bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The crisis in international law and the path forward for international humanitarian law
Authors: Stephan Paul B.
Published: May 2022

This article offers a brief review of the forces that have contributed to the contemporary impasse in the formation of new international law and institutions. It identifies areas where development of the law of armed conflict would provide great benefits, yet where current international conditions render formal legal agreements highly unlikely. It then considers how to advance desirable projects nonetheless. In the absence of effective formal international law-making, jurists face a choice. One approach, which I call inspirational, is to propose idealized legal systems based on claims of justice and practicality. Much published work over the last decade seems to take this path. The hope is that the ideas will inspire and thus lead relevant actors to adopt the systems at a time when the obstacles to international agreements recede. The other approach, which I call entrepreneurial and describe here, involves leading States acting as “norm entrepreneurs”. They can propound and in practice adhere to norms with the intention of inducing other States to follow. The entrepreneurial approach entails a State engaging in a practice that it hopes others will emulate, while the inspirational involves an appeal to the international community as a whole, including significant non-State actors.
Surveying stakeholder’s perception of glufosinate and use in North Carolina
Authors: Jones Eric A. L. , Cahoon Charles W. , Leon Ramon G. , Everman Wesley J.
Published: May 2022

Glufosinate is among the few remaining effective herbicides for postemergence weed control in North Carolina crops. The evolution of glufosinate resistance in key weeds is currently not widespread in North Carolina, but to better assess the current status of glufosinate effectiveness, surveys were distributed at Extension meetings in 2019 and 2020. The surveys were designed to provide information about North Carolina farmers’ perception of glufosinate and its use. Survey results indicate that many North Carolina farmers (≥26%) apply glufosinate at the correct timing (5- to 10-cm weeds). In addition, North Carolina farmers (≥22%) are applying glufosinate as a complementary herbicide to other efficacious herbicides and to control herbicide-resistant weeds, suggesting that glufosinate is part of a diverse chemical weed management plan. Conversely, survey findings indicated that some farmers (13% to 17%) rely exclusively on glufosinate for weed control. Additionally, 28% to 30% of farmers reported glufosinate control failures, and control failures were observed on several weed species among corn, cotton, and soybean crops. The results of the survey suggest that most North Carolina farmers are currently stewarding glufosinate, but they also support the need for Extension personnel to keep educating farmers on how to correctly use glufosinate to delay the evolution of glufosinate-resistant weeds. Semiannual surveys should be distributed to monitor where glufosinate control failures occur and the weed species not being controlled.
Maximum Energies of Trapped Particles Around Magnetized Planets and Small Bodies
Authors: Oran Rona , Weiss Benjamin P. , De Soria Santacruz‐Pich Maria , Jun Insoo , Lawrence David J. , Polanskey Carol A. , Ratliff J. Martin , Raymond Carol A. , Ream Jodie B. , Russell Christopher T. , Shprits Yuri Y. , Zuber Maria T. , Elkins‐Tanton Linda T.
Published: May 2022

Energetic charged particles trapped in planetary radiation belts are hazardous to spacecraft. Planned missions to iron‐rich asteroids with possible strong remanent magnetic fields require an assessment of trapped particles energies. Using laboratory measurements of iron meteorites, we estimate the largest possible asteroid magnetic moment. Although weak compared to moments of planetary dynamos, the small body size may yield strong surface fields. We use hybrid simulations to confirm the formation of a magnetosphere with an extended quasi‐dipolar region. However, the short length scale of the field implies that energetic particle motion would be nonadiabatic, making existing radiation belt theories not applicable. Our idealized particle simulations demonstrate that chaotic motions lead to particle loss at lower energies than those predicted by adiabatic theory, which may explain the energies of transiently trapped particles observed at Mercury, Ganymede, and Earth. However, even the most magnetized asteroids are unlikely to stably trap hazardous particles.
Understanding Sea Surface Temperature Cooling in the Central‐East Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean During 1982–2020
Authors: Xu Xiaoqi , Liu Jiping , Huang Gang
Published: May 2022

Sea surface temperature (SST) in the Southern Ocean plays an important role in air‐sea interactions, forcing atmospheric variability. Using various observational and reanalysis data sets, we show that the SST cooling trend in the Southern Ocean (50°S–70°S) continues (∼0.3°C from 1982 to 2020). The largest SST cooling trend is in the central‐east Pacific sector, which can extend to 250 m. A detailed trend analysis for the mixed layer heat budget equation suggests that changes in the net surface shortwave radiation and Ekman horizontal advection are the two key contributors, though the other processes contribute to the SST cooling trend in winter and spring. The reduced downward solar radiation is largely due to the increase of cloud cover, which enhances shortwave‐cloud‐radiative feedback and decreases SST. Changes in Ekman advection associated with increased zonal winds is in favor of the colder water remaining in upper ocean layer.
Ionospheric Nighttime F‐Region Irregularities During Geomagnetically Quiet Conditions as Observed With 205 MHz VHF Radar at an Equatorial Trough Station, Cochin
Authors: Varadarajan Rakesh , Haridas Sreekumar , Manoj M. G. , Rebello Rejoy , Paul Binu , Unnikrishnan K. , Sukumarapillai Abhilash , Mohanakumar K.
Published: May 2022

The VHF radar operating at 205 MHz frequency installed at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) has been configured to probe the nighttime ionospheric field‐aligned irregularities (FAIs) over the near‐equatorial site at Cochin, India during the solar minimum periods. Even though the study period includes the minimum of the 24th and 25th solar cycles, a total of 40 nighttime irregularity events were observed at F‐region heights (150–500 km). Bottom‐type and bottom‐side irregularities were observed in this period, but no large‐scale topside ones at F‐region heights. The nighttime irregularities were most commonly observed at average heights of 200–250 km, accounting for 50% of the total events, and 27.5% of the irregularities preferentially occurred after sunset between 19 and 20 LT. While long‐duration irregularity events were not prominent during this period, irregularities that lasted for less than 50 min were predominant. To check the capability of the 205 MHz VHF radar in observing FAIs, the radar observations were compared with the European Space Agency's ionospheric observation data from the Swarm B satellite. Several derived parameters from the Swarm data set such as electron density (Ne), background Ne (bNe), electron temperature (Te), rate of electron density (ROD), index of ROD (RODI), median vertical total electron content (mVTEC), absolute VTEC (aVTEC), rate of TEC (ROT), ROTI, Bubble Index, and Bubble Probability were utilized for characterizing the ionospheric irregularities. The observation from the Swarm B satellite agrees well with that obtained from the VHF radar.
Machine Learning Investigation of Clinopyroxene Compositions to Evaluate and Predict Mantle Metasomatism Worldwide
Authors: Qin Ben , Huang Fang , Huang Shichun , Python Andre , Chen Yunfeng , ZhangZhou J
Published: May 2022

Plain Language Summary

Clinopyroxene is a major mineral in Earth's upper mantle. Previous studies have attempted to discriminate between reactions modifying the mantle by plotting clinopyroxene major and trace element compositions in two‐dimensional (2‐D) diagrams. However, these 2‐D methods show poor accuracy when applied to global datasets. Therefore, we suggest a machine learning approach to evaluate clinopyroxene compositional data in higher dimensions. Our results demonstrate that machine learning can significantly improve the accuracy of clinopyroxene compositional predictions over classical methods utilizing elemental ratios. Furthermore, the application of our algorithm to a global clinopyroxene dataset suggests that mantle metasomatism is globally widespread.
Impact of Internal Climate Variability on Wintertime Surface Air Temperature Trends Over Eurasia in the CESM1 Large Ensemble
Authors: Gong Hainan , Xiao Hongyin , Chen Quanliang , Wang Lin
Published: May 2022

This study investigates the role of internal climate variability on the wintertime surface air temperature (SAT) trend over Eurasia during 1970–2004 based on outputs from the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble Project. The SAT trends vary significantly in both spatial pattern and magnitude among ensemble members, indicating the essential role of internal climate variability on SAT trends. The leading modes of the spread of SAT trends are extracted via inter‐member empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of the SAT trend patterns among 40 ensemble members. The first EOF mode shows widespread warming over northern Eurasia and slight cooling southward of 40°N during its positive phase. The second EOF mode displays a zonal dipole, with one center located in Europe and the other of the opposite sign over Siberia. The Arctic Oscillation and Scandinavian patterns are key dynamical factors associated with the two dominant modes, respectively. A dynamical adjustment method is further employed to decompose the internal climate variability into those related to large‐scale atmospheric circulation and residuals. The spread of SAT trends among ensemble members is primarily associated with the various large‐scale atmospheric circulation and second by the residual component that is closely tied to diverse snow cover trends over Eurasia, especially over northern Eurasia. These results may help understand the relationship between internal climate variability and winter SAT trends over Eurasia via dynamical and thermodynamical processes.
A Comparison of Multitemporal Airborne Laser Scanning Data and the Fuel Characteristics Classification System for Estimating Fuel Load and Consumption
Authors: McCarley T. Ryan , Hudak Andrew T. , Restaino Joseph C. , Billmire Michael , French Nancy H. F. , Ottmar Roger D. , Hass Bridget , Zarzana Kyle , Goulden Tristan , Volkamer Rainer
Published: May 2022

Characterizing pre‐fire fuel load and fuel consumption are critical for assessing fire behavior, fire effects, and smoke emissions. Two approaches for quantifying fuel load are airborne laser scanning (ALS) and the Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS). The implementation of multitemporal ALS (i.e., the use of two or more ALS datasets across time at a given location) in conjunction with empirical models trained with field data can be used to measure fuel and estimate fuel consumption from a fire. FCCS, adapted for use in LANDFIRE (LF), provides 30 m resolution estimates of fuel load across the contiguous United States and can be used to estimate fuel consumption through software programs such as Fuel and Fire Tools (FFT). This study compares the two approaches for two wildfires in the northwestern United States having predominantly sagebrush steppe and ponderosa pine savanna ecosystems. The results showed that the LF FCCS approach yielded higher pre‐fire fuel loads and fuel consumption than the ALS approach and that the coarser scale LF FCCS data did not capture as much heterogeneity as the ALS data. At Tepee, 50.0% of the difference in fuel load and 87.3% of the difference in fuel consumption were associated with distinguishing sparse trees from rangeland. At Keithly, this only accounted for 8.2% and 8.6% of the differences, demonstrating the significance of capturing heterogeneity in rangeland vegetation structure and fire effects. Our results suggest future opportunities to use ALS data to better parametrize fine‐scale fuel load variability that LF FCCS does not capture.
Parameterizing Convective Organization Effects With a Moisture‐PDF Approach in Climate Models: Concept and a Regional Case Simulation
Authors: Yang Ben , Wang Minghuai , Zhang Guang J. , Guo Zhun , Wang Yong , Xu Xin , Dai Guoqing , Huang Anning , Zhang Yaocun , Qian Yun
Published: May 2022

We propose a parameterization scheme of convective organization effects based on a moisture‐distribution approach, which can reflect aggregation of convective cells within a model grid as well as the interaction between convection and spatial heterogeneity in free‐troposphere moisture. With this concept, convective cells in an aggregated state are surrounded by air that is moister than the grid‐mean condition, which provides a “shielding” effect favorable for deeper convective updrafts. Such effects are represented quantitatively via utilizing a schematic diagram about the geometric interpretation of convective cluster, dry area, and their contact area, in which both the convective cluster size and dry area fraction increase during the development of convection. Our sensitivity analyses indicate that the new scheme performs well in capturing the mean precipitation features. Excluding the convective organization effects in the model leads to a considerable reduction in the simulated precipitation magnitude. Notably, there exists an inverse relationship between background mean moisture condition and sub‐grid moisture variability for a given rain rate, suggesting that with a high spatial heterogeneity in free‐troposphere moisture, convection can still develop and maintain its strength under relatively dry background conditions, consistent with the convection‐permitting model simulation. Overall, our new parameterization of convective organization effects can successfully reproduce the relationship between precipitation and sub‐grid moisture variability, which is a missing element in traditional convection parameterization schemes but important for the simulations of precipitation variability at various scales in climate models.
Hotspots of Predictability: Identifying Regions of High Precipitation Predictability at Seasonal Timescales From Limited Time Series Observations
Authors: Mamalakis Antonios , AghaKouchak Amir , Randerson James T. , Foufoula‐Georgiou Efi
Published: May 2022

Precipitation prediction at seasonal timescales is important for planning and management of water resources as well as preparedness for hazards such as floods, droughts and wildfires. Quantifying predictability is quite challenging as a consequence of a large number of potential drivers, varying antecedent conditions, and small sample size of high‐quality observations available at seasonal timescales, that in turn, increases prediction uncertainty and the risk of model overfitting. Here, we introduce a generalized probabilistic framework to account for these issues and assess predictability under uncertainty. We focus on prediction of winter (Nov–Mar) precipitation across the contiguous United States, using sea surface temperature‐derived indices (averaged in Aug–Oct) as predictors. In our analysis we identify “predictability hotspots,” which we define as regions where precipitation is inherently more predictable. Our framework estimates the entire predictive distribution of precipitation using copulas and quantifies prediction uncertainties, while employing principal component analysis for dimensionality reduction and a cross validation technique to avoid overfitting. We also evaluate how predictability changes across different quantiles of the precipitation distribution (dry, normal, wet amounts) using a multi‐category 3 × 3 contingency table. Our results indicate that well‐defined predictability hotspots occur in the Southwest and Southeast. Moreover, extreme dry and wet conditions are shown to be relatively more predictable compared to normal conditions. Our study may help with water resources management in several subregions of the United States and can be used to assess the fidelity of earth system models in successfully representing teleconnections and predictability.
Nationwide and Regional PM2.5‐Related Air Quality Health Benefits From the Removal of Energy‐Related Emissions in the United States
Authors: Mailloux Nicholas A. , Abel David W. , Holloway Tracey , Patz Jonathan A.
Published: May 2022

Clean energy policy can provide substantial health benefits through improved air quality. As ambitious clean energy proposals are increasingly considered and adopted across the United States (US), quantifying the benefits of removal of such large air pollution emissions sources is crucial to understanding potential societal impacts of such policy. In this study, we estimate health benefits resulting from the elimination of emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides from the electric power, transportation, building, and industrial sectors in the contiguous US. We use EPA's CO‐Benefits Risk Assessment screening tool to estimate health benefits resulting from the removal of PM2.5‐related emissions from these energy‐related sectors. We find that nationwide efforts to eliminate energy‐related emissions could prevent 53,200 (95% CI: 46,900–59,400) premature deaths each year and provide $608 billion ($537–$678 billion) in benefits from avoided PM2.5‐related illness and death. We also find that an average of 69% (range: 32%–95%) of the health benefits from emissions removal remain in the emitting region. Our study provides an indication of the potential scale and distribution of public health benefits that could result from ambitious regional and nationwide clean energy and climate mitigation policy.
A Statistical Investigation of Factors Influencing the Magnetotail Twist at Mars
Authors: DiBraccio Gina A. , Romanelli Norberto , Bowers Charles F. , Gruesbeck Jacob R. , Halekas Jasper S. , Ruhunusiri Suranga , Weber Tristan , Espley Jared R. , Xu Shaosui , Luhmann Janet G. , Harada Yuki , Dubinin Eduard , Poh Gang Kai , Brain David A. , Curry Shannon M.
Published: May 2022

The Martian magnetotail exhibits a highly twisted configuration, shifting in response to changes in polarity of the interplanetary magnetic field's (IMF) dawn‐dusk (BY) component. Here, we analyze ∼6000 MAVEN orbits to quantify the degree of magnetotail twisting (θTwist) and assess variations as a function of (a) strong planetary crustal field location, (b) Mars season, and (c) downtail distance. The results demonstrate that θTwist is larger for a duskward (+BY) IMF orientation a majority of the time. This preference is likely due to the local orientation of crustal magnetic fields across the surface of Mars, where a +BY IMF orientation presents ideal conditions for magnetic reconnection to occur. Additionally, we observe an increase in θTwist with downtail distance, similar to Earth's magnetotail. These findings suggest that coupling between the IMF and moderate‐to‐weak crustal field regions may play a major role in determining the magnetospheric structure at Mars.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cellular therapies for autoimmune diseases: overview and future considerations from the Autoimmune Diseases Working Party (ADWP) of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)
Authors: Alexander Tobias , Greco Raffaella
Published: May 2022

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) represent a heterogenous group of complex diseases with increasing incidence in Western countries and are a major cause of morbidity. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has evolved over the last 25 years as a specific treatment for patients with severe ADs, through eradication of the pathogenic immunologic memory and profound immune renewal. HSCT for ADs is recently facing a unique developmental phase across transplant centers. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent evidence and developments in the area, including fundamentals of preclinical research, clinical studies in neurologic, rheumatologic and gastroenterologic diseases, which represent major indications at present, along with evidence of HSCT for rarer indications. Moreover, we describe the interwoven challenges of delivering more advanced cellular therapies, exploiting mesenchymal stem cells, regulatory T cells and potentially CAR-T cell therapies, in patients affected by ADs. Overall, we discuss past and current indications, efficacy, associated risks and benefits, and future directions of HSCT and advanced cellular therapies in the treatment of severe/refractory ADs, integrating the available literature with European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) registry data.
Epigenetic traits inscribed in chromatin accessibility in aged hematopoietic stem cells
Authors: Itokawa Naoki , Oshima Motohiko , Koide Shuhei , Takayama Naoya , Kuribayashi Wakako , Nakajima-Takagi Yaeko , Aoyama Kazumasa , Yamazaki Satoshi , Yamaguchi Kiyoshi , Furukawa Yoichi , Eto Koji , Iwama Atsushi
Published: May 2022

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) exhibit considerable cell-intrinsic changes with age. Here, we present an integrated analysis of transcriptome and chromatin accessibility of aged HSCs and downstream progenitors. Alterations in chromatin accessibility preferentially take place in HSCs with aging, which gradually resolve with differentiation. Differentially open accessible regions (open DARs) in aged HSCs are enriched for enhancers and show enrichment of binding motifs of the STAT, ATF, and CNC family transcription factors that are activated in response to external stresses. Genes linked to open DARs show significantly higher levels of basal expression and their expression reaches significantly higher peaks after cytokine stimulation in aged HSCs than in young HSCs, suggesting that open DARs contribute to augmented transcriptional responses under stress conditions. However, a short-term stress challenge that mimics infection is not sufficient to induce persistent chromatin accessibility changes in young HSCs. These results indicate that the ongoing and/or history of exposure to external stresses may be epigenetically inscribed in HSCs to augment their responses to external stimuli.
PRMT inhibition induces a viral mimicry response in triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Wu Qin , Nie David Y. , Ba-alawi Wail , Ji YiShuai , Zhang ZiWen , Cruickshank Jennifer , Haight Jillian , Ciamponi Felipe E. , Chen Jocelyn , Duan Shili , Shen Yudao , Liu Jing , Marhon Sajid A. , Mehdipour Parinaz , Szewczyk Magdalena M. , Dogan-Artun Nergiz , Chen WenJun , Zhang Lan Xin , Deblois Genevieve , Prinos Panagiotis , Massirer Katlin B. , Barsyte-Lovejoy Dalia , Jin Jian , De Carvalho Daniel D. , Haibe-Kains Benjamin , Wang XiaoJia , Cescon David W. , Lupien Mathieu , Arrowsmith Cheryl H.
Published: May 2022

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype with the worst prognosis and few effective therapies. Here we identified MS023, an inhibitor of type I protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), which has antitumor growth activity in TNBC. Pathway analysis of TNBC cell lines indicates that the activation of interferon responses before and after MS023 treatment is a functional biomarker and determinant of response, and these observations extend to a panel of human-derived organoids. Inhibition of type I PRMT triggers an interferon response through the antiviral defense pathway with the induction of double-stranded RNA, which is derived, at least in part, from inverted repeat Alu elements. Together, our results represent a shift in understanding the antitumor mechanism of type I PRMT inhibitors and provide a rationale and biomarker approach for the clinical development of type I PRMT inhibitors.
Machine learning model to predict mental health crises from electronic health records
Authors: Garriga Roger , Mas Javier , Abraha Semhar , Nolan Jon , Harrison Oliver , Tadros George , Matic Aleksandar
Published: May 2022

The timely identification of patients who are at risk of a mental health crisis can lead to improved outcomes and to the mitigation of burdens and costs. However, the high prevalence of mental health problems means that the manual review of complex patient records to make proactive care decisions is not feasible in practice. Therefore, we developed a machine learning model that uses electronic health records to continuously monitor patients for risk of a mental health crisis over a period of 28 days. The model achieves an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.797 and an area under the precision-recall curve of 0.159, predicting crises with a sensitivity of 58% at a specificity of 85%. A follow-up 6-month prospective study evaluated our algorithm’s use in clinical practice and observed predictions to be clinically valuable in terms of either managing caseloads or mitigating the risk of crisis in 64% of cases. To our knowledge, this study is the first to continuously predict the risk of a wide range of mental health crises and to explore the added value of such predictions in clinical practice.
Cryo-EM structure of the human CST–Polα/primase complex in a recruitment state
Authors: Cai Sarah W. , Zinder John C. , Svetlov Vladimir , Bush Martin W. , Nudler Evgeny , Walz Thomas , de Lange Titia
Published: May 2022

The CST–Polα/primase complex is essential for telomere maintenance and functions to counteract resection at double-strand breaks. We report a 4.6-Å resolution cryo-EM structure of human CST–Polα/primase, captured prior to catalysis in a recruitment state stabilized by chemical cross-linking. Our structure reveals an evolutionarily conserved interaction between the C-terminal domain of the catalytic POLA1 subunit and an N-terminal expansion in metazoan CTC1. Cross-linking mass spectrometry and negative-stain EM analysis provide insight into CST binding by the flexible POLA1 N-terminus. Finally, Coats plus syndrome disease mutations previously characterized to disrupt formation of the CST–Polα/primase complex map to protein–protein interfaces observed in the recruitment state. Together, our results shed light on the architecture and stoichiometry of the metazoan fill-in machinery.
Motor evoked potentials for multiple sclerosis, a multiyear follow-up dataset
Authors: Yperman Jan , Popescu Veronica , Van Wijmeersch Bart , Becker Thijs , Peeters Liesbet M.
Published: May 2022

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Through the demyelinating and axonal pathology of MS, the signal conduction in the central nervous system is affected. Evoked potential measurements allow clinicians to monitor this process and can be used for decision support. We share a dataset that contains motor evoked potential (MEP) measurements, in which the brain is stimulated and the resulting signal is measured in the hands and feet. This results in time series of 100 milliseconds long. Typically, both hands and feet are measured in one hospital visit. The dataset contains 5586 visits of 963 patients, performed in day-to-day clinical care over a period of 6 years. The dataset consists of approximately 100,000 MEP. Clinical metadata such as the expanded disability status scale, sex, and age is also available. This dataset can be used to explore the role of evoked potentials in MS research and patient care. It may also be used as a benchmark for time series analysis and predictive modelling.
New integrated hydrologic approach for the assessment of rivers environmental flows into the Urmia Lake
Authors: Mobadersani Ali , Hosseinzadeh Dalir Ali , Yasi Mehdi , Arvanaghi Hadi , Kennard Mark J.
Published: May 2022

Recent research has greatly focused on the environmental water supplement of rivers individually and independently. However, a comprehensive and integrated view of all rivers in the basin is simultaneously required in closed basins leading to lakes and wetlands. This has affected Lake Urmia, which is the second largest saltwater lake in the world. It has been in danger of drying up in recent years as a result of not allocating the required environmental flow (e-flow) due to the increase in water resource consumption in the agricultural sector and climate changes. In this study, a method derived from the flow duration curve shifting (FDCS) method is presented in addition to explaining the possibility of providing the e-flow of rivers leading to the lake. The method can make the least amount of change in the hydrological characteristics of rivers while providing the volume of required water by the ecosystem of lakes or downstream wetlands. Unlike the conventional method which presents the results on a monthly basis, the above-mentioned method is based on daily data of hydrometric stations and can calculate the amount of the environmental requirement of rivers in real-time according to the upstream inlet of the river. This method has been used in the Urmia Lake basin. According to the results, it can provide the environmental requirement of the lake by allocating 70.5% of the annual flow of rivers and thus can save the lake and the ecosystem of the region from the current critical conditions.
High expression of lncRNA PELATON serves as a risk factor for the incidence and prognosis of acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Chen Linmu , Huang Yunxiu
Published: May 2022

Atherosclerosis is the primary origin of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) diseases. Previous studies have shown that lncRNA plaque-enriched long noncoding RNA in atherosclerotic macrophage regulation (lncRNA PELATON) is a specific lncRNA in macrophage nuclei. This study aims to identify serum lncRNA PELATON as a biomarker for assessing the incidence and prognosis of ACS. Levels of serum lncRNA PELATON were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) in patients with ACS and healthy individuals. The clinical significance of lncRNA PELATON in patients with ACS was assessed by analyzing receiver operating characteristic and survival curves. The serum levels of lncRNA PELATON in patients with ACS were significantly higher than those in healthy individuals. LncRNA PELATON expression was positively correlated with the expression levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) (p < 0.05). LncRNA PELATON can be used as a potential diagnostic index with an AUC of 0.706 for unstable angina pectoris (UA), 0.782 for acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and 0.900 for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The incidence of major cardiovascular events in patients with ACS with high lncRNA PELATON expression was higher than that in those with low lncRNA PELATON expression. However, the mortality between patients in the high and low lncRNA PELATON groups was not significantly different. This study showed that higher levels of lncRNA PELATON were negatively correlated with the prognosis of ACS, revealing the potential of this measurement to serve as an index to assess the incidence and prognosis of ACS.
Analysis of particles containing alpha-emitters in stagnant water at torus room of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station’s Unit 2 reactor
Authors: Yomogida Takumi , Ouchi Kazuki , Oka Toshitaka , Kitatsuji Yoshihiro , Koma Yoshikazu , Konno Katuhiro
Published: May 2022

Particles containing alpha (α) nuclides were identified from sediment in stagnant water in the torus room of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station(FDiNPS)’s Unit 2 reactor. We analyzed uranium (U), which is the main component of nuclear fuel, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Other α-nuclides (plutonium [Pu], americium [Am], and curium [Cm]) were detected by alpha track detection and the morphology of particles with α-nuclides were analyzed by SEM-energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX) analysis. Several uranium-bearing particles ranging from sub-µm to several µm in size were identified by SEM observation. These particles contained zirconium (Zr) and other elements which constituted fuel cladding and structural materials. The 235U/238U isotope ratio in the solid fractions that included U particles was consistent with what was found for the nuclear fuel in the Unit 2 reactor. This indicated that the U of similar fuel composition had made finer. The α-nuclide-containing particles identified by alpha track analysis were several tens to several hundred µm in size. The EDX spectra showed that these particles mainly comprised iron (Fe). Since the amount of α-nuclide material was very small, Pu, Am, and Cm were adsorbed on the Fe particles. This study clarifies that the major morphologies of U and other α-nuclides in the sediment of stagnant water in the torus room of FDiNPS’s Unit 2 reactor differed.
Development of a system for the automated identification of herbarium specimens with high accuracy
Authors: Shirai Masato , Takano Atsuko , Kurosawa Takahide , Inoue Masahito , Tagane Shuichiro , Tanimoto Tomoya , Koganeyama Tohru , Sato Hirayuki , Terasawa Tomohiko , Horie Takehito , Mandai Isao , Akihiro Takashi
Published: May 2022

Herbarium specimens are dried plants mounted onto paper. They are used by a limited number of researchers, such as plant taxonomists, as a source of information on morphology and distribution. Recently, digitised herbarium specimens have begun to be used in comprehensive research to address broader issues. However, some specimens have been misidentified, and if used, there is a risk of drawing incorrect conclusions. In this study, we successfully developed a system for identifying taxon names with high accuracy using an image recognition system. We developed a system with an accuracy of 96.4% using 500,554 specimen images of 2171 plant taxa (2064 species, 9 subspecies, 88 varieties, and 10 forms in 192 families) that grow in Japan. We clarified where the artificial intelligence is looking to make decisions, and which taxa is being misidentified. As the system can be applied to digitalised images worldwide, it is useful for selecting and correcting misidentified herbarium specimens.
Evaluation of anterior cruciate ligament surgical reconstruction through finite element analysis
Authors: Risvas Konstantinos , Stanev Dimitar , Benos Lefteris , Filip Konstantinos , Tsaopoulos Dimitrios , Moustakas Konstantinos
Published: May 2022

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is one of the most common knee injuries. The ACL reconstruction surgery aims to restore healthy knee function by replacing the injured ligament with a graft. Proper selection of the optimal surgery parameters is a complex task. To this end, we developed an automated modeling framework that accepts subject-specific geometries and produces finite element knee models incorporating different surgical techniques. Initially, we developed a reference model of the intact knee, validated with data provided by the Open Knee(s) project. This helped us evaluate the effectiveness of estimating ligament stiffness directly from MRI. Next, we performed a plethora of “what-if” simulations, comparing responses with the reference model. We found that (a) increasing graft pretension and radius reduces relative knee displacement, (b) the correlation of graft radius and tension should not be neglected, (c) graft fixation angle of 20$$^{\circ }$$

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can reduce knee laxity, and (d) single-versus double-bundle techniques demonstrate comparable performance in restraining knee translation. In most cases, these findings confirm reported values from comparative clinical studies. The numerical models are made publicly available, allowing for experimental reuse and lowering the barriers for meta-studies. The modeling approach proposed here can complement orthopedic surgeons in their decision-making.
Coordination of voice, hands and feet in rhythm and beat performance
Authors: Mårup Signe Hagner , Møller Cecilie , Vuust Peter
Published: May 2022

Interlimb coordination is critical to the successful performance of simple activities in everyday life and it depends on precisely timed perception–action coupling. This is particularly true in music-making, where performers often use body-movements to keep the beat while playing more complex rhythmic patterns. In the current study, we used a musical rhythmic paradigm of simultaneous rhythm/beat performance to examine how interlimb coordination between voice, hands and feet is influenced by the inherent figure-ground relationship between rhythm and beat. Sixty right-handed participants—professional musicians, amateur musicians and non-musicians—performed three short rhythmic patterns while keeping the underlying beat, using 12 different combinations of voice, hands and feet. Results revealed a bodily hierarchy with five levels (1) left foot, (2) right foot, (3) left hand, (4) right hand, (5) voice, i.e., more precise task execution was observed when the rhythm was performed with an effector occupying a higher level in the hierarchy than the effector keeping the beat. The notion of a bodily hierarchy implies that the role assigned to the different effectors is key to successful interlimb coordination: the performance level of a specific effector combination differs considerably, depending on which effector holds the supporting role of the beat and which effector holds the conducting role of the rhythm. Although performance generally increased with expertise, the evidence of the hierarchy was consistent in all three expertise groups. The effects of expertise further highlight how perception influences action. We discuss the possibility that musicians’ more robust metrical prediction models make it easier for musicians to attenuate prediction errors than non-musicians. Overall, the study suggests a comprehensive bodily hierarchy, showing how interlimb coordination is influenced by hierarchical principles in both perception and action.
Label-free discrimination of tumorigenesis stages using in vitro prostate cancer bone metastasis model by Raman imaging
Authors: Kar Sumanta , Jaswandkar Sharad V. , Katti Kalpana S. , Kang Jeon Woong , So Peter T. C. , Paulmurugan Ramasamy , Liepmann Dorian , Venkatesan Renugopalakrishnan , Katti Dinesh R.
Published: May 2022

Metastatic prostate cancer colonizes the bone to pave the way for bone metastasis, leading to skeletal complications associated with poor prognosis and morbidity. This study demonstrates the feasibility of Raman imaging to differentiate between cancer cells at different stages of tumorigenesis using a nanoclay-based three-dimensional (3D) bone mimetic in vitro model that mimics prostate cancer bone metastasis. A comprehensive study comparing the classification of as received prostate cancer cells in a two-dimensional (2D) model and cancer cells in a 3D bone mimetic environment was performed over various time intervals using principal component analysis (PCA). Our results showed distinctive spectral differences in Raman imaging between prostate cancer cells and the cells cultured in 3D bone mimetic scaffolds, particularly at 1002, 1261, 1444, and 1654 cm−1, which primarily contain proteins and lipids signals. Raman maps capture sub-cellular responses with the progression of tumor cells into metastasis. Raman feature extraction via cluster analysis allows for the identification of specific cellular constituents in the images. For the first time, this work demonstrates a promising potential of Raman imaging, PCA, and cluster analysis to discriminate between cancer cells at different stages of metastatic tumorigenesis.
Non-linear relationships between density and demographic traits in three Aedes species
Authors: Sauers Logan A. , Hawes Kelsey E. , Juliano Steven A.
Published: May 2022

Understanding the relationship of population dynamics to density is central to many ecological investigations. Despite the importance of density-dependence in determining population growth, the empirical relationship between density andper capitagrowth remains understudied in most systems and is often assumed to be linear. In experimental studies of interspecific competition, investigators often evaluate the predicted outcomes by assuming such linear relationships, fitting linear functions, and estimating parameters of competition models. In this paper, we experimentally describe the shape of the relationship between estimated population rate of change and initial density using laboratory-reared populations of three mosquito species. We estimatedper capitagrowth rate for these experimental populations over a 30-fold range of larval densities at a standard resource abundance. We then compared fits of linear models and several different nonlinear models for the relationship of estimated rate of change and density. We find that that the relationship between density andper capitagrowth is strongly non-linear inAedes aegypti(Linnaeus),Aedes albopictus(Skuse),and Aedes triseriatus(Say) mosquitoes. Components of population growth (survivorship, development time, adult size) are also nonlinearly related to initial density. The causes and consequences of this nonlinearity are likely to be important issues for population and community ecology.
The capacity and organization of gustatory working memory
Authors: Lim Shirley Xue Li , Höchenberger Richard , Ruda Iryna , Fink Gereon R. , Viswanathan Shivakumar , Ohla Kathrin
Published: May 2022

Remembering a particular taste is crucial in food intake and associative learning. We investigated whether taste can be dynamically encoded, maintained, and retrieved on short time scales consistent with working memory (WM). We use novel single and multi-item taste recognition tasks to show that a single taste can be reliably recognized despite repeated oro-sensory interference suggesting active and resilient maintenance (Experiment 1, N = 21). When multiple tastes were presented (Experiment 2, N = 20), the resolution with which these were maintained depended on their serial position, and recognition was reliable for up to three tastes suggesting a limited capacity of gustatory WM. Lastly, stimulus similarity impaired recognition with increasing set size, which seemed to mask the awareness of capacity limitations. Together, the results advocate a hybrid model of gustatory WM with a limited number of slots where items are stored with varying precision.
The effectiveness of testing, vaccinations and contact restrictions for containing the CoViD-19 pandemic
Authors: Gabler Janoś , Raabe Tobias , Röhrl Klara , Gaudecker Hans-Martin von
Published: May 2022

In order to slow the spread of the CoViD-19 pandemic, governments around the world have enacted a wide set of policies limiting the transmission of the disease. Initially, these focused on non-pharmaceutical interventions; more recently, vaccinations and large-scale rapid testing have started to play a major role. The objective of this study is to explain the quantitative effects of these policies on determining the course of the pandemic, allowing for factors like seasonality or virus strains with different transmission profiles. To do so, the study develops an agent-based simulation model, which explicitly takes into account test demand and behavioral changes following positive tests. The model is estimated using data for the second and the third wave of the CoViD-19 pandemic in Germany. The paper finds that during a period where vaccination rates rose from 5 to 40%, seasonality and rapid testing had the largest effect on reducing infection numbers. Frequent large-scale rapid testing should remain part of strategies to contain CoViD-19; it can substitute for many non-pharmaceutical interventions that come at a much larger cost to individuals, society, and the economy.
Clinical evaluation and resting state fMRI analysis of virtual reality based training in Parkinson’s disease through a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hajebrahimi Farzin , Velioglu Halil Aziz , Bayraktaroglu Zubeyir , Helvaci Yilmaz Nesrin , Hanoglu Lutfu
Published: May 2022

There are few studies investigating the short-term effects of Virtual Reality based Exergaming (EG) on motor and cognition simultaneously and pursue the brain functional activity changes after these interventions in patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the synergistic therapeutic effects of Virtual Reality based EG on motor and cognitive symptoms in PD and its possible effects on neuroplasticity. Eligible patients with the diagnosis of PD were randomly assigned to one of the two study groups: (1) an experimental EG group, (2) an active control Exercise Therapy (ET) group. All patients participated in a 4-week exercise program consisting of 12 treatment sessions. Every session lasted 60 min. Participants underwent a motor evaluation, extensive neuropsychological assessment battery and rs-fMRI before and after the interventions. Thirty patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to the EG and ET groups. After the dropouts, 23 patients completed the assessments and interventions (11 in EG, 13 in ET). Within group analysis showed significant improvements in both groups. Between group comparisons considering the interaction of group × time effect, showed superiority of EG in terms of general cognition, delayed visual recall memory and Boston Naming Test. These results were consistent in the within-group and between-group analysis. Finally, rs-fMRI analysis showed increased activity in the precuneus region in the time × group interaction in the favor of EG group. EG can be an effective alternative in terms of motor and cognitive outcomes in patients with PD. Compared to ET, EG may affect brain functional connectivity and can have beneficial effects on patients’ cognitive functions and motor symptoms. Whenever possible, using EG and ET in combination, may have the better effects on patients daily living and patients can benefit from the advantages of both interventions.
Analysis of carbon emissions from land cover change during 2000 to 2020 in Shandong Province, China
Authors: Zhu Linye , Xing Huaqiao , Hou Dongyang
Published: May 2022

Land cover change affects the carbon emissions of ecosystems in some way. The qualitative and quantitative understanding of carbon emissions from human activities (e.g., land cover change, industrial production, etc.) is highly significant for realizing the objective of carbon neutrality. Therefore, this paper used GlobeLand30 land cover maps, annual average normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) data, annual average net ecosystem productivity (NEP) data and statistical yearbook data from 2000 to 2020 to explore the relationship between land cover change and carbon emissions. Specifically, it included land cover change, carbon storage changes influenced by land cover change, spatial and temporal analysis of carbon sources and sinks, land use intensity change and anthropogenic carbon emissions. The results of the study show that the main land cover changes in Shandong province during 2000–2020 was cultivated land conversion to artificial surfaces. Among them, the area of cultivated land converted to artificial surfaces from 2000 to 2010 was 4930.62 km2, and the proportion of cultivated land converted to artificial surfaces from 2010 to 2020 was as high as 78.35%. The total carbon stock of vegetation affected by land cover change decreased by 463.96 × 104 t and 193.50 × 104 t in 2000–2010 and 2010–2020 respectively. The spatial and temporal distribution of carbon sources and sinks differed more markedly from 2000 to 2020, and land use intensity changes in Shandong Province showed an upward trend. Of the total energy production, industry has the largest energy consumption, followed closely by total energy consumption in transportation, storage and postal services.