bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceptions and experiences of nursing students communicating with people living with dementia: The validation, emotion, reassure, activity (VERA) communication skills framework
Authors: Smyth Siobhan , Dempsey Laura , Jordan Fionnuala , Gannon Mary , McDonagh Rosaleen , Casey Dympna , Houghton Catherine
Published: April 2023

Background

There is an increased risk with advancing age that degenerative conditions such as dementia will affect a person's capacity to communicate. Thus, there is increased possibility that nursing students will be caring for this client group and will need to have the skills to communicate effectively. The Validation, Emotion, Reassure, Activity (VERA) framework is a communication tool developed for this purpose.

Objectives

This pilot study explored nursing students' perceptions and experiences of communicating with people with dementia incorporating the VERA communication skills framework.

Methods

Using a descriptive qualitative approach, second year undergraduate general nursing students were eligible for inclusion if they were assigned to complete their 4‐week clinical placement in the designated research site and were willing to participate. Students allocated to the designated research site (n = 6) in semester 1 received standard communication skills as part of the undergraduate programme and students allocated (n = 10) in semester 2 received 2.5 h of additional communication skills based on the VERA framework. Data were analysed using framework analysis as described by Ritchie & Spencer.

Results

The findings showed that students in both groups had initial reservations about communicating with people living with dementia. They employed several strategies including nonverbal techniques, distraction, reminiscence and life story work. However, students who received the VERA communication training felt more prepared to engage in these strategies because of the VERA training.

Conclusion

With increasing numbers of people with dementia accessing health care, it is crucial that future nursing staff are equipped to meet the specific care needs of this population; which includes effective communication. The VERA framework can be useful to structure communication for nursing students.

Implication for practice

The VERA training may be considered a useful framework for increasing undergraduate nursing students' knowledge and confidence in advance of clinical placements in older person's services. Nursing staff should continue to support students on clinical placements which involve caring for people with dementia and be cognisant of the trepidation students may have when first meeting this client group.
Comparison of a blind and an ultrasound‐guided technique for Retrobulbar anesthesia in dogs undergoing unilateral subconjunctival enucleation
Authors: Briley Jessica D. , Washington Demitrius , Westermeyer Hans D. , Posner Lysa P. , Chiavaccini Ludovica
Published: April 2023

Objective

This study compared the quality of retrobulbar anesthesia using a blind inferior‐temporal palpebral approach (ITP) with an ultrasound‐guided supratemporal (ST) technique in dogs undergoing unilateral enucleation.

Animal studied

Twenty‐one client‐owned dogs were undergoing enucleation.

Procedures

Dogs were randomly assigned to receive ITP (n = 10) or ST (n = 11) with 0.5% ropivacaine at 0.1 mL/cm of neurocranial length. The anesthetist was blinded to the technique. Intraoperative data included cardiopulmonary variables, inhalant anesthetics requirement, and requirement for rescue analgesia (intravenous fentanyl 2.5 mcg/kg). Postoperative data included pain scores, sedation scores, and need for intravenous hydromorphone (0.05 mg/kg). Treatments were compared using Wilcoxon's rank sum test or Fisher's exact test as appropriate. Comparison of variables over time were tested using a mixed effect linear model on rank. Significance was set at p = 0.05.

Results

Intraoperative cardiopulmonary variables and inhalant requirements were not different between groups. Dogs receiving ITP required median (interquartile range, IQR) 1.25 (0, 2.5) mcg/kg intraoperative fentanyl while those receiving ST required none (p < 0.01). Intraoperative fentanyl was required in 5/10 and 0/11 of dogs in the ITP and ST groups, respectively (p = 0.01). Postoperative analgesia requirements were not significantly different between groups; 2/10 and 1/10 dogs in the ITP and ST groups, respectively. Sedation score negatively affected pain score (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

The ultrasound‐guided ST technique was more effective at decreasing intraoperative opioid requirements than the blind ITP approach in dogs undergoing unilateral enucleation.
On distributions of velocity random fields in turbulent flows
Authors: Li Jiawei , Qian Zhongmin , Zhou Mingrui
Published: April 2023

The present paper aims to derive a partial differential equation (PDE) for the single‐time single‐point probability density function (PDF) of the velocity field of a turbulent flow. The PDF PDE is a highly non‐linear parabolic‐transport equation, which depends on two conditional statistical numerics of important physical significance. The PDF PDE is a general form of the classical Reynolds mean flow equation (O. Reynolds, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. A 186 (1895), 123–164. http://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1895.0004) and is a precise formulation of the PDF transport equation (S. B. Pope, Turbulent flows, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840531.). The PDF PDE provides us with a new method for modelling turbulence. An explicit example is constructed. Though the example is seemingly artificial, it demonstrates the PDF method based on the new PDF PDE.
The skew Brownian permuton: A new universality class for random constrained permutations
Authors: Borga Jacopo
Published: April 2023

We construct a new family of random permutons, called skew Brownian permuton, which describes the limits of several models of random constrained permutations. This family is parameterized by two real parameters. For a specific choice of the parameters, the skew Brownian permuton coincides with the Baxter permuton, that is, the permuton limit of Baxter permutations. We prove that for another specific choice of the parameters, the skew Brownian permuton coincides with the biased Brownian separable permuton, a one‐parameter family of permutons previously studied in the literature as the limit of uniform permutations in substitution‐closed classes. This brings two different limiting objects under the same roof, identifying a new larger universality class. The skew Brownian permuton is constructed in terms of flows of solutions of certain stochastic differential equations (SDEs) driven by two‐dimensional correlated Brownian excursions in the nonnegative quadrant. We call these SDEs skew perturbed Tanaka equations because they are a mixture of the perturbed Tanaka equations and the equations encoding skew Brownian motions. We prove existence and uniqueness of (strong) solutions for these new SDEs. In addition, we show that some natural permutons arising from Liouville quantum gravity (LQG) spheres decorated with two Schramm–Loewner evolution (SLE) curves are skew Brownian permutons and such permutons cover almost the whole range of possible parameters. Some connections between constrained permutations and decorated planar maps have been investigated in the literature at the discrete level; this paper establishes this connection directly at the continuum level. Proving the latter result, we also give an SDE interpretation of some quantities related to SLE‐decorated LQG spheres.
A Data-Driven Framework for Computationally Efficient Integration of Chemical Kinetics Using Neural Ordinary Differential Equations
Authors: Bansude Shubhangi , Imani Farhad , Sheikhi Reza
Published: April 2023

A data-driven methodology is introduced for computationally efficient integration of systems of stiff rate equations in chemical kinetics using neural ordinary differential equations (NODE). A systematic algorithm is developed for training data generation and sampling. Subsequently, a novel transformation technique for sampled training data is designed to regularize the neural network parameters, leading to a stable training process. Finally, the NODE network is iteratively trained to learn the accurate neural network representation of chemical kinetics source terms by minimizing the mean absolute error between the true and predicted solutions. The computational efficiency and accuracy of the NODE network are evaluated by simulating the evolution of the thermochemical state of a constant pressure homogeneous hydrogen-air reactor. The combustion of hydrogen in air is described by a finite-rate mechanism including 9 chemical species and 21 reaction steps. The NODE network shows excellent multi-step prediction accuracy for a wide range of initial temperatures and equivalence ratios, spanning the composition space of real flames. The NODE also exhibit a significant reduction in numerical stiffness of the system, enabling the utilization of explicit solvers for integration. The present simulation results using NODE demonstrate up to 70% speed up in computation time compared to direct integration of the chemical mechanism with at most 3.16% relative error in ignition delay time.
Interaction Mechanism of Transonic Squealer Tip Cooling With the Effect of High-Speed Relative Casing Motion
Authors: Xie W. , Lu S. , Jiang H. , Peng X. , Zhang Q.
Published: April 2023

The relative casing motion can significantly influence the turbine blade tip aerothermal performance. In this study, experimental investigation was conducted in a newly developed high-speed disk rotor rig which can mimic engine realistic high-speed casing relative motion while enabling full optical access to a transonic turbine blade tip surface. Spatially-resolved tip heat transfer data, including heat transfer coefficient and film cooling effectiveness, were obtained for a cooled transonic squealer tip by infrared transient thermal measurement. Combined with closely coupled Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, this paper reveals an interesting interaction mechanism between the cooling injections from the pressure side and the cavity floor with and without the effect of relative casing motion. Both experimental data and CFD results show a consistent trend in both heat transfer and cooling performance. With cavity cooling only, the cooling performance reduces with the effect of relative casing motion. However, with additional cooling injection from the pressure side, a significant improvement in the combined cooling performance with the relative casing motion can be observed. Such opposite trend highlights the importance of relative casing motion when ranking different tip cooling designs. With the consideration of relative casing motion, extra tip cooling benefit can be obtained by combining cooling injections from two different locations.
Tire-Road Friction Coefficient Estimation Based on Fusion of Model- and Data-Based Methods
Authors: Tang Jian , Dourra Hussein , Zhu Guoming
Published: April 2023

The tire-road interaction generates vehicle driving forces, which affect vehicle performance such as maximum acceleration and stability. Sequential extended Kalman filter (S-EKF) integrated with a slope method has been used for tire-road friction coefficient estimation with its own limitations, along with several “cause-based” and “effect-based” methods. This research proposes a new stochastic-based evaluation criterion using existing vehicle sensor signals with the help of the data-driven Kriging model. The proposed estimation method is validated by both CarSim™ simulation and experimental studies, respectively, under different road conditions. The results show that the proposed novel criterion has a strong correlation with the road friction coefficient and provide an improved tire-road friction coefficient estimation. A signal fusion estimation scheme based on both S-EKF and proposed evaluations is developed to improve estimation robustness.
Minimum Sampling Frequency for Accurate and Reliable Tibial Acceleration Measurements During Rearfoot Strike Running in the Field
Authors: Aubol Kevin G. , Milner Clare E.
Published: April 2023

Field-based tibial acceleration measurements are increasingly common but sampling frequencies vary between accelerometers. The purpose of this study was to determine the minimum sampling frequency needed for reliable and accurate measurement of peak axial and resultant tibial acceleration during running in the field. Tibial acceleration was measured at 7161 Hz in 19 healthy runners on concrete and grass. Acceleration data were down sampled to approximate previously used sampling frequencies. Peak axial and resultant tibial acceleration were calculated for each sampling frequency. The within-session reliability and accuracy of peak axial and resultant tibial accelerations were evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients, mean differences, and 95% limits of agreements. Intraclass correlation coefficients greater than .9 indicated excellent within-session reliability for both peak axial and resultant tibial acceleration measured while running on concrete and grass. Peak axial and resultant tibial accelerations were 0.5 to 1.4 g lower and minimal detectable differences were up to 0.6 g higher at 102 Hz compared with higher sampling frequencies. We recommend a minimum sampling frequency of 199 Hz for accurate and reliable measurements of peak axial and resultant tibial acceleration in the field.
Formation of active sites on transition metals through reaction-driven migration of surface atoms
Authors: Xu Lang , Papanikolaou Konstantinos G. , Lechner Barbara A. J. , Je Lisa , Somorjai Gabor A. , Salmeron Miquel , Mavrikakis Manos
Published: April 2023

Adopting low-index single-crystal surfaces as models for metal nanoparticle catalysts has been questioned by the experimental findings of adsorbate-induced formation of subnanometer clusters on several single-crystal surfaces. We used density functional theory calculations to elucidate the conditions that lead to cluster formation and show how adatom formation energies enable efficient screening of the conditions required for adsorbate-induced cluster formation. We studied a combination of eight face-centered cubic transition metals and 18 common surface intermediates and identified systems relevant to catalytic reactions, such as carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation and ammonia (NH
3
) oxidation. We used kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to elucidate the CO-induced cluster formation process on a copper surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy of CO on a nickel (111) surface that contains steps and dislocations points to the structure sensitivity of this phenomenon. Metal-metal bond breaking that leads to the evolution of catalyst structures under realistic reaction conditions occurs much more broadly than previously thought.
Lead zirconate titanate ceramics with aligned crystallite grains
Authors: Li Jinglei , Qu Wanbo , Daniels John , Wu Haijun , Liu Linjing , Wu Jie , Wang Mingwen , Checchia Stefano , Yang Shuai , Lei Haobin , Lv Rui , Zhang Yang , Wang Danyang , Li Xuexin , Ding Xiangdong , Sun Jun , Xu Zhuo , Chang Yunfei , Zhang Shujun , Li Fei
Published: April 2023

The piezoelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate [Pb(Zr,Ti)O
3
or PZT] ceramics could be enhanced by fabricating textured ceramics that would align the crystal grains along specific orientations. We present a seed-passivated texturing process to fabricate textured PZT ceramics by using newly developed Ba(Zr,Ti)O
3
microplatelet templates. This process not only ensures the template-induced grain growth in titanium-rich PZT layers but also facilitates desired composition through interlayer diffusion of zirconium and titanium. We successfully prepared textured PZT ceramics with outstanding properties, including Curie temperatures of 360°C, piezoelectric coefficients
d
33
of 760 picocoulombs per newton and
g
33
of 100 millivolt meters per newton, and electromechanical couplings
k
33
of 0.85. This study addresses the challenge of fabricating textured rhombohedral PZT ceramics by suppressing the otherwise severe chemical reaction between PZT powder and titanate templates.
Chemically circular, mechanically tough, and melt-processable polyhydroxyalkanoates
Authors: Zhou Li , Zhang Zhen , Shi Changxia , Scoti Miriam , Barange Deepak K. , Gowda Ravikumar R. , Chen Eugene Y.-X.
Published: April 2023

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have attracted increasing interest as sustainable plastics because of their biorenewability and biodegradability in the ambient environment. However, current semicrystalline PHAs face three long-standing challenges to broad commercial implementation and application: lack of melt processability, mechanical brittleness, and unrealized recyclability, the last of which is essential for achieving a circular plastics economy. Here we report a synthetic PHA platform that addresses the origin of thermal instability by eliminating α-hydrogens in the PHA repeat units and thus precluding facile cis-elimination during thermal degradation. This simple α,α-disubstitution in PHAs enhances the thermal stability so substantially that the PHAs become melt-processable. Synergistically, this structural modification also endows the PHAs with the mechanical toughness, intrinsic crystallinity, and closed-loop chemical recyclability.
Helping honey bees help themselves
Authors: Wagoner Kaira
Published: April 2023

Pheromone-based technology benefits bee breeding and health to bolster food security
Making sense of the sacred
The Transcendent Brain: Spirituality in the Age of Science
Alan Lightman
Pantheon, 2023. 208 pp.
Authors: Gomez-Marin Alex
Published: April 2023

A physicist attempts to reconcile inspiring experiences with materialistic beliefs
Alternating the current direction
Authors: Guo Peng , Ye Ke-Yin
Published: April 2023

Waveform-controlled electrolysis enables the carbon-carbon coupling of carboxylic acids
In Science Journals
Authors: Malo Courtney S. , Kelly Priscilla N. , Suleymanov Yury , Osborne Ian S. , Yeston Jake , Szuromi Phil , Grocholski Brent , Williams Ifor , Alderton Gemma , Funk Michael A. , Scanlon Seth Thomas , Foley John F. , Jiang Di
Published: April 2023

Highlights from the
Science
family of journals
In Other Journals
Authors: Smith H. Jesse , Stern Peter , Uzogara Ekeoma , Maroso Mattia , Jiang Di , Osborne Ian S. , Yeston Jake
Published: April 2023

Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature
Dispute simmers over who first shared SARS-CoV-2’s genome
Authors: Enserink Martin
Published: April 2023

Scientists suggest that GISAID, a prominent database of virus sequences, is rewriting pandemic history
Promising Alzheimer’s therapies shrink brains
Authors: Couzin-Frankel Jennifer
Published: April 2023

Effects of antiamyloid antibody drugs worry some scientists, who call for more study
Low-cost array hunts radio bursts, black holes
Authors: Clery Daniel
Published: April 2023

Closely packed telescope dishes enable wide-field, real-time sky surveys
Individual Components of Polymyxin B Modeled via Population Pharmacokinetics to Design Humanized Dosage Regimens for a Bloodstream and Lung Infection Model in Immune-Competent Mice
Authors: Jiao Yuanyuan , Yan Jun , Vicchiarelli Michael , Sutaria Dhruvitkumar S. , Lu Peggy , Reyna Zeferino , Spellberg Brad , Bonomo Robert A. , Drusano George L. , Louie Arnold , Luna Brian M. , Bulitta Jürgen B.
Published: April 2023

Polymyxin B is a “last-line-of-defense” antibiotic approved in the 1960s. However, the population pharmacokinetics (PK) of its four main components has not been reported in infected mice. We aimed to determine the PK of polymyxin B1, B1-Ile, B2, and B3 in a murine bloodstream and lung infection model of
Acinetobacter baumannii
and develop humanized dosage regimens.
Intrinsic Resistance to Colistin in the Genus
Hafnia
Authors: Turbett Sarah E. , Bronson Ryan A. , Worby Colin J. , McGrath Graham E. G. , Hodgkins Emily , Becker Margaret , Belford Barbara , Kogut Lucyna , Oliver Elizabeth , Ryan Edward T. , LaRocque Regina C. , Earl Ashlee M. , Pierce Virginia M.
Published: April 2023

A bacterial species is considered to be intrinsically resistant to an antimicrobial when nearly all of the wild-type isolates (i.e., those without acquired resistance) exhibit minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values that are sufficiently high such that susceptibility testing is unnecessary, and that the antimicrobial should not be considered for therapy. Accordingly, knowledge of intrinsic resistance influences both the selection of treatment regimens and the approach to susceptibility testing in the clinical laboratory, where unexpected results also facilitate the recognition of microbial identification or susceptibility testing errors.
Type I Interferon Orchestrates Demand-Adapted Monopoiesis during Influenza A Virus Infection via STAT1-Mediated Upregulation of Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Receptor Expression
Authors: Lin Sue-Jane , Lin Kai-Min , Chen Shi-Yo Jill , Ku Chia-Chi , Huang Chen-Wei , Huang Chi-Hsiang , Gale Michael , Tsai Ching-Hwa
Published: April 2023

Our findings show that influenza A virus infection induces type I interferon (IFN)-mediated emergency hematopoiesis to expand the GMP population in the bone marrow. The type I IFN-STAT1 axis was identified as being involved in mediating the viral-infection-driven demand-adapted monopoiesis by upregulating M-CSFR expression in the GMP population.
Evolutionarily Young African Rhinoceros Gammaretroviruses
Authors: Tsangaras Kyriakos , Mayer Jens , Mirza Omar , Dayaram Anisha , Higgins Damien P. , Bryant Benn , Campbell-Ward Michelle , Sangster Cheryl , Casteriano Andrea , Höper Dirk , Beer Martin , Greenwood Alex D.
Published: April 2023

Rhinoceros genomes were thought to be devoid of gammaretroviruses, as has been determined for other perissodactyls (horses, tapirs, and rhinoceros). While this may be true of most rhinoceros, the African white and black rhinoceros genomes have been colonized by evolutionarily young gammaretroviruses (SimumERV and DicerosERV for the white and black rhinoceros, respectively).
HtpG Is a Metal-Dependent Chaperone Which Assists the DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE Chaperone System of Mycobacterium tuberculosis via Direct Association with DnaJ2
Authors: Mangla Nikita , Singh Ramandeep , Agarwal Nisheeth
Published: April 2023

M. tuberculosis
is exposed to variety of extracellular stressful conditions and has evolved mechanisms to endure and adapt to the adverse conditions for survival. mHtpG, despite being dispensable for
M. tuberculosis
growth under
in vitro
conditions, exhibits a strong and direct association with DnaJ2 cochaperone and assists the mycobacterial DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE (KJE) chaperone system. These findings suggest the potential role of mHtpG in stress management of the pathogen.
Intertwined Dysregulation of Ribosomal Proteins and Immune Response Delineates SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Breakthroughs
Authors: Maurya Ranjeet , Shamim Uzma , Mishra Pallavi , Swaminathan Aparna , Raina Aakarshan , Tarai Bansidhar , Budhiraja Sandeep , Pandey Rajesh
Published: April 2023

The development of multiple vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection is an unprecedented milestone achieved globally. Immunization of the mass population is a rigorous process for getting the pandemic under control, yet continuous challenges are being faced, one of them being breakthrough infections.
Resistance of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
to Phage hvKpP3 Due to High-Molecular Weight Lipopolysaccharide Synthesis Failure
Authors: Geng Huaixin , Song Lingjie , Yang Xianggui , Xing Siyu , Wang Rui , Xu Ying , Jia Xu , Luan Guangxin
Published: April 2023

Multidrug-resistant (MDR)
Klebsiella pneumoniae
strains pose a particular threat to human health. Therefore, it is very important for us to isolate phage and overcome phage resistance.
First Report of OXA-181-Producing
Enterobacterales
Isolates in Latin America
Authors: Cuicapuza Diego , Alvarado Luis , Tocasca Norah , Aguilar Daniel , Gómez-de-la-Torre Juan Carlos , Salvatierra Guillermo , Tsukayama Pablo , Tamariz Jesús
Published: April 2023

Reports of carbapenemase-producing
Enterobacterales
(CPE) isolates are increasing worldwide. Accurate detection of the β-lactamase OXA-181 (a variant of OXA-48) is important to initiate therapy and preventive measures in the clinic.
Early Cretaceous (late Barremian−Early Albian) expanding aeolian activity in East Asia: Evidence from the stratigraphic evolution of aeolian deposition in the Baiyin-Jingyuan Basin, northern China
Authors: Wang Fei , Li Zaijun , Sun Xiaoyun , Zhao Jie , Fan Yuxin , Xia Dunsheng , Ayyamperumal Ramamoorthy , Li Baofeng
Published: April 2023

Cretaceous aeolian deposition is important for understanding variations of the tropical−subtropical atmospheric circulation under the greenhouse background. Nevertheless, detailed records revealing the response of aeolian deposition to rising atmospheric CO2 are still lacking. To shed light on their linkage, we examined the Early Cretaceous stratigraphic evolution of the Hekou Group in the Baiyin-Jingyuan Basin, northern China, using multiple methods. The results indicate that the lower Hekou Group is characterized by a transition from submerged alluvial to shallow lacustrine deposition. Overlying these facies is loess-like deposition without bedding, distinguished by grain-size distribution, surface microtextures, and geochemical analysis, which is followed by palustrine deposition. In the palustrine deposition, aeolian sand-dune and sand-sheet deposition can be identified, which gradually developed upward in the Hekou Group, with intercalated wet interdunes, damp interdunes, and pebble-sand sheetflood beds. Finally, aeolian sand dunes and sand sheets dominated the upper Hekou Group. Overall, the upward-changing facies indicated the development of aeolian deposition from an aqueous environment, revealing a long-term paleoclimatic shift from semi-humid, semi-arid to extremely arid, which reflects the expanded aeolian activity in East Asia during the Early Cretaceous. Furthermore, various records were combined to investigate the expanding aeolian activity in East Asia, which indicates a west−east-trending arid belt that was wider than the modern counterpart during the late Barremian−Early Aptian and late Aptian−Early Albian, respectively. These stepwise expansions of aeolian activity were mainly driven by rising atmospheric CO2, which strengthened the subsiding branches of Hadley circulation and the subtropical high, eventually leading to intensified aridification.
Age-related effects of high-frequency LED lighting in laying hens. Part 1: blood physiological variables
Authors: Olanrewaju Hammed A. , Purswell Joseph L. , Evans Jeff D. , Collier Stephanie D. , Branton Scott L.
Published: April 2023

Light impacts layer hen's welfare and production. This study investigated the effects of a novel LED light system on blood physiological variables in laying hens. In each of the two trials, 320-layer pullets were allocated to 16 groups of 20 birds. Treatments included the prototype LED lighting (two rooms) and the conventional 2700 K LED bulbs (two rooms). On each sampling day, blood samples were collected and analyzed immediately. Results show that only a few physiological variables were affected by treatments, but age had effects on most examined variables. No effects of treatments or age on plasma corticosterone signify a similar level of physiological stress.
Quasifission barriers of heavy ion fusion reaction leading to the synthesis of superheavy nuclei 104 ≤ Z ≤ 126 with actinide targets
Authors: Gupta P. S. Damodara , Sowmya N. , Sridhar K. N. , Manjunatha H. C. , Ganesh T.
Published: April 2023

Quasifission barriers were studied in the superheavy region [Formula: see text] using different projectile-target combinations. The different entrance channels parameters on quasifission barriers give an insight into the formation of compound nuclei and quasifission process. The quasifission barriers are more systematic for [Formula: see text]. The effect of compound nucleus fissility [Formula: see text] and effective entrance channel fissility [Formula: see text] on quasifission barriers were investigated. The quasifission barriers are strongly influenced by [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] entrance channel parameters. The detailed investigations of entrance channel parameters on quasifission barriers provide a thorough understanding of compound nuclei formation in the superheavy element in the region [Formula: see text]. Eventually, this study helps in the selection of projectile-target combinations to synthesis of superheavy nuclei.
Does magnetized strange quark matter exist in the early universe?
Authors: Kalkan Sinem , Aktaş Can , Aygün Sezgin
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we have examined the magnetized strange quark matter (MSQM) distribution in the inhomogeneous anisotropic Einstein–Rosen universe model within the framework of [Formula: see text] theory and General Relativity (GR) in order to investigate whether there was a magnetic field in the first moments of the universe. With the help of the arbitrary [Formula: see text] function, we researched for solutions in both theories for various cases. We have seen that the cubic function [Formula: see text] gives meaningful results in both theories. We have obtained magnetic field-free strange quark matter solutions for the quadratic and constant states of the arbitrary function [Formula: see text]. It is seen that the choice of geometry (selection of the [Formula: see text] function) has an effect on the presence of the magnetic field. Finally, the physical results are examined on 3D graph.
Physical content of the bosonized light-front Schwinger model
Authors: Martinovic̆ L’ubomír
Published: April 2023

The light-front Schwinger model in the bosonized form is analyzed focusing on its global properties. We point out that the gauge invariance of the original fermionic form of the model is lost after bosonization. Consequently, the previously found theta-vacuum structure based on the residual large gauge transformation is actually not an intrinsic property of the bosonized form of the model. We analyze the corresponding field equations without any “gauge fixing” in both the light-front and space-like (“instant-form”) versions of the model and find the coinciding results: the axial-vector anomaly is automatically present and the spectrum of the model is given by a massive boson with the mass [Formula: see text]. Finally, we characterize and critically assess properties of the bosonized LF Schwinger model, found in the previous studies.
Generalized Willmore energies, Q-curvatures, extrinsic Paneitz operators, and extrinsic Laplacian powers
Authors: Blitz Samuel , Gover A. Rod , Waldron Andrew
Published: April 2023

Over forty years ago, Paneitz, and independently Fradkin and Tseytlin, discovered a fourth-order conformally invariant differential operator, intrinsically defined on a conformal manifold, mapping scalars to scalars. This operator is a special case of the so-termed extrinsic Paneitz operator defined in the case when the conformal manifold is itself a conformally embedded hypersurface. In particular, this encodes the obstruction to smoothly solving the five-dimensional scalar Laplace equation, and suitable higher dimensional analogs, on conformally compact structures with constant scalar curvature. Moreover, the extrinsic Paneitz operator can act on tensors of general type by dint of being defined on tractor bundles. Motivated by a host of applications, we explicitly compute the extrinsic Paneitz operator. We apply this formula to obtain: an extrinsically-coupled [Formula: see text]-curvature for embedded four-manifolds, the anomaly in renormalized volumes for conformally compact five-manifolds with negative constant scalar curvature, Willmore energies for embedded four-manifolds, the local obstruction to smoothly solving the five-dimensional singular Yamabe problem, and new extrinsically-coupled fourth- and sixth-order operators for embedded surfaces and four-manifolds, respectively.
Incidence varieties in the projectivized kth Hodge bundle over curves with rational tails
Authors: Gheorghita Iulia , Tarasca Nicola
Published: April 2023

Over the moduli space of pointed smooth algebraic curves, the projectivized [Formula: see text]th Hodge bundle is the space of [Formula: see text]-canonical divisors. The incidence loci are defined by requiring the [Formula: see text]-canonical divisors to have prescribed multiplicities at the marked points. We compute the classes of the closure of the incidence loci in the projectivized [Formula: see text]th Hodge bundle over the moduli space of curves with rational tails. The classes are expressed as a linear combination of tautological classes indexed by decorated stable graphs with coefficients enumerating appropriate weightings. As a consequence, we obtain an explicit expression for some relations in tautological rings of moduli of curves with rational tails.
Pinwheels as Lagrangian barriers
Authors: Brendel Joé , Schlenk Felix
Published: April 2023

The complex projective plane [Formula: see text] contains certain Lagrangian CW-complexes called pinwheels, which have interesting rigidity properties related to solutions of the Markov equation, see for example [J. Evans and I. Smith, Markov numbers and Lagrangian cell complexes in the complex projective plane, Geom. Topol. 22 (2018) 1143–1180]. We compute the Gromov width of the complement of pinwheels and show that it is strictly smaller than the Gromov width of [Formula: see text], meaning that pinwheels are Lagrangian barriers in the sense of [P. Biran, Lagrangian barriers and symplectic embeddings, Geom. Funct. Anal. 11 (2001) 407–464]. The accumulation points of the set of these Gromov widths are in a simple bijection with the Lagrange spectrum below [Formula: see text].
Shearlet Transform-Based Novel Method for Multimodality Medical Image Fusion Using Deep Learning
Authors: Mergin Ancy , Premi M. S. Godwin
Published: April 2023

Multi-modality medical image fusion (MMIF) methods were widely used in a variety of clinical settings. For specialists, MMIF could provide an image containing anatomical and physiological information that can help develop diagnostic procedures. Different models linked to MMIF were proposed previously. However, there would be a need to enhance the functionality of prior methodologies. In this proposed model, a unique fusion model depending upon optimal thresholding and deep learning approaches are presented. An enhanced monarch butterfly optimization (EMBO) determines an optimal threshold with fusion rules as in shearlet transform. The efficiency of the fusion process mainly depends on the fusion rule and the optimization of the fusion rule can improve the efficiency of the fusion. The extraction element of the deep learning approach was then utilized to fuse high- and low-frequency sub-bands. The fusion technique was carried out using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The studies were carried out for MRI and CT images. The fusion results were attained and the proposed model was proved to offer effective performance with reduced values of error and improved values of correlation.
Analysis of magma flux and eruption intensity during the 2021 explosive activity at La Soufrière, St Vincent, West Indies
Authors: Sparks Steve R. J. , Aspinall Willy P. , Barclay Jenni , Renfrew Ian A. , Contreras-Arratia Rodrigo , Stewart Rod
Published: April 2023

Real-time Seismic Amplitude Measurement signals and eruption cloud height measurements were used to estimate peak intensities of 40 explosive events during the 8–22 April 2021 activity of La Soufrière volcano. We estimated magma supply rates and erupted volumes in each explosion, characterized uncertainty by stochastic modelling and identified four eruptive stages. Stage 1 included an intense period of 9.5 hours with 11 explosive events with peak eruption intensity between 2000 and 4000 m
3
s
−1
and magma supply rate reaching 828 m
3
s
−1
. Twelve high-intensity explosions (
c.
4000 m
3
s
−1
) occurred in Stage 2 with average magma supply rate of 251 m
3
s
−1
. Stage 3 involved both declining intensity and magma supply rate and lengthening repose periods between explosions. Stage 4 involved three much weaker explosions. The total erupted volume of magma is estimated at 38.5 × 10
6
m
3
(90% credible interval: [22.0 .. 61.9] × 10
6
m
3
) consistent with independent estimates from analysis of tephra deposits and volcano subsidence sourced at
c.
6 km depth. The 150-fold increase in magma supply rate, from the preceding effusive phase to Stage 1 of the explosive phase, is attributed to replacement of very high-viscosity degassed magma occupying the shallow conduit system with new, lower-viscosity, volatile-rich magma from the magma chamber.
Effects of Molecular Structure of Cross-Linked Solid Polymer Electrolytes on Ionic Conduction Behavior
Authors: Otake Yui , Hiraoka Koji , Takahashi Keitaro , Ohashi Shuo , Matsuyama Mutsuhiro , Kubota Sho , Kato Yushi , Seki Shiro
Published: April 2023

To improve the safety and energy density of Li batteries, all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are desired. Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are expected to be promising candidates, owing to features such as their high flexibility and formability. To achieve high-performance ASSBs, we investigated molecular structure design by fabricating two types of SPEs. First, chemically cross-linked polyethylene oxide/polypropylene oxide (P(EO/PO))-based SPEs were formed with low-molecular-weight PEO as side chains. Second, physically cross-linked SPEs were fabricated with short PEO chains (G2) as soft-units and norbornene (NB) as hard-units with intramolecular phase separation. Evaluation of the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of these SPEs was carried out, and the degree of dissociation of the Li salt was investigated by Raman spectroscopy. The phenomenon of decoupling between the segmental motion of the SPEs and ionic conduction was confirmed by Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman equation analysis. P(NB/G2)-based SPEs also exhibited high thermal stability, which originated from the NB unit, according to TG-DTA and DSC measurements. Furthermore, ionic conductivity increased monotonically with the Li salt concentration, in contrast to conventional PEO-based SPEs. Physically cross-linked SPEs achieved thedecouplingof ionic conduction from their segmental motion owing to their differences between the ionic and structural components of the SPEs.
Impact of health behaviors on community well-being and resilience: teaching K-12 students with Jenga!
Authors: Wehmanen Kyle W. , Cottet-Puinel Felix E. , Hampton Tyler C. , Hamlin Gwyn T. , Wedig Isaac J. , Elmer Steven J.
Published: April 2023

We describe how K-12 students played Jenga to learn about the connections between health living habits, disease, and community well-being and resilience.
Size-dependent differences in mitochondrial volume density in phrenic motor neurons
Authors: Fogarty Matthew J. , Rana Sabhya , Mantilla Carlos B. , Sieck Gary C.
Published: April 2023

Type S and FR motor units, comprising smaller phrenic motor neurons (PhMNs) are regularly activated to perform indefatigable ventilatory requirements. By contrast, type FF motor units, comprising larger PhMNs, are infrequently activated to perform expulsive straining and airway defense maneuvers. This difference in activation history is mirrored in the mitochondrial volume density (MVD), with smaller PhMNs having higher MVD than larger PhMNs. In proximal dendrites, this trend was reversed, with larger PhMNs having higher MVD than smaller PhMNs, likely due to the maintenance requirements for the larger dendritic arbor of FF PhMNs.
Effects of obesity, pneumoperitoneum, and body position on mechanical power of intraoperative ventilation: an observational study
Authors: Tharp William G. , Neilson Maegan R. , Breidenstein Max W. , Harned Ryan G. , Chatfield Sydney E. , Friend Alexander F. , Nunez Denis , Abnet Kevin R. , Farhang Borzoo , Klick John C. , Horn Nathan , Bender S. Patrick , Bates Jason H. T. , Dixon Anne E.
Published: April 2023

Mechanical power describes the complex interaction between a patient’s lungs and the ventilator and may be useful in predicting lung injury. However, its behavior in obesity and during dynamic surgical conditions is not understood. We comprehensively quantified ventilation bioenergetics and effects of body habitus and common surgical conditions. These data show body habitus is a prime determinant of intraoperative mechanical power and provide quantitative context for future translation toward a useful perioperative prognostic measurement.
Fixed-Point Theorems for
ω
−
ψ
-Interpolative Hardy-Rogers-Suzuki-Type Contraction in a Compact Quasipartial
b
-Metric Space
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Chilongola Jonasi
Published: April 2023

This paper is aimed at proving the existence and uniqueness of a common fixed point for a pair of

ω
−
ψ

-interpolative Hardy-Rogers-Suzuki-type contractions in the context of quasipartial

b

-metric space. Thus, several results in literature such as Hardy and Rogers, Suzuki, and others have been generalized in this work. We also offer a demonstrative example and an application of fractional differential equations to validate the findings.
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 Ameliorates LPS-Induced Acute Kidney Injury through Detoxification of 4-HNE and Suppression of the MAPK Pathway
Authors: Jin Jifu , Chang Rebecca Suchi , Xu Sujuan , Xia Guang , Wong Jennifer Ming Jen , Fang Yi , Jia Ping , Ding Xiaoqiang
Published: April 2023

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic acute kidney injury (AKI) is determined as a devastating organ dysfunction elicited by an inappropriate response to infection with high morbidity and mortality rates. Previous evidence has illustrated an indispensable role of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) in the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced multiorgan abnormalities. Specifically, this study investigated the potential role of ALDH2 in sepsis-induced AKI. After LPS administration, we observed a significant decline in renal function, increased inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) accumulation, and apoptosis via MAPK activation in ALDH2−/− mice; in contrast, pretreatment with Alda-1 (an ALDH2 activator) alleviated the LPS-induced dysfunctions in mice. Moreover, in vitro analysis revealed that ALDH2 overexpression in mouse tubular epithelial cells (mTECs) improved the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, 4-HNE accumulation, and apoptosis via MAPK inhibition, whereas ALDH2 knockdown in mTECs aggravated these parameters via MAPK activation. Therefore, ALDH2 may protect against LPS-induced septic AKI by suppressing 4-HNE/MAPK pathway.
The Addition of Opuntia ficus-indica Ethanolic Extract to a Skimmed Milk‐Based Extender Impacts Ram Sperm Quality
Authors: Allai Larbi , Druart Xavier , Terzioğlu Pinar , Louanjli Noureddine , Nasser Boubker , Ozturk Mehmet , El Amiri Bouchra
Published: April 2023

Recently, researchers have focused on the use of natural antioxidants to improve semen quality as a key element for successful artificial insemination. In this context, the first aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity and composition (minerals, vitamins, and sugars) of Opuntia ficus-indica cladode ethanolic extract (ETHEX). A further purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of ETHEX supplementation on the quality of liquid ram semen extended with skim milk (SM) at 5°C. The antioxidant activity of ETHEX was studied using free radical 1, 1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) assay. The mineral composition and the sugar and vitamin contents of ETHEX were determined using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES) and HPLC‐DAD‐RID analytical instruments. As a second part, semen was collected from five Boujaâd rams with an artificial vagina. The ejaculates with more than 70% motility were pooled, extended with skim milk (SM) extender without (control) or supplemented with 1–8% of ETHEX (37°C; 0.8 × 109 sperm/mL). Sperm quality parameters were assessed at 8, 24, 48, and 72 h. The results showed that ETHEX had a higher antioxidant activity compared to those of ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Furthermore, ETHEX contains a considerable amount of minerals, vitamins, and sugars. The inclusion of 1 or 2% ETHEX in SM increased the sperm motility, viability, and membrane integrity and decreased the abnormality of spontaneous and catalyzed lipids peroxidation (p < 0.05) up to 72 h. In addition, semen diluted with 1 and 2% ETHEX decreased the level of DNA fragmentation compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the ETHEX could be recommended to improve the quality of liquid ram spermatozoa. However, its effects on artificial insemination should be further studied.
Supplementary Table 3 from BAFF Attenuates Immunosuppressive Monocytes in the Melanoma Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Liu Wei , Stachura Paweł , Xu Haifeng C. , Váraljai Renáta , Shinde Prashant , Ganesh Nikkitha Umesh , Mack Matthias , Van Lierop Anke , Huang Anfei , Sundaram Balamurugan , Lang Karl S. , Picard Daniel , Fischer Ute , Remke Marc , Homey Bernhard , Roesch Alexander , Häussinger Dieter , Lang Philipp A. , Borkhardt Arndt , Pandyra Aleksandra A.
Published: April 2023

Supplementary Table 3 shows different PD-L1 cut-offs to stratify responders and non-responders to immunotherapy
Table S1-S3 from Clonal Hematopoiesis Mutations in Patients with Lung Cancer Are Associated with Lung Cancer Risk Factors
Authors: Hong Wei , Li Ang , Liu Yanhong , Xiao Xiangjun , Christiani David C. , Hung Rayjean J. , McKay James , Field John , Amos Christopher I. , Cheng Chao
Published: April 2023

Table S1-S3
Figure 2 from Novel Oncogenic Transcription Factor Cooperation in RB-Deficient Cancer
Authors: Mandigo Amy C. , Shafi Ayesha A. , McCann Jennifer J. , Yuan Wei , Laufer Talya S. , Bogdan Denisa , Gallagher Lewis , Dylgjeri Emanuela , Semenova Galina , Vasilevskaya Irina A. , Schiewer Matthew J. , McNair Chris M. , de Bono Johann S. , Knudsen Karen E.
Published: April 2023

Supplemental Figure 2
Somatic Exonic Deletions in RUNX1 Constitutes a Novel Recurrent Genomic Abnormality in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Eriksson Anna , Engvall Marie , Mathot Lucy , Österroos Albin , Rippin Martin , Cavelier Lucia , Ladenvall Claes , Baliakas Panagiotis
Published: April 2023

Purpose:

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), somatic mutations (commonly missense, nonsense, and frameshift indels) in RUNX1 are associated with a dismal clinical outcome. Inherited RUNX1 mutations cause familial platelet disorder. As approximately 5%–10% of germline RUNX1 mutations are large exonic deletions, we hypothesized that such exonic RUNX1 aberrations may also be acquired during the development of AML.

Experimental Design:

Sixty patients with well-characterized AML were analyzed with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (n = 60), microarray (n = 11), and/or whole-genome sequencing (n = 8).

Results:

In total, 25 (42% of the cohort) RUNX1-aberrant patients (defined by the presence of classical mutations and/or exonic deletions) were identified. Sixteen patients (27%) carried only exonic deletions, 5 (8%) carried classical mutations, and 4 (7%) carried both exonic deletions and mutations. No significant difference was observed between patients with classical RUNX1 mutations and RUNX1 exonic deletions in median overall survival (OS, 53.1 vs. 38.8 months, respectively, P = 0.63). When applying the European Leukemia Net (ELN) classification including the RUNX1-aberrant group, 20% of the patients initially stratified as intermediate-risk (5% of the whole cohort) were reassigned to the high-risk group, which improved the performance of ELN classification regarding OS between intermediate- and high-risk groups (18.9 vs. 9.6 months, P = 0.09).

Conclusions:

Somatic RUNX1 exonic deletions constitute a novel recurrent aberration in AML. Our findings have important clinical implications regarding AML classification, risk stratification, and treatment decision. Moreover, they argue in favor of further investigating such genomic aberrations not only in RUNX1 but also in other genes implicated in cancer biology and management.

See related commentary by Chakraborty and Stengel, p. 2742