bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From marginal outcrops to basin interior: a new perspective on the sedimentary evolution of the eastern Pannonian Basin
Authors: Bartha István Róbert , Botka Dániel , Csoma Vivien , Katona Lajos Tamás , Tóth Emőke , Magyar Imre , Silye Lóránd , Sztanó Orsolya
Published: October 2021

Sedimentary successions exposed at basin margins as a result of late-stage inversion, uplift and erosion usually represent only a limited portion of the entire basin fill; thus, they are highly incomplete records of basin evolution. Small satellite basins, however, might have the potential of recording more complete histories. The late Miocene sedimentary history of the Șimleu Basin, a north-eastern satellite of the vast Pannonian Basin, was investigated through the study of large outcrops and correlative well-logs. A full transgressive–regressive cycle is reconstructed, which formed within a ca. 1 million-year time frame (10.6–9.6 Ma). The transgressive phase is represented by coarse-grained deltas overlain by deep-water lacustrine marls. Onset of the regressive phase is indicated by sandy turbidite lobes and channels, followed by slope shales, and topped by stacked deltaic lobes and fluvial deposits. The deep- to shallow-water sedimentary facies are similar to those deposited in the central, deep part of the Pannonian Basin. The Șimleu Basin is thus a close and almost complete outcrop analogue of the Pannonian Basin’s lacustrine sedimentary record known mainly from subsurface data, such as well-logs, cores and seismic sections from the basin interior. This study demonstrates that deposits of small satellite basins may reflect the whole sequence of processes that shaped the major basin, although at a smaller spatial and temporal scale.
Energy Requirement for Rock Breakage in Laboratory Experiments and Engineering Operations: A Review
Authors: Zhang Zong-Xian , Ouchterlony Finn
Published: October 2021

Based on the review of a wide range of literature, this paper finds that: (1) the average specific surface energy of various single crystals is only 0.8 J/m2. (2) The average specific fracture energy of the rocks with a pre-crack under static cleavage tests is 4.6 J/m2. (3) The average specific fracture energy of the rocks with a pre-cut notch but with no pre-crack under static tensile fracture (mode I) tests is 4.6 J/m2. (4) The average specific fracture energies of regular rock specimens with neither pre-made crack nor pre-cut notch are 26.6, 13.9 and 25.7 J/m2under uniaxial compression, tension and shear tests, respectively. (5) The average specific fracture energy of irregular single quartz particles under uniaxial compression is 13.8 J/m2. (6) The average specific fracture energy of particle beds under drop weight tests is 74.0 J/m2. (7) The average specific fracture energy of multi-particles in milling tests is 72.5 J/m2. (8) The average specific energy of rocks in percussive drilling is 399 J/m3, that in full-scale cutting is 131 J/m3, and that in rotary drilling is 157 J/m3. (9) The average energy efficiency of milling is only 1.10%. (10) The accurate measurements of specific fracture energy in blasting are too few to draw reliable conclusions. In the last part of the paper, the effects of inter-granular displacement, loading rate, confining pressure, surface area measurement, premade crack, attrition and thermal energy on the specific fracture energy of rock are discussed.
Visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio is a possible prognostic factor for type 1 endometrial cancer
Authors: Wada Michiko , Yamaguchi Ken , Yamakage Hajime , Inoue Takayuki , Kusakabe Toru , Abiko Kaoru , Takakura Kenji , Konishi Ikuo , Satoh-Asahara Noriko
Published: October 2021

Background

Associations have been observed between obesity defined by the body mass index (BMI) and the incidence of endometrial cancer. However, the impact of obesity on the prognosis of endometrial cancer is not yet clear. Recently, visceral fat has been considered to have a greater impact on malignant disease in obese patients than subcutaneous fat. In this study, we investigated the association between prognostic factors of type 1 and type 2 endometrial cancer and obesity parameters.

Methods

The impacts of clinical factors on the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed retrospectively in 145 primary endometrial cancer patients. The factors included age, BMI, pathological findings, Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, status of lymph node metastasis, and the amounts of visceral and subcutaneous fat obtained from computed tomography (CT) data.

Results

Only the visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio (V/S ratio) (cutoff value 0.5) corresponded to a significant difference in OS and PFS in type 1 endometrial cancer (p = 0.0080, p = 0.0053) according to the results of log-rank tests of Kaplan–Meier curves. The COX regression univariate analysis revealed that only the V/S ratio was a significant prognostic factor for PFS, but not OS (p = 0.033 and p = 0.270, respectively).

Conclusion

A V/S ratio > 0.5 is a possible factor for poor prognosis in type 1 endometrial cancer. Further research is needed to investigate the preventive and therapeutic effects of reducing visceral fat on the prognosis of this type of cancer.
The effect of iron on Chilean Alexandrium catenella growth and paralytic shellfish toxin production as related to algal blooms
Authors: Yarimizu Kyoko , Mardones Jorge I. , Paredes-Mella Javier , Norambuena-Subiabre Luis , Carrano Carl J. , Maruyama Fumito
Published: October 2021

The dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella is a well-known paralytic shellfish toxin producer that forms harmful algal blooms (HABs) worldwide. Blooms of this species have repeatedly brought severe ecological and economic impacts to Chile, especially in the southern region, where the shellfish and salmon industries are world-famous. The mechanisms of such HABs have been intensively studied but are still unclear. Nutrient overloading is one of the often-discussed drivers for HABs. The present study used the A. catenella strain isolated from southern Chile to investigate how iron conditions could affect their growth and toxin production as related to HAB. Our results showed that an optimum concentration of iron was pivotal for proper A. catenella growth. Thus, while excess iron exerted a toxic effect, low iron media led to iron insufficiency and growth inhibition. In addition, the study shows that the degree of paralytic shellfish toxin production by A. catenella varied depending on the iron concentration in the culture media. The A. catenella strain from southern Chile produced GTX1-4 exclusively in the fmol cell−1 scale. Based on these findings, we suggest that including iron and paralytic shellfish toxin measurements in the fields can improve the current HAB monitoring and contribute to an understanding of A. catenella bloom dynamics in Chile.
Environmental matching reveals non-uniform range-shift patterns in benthic marine Crustacea
Authors: Simões Marianna V. P. , Saeedi Hanieh , Cobos Marlon E. , Brandt Angelika
Published: October 2021

Empirical and theoretical studies suggest that marine species respond to ocean warming by shifting ranges poleward and/or into deeper depths. However, future distributional patterns of deep-sea organisms, which comprise the largest ecosystem of Earth, remain poorly known. We explore potential horizontal range shifts of benthic shallow-water and deep-sea Crustacea due to climatic changes within the remainder of the century, and discuss the results in light of species-specific traits related to invasiveness. Using a maximum entropy approach, we estimated the direction and magnitude of distributional shifts for 94 species belonging to 12 orders of benthic marine crustaceans, projected to the years 2050 and 2100. Distance, direction, and species richness shifts between climate zones were estimated conservatively, by considering only areas suitable, non-extrapolative, and adjacent to the currently known distributions. Our hypothesis is that species will present poleward range-shifts, based on results of previous studies. Results reveal idiosyncratic and species-specific responses, with prevailing poleward shifts and a decline of species richness at mid-latitudes, while more frequent shifts between temperate to polar regions were recovered. Shallow-water species are expected to shift longer distances than deep-sea species. Net gain of suitability is slightly higher than the net loss for shallow-water species, while for deep-sea species, the net loss is higher than the gain in all scenarios. Our estimates can be viewed as a set of hypotheses for future analytical and empirical studies, and will be useful in planning and executing strategic interventions and developing conservation strategies.
Improvement of online monitoring of drinking water quality for the city of Prague and the surrounding areas
Authors: Soldán Přemysl
Published: October 2021

In the article, a new method of continuous monitoring of the biological quality of raw and treated waters at the Želivka Water Treatment Plant is suggested and assessed. This water treatment plant is one of the largest water treatment plants in Europe and the largest water treatment plant in the Czech Republic with a maximum projected peak output of 7 m3.s−1 and current output of around 3 m3.s−1 of drinking water. It is the largest water treatment plant for Prague which is the capital city of the Czech Republic. Additionally, this water treatment plant also supplies drinking water to the Central Bohemia and Vysočina regions. The main intention of the research was to suggest a new system of monitoring, which can guarantee a more reliable continuous control of the safe drinking water supply for the city of Prague and the surrounding area. The suggested method represents a completely new approach to monitoring the biological quality of drinking water in the Czech Republic using the DaphTox apparatus, only two of which exist in the Czech Republic. The article describes the experience and knowledge gained during the operation of such a monitoring system, including a description of the necessary measures to ensure its proper operation with a focus on the pre-treatment of raw and chlorinated waters. Recommended simple pre-treatment methods secure optimal living conditions for monitoring organisms and have no impact on the original biological quality of monitored water which is a necessary condition for proper monitoring of biological quality.
“Farming with Alternative Pollinators” approach increases pollinator abundance and diversity in faba bean fields
Authors: Sentil Ahlam , Lhomme Patrick , Michez Denis , Reverté Sara , Rasmont Pierre , Christmann Stefanie
Published: October 2021

Pollinators are threatened worldwide and strategies and measures to support their conservation are proliferating. Among them, the approach “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” (FAP) aims to support pollinators by seeding strips of pollinator-attracting cultivated plants surrounding the crops, and simultaneously providing income to the farmer. In this study we assessed whether this approach supports pollinator diversity in agro-ecosystems and increases flower visitor diversity and abundance in faba bean fields in north-west Morocco. We tested the impact of FAP using a variety of marketable habitat enhancement plants (MHEP): flax, coriander, arugula, chia and canola. A total of 62 pollinator species were recorded, among which almost half of them are new records for the region. Most wild pollinators recorded in faba bean were digger bees (genusAnthophora) and long-horn bees (genusEucera). MHEP shared diverse flower visitors with faba bean and hosted diverse pollinator groups that did not meet their food requirements from the main crop. The FAP approach highly increased flower visitor abundance and diversity in the whole FAP fields, however it did not generate significant pollinator spillover towards the main crop. Implications for insect conservation: our results show that the FAP approach is an effective approach to mitigate pollinator decline in agro-ecosystems.
Explicit Blowing Up Solutions for a Higher Order Parabolic Equation with Hessian Nonlinearity
Authors: Escudero Carlos
Published: November 2021

In this work we consider a nonlinear parabolic higher order partial differential equation that has been proposed as a model for epitaxial growth. This equation possesses both global-in-time solutions and solutions that blow up in finite time, for which this blow-up is mediated by its Hessian nonlinearity. Herein, we further analyze its blow-up behaviour by means of the construction of explicit solutions in the square, the disc, and the plane. Some of these solutions show complete blow-up in either finite or infinite time. Finally, we refine a blow-up criterium that was proved for this evolution equation. Still, existent blow-up criteria based on a priori estimates do not completely reflect the singular character of these explicit blowing up solutions.
Absolute Poverty and Sound Public Finance in the Eurozone
Authors: Canale Rosaria Rita , Liotti Giorgio
Published: October 2021

The respect of fiscal parameters is supposed to be – according to the official position of the European institutions – the best recipe for granting stability and growth. This optimistic view appears to be in contrast with the recent increase in poverty. The aim of this paper is to individuate the existence of a relation between governments’ decisions about fiscal policy and absolute poverty in 19 Eurozone countries from 2005 to 2017. The attempt is to answer the question as to whether the effect on growth generated by fiscal policy measures can account for the objective of poverty alleviation. The results support the conclusion that absolute poverty increases in the presence of a restrictive fiscal policy, while it decreases in the opposite case. During declining macroeconomic conditions, national governments belonging to the Eurozone appear to be unable to reconcile the objective of sound public finance with that of poverty alleviation.
Multiple action options in the context of time: When exams approach, students study more and experience fewer motivational conflicts
Authors: Capelle Jan Dirk , Grunschel Carola , Bachmann Olga , Knappe Miriam , Fries Stefan
Published: October 2021

University students’ study motivation in a particular moment is shaped by contextual factors such as upcoming exams and conflicts between different action tendencies. We investigated how these two contextual factors are related. Based on the theoretical assumption that students’ in-the-moment study motivation increases relative to their motivation for other activities as exams approach, we investigated how students’ study activities and their experience of motivational action conflicts develop when exams come closer in time. Using the experience sampling method, we tracked the in-situ activities and conflict experience of 134 first-semester university students over one week and a total of 4995 measurement points just before exams. Multilevel logistic regression revealed that the probability to study increased by 13.9% and the probability to experience a motivational conflict decreased by 17.5% each day the exam came closer in time. Multilevel regression showed that motivational conflicts were more intense the closer the exam was in time. Students were generally less likely to experience conflicts while studying and experienced more intense conflicts when the conflicting activity was study related. We discuss that both multiple goals and the temporal distance of relevant events should be considered as relevant contexts shaping the situated motivation of university students.
Neuroinflammation in Primary Cultures of the Rat Spinal Dorsal Horn Is Attenuated in the Presence of Adipose Tissue–Derived Medicinal Signalling Cells (AdMSCs) in a Co-cultivation Model
Authors: Leisengang Stephan , Heilen Laura B. , Klymiuk Michele C. , Nürnberger Franz , Ott Daniela , Wolf-Hofmann Kathrin , Gerstberger Rüdiger , Rummel Christoph , Schmidt Martin J. , Arnhold Stefan , Roth Joachim
Published: October 2021

Neuroinflammation within the superficial dorsal horn (SDH) of the spinal cord induces inflammatory pain with symptoms of hyperalgesia and allodynia. Glial activation and production of inflammatory mediators (e.g. cytokines) is associated with modulation of nociceptive signalling. In this context, medicinal signalling cells, e.g. obtained from adipose tissue (AdMSCs), gained attention due to their capacity to modulate the inflammatory response in several diseases, e.g. spinal cord injury. We applied the recently established mixed neuroglial primary cell culture of the rat SDH to investigate effects of AdMSCs on the inflammatory response of SDH cells. Following establishment of a co-cultivation system, we performed specific bioassays for tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin (IL)-6, RT-qPCR and immunocytochemistry to detect changes in cytokine production and glial activation upon inflammatory stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS-induced expression and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-6) by SDH cells was significantly attenuated in the presence of AdMSCs. Further evidence for anti-inflammatory capacities of AdMSCs derived from a blunted LPS-induced TNFα/IL-10 expression ratio and suppressed nuclear translocation of the inflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) in SDH microglial cells. Expression of IL-10, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and TNFα-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) was detected in AdMSCs, which are putative candidates for anti-inflammatory capacities of these cells. We present a novel co-cultivation system of AdMSCs with neuroglial primary cultures of the SDH to investigate immunomodulatory effects of AdMSCs at a cellular level.
Harnessing nanomedicine for enhanced immunotherapy for breast cancer brain metastases
Authors: Carney Christine P. , Pandey Nikhil , Kapur Anshika , Woodworth Graeme F. , Winkles Jeffrey A. , Kim Anthony J.
Published: October 2021

Brain metastases (BMs) are the most common type of brain tumor, and the incidence among breast cancer (BC) patients has been steadily increasing over the past two decades. Indeed, ~ 30% of all patients with metastatic BC will develop BMs, and due to few effective treatments, many will succumb to the disease within a year. Historically, patients with BMs have been largely excluded from clinical trials investigating systemic therapies including immunotherapies (ITs) due to limited brain penetration of systemically administered drugs combined with previous assumptions that BMs are poorly immunogenic. It is now understood that the central nervous system (CNS) is an immunologically distinct site and there is increasing evidence that enhancing immune responses to BCBMs will improve patient outcomes and the efficacy of current treatment regimens. Progress in IT for BCBMs, however, has been slow due to several intrinsic limitations to drug delivery within the brain, substantial safety concerns, and few known targets for BCBM IT. Emerging studies demonstrate that nanomedicine may be a powerful approach to overcome such limitations, and has the potential to greatly improve IT strategies for BMs specifically. This review summarizes the evidence for IT as an effective strategy for BCBM treatment and focuses on the nanotherapeutic strategies currently being explored for BCBMs including targeting the blood–brain/tumor barrier (BBB/BTB), tumor cells, and tumor-supporting immune cells for concentrated drug release within BCBMs, as well as use of nanoparticles (NPs) for delivering immunomodulatory agents, for inducing immunogenic cell death, or for potentiating anti-tumor T cell responses.

Graphical abstract
A novel lightweight authentication and privacy-preserving protocol for vehicular ad hoc networks
Authors: Theodore Shaji K. A. , Gandhi K. Rajiv , Palanisamy V.
Published: October 2021

Vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is commonly employed in intelligent transportation system (ITS) that allows the exchange of traffic data among vehicles and nearby environment to accomplish effective driving experience. Privacy and security are the challenging issues that exist in the safety needs of the VANET. Any particular leakage of the vehicle details such as route data might result in serious impacts, and therefore, authentication and privacy-preserving protocols are needed to enhance safety in VANET. With this motivation, this paper presents a new lightweight authentication and privacy-preserving protocol using improved timed efficient stream loss-tolerant authentication with cuckoo filter (ITESLA-CF) for VANETs. The proposed model encompasses different stages of operations such as initialization, registration, mutual authentication, broadcast and verification, and vehicle revocation phases. In addition, the ITESLA-CF technique has effective broadcast authentication as TESLA with minimal memory requirement. Besides, the ITESLA-CF technique includes a cuckoo filter to save the authentic information of vehicles that exist in the RSU’s range. The proposed model has lightweight mutual authentication among the parties and it offers robust anonymity to accomplish privacy and resists ordinary attacks. To ensure the better performance of the ITESLA-CF technique, an extensive set of simulations take place and the results are assessed in terms of different measures. The resultant experimental values pointed out the supremacy of the ITESLA-CF technique over the recent state of art methods.
Strong Stability Preserving IMEX Methods for Partitioned Systems of Differential Equations
Authors: Izzo Giuseppe , Jackiewicz Zdzisław
Published: October 2021

We investigate strong stability preserving (SSP) implicit-explicit (IMEX) methods for partitioned systems of differential equations with stiff and nonstiff subsystems. Conditions for order p and stage order $$q=p$$

q
=
p

are derived, and characterization of SSP IMEX methods is provided following the recent work by Spijker. Stability properties of these methods with respect to the decoupled linear system with a complex parameter, and a coupled linear system with real parameters are also investigated. Examples of methods up to the order $$p=4$$

p
=
4

and stage order $$q=p$$

q
=
p

are provided. Numerical examples on six partitioned test systems confirm that the derived methods achieve the expected order of convergence for large range of stepsizes of integration, and they are also suitable for preserving the accuracy in the stiff limit or preserving the positivity of the numerical solution for large stepsizes.
The wandering subspace property and Shimorin’s condition of shift operator on the weighted Bergman spaces
Authors: Wu Changhui , Wang Zhijie , Yu Tao
Published: October 2021

In the present paper, we first study the wandering subspace property of the shift operator on the $$I_{a}$$

I
a

type zero based invariant subspaces of the weighted Bergman spaces $$L_{a}^{2}(dA_{n})(n=0,2)$$

L

a

2

(
d

A
n

)

(
n
=
0
,
2
)

via the spectrum of some Toeplitz operators on the Hardy space $$H^{2}$$

H
2

. Second, we give examples to show that Shimorin’s condition for the shift operator fails on the $$I_{a}$$

I
a

type zero based invariant subspaces of the weighted Bergman spaces $$L_{a}^{2}(dA_{\alpha })(\alpha >0)$$

L

a

2

(
d

A
α

)

(
α
>
0
)

.
Porous silicon pillar structures/photosynthetic reaction centre protein hybrid for bioelectronic applications
Authors: Hajdu Kata , Balderas-Valadez R. Fabiola , Carlino Alessandro , Agarwal Vivechana , Nagy László
Published: October 2021

Photosynthetic biomaterials have attracted considerable attention at different levels of the biological organisation, from molecules to the biosphere, due to a variety of artificial application possibilities. During photosynthesis, the first steps of the conversion of light energy into chemical energy take place in a pigment–protein complex, called reaction centre (RC). In our experiments photosynthetic reaction centre protein, purified from Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 purple bacteria, was bound to porous silicon pillars (PSiP) after the electropolymerisation of aniline onto the surface. This new type of biohybrid material showed remarkable photoactivity in terms of measured photocurrent under light excitation in an electrochemical cell. The photocurrent was found to increase considerably after the addition of ubiquinone (UQ-0), an e−-acceptor mediator of the RC. The photoactivity of the complex was found to decrease by the addition of terbutryn, the chemical which inhibits the e−-transport on the acceptor side of the RC. In addition to the generation of sizeable light-induced photocurrents, using the PSiP/RC photoactive hybrid nanocomposite material, the system was found to be sensitive towards RC inhibitors and herbicides. This highly ordered patterned 3D structure opens new solution for designing low-power (bio-)optoelectronic, biophotonic and biosensing devices.

Graphical abstract
Black Theatricalities in Revisiting History for the Present
Authors: PATROCÍNIO SORAYA MARTINS
Published: November 2021

This article seeks to reflect on how theatre presents itself as a fabular medium allowing for the emergence of performances that create and re-create stories and identities. In particular, it examines how theatre allows for the development of epistemologies that enhance our understanding of black bodies, knowledge, traditions, subjectivities and desires.
Sexualisierte Gewalt, Übergriffe und Fehlverhalten von Angehörigen der Heil- und Pflegeberufe gegen Kinder und Jugendliche im ambulanten und stationären Bereich der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie
Authors: Fegert Jörg M. , Clemens Vera , Hoffmann Ulrike
Published: November 2021

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Der Schutz von Kindern und Jugendlichen vor Gewalt und Übergriffen im Gesundheitswesen ist ein Thema, das von den relevanten Berufsgruppen noch nicht umfassend bearbeitet wurde. Fragestellung: Ziel dieses Beitrages ist es, einen Überblick über Formen und Ursachen von Gewalt durch medizinisches Personal zu geben. Methode: Auf der Grundlage einer selektiven Literaturrecherche sowie Fallvignetten aus der beruflichen Praxis werden Formen und Ursachen von Gewalt im medizinisch-therapeutischen Kontext dargestellt und eine Systematisierung von Tätertypen vorgenommen. Ergebnisse: Professionelles Fehlverhalten von Angehörigen der Gesundheitsberufe kann sich in verschiedenen Formen zeigen. Ebenso sind die Ursachen von Gewalt vielfältig. Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung: Die Interventionen nach Fehlverhalten müssen individuell angepasst werden. Die Kinderschutzkompetenzen von Fachkräften müssen gestärkt und Schutzmaßnahmen in Institutionen implementiert werden.
Vorgehen bei Verdacht auf sexuellen Missbrauch von Kindern und Jugendlichen durch medizinisch-therapeutisches Personal
Authors: Clemens Vera , Berthold Oliver , Kölch Michael , Fegert Jörg M.
Published: November 2021

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Im letzten Jahr erreichten mehrere Verdachtsfälle von Professional Sexual Misconduct (PSM) die Medizinische Kinderschutzhotline. Insbesondere meldeten sich Heilberufler_innen, die Hinweise auf einen sexuellen Missbrauch von Kindern/Jugendlichen durch Kolleg_innen hatten und nicht wussten, wie sie vorgehen sollen. Fragestellung: Zusammenstellung der aktuellen Daten zu PSM und sexuellem Missbrauch von Minderjährigen im Gesundheitswesen. Methode: Ausgehend von diesen Anfragen wurde eine selektiven Literaturrecherche zu Definition, Epidemiologie und rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen von PSM sowie mögliche Hinweise für PSM durch Kolleg_innen durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: PSM durch Angehörige der Gesundheitsberufe stellt ein relevantes Problem dar. Bei Verdacht auf PSM sollten Kolleg_innen nicht mit dem Verdacht konfrontiert werden, sondern die Führungsebene informiert werden. Die Einbeziehung der Strafverfolgungsbehörden sollte sorgfältig abgewogen werden. Eine Berücksichtigung der Bedürfnisse und des Willens der betroffenen Patient_innen ist hierbei zentral. Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung: PSM in der Medizin ist ein hochkomplexes und bisher wenig erforschtes Thema.
Microseismicity Appears to Outline Highly Coupled Regions on the Central Chile Megathrust
Authors: Sippl C. , Moreno M. , Benavente R.
Published: October 2021

We compiled a novel microseismicity catalog for the Central Chile megathrust (29°–35°S), comprising 8,750 earthquakes between April 2014 and December 2018. These events describe a pattern of three trenchward open half‐ellipses, consisting of a continuous, coast‐parallel seismicity band at 30–45 km depth, and narrow elongated seismicity clusters that protrude to the shallow megathrust and separate largely aseismic regions along strike. To test whether these shapes could outline highly coupled regions (“asperities”) on the megathrust, we invert GPS displacement data for interplate locking. The best‐fit locking model does not show good correspondence to seismicity, possibly due to lacking resolution. When we prescribe high locking inside the half‐ellipses, however, we obtain models with similar data fits that are preferred according to the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). We thus propose that seismicity on the Central Chile megathrust may outline three adjacent highly coupled regions, two of them located between the rupture areas of the 2010 Maule and the 2015 Illapel earthquakes, a segment of the Chilean margin that may be in a late interseismic stage of the seismic cycle.
Formation of Ejecta and Dust Pond Deposits on Asteroid Vesta
Authors: Parekh R. , Otto K. A. , Matz K. D. , Jaumann R. , Krohn K. , Roatsch T. , Kersten E. , Elgner S. , Russell C. T. , Raymond C. A.
Published: November 2021

Dust and melt ponds have been studied on planetary bodies including Eros, Itokawa, and the Moon. However, depending on the nature of the regolith material properties and the location of the planetary body, the formation mechanism of the ponded features varies. On Eros and Itokawa, ponded features are formed from dry regolith materials whereas on the Moon similar features are thought to be produced by ejecta melt. On the surface of Vesta, we have identified type 1, ejecta ponds, and type 2, dust ponds. On Vesta type 1 pond are located in the vicinity of ejecta melt of large impact craters. The material is uniformly distributed across the crater floor producing smooth pond surfaces which have a constant slope and shallow depth. The hosting crater of melt‐like ponds has a low raised rim and is located on relatively low elevated regions. Whereas, the type 2 ponds on Vesta reveal an undulating surface that is frequently displaced from the crater center or extends toward the crater wall with an abruptly changing slope. We suggested that for the production of the type 2 ponds, localized seismic diffusion and volatile‐induced fluidization may be responsible for Vesta. Due to Vesta's large size (in comparison to Eros and Itokawa), the surface may have experienced local‐scale rare high‐amplitude seismic diffusion which was sufficient to drift fine material. Similarly, short‐lived volatile activities were capable to transfer dusty material on to the surface. Segregation and smoothing of transferred material lack further surface activities, hindering the formation of smooth morphology.
Evaluating Flat‐Crater Floor Fill Compositions and Morphologies: Insight Into Formation Processes
Authors: Pan C. , Edwards C. S. , Rogers A. D.
Published: October 2021

Numerous impact craters on Mars have been deeply filled, raising questions about the potential processes that contributed to infilling. Previously proposed processes include ponding of impact melt, aeolian sedimentation, lacustrine sedimentation, or volcanic infilling. Better constraints on the infilling processes of flat floor craters are needed to assess the relative roles of impact, volcanic and sedimentary resurfacing processes throughout Mars history. In this study, we investigate the compositional, thermophysical, and morphological properties of floor materials within a subset of 119 high thermal inertia craters. For each crater, the degree of etching and crater retention of the floor morphologies, as well as the floor mineralogy were characterized. We find evidence for crater infilling by effusive volcanism and by sedimentation (e.g., pyroclastic, volcaniclastic, and/or epiclastic), with weak, clastic rocks being most common. A majority of studied craters also show evidence for olivine enrichments. There is no clear trend between the olivine enrichment and floor morphologies, indicating that olivine is likely associated with both effusive and explosive volcanism. Our observations support the hypothesis that pyroclastic activity may have been widespread on early Mars.
The Release of Energy During Protein Synthesis at Ultramafic‐Hosted Submarine Hydrothermal Ecosystems
Authors: Dick Jeffrey M. , Shock Everett L.
Published: October 2021

There are fundamental geochemical reasons why environments surrounding submarine hydrothermal systems are primary productivity hotspots compared with the majority of the seafloor, or with conditions deep in seafloor sediments. As reduced hydrothermal fluids mix with oxidized seawater, elements in incompatible oxidation states are brought together. The resulting rich supplies of disequilibria can be dissipated by primary productivity over wide ranges of temperature and pressure. Synthesis of many amino acids is an energy‐releasing process as fluids from submarine ultramafic‐hosted hydrothermal systems mix with seawater, raising questions about the overall energetics of protein synthesis. Here we show that protein synthesis is also an energy‐releasing process in seawater‐hydrothermal fluid mixtures in ultramafic‐hosted systems, and consider some implications for microbial metabolism, biogeochemical cycles, hydrothermal ecosystem dynamics, and the emergence of life at submarine hydrothermal systems.
Predicting CMEs Using ELEvoHI With STEREO‐HI Beacon Data
Authors: Bauer Maike , Amerstorfer Tanja , Hinterreiter Jürgen , Weiss Andreas J. , Davies Jackie A. , Möstl Christian , Amerstorfer Ute V. , Reiss Martin A. , Harrison Richard A.
Published: October 2021

Being able to accurately predict the arrival of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) at Earth has been a long‐standing problem in space weather research and operations. In this study, we use the ELlipse Evolution model based on Heliospheric Imager (ELEvoHI) to predict the arrival time and speed of 10 CME events that were observed by HI on the STEREO‐A spacecraft between 2010 and 2020. Additionally, we introduce a Python tool for downloading and preparing STEREO‐HI data, as well as tracking CMEs. In contrast to most previous studies, we use not only science data, which have a relatively high spatial and temporal resolution, but also lower‐quality beacon data, which are—in contrast to science data—provided in real‐time by the STEREO‐A spacecraft. We do not use data from the STEREO‐B spacecraft. We get a mean absolute error of 8.81 ± 3.18 hr/59 ± 31 km s−1 for arrival time/speed predictions using science data and 11.36 ± 8.69 hr/106 ± 61 km s−1 for beacon data. We find that using science data generally leads to more accurate predictions, but using beacon data with the ELEvoHI model is certainly a viable choice in the absence of higher resolution real‐time data. We propose that these differences could be minimized if not eliminated altogether if higher quality real‐time data were available, either by enhancing the quality of the already available data or coming from a new mission carrying a HI instrument on‐board.
Optical coherent dot-product chip for sophisticated deep learning regression
Authors: Xu Shaofu , Wang Jing , Shu Haowen , Zhang Zhike , Yi Sicheng , Bai Bowen , Wang Xingjun , Liu Jianguo , Zou Weiwen
Published: November 2021

Optical implementations of neural networks (ONNs) herald the next-generation high-speed and energy-efficient deep learning computing by harnessing the technical advantages of large bandwidth and high parallelism of optics. However, due to the problems of the incomplete numerical domain, limited hardware scale, or inadequate numerical accuracy, the majority of existing ONNs were studied for basic classification tasks. Given that regression is a fundamental form of deep learning and accounts for a large part of current artificial intelligence applications, it is necessary to master deep learning regression for further development and deployment of ONNs. Here, we demonstrate a silicon-based optical coherent dot-product chip (OCDC) capable of completing deep learning regression tasks. The OCDC adopts optical fields to carry out operations in the complete real-value domain instead of in only the positive domain. Via reusing, a single chip conducts matrix multiplications and convolutions in neural networks of any complexity. Also, hardware deviations are compensated via in-situ backpropagation control provided the simplicity of chip architecture. Therefore, the OCDC meets the requirements for sophisticated regression tasks and we successfully demonstrate a representative neural network, the AUTOMAP (a cutting-edge neural network model for image reconstruction). The quality of reconstructed images by the OCDC and a 32-bit digital computer is comparable. To the best of our knowledge, there is no precedent of performing such state-of-the-art regression tasks on ONN chips. It is anticipated that the OCDC can promote the novel accomplishment of ONNs in modern AI applications including autonomous driving, natural language processing, and scientific study.
Activation of cannabinoid receptor 2 alleviates glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head with osteogenesis and maintenance of blood supply
Authors: Sun Houyi , Zhang Weicheng , Yang Ning , Xue Yi , Wang Tianhao , Wang Hongzhi , Zheng Kai , Wang Yijun , Zhu Feng , Yang Huilin , Xu Wei , Xu Yaozeng , Geng Dechun
Published: October 2021

In glucocorticoid (GC)-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), downregulated osteogenic ability and damaged blood supply are two key pathogenic mechanisms. Studies suggested that cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) is expressed in bone tissue and it plays a positive role in osteogenesis. However, whether CB2 could enhance bone formation and blood supply in GC-induced ONFH remains unknown. In this study, we focused on the effect of CB2 in GC-induced ONFH and possible mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. By using GC-induced ONFH rat model, rat-bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to address the interaction of CB2 in vitro and in vivo, we evaluate the osteogenic and angiogenic effect variation and possible mechanisms. Micro-CT, histological staining, angiography, calcein labeling, Alizarin red staining (ARS), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, TUNEL staining, migration assay, scratch assay, and tube formation were applied in this study. Our results showed that selective activation of CB2 alleviates GC-induced ONFH. The activation of CB2 strengthened the osteogenic activity of BMSCs under the influence of GCs by promotion of GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, CB2 promoted HUVECs migration and tube-forming capacities. Our findings indicated that CB2 may serve as a rational new treatment strategy against GC-induced ONFH by osteogenesis activation and maintenance of blood supply.
Exosomal miR-338-3p suppresses non-small-cell lung cancer cells metastasis by inhibiting CHL1 through the MAPK signaling pathway
Authors: Tian Wen , Yang Xianglin , Yang He , Lv Meiwen , Sun Xinran , Zhou Baosen
Published: October 2021

Globally, lung cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignant cancers. However, molecular mechanisms and functions involved in its pathogenesis have not been clearly elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the specific regulatory mechanisms of exosomal miR-338-3p/CHL1/MAPK signaling pathway axis in non-small-cell lung cancer. Western blotting and qRT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) were used to determine the expression levels of CHL1 and exosomal miR-338-3p in NSCLC (non-small-cell lung cancer). The CHL1 gene was upregulated and downregulated to evaluate its functions in NSCLC progression. In vitro MTS and apoptotic assays were used to investigate the functions of CHL1 and exosomal miR-338-3p in NSCLC progression. The high-throughput sequencing was used to explore differently expressed exosomal miRNAs. The biological relationships between MAPK signaling pathway and CHL1 and exosomal miR-338-3p in NSCLC were predicted through bioinformatics analyses and verified by western blotting. Elevated CHL1 levels were observed in NSCLC tissues and cells. Upregulated CHL1 expression enhanced NSCLC cells’ progression by promoting tumor cells proliferation while suppressing their apoptosis. Conversely, the downregulation of the CHL1 gene inhibited NSCLC cells’ growth and promoted tumor cells’ apoptotic rate. Additionally, CHL1 activated the MAPK signaling pathway. Besides, we confirmed that miR-338-3p directly sponged with CHL1 to mediate tumor cells progression. Moreover, exosomal miR-338-3p serum levels in NSCLC patients were found to be low. BEAS-2B cells can transfer exosomal miR-338-3p to A549 cells and SK-MES-1 cells. In addition, elevated exosomal miR-338-3p levels significantly inhibited tumor cells proliferation and promoted their apoptosis by suppressing activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Exosomal miR-338-3p suppresses tumor cells' metastasis by downregulating the expression of CHL1 through MAPK signaling pathway inactivation.
Lipophagy deficiency exacerbates ectopic lipid accumulation and tubular cells injury in diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Han Yachun , Xiong Shan , Zhao Hao , Yang Shikun , Yang Ming , Zhu Xuejing , Jiang Na , Xiong Xiaofen , Gao Peng , Wei Ling , Xiao Ying , Sun Lin
Published: October 2021

Autophagy-mediated lipotoxicity plays a critical role in the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN), but the precise mechanism is not fully understood. Whether lipophagy, a selective type of autophagy participates in renal ectopic lipid deposition (ELD) and lipotoxicity in the kidney of DN is unknown. Here, decreased lipophagy, increased ELD and lipotoxcity were observed in tubular cells of patients with DN, which were accompanied with reduced expression of AdipoR1 and p-AMPK. Similar results were found in db/db mice, these changes were reversed by AdipoRon, an adiponectin receptor activator that promotes autophagy. Additionally, a significantly decreased level of lipophagy was observed in HK-2 cells, a human proximal tubular cell line treated with high glucose, which was consistent with increased lipid deposition, apoptosis and fibrosis, while were partially alleviated by AdipoRon. However, these effects were abolished by pretreatment with ULK1 inhibitor SBI-0206965, autophagy inhibitor chloroquine and enhanced by AMPK activator AICAR. These data suggested by the first time that autophagy-mediated lipophagy deficiency plays a critical role in the ELD and lipid-related renal injury of DN.
Gasdermin D mediates host cell death but not interleukin-1β secretion in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages
Authors: Theobald Sebastian J. , Gräb Jessica , Fritsch Melanie , Suárez Isabelle , Eisfeld Hannah S. , Winter Sandra , Koch Maximilian , Hölscher Christoph , Pasparakis Manolis , Kashkar Hamid , Rybniker Jan
Published: October 2021

Necrotic cell death represents a major pathogenic mechanism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. It is increasingly evident that Mtb induces several types of regulated necrosis but how these are interconnected and linked to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines remains unknown. Exploiting a clinical cohort of tuberculosis patients, we show here that the number and size of necrotic lesions correlates with IL-1β plasma levels as a strong indicator of inflammasome activation. Our mechanistic studies reveal that Mtb triggers mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) and subsequently extensive macrophage necrosis, which requires activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. NLRP3-driven mitochondrial damage is dependent on proteolytic activation of the pore-forming effector protein gasdermin D (GSDMD), which links two distinct cell death machineries. Intriguingly, GSDMD, but not the membranolytic mycobacterial ESX-1 secretion system, is dispensable for IL-1β secretion from Mtb-infected macrophages. Thus, our study dissects a novel mechanism of pathogen-induced regulated necrosis by identifying mitochondria as central regulatory hubs capable of delineating cytokine secretion and lytic cell death.
Natriuretic peptides are neuroprotective on in vitro models of PD and promote dopaminergic differentiation of hiPSCs-derived neurons via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Giovannini Daniela , Andreola Federica , Spitalieri Paola , Krasnowska Ewa Krystyna , Colini Baldeschi Arianna , Rossi Simona , Sangiuolo Federica , Cozzolino Mauro , Serafino Annalucia
Published: November 2021

Over the last 20 years, the efforts to develop new therapies for Parkinson’s disease (PD) have focused not only on the improvement of symptomatic therapy for motor and non-motor symptoms but also on the discovering of the potential causes of PD, in order to develop disease-modifying treatments. The emerging role of dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the onset and progression of PD, as well as of other neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), renders the targeting of this signaling an attractive therapeutic opportunity for curing this brain disorder. The natriuretic peptides (NPs) atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), are cardiac and vascular-derived hormones also widely expressed in mammalian CNS, where they seem to participate in numerous brain functions including neural development/differentiation and neuroprotection. We recently demonstrated that ANP affects the Wnt/β-catenin pathway possibly through a Frizzled receptor-mediated mechanism and that it acts as a neuroprotective agent in in vitro models of PD by upregulating this signaling. Here we provide further evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of this class of natriuretic hormones. Specifically, we demonstrate that all the three natriuretic peptides are neuroprotective for SHSY5Y cells and primary cultures of DA neurons from mouse brain, subjected to neurotoxin insult with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) for mimicking the neurodegeneration of PD, and these effects are associated with the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Moreover, ANP, BNP, CNP are able to improve and accelerate the dopaminergic differentiation and maturation of hiPSCs-derived neural population obtained from two differed healthy donors, concomitantly affecting the canonical Wnt signaling. Our results support the relevance of exogenous ANP, BNP, and CNP as attractive molecules for both neuroprotection and neurorepair in PD, and more in general, in NDs for which aberrant Wnt signaling seems to be the leading pathogenetic mechanism.