bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low dispersal and ploidy differences in a grass maintain photosynthetic diversity despite gene flow and habitat overlap
Authors: Olofsson Jill K. , Curran Emma V. , Nyirenda Florence , Bianconi Matheus E. , Dunning Luke T. , Milenkovic Vanja , Sotelo Graciela , Hidalgo Oriane , Powell Robyn F. , Lundgren Marjorie R. , Leitch Ilia J. , Nosil Patrik , Osborne Colin P. , Christin Pascal‐Antoine
Published: March 2021

Geographical isolation facilitates the emergence of distinct phenotypes within a single species, but reproductive barriers or selection are needed to maintain the polymorphism after secondary contact. Here, we explore the processes that maintain intraspecific variation of C4 photosynthesis, a complex trait that results from the combined action of multiple genes. The grass Alloteropsis semialata includes C4 and non‐C4 populations, which have coexisted as a polyploid series for more than 1 million years in the miombo woodlands of Africa. Using population genomics, we show that there is genome‐wide divergence for the photosynthetic types, but the current geographical distribution does not reflect a simple habitat displacement scenario as the genetic clusters overlap, being occasionally mixed within a given habitat. Despite evidence of recurrent introgression between non‐C4 and C4 groups, in both diploids and polyploids, the distinct genetic lineages retain their identity, potentially because of selection against hybrids. Coupled with strong isolation by distance within each genetic group, this selection created a geographical mosaic of photosynthetic types. Diploid C4 and non‐C4 types never grew together, and the C4 type from mixed populations constantly belonged to the hexaploid lineage. By limiting reproductive interactions between photosynthetic types, the ploidy difference probably allows their co‐occurrence, reinforcing the functional diversity within this species. Together, these factors enabled the persistence of divergent physiological traits of ecological importance within a single species despite gene flow and habitat overlap.
Textualising the ethno‐religious sovereign, history, ethnicity and nationalism in the Perso‐Islamic textbooks
Authors: Soleimani Kamal , Osmanzadeh Davoud
Published: March 2021

This paper is a study of the Islamic Republic of Iran's 1st‐ to 12th‐grade textbooks. This paper examines issues of language, race, ethnicity and religious nationalism in textbooks to cast light on how the state in Iran has striven to Perso‐Shi'ify the polity through its education system. The official textbooks depict the sovereign community (Persians) as the sole agent of history. The state considers alternative (unofficial) narratives treasonous. This is an in‐depth study of how Iran's state‐sanctioned textbooks, their situatedness and the contextual knowledge gained from them offer revealing points of interpretation, illuminating the foundation of the existing structural ethnolinguistic dividing lines, and shows that Islamism, as the governing bounded logic implanted in textbooks, lends solidity to racial theories and historiographies. This study sporadically discusses the views and experiences of a number of Kurdish schoolteachers with whom we could conduct in‐depth interviews.
Functional phenomics and genetics of the root economics space in winter wheat using high‐throughput phenotyping of respiration and architecture
Authors: Guo Haichao , Ayalew Habtamu , Seethepalli Anand , Dhakal Kundan , Griffiths Marcus , Ma Xue‐Feng , York Larry M.
Published: March 2021

The root economics space is a useful framework for plant ecology but is rarely considered for crop ecophysiology. In order to understand root trait integration in winter wheat, we combined functional phenomics with trait economic theory, utilizing genetic variation, high‐throughput phenotyping, and multivariate analyses.

We phenotyped a diversity panel of 276 genotypes for root respiration and architectural traits using a novel high‐throughput method for CO2 flux and the open‐source software RhizoVision Explorer to analyze scanned images.

We uncovered substantial variation in specific root respiration (SRR) and specific root length (SRL), which were primary indicators of root metabolic and structural costs. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that lateral root tips had the greatest SRR, and the residuals from this model were used as a new trait. Specific root respiration was negatively correlated with plant mass. Network analysis, using a Gaussian graphical model, identified root weight, SRL, diameter, and SRR as hub traits. Univariate and multivariate genetic analyses identified genetic regions associated with SRR, SRL, and root branching frequency, and proposed gene candidates.

Combining functional phenomics and root economics is a promising approach to improving our understanding of crop ecophysiology. We identified root traits and genomic regions that could be harnessed to breed more efficient crops for sustainable agroecosystems.
Salivary BPIFA proteins are altered in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Innocentini Lara Maria Alencar Ramos , Silva Andreia Aparecida , Carvalho Marco Antonio , Coletta Ricardo D. , Corrêa Maria Elvira Pizzigatti , Bingle Lynne , Bingle Colin D. , Vargas Pablo Agustin , Lopes Márcio Ajudarte
Published: March 2021

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of BPIFA proteins in the saliva and salivary glands of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients.

Material and Methods

This longitudinal study included patients who had undergone autologous HCT (auto‐HCT) and allogeneic HCT (allo‐HCT), and unstimulated saliva was collected at three time points, with a fourth collection at oral chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (cGVHD) onset. BPIFA expression was analysed by Western blotting in saliva and immunostaining in the minor salivary glands of cGVHD patients.

Results

Auto‐HCT patients showed increased levels of BPIFA1 (p = .021) and BPIFA2 at D+7 (p = .040), whereas allo‐HCT group demonstrated decreased expression of BPIFA2 at D+8 (p = .002) and at D+80 (p = .001) and a significant association between BPIFA2 low levels and hyposalivation was observed (p = .02). BPIFA2 was significantly lower in the cGVHD patients when compared to baseline (p = .04).

Conclusions

The results of this study show distinct pattern of expression of BPIF proteins in both auto‐HCT and allo‐HCT recipients with decreased levels of BPIFA2 during hyposalivation and cGVHD. Further studies are necessary to elucidate these proteins mechanisms and their clinical implications in these groups of patients.
Peripheral odontogenic keratocyst: Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical characterization
Authors: Lafuente‐Ibáñez de Mendoza Irene , Aguirre‐Urizar José Manuel , Villatoro‐Ugalde Verónica , Magaña‐Quiñones José‐Julio , Lana‐Ojeda Jessica , Mosqueda‐Taylor Adalberto
Published: March 2021

Objective

The aim of this study is to present and discuss the salient clinicopathological features, differential diagnosis and epithelial immunohistochemical profile of three additional cases of peripheral odontogenic keratocyst (POKC) and to present a review of the literature. POKC is a locally aggressive odontogenic lesion. The peripheral variant of the odontogenic keratocyst is rare and more frequently located in anterior gingiva.

Material and Methods

We present the clinicopathological features of 3 new cases of POKC (2 women and 1 man; age range: 14–74 years). Immunohistochemical study included CK7, CK14, CK19 and Ki‐67, and a systematic review of the literature was performed in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases.

Results

All cases were located in the anterior gingiva (2 in maxilla and 1 mandible), and none corresponded to Gorlin–Goltz syndrome. High expression of CK14 was seen in all cases, with CK19 and CK7 been only focally positive. The expression of Ki‐67 was located in the basal and parabasal cells in all cases.

Conclusions

POKC is a rare gingival lesion that seems to originate from remnants of dental lamina or from the basal cells of the gingival epithelium and present a similar histopathology as compared to intraosseous OKC.
Increasing physical activity with African–American women using Facebook™ and Pedometers
Authors: Biederman Donna J. , Sabol Valerie K. , Thompson Julie , Duncan Quiana , Pereira Katherine C.
Published: March 2021

More than 80 percent of African American women struggle with overweight and obesity. We implemented a 5‐week physical activity intervention using Facebook™ and pedometers with African American women. Twenty‐seven African American women participated in a single‐group pre/post design intervention to promote walking and physical activity. Participants were given access to a private Facebook™ group along with a free Omron Alvita pedometer. The five‐week intervention challenged participants to increase weekly daily steps and the number of days they were physically active. At the end of the intervention, participants had significantly increased their weekly steps by 190% as compared to baseline (p = .005). Nearly, 80% of participants reported being active two or more days per week as compared to baseline (35.7%). Technologies such as social media and pedometers can assist in educating individuals and improving physical activity. These findings are relevant to public health nurses when implementing programs to increase physical activity for African American women.
The Shape of the Kantian Mind
Authors: Pendlebury T. A.
Published: March 2021

Kant's readers have disagreed about whether, according to his account of cognition, concepts, representations of the understanding, are involved in intuitions, representations of sensibility. But proponents of the affirmative 'conceptualist' answer and those of the negative 'non‐conceptualist' answer have alike presupposed that such involvement should be construed in a particular way: i.e., as the involvement of particular concepts in particular exercises of sensibility. I argue, on the contrary, that it should not be: that though, for Kant, no concepts are applied in exercises of sensibility, nonetheless the understanding, the faculty of concepts, is teleologically internal to sensibility and, therefore, to its exercises. That is, those exercises are per se directed towards the provision to the understanding of objects to which its fundamental concepts, the categories, are applicable, though no act of categorical application is internal to them. This conception of sensibility, available only in light of a careful distinction between capacities and acts, is demanded, I argue, by Kant's conception of a priori knowledge as elaborated in his Transcendental Deduction.
Effects of Growth and Differentiation Factor 9 and Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15 overexpression on the steroidogenic metabolism in bovine granulosa cells in vitro
Authors: Paulini Fernanda , Melo Eduardo O.
Published: March 2021

Granulosa cells (GCs) play important roles in the regulation of ovarian functions, and in vitro culture is a relevant model for the study of steroidogenesis in ovarian follicles. Thus, growth factors secreted by the oocyte, like Growth and Differentiation Factor 9 (GDF9) and Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15 (BMP15), play an important part in the luteinization of granulosa cells. The aim of this work was to express GDF9 and BMP15 genes in bovine GCs in vitro and evaluate their effects on the luteinization process. Samples of culture medium and GCs transfected with GDF9 and BMP15 were obtained for 21 consecutive days to analyse the steroidogenic hormones' concentration (progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2)) and the expression of STAR, GDF9 and BMP15 and their respective receptors. The results demonstrated an inhibitory effect of GDF9 and BMPF15 on P4 secretion in bovine GCs cultured in vitro. Moreover, our study demonstrated the entire expression of their respective receptors (TGFBR1, BMPR1B and BMPR2) and the inhibition of the steroidogenic marker, STAR gene. This work sheds light on a novel biological function of BMP15 and GDF9 in bovine GCs physiology, which could elucidate a non‐described biological role for GDF9 and BMP15 in bovine granulosa cells' metabolism.
Provision of essential bronchoscopy during COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Shah Waheed , O'Carroll Orla , Keane Michael P. , McCarthy Cormac
Published: March 2021

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Income inequality among agricultural households in India: A regression‐based decomposition analysis
Authors: Das Raya , Srivastava Ravi
Published: March 2021

This article assesses the nexus between land and income inequality among agricultural households in rural India based on a national survey of farmers. The study also assesses the contribution of other sources of income to this inequality. At the onset, we estimate the extent of land and income inequality using the Gini coefficient, Palma ratio, and quantile distribution. Further, we examine the effects of income components and sociodemographic, production theory‐related, and geographic variables on total income inequality among agricultural households at the national level using regression‐based inequality decomposition (RBID) analysis of income function. The evidence indicates that both land and income inequality are the maximum in the agriculturally developed states. The results of RBID show that land size explains the highest share of income inequality among agricultural households, followed by crop productivity at the household level. The analysis further statistically validates that the share of wage and livestock income has an inverse relationship with total inequality among agricultural households. These results provide firm empirical evidence to assess policies suggested to increase alternative sources of income among land‐poor petty producers.
A review of green remediation strategies for heavy metal contaminated soil
Authors: Wang Liuwei , Rinklebe Jörg , Tack Filip M. G. , Hou Deyi
Published: March 2021

Heavy metals and metalloids can accumulate in soil, with potentially toxic effects to human health and ecosystems, threatening the sustainable use and management of soil resources. Although a number of remediation technologies, such as Solidification/Stabilization (S/S), soil washing, electrokinetic remediation and chemical oxidation/reduction can be applied for the immobilization, removal or detoxification of heavy metals in soil, the environmental, social and economic impacts associated with these conventional approaches hinder their overall sustainability. More attempts have been made to maximize the ‘net environmental benefit’ in various ways, including recovering resources, embracing nature‐based solutions (NBS), and saving energy with the emergence and development of the ‘green and sustainable remediation’ (GSR) movement. This review critically discusses these green remediation strategies, and the novel soil amendments being utilized in these sustainable approaches. Iron‐based amendments are the most promising candidates in green remediation due to the highest stabilization performances for both oxyanions and metallic cations as well as relatively low disturbance to soil. In comparison, waste‐derived materials suffer from risks of contaminant release in the long run, reducing the overall sustainability despite their low costs. It has been found that phytoremediation and green amendment‐based S/S are typically the ‘greenest’ remediation strategies, but wise decisions should be made on the basis of case‐specific sustainability assessment results. Finally, it is proposed that integration of several green remediation techniques may have a synergistic effect on remediation efficiency.
Molecular epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus in children in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Ihling Clara Marlene , Schnitzler Paul , Heinrich Norbert , Mangu Chacha , Sudi Lwitiho , Souares Aurélia , Gies Sabine , Sié Ali , Coulibaly Boubacar , Ouédraogo Andiyam Thierry , Mordmüller Benjamin , Held Jana , Adegnika Ayola Akim , Fernandes José F. , Eckerle Isabella , May Juergen , Hogan Benedikt , Eibach Daniel , Tabatabai Julia
Published: March 2021

Objectives

This study investigated the molecular epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among febrile children with acute respiratory tract infection in Ghana, Gabon, Tanzania and Burkina Faso between 2014 and 2017 as well as the evolution and diversification of RSV strains from other sub‐Saharan countries.

Methods

Pharyngeal swabs were collected at four study sites (Agogo, Ghana: n = 490; Lambaréné, Gabon: n = 182; Mbeya, Tanzania: n = 293; Nouna, Burkina Faso: n = 115) and analysed for RSV and other respiratory viruses using rtPCR. For RSV‐positive samples, sequence analysis of the second hypervariable region of the G gene was performed. A dataset of RSV strains from sub‐Saharan Africa (2011–2017) currently available in GenBank was compiled. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted to identify the diversity of circulating RSV genotypes.

Results

In total, 46 samples were tested RSV positive (Ghana n = 31 (6.3%), Gabon n = 4 (2.2%), Tanzania n = 9 (3.1%) and Burkina Faso n = 2 (1.7%)). The most common RSV co‐infection was with rhinovirus. All RSV A strains clustered with genotype ON1 strains with a 72‐nucleotide duplication and all RSV B strains belonged to genotype BAIX. Phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences from sub‐Saharan Africa revealed the diversification into 11 different ON1 and 22 different BAIX lineages and differentiation of ON1 and BAIX strains into potential new sub‐genotypes, provisionally named ON1‐NGR, BAIX‐KEN1, BAIX‐KEN2 and BAIX‐KEN3.

Conclusion

The study contributes to an improved understanding of the molecular epidemiology of RSV infection in sub‐Saharan Africa. It provides the first phylogenetic data for RSV from Tanzania, Gabon and Burkina Faso and combines it with RSV strains from all other sub‐Saharan countries currently available in GenBank.
Canine idiopathic chylothorax: Anatomic characterization of the pre‐ and postoperative thoracic duct using computed tomography lymphography
Authors: Kanai Hiroo , Furuya Masaru , Yoneji Kensuke , Hagiwara Ken , Nukaya Aya , Kondo Motoki , Aso Toshihide , Fujii Ayako , Sasai Kazumi
Published: March 2021

Surgical treatment has improved the prognosis of canine idiopathic chylothorax, although a recurrence of the disease occurs occasionally after the procedure. An improved understanding of possible causes for this recurrence would be helpful for prognosis and treatment planning in affected patients. In this retrospective case series study, we described the detailed pre‐ and postoperative computed tomographic lymphography (CTLG) imaging characteristics for a group of dogs with surgically confirmed idiopathic chylothorax. Preoperative CTLG was performed in 12 of 14 dogs diagnosed with idiopathic chylothorax. Thoracic ducts were present on the right side in 10 dogs, left side in one dog, and bilaterally in one dog. All the 14 dogs received a combination therapy of pericardiectomy and thoracic duct ligation (TDL) by video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery. One week after surgery, a postoperative CTLG was performed, and the thoracic ducts were apparent in seven of 14 dogs. Three dogs had an unchanged course of the thoracic duct, which could have resulted from a missed duct. Four dogs were identified as having a bypass formation: the oblique duct originated at the ligation site and connected to the duct on the other side. Our findings indicated that one of the possible causes for postoperative recurrence of chylothorax in dogs could be “invisible or sleeping” fine ducts that are collapsed and not visible in preoperative CTLG scans. After TDL causes a change in the pressure of lymphatic flow, these fine thoracic ducts may become apparent using postoperative CTLG.
Factors influencing attitudes toward xenotransplantation clinical trials: A report of focus group studies
Authors: Hurst Daniel J. , Padilla Luz A. , Cooper David K. C. , Paris Wayne
Published: March 2021

Background

Clinical trials of xenotransplantation (XTx, ie, cross‐species transplantation, specifically the transplantation of genetically engineered pig organs into human recipients) are due to start within a few years.

Methods

Five focus groups were conducted in April‐May 2019, among local religious leaders (N = 10), organ procurement staff/administrators (N = 5), patients and parents of patients who may need an organ transplant or are transplant recipients (N = 9), and local businesspersons in the community (N = 3). Groups were audio‐recorded, transcribed, and analyzed with NVivo software to identify themes of participants’ thoughts to XTx.

Results

An overall Cohen's kappa statistic of 0.71 was established. In general, there was wide agreement among participants that XTx is an exciting and acceptable option to explore as an organ alternative. Concerns were expressed primarily regarding issues of animal ethics, stigma regarding how pigs are viewed in society, organ allocation logistics, quality of life after receiving a xenograft, and how XTx would be accepted by certain theological traditions.

Conclusion

Overall, various stakeholders accepted XTx as a clinical option. However, there were ethical, social, and physical concerns raised. Future studies exploring the development of education strategies that may help alleviate concerns related to XTx before it becomes a clinical alternative are needed among the general public, potential XTx candidates, and their family members.
Forced and Free Motion of a Mass on an Air Spring
Authors: Sussholz B.
Published: March 2021

Results are given of a theoretical investigation of the transient response of a simple nonlinear mechanical system to various types of applied forces. A cylindrical tube closed at one end, with a light piston inserted in the other, was used experimentally, the nonlinear elasticity of the confined column of air governing the motion of the piston. Such systems have been used in ballistic studies to measure transient pressures, as well as for the measurement of pressures caused by other types of explosions in air.
Stresses in a Reinforced Monocoque Cylinder Under Concentrated Symmetric Transverse Loads
Authors: Hoff N. J.
Published: March 2021

The stresses in the sheet covering, stringers, and rings of a reinforced monocoque cylinder of circular cross section are calculated for the case of a loading consisting of concentrated symmetric forces applied to the rings in the planes of the rings. The conventional assumptions of a linear normal stress distribution and a corresponding shear-stress distribution in the bent cylinder are replaced by a least-work analysis. Application of the theory to the numerical example of a cantilever monocoque cylinder yields a maximum shear stress in the sheet covering and a maximum bending moment in the ring amounting to 900 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively, of the values obtained by the conventional analysis.
Consistent Approximation of Fractional Order Operators
Authors: Wei Yiheng , Chen YangQuan , Wei Yingdong , Zhang Xuefeng
Published: March 2021

Fractional order controllers become increasingly popular due to their versatility and superiority in various performances. However, the bottleneck in deploying these tools in practice is related to their analog or numerical implementation. Numerical approximations are usually employed in which the approximation of fractional differintegrator is the foundation. Generally, the following three identical equations always hold, i.e., 1sα1s1−α=1s, sα1sα=1, and sαs1−α=s. However, for the approximate models of fractional differintegrator sα, α∈(−1,0)∪(0,1), there usually exist some conflicts on the mentioned equations, which might enlarge the approximation error or even cause fallacies in multiple orders occasion. To overcome the conflicts, this brief develops a piecewise approximate model and provides two procedures for designing the model parameters. The comparison with several existing methods shows that the proposed methods do not only satisfy the equalities but also achieve high approximation accuracy. From this, it is believed that this work can serve for simulation and realization of fractional order controllers more friendly.
A Data-Driven Methodology to Improve Tolerance Allocation Using Product Usage Data
Authors: Li Kangjie , Gao Yicong , Zheng Hao , Tan Jianrongg
Published: March 2021

Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution, puts forward new requirements for the sustainable service of products. With the recent advances in measurement technologies, global and local deformations in inaccessible areas can be monitored. Product usage data such as geometric deviation, position deviation, and angular deviation that lead to product functional performance degradation can be continuously collected during the product usage stage. These technologies provide opportunities to improve tolerance design by improving tolerance allocation using product usage data. The challenge lies in how to assess these deviations for identifying relevant field factors and reallocate the tolerance value. In this paper, a data-driven methodology based on the deviation for tolerance analysis is proposed to improve the tolerance allocation. A feature graph of a mechanical assembly is established based on the assembly relationship. The node representation in the feature graph is defined based on the unified Jacobian-torsor model and the node label is calculated by a synthetic evaluation method. A novel hierarchical graph attention networks (HGAT) is proposed to investigate hidden relations between nodes in the feature graph and calculate labels of all nodes. A modification necessity index (MNI) is defined for each tolerance between two nodes based on their labels. An identification of the to-be-modified tolerance method is proposed to specify the tolerance analysis target. A deviation difference matrix is constructed to calculate the MNI of each tolerance for identifying the to-be-modified tolerance value with high priorities for product improvement. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through a case study for improving tolerance allocation of a press machine.
Upper Bound of Power Harvested by an On-Off Electrical Damping in a State Space System
Authors: La Viet Duc
Published: March 2021

This paper presents the theoretical upper bound of the harvested power, which is amplified by a generalized electrical damping switching controller in a linear time invariant system. The upper bound is found by maximizing a single-variable function with respect to the switching time. The upper bound shows the possibility of raising the power–frequency curve over the optimal passive curves reported in literature. The optimal switching time of the upper bound shows the mechanics that determine the optimality. The upper bound solution is not only a good benchmark to evaluate but also a clear guide to design any other practical controllers. To demonstrate these two benefits, four examples in literature were revisited: the single-degree-of-freedom electromagnetic and piezoelectric energy harvesters, the dual-mass vibration energy harvester and the quarter car hybrid electromagnetic suspension. A demonstration controller is proposed in all examples. The upper bound is used to evaluate the demonstration controller. The optimal switching time is used to explain the reason of a good or bad controller.
A cut above: pair that developed CRISPR earns historic award
Authors: Cohen Jon
Published: March 2021

Chemistry Nobel honors biology's powerful genome editor.
Found: genes that sway the course of the coronavirus
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: March 2021

Host variants boost severity risk, may point to drug options.
Viral Rebound Kinetics Correlate with Distinct HIV Antibody Features
Authors: Bartsch Yannic C. , Loos Carolin , Rossignol Evan , Fajnzylber Jesse M. , Yuan Dansu , Avihingsanon Anchalee , Ubolyam Sasiwimol , Jupimai Thidarat , Hirschel Bernard , Ananworanich Jintanat , Lauffenburger Douglas A. , Li Jonathan Z. , Alter Galit , Julg Boris
Published: March 2021

Plasma viremia reoccurs in most HIV-infected individuals once antiretroviral therapy is interrupted, and interindividual differences in the kinetics of viral rebound have been associated with virological and immunological factors. Antibody features, including Fc functionality and Fc glycosylation, have been identified as sensitive surrogates for disease activity in multiple diseases.
The Principles of Antibody Therapy for Infectious Diseases with Relevance for COVID-19
Authors: Casadevall Arturo , Pirofski Liise-anne , Joyner Michael J.
Published: March 2021

Antibody therapies such as convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibodies have emerged as major potential therapeutics for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Immunoglobulins differ from conventional antimicrobial agents in that they mediate direct and indirect antimicrobial effects that work in concert with other components of the immune system.
Late Mesozoic–Cenozoic cooling history of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and its foreland derived from low-temperature thermochronology
Authors: Wu Chen , Zuza Andrew V. , Li Jie , Haproff Peter J. , Yin An , Chen Xuanhua , Ding Lin , Li Bing
Published: March 2021

The growth history and formation mechanisms of the Cenozoic Tibetan Plateau are the subject of an intense debate with important implications for understanding the kinematics and dynamics of large-scale intracontinental deformation. Better constraints on the uplift and deformation history across the northern plateau are necessary to address how the Tibetan Plateau was constructed. To this end, we present updated field observations coupled with low-temperature thermochronology from the Qaidam basin in the south to the Qilian Shan foreland in the north. Our results show that the region experienced a late Mesozoic cooling event that is interpreted as a result of tectonic deformation prior to the India-Asia collision. Our results also reveal the onset of renewed cooling in the Eocene in the Qilian Shan region along the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, which we interpret to indicate the timing of initial thrusting and plateau formation along the plateau margin. The interpreted Eocene thrusting in the Qilian Shan predates Cenozoic thrust belts to the south (e.g., the Eastern Kunlun Range), which supports out-of-sequence rather than northward-migrating thrust belt development. The early Cenozoic deformation exploited the south-dipping early Paleozoic Qilian suture zone as indicated by our field mapping and the existing geophysical data. In the Miocene, strike-slip faulting was initiated along segments of the older Paleozoic suture zones in northern Tibet, which led to the development of the Kunlun and Haiyuan left-slip transpressional systems. Late Miocene deformation and uplift of the Hexi corridor and Longshou Shan directly north of the Qilian Shan thrust belt represent the most recent phase of outward plateau growth.
Magnetocaloric Effect in Nanosystems Based on Ferromagnets with Different Curie Temperatures
Authors: Kuznetsov M. A. , Drovosekov A. B. , Fraerman A. A.
Published: March 2021

The magnetocaloric effect in nanosystems based on exchange-coupled ferromagnets with different Curie temperatures is calculated within the mean-field theory. Good agreement between the results of the mean-field theory and the Landau theory, valid near the critical phase transition temperature, is demonstrated for a flat-layered Fe/Gd/Fe structure. We show that a high magnetic cooling efficiency in this system is attainable in principle and prove the validity of the Maxwell relation, enabling an experimental verification of the predictions made. The theory developed for flat-layered structures is generalized to a granular medium.
Successful use of CPAP in a pregnant patient with COVID-19 pneumonia
Authors: Reindorf Maxine , Newman Joseph , Ingle Tejas
Published: March 2021

A 35-year-old nurse, who was 27 weeks pregnant at the time, was admitted to hospital with a short history of cough, fever and worsening shortness of breath. Oral and nasopharyngeal swabs were positive for SARS-CoV-2 on real-time viral PCR. During her admission, her breathing further deteriorated and she developed type 1 respiratory failure. A decision was made to trial treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as a means of avoiding intubation. The patient tolerated this well and made rapid improvements on this therapy. She was quickly weaned off and fully recovered before being discharged home. This case highlights the potential for CPAP to be used as a means of avoiding mechanical ventilation and iatrogenic preterm birth in COVID-19 pneumonia in pregnancy. Furthermore, it highlights the need for robust evidence to support this treatment.
Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidant Effects of Korean Ginseng Berry Extract in LPS-Activated RAW264.7 Macrophages
Authors: Byun Jiha , Kim Su Kang , Ban Ju Yeon
Published: March 2021

Inflammatory macrophages stimulated by LPS disrupt homeostasis in the production of inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO). These are the causes of inflammation-related diseases and various cancers. The present study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Korean ginseng berry extract (KGB) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE[Formula: see text] production was elevated in response to LPS stimulation and was dose-dependently reduced by pretreatment with KGB. The expression levels of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA and protein were also reduced by KGB treatment. KGB treatment significantly suppressed the LPS-induced gene expression and production of cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1[Formula: see text], IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-[Formula: see text] (TNF-[Formula: see text]. Furthermore, KGB inhibited the translocation of nuclear expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-[Formula: see text]B) by preventing inhibitory factor-kappa B (I[Formula: see text]B[Formula: see text] phosphorylation and suppressing the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. Additionally, decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities were observed following KGB treatment. Taken together, these results indicated that KGB possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, mediated by the inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. KGB may represent a potential therapeutic agent for inflammatory and oxidative stress-related diseases.
Quantum information entropy and squeezing of 𝒫𝒯-symmetric potential
Authors: Sharma Aarti , Thakur Pooja , Kumar Girish , Kumar Anil
Published: March 2021

The information theoretic concepts are crucial to study the quantum mechanical systems. In this paper, the information densities of [Formula: see text]-symmetric potential have been demonstrated and their properties deeply analyzed. The position space and momentum space information entropy is obtained and Bialynicki-Birula–Mycielski inequality is saturated for different parameters of the potential. Some interesting features of information entropy have been discussed. The variation in these entropies is described which gets saturated for specific values of the parameter. These have also been analyzed for the [Formula: see text]-symmetry breaking case. Further, the entropy squeezing phenomenon has been investigated in position space as well as momentum space. Interestingly, [Formula: see text] phase transition conjectures the entropy squeezing in position space and momentum space.
Riemann–Hilbert problem for the generalized modified Korteweg–de Vries equation with N distinct arbitrary-order poles
Authors: Wu Xin , Tian Shou-Fu
Published: March 2021

In this work, the generalized modified Korteweg–de Vries (gmKdV) equation is constructed by the first time and is solved by the Riemann–Hilbert method with the zero boundary condition. In the direct scattering transform, the analytical and asymptotic properties related to the Jost functions and the scattering matrix are given. On the basis of the above results, the appropriate Riemann–Hilbert problem (RHP) is constructed. By solving the RHP, we obtain the exact solution of the gmKdV equation in the case of no reflection potential when the scattering data [Formula: see text] has simple poles and higher-order poles. Furthermore, the three special solutions under different zero points are given and the phenomenon of their spread is described, respectively.
Real-variable characterizations of local Orlicz-slice Hardy spaces with application to bilinear decompositions
Authors: Zhang Yangyang , Yang Dachun , Yuan Wen
Published: March 2021

Recently, both the bilinear decompositions [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were established. In this paper, the authors prove in some sense that the former is sharp, while the latter is not. To this end, the authors first introduce the local Orlicz-slice Hardy space which contains [Formula: see text], a variant of the local Orlicz Hardy space, introduced by Bonami and Feuto as a special case, and obtain its dual space by establishing its characterizations via atoms, finite atoms, and various maximal functions, which are new even for [Formula: see text]. The relationship [Formula: see text] is also clarified.
RETROSPECTIVE COMPUTER-ASSISTED IMAGE ANALYSIS OF DOPPLER ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN PULMONARY HYPERTENSION PATIENTS
Authors: GEORGE STEPHANIE M. , PEARCE DANIEL P. , FREDERICKS LAQUANDA , MARCU C. BOGDAN , MADDIPATI VEERANNA
Published: March 2021

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is diagnosed invasively by right heart catheterization (RHC), which determines patient’s mean and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP, sPAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). This study sought to identify non-invasive echocardiography parameters useful for screening PH. Patients ([Formula: see text]; 19 normotensive; 17 pre-capillary PH; 48 post-capillary PH) who had undergone transthoracic Doppler echocardiography and RHC within 60 days of each other were identified. Tricuspid regurgitant (TR) jet velocities, velocity spectral densities, average flow rates, and Fourier transforms (FFT) of velocity waveforms were calculated via an in-house MATLAB code. Correlations were found between the FFT magnitude at 0 Hz and sPAP and mPAP for normotensive patients; between the MATLAB-calculated TR jet and sPAP and PVR for all PH patients; and between the sum of FFT magnitudes [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Hz and mPAP, sPAP, and PVR for post-capillary PH patients. Statistical difference was found between the FFT magnitudes at 2 Hz of pre- and post-capillary PH patients ([Formula: see text]). These results suggest non-invasive parameters with clinical utility for estimating RHC measurements and discriminating between PH types, offering a path forward for less invasive and more accessible PH screening protocol.
A lower bound for the Hausdorff dimension of the set of weighted simultaneously approximable points over manifolds
Authors: Beresnevich Victor , Levesley Jason , Ward Ben
Published: March 2021

Given a weight vector [Formula: see text] with each [Formula: see text] bounded by certain constraints, we obtain a lower bound for the Hausdorff dimension of the set [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a twice continuously differentiable manifold. From this we produce a lower bound for [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a general approximation function with certain limits. The proof is based on a technique developed by Beresnevich et al. in 2017, but we use an alternative mass transference style theorem proven by Wang, Wu and Xu (2015) to obtain our lower bound.
Epidemic modeling: Diffusion approximation vs. stochastic differential equations allowing reflection
Authors: El Fatini Mohamed , Louriki Mohammed , Pettersson Roger , Zararsiz Zarife
Published: March 2021

A birth–death process is considered as an epidemic model with recovery and transmittance from outside. The fraction of infected individuals is for huge population sizes approximated by a solution of an ordinary differential equation taking values in [Formula: see text]. For intermediate size or semilarge populations, the fraction of infected individuals is approximated by a diffusion formulated as a stochastic differential equation. That diffusion approximation however needs to be killed at the boundary [Formula: see text]. An alternative stochastic differential equation model is investigated which instead allows a more natural reflection at the boundary.
MODELING THE SURVIVAL OF HUMAN POPULATION IN A STRESSED ENVIRONMENT: EFFECT OF GLOBAL WARMING DUE TO TRAFFIC EMISSIONS
Authors: SUNDAR SHYAM , TRIPATHI RAM NARESH , SWAROOP NIRANJAN
Published: March 2021

The survival of human population is adversely affected by the global warming due to increasing temperature of earth surface caused by emissions of various gases (such as carbon dioxide, methane, etc.) and particulate matters from vehicles in the traffic. These gases, called greenhouse gases, present in the atmosphere above a certain threshold result to elevate the average temperature of earth surface affecting the human population. To comprehend this problem, in this paper, a nonlinear mathematical model is proposed to study the detrimental effects on human population of the increased earth surface temperature caused by traffic emissions. In the model formulation, five nonlinearly interacting variables namely; the cumulative densities of human population and vehicles in traffic, cumulative concentration of greenhouse gases and particulate matters due to traffic emissions and average global warming temperature of earth surface have been used. Using stability theory, certain inferences have been drawn regarding the local and nonlinear stability behaviour of the equilibrium points. It is shown that as the cumulative concentration of greenhouse gases emitted from vehicles in the traffic reaches beyond its threshold level, the average temperature of earth surface rises above its threshold value leading to global warming with diminishing effects on the growth of human population density. The growth of human population is further declined with increase in the cumulative concentration of particulate matters emitted from vehicles in traffic. Numerical simulations have also been performed to validate the analytical findings.
A Novel Magnetic Coupling to Construct Spiral Deposition of Lithium Ions for Improving Anode Performance of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Cao Yongan , Wu Qiao , Wang Wenju , Xia Zhi , Chen Yuchao , Zhang Bo , Zou Jiaxuan , Zhu Tianjiao
Published: March 2021

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is one of the most prospective energy storage devices due to its high specific capacity, low cost and pollution-free reactant. However, the degradation of anode lithium metal and the formation of lithium dendrites seriously shorten the cycle life and reduce its safety. It’s a bad obstacle for the application of Li-S batteries. In this work, comparing and analyzing reported applications of the magnetic field simple parallel or perpendicular to the direction of the electric field, one central symmetric and curved magnetic field which is firstly coupled to Li-S batteries has unique advantage. With this magnetic field, lithium ions are subjected to centripetal Lorentz force (FB), and the trajectory of Li+ is transformed from linear aggregation deposition to rotational uniform deposition, inhibiting the formation of lithium dendrites. With 70 mT, the capacity attenuation rate is 0.14%, which is almost a quarter of that with 0 mT. The results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that there are fewer cracks and bulges on the surface of anode with the magnetic field. It can be ascribed to the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) effect, and the mechanism is also confirmed by the multi-physics field simulation. In summary, this study proves that the central symmetric and curved magnetic field develops a new possibility for mitigating lithium dendrites and improving performance of Li-S batteries.
Precise Shearer Positioning Technology Using Shearer Motion Constraint and Magnetometer Aided SINS
Authors: Yan Ming , Wang Zengcai
Published: March 2021

The key technology to realize intelligent unmanned coal mining is the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS); however, the gradual increase of cumulative error during the working process needs to be solved. On the basis of an SINS/odometer (OD)-integrated navigation system, this paper adds magnetometer (MAG)-aided positioning and proposes an SINS/OD/MAG-integrated shearer navigation system. The velocity observation equation is obtained from the speed constraints during shearer movement, and the yaw angle observation equation is obtained from the magnetometer output. The position information of the SINS output is calibrated using these two observations. In order to improve the fault tolerance of the integrated navigation system, an adaptive federated Kalman filter is established to complete the data fusion of the SINS. Experimental results show that the positioning accuracy of the SINS/OD/MAG-integrated navigation system is 75.64% and 74.01% higher in the east and north directions, respectively, than the SINS/OD-integrated navigation system.
On Partition Dimension of Some Cycle-Related Graphs
Authors: Wei Changcheng , Nadeem Muhammad Faisal , Afzal Siddiqui Hafiz Muhammad , Azeem Muhammad , Liu Jia-Bao , Khalil Adnan
Published: March 2021

Let

G

be a simple connected graph. Suppose

Δ
=

Δ

1

,

Δ

2

,
…
,

Δ

l

an

l

-partition of

V

G

. A partition representation of a vertex

α
 w
.
r
.
t 
Δ

is the

l
−

vector

d

α
,

Δ

1

,
d

α
,

Δ

2

,
…
,
d

α
,

Δ

l

, denoted by

r

α

|
Δ

. Any partition

Δ

is referred as resolving partition if

∀

α

i

≠

α

j

∈
V

G

such that

r

α

i

|
Δ

≠
r

α

j

|
Δ

. The smallest integer

l

is referred as the partition dimension

pd

G

of

G

if the

l

-partition

Δ

is a resolving partition. In this article, we discuss the partition dimension of kayak paddle graph, cycle graph with chord, and a graph generated by chain of cycles. It has been shown that the partition dimension of the said families of graphs is constant.
An Analytical View of Fractional-Order Fisher’s Type Equations within Caputo Operator
Authors: Shah Nehad Ali
Published: March 2021

The present research article is related to the analytical investigation of some nonlinear fractional-order Fisher’s equations. The homotopy perturbation technique and Shehu transformation are implemented to discuss the fractional view analysis of Fisher’s equations. For a better understanding of the proposed procedure, some examples related to Fisher’s equations are presented. The identical behavior of the derived and actual solutions is observed. The solutions at different fractional are calculated, which describe some useful dynamics of the given problems. The proposed technique can be modified to study the fractional view analysis of other problems in various areas of applied sciences.
Variable Selection from Image Texture Feature for Automatic Classification of Concrete Surface Voids
Authors: Zhao Ziting , Liu Tong , Zhao Xudong
Published: March 2021

Machine learning plays an important role in computational intelligence and has been widely used in many engineering fields. Surface voids or bugholes frequently appearing on concrete surface after the casting process make the corresponding manual inspection time consuming, costly, labor intensive, and inconsistent. In order to make a better inspection of the concrete surface, automatic classification of concrete bugholes is needed. In this paper, a variable selection strategy is proposed for pursuing feature interpretability, together with an automatic ensemble classification designed for getting a better accuracy of the bughole classification. A texture feature deriving from the Gabor filter and gray‐level run lengths is extracted in concrete surface images. Interpretable variables, which are also the components of the feature, are selected according to a presented cumulative voting strategy. An ensemble classifier with its base classifier automatically assigned is provided to detect whether a surface void exists in an image or not. Experimental results on 1000 image samples indicate the effectiveness of our method with a comparable prediction accuracy and model explicable.