bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review of wireless power transfer using magnetoelectric structures
Authors: Saha Orpita , Truong Binh Duc , Roundy Shad
Published: September 2022

Wireless power transfer (WPT) has received increasing attention primarily as a means of recharging batteries in the last few decades. More recently, magnetoelectric (ME) structures have been investigated as alternative receiving antennas in WPT systems. ME structures can be particularly useful for small scale devices since their optimal size is much smaller than traditional receiving coils for a given operating frequency. WPT systems using ME laminate receivers have been shown to be helpful in wirelessly powering various sensors and biomedical implants. In recent years, a large number of studies have been conducted to improve the performance of ME composites, in which various configurations have been proposed, along with the use of different magnetostrictive and piezoelectric materials. In addition, many efforts have been devoted to miniaturizing ME devices. An essential obstacle to overcome is to eliminate the need for a DC bias field that is commonly required for the operation of ME structures. In this review paper, we will discuss the basic principle of ME effects in composites, materials currently in use, various ME receiver structures, performance measures, limitations, challenges, and future perspectives for the field of WPT. Furthermore, we propose a power figure of merit which we use to compare recent ME WPT research papers.
Artificial intelligence-based models for reconstructing the critical current and index-value surfaces of HTS tapes
Authors: Russo Giacomo , Yazdani-Asrami Mohammad , Scheda Riccardo , Morandi Antonio , Diciotti Stefano
Published: September 2022

For modelling superconductors, interpolation and analytical formulas are commonly used to consider the relationship between the critical current density and other electromagnetic and physical quantities. However, look-up tables are not available in all modelling and coding environments, and interpolation methods must be manually implemented. Moreover, analytical formulas only approximate real physics of superconductors and, in many cases, lack a high level of accuracy. In this paper, we propose a new approach for addressing this problem involving artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for reconstructing the critical surface of high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes and predicting their index value known as n-value. Different AI models were proposed and implemented, relying on a public experimental database for electromagnetic specifications of HTS tapes, including artificial neural networks (ANN), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and kernel ridge regressor (KRR). The ANN model was the most accurate in predicting the critical current of HTS materials, performing goodness of fit very close to 1 and extremely low root mean squared error. The XGBoost model proved to be the fastest method, with training computational times under 1 s; whilst KRR could be used as an alternative solution with intermediate performance.
Study on filament width of type-I ELM in EAST using VUV imaging system and simulation
Authors: Ming T.F. , Tang T.F. , Shi Q.Q. , Long F.F. , Hou S.W. , Deng R.J. , Xia T.Y. , Zhang X.X. , Lian H. , Wu X.H. , Fan H.C. , Li B. , Li G.Q. , Liu H.Q. , Zang Q. , Wu M.Q. , Li H. , Hao B.L. , Zhu X. , Gao X.
Published: September 2022

The poloidal width of the filaments induced by the type-I edge localized mode has power dependence in EAST. The poloidal widths of the filaments observed by the high-speed vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) imaging system are proportional to the heating power and the ELM size. To understand this power dependence, the BOUT++ nonlinear simulations have been performed with the reconstructed equilibriums from the experimental measurements in this paper. The synthetic filament structures from BOUT++ nonlinear simulation match the experimental observations by the VUV imaging system. The BOUT++ nonlinear simulations also reproduce the power dependence of the filament widths and the ELM size. The filament width and the ELM size are inversely proportional to the toroidal mode number. The low-n mode has a broader radial and poloidal structure, which causes the larger filament width and ELM size. In the high input power case, the mode spectrum shifts to low-n, a result of increasing peeling drive. Besides, we found the β
p in a higher input power case leads to a broader pedestal, expanding the radial mode structure of the peeling-ballooning mode.
Studies on electrical properties of Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC)
Authors: Das Subhendu , Datta Jaydeep , Majumdar Nayana , Mukhopadhyay Supratik
Published: September 2022

A numerical model based on Finite Element Method (FEM) has been developed to simulate the electrical properties of RPC utilizing the law of current conservation.
It has been used to systematically investigate the effect of the electrical as well as the geometrical parameters of the device components on the potential distribution and field configuration which govern the RPC performance.
The numerical model has been validated by comparing the dark current and electric field with those produced by another mathematical model based on surface currents.
The efficacy of the present model has been demonstrated by comparing its results to the experimental measurements performed with a glass RPC.
The measured and estimated values of these observables have been found to be in good agreement.
IsoDAR@Yemilab: A report on the technology, capabilities, and deployment
Authors: Alonso J.R. , Conrad J.M. , Winklehner D. , Spitz J. , Bartoszek L. , Adelmann A. , Bang K.M. , Barlow R. , Bungau A. , Calabretta L. , Kim Y.D. , Mishins D. , Park K.S. , Seo S.H. , Shaevitz M. , Voirin E.A. , Waites L.H.
Published: September 2022

IsoDAR@Yemilab is a novel isotope-decay-at-rest experiment
that has preliminary approval to run at the Yemi underground
laboratory (Yemilab) in Jeongseon-gun, South Korea. Here, we
describe in detail the considerations for installing this compact
particle accelerator and neutrino target system at the Yemilab
underground facility. Specifically, we describe the caverns being
prepared for IsoDAR, and address installation, shielding, and
utilities requirements. To give context and for completeness, we
also briefly describe the physics opportunities of the IsoDAR
neutrino source when paired with the Liquid Scintillator Counter
(LSC) at Yemilab, and review the technical design of the neutrino
source.
Application of collagen-chondroitin sulfate scaffolds with different pore sizes combined with acidic fibroblast growth factor in repairing full thickness skin defects in nude mice
Authors: Jiang Cong , Liu Chun , She Zhending , Tan Rongwei , Wang Danyan , Liang Jiamei , Zheng Haojie , Guo Jiasong , Zhu Lixin
Published: September 2022

Wound healing of skin defects is complex. For the treatment of large and deep wounds, it is a good alternative to accept artificial dermis grafting at the first stage surgery, and autologous split-thickness skin grafting 2–3 weeks later at the second stage surgery. In addition, the effectiveness of numerous cytokines such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF) on wounds healing has been widely researched. The traditional view is that direct external application or in vivo injection of exogenous FGFs may not achieve the desired therapeutic effect as the effective concentration cannot be maintained for a long time. Therefore, some researchers have tried to integrate various cytokines into skin substitutes for combined application. However, we believe that considering the current situation, it is still difficult to achieve mass production of these types of artificial dermis. Here, we manufactured a collagen-chondroitin sulfate scaffold material by imitating the marketed artificial dermis materials. Then, we combined it with recombinant human acidic FGF in a single full dose during the first-stage artificial dermis transplantation, which is simple and completely feasible but always controversial in the current clinical work, to explore whether this combinatorial therapy could serve as an efficient way wound healing in the Balb/c-nu mice full-thickness skin defect model.
Improvement of a temperature response function for divertor heat flux monitoring in fusion devices
Authors: BUI Xuan Nhat Son , MATSUURA Hiroto , NAKASHIMA Yousuke
Published: September 2022

Temperature response functions have been developed to investigate sensor design and divertor heat flux estimation in magnetically confined plasmas. The time-dependent heat flux can be derived by fitting the response function to experimental thermocouple (TC) data. Because the TC signals have a time delay to transit events such as discharge start or confinement transition, the time delay is taken into account in a temperature response function. Such a function accurately describes the signal from each TC channel with time delay in a sensor test using a neutral beam injection. Measurement for commercial TCs shows that the time delay is caused by the finite heat capacity of TC wire and contact heat resistance between TC and target surface.
Electrical barriers and their elimination by tuning (Zn,Mg)O buffer composition in Cu(In,Ga)S2 solar cells: systematic approach to achieve over 14% power conversion efficiency
Authors: Sood Mohit , Gnanasambandan Poorani , Adeleye Damilola , Shukla Sudhanshu , Adjeroud Noureddine , Leturcq Renaud , Siebentritt Susanne
Published: September 2022

Traditional cadmium sulfide (CdS) buffer layer in selenium-free Cu(In,Ga)S2 solar cells leads to reduced open-circuit voltage because of a negative conduction band offset at the Cu(In,Ga)S2/CdS interface. Reducing this loss necessitates the substitution of CdS by an alternative buffer layer. However, the substitute buffer layer may introduce electrical barriers in the device due to unfavorable band alignment at the other interfaces, such as between buffer/ZnO i-layer. This study aims to reduce interface recombinations and eliminate electrical barriers in Cu(In,Ga)S2 solar cells using a combination of Zn1−x
Mg
x
O and Al-doped Zn1−x
Mg
x
O buffer and i-layer combination deposited using atomic layer deposition and magnetron sputtering, respectively. The devices prepared with these layers are characterized by current–voltage and photoluminescence measurements. Numerical simulations are performed to comprehend the influence of electrical barriers on the device characteristics. An optimal composition of Zn1−x
Mg
x
O (x = 0.27) is identified for a suitable conduction band alignment with Cu(In,Ga)S2 with a bandgap of ∼1.6 eV, suppressing interface recombination and avoiding barriers. Optimized buffer composition together with a suitable i-layer led to a device with 14% efficiency and an open-circuit voltage of 943 mV. A comparison of optoelectronic measurements for devices prepared with zinc oxide (ZnO) and Al:(Zn,Mg)O shows the necessity to replace the ZnO i-layer with Al:(Zn,Mg)O i-layer for a high-efficiency device.
Carbon supported NiRu nanoparticles as effective hydrogen evolution catalysts for anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers
Authors: Ruck S , Körner A , Hutzler A , Bierling M , Gonzalez J , Qu W , Bock C , Thiele S , Peach R , Pham C V
Published: September 2022

Establishing anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) as a new technology for efficient hydrogen production requires cost-effective and high-performance catalyst materials. Here, we report the synthesis and comprehensive characterization of carbon supported NiRu alloy nanoparticles as a cost-effective hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst for AEMWEs. Different NiRu catalysts were synthesized using a facile and scalable impregnation method. Half-cell results showed the ‘NiRu’ catalyst with ca. 10 wt.% Ru to exhibit an increased noble metal mass activity and slightly decreased Tafel slope compared to a commercial Pt/C catalyst with 60 wt.% Pt. Further, we report the application of NiRu/C as a cathodic catalyst in AEMWE full cell for the first time. In full cell tests, the synthesized catalysts exhibit 2 A cm−2 at 1.95 V with a low loading of 0.1 mgPGM cm−2 at the cathode.
Predicting multiple types of miRNA–disease associations using adaptive weighted nonnegative tensor factorization with self-paced learning and hypergraph regularization
Authors: Ouyang Dong , Liang Yong , Wang Jianjun , Liu Xiaoying , Xie Shengli , Miao Rui , Ai Ning , Li Le , Dang Qi
Published: September 2022

More and more evidence indicates that the dysregulations of microRNAs (miRNAs) lead to diseases through various kinds of underlying mechanisms. Identifying the multiple types of disease-related miRNAs plays an important role in studying the molecular mechanism of miRNAs in diseases. Moreover, compared with traditional biological experiments, computational models are time-saving and cost-minimized. However, most tensor-based computational models still face three main challenges: (i) easy to fall into bad local minima; (ii) preservation of high-order relations; (iii) false-negative samples. To this end, we propose a novel tensor completion framework integrating self-paced learning, hypergraph regularization and adaptive weight tensor into nonnegative tensor factorization, called SPLDHyperAWNTF, for the discovery of potential multiple types of miRNA–disease associations. We first combine self-paced learning with nonnegative tensor factorization to effectively alleviate the model from falling into bad local minima. Then, hypergraphs for miRNAs and diseases are constructed, and hypergraph regularization is used to preserve the high-order complex relations of these hypergraphs. Finally, we innovatively introduce adaptive weight tensor, which can effectively alleviate the impact of false-negative samples on the prediction performance. The average results of 5-fold and 10-fold cross-validation on four datasets show that SPLDHyperAWNTF can achieve better prediction performance than baseline models in terms of Top-1 precision, Top-1 recall and Top-1 F1. Furthermore, we implement case studies to further evaluate the accuracy of SPLDHyperAWNTF. As a result, 98 (MDAv2.0) and 98 (MDAv2.0-2) of top-100 are confirmed by HMDDv3.2 dataset. Moreover, the results of enrichment analysis illustrate that unconfirmed potential associations have biological significance.
Mind the gap: avoiding paravalvular leak using computer simulation in bicuspid transcatheter aortic valve replacement—a case report
Authors: Dargan James , Hampal Rumneek , Khan Faisal , Brecker Stephen
Published: September 2022

Background

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide and is now more common than surgical aortic valve replacement. It is expanding into all patient subsets including younger and lower risk patients. Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) accounts for a significant proportion of TAVR, but due to heterogenous anatomy, it is of increased complexity. One of the greatest challenges in BAV is the selection of the correct TAVR size. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement sizing is based upon computed tomography–derived annular measurements. There are a number of sizing algorithms for BAV based upon anatomical characteristics, often yielding different results. This is noted especially when a patient falls near the borderline between two valve sizes, an anatomical grey zone. Complementary to the algorithm approach is the use of pre-procedural patient-specific computer simulation using finite-element modelling.

Case summary

An 86-year-old female was treated for heart failure secondary to severe and calcific BAV aortic stenosis with TAVR. Due to anatomical difficulty and grey-zone valve sizing, we demonstrate the use of pre-procedural patient-specific computer simulation with the novel Medtronic Evolut PRO+ platform to achieve a good result.

Discussion

Using patient-specific computer simulation, we were able to safely select the valve and the deployment height and then accurately predict the result in a difficult, severely calcified BAV. In addition to improving outcome, this allows for patient-specific, tailored discussion to occur at heart team meetings.
Valvular heart disease: shifting the focus to the myocardium
Authors: Ajmone Marsan Nina , Delgado Victoria , Shah Dipan J , Pellikka Patricia , Bax Jeroen J , Treibel Thomas , Cavalcante João L
Published: September 2022

Adverse cardiac remodelling is the main determinant of patient prognosis in degenerative valvular heart disease (VHD). However, to give an indication for valvular intervention, current guidelines include parameters of cardiac chamber dilatation or function which are subject to variability, do not directly reflect myocardial structural changes, and, more importantly, seem to be not sensitive enough in depicting early signs of myocardial dysfunction before irreversible myocardial damage has occurred. To avoid irreversible myocardial dysfunction, novel biomarkers are advocated to help refining indications for intervention and risk stratification. Advanced echocardiographic modalities, including strain analysis, and magnetic resonance imaging have shown to be promising in providing new tools to depict the important switch from adaptive to maladaptive myocardial changes in response to severe VHD. This review, therefore, summarizes the current available evidence on the role of these new imaging biomarkers in degenerative VHD, aiming at shifting the clinical perspective from a valve-centred to a myocardium-focused approach for patient management and therapeutic decision-making.
A cost analysis of a sports-based sexual health education programme for adolescent girls in South African schools
Authors: Bango Funeka , Pike Carey , Coakley Chelsea , Bekker Linda-Gail , Cleary Susan
Published: September 2022

Studies have shown that school-based sexual health promotion interventions can improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes. However, there has been insufficient evidence on the cost and cost-effectiveness of such programmes, driving poor and inconsistent investment and prioritization. This paper analyses the costs of the SKILLZ Health for Girls programme, a sports-based sexual education intervention targeted at adolescent girls in the secondary school environment. Costs were collected alongside a cluster-randomized trial, including 38 secondary schools in Cape Town, South Africa. The analysis was conducted from a provider (multi-sector) perspective and used a mixed-methods costing approach. We developed a cost data collection tool to compile cost information from one-on-one interviews, administrative data and non-participant observations of the intervention. Costs were analysed for 2019, representing a full academic year of programme implementation. The intention-to-treat analysis revealed an average cost per learner per session of $9.92, and the cost per learner reached was estimated at $69.43. Sensitivity analysis indicated that these costs were sensitive to the participation rates of the learners who did not complete the intervention. The cumulative cost for the scale-up scenario for the Western Cape Province based on the base-case analysis (maximizing coverage of schools but only including 30% of eligible learners within schools) was estimated at $5 311 453.00 for a 3-year period, which exceeds the provincial conditional grant allocation dedicated to the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (life skills education) for the same period, yet is comparable to the expenditure for a similar donor-funded programme within the province. The study’s results will contribute to decision-making for implementing sexual education interventions in schools in South Africa and similar contexts.
Genome-wide characterization of the tomato GASA family identifies SlGASA1 as a repressor of fruit ripening
Authors: Su Dan , Liu Kaidong , Yu Zhuoshu , Li Ying , Zhang Yaoxin , Zhu Yunqi , Wu Yi , He Hongyu , Zeng Xiaodan , Chen Honglin , Grierson Don , Deng Heng , Liu Mingchun
Published: September 2022

Gibberellins (GAs) play crucial roles in a wide range of developmental processes and stress responses in plants. However, the roles of GA-responsive genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit development remain largely unknown. Here, we identify 17 GASA (Gibberellic Acid-Stimulated Arabidopsis) family genes in tomato. These genes encode proteins with a cleavable signal peptide at their N terminus and a conserved GASA domain at their C terminus. The expression levels of all tomato GASA family genes were responsive to exogenous GA treatment, but adding ethylene eliminated this effect. Comprehensive expression profiling of SlGASA family genes showed that SlGASA1 follows a ripening-associated expression pattern, with low expression levels during fruit ripening, suggesting it plays a negative role in regulating ripening. Overexpressing SlGASA1 using a ripening-specific promoter delayed the onset of fruit ripening, whereas SlGASA1-knockdown fruits displayed accelerated ripening. Consistent with their delayed ripening, SlGASA1-overexpressing fruits showed significantly reduced ethylene production and carotenoid contents compared to the wild type. Moreover, ripening-related genes were downregulated in SlGASA1-overexpressing fruits but upregulated in SlGASA1-knockdown fruits compared to the wild type. Yeast two-hybrid, co-immunoprecipitation, transactivation, and DNA pull-down assays indicated that SlGASA1 interacts with the key ripening regulator FRUITFULL1 and represses its activation of the ethylene biosynthesis genes ACS2 and ACO1. Our findings shed new light on the role and mode of action of a GA-responsive gene in tomato fruit ripening.
Mortality of Bark- and Wood-boring Beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, and Curculionidae) in Naturally Infested Heat-treated Ash, Birch, Oak, and Pine Bolts
Authors: Haack Robert A , Petrice Toby R
Published: September 2022

Firewood and wood packaging material (WPM) are major pathways for moving bark- and wood-infesting insects (borers). Heat treatment regulations for interstate firewood movement vary among U.S. states: from 56°C for 30 min to 71.1°C for 75 min. Current WPM international standards (ISPM 15) require heating to a minimum of 56°C for 30 min throughout the profile of the wood. Using bolts from infested ash (Fraxinus), birch (Betula), oak (Quercus), and pine (Pinus) trees in Michigan, we assessed borer mortality at core temperatures of 50, 53, 56, and 60°C maintained for 30 min in chambers set to 60, 65, 70, or 75°C. After treatment, bolts were monitored for adult emergence and later dissected to determine borer mortality rates. Mortality was high to complete for all heat treatments and increased with both increasing core and chamber temperatures. For the Agrilus (Buprestidae) species tested, there was complete mortality of Agrilus anxius on birch and Agrilus planipennis on ash when core temperatures of 56°C or higher were targeted regardless of chamber temperature. However, on oak, a few Agrilus bilineatus and Agrilus sulcicollis survived in bolts heated to 56°C in chambers at 60 and 65°C, and some A. sulcicollis survived in chambers set at 70 and 75°C. Similarly, a few pine-infesting borers survived heating to 56°C at all chamber temperatures. However, there was complete mortality in all hosts when bolts were heated to 60°C for 30 min, regardless of chamber temperature. Results are discussed in terms of current treatment regulations for firewood and WPM.
Wordsworth and the World: Teaching Postsecular Romanticism in the Humanities
Authors: Tomko Michael
Published: September 2022

Drawing on William Wordsworth’s sonnet, ‘The world is too much with us’, as a case study, I consider the ways that the longstanding assumptions of the secularisation thesis from M.H. Abrams and elsewhere have framed anthologies and syllabi of Romantic literary studies. Such structural constraints have limited the theological readings of Romanticism that can be plausible in the classroom, regardless of the nuance and complexity of postsecular research and theory emerging across 19th-century scholarship. Departing from a disciplinary literature classroom as its default, I discuss the broader and more vibrant possibilities for rereading Wordsworth’s sonnet within Villanova University’s innovative Humanities department, whose interdisciplinary and question-driven curriculum keeps theological and philosophical inquiries open and alive. Further, its syllabi pair Wordsworth with voices ranging from St Augustine to Howard Thurman to Abraham Heschel. Such an educational setting allows for attunement to possible ways that the frustrated lyric voice still feels a spiritual call towards the supernatural in nature despite the imminent discourses of the age—a romantic revision that reopens horizons for both teaching and scholarship.
Complexity of injection structures induced by finite state transducers
Authors: Krogman Richard , Cenzer Douglas
Published: September 2022

An injection structure ${{\mathcal {A}}} = (A,f)$ is a set $A$ together with a one-place one-to-one function $f$. ${{\mathcal {A}}}$ is a Finite State Transducer (abbreviated FST) injection structure if $A$ is a regular set, i.e. the set of words accepted by some finite automaton, and $f$ is realized by a deterministic FST. We study the complexity of the character of an FST injection structure. We examine the effective categoricity of such structures. We show that the isomorphism problem for unary FST structures is decidable in quadratic time.
The Cluster Ages Experiment (CASE) – IX. Analysis of four detached eclipsing binaries in the globular cluster NGC 3201
Authors: Rozyczka M , Thompson I B , Dotter A , Mazur B , Narloch W , Pych W , Hełminiak K G , Moharana A , Beletsky Y , Burley G S , Marshall J L , Morrell N , Osip D , Shectman S A , Bernstein R , Pilecki B , Zgirski B
Published: September 2022

We use photometric and spectroscopic observations of four detached eclipsing binaries in the globular cluster NGC 3201 to derive masses, radii, and luminosities of the component stars. Spanning across almost three magnitudes in the colour–magnitude diagram, the components offer a unique possibility to test the theory of stellar evolution. Their masses, radii, and luminosities range from 0.66 to 0.84 M⊙, 0.68 to 2.46 R⊙, and 0.38 to 5.56 L⊙, respectively. The distance to the cluster measured from the distance moduli of the component stars amounts to 4.54$^{+0.11}_{-0.14}$ kpc and agrees with the recent estimate based on Gaia parallaxes. By comparing the M − R and M − L diagrams of the component stars and the colour–magnitude diagram of NGC 3201 to Dartmouth model isochrones, we estimate the most probable age of the cluster to be 11.5 ± 0.5 Gyr. This estimate is based on three binaries only, as the fourth one seems to evolve along a different path, probably due to non-standard chemical composition and/or history. We confirm the tendency, observed in earlier CASE papers, for the age indicated by the M − R diagram to be younger than that implied by the colour–magnitude diagram.
Density waves in protoplanetary discs excited by eccentric planets: linear theory
Authors: Fairbairn Callum W , Rafikov Roman R
Published: September 2022

Spiral density waves observed in protoplanetary discs have often been used to infer the presence of embedded planets. This inference relies both on simulations as well as the linear theory of planet–disc interaction developed for planets on circular orbits to predict the morphology of the density wake. In this work, we develop and implement a linear framework for calculating the structure of the density wave in a gaseous disc driven by an eccentric planet. Our approach takes into account both the essential azimuthal and temporal periodicities of the problem, allowing us to treat any periodic perturbing potential (i.e. not only that of an eccentric planet). We test our framework by calculating the morphology of the density waves excited by an eccentric, low-mass planet embedded in a globally isothermal disc and compare our results to the recent direct numerical simulations (and heuristic wavelet analysis) of the same problem by Zhu and Zhang. We find excellent agreement with the numerical simulations, capturing all the complex eccentric features including spiral bifurcations, wave crossings, and planet-wave detachments, with improved accuracy and detail compared with the wavelet method. This illustrates the power of our linear framework in reproducing the morphology of complicated time-dependent density wakes, presenting it as a valuable tool for future studies of eccentric planet–disc interactions.
Eclipse Timings of the LMXB XTE J1710−281 : discovery of a third orbital period glitch
Authors: Jain Chetana , Sharma Rahul , Paul Biswajit
Published: September 2022

We present an updated measurement of orbital period evolution of LMXB XTE J1710−281 by using eclipse timing technique. Using data obtained with XMM-Newton, Suzaku, RXTE, Chandra, and AstroSat observatories, we report 21 new measurements of X-ray mid-eclipse times. We have discovered a third orbital period glitch in XTE J1710−281 with an F-test false alarm probability of ∼0.7 per cent for occurrence of the third glitch and report detection of four distinct epochs of orbital period in this system. This work presents a more robust estimation of occurrence of the second orbital period glitch. However, the epoch of occurrence of the third glitch is poorly constrained, between MJD 55726 and 56402. We have put lower limits of 1.48, 0.97, and 0.45 ms, on sudden changes in orbital period between the successive epochs. We discuss the implications of our findings in context of magnetic nature of the companion star and possible scattering events with circumbinary objects around this binary system.
The simultaneity of emission from approaching and receding jets
Authors: Maccarone Thomas J , Pattie Eli C , Tetarenko Alexandra J
Published: September 2022

We show that the standard Blandford–Königl model for compact conical relativistic jets has a peculiar feature: At a given observed frequency of radiation, the emission from the approaching jet arrives at the location of a distant observer at the same time as the emission from the counterjet for all finite inclination angles. We show that this result can be used to determine whether jets are genuinely symmetric, if the cross-coherence between radio and X-ray time series can be measured at high Fourier frequency for a sample of neutron star X-ray binaries with a range of inclination angles. We also discuss echo mapping techniques that can be used to look for deviations from the standard model in high cadence time series data on X-ray binary jets, and conclude that these can plausibly be applied to some systems.
Functional integration of a semi-synthetic azido-queuosine derivative into translation and a tRNA modification circuit
Authors: Bessler Larissa , Kaur Navpreet , Vogt Lea-Marie , Flemmich Laurin , Siebenaller Carmen , Winz Marie-Luise , Tuorto Francesca , Micura Ronald , Ehrenhofer-Murray Ann E , Helm Mark
Published: September 2022

Substitution of the queuine nucleobase precursor preQ1 by an azide-containing derivative (azido-propyl-preQ1) led to incorporation of this clickable chemical entity into tRNA via transglycosylation in vitro as well as in vivo in Escherichia coli, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and human cells. The resulting semi-synthetic RNA modification, here termed Q-L1, was present in tRNAs on actively translating ribosomes, indicating functional integration into aminoacylation and recruitment to the ribosome. The azide moiety of Q-L1 facilitates analytics via click conjugation of a fluorescent dye, or of biotin for affinity purification. Combining the latter with RNAseq showed that TGT maintained its native tRNA substrate specificity in S. pombe cells. The semi-synthetic tRNA modification Q-L1 was also functional in tRNA maturation, in effectively replacing the natural queuosine in its stimulation of further modification of tRNAAsp with 5-methylcytosine at position 38 by the tRNA methyltransferase Dnmt2 in S. pombe. This is the first demonstrated in vivo integration of a synthetic moiety into an RNA modification circuit, where one RNA modification stimulates another. In summary, the scarcity of queuosinylation sites in cellular RNA, makes our synthetic q/Q system a ‘minimally invasive’ system for placement of a non-natural, clickable nucleobase within the total cellular RNA.
ProPan: a comprehensive database for profiling prokaryotic pan-genome dynamics
Authors: Zhang Yadong , Zhang Hao , Zhang Zaichao , Qian Qiheng , Zhang Zhewen , Xiao Jingfa
Published: September 2022

Compared with conventional comparative genomics, the recent studies in pan-genomics have provided further insights into species genomic dynamics, taxonomy and identification, pathogenicity and environmental adaptation. To better understand genome characteristics of species of interest and to fully excavate key metabolic and resistant genes and their conservations and variations, here we present ProPan (https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/propan), a public database covering 23 archaeal species and 1,481 bacterial species (in a total of 51,882 strains) for comprehensively profiling prokaryotic pan-genome dynamics. By analyzing and integrating these massive datasets, ProPan offers three major aspects for the pan-genome dynamics of the species of interest: 1) the evaluations of various species' characteristics and composition in pan-genome dynamics; 2) the visualization of map association, the functional annotation and presence/absence variation for all contained species' gene clusters; 3) the typical characteristics of the environmental adaptation, including resistance genes prediction of 126 substances (biocide, antimicrobial drug and metal) and evaluation of 31 metabolic cycle processes. Besides, ProPan develops a very user-friendly interface, flexible retrieval and multi-level real-time statistical visualization. Taken together, ProPan will serve as a weighty resource for the studies of prokaryotic pan-genome dynamics, taxonomy and identification as well as environmental adaptation.
Implementing targeted therapies in the treatment of glioblastoma: Previous shortcomings, future promises, and a multimodal strategy recommendation
Authors: Fougner Vincent , Hasselbalch Benedikte , Lassen Ulrik , Weischenfeldt Joachim , Poulsen Hans Skovgaard , Urup Thomas
Published: September 2022

The introduction of targeted therapies to the field of oncology has prolonged the survival of several tumor types. Despite extensive research and numerous trials, similar outcomes have unfortunately not been realized for glioblastoma. For more than 15 years, the standard treatment of glioblastoma has been unchanged. This review walks through the elements that have challenged the success of previous trials and highlight some future promises. Concurrently, this review describes how institutions, through a multimodal and comprehensive strategy with 4 essential components, may increase the probability of finding a meaningful role for targeted therapies in the treatment of glioblastoma. These components are (1) prudent trial designs, (2) considered drug and target selection, (3) harnessed real-world clinical and molecular evidence, and (4) incorporation of translational research.
Natural products and drug discovery
Authors: Newman David J
Published: September 2022

This review covers the recent history of a series of very important natural products and their derivatives that are currently in use or under evaluation in the areas of anti-infectives, important cancer treatments that include antibody drug conjugates, followed by a discussion of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) drugs and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. The current structures of the agents are shown, though in the case of some peptides used in T2DM drugs the standard single letter abbreviation for an amino acid is used.
Climate change effects on mental health: are there workplace implications?
Authors: Brooks S K , Greenberg N
Published: September 2022

Background

Climate change can negatively affect mental health, and poor mental health can negatively affect work. However, less is known about the relationship between mental health and workplace behaviours within the climate change context.

Aims

To explore existing literature relating to climate-induced mental ill-health as a potential predictor of workplace behaviours.

Methods

Scoping review, searching five databases for relevant literature using two separate search strategies.

Results

Only five studies with any relevant data were found. Results could not be easily synthesized because each of the five considered different work-related outcomes. However, the available data suggest that the psychological impact of extreme events could lead to increased job tension, higher turnover intentions and workplace hostility. Stress about extreme weather could also impede the ability to make essential work-related decisions and, for those who work in the environmental sector, concerns about climate could lead to overcommitment to work. There was some evidence that social support might lessen the effects of climate-induced stress on work outcomes.

Conclusions

Very little literature considers the impacts of climate change on employees’ mental health and associated workplace function. The available evidence suggests there are potential negative impacts which may be mitigated by social support. It is important for future research to explore ways of supporting staff and fostering resilience.
Do introductory courses disproportionately drive minoritized students out of STEM pathways?
Authors: Hatfield Neil , Brown Nathanial , Topaz Chad M
Published: September 2022

Diversifying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) requires a critical examination of institutional structures at every educational level. In higher education, performance in core introductory courses required for STEM degrees is strongly associated with degree completion. Leveraging a multi-institutional database, we examine nearly 110,000 student records from six large, public, research-intensive universities in order to assess whether these introductory courses disproportionately weed out underrepresented minority (URM) students. We find that the association between low performance in an introductory STEM class and failure to obtain a STEM degree is stronger for URM students than for other students, even after controlling for academic preparation in high school and intent to obtain a STEM degree. To facilitate interpretation of our multivariate logistic regression model, and to highlight the dire situation in higher education, we also calculate predicted probabilities of STEM degree attainment for students of various demographics. The probability of obtaining a STEM degree for a STEM-intending white male student with average academic preparation who receives grades of C or better in all introductory courses is 48%. In contrast, for an otherwise similar URM female student, the probability is merely 35%. If these students receive less than a C in even one introductory STEM course, the probabilities drop to 33% and 21%, respectively.
Social media behavior is associated with vaccine hesitancy
Authors: Rathje Steve , He James K , Roozenbeek Jon , Van Bavel Jay J , van der Linden Sander
Published: September 2022

Understanding how vaccine hesitancy relates to online behavior is crucial for addressing current and future disease outbreaks. We combined survey data measuring attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine with Twitter data in two studies (N1 = 464 Twitter users, N2 = 1,600 Twitter users) with preregistered hypotheses to examine how real-world social media behavior is associated with vaccine hesitancy in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK). In Study 1, we found that following the accounts of US Republican politicians or hyper-partisan/low-quality news sites were associated with lower confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine—even when controlling for key demographics such as self-reported political ideology and education. US right-wing influencers (e.g. Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson) had followers with the lowest confidence in the vaccine. Network analysis revealed that participants who were low and high in vaccine confidence separated into two distinct communities (or “echo chambers”), and centrality in the more right-wing community was associated with vaccine hesitancy in the US, but not in the UK. In Study 2, we found that one's likelihood of not getting the vaccine was associated with retweeting and favoriting low-quality news websites on Twitter. Altogether, we show that vaccine hesitancy is associated with following, sharing, and interacting with low-quality information online, as well as centrality within a conservative-leaning online community in the US. These results illustrate the potential challenges of encouraging vaccine uptake in a polarized social media environment.
Associations between abstract working memory abilities and brain activity underlying long-term recognition of auditory sequences
Authors: Fernández-Rubio Gemma , Carlomagno Francesco , Vuust Peter , Kringelbach Morten L , Bonetti Leonardo
Published: September 2022

Memory is a complex cognitive process composed of several subsystems, namely short- and long-term memory and working memory (WM). Previous research has shown that adequate interaction between subsystems is crucial for successful memory processes such as encoding, storage, and manipulation of information. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between different subsystems at the behavioral and neural levels. Thus, here we assessed the relationship between individual WM abilities and brain activity underlying the recognition of previously memorized auditory sequences. First, recognition of previously memorized versus novel auditory sequences was associated with a widespread network of brain areas comprising the cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, insula, inferior temporal cortex, frontal operculum, and orbitofrontal cortex. Second, we observed positive correlations between brain activity underlying auditory sequence recognition and WM. We showed a sustained positive correlation in the medial cingulate gyrus, a brain area that was widely involved in the auditory sequence recognition. Remarkably, we also observed positive correlations in the inferior temporal, temporal-fusiform, and postcentral gyri, brain areas that were not strongly associated with auditory sequence recognition. In conclusion, we discovered positive correlations between WM abilities and brain activity underlying long-term recognition of auditory sequences, providing new evidence on the relationship between memory subsystems. Furthermore, we showed that high WM performers recruited a larger brain network including areas associated with visual processing (i.e., inferior temporal, temporal-fusiform, and postcentral gyri) for successful auditory memory recognition.
Perturbative path-integral of string fields and the A∞ structure of the BV master equation
Authors: Masuda Toru , Matsunaga Hiroaki
Published: September 2022

The perturbative path-integral gives a morphism of the (quantum) A∞ structure intrinsic to each quantum field theory, which we show explicitly on the basis of the homological perturbation. As is known, in the Batalin–Vilkovisky (BV) formalism, any effective action also solves the BV master equation, which implies that the path-integral can be understood as a morphism of the BV differential. Since each solution of the BV master equation is in one-to-one correspondence with a quantum A∞ structure, the path-integral preserves this intrinsic A∞ structure of quantum field theory, where A∞ reduces to L∞ whenever multiplications of space-time fields are graded commutative. We apply these ideas to string-field theory and (re-)derive some quantities based on the perturbative path-integral, such as effective theories with finite α′, reduction of gauge and unphysical degrees, the S-matrix, and gauge-invariant observables.
Improving Workplace Climate in Large Corporations: A Clustered Randomized Intervention
Authors: Alan Sule , Corekcioglu Gozde , Sutter Matthias
Published: September 2022

We evaluate the impact of a training program aimed at improving the relational atmosphere in the workplace. The program encourages prosocial behavior and the use of professional language, focusing primarily on leaders’ behavior and leader-subordinate interactions. We implement this program using a clustered randomized design involving over 3,000 headquarters employees of 20 large corporations in Turkey. We evaluate the program with respect to employee separation, pro- and antisocial behavior, the prevalence of support networks, and perceived workplace climate. We find that treated firms have a lower likelihood of employee separation at the leadership level, fewer employees lacking professional and personal help, and denser, less segregated support networks. We also find that employees in treated corporations are less inclined to engage in toxic competition, exhibit higher reciprocity toward each other, and report higher workplace satisfaction and a more collegial environment. The program’s success in improving leader-subordinate relationships emerges as a likely mechanism to explain these results. Treated subordinates report higher professionalism and empathy in their leaders and are more likely to consider their leaders as professional support providers.
Local Anesthetic Cardiac Toxicity Is Mediated by Cardiomyocyte Calcium Dynamics
Authors: Plakhotnik Julia , Zhang Libo , Estrada Marvin , Coles John G. , Lonnqvist Per-Arne , Maynes Jason T.
Published: September 2022

Background

Long-lasting local anesthetic use for perioperative pain control is limited by possible cardiotoxicity (e.g., arrhythmias and contractile depression), potentially leading to cardiac arrest. Off-target cardiac sodium channel blockade is considered the canonical mechanism behind cardiotoxicity; however, it does not fully explain the observed toxicity variability between anesthetics. The authors hypothesize that more cardiotoxic anesthetics (e.g., bupivacaine) differentially perturb other important cardiomyocyte functions (e.g., calcium dynamics), which may be exploited to mitigate drug toxicity.

Methods

The authors investigated the effects of clinically relevant concentrations of racemic bupivacaine, levobupivacaine, or ropivacaine on human stem cell–derived cardiomyocyte tissue function. Contractility, rhythm, electromechanical coupling, field potential profile, and intracellular calcium dynamics were quantified using multielectrode arrays and optical imaging. Calcium flux differences between bupivacaine and ropivacaine were probed with pharmacologic calcium supplementation or blockade. In vitro findings were correlated in vivo using an anesthetic cardiotoxicity rat model (females; n = 5 per group).

Results

Bupivacaine more severely dysregulated calcium dynamics than ropivacaine in vitro (e.g., contraction calcium amplitude to 52 ± 11% and calcium-mediated repolarization duration to 122 ± 7% of ropivacaine effects, model estimate ± standard error). Calcium supplementation improved tissue contractility and restored normal beating rhythm (to 101 ± 6%, and 101 ± 26% of control, respectively) for bupivacaine-treated tissues, but not ropivacaine (e.g., contractility at 80 ± 6% of control). Similarly, calcium pretreatment mitigated anesthetic-induced arrhythmias and cardiac depression in rats, improving animal survival for bupivacaine by 8.3 ± 2.4 min, but exacerbating ropivacaine adverse effects (reduced survival by 13.8 ± 3.4 min and time to first arrhythmia by 12.0 ± 2.9 min). Calcium channel blocker nifedipine coadministration with bupivacaine, but not ropivacaine, exacerbated cardiotoxicity, supporting the role of calcium flux in differentiating toxicity.

Conclusions

Our data illustrate differences in calcium dynamics between anesthetics and how calcium may mitigate bupivacaine cardiotoxicity. Moreover, our findings suggest that bupivacaine cardiotoxicity risk may be higher than for ropivacaine in a calcium deficiency context.

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