bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural basis for severe pain caused by mutations in the S4-S5 linkers of voltage-gated sodium channel Na
V
1.7
Authors: Wisedchaisri Goragot , Gamal El-Din Tamer M. , Zheng Ning , Catterall William A.
Published: March 2023

Gain-of-function mutations in voltage-gated sodium channel Na
V
1.7 cause severe inherited pain syndromes, including inherited erythromelalgia (IEM). The structural basis of these disease mutations, however, remains elusive. Here, we focused on three mutations that all substitute threonine residues in the alpha-helical S4-S5 intracellular linker that connects the voltage sensor to the pore: Na
V
1.7/I234T, Na
V
1.7/I848T, and Na
V
1.7/S241T in order of their positions in the amino acid sequence within the S4-S5 linkers. Introduction of these IEM mutations into the ancestral bacterial sodium channel Na
V
Ab recapitulated the pathogenic gain-of-function of these mutants by inducing a negative shift in the voltage dependence of activation and slowing the kinetics of inactivation. Remarkably, our structural analysis reveals a common mechanism of action among the three mutations, in which the mutant threonine residues create new hydrogen bonds between the S4-S5 linker and the pore-lining S5 or S6 segment in the pore module. Because the S4-S5 linkers couple voltage sensor movements to pore opening, these newly formed hydrogen bonds would stabilize the activated state substantially and thereby promote the 8 to 18 mV negative shift in the voltage dependence of activation that is characteristic of the Na
V
1.7 IEM mutants. Our results provide key structural insights into how IEM mutations in the S4-S5 linkers may cause hyperexcitability of Na
V
1.7 and lead to severe pain in this debilitating disease.
ITS-90 SPRT calibration from the Ar TP to the Zn FP
Authors: Herman Tobias , Chojnacky Michal , Hill Ken , Rudtsch Steffen , Yang Inseok , Steur Petrus Paulus Maria , Dematteis Roberto , Lopardo Giuseppina , Sparasci Fernando , Martin Catherine , Risegari Lara , Widiatmo Januarius , Nakano Tohru , Saito Ikuhiko , Quelhas Klaus Natorf , Giorgio Patricia , Sun Jianping , Zhang Jintao , Pearce Jonathan , Gray Jayne
Published: March 2023

Main text

This is a report to the Consultative Committee for Thermometry (CCT) on the key comparison 9 of Standard Platinum Resistance Thermometer (SPRT) calibration on the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) [1] from 83.8058 K (the Ar triple point) to 692.677 K (the Zn freezing point). The comparison followed a collapsed star protocol, with each of the fourteen participating laboratories shipping two standard platinum resistance thermometers (SPRTs) as transfer standards to the pilot laboratory (National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST) for a direct comparison of SPRT calibration at the National Metrology Institute (NMI) of origin to calibration at NIST. Measurements were taken at the participating laboratories before and after measurement at NIST to assess the effect of transportation on the transfer standards. The pooled results from all laboratories were combined to calculate a key comparison reference value (KCRV).

This report includes the calculation of, and comparisons to, the KCRV as well as bilateral comparisons between labs. In addition, there is space devoted to analysis of the shifts in SPRT values following travel.

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCT, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
Investigation of the physical process inside the crater during the ablation of the cathode material of a micro-cathode arc thruster
Authors: Ji Tianyuan , Wei Liqiu , Wang Lu , Zhao Yongguo , Li Tingwan , Liang Tiance , Li Hong , Zhu Ximing , Ding Yongjie
Published: March 2023

In this paper, the relationship between the morphology of the cathode crater and plasma ionization between thrusters is studied by adjusting the input energy of the micro-cathode arc thruster (μCAT). We monitor the morphology of the cathode crater of the μCAT using scanning electron microscopy and explore the relationship between the crater morphology and the internal energy loss of the cathode crater. This relationship, combined with the numerical simulation results, is used to monitor the ionization between the electrodes of the μCAT using an enhanced intensified charge coupled device spectrum detector. The effect of cathode crater morphology on the ionization of the propellant during the operation of the μCAT is determined. The results show that with a change in the input power processing unit voltage, the external profile and depth-to-diameter ratio of the cathode crater change, resulting in a change in the internal energy loss of the thruster cathode crater and then affecting the ionization efficiency of the cathode working fluid in the μCAT. Under the condition of basically unchanged cathode feed energy flow density, reasonable adjustment of the depth-to-diameter ratio of the cathode crater can effectively improve the ionization efficiency of the cathode working fluid in the μCAT.
High energy electrons induced by nonlinear effect in synchronized dual-level radio frequency pulsing capacitively coupled plasmas
Authors: Ma Fang-Fang , Zhang Quan-Zhi , Wang You-Nian
Published: March 2023

The surface charging effect of positive ions at the trench bottom during the etching of dielectric materials has become a severe problem with the shrinkage of electronic feature dimensions. Pulsed plasmas have been widely used to overcome surface charging issues during plasma etching in industry. In this work, synchronized dual-level radio frequency pulsed modulation on capacitively coupled plasmas is investigated based on 1D3V particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulations. It is found that the plasma always remains a certain initial density during the dual-level pulse modulation, as the high frequency (HF) source still presents during pulse off time (with a reduced voltage amplitude), which may facilitate high processing efficiency. Meanwhile, many HF sheath oscillations are simulated at the initial stage of a pulse period, which induces vast high energy electrons to strike the electrode. When the HF voltage is maintained at a very low value during the pulse off (i.e. 0.1

V

HF

), more electrons with higher energy bombard the bottom of the trench, effectively alleviating the charging effect. Furthermore, the nonlinear behavior of sheath oscillations is proved to be very sensitive to dual-frequency voltage amplitudes and pulse ramp-up times.
A simple, sensitive, label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on the chitosan-coated silver/cerium oxide (CS@Ag/CeO2) nanocomposites for the detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
Authors: Kayani Farrukh Bashir , Rafique Saima , Akram Rizwan , Hussain Mozaffar , Bashir Shazia , Nasir Rubina , Khan Jan Sher
Published: March 2023

Metal oxide-based sensors have the benefit of inexpensive, quick response, and high sensitivity in detecting specific biological species. In this article, a simple electrochemical immunosensor was fabricated using antibody-chitosan coated silver/cerium oxide (Ab-CS@Ag/CeO2) nanocomposites on a gold electrode for sensitive alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) diagnosis in human serum samples. Successfully synthesis of AFP antibody-CS@Ag/CeO2 conjugates was confirmed through Fourier transform infrared spectra of the prototype. The amine coupling bond chemistry was then used to immobilize the resultant conjugate on a gold electrode surface. It was observed that the interaction of the synthesized Ab-CS@Ag/CeO2 nanocomposites with AFP prevented an electron transfer and reduced the voltammetric Fe(CN)6
3−/4− peak current, which was proportional to the amount of AFP. The linear ranges of AFP concentration were found from 10−12–10−6 g.ml−1. The limit of detection was calculated using the calibration curve and came out to be 0.57 pg.ml−1. The designed label-free immunosensor successfully detected AFP in human serum samples. As a result, the resulting immunosensor is a promising sensor plate form for AFP detection and could be used in clinical bioanalysis.
Combination of ICCD fast imaging and image processing techniques to probe species–specific propagation due to guided ionization waves
Authors: Athanasopoulos D K , Svarnas P , Liapis C M , Papadopoulos P K , Gazeli K , Giotis K , Vafeas P , Vafakos G P , Giannakakis V , Gerakis A
Published: March 2023

The present report is devoted to the study of distinct ionization waves in terms of temporally-, spatially-, and wavelength-resolved analyses. The study is based on the technique of two-dimension fast imaging. However, appropriately selected ultraviolet to near infrared optical filters are employed to capture the propagation of specific species and digital image processing techniques are applied to explore the recorded snapshots. N2(SPS),

N

2

+

(FNS), He I, OH(A–X), and O I, i.e., emissive neutral and ionic species, are investigated. On the other hand, the propagation of the NO
γ
species is studied by means of laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy, since the light intensity due to spontaneous emission of this species was not readily detectable. Digital image processing techniques are also applied for the NO
γ
case. The crucial role of the above species in fields like plasma biomedicine and material processing is extensively recognized, and the present work: (i) provides gathered information on the propagation of these species within the atmospheric air; and (ii) introduces image processing algorithms to extract information which otherwise would remain hidden or uncorrelated with other plasma parameters. The present results unveil specific emission patterns due to the propagation of the N2(SPS),

N

2

+

(FNS), He I, OH(A–X), and O I species. The intensity patterns consist of a first peak located in the vicinity of the reactor orifice, a second peak moving away from the reactor orifice, and a continuum which couples the two peaks. However, the detailed features of each pattern depend on the type of species considered. The fluorescence of the NO
γ
species also suggests the division of the area downstream of the reactor orifice into two regions where distinct ionization-excitation effects take place. Propagation speeds of the species up to about 2 × 105 m s−1 were measured. Finally, qualitative correlation between the species propagation (as it is pronounced by the emission patterns) and the local electric field (as it was numerically calculated in a similar setup) is demonstrated.
Comparative optical analysis of GaAs nanostructures for photovoltaic applications using finite element method
Authors: Singh Sadhna , Samajdar D P , Dutta Koushik
Published: March 2023

In this manuscript, a thorough comparative analysis of six GaAs based nanostructures (hollow and solid) is performed on the basis of their optical performance. These nanostructures are known to exhibit excellent anti-reflection properties, owing to their ability to generate a broadband absorption spectrum through efficient photon harvesting. Using the Finite Element Method (FEM) of the commercially available COMSOL Multiphysics package, the absorption characteristics, optical short circuit current density (JSC), electric field and photogeneration rates of six different nanostructures namely concentric nanocylinder (CNCy), hollow concentric nanocylinder (HCNCy), inverted nanopencil (INPe), hollow nanopencil (HNPe), nanorod + nanohemisphere (NR + NHe), and hollow nanorod + hollow nanohemisphere (HNR + HNHe) are computed. The optical performance of these nanostructures is largely dependent on their geometrical parameters such as filling ratio (FR = Diameter/Period), spacing and structural dimensions. The optimized values of these parameters can play a vital role in capturing the optical resonance modes by the nanostructures to produce absorption enhancement. It has been observed that the nanostructures with base diameter of 240 nm, period in the range of 300–350 nm and FR of 0.8 exhibit better optical characteristics. Optical JSC and optical efficiency of 29.45 mA cm−2 and 42.26%, respectively for CNCy nanostructure with FR of 0.8 and diameter of 240 nm is the highest among all the nanostructures. The effect of the angle of incidence of the photons striking the nanostructures on the average absorptance in both Transverse Electric (TE) and Transverse Magnetic (TM) modes are also investigated. In addition to this, we have also computed the effective refractive index for all the nanostructures using Maxwell Garnett formula in order to estimate the surface anti-reflection characteristics of these nanostructures.
Effect of lattice water on the proton diffusion mechanism in hydrated tungsten trioxide nanostructures
Authors: Jiang Xuejun , Wang Liushun , Li Dong , Zhou Yulan , Zhang Hanyang , Peng Yuehua , Yin Yanling , Wang Weike , Zhou Weichang , Tang Dongsheng
Published: March 2023

Hydrated tungsten trioxide has been investigated extensively and was demonstrated to exhibit rapid proton conduction. For the purpose of fabricating electrochemical energy storage devices with higher power density, it is crucial to figure out the proton transport and storage mechanisms exactly. In this work, we have characterized the electrochemical performance and microstructure evolution during electrochemical reaction of hexagonal hydrated tungsten trioxide nanorods with different lattice water contents by ex situ XRD and Raman. With the decrease of lattice water content, the contribution of the capacitive charge storage decreases evidently, and both lattice distortion and lattice disorder increase significantly in the process of ion intercalation. Therefore, we suppose that the existence of lattice water in tungsten oxide offers a much more flexible mechanical deformation during the process of proton insertion and proton diffuse in tungsten trioxide based on the bridging oxygen mechanism. Besides that, proton prefer to be inserted/extracted in/from hydrated tungsten trioxide in the form of hydrated hydrogen ions (H3O+) when the lattice water decreases apparently. These results provides significant insight towards the understanding of proton transport in hydrated tungsten trioxide and can serve as a pattern for the compositional design of cathode materials for proton battery and supercapacitor.
Multi-Source Error Calibration and Observability Analysis of Integrated Inertial Navigation System/Polarization Sensor Navigation System
Authors: Zhang Hengbo , Liu Xin , Dou Qingfeng , Han Qiongyao
Published: March 2023

Accurate polarization information acquisition is the key technique of the integrated inertial navigation system (INS)/polarization sensor (PS) navigation system. To solve the problem of poor performance of polarization sensors that real-time error calibration by using a rotary table, we propose a fast calibration method that polarization sensor combined with inertial navigation systems. Firstly, we construct the calibration model of polarization sensor. A tightly coupled INS/PS calibration model is proposed, specifically, the polarization sensor errors, which are the intensity gain coefficient, the degree of polarization coefficient, and the installation angle error of a polarizer, are augmented into the state of the integrated navigation systems. By introducing the error term of polarization sensor into the state of the integrated navigation systems, the error estimation can be carried out and the speed of error calibration can be improved. Secondly, considering the nonlinearity of error calibration model, we use the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) to calibrate the error. On this basis, we make use of the observability analysis to verify its validity of the proposed model in a dynamic scene. Finally, real-world experiments are conducted on the self-developed multi-channel polarization sensor. The experimental results show that the calibration method can be done quickly without the use of a rotary table.
Application of Robot Obstacle Avoidance Algorithm and Attack Strategy on ROS
Authors: Ye Jiancai , Kang Nan , Guan Biaoliang , Cai Shicheng , Zhang Tengyu , Yang Yingze
Published: March 2023

China Robot Competition, which integrates the theory and practice of multi-disciplinary intelligent robot system, is one of the most influential robot competitions in China. In this paper, we apply RRT * and APF to the Middle Size Simulation League of soccer on ROS and propose an attack strategy based on extremum. Our experiments showed that the implementation of RRT* and APF optimizes the multiple iterations existing in original obstacle avoidance algorithm and greatly improves the performance of robots when there are fewer obstacles and the maximum speed of obstacle avoidance is limited. Besides, our attack strategy has proved effective on boosting the chances of goal and helped the Central South University to win the championship of China Robot Competition Middle Size Simulation League in 2021.
Combining Multi-Scale Convolutional Neural Network with Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network for State of Charge Estimation of Lithium-ion Batteries
Authors: Liu Cheng , Wang Bingchuan , Zou Yiqun
Published: March 2023

To develop safe and intelligent battery management systems for electric vehicles, it is necessary to accurately estimate the state of charge (SOC) of lithium-ion batteries. At present, deep learning methods have been broadly applied in the field of SOC estimation of lithium-ion batteries. However, existing deep SOC estimators are difficult to capture global trends due to being too sensitive to the changes of continuous time data points. In addition, a single non-linear neural network tends to ignore the linear features of the data, which makes the robustness of the estimation not good enough. To address these two issues, this paper proposes a SOC estimation method by combining multi-scale convolutional neural network with long short-term memory neural network (called MCNN-LSTM). Specifically, on the one hand, multiple one-dimension convolutions with different dilation rates are used to extract features at different time scales, and LSTM neural networks are used to acquire the long-term dependencies of the data. On the other hand, an additional fully connected layer is used to extract the linear features, which reduces the volatility of the estimation and enhances the robustness of the estimation. The results suggest that MCNN-LSTM has higher estimation accuracies and better robustness than DNN, LSTM, and CNN-LSTM.
Self-learning Time-varying Digital Twin System for Intelligent Monitoring of Automatic Production Line
Authors: Hao Caihua , Wang Zhaoyu , Zou Yi , Zhao Zunyuan
Published: March 2023

At present, the automation production line has problems such as insufficient intelligence level. The intelligent monitoring, control and improvement of product quality and efficiency are the key common technologies faced by advanced manufacturing industry. Self-learning time varying digital twin (DT) system for intelligent monitoring is proposed in the paper. In the process of automatic production line processing and workpiece detection, an DT consisting of physical production line layer, edge monitoring layer and cloud evolution layer is built. The DT system realizes self-learning time-varying through active excitation of processing parameter optimization. The workpiece quality is a real-time representation of the tool condition, and the tool wear sensitive features extracted by the deep learning algorithm. Through the two-way drive of time-varying physical and virtual data, the tool wear characterization model can be evaluated, self-learning, updated and verified timely in the light of the actual condition to achieve tool condition monitoring and processing parameter optimization. The prediction model is self-iterative and simplified in the cloud, and the edge side is quickly matched and adaptive. Self-learning time-varying DT system based on self-driving of manufacturing process can adaptively improve the ability of intelligent monitoring.
SATVSR: Scenario Adaptive Transformer for Cross Scenarios Video Super-Resolution
Authors: Chen Yongjie , Wu Tieru
Published: March 2023

Video Super-Resolution (VSR) aims to recover sequences of high-resolution (HR) frames from low-resolution (LR) frames. Previous methods mainly utilize temporally adjacent frames to assist the reconstruction of target frames. However, in the real world, there is a lot of irrelevant information in adjacent frames of videos with fast scene switching, these VSR methods cannot adaptively distinguish and select useful information. In contrast, with a transformer structure suitable for temporal tasks, we devise a novel adaptive scenario video super-resolution method. Specifically, we use optical flow to label the patches in each video frame, only calculate the attention of patches with the same label. Then select the most relevant label among them to supplement the spatial-temporal information of the target frame. This design can directly make the supplementary information come from the same scene as much as possible. We further propose a cross-scale feature aggregation module to better handle the scale variation problem. Compared with other video super-resolution methods, our method not only achieves significant performance gains on single-scene videos but also has better robustness on cross-scene datasets.
A Hierarchical Accident Recognition Method for Highway Traffic Systems
Authors: Chen Menghuan , Liang Jiarong , Shu Jingyao , Zhu Ren
Published: March 2023

With the rapid development of highway traffic systems, the accident rate of highway remains high. Once an accident occurs, it will cause serious casualties. In this paper, we proposed a highway accident identification method for real-time accident detection through high-speed monitoring. The proposed method focuses on high detecting speed and high recall for car accident. The designed system consists of four parts: first, yolov3 is used to detect the car. Second, identified car frames are put the identified car frame into the Mosse Tracker for tracking. Third, speed and future center point are estimated according to its size and pixel movement. If the speed exceeds a certain threshold or the future center points among other trackers are too close, the object frame will be put into a trained SVM model. Finally, the flow vector estimation calculation will be used to determine whether there is an accident. The system has fast detection speed, high recall and strong real-time performance. Through this system, we can send warning information to upstream car drivers and traffic management personnel to improve the efficiency of accident handling and reduce the rate of highway traffic accidents and casualties.
Image Classification of Car Paint Defect Detection Based on Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Jiang Zhaolin , Hu Xueyuan , Wang Sunxin
Published: March 2023

In the study of using images to display car paint defects, the current need is to use deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to identify and classify different types of car paint defects, so as to give full play to the application of image processing in the field of automatic car paint defect detection. Using the collected car paint defect images, the car paint defects dataset is established. The preprocessing process of original data and the application of three image classification models based on CNN are visually displayed. First, the dataset of 7 types of car body defects including bubble, dust, fouling, pinhole, sagging, scratch, and shrink has been established, with a total of 2468 images. The model of MobileNet-V2, Vgg16, and ResNet34 are selected for training. As a result, after 30 training iterations, the MobileNetV2 algorithm achieved 94.3% accuracy, the accuracy of the Vgg16 algorithm is as high as 99.9%, and the accuracy of the ResNet34 algorithm is maintained at 99.2%. To sum up, for car paint defect detection, deep learning has great potential and deserves further development.
The Status and Challenges of Image Data Augmentation Algorithms
Authors: Wei Jian , Wang Qinzhao , Song Xiaoqing , Zhao Zixu
Published: March 2023

Image data-augmentation algorithms effectively trump the problem of insufficient training samples for deep learning in some application fields, and it is typically for scholars to choose some of them for various computer vision tasks. But as the algorithms develop rapidly, the early proposed classification that the data-augmentation algorithms are sorted into classical ways and generating methods is no more suitable, because such classification misses some other meaningful strategies. Besides, it is frustrating for someone to decide which is the exact method to undertake, though there are too many optional algorithms to choose. Towards the goal of making some suggestions, the paper categorizes image data-augmentation algorithms into three kinds from the perspective of algorithm strategy, and they are matrix transformation algorithm, feature expansion algorithm and model generation based on neural network algorithm. The paper analyzes the typical algorithm principle, performance, application scenarios, research status and future challenges, and forecasts the development trend of data augmentation algorithms. The paper can provide academic reference for data augmentation algorithm in the fields of medicine and military.
Optimized Operation of Park-level Integrated Energy System Based on Particle Swarm Optimization with Curve Increasing
Authors: Cheng Lei , Sun Xianbo , Zhang Yi
Published: March 2023

In the traditional park, the electric energy is completely provided by the power grid, in addition, the thermal energy is provided by the gas boiler. The single energy structure leads to higher operating cost and lower energy utilization rate of the park. Therefore, firstly, a park-level integrated energy system composed of gas turbine, heat recovery boiler, gas boiler, storage battery, and the load of heat and power has been proposed in this composition. Secondly, considering time-sharing tariff and the randomness of load, the objective function is established with the minimum daily operation cost as the optimization aim. Then, a particle swarm optimization with curve increasing strategy is proposed to solve the objective function. Finally, the load data of a typical day in winter is analyzed as an example. The simulation results show that the proposed method can optimize the energy structure of the park, improve the economy of the system operation, and reduce the daily operation cost of the system by 12.32%.
National Identity, Social Preferences, and Foreign Policy Attitudes: Experimental Evidence from Japan
Authors: Chung Eunbin
Published: March 2023

Are strong national identities in the public an impediment to cooperative foreign policy attitudes? Researchers have proposed the promotion of universalism—and, accordingly, the submergence of existing national identities—as a viable path toward cooperative international relations. Conversely, I suggest that strong national identities can actually encourage public support for cooperative foreign policy. Evidence from field experiments in Japan that integrates psychological affirmation theory and a game measuring social preferences indicates that Japanese who were affirmed of the positive aspects of their national identity held more prosocial attitudes toward their Chinese counterpart in the game, which in turn led to cooperative foreign policy preferences. In contrast, participants who were not affirmed of their national identity exhibited more proself tendencies in the game, which predicted support for militaristic foreign policy. Finally, in contrast to national identity affirmation, national chauvinism, or perceived superiority over other countries, was associated with militant internationalist attitudes.
Clinical evaluation of BioFire® multiplex-PCR panel for acute undifferentiated febrile illnesses in travellers: a prospective multicentre study
Authors: Camprubí-Ferrer Daniel , Cobuccio Ludovico , Van Den Broucke Steven , Balerdi-Sarasola Leire , Genton Blaise , Bottieau Emmanuel , Navero-Castillejos Jessica , Martinez Miguel J , Jay Corinne , Grange Anne , Borland Stéphanie , Vaughn Mike , Rodriguez-Valero Natalia , Almuedo-Riera Alex , D’Acremont Valérie , Subirà Carme , de Alba Tessa , Cruz Angeline , Van Esbroeck Marjan , Smith Crystal , Hillman Ashley , Hanberg Brandon , Trauscht Rob , Spampanato Nerissa , Muñoz Jose
Published: March 2023

Background

Identifying the causes of Acute Undifferentiated Febrile Illness (AUFI) is key to improve the management of returning travellers with fever. We evaluated a BioFire®FilmArray® prototype panel of multiplex nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) targeting different relevant pathogens in travellers returning with fever.

Methods

Prospective, multicentre study to evaluate a prototype panel in whole blood samples of adult international travellers presenting with AUFI in three European travel Clinics/Hospitals (November 2017–November 2019). We evaluated 15 target analytes: Plasmodium spp., Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium vivax, chikungunya virus, dengue virus, Zika virus, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia spp., Leptospira spp., Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia spp. and Salmonella spp. Results were compared with composite reference standards (CRSs) for each target infection, including direct methods [smear microscopy, rapid diagnostic test (RDT), reference NAAT and blood cultures] and indirect methods (paired serology).

Findings

Among 455 travellers with AUFI, 229 target infections were diagnosed; the prototype panel detected 143 (overall sensitivity and specificity of 62.5 and 99.8%, respectively). The panel identified all Plasmodium infections (n = 82). Sensitivity for dengue (n = 71) was 92.9, 80.8 and 68.5% compared with RDT, NAAT and CRS, respectively. Compared with direct methods and CRS, respectively, the prototype panel detected 4/4 and 4/6 chikungunya, 2/2 and 4/29 Leptospira spp., 1/1 and 1/6 O. tsutsugamushi and 2/2 and 2/55 Rickettsia spp., but 0/2 and 0/10 Zika, 0/1 and 0/11 A. phagocytophylum and 0/3 Borrelia spp. diagnosed by serology and only 1/7 Salmonella spp. diagnosed by blood cultures. 77/86 (89.5%) infections not detected by the panel were diagnosed by serology.

Interpretation

The prototype panel allowed rapid and reliable diagnosis for malaria, dengue and chikungunya. Further improvements are needed to improve its sensitivity for Zika and important travel-related bacterial infections.
Deep Learning-Assisted Multivariate Analysis for Nanoscale Characterization of Heterogeneous Beam-Sensitive Materials
Authors: Kosasih Felix Utama , Su Fanzhi , Du Tian , Ratnasingham Sinclair Ryley , Briscoe Joe , Ducati Caterina
Published: March 2023

Nanoscale materials characterization often uses highly energetic probes which can rapidly damage beam-sensitive materials, such as hybrid organic–inorganic compounds. Reducing the probe dose minimizes the damage, but often at the cost of lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the acquired data. This work reports the optimization and validation of principal component analysis (PCA) and nonnegative matrix factorization for the postprocessing of low-dose nanoscale characterization data. PCA is found to be the best approach for data denoising. However, the popular scree plot-based method for separation of principal and noise components results in inaccurate or excessively noisy models of the heterogeneous original data, even after Poissonian noise weighting. Manual separation of principal and noise components produces a denoised model which more accurately reproduces physical features present in the raw data while improving SNR by an order of magnitude. However, manual selection is time-consuming and potentially subjective. To suppress these disadvantages, a deep learning-based component classification method is proposed. The neural network model can examine PCA components and automatically classify them with an accuracy of >99% and a rate of ∼2 component/s. Together, multivariate analysis and deep learning enable a deeper analysis of nanoscale materials’ characterization, allowing as much information as possible to be extracted.
Symbiosis between Dendrobium catenatum protocorms and Serendipita indica involves the plant hypoxia response pathway
Authors: Xu Zhi-Xiong , Zhu Xin-Meng , Yin Huachun , Li Bo , Chen Xiao-Jie , Fan Xu-Li , Li Neng-Qi , Selosse Marc-André , Gao Jiang-Yun , Han Jia-Jia
Published: March 2023

Mycorrhizae are ubiquitous symbioses established between fungi and plant roots. Orchids, in particular, require compatible mycorrhizal fungi for seed germination and protocorm development. Unlike arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which have wide host ranges, orchid mycorrhizal fungi are often highly specific to their host orchids. However, the molecular mechanism of orchid mycorrhizal symbiosis is largely unknown compared to that of arbuscular mycorrhizal and rhizobial symbiosis. Here, we report that an endophytic Sebacinales fungus, Serendipita indica, promotes seed germination and the development of protocorms into plantlets in several epiphytic Epidendroideae orchid species (6 species in 2 genera), including Dendrobium catenatum, a critically endangered orchid with high medicinal value. Although plant–pathogen interaction and high meristematic activity can induce the hypoxic response in plants, it has been unclear whether interactions with beneficial fungi, especially mycorrhizal ones, also involve the hypoxic response. By studying the symbiotic relationship between D. catenatum and S. indica, we determined that hypoxia-responsive genes, such as those encoding alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), are highly induced in symbiotic D. catenatum protocorms. In situ hybridization assay indicated that the ADH gene is predominantly expressed in the basal mycorrhizal region of symbiotic protocorms. Additionally, the ADH inhibitors puerarin and 4-methylpyrazole both decreased S. indica colonization in D. catenatum protocorms. Thus, our study reveals that S. indica is widely compatible with orchids and that ADH and its related hypoxia-responsive pathway are involved in establishing successful symbiotic relationships in germinating orchids.
Field Evaluation of Fungicides for the Management of Neofabraea Leaf Lesion of Olive in California
Authors: Trouillas Florent P. , Travadon Renaud , Nouri Mohamed T. , Lawrence Daniel P.
Published: March 2023

Field experiments were conducted during the fall-winter seasons of 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019 to evaluate the efficacy of various fungicides to control Neofabraea leaf lesion of olive. Field trials were conducted in the highly susceptible cultivar Arbosana in a commercial, super-high-density orchard in San Joaquin County, California. Up to eight fungicidal products were applied using an air blast backpack sprayer, and their efficacy was compared with different application strategies. Results showed that most products were effective in reducing infection by the pathogens and limiting disease severity. Overall, best disease control was achieved by thiophanate-methyl, cyprodinil, difenoconazole + cyprodinil, and chlorothalonil, providing up to 75% reduction in disease severity. Copper hydroxide did not control the disease. In 2018 to 2019, the fungicides difenoconazole + cyprodinil and ziram were evaluated in additional field trials using different application strategies (single, dual, and combined applications) suitable for pathogen resistance management. Results showed that both products provided significant reduction in disease severity (∼50%), although no differences in efficacy were found between the two products nor between the different application strategies. Both products performed equally using one or two applications at 2-week intervals following harvest.
Psychological distress in survivors of childhood cancer and their parents before and after a follow-up appointment: the need for screening and validation of the emotion thermometer
Authors: Harju Erika , Roser Katharina , Eisenreich Bernhard , Scheinemann Katrin , Michel Gisela
Published: March 2023

Background:

Childhood cancer affects patients and their parents. Childhood cancer survivors are at risk of mental health problems. Regular psychological screening is recommended. The emotion thermometer (ET) is a short, validated tool to detect psychological distress in adult patients with cancer. However, its suitability and acceptability in young cancer populations have not yet been reported. We (1) describe mental health in survivors and their parents before and after a follow-up appointment and (2) investigate the ET's usefulness for screening in young childhood cancer survivors.

Methods:

Survivors (15 years or older at study, ≥1 year after treatment ended) and their parents completed two electronic surveys to assess mental health (including somatization, depression, anxiety, a Global Severity Index [GSI], fear of cancer recurrence/relapse and post-traumatic stress). The first questionnaire was completed in the weeks leading up to the follow-up appointment and the second one after. We assessed survivors' opinion on acceptability of the ET.

Results:

Forty-five survivors (age at study: 22 years, 54% female) and 46 parents (age: 54 years, 63% female) participated. Scores for somatization, depression, and the GSI were lower after the appointment (p<.05 for all). For parents, there was no change. A subset of survivors reported clinically relevant post-traumatic stress (Nbefore = 3 [8%], Nafter = 4 [10%]). Fear of cancer recurrence/relapse remained stable. The ET identified moderate-to-severe distress in 13 survivors (29%), showing good specificity (0.91) and sensitivity (0.91) in relation to the gold standard Symptom Checklist-90-R. Survivors found the ET to be easy to use and understand.

Conclusions:

Psychological distress in survivors attending follow-up care is common, and screening is imperative. The ET may be helpful for initial psychological screening.
Prospective Assessment of the Prevalence of Enter Hyperoxalosis in Kidney Transplant Candidates
Authors: Mejia Christina , Tariq Anam , Alotaibi Manal , Lakhani Laila , Greenspan Wendy , Naqvi Fizza , Alasfar Sami , Brennan Daniel C.
Published: March 2023

Background.

Enteric hyperoxalosis (EH) is an emerging cause of kidney transplantation (KT) dysfunction. We sought to determine the prevalence of EH and factors that affect plasma oxalate (POx) among at-risk KT candidates.

Methods.

We prospectively measured POx among KT candidates evaluated at our center from 2017 to 2020 with risk factors for EH namely bariatric surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, or cystic fibrosis. EH was defined by a POx ≥10 μmol/L. Period-prevalence of EH was calculated. We compared mean POx across 5 factors: underlying condition, chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage, dialysis modality, phosphate binder type, and body mass index.

Results.

Of 40 KT candidates screened, 23 had EH for a 4-y period prevalence of 58%. Mean POx was 21.6 ± 23.5 μmol/L ranging from 0 to 109.6 μmol/L. 40% of screened had POx >20 μmol/L. Sleeve gastrectomy was the most common underlying condition associated with EH. Mean POx did not differ by underlying condition (P = 0.27), CKD stage (P = 0.17), dialysis modality (P = 0.68), phosphate binder (P = 0.58), and body mass index (P = 0.56).

Conclusions.

Bariatric surgery and inflammatory bowel disease were associated with a high prevalence of EH among KT candidates. Contrary to prior studies, sleeve gastrectomy was also associated with hyperoxalosis in advanced CKD. POx concentrations observed in EH reached levels associated with tissue and potentially allograft deposition. Concentrations can be as high as that seen in primary hyperoxaluria. More studies are needed to assess if POx is indeed a modifiable factor affecting allograft function in patients with EH.
Cyanobacteria using urea as a nitrogen source can overcome acid stress
Authors: Li Shuang-Qing , Huang Hai-Long , Sun Tao-Ran , Gao Hua-Yang , Wang Xin-Wei , Fu Fei-Xue , Hutchins David A. , Jiang Hai-Bo
Published: March 2023

Cyanobacteria play essential roles in marine primary productivity and the global carbon/nitrogen biogeochemical cycle. Increasing urea emissions and decreasing pH value in the ocean caused by human activities are changing the community structure and competitive interactions of marine phytoplankton, which will have a profound impact on the marine ecosystem and global biogeochemical cycle. Here, we report that a coastalSynechococcusstrain exhibited better adaptability to extreme low pH conditions when it uses urea as nitrogen source compared to using other inorganic nitrogen. Very low pH values can also alleviate damage by high concentrations of urea to cyanobacteria. Urease plays an essential role in this process.Synechococcusmutants with inactivated urease cannot adapt well to highly acidic environments, while heterologous expression of urease homologs from acidophilicHelicobacter pylorican help the cyanobacterial mutants to restore their adaptability to acidification. A TARA Oceans database analysis indicates that the distribution of cyanobacteria with the urease gene is closely related to estuaries and nearshore waters with potentially high urea inputs. In summary, we report for the first time that the use of urea and adaptation to acid stress are highly interactive in marine phytoplankton. Future work should determine whether this interaction is likely to allow phytoplankton that utilize urea to have a competitive advantage in the future ocean with high urea emissions and environmentally relevant pH scenarios.
Novel mRNA-based VP8* vaccines against rotavirus are highly immunogenic in rodents
Authors: Roier Sandro , Prasad Vidya Mangala , McNeal Monica M. , Lee Kelly K. , Petsch Benjamin , Rauch Susanne
Published: March 2023

Despite the availability of live-attenuated oral vaccines, rotavirus remains a major cause of severe childhood diarrhea worldwide. Due to the growing demand for parenteral rotavirus vaccines, we developed novel mRNA-based vaccine candidates targeting the viral spike protein VP8*. Our monomeric P2 (universal T cell epitope)-VP8* mRNA design is equivalent to a protein vaccine currently in clinical development, while LS (lumazine synthase)-P2-VP8* was designed to form nanoparticles. Cyro-electron microscopy and western blotting-based data presented here suggest that proteins derived from LS-P2-VP8* mRNA are secretedin vitroand self-assemble into 60-mer nanoparticles displaying VP8*. mRNA encoded VP8* was immunogenic in rodents and introduced both humoral and cellular responses. LS-P2-VP8* induced superior humoral responses to P2-VP8* in guinea pigs, both as monovalent and trivalent vaccines, with encouraging responses detected against the most prevalent P genotypes. Overall, our data provide evidence that trivalent LS-P2-VP8* represents a promising mRNA-based next-generation rotavirus vaccine candidate.
Does executive accountability enhance risk management and risk culture?
Authors: Sheedy Elizabeth , Canestrari‐Soh Dominic S. B.
Published: March 2023

We evaluate a novel regulation designed to address ongoing risk management failures: Australia's Banking Executive Accountability Regime (BEAR). This mixed methods study draws on a survey and 41 interviews with accountable persons and their reports across 15 organisations. Consistent with theory and previous experimental research, the study demonstrates the benefits of enhanced accountability for promoting more diligent ‘system 2’ behaviour. We provide evidence that BEAR promotes greater felt accountability among senior executives which in turn stimulates more proactive and diligent risk management behaviour. This behaviour has the potential to attenuate many of the behavioural biases associated with risk management failures.
The nonlocal thermo‐hydro‐mechanical model for cracking behaviors of quasi‐brittle materials in the framework of advanced general particle dynamics
Authors: Zhou Xiaoping , Yao Wuwen , Du Erbao , Bi Jing , Berto Filippo
Published: March 2023

A novel nonlocal thermo‐hydro‐mechanical coupling model is proposed to investigate cracking behaviors of quasi‐brittle materials in the framework of advanced general particle dynamics (GPD). The nonlocal thermal conduction equation and the nonlocal flow diffusion equation are derived based on nonlocal vector calculus and the microscopic constitutive equation. Moreover, the coupling influences are considered based on the nonlocal equation and the coupling principle. The governing equation of the coupling system is established in the framework of GPD. The correctness of the proposed model is verified through comparing with the corresponding experimental data, and the numerical results are in good agreement with experimental results. Finally, the proposed model is applied to analyze the deformation and cracking behaviors of rock mass around tunnels, and the stress redistribution is revealed under thermo‐hydro‐mechanical coupling condition.
Infection strategies of different chytrids in a diatom spring bloom
Authors: Sassenhagen Ingrid , Langenheder Silke , Lindström Eva S.
Published: March 2023

Diatom blooms are often accompanied by an increase in parasitic chytrids that kill the host cells, which they are infecting, and can contribute to the decline of the bloom. However, host specificity and range of these chytrids are currently poorly understood.

Low host specificity would enable the parasites to opportunistically infect any diatom species, while specialisation on infecting specific high‐biomass species could result in high prevalence and rapid spread of infection.

We investigated such host–parasite interactions by monitoring the diverse diatom spring bloom in lake Erken using amplicon sequencing. We also performed infection experiments with two different, newly isolated chytrid species and several diatom cultures from the bloom.

Chytridiomycota displayed the highest relative abundance of all parasitic lineages and were probably physically attached to larger organisms. Since the chytrids reached maximum abundance shortly after a peak in diatom reads, they were probably infecting these important primary producers.

Phylogenetic analyses of the isolated chytrid strains identified them as members of the classes Rhizophydiales and Lobulomycetales. The infection experiments revealed high host specificity in these two chytrids targeting different diatom species. The experimental results supported statistical analyses of the environmental sequencing data, which suggested the presence of two different infection strategies: the most abundant chytrid species were specialised on infecting dominant diatom genera (i.e. Stephanodiscus, Aulacoseira, Asterionella), while rarer chytid species infected a range of less abundant diatoms.