Harvey Nicholas C. , Hiligsmann Mickaël , Javaid M. Kassim , Kanis John A. , Kaufman Jean-Marc , Lamy Olivier , Matijevic Radmila , Perez Adolfo Diez , Radermecker Régis Pierre , Rosa Mário Miguel , Thomas Thierry , Thomasius Friederike , Vlaskovska Mila , Rizzoli René , Cooper Cyrus
Published: March 2022

Osteoporosis care has evolved markedly over the last 50 years, such that there are now an established clinical definition, validated methods of fracture risk assessment and a range of effective pharmacological agents. Currently, bone-forming (anabolic) agents, in many countries, are used in those patients who have continued to lose bone mineral density (BMD), patients with multiple subsequent fractures or those who have fractured despite treatment with antiresorptive agents. However, head-to-head data suggest that anabolic agents have greater rapidity and efficacy for fracture risk reduction than do antiresorptive therapies. The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) convened an expert working group to discuss the tools available to identify patients at high risk of fracture, review the evidence for the use of anabolic agents as the initial intervention in patients at highest risk of fracture and consider the sequence of therapy following their use. This position paper sets out the findings of the group and the consequent recommendations. The key conclusion is that the current evidence base supports an “anabolic first” approach in patients found to be at very high risk of fracture, followed by maintenance therapy using an antiresorptive agent, and with the subsequent need for antiosteoporosis therapy addressed over a lifetime horizon.
Simulation research and application on response characteristics of detecting water-filled goaf by transient electromagnetic method
Authors: Qi Tingye , Zhang Fan , Pei Xiaoming , Feng Guorui , Wei Huiru
Published: March 2022

Water inrush disasters poses a great threat to the safe exploitation of coal resources. To solve this problem, the transient electromagnetic method (TEM) was proposed to accurately detect the water accumulation in the goaf. The electromagnetic response characteristics of different water-filled goaves were studied by electromagnetic field theory, numerical simulation and field verification. Through the models of 100% water accumulation, 50% water accumulation, 0% water accumulation, 100% water accumulation with collapsed rock, 50% water accumulation with collapsed rock and 0% water accumulation with collapsed rock goaf, the characteristics of induced voltage attenuation curves were studied. Meanwhile, the relationship between the attenuation voltage value and area of the transmitting coil, the depth of the goaf, the background resistivity, and the delay time were also simulated. The results illustrate that the attenuation curve of induced voltage presented a regular exponential decay form in the 0% water accumulation model but existed abnormal exaltation for voltage in water-filled model. Through the linear fitting curve, it can be seen that the abnormal intensity of the induced voltage becomes stronger as the distance between the measuring point and the center of the target decrement. Moreover, the abnormal amplitude of the induced voltage increases with the rise of the water accumulation and collapsed rock will weakly reduce the low-resistivity anomalous effect on the water-accumulated goaf. In addition, the response value of the attenuation voltage increased as the area of the transmitting coil increases, but decreased with increasing delay time and increasing background resistivity and depth of the target body. The field detection results of the Majiliang coal mine also confirmed the theoretical analysis and the numerical simulation.
Spectral boundary integral method for simulating static and dynamic fields from a fault rupture in a poroelastodynamic solid
Authors: Heimisson Elías Rafn , Rinaldi Antonio Pio
Published: March 2022

The spectral boundary integral method is popular for simulating fault, fracture, and frictional processes at a planar interface. However, the method is less commonly used to simulate off-fault dynamic fields. Here we develop a spectral boundary integral method for poroelastodynamic solid. The method has two steps: first, a numerical approximation of a convolution kernel and second, an efficient temporal convolution of slip speed and the appropriate kernel. The first step is computationally expensive but easily parallelizable and scalable such that the computational time is mostly restricted by computational resources. The kernel is independent of the slip history such that the same kernel can be used to explore a wide range of slip scenarios. We apply the method by exploring the short-time dynamic and static responses: first, with a simple source at intermediate and far-field distances and second, with a complex near-field source. We check if similar results can be attained with dynamic elasticity and undrained pore-pressure response and conclude that such an approach works well in the near-field but not necessarily at an intermediate and far-field distance. We analyze the dynamic pore-pressure response and find that the P-wave arrival carries a significant pore pressure peak that may be observed in high sampling rate pore-pressure measurements. We conclude that a spectral boundary integral method may offer a viable alternative to other approaches where the bulk is discretized, providing a better understanding of the near-field dynamics of the bulk in response to finite fault ruptures.
Identifying Trends of Dysautonomia Signs and Symptoms Associated with Protracted Concussion Recovery during the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Ziaks Lauren , Tucker Jenna , Koc Thomas , Schaefer Alexa , Hanson Kristina
Published: March 2022

Objective:

To identify trends of provoked dysautonomia signs and symptoms during the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test (BCTT).

Subjects:

This is a retrospective cohort study of 101 patient charts post-concussion who were screened for suspected dysautonomia.

Methods:

Patients with suspected dysautonomia were assessed for exercise intolerance using a BCTT. Symptoms and rate of perceived exertion were recorded on a standardized form. Digital pulse oximetry was used to collect heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation. Descriptive analyses were conducted on BCTT results.

Results:

Of 101 patient charts, 57 were excluded from analysis, including four patients who completed the BCTT by asymptomatically reaching the target HR zone for their estimated HR max. The remaining 44 patients demonstrated: 35 (79.5%) poor HR stabilization defined as a drop or plateau in HR during exercise, 28 (63.8%) exacerbated concussion symptoms, 13 (29.5%) autonomic nervous system response such as hot flushed sensation, 12 (27.3%) rebound symptoms during recovery phases, and 8 (18.2%) desaturation of 90% or below. The mean delta (80% expected HR max – 80% achieved HR max) on the initial test was 80.66 (± 23.08) beats per minute.

Conclusions:

This study is the first to identify trends of signs and symptoms during the BCTT in an expanded population with suspected dysautonomia after concussion. Future studies are indicated to validate these findings and contribute to development of modified termination criteria for the BCTT in individuals with suspected dysautonomia associated with protracted concussion recovery.
Empty Space, Silence, and Absence
Authors: Gow Laura
Published: March 2022

The idea that we can perceive absences is becoming increasingly popular in contemporary philosophy of mind, and seeing empty space and hearing silence are alleged to be two paradigmatic examples. In this paper, I remain neutral over the question of whether empty space experiences and experiences of silence are genuinely perceptual phenomena, however, I argue that these experiences do not qualify as absence experiences. Consequently, our experiences of empty space and silence cannot be appealed to as proof of the perceptual view of absence experience.
Principal component density estimation for scenario generation using normalizing flows
Authors: Cramer Eike , Mitsos Alexander , Tempone Raúl , Dahmen Manuel
Published: March 2022

Neural networks-based learning of the distribution of non-dispatchable renewable electricity generation from sources, such as photovoltaics (PV) and wind as well as load demands, has recently gained attention. Normalizing flow density models are particularly well suited for this task due to the training through direct log-likelihood maximization. However, research from the field of image generation has shown that standard normalizing flows can only learn smeared-out versions of manifold distributions. Previous works on normalizing flow-based scenario generation do not address this issue, and the smeared-out distributions result in the sampling of noisy time series. In this paper, we exploit the isometry of the principal component analysis (PCA), which sets up the normalizing flow in a lower-dimensional space while maintaining the direct and computationally efficient likelihood maximization. We train the resulting principal component flow (PCF) on data of PV and wind power generation as well as load demand in Germany in the years 2013–2015. The results of this investigation show that the PCF preserves critical features of the original distributions, such as the probability density and frequency behavior of the time series. The application of the PCF is, however, not limited to renewable power generation but rather extends to any dataset, time series, or otherwise, which can be efficiently reduced using PCA.
An Investigation into the Relation of Coping Skills with Mental Health and Quality of Life in Family Members of Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Banitalebi Soheila , Mohammadi Kobra , Torabi Manigeh , Rabiei Leili , Masoudi Reza
Published: March 2022

Objectives:

During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, health care workers, including nurses and their family members, experienced various psychological problems. Coping skills may help them deal with the current challenge and maintain their mental health and improve their quality of life. Therefore, this study investigated the relation of coping skills with mental health and quality of life of the nurses’ family members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted on the family members of the nurses working at Hajar Hospital of Shahrekord dedicated to admission and hospitalization of COVID-19 infected patients using a census sampling method in 2020. Participation in this study was voluntary and finally 220 persons were included in this study. To prevent the spread of COVID-19 through respiratory droplets or contact, a weblog was created using blogging software that contained questionnaires for collecting data on demographic information, mental health (PHQ-9), coping skills (coping responses inventory [CRI], Billings & Moos), and quality of life (SF-36). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests in SPSS software version 22 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY).

Results:

Of the 220 participants in this study, 101 participants were male and 119 were female. The mean age of the subjects was 35.78 years, and 56.4% of them had an academic education level. The Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between coping skills and mental health, quality-of-life items, total quality-of-life score, and demographic variables of participants (except education) (P < 0.05). This was a direct relationship in such a way that as the score of coping skills increases, so does the score of mental health and quality of life. Based on the results of regression analysis, the predictive power of mental health, coping skills, and education level was obtained to be 0.634. The coping skill variable was the strongest predictor (ß = 0.467), and after that, the mental health variable (ß = 0.421) had the highest predictive power.

Conclusion:

The obtained results showed that coping skill is the association between psychological health and quality of life such that the coping skill has a significant direct effect on psychological health and quality of life. The results also showed that, at the time of crisis, further attention should be paid to coping skills to develop and improve the quality of life and psychological health.
Profit and Statecraft in Nineteenth-Century China
Authors: Knorr Daniel
Published: March 2022

Similarities between William Rowe’sSpeaking of Profitand Peter Lavelle’sThe Profits of Natureare not hard to find. Both are focused on the lives of elite men enmeshed in the political world of nineteenth-century China, explain and analyze their views of proper governance and their places in the intellectual milieu of the era, and cast an eye toward global comparisons. Both also feature the word “profit” in the title, and not by coincidence. However, their respective focuses lie on opposite ends of the momentous ruptures of China’s mid-nineteenth century, most notably the Opium (1839–1842) and Taiping (1850–1864) wars. Reading these two books together poses the provocative question of whether their similarities outweigh this considerable difference.
Foedus and testamentum: Calvin's federal terminology in Hebrew 8–10
Authors: Brewer J. Brittain
Published: March 2022

Calvin's significance in the development of federal theology has received much attention. Scholars have often neglected, however, the role that his exegesis played in his own construal of covenant ideas. More specifically, Calvin's reading of covenant in the book of Hebrews has played a negligible part in reconstructing Calvin's broader understanding of covenant. By looking closely at Calvin's exegesis and the terminological diversity in his commentaries on Hebrews 8–10, a more complex picture emerges. The federal terminology employed in these sections of his commentaries evidences exegetical sensitivity and doctrinal complexity. Calvin not only stands in the stream of Reformed covenant doctrine, but his exegesis represents an early instinct that noticed the tension at work in passages like Hebrews 8–10.
What difference does one's view of God make in understanding sin and salvation? Some suggestions from Karl Barth
Authors: Molnar Paul D.
Published: March 2022

This article argues that views of sin and salvation are shaped by one's view of God. Thus, whenever it is thought that God is a metaphor that theologians can change to attain a desired social or psychological result, then the true meaning of sin and salvation are lost. Relying on Karl Barth's view of Jesus as the Judge judged in our place, this article argues against ideas that sin can no longer be understood as self-will, and that salvation must be understood only as our working for a better world. Such views fail to recognise that, since only God can reveal God, the true meaning of sin is and remains most visible today in our attempts to redefine God and salvation in social and psychological rather than strictly theological terms.
When do municipalities smooth access for new social assistance claimants? Local determinants of municipal welfare agency’s implementation practices in Belgium
Authors: JANSSENS JULIE , MARCHAL SARAH
Published: March 2022

In many Western countries local welfare agencies retain large responsibilities in the practical organisation of means-tested support. While this may lead to substantial differences in the application trajectories of prospective claimants, what has garnered little empirical research is how local agencies use their discretion to implement practices that may encourage or discourage take-up. In addition, we know little on the extent to which variation in local implementation is attributable to differences in local conditions. Focusing on Belgium as an interesting case, this article addresses this gap by mapping the variation in local implementation practices in specific aspects of social assistance that are relevant in terms of limiting non-take-up. We assess whether certain local political, socio-demographic or economic characteristics favour implementation practices, using structural equation modelling on custom-collected data on the practical organisation of social assistance application trajectories in 119 Belgian municipalities. The results show that local welfare agencies implement coherent practices regarding information provision, accessibility, trust and the locus of initiative in the claiming process. We find the political orientation of the municipality and the share of foreigners in the municipality to be related with, respectively, shifting the locus of initiative away from the welfare claimant and a focus on information provision.
Institutional Business Power: The Case of Ireland’s Private Home Care Providers
Authors: MERCILLE JULIEN , O’NEILL NICHOLAS
Published: March 2022

The marketisation of European home care has given rise to significant private for-profit providers growth. However, little research has focused directly on commercial companies to examine the mechanisms through which they emerge, grow and shape long-term care policy – this is this paper’s task. Drawing on the literature on business power, the recent concept of “institutional business power” is introduced, defined as the power flowing from the entrenched position of business actors in the provision of public social services. The paper identifies the mechanisms through which private providers have grown and assesses the extent of their institutional power by examining their influence on policy and the support they obtain from relevant home care stakeholders. The limits of providers’ institutional power are also discussed. The paper relies on semi-structured interviews with representatives of public, private and non-profit home care providers.
Response of avian and mammal seed dispersal networks to human-induced forest edges in a sub-humid tropical forest
Authors: Chaves Patrícia P. , Timóteo Sérgio , Gomes Sara , Rainho Ana
Published: March 2022

Species-rich ecosystems as tropical forests are extremely vulnerable to anthropogenic destruction. Most tropical plant species rely on animals to disperse their seeds. However, patterns of mutualistic interactions have rarely been explored, and seed dispersal networks are still poorly studied in Africa. Here, we examine how forest edges’ (FE) seed dispersal networks differ from the mature forest (MF) at a West African sub-humid tropical forest within the National Park of Cantanhez (Guinea-Bissau). Additionally, we explore species’ roles within the network. MF had higher fruit availability, more frugivore visitors, and plant–frugivore interactions. Network structure was quite similar between habitats, showing signs of redundancy, and some robustness to species’ extinction. FE was more nested, modular, and specialized, whereas MF had higher connectance, interaction evenness, and robustness to extinction. Most species were generalists, but large-bodied frugivores prevailed at MF. FE showed a higher vulnerability, mostly to the loss of trees. Trees are key, keeping the structure of both networks. Large-bodied frugivores and fruiting-tree species that work as network connectors should thus be the focus of active conservation management in these forests. Only viable populations of these species will ensure a good performance of the seed dispersal network, promoting the natural regeneration of the ecosystem.
Cities, infrastructure and the making of modern citizenship: the view from north-west Europe since c. 1870
Authors: Gunn Simon , Butler Richard , De Block Greet , Høghøj Mikkel , Thelle Mikkel
Published: March 2022

Taking its cue from the ‘material turn’ of recent years, this survey examines the connections between infrastructure, welfare and citizenship in north European cities in the later nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It argues that connections between these different constructs were fundamental not only to how cities functioned but how citizens themselves were imagined. As such, the survey critiques histories of welfare and citizenship that foreground the national and neglect the urban origins of the modern state. It does so by examining infrastructure, welfare and citizenship in smaller European nation-states such as Belgium, Denmark and Ireland rather than in the more familiar cases of Germany, France and Britain. Asking questions about the inter-relationship of infrastructure, welfare and citizenship, the survey suggests, offers an important way to reinterpret what the ‘modern city’ meant in twentieth-century northern Europe.
Is strain echocardiography a more sensitive indicator of myocardial involvement in patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with SARS-CoV-2?
Authors: Başar Eviç Z. , Usta Emre , Akgün Gökmen , Güngör Hüseyin S. , Sönmez Hafize E. , Babaoğlu Kadir
Published: March 2022

Objective:

The aim of the study was to evaluate the early myocardial dysfunction detected by strain echocardiography in children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome related to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 47 patients diagnosed with MIS-C and 32 healthy age- and gender-matched children. All patients underwent two-dimensional, colour, pulsed, and tissue Doppler, and 2D speckle tracking echocardiography examination at admission, 2 weeks, and 2 months after discharge. The MIS-C patient group was compared with the control group. Echocardiographic changes in MIS-C patients during follow-up were evaluated.

Results:

Of 47 patients, 30 (63.8%) were male and 17 (36.2%) were female. The mean age at diagnosis was 9.1 ± 4.3 (1.25–17) years. At admission, 25 patients had abnormal findings on conventional echocardiography. Among them, eight patients had left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Ejection fraction and fractional shortening were significantly lower in the patient group at admission compared to controls (p = 0.013, p = 0.010, respectively). While the ejection fraction was <55% in eight patients, and global longitudinal strain was lower than −2SD in 29 patients at admission. Global longitudinal strain z-score <−2SD persisted in 13 patients at 2-month follow-up. Ejection fraction increased above 55% in 3.42 ± 0.53 days in 7 of 8 patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, ejection fraction was 51% at discharge in one patient, and left ventricular systolic dysfunction persisted at the 6-month of follow-up.

Conclusion:

These results confirmed that speckle tracking echocardiography is more likely to detect subclinical myocardial damage compared to conventional echocardiography. In addition, it is a valuable method for follow-up in this patient group.
A rare prenatal diagnosis: congenital absence of aortic valve
Authors: Ayyildiz Pelin , Aydemir Merve M. , Guzeltas Alper
Published: March 2022

Congenital absence of the aortic valve is characterised by the absence of aortic valve and severe regurgitation. The rest of the reported cases were mostly diagnosed either on postnatal echocardiography or autopsy. Here, we present a foetal case with the absence of the aortic valve and “inverse circulatory shunt”.
Low-Z FIB Grids for Reducing Spurious Fluorescence and X-ray Overlaps
Authors: Giannuzzi Lucille A. , Moldovan Nicolaie , Trindell Jamie A. , Sugar Joshua D.
Published: March 2022

Low-Z nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) grids have been developed to reduce spurious fluorescence and avoid X-ray peak overlaps or interferences between the specimen and conventional metal grids. The low-Z NCD grids are non-toxic and safe to handle, conductive, can be subjected to high-temperature heating experiments, and may be used for analytical work in lieu of metal grids. Both a half-grid geometry, which can be used for any lift-out method, or a full-grid geometry that can be used for ex situ lift-out or thin film analyses, can be fabricated and used for experiments.
Delirprävention und -management
Authors: Krüger Lars , Bolte Christina , Fröhlich Mandy , Heide Kristina , Schumacher Jana , Oldag Anne , Wolter Björn , Lauenroth Hanni , Wefer Franziska
Published: March 2022

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Im Oktober 2018 wurde ein Projekt zur Umsetzung eines Delirmanagements in einem Universitätsklinikum für Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen initiiert. Im Rahmen eines multiprofessionellen Ansatzes wurde der aus hochschulisch qualifizierten Pflegenden bestehende Arbeitskreis Evidence-based Nursing (AK EBN) in dieses Projekt eingebunden. Problemstellung und Zielsetzung: Ziel des AK EBN war herauszufinden, welche nicht-pharmakologischen Maßnahmen zur Delirprophylaxe wirksam sind und welchen Einfluss diese auf die Delirrate von Patient_innen im Krankenhaus haben. Methode: Die Bearbeitung der Fragestellung erfolgte nach der EbN-Methode. Es wurden das PIKE-Schema ( Behrens & Langer, 2016 ) sowie Instrumente zur Beurteilung von Forschungsarbeiten herangezogen. Relevante Studien wurden anschließend im AK EBN aufbereitet und die Ergebnisse zusammengetragen. Ergebnisse: Trotz einer heterogenen Studienstruktur gibt es aussagekräftige Evidenz, dass die Umsetzung von Maßnahmenbündeln zu einer Senkung der Delirrate beitragen kann. Dazu zählen z.B. Aspekte zur Orientierung und die Lärmvermeidung. Es wurden ein nicht-pharmakologischer Maßnahmenkatalog, Kommunikationshilfsmittel und ein Leitfaden zur Einbindung von Bezugspersonen zur Prävention und Behandlung eines Delirs entwickelt. Ergänzend folgen regelmäßige Fortbildungen durch den AK EBN. Schlussfolgerung: Zur Förderung einer erfolgreichen Implementierung von Projekten in der Praxis ist die Einbindung beteiligter Beschäftigter wichtig. Im Rahmen eines Skill-Grade-Mixes konnten Pflegende in diesem multiprofessionellen Projekt einen wichtigen Beitrag leisten.
The Role of Workplace Goal Orientation for Occupational Self-Efficacy and Negative Affect
Authors: Schelp Leonie , Bipp Tanja , van Dam Karen
Published: March 2022

Abstract. Due to their suggested importance for achievement processes, we experimentally tested which workplace goal orientations (employees’ perception of goal characteristics at work) affect proximal outcomes. In detail, we investigated in an experimental vignette study ( N = 250) how workplace learning, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals influence occupational self-efficacy and negative affect. Furthermore, we examined the potential of workplace goals to act as moderators for the effect of dispositional goals on these outcomes. We found a learning goal-oriented environment leading to higher occupational self-efficacy and less negative affect compared to performance goal-oriented work environments. We found limited evidence for person–situation interactions. Our results extend goal orientation theory by integrating environmental goals at work and provide implications that foster desirable and prevent undesirable outcomes.
A Followership Approach to Leadership
Authors: Velez Maria João , Neves Pedro
Published: March 2022

Abstract. Leadership research has privileged leaders' active role in shaping leader–follower interactions, whereas much less attention has been given to how followers interact with leaders. We propose that leader–member exchange (LMX) mediates the relationship between followership and employee behaviors. We also suggest that top management openness (TMO) moderates these relationships. With a sample of 769 supervisor–subordinate dyads, we examined the role of followership and contextual variables on LMX and outcomes. We found that LMX mediates the relationship between proactive followership and voice and that this relationship was significant only when TMO was high. These findings suggest that followers play an active role in the leadership process and that to stimulate voice one should consider two levels of analysis: followers and leaders.
Bayesian Framework for Inversion of Second‐Order Stress Glut Moments: Application to the 2019 Ridgecrest Sequence Mainshock
Authors: Atterholt James , Ross Zachary E.
Published: March 2022

We present a fully Bayesian inverse scheme to determine second moments of the stress glut using teleseismic earthquake seismograms. The second moments form a low‐dimensional, physically motivated representation of the rupture process that captures its spatial extent, source duration, and directivity effects. We determine an ensemble of second‐moment solutions by employing Hamiltonian Monte Carlo and automatic differentiation to efficiently approximate the posterior. This method explicitly constrains the parameter space to be symmetric positive definite, ensuring the derived source properties have physically meaningful values. The framework accounts for the autocorrelation structure of the errors and incorporates hyperpriors on the uncertainty. We validate this methodology using a synthetic test and subsequently apply it to the 2019 Mw7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake using teleseismic data. The distributions of second moments determined for this event provide probabilistic descriptions of low‐dimensional rupture characteristics that are generally consistent with results from previous studies. The success of this case study suggests that probabilistic and comparable finite source properties may be discerned for large global events regardless of the quality and coverage of local instrumentation.
Investigating Tropical Versus Extratropical Influences on the Southern Hemisphere Tropical Edge in the Unified Model
Authors: Freisen P. F. , Arblaster J. M. , Jakob C. , Rodríguez J. M.
Published: March 2022

Since the late 1970s, observations have shown a widening of the tropical Hadley cell (HC) circulation. State‐of‐the‐art climate models reproduce the general trend along with a projected continuous expansion. Discrepancies in expansion rates of observation‐ and model‐based studies have been attributed to differences in applied methods, natural variability and model shortcomings. Furthermore, the driving influence of tropical or extratropical processes on these changes is not well understood. All of this highlights the dynamical mechanisms and the region of origin controlling the tropical width are still insufficiently understood. Here we examine the influence of systematic model biases of the atmosphere‐only Unified Model (UM) onto the simulation of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) tropical edge. We utilize nudged experiments with prescribed sea surface temperatures, where potential temperature and horizontal winds are relaxed back to ERA‐Interim reanalysis for a 20‐year period in selected regions. Correcting model biases in the tropics and extratropics separately allows us to dissect the dominant remote impacts of present model errors onto the SH tropical edge simulation. The experiments are applied to established tropical width metrics ranging from near‐surface to upper‐level metrics capturing the poleward flank of the HC. We find both regions work remotely to reduce errors in the UM fields and location of the tropical edge. Surprisingly, correcting the extratropical biases, south of 45°S, more consistently improves the tropical width across the metrics and seasons than nudging the tropics (10°N–10°S). These findings demonstrate the substantial role of extratropical influences in locating the SH tropical edge.
Leak Localization in Looped Pipe Networks Based on a Factorized Transient Wave Model: Theoretical Framework
Authors: Che Tong‐Chuan , Wang Xun , Ghidaoui Mohamed S.
Published: March 2022

Urban water distribution systems are often made of loops to increase redundancy and improve reliability. The inherent feature of multipath wave propagation in looped networks has been the main obstacle to directly derive a factorized wave propagation model with decoupled leak location and size, which is essential for developing a robust and efficient leak localization method. To address this problem, this article proposes an efficient algorithm to estimate the transient hydraulic pressure and discharge at all nodes of a looped network using boundary measurements. Given these hydraulic properties, a factorized wave propagation model is formulated by applying conservation laws to a tree‐shaped control volume of the looped network. Based on this factorized model, a fast and efficient one‐dimensional search of the leak location along all pipes of a looped network is realized by the matched‐field processing technique. Numerical experiments demonstrate that an unknown leak anywhere in a five‐loop network with 13 pipes can be accurately and efficiently localized by the proposed method.
Subsidence in Coastal Cities Throughout the World Observed by InSAR
Authors: Wu Pei‐Chin , Wei Meng (Matt) , D’Hondt Steven
Published: March 2022

We measured subsidence rates in 99 coastal cities around the world between 2015 and 2020 using the PS Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar method and Sentinel‐1 data. In most cities, part of the land is subsiding faster than sea level is rising. If subsidence continues at present rates, these cities will be challenged by flooding much sooner than projected by sea level rise models. The most rapid subsidence is occurring in South, Southeast, and East Asia. However, rapid subsidence is also happening in North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia. Human activity—primarily groundwater extraction—is likely the main cause of this subsidence. Expanded monitoring and policy interventions are required to reduce subsidence rates and minimize their consequences.
Effects of Clearcutting and Residual Biomass Harvesting on Hillslope Mercury Mobilization and Downgradient Mercury Accumulation
Authors: McCarter Colin P. R. , Eggert Susan L. , Sebestyen Stephen D. , Kolka Randall K. , Mitchell Carl P. J.
Published: March 2022

Mercury (Hg) in forest runoff varies geographically and in relation to silvicultural practices. There is also considerable uncertainty about how forest management practices, such as residual biomass removal, affect Hg mobilization, and downgradient cumulative effects. In this study, total Hg, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and sulfate (SO42−) mobilization in runoff were compared among unharvested and harvested hillslopes with and without residual biomass removal, and peat soil and invertebrate methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations were assessed in a down‐gradient peatland. Using a before‐after‐control‐impact design, runoff from three adjacent hillslopes was monitored pre‐harvest (2010–2011) and post‐harvest (2012–2013) from snowmelt to freeze‐up at the USDA Forest Service’s Marcell Experimental Forest in northern Minnesota. Dilution, due to increased available hillslope soil water, led to decreased THg and DOC concentrations after harvest at both harvested hillslopes. Sulfate concentrations did not statistically change following harvest. Compared to its removal, leaving residual biomass significantly increased yields of all solutes but only DOC yields significantly increased when the residual biomass was removed. In the adjacent down‐gradient peatland, peat MeHg concentrations decreased, whereas no change was observed in peat below the unharvested hillslope. There was no discernible change post‐harvest in MeHg levels among several peatland macroinvertebrate taxa. This study provides a much‐needed hillslope‐scale understanding of Hg response to forest management practices, highlighting that increased solute yields from hillslopes do not necessarily stimulate Hg methylation or invertebrate bioaccumulation in down‐gradient peatland systems.
S6K1 controls adiponectin expression by inducing a transcriptional switch: BMAL1-to-EZH2
Authors: Yi Sang Ah , Jeon Ye Ji , Lee Min Gyu , Nam Ki Hong , Ann Sora , Lee Jaecheol , Han Jeung-Whan
Published: March 2022

Adiponectin (encoded by Adipoq), a fat-derived hormone, alleviates risk factors associated with metabolic disorders. Although many transcription factors are known to control adiponectin expression, the mechanism underlying its fluctuation with regard to metabolic status remains unclear. Here, we show that ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) controls adiponectin expression by inducing a transcriptional switch between two transcriptional machineries, BMAL1 and EZH2. Active S6K1 induced a suppressive histone code cascade, H2BS36p-EZH2-H3K27me3, leading to suppression of adiponectin expression. Moreover, active S6K1 phosphorylated BMAL1, an important transcription factor regulating the circadian clock system, at serine 42, which led to its dissociation from the Adipoq promoter region. This response resulted in EZH2 recruitment and subsequent H3K27me3 modification of the Adipoq promoter. Upon fasting, inactivation of S6K1 induced the opposite transcriptional switch, EZH2-to-BMAL1, promoting adiponectin expression. Consistently, S6K1-depleted mice exhibited lower H3K27me3 levels and elevated adiponectin expression. These findings identify a novel epigenetic switch system by which S6K1 controls the production of adiponectin, which displays beneficial effects on metabolism.
Multiphoton single-molecule localization by sequential excitation with light minima
Authors: Masullo Luciano A. , Stefani Fernando D.
Published: March 2022

Using sequential excitation with a minimum of light to localize single fluorescent molecules represented a breakthrough because it delivers 1–2 nm precision with moderate photon counts, enabling tracking and super-resolution imaging with true molecular resolution. Expanding this concept to multi-photon regimes may be a useful complement to reach even higher localization precision and get deeper into biological specimens.
Design of protein-binding proteins from the target structure alone
Authors: Cao Longxing , Coventry Brian , Goreshnik Inna , Huang Buwei , Sheffler William , Park Joon Sung , Jude Kevin M. , Marković Iva , Kadam Rameshwar U. , Verschueren Koen H. G. , Verstraete Kenneth , Walsh Scott Thomas Russell , Bennett Nathaniel , Phal Ashish , Yang Aerin , Kozodoy Lisa , DeWitt Michelle , Picton Lora , Miller Lauren , Strauch Eva-Maria , DeBouver Nicholas D. , Pires Allison , Bera Asim K. , Halabiya Samer , Hammerson Bradley , Yang Wei , Bernard Steffen , Stewart Lance , Wilson Ian A. , Ruohola-Baker Hannele , Schlessinger Joseph , Lee Sangwon , Savvides Savvas N. , Garcia K. Christopher , Baker David
Published: March 2022

The design of proteins that bind to a specific site on the surface of a target protein using no information other than the three-dimensional structure of the target remains a challenge1–5. Here we describe a general solution to this problem that starts with a broad exploration of the vast space of possible binding modes to a selected region of a protein surface, and then intensifies the search in the vicinity of the most promising binding modes. We demonstrate the broad applicability of this approach through the de novo design of binding proteins to 12 diverse protein targets with different shapes and surface properties. Biophysical characterization shows that the binders, which are all smaller than 65 amino acids, are hyperstable and, following experimental optimization, bind their targets with nanomolar to picomolar affinities. We succeeded in solving crystal structures of five of the binder–target complexes, and all five closely match the corresponding computational design models. Experimental data on nearly half a million computational designs and hundreds of thousands of point mutants provide detailed feedback on the strengths and limitations of the method and of our current understanding of protein–protein interactions, and should guide improvements of both. Our approach enables the targeted design of binders to sites of interest on a wide variety of proteins for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
Functional movement screen dataset collected with two Azure Kinect depth sensors
Authors: Xing Qing-Jun , Shen Yuan-Yuan , Cao Run , Zong Shou-Xin , Zhao Shu-Xiang , Shen Yan-Fei
Published: March 2022

This paper presents a dataset for vision-based autonomous Functional Movement Screen (FMS) collected from 45 human subjects of different ages (18–59 years old) executing the following movements: deep squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight raise, trunk stability push-up and rotary stability. Specifically, shoulder mobility was performed only once by different subjects, while the other movements were repeated for three episodes each. Each episode was saved as one record and was annotated from 0 to 3 by three FMS experts. The main strength of our database is twofold. One is the multimodal data provided, including color images, depth images, quaternions, 3D human skeleton joints and 2D pixel trajectories of 32 joints. The other is the multiview data collected from the two synchronized Azure Kinect sensors in front of and on the side of the subjects. Finally, our dataset contains a total of 1812 recordings, with 3624 episodes. The size of the dataset is 190 GB. This dataset provides the opportunity for automatic action quality evaluation of FMS.
Pomegranate fruit juice adulteration with apple juice: detection by UV–visible spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analysis
Authors: Pappalardo Lucia
Published: March 2022

Pomegranate is rich in high value nutritional substances known to be beneficial against several diseases and its use in medicine is known since ancient times. Due to its properties and delicious taste, pomegranate fresh fruit juices demand has been growing worldwide and its adulteration is becoming a problem. Low-cost, user friendly and fast detection methods are therefore desirable in order to easily and rapidly detect adulteration of short shelf-life fresh fruit juices. For this purpose fresh squeezed arils pomegranate juice samples adulterated with less expensive apple juice concentrate were investigated by UV–visible spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analysis. Unsupervised principle component analysis (PCA), supervised projection to latent structure discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and orthogonal projection to latent structure discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were performed on the full spectra. OPLS-DA analysis of UV–visible spectra proved to be a suitable method to detect pomegranate juices adulterated by more than 20% v/v apple juice concentrate.
Evidence of antagonistic predictive effects of miRNAs in breast cancer cohorts through data-driven networks
Authors: Miglioli Cesare , Bakalli Gaetan , Orso Samuel , Karemera Mucyo , Molinari Roberto , Guerrier Stéphane , Mili Nabil
Published: March 2022

Non-coding micro RNAs (miRNAs) dysregulation seems to play an important role in the pathways involved in breast cancer occurrence and progression. In different studies, opposite functions may be assigned to the same miRNA, either promoting the disease or protecting from it. Our research tackles the following issues: (i) why aren’t there any concordant findings in many research studies regarding the role of miRNAs in the progression of breast cancer? (ii) could a miRNA have either an activating effect or an inhibiting one in cancer progression according to the other miRNAs with which it interacts? For this purpose, we analyse the AHUS dataset made available on the ArrayExpress platform by Haakensen et al. The breast tissue specimens were collected over 7 years between 2003 and 2009. miRNA-expression profiling was obtained for 55 invasive carcinomas and 70 normal breast tissue samples. Our statistical analysis is based on a recently developed model and feature selection technique which, instead of selecting a single model (i.e. a unique combination of miRNAs), delivers a set of models with equivalent predictive capabilities that allows to interpret and visualize the interaction of these features. As a result, we discover a set of 112 indistinguishable models (in a predictive sense) each with 4 or 5 miRNAs. Within this set, by comparing the model coefficients, we are able to identify three classes of miRNA: (i) oncogenic miRNAs; (ii) protective miRNAs; (iii) undefined miRNAs which can play both an oncogenic and a protective role according to the network with which they interact. These results shed new light on the biological action of miRNAs in breast cancer and may contribute to explain why, in some cases, different studies attribute opposite functions to the same miRNA.
Oxidative stress facilitates exogenous mitochondria internalization and survival in retinal ganglion precursor-like cells
Authors: Aharoni-Simon Michal , Ben-Yaakov Keren , Sharvit-Bader Maya , Raz Daniel , Haim Yasmin , Ghannam Waleed , Porat Noga , Leiba Hana , Marcovich Arie , Eisenberg-Lerner Avital , Rotfogel Ziv
Published: March 2022

Ocular cells are highly dependent on mitochondrial function due to their high demand of energy supply and their constant exposure to oxidative stress. Indeed, mitochondrial dysfunction is highly implicated in various acute, chronic, and genetic disorders of the visual system. It has recently been shown that mitochondrial transplantation (MitoPlant) temporarily protects retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from cell death during ocular ischemia. Here, we characterized MitoPlant dynamics in retinal ganglion precursor-like cells, in steady state and under oxidative stress. We developed a new method for detection of transplanted mitochondria using qPCR, based on a difference in the mtDNA sequence of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse strains. Using this approach, we show internalization of exogenous mitochondria already three hours after transplantation, and a decline in mitochondrial content after twenty four hours. Interestingly, exposure of target cells to moderate oxidative stress prior to MitoPlant dramatically enhanced mitochondrial uptake and extended the survival of mitochondria in recipient cells by more than three fold. Understanding the factors that regulate the exogenous mitochondrial uptake and their survival may promote the application of MitoPlant for treatment of chronic and genetic mitochondrial diseases.