bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating Supply Functions for Wine Attributes: A Two-Stage Hedonic Approach
Authors: Oczkowski Edward
Published: December 2021

A vast body of literature exists on estimating hedonic price functions, which relate the price of wine to its attributes. Some existing literature has employed producer-specific variables such as quantity sold and producer reputation in hedonic functions to potentially capture supply influences on prices. This practice is inconsistent with the original Rosen (1974) hedonic theoretic foundation. To overcome this deficiency, we extend the literature by using the Rosen two-stage approach, employing data from multi-markets for similar wines to estimate inverse supply functions. The application to Australian produced wines sold in different countries demonstrates the importance of a wine's quality and age as attributes in inverse supply functions. Results imply the additional costs of producing better quality and older wines are increased as both quality and age are increased. Estimates also suggest that lower marginal costs for attributes are associated with a smaller producer size and older more established producers. (JEL Classifications: C21, Q11)
Some embeddings between symmetric R. thompson groups
Authors: Aroca Julio , Bleak Collin
Published: December 2021

Let $m\leqslant n\in \mathbb {N}$, and $G\leqslant \operatorname {Sym}(m)$ and $H\leqslant \operatorname {Sym}(n)$. In this article, we find conditions enabling embeddings between the symmetric R. Thompson groups ${V_m(G)}$ and ${V_n(H)}$. When $n\equiv 1 \mod (m-1)$, and under some other technical conditions, we find an embedding of ${V_n(H)}$ into ${V_m(G)}$ via topological conjugation. With the same modular condition, we also generalize a purely algebraic construction of Birget from 2019 to find a group $H\leqslant \operatorname {Sym}(n)$ and an embedding of ${V_m(G)}$ into ${V_n(H)}$.
Exposure to prenatal maternal distress and infant white matter neurodevelopment
Authors: Demers Catherine H. , Bagonis Maria M. , Al-Ali Khalid , Garcia Sarah E. , Styner Martin A. , Gilmore John H. , Hoffman M. Camille , Hankin Benjamin L. , Davis Elysia Poggi
Published: December 2021

The prenatal period represents a critical time for brain growth and development. These rapid neurological advances render the fetus susceptible to various influences with life-long implications for mental health. Maternal distress signals are a dominant early life influence, contributing to birth outcomes and risk for offspring psychopathology. This prospective longitudinal study evaluated the association between prenatal maternal distress and infant white matter microstructure. Participants included a racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of 85 mother–infant dyads. Prenatal distress was assessed at 17 and 29 weeks’ gestational age (GA). Infant structural data were collected via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at 42–45 weeks’ postconceptional age. Findings demonstrated that higher prenatal maternal distress at 29 weeks’ GA was associated with increased fractional anisotropy, b = .283, t(64) = 2.319, p = .024, and with increased axial diffusivity, b = .254, t(64) = 2.067, p = .043, within the right anterior cingulate white matter tract. No other significant associations were found with prenatal distress exposure and tract fractional anisotropy or axial diffusivity at 29 weeks’ GA, or earlier in gestation.
Longitudinal network model of the co-development of temperament, executive functioning, and psychopathology symptoms in youth with and without ADHD
Authors: Karalunas Sarah L. , Antovich Dylan , Goh Patrick K. , Martel Michelle M. , Tipsord Jessica , Nousen Elizabeth K. , Nigg Joel T.
Published: December 2021

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, chronic, and impairing disorder, yet presentations of ADHD and clinical course are highly heterogeneous. Despite substantial research efforts, both (a) the secondary co-occurrence of ADHD and complicating additional clinical problems and (b) the developmental pathways leading toward or away from recovery through adolescence remain poorly understood. Resolving these requires accounting for transactional influences of a large number of features across development. Here, we applied a longitudinal cross-lagged panel network model to a multimodal, multilevel dataset in a well-characterized sample of 488 children (nADHD = 296) to test Research Domain Criteria initiative-inspired hypotheses about transdiagnostic risk. Network features included Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders symptoms, trait-based ratings of emotional functioning (temperament), and performance-based measures of cognition. Results confirmed that ADHD symptom domains, temperamental irritability, and working memory are independent transdiagnostic risk factors for psychopathology based on their direct associations with other features across time. ADHD symptoms and working memory each had direct, independent associations with depression. Results also demonstrated tightly linked co-development of ADHD symptoms and temperamental irritability, consistent with the possibility that this type of anger dysregulation is a core feature that is co-expressed as part of the ADHD phenotype for some children.
Reducing suicide risk in parentally bereaved youth through promoting effective parenting: testing a developmental cascade model
Authors: Zhang Na , Sandler Irwin , Tein Jenn-Yun , Wolchik Sharlene
Published: December 2021

Children who experience parental death are at increased risk for suicide. The Family Bereavement Program (FBP) is an upstream preventive intervention for parentally bereaved families that was found to reduce suicide risk in parentally bereaved youth up to 6 and 15 years later. We tested whether FBP-induced improvements in effective parenting led to changes in multiple proximal factors that prior theory and research implicated in the cascading pathway to suicide risk, namely, aversive self-views, caregiver connectedness, peer connectedness, complicated grief, depressive symptoms, and emotion suppression. The sample was 244 bereaved youth and their surviving caregiver from 156 families. Families were randomized into the FBP (12 group-based sessions for parents, youth, and two joint sessions) or a literature control condition. Multimethod and multiinformant data were collected at baseline, posttest, 6-year and 15-year follow-up assessments. Results showed that program-induced improvements in effective parenting at posttest were associated with reduced aversive self-views and increased caregiver connectedness at the 6-year follow-up, and each mediator was in turn associated with reduced suicide risk at the 6- and 15-year follow-up. The mediated pathways via aversive self-views remained significant while controlling for caregiver connectedness. Self-related concepts may be important targets in upstream suicide prevention for at-risk youth.
The geometry of Bayesian programming
Authors: Dal Lago Ugo , Hoshino Naohiko
Published: December 2021

We give two geometry of interaction models for a typed λ-calculus with recursion endowed with operators for sampling from a continuous uniform distribution and soft conditioning, namely a paradigmatic calculus for higher-order Bayesian programming. The models are based on the category of measurable spaces and partial measurable functions, and the category of measurable spaces and s-finite kernels, respectively. The former is proved adequate with respect to both a distribution-based and a sampling-based operational semantics, while the latter is proved adequate with respect to a sampling-based operational semantics.
Youth, race and the inner-city estate: narratives of everyday life in Manchester's Hulme, 1970–1994
Authors: Carter Isabelle
Published: December 2021

Since the 1970s, policy-makers and the press have rendered young people, particularly those of black and minority ethnic backgrounds, synonymous with ‘inner-city crisis’. Focusing upon the high-density, multi-storey Hulme estate in Manchester, this article seeks to transcend stereotypical representations of these residents and illuminate their perspectives of the inner city. Conceptualizing the inner city as both a discursive and lived space, the article traces the intersections between its representation and residents’ testimonies to assess how far residents used prevalent understandings of Hulme as a space of crime and social breakdown respectively to shape their narratives of everyday life.
Physics‐Based Narrowband Optical Parameters for Snow Albedo Simulation in Climate Models
Authors: Wang Wenli , He Cenlin , Moore John , Wang Gongxue , Niu Guo‐Yue
Published: December 2021

Accurate snow albedo simulation is a prerequisite for climate models to produce reliable climate prediction. Climate models would benefit from schemes of snowpack radiative transfer that are responsive to changing atmospheric conditions. However, the uncertainties in the narrowband snow optical parameters used by these schemes have not been evaluated. Conventional methods typically compute these narrowband parameters as irradiance‐weighted averages of the spectral snow optical parameters, with the single scattering albedo being additionally weighted by the optically thick snowpack albedo. We first evaluate the effectiveness of the conventional methods as adopted by the widely used Community Land Model (CLM). Snow albedo calculations using the CLM narrowband optical parameters are relatively accurate for very thin snow (e.g., a bias of 0.01 for a 2‐cm snowpack). The error, however, becomes larger as snowpack thickens (with biases of up to 0.05 for semi‐infinite snowpack), because the snow radiative transfer is highly nonlinear and is most significant at wavelengths <1 μm. In this study, we propose a novel method to retrieve broadband optical parameters according to snow radiative transfer theory, reducing the albedo biases to <0.003 for 2 cm snowpacks and <0.005 for thick snowpacks. We find little impact in changing incident spectra on narrowband snow albedo. These newly derived narrowband optical parameters improve snow albedo accuracy by a factor of 10, allowing to trace the impacts of aerosol pollution in snow. The parameters are independent of which two‐stream approximation is used, and are thus applicable to sea ice, glaciers, and seasonal snow cover.
Strongly Coupled Data Assimilation of Ocean Observations Into an Ocean‐Atmosphere Model
Authors: Tang Q. , Mu L. , Goessling H. F. , Semmler T. , Nerger L.
Published: December 2021

We compare strongly coupled data assimilation (SCDA) and weakly coupled data assimilation (WCDA) by analyzing the assimilation effect on the estimation of the ocean and the atmosphere variables. The AWI climate model (AWI‐CM‐1.1) is coupled with the parallel data assimilation framework (PDAF). Only satellite sea surface temperature data are assimilated. For WCDA, only the ocean variables are directly updated by the assimilation. For SCDA, both the ocean and the atmosphere variables are directly updated by the assimilation. Both WCDA and SCDA improve ocean state and yield similar errors. In the atmosphere, WCDA gives slightly smaller errors for the near‐surface temperature and wind velocity than SCDA. In the free atmosphere, SCDA yields smaller errors for the temperature, wind velocity, and specific humidity than WCDA in the Arctic region, while in the tropical region, the errors are generally larger.
New Insights Into the Correlation Between Lightning Flash Rate and Size in Thunderstorms
Authors: Zheng Dong , Zhang Yijun
Published: December 2021

Thunderstorms over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), Central and Eastern China (CEC), and southern foothills of the Himalayas (SHF), have the correlations between lightning flash rate and size disagreeing with the previously published negative correlation in thunderstorms with different dynamics. There is a positive correlation when comparing TP and CEC thunderstorms. Compared with SHF thunderstorms, TP thunderstorms have much lower flash rate and similar flash size. It is explored that the TP and SHF thunderstorms have the weakest and strongest convection, respectively, and both have small effective charge regions (ECRs). The CEC and SHF thunderstorms contain more ECRs than TP thunderstorm. The weak convection in TP thunderstorm should be responsible for the common occurrence of small flash rate and size. The results suggest that the negative correlation between flash rate and size may require the dynamic intensity of compared thunderstorms to exceed a certain threshold.
Assessing the Vertical Velocity of the East Pacific ITCZ
Authors: Huaman Lidia , Schumacher Courtney , Sobel Adam H.
Published: December 2021

Reanalysis and satellite data sets disagree on the vertical structure of the meridional overturning circulation over the East Pacific (EP) intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Recent observations from the Organization of Tropical East Pacific Convection (OTREC) 2019 field campaign show a meridional slope of vertical motion with a shallow mode from 3° to 7°N, over a strong meridional sea surface temperature (SST) gradient, and a deeper mode from 7° to 10.5°N, where the SST is predominantly warm. However, reanalysis fields from the OTREC period show a predominant shallow mode from 3° to 9°N unless OTREC dropsondes are assimilated; then a weak deep mode is found at 8°N. Vertical motion over the OTREC region derived from Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) precipitation radar latent heating retrievals has the opposite problem in that the deep mode is predominant from 3° to 10°N. A shallow mode is present with the addition of cloud radar data.
Soil Property Plays a Vital Role in Vegetation Drought Recovery in Karst Region of Southwest China
Authors: Xu Taoran , Wu Xiuchen , Tian Yuhong , Li Yang , Zhang Wen , Zhang Cicheng
Published: December 2021

Southwest China is the world's largest continuous karst region, where drought events are expected to intensify in the future. Understanding the postdrought recovery of vegetation growth sheds light on the resilience and stability of ecosystems and is of great importance to the sustainable management. However, the effects of the soil properties, beyond the climate variations, on the vegetation postdrought recovery are often overlooked and remain unknown. In this study, we characterized both the patterns and the underlying processes governing the postdrought recovery trajectories of vegetation growth after extreme droughts in karst regions of southwest China. Linear mixed‐effects model analyses revealed that higher mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) preceding the spring/summer drought leads to shorter drought recovery time for both forests and grasslands, while opposite pattern appears in autumn/winter drought, particularly in forests. Significant effects of precipitation during recovery period were only found in grasslands but not in forests. More importantly, we discovered a crucial impact of the depth to bedrock on vegetation postdrought recovery in forests but not in grasslands, with deeper depth to bedrock associated to a shorter drought recovery. The field capacity is more important for postdrought recovery in karst regions than in nonkarst regions, which can be most likely attributed to differences in the water‐holding capacities and water use strategies of vegetation. Our understanding of the postdrought recovery of vegetation growth in karst regions will facilitate the reasonable prediction of ecosystem resilience and health to extreme climate events in such fragile ecological environments.
Palaeoceanography of the Japan Sea Across the Mid‐Pleistocene Transition: Insights From IODP Exp. 346, Site U1427
Authors: Felder Sonja , Sagawa Takuya , Greaves Mervyn , Leng Melanie J. , Ikehara Ken , Kimoto Katsunori , Hasegawa Siro , Wagner Thomas , Henderson Andrew C. G.
Published: December 2021

Large‐scale atmospheric circulation patterns, such as the East Asian monsoon, have been proposed as possible feedbacks of the mid‐Pleistocene transition (MPT). Marine sediments of the Japan Sea (JS) record variations in the East Asian monsoon over long timescales and may be crucial for understanding of the MPT. To interpret these sediments correctly an understanding of the JS palaeoceanography is necessary. So far, the JS palaeoceanography has been extrapolated across the MPT from studies of the most recent glacial‐interglacial cycles. These suggest a good connection and unrestricted water‐mass exchange with the open ocean during interglacial sea‐level highstands, while during glacial sea‐level lowstands the JS is nearly isolated. Glacial isolation often results in poor carbonate preservation and unusually low oxygen isotope (δ18O) ratios from low‐saline/low‐δ18O waters accumulating in the basin. Using the sediments of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1427, a shallow‐water site in the southern JS, we present a continuous foraminiferal δ18O record encompassing the MPT. This record shows the JS‐typical low glacial δ18O values in the late phase of the MPT, across Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 24‐17, while earlier MPT glacials, across MIS 39‐25, are characterized by high δ18O values. We propose that high glacial δ18O values are the result of an improved connection between the shallow, southern JS and adjacent ocean during early MPT glacials. The impact of this palaeoceanographic mode, if continued to deep‐water sites, would make the interpretation of dark/light sediment layers as glacial/interglacial deposits uncertain.
Runx1 protects against the pathological progression of osteoarthritis
Authors: Zhou Chenchen , Cui Yujia , Yang Yueyi , Guo Daimo , Zhang Demao , Fan Yi , Li Xiaobing , Zou Jing , Xie Jing
Published: December 2021

Runt-related transcription factor-1 (Runx1) is required for chondrocyte-to-osteoblast lineage commitment by enhancing both chondrogenesis and osteogenesis during vertebrate development. However, the potential role of Runx1 in joint diseases is not well known. In the current study, we aimed to explore the role of Runx1 in osteoarthritis induced by anterior cruciate ligament transaction (ACLT) surgery. We showed that chondrocyte-specific Runx1 knockout (Runx1f/fCol2a1-Cre) aggravated cartilage destruction by accelerating the loss of proteoglycan and collagen II in early osteoarthritis. Moreover, we observed thinning and ossification of the growth plate, a decrease in chondrocyte proliferative capacity and the loss of bone matrix around the growth plate in late osteoarthritis. We overexpressed Runx1 by adeno-associated virus (AAV) in articular cartilage and identified its protective effect by slowing the destruction of osteoarthritis in cartilage in early osteoarthritis and alleviating the pathological progression of growth plate cartilage in late osteoarthritis. ChIP-seq analysis identified new targets that interacted with Runx1 in cartilage pathology, and we confirmed the direct interactions of these factors with Runx1 by ChIP-qPCR. This study helps us to understand the function of Runx1 in osteoarthritis and provides new clues for targeted osteoarthritis therapy.
Metagenome-genome-wide association studies reveal human genetic impact on the oral microbiome
Authors: Liu Xiaomin , Tong Xin , Zhu Jie , Tian Liu , Jie Zhuye , Zou Yuanqiang , Lin Xiaoqian , Liang Hewei , Li Wenxi , Ju Yanmei , Qin Youwen , Zou Leying , Lu Haorong , Zhu Shida , Jin Xin , Xu Xun , Yang Huanming , Wang Jian , Zong Yang , Liu Weibin , Hou Yong , Jia Huijue , Zhang Tao
Published: December 2021

The oral microbiota contains billions of microbial cells, which could contribute to diseases in many body sites. Challenged by eating, drinking, and dental hygiene on a daily basis, the oral microbiota is regarded as highly dynamic. Here, we report significant human genomic associations with the oral metagenome from more than 1915 individuals, for both the tongue dorsum (n = 2017) and saliva (n = 1915). We identified five genetic loci associated with oral microbiota at study-wide significance (p < 3.16 × 10−11). Four of the five associations were well replicated in an independent cohort of 1439 individuals: rs1196764 at APPL2 with Prevotella jejuni, Oribacterium uSGB 3339 and Solobacterium uSGB 315; rs3775944 at the serum uric acid transporter SLC2A9 with Oribacterium uSGB 1215, Oribacterium uSGB 489 and Lachnoanaerobaculum umeaense; rs4911713 near OR11H1 with species F0422 uSGB 392; and rs36186689 at LOC105371703 with Eggerthia. Further analyses confirmed 84% (386/455 for tongue dorsum) and 85% (391/466 for saliva) of host genome-microbiome associations including six genome-wide significant associations mutually validated between the two niches. As many of the oral microbiome-associated genetic variants lie near miRNA genes, we tentatively validated the potential of host miRNAs to modulate the growth of specific oral bacteria. Human genetics accounted for at least 10% of oral microbiome compositions between individuals. Machine learning models showed that polygenetic risk scores dominated over oral microbiome in predicting risk of dental diseases such as dental calculus and gingival bleeding. These findings indicate that human genetic differences are one explanation for a stable or recurrent oral microbiome in each individual.
Temporal distinguishability in Hong-Ou-Mandel interference for harnessing high-dimensional frequency entanglement
Authors: Chen Yuanyuan , Ecker Sebastian , Chen Lixiang , Steinlechner Fabian , Huber Marcus , Ursin Rupert
Published: December 2021

High-dimensional quantum entanglement is currently one of the most prolific fields in quantum information processing due to its high information capacity and error resilience. A versatile method for harnessing high-dimensional entanglement has long been hailed as an absolute necessity in the exploration of quantum science and technologies. Here we exploit Hong-Ou-Mandel interference to manipulate discrete frequency entanglement in arbitrary-dimensional Hilbert space. The generation and characterization of two-, four- and six-dimensional frequency entangled qudits are theoretically and experimentally investigated, allowing for the estimation of entanglement dimensionality in the whole state space. Additionally, our strategy can be generalized to engineer higher-dimensional entanglement in other photonic degrees of freedom. Our results may provide a more comprehensive understanding of frequency shaping and interference phenomena, and pave the way to more complex high-dimensional quantum information processing protocols.
Long-acting capsid inhibitor protects macaques from repeat SHIV challenges
Authors: Vidal Samuel J. , Bekerman Elena , Hansen Derek , Lu Bing , Wang Kelly , Mwangi Judy , Rowe William , Campigotto Federico , Zheng Jim , Kato Darryl , Chandrashekar Abishek , Barrett Julia , Patel Shivani , Wan Huahua , Anioke Tochi , Mercado Noe B. , Nkolola Joseph P. , Ferguson Melissa J. , Rinaldi William J. , Callebaut Christian , Blair Wade , Cihlar Tomas , Geleziunas Romas , Yant Stephen R. , Barouch Dan H.
Published: December 2021

Because no currently available vaccine can prevent HIV infection, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with antiretrovirals (ARVs) is an important tool for combating the HIV pandemic1,2. Long-acting ARVs promise to build on the success of current PrEP strategies, which must be taken daily, by reducing the frequency of administration3. GS-CA1 is a small-molecule HIV capsid inhibitor with picomolar antiviral potency against a broad array of HIV strains, including variants resistant to existing ARVs, and has shown long-acting therapeutic potential in a mouse model of HIV infection4. Here we show that a single subcutaneous administration of GS-CA1 provides long-term protection against repeated rectal simian–human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) challenges in rhesus macaques. Whereas all control animals became infected after 15 weekly challenges, a single 300 mg kg−1 dose of GS-CA1 provided per-exposure infection risk reduction of 97% for 24 weeks. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed a correlation between GS-CA1 plasma concentration and protection from SHIV challenges. GS-CA1 levels greater than twice the rhesus plasma protein-adjusted 95% effective concentration conferred 100% protection in this model. These proof-of-concept data support the development of capsid inhibitors as a novel long-acting PrEP strategy in humans.
Nm23-H1 activator phenylbutenoid dimer exerts cytotoxic effects on metastatic breast cancer cells by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction only under glucose starvation
Authors: Kim Bokyung , Lee Jae-Jin , Shin Ji Soo , Suh Ji-Wan , Jung Sunhee , Hwang Geum-Sook , Lee Hee-Yoon , Lee Kong-Joo
Published: December 2021

Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) has become an attractive target in anti-cancer studies in recent years. In this study, we found that a small molecule phenylbutenoid dimer NMac1 (Nm23-H1 activator 1), (±)-trans-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-4-[(E)-3,4-dimethoxystyryl]cyclohex-1-ene, a previously identified anti-metastatic agent, has novel anti-proliferative effect only under glucose starvation in metastatic breast cancer cells. NMac1 causes significant activation of AMPK by decreasing ATP synthesis, lowers mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm), and inhibits oxygen consumption rate (OCR) under glucose starvation. These effects of NMac1 are provoked by a consequence of OXPHOS complex I inhibition. Through the structure–activity relationship (SAR) study of NMac1 derivatives, NMac24 was identified as the most effective compound in anti-proliferation. NMac1 and NMac24 effectively suppress cancer cell proliferation in 3D-spheroid in vivo-like models only under glucose starvation. These results suggest that NMac1 and NMac24 have the potential as anti-cancer agents having cytotoxic effects selectively in glucose restricted cells.
Strategic alterations of posture are delayed in Parkinson’s disease patients during deep brain stimulation
Authors: Patel Mitesh , Nilsson Maria H. , Rehncrona Stig , Tjernström Fredrik , Magnusson Måns , Johansson Rolf , Fransson Per-Anders
Published: December 2021

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by rigidity, akinesia, postural instability and tremor. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) reduces tremor but the effects on postural instability are inconsistent. Another component of postural control is the postural strategy, traditionally referred to as the ankle or hip strategy, which is determined by the coupling between the joint motions of the body. We aimed to determine whether DBS STN and vision (eyes open vs. eyes closed) affect the postural strategy in PD in quiet stance or during balance perturbations. Linear motion was recorded from the knee, hip, shoulder and head in 10 patients with idiopathic PD with DBS STN (after withdrawal of other anti-PD medication), 25 younger adult controls and 17 older adult controls. Correlation analyses were performed on anterior–posterior linear motion data to determine the coupling between the four positions measured. All participants were asked to stand for a 30 s period of quiet stance and a 200 s period of calf vibration. The 200 s vibration period was subdivided into four 50 s periods to study adaptation between the first vibration period (30–80 s) and the last vibration period (180–230 s). Movement was recorded in patients with PD with DBS ON and DBS OFF, and all participants were investigated with eyes closed and eyes open. DBS settings were randomized and double-blindly programmed. Patients with PD had greater coupling of the body compared to old and young controls during balance perturbations (p ≤ 0.046). Controls adopted a strategy with greater flexibility, particularly using the knee as a point of pivot, whereas patients with PD adopted an ankle strategy, i.e., they used the ankle as the point of pivot. There was higher flexibility in patients with PD with DBS ON and eyes open compared to DBS OFF and eyes closed (p ≤ 0.011). During balance perturbations, controls quickly adopted a new strategy that they retained throughout the test, but patients with PD were slower to adapt. Patients with PD further increased the coupling between segmental movement during balance perturbations with DBS ON but retained a high level of coupling with DBS OFF throughout balance perturbations. The ankle strategy during balance perturbations in patients with PD was most evident with DBS OFF and eyes closed. The increased coupling with balance perturbations implies a mechanism to reduce complexity at a cost of exerting more energy. Strategic alterations of posture were altered by DBS in patients with PD and were delayed. Our findings therefore show that DBS does not fully compensate for disease-related effects on posture.
A fungus infected environment does not alter the behaviour of foraging ants
Authors: Pereira Hugo , Willeput Romain , Detrain Claire
Published: December 2021

Eusocial insects are exposed to a wide range of pathogens while foraging outside their nest. We know that opportunistic scavenging ants are able to assess the sanitary state of food and to discriminate a prey which died from infection by the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum. Here, we investigate whether a contamination of the environment can also influence the behaviour of foragers, both at the individual and collective level. In a Y-maze, Myrmica rubra ants had the choice to forage on two prey patches, one of which containing sporulating items. Unexpectedly, the nearby presence of sporulating bodies did not deter foragers nor prevent them from retrieving palatable prey. Ant colonies exploited both prey patches equally, without further mortality resulting from foraging on the contaminated area. Thus, a contamination of the environment did not prompt an active avoidance by foragers of which the activity depended primarily on the food characteristics. Generalist entomopathogenic fungi such as M. brunneum in the area around the nest appear more to be of a nuisance to ant foragers than a major selective force driving them to adopt avoidance strategies. We discuss the cost–benefit balance derived from the fine-tuning of strategies of pathogen avoidance in ants.
Diploid mint (M. longifolia) can produce spearmint type oil with a high yield potential
Authors: Kippes Nestor , Tsai Helen , Lieberman Meric , Culp Darrin , McCormack Brian , Wilson Rob G. , Dowd Eric , Comai Luca , Henry Isabelle M.
Published: December 2021

Mint oil is a key source of natural flavors with wide industrial applications. Two unbalanced polyploid cultivars named Native (Mentha Spicata L) and Scotch (M. × gracilis Sole) are the main producers of spearmint type oil, which is characterized by high levels of the monoterpenes (−)-carvone and (−)-limonene. These cultivars have been the backbone of spearmint oil production for decades, while breeding and improvement remained largely unexplored, in part, due to sterility in cultivated lines. Here we show that sexual breeding at the diploid level can be leveraged to develop new varieties that produce spearmint type oil, along with the improvement of other important traits. Using field trials and GC-FID oil analysis we characterized plant materials from a public germplasm repository and identified a diploid accession that exhibited 89.5% increase in oil yield, compared to the industry standard, and another that produces spearmint type oil. Spearmint-type oil was present at high frequency in a segregating F2 population (32/160) produced from these two accessions. Field-testing of ten of these F2 lines showed segregation for oil yield and confirmed the production of spearmint-type oil profiles. Two of these lines combined high yield and spearmint-type oil with acceptable analytic and sensory profiles. These results demonstrate that spearmint-type oil can be produced in a diploid background with high yield potential, providing a simpler genetic system for the development of improved spearmint varieties.
Discordance of PIK3CA and TP53 mutations between breast cancer brain metastases and matched primary tumors
Authors: Thulin Anna , Andersson Carola , Werner Rönnerman Elisabeth , De Lara Shahin , Chamalidou Chaido , Schoenfeld Arnd , Kovács Anikó , Fagman Henrik , Enlund Fredrik , Linderholm Barbro K.
Published: December 2021

There is limited knowledge of the biology of breast cancer (BC) brain metastasis (BM). We primarily aimed to determine the mutations in BCBM and to compare the mutational pattern with the matched primary breast cancer (BC). Secondary aims were to determine mutations in each subgroup (Luminal A-/B-like, HER2+ and TNBC) of BCBM, and to determine survival according to specific mutations. We investigated 57 BCBMs, including 46 cases with matched primary tumors (PT) by targeted Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) using the Cancer Hotspot Panel v2 (ThermoFisher Scientific) covering 207 targeted regions in 50 cancer related genes. Subtype according to immunohistochemistry was re-evaluated. NGS results fulfilling sequencing quality criteria were obtained from 52 BM and 41 PT, out of which 37 were matched pairs. Pathogenic mutations were detected in 66% of PTs (27/41), and 62% of BMs (32/52). TP53 mutations were most frequent; 49% (20/41) of PTs and 48% (25/52) in BMs, followed by PIK3CA mutations; 22% (9/42) in PTs and 25% (13/52) in BMs. Mutations in CDH1, EGFR, HRAS, RB1 CDKN2A and PTEN were detected in single pairs or single samples. Mutational pattern was discordant in 24% of matched pairs. We show a discordance of PIK3CA and TP53 mutations of roughly 25% indicating the need to develop methods to assess mutational status in brain metastasis where analysis of cell-free DNA from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has shown promising results.
N-glycosylation profiles of the SARS-CoV-2 spike D614G mutant and its ancestral protein characterized by advanced mass spectrometry
Authors: Wang Dongxia , Zhou Bin , Keppel Theodore R. , Solano Maria , Baudys Jakub , Goldstein Jason , Finn M. G. , Fan Xiaoyu , Chapman Asheley P. , Bundy Jonathan L. , Woolfitt Adrian R. , Osman Sarah H. , Pirkle James L. , Wentworth David E. , Barr John R.
Published: December 2021

N-glycosylation plays an important role in the structure and function of membrane and secreted proteins. The spike protein on the surface of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, is heavily glycosylated and the major target for developing vaccines, therapeutic drugs and diagnostic tests. The first major SARS-CoV-2 variant carries a D614G substitution in the spike (S-D614G) that has been associated with altered conformation, enhanced ACE2 binding, and increased infectivity and transmission. In this report, we used mass spectrometry techniques to characterize and compare the N-glycosylation of the wild type (S-614D) or variant (S-614G) SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins prepared under identical conditions. The data showed that half of the N-glycosylation sequons changed their distribution of glycans in the S-614G variant. The S-614G variant showed a decrease in the relative abundance of complex-type glycans (up to 45%) and an increase in oligomannose glycans (up to 33%) on all altered sequons. These changes led to a reduction in the overall complexity of the total N-glycosylation profile. All the glycosylation sites with altered patterns were in the spike head while the glycosylation of three sites in the stalk remained unchanged between S-614G and S-614D proteins.
Surface-enhanced mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy using miniaturized-disc metasurface
Authors: Semple Mitchell , Iyer Ashwin K.
Published: December 2021

Surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy is an important technique for improving the signal-to-noise ratio of spectroscopic material identification measurements in the mid-infrared fingerprinting region. However, the lower bound of the fingerprinting region receives much less attention due to a scarcity of transparent materials, more expensive sources, and weaker plasmonic effects. In this paper, we present a miniaturized metasurface unit cell for surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy of the 15-$$\upmu$$
μ
m vibrational band of CO$$_{2}$$

2

. The unit cell consists of a gold disc, patterned along the edge with fine gaps/wires to create a resonant metamaterial liner. In simulation, our plasmonic metamaterial-lined disc achieves greater than $$4\times$$

4
×

the average field intensity enhancement of a comparable dipole array and a miniaturized size of $$\lambda _0/5$$

λ
0

/
5

using complex, 100-nm features that are patterned using 100-kV electron-beam lithography. In a simple experiment, the metamaterial-lined disc metasurface shows a high tolerance to fabrication imperfections and enhances the absorption of CO$$_{2}$$

2

at 15 $$\upmu$$
μ
m. The resonant wavelength and reflection magnitude can be tuned over a wide range by adjusting the liner feature sizes and the metasurface array pitch to target other vibrational bands. This work is a step toward low-cost, more compact on-chip integrated gas sensors.
RAM cannula with Cannulaide versus Hudson prongs for delivery of nasal continuous positive airway pressure in preterm infants: an RCT
Authors: Maram Shravani , Murki Srinivas , Nayyar Sidharth , Kadam Sandeep , Oleti Tejo Pratap , Anne Rajendra Prasad , Deshobhotla Saikiran , Sharma Deepak , Arun Subhash , Vadije Praveen Rao
Published: December 2021

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) is the standard non-invasive respiratory support for newborns with respiratory distress. Nasal injury is a common problem with the interfaces used. To compare the incidence and severity of nasal injury in neonates with respiratory distress and supported on nCPAP with Hudson prong or RAM cannula with Cannulaide, a semipermeable membrane. This is an open-label, parallel-arm, gestational age-stratified, bi-centric, randomized control trial including neonates between 28 and 34 weeks gestational age and birth weight > 1000 g needing nCPAP. The size of the interface was chosen as per the manufacturer’s recommendation. Of the 229 neonates enrolled, 112 were randomized to RAM cannula with Cannulaide and 117 to Hudson prong. The baseline characteristics were similar. Any nasal injury at CPAP removal was significantly lower in the RAM cannula with Cannulaide group [6 (5.4%) vs. 31 (26.4%); risk ratio—0.77 (95% CI 0.69–0.87); p = 0.0001]. The incidence of moderate to severe nasal injury, need for mechanical ventilation within 72 h of age, duration of oxygen, and requirement of nCPAP for > 3 days were similar. For preterm infants on nCPAP, RAM cannula with Cannulaide, compared to Hudson prongs, decreases nasal injury without increasing the need for mechanical ventilation.

Trail registration: CTRI/2019/03/018333, http://www.ctri.nic.in.
Emergence of uniform linearly-arranged micro-droplets entrapping DNA and living cells through water/water phase-separation
Authors: Shono Mayu , Ito Ritsuki , Fujita Fumika , Sakuta Hiroki , Yoshikawa Kenichi
Published: December 2021

Living cells maintain their lives through self-organization in an environment crowded with a rich variety of biological species. Recently, it was found that micro-droplets containing biomacromolecules, which vary widely in size, are generated accompanied by water/water phase-separation by simple mechanical mixing of an aqueous solution with binary polymers. Here, we report that cell-sized droplets of nearly the same size are generated as a linear array within a glass capillary upon the introduction of a binary polymer solution of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran (DEX). Interestingly, when DNA molecules are added to the polymer solution, stable droplets entrapping DNA molecules are obtained. Similarly, living cells are entrapped spontaneously for the linearly-arranged cell-sized droplets. This simple method for generating micro-droplets entrapping DNA and also living cells is expected to stimulate further study on the self-construction of protocells and micro organoids.
Grouting technology and construction schemes of a tunnel in aeolian stratum: a case study of Shenmu No. 1 tunnel
Authors: Ye Fei , Liang Xing , Liang Xiaoming , Zhang Wenjun , Liu Chang , Feng Haolan
Published: December 2021

The naturally formed aeolian sand dunes in northern Shaanxi exhibit unique engineering characteristics. Several challenges, such as the poor self-stabilization ability of the surrounding rock, difficultly in injecting grout, and insufficient construction experience, restrict the construction of road tunnels under this stratum. Therefore, in this study, a case study of the Shenmu No. 1 tunnel was conducted to investigate the engineering characteristics of aeolian sand tunnels, compare the grouting effects of commonly used grouting materials, and discuss the reinforcement effects of different construction schemes in aeolian sand tunnels. Based on a field grouting test, it was determined that it is difficult to inject ordinary cement grout into an aeolian sand layer. Furthermore, it was determined that superfine cement grout and modified sodium silicate grout can be injected, but the former exhibits a poor reinforcement effect. Additionally, results of numerical analysis indicated that an approach based on a concept of “horizontal jet grouting pile + benching partial excavation method with a temporary invert” is suitable for the construction of tunnels in aeolian sand in China.
Perspectives of glycemic variability in diabetic neuropathy: a comprehensive review
Authors: Zhang Xiaochun , Yang Xue , Sun Bao , Zhu Chunsheng
Published: December 2021

Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most prevalent chronic complications of diabetes, and up to half of diabetic patients will develop diabetic neuropathy during their disease course. Notably, emerging evidence suggests that glycemic variability is associated with the pathogenesis of diabetic complications and has emerged as a possible independent risk factor for diabetic neuropathy. In this review, we describe the commonly used metrics for evaluating glycemic variability in clinical practice and summarize the role and related mechanisms of glycemic variability in diabetic neuropathy, including cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, diabetic peripheral neuropathy and cognitive impairment. In addition, we also address the potential pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment methods for diabetic neuropathy, aiming to provide ideas for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.
Effect of the disulfide bond and polyethylene glycol on the degradation and biophysicochemical properties of polyurethane micelles
Authors: Pan Zhicheng , Yang Guangxuan , Yuan Jinfeng , Pan Mingwang , Li Jiehua , Tan Hong
Published: December 2021

The higher density of the disulfide bond and longer mPEG chain can accelerate the micellar degradation process due to the disproportionate hydrophobic/hydrophilic ratio of the broken polymer chain.
KCl-CaCO3 nanoclusters armoured with Pt nanocrystals for enhanced electro-driven tumor inhibition
Authors: Chen Tong , Fu Yike , Zhang Ruoyu , Han Gaorong , Li Xiang
Published: December 2021

Nanoclusters, consisting of potassium chloride nanocrystals and amorphous calcium carbonate, were synthesized and integrated with platinum nanoparticles to enable the agitated electric-driven tumor inhibition.
Nanodot-doped peptide hydrogels for antibacterial phototherapy and wound healing
Authors: Wang Xuan , Qiu Lin , Wang Cheng , Gao Zihan , Zhou Shuwen , Cui Pengfei , Jiang Pengju , Hu Huaanzi , Ni Xinye , Du Xuancheng , Wang Jianhao , Xia Jiang
Published: December 2021

Antimicrobial peptide hydrogels combined with phototherapy in the treatment of infected wounds.
Harnessing the toxicity of dysregulated iron uptake for killing Staphylococcus aureus: reality or mirage?
Authors: Abeydeera Nalin , Yu Bing , Pant Bishnu D. , Kim Min-Ho , Huang Songping D.
Published: December 2021

Iron—a double-edged sword in biology! The naturally-occuring lipophilic Fe(iii)-chelator hinokitiol allows for harnessing dysregulated iron uptake to kill Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
Synthesis of cationic π-extended imidazolium salts by sequential Cu-catalyzed arylation/annulation and photocyclization
Authors: Wang Tianbao , Zheng Qinze , Wang Linhua , Huang Zhenmei , Zhang Huaxing , Zhang Yuming , Zhang Cheng , Gao Ge
Published: December 2021

Utilization of a sequential Cu-catalyzed arylation/annulation and photocyclization strategy, a series of cationic π-extended imidazolium salts were prepared.
Surfactant-assisted fabrication and supercapacitor performances of a 12-phosphomolybdate-pillared metal–organic framework containing a helix and its SWNT nanocomposites
Authors: Zhuo Jin-Long , Wang Yun-Liang , Wang Yu-Guang , Xu Ming-Qi , Sha Jing-Quan
Published: December 2021

By employing a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method, a new POMOF with a multi-fold helix was obtained, and NiPMo12/SWNTs exhibits excellent electrochemical performance and good stability as an electrode material for supercapacitors.
Molecular basis of the activation and dissociation of dimeric PYL2 receptor in abscisic acid signaling
Authors: Zhao Chuankai , Shukla Diwakar
Published: December 2021

Large-scale molecular simulations unravel the activation mechanism for plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) receptors involved in drought resistance signaling.
Formation and properties of iodine- and acetonitrile-functionalized two-dimensional Si materials: a Density Functional Theory study
Authors: Kaltsas Dimitrios , Pappas Panagiotis , Tsetseris Leonidas
Published: December 2021

Topochemical transformations of CaSi2 lead to novel two-dimensional materials with intriguing structural and electronic properties.
Cs3CuAs4Q8 (Q = S, Se): unique two-dimensional layered inorganic thioarsenates with the lowest Cu-to-As ratio and remarkable photocurrent responses
Authors: Liu Chang , Yang He-Di , Hou Pei-Pei , Xiao Yu , Liu Yi , Lin Hua
Published: December 2021

Two new thioarsenates with the lowest Cu-to-As ratio in the quaternary X/Cu/As/Q system, namely Cs3CuAs4Q8 (Q = S, Se), which exhibit intriguing photocurrent responses.
Applying green chemistry to raw material selection and product formulation at The Estée Lauder Companies
Authors: Eckelman Matthew J. , Moroney Matthew S. , Zimmerman Julie B. , Anastas Paul T. , Thompson Eva , Scott Paul , McKeever-Alfieri Maryann , Cavanaugh Paul F. , Daher George
Published: December 2021

Advances in green chemistry over the past 25 years have improved sustainability in the development of new cosmetic and personal care products.
Sublimation of MXene/camphor device: a study on self – destructive dry transiency
Authors: Bokka Naveen , Adepu Vivek , Sahatiya Parikshit
Published: December 2021

Illustration of the fabricated MXene/camphor devices utilized as a human proximity sensor and demonstrated the degradation of these devices.
Chiral plasmonic nanostructures: recent advances in their synthesis and applications
Authors: Wu Wenbing , Pauly Matthias
Published: December 2021

This review presents the main techniques employed to construct chiral plasmonic materials and metasurfaces, in particular using soft-chemistry approaches, and discusses some applications of these nanostructures.
Bipolarons rule the short-range terahertz conductivity in electrochemically doped P3HT
Authors: Tsokkou Demetra , Cavassin Priscila , Rebetez Gonzague , Banerji Natalie
Published: December 2021

In situterahertz spectroscopy on electrochemically doped P3HT reveals the impact of polarons and bipolarons on the short-range conductivity.
Electrical conductivity studies and correlated barrier hopping transport in Europium-doped graphene oxide nanocomposites
Authors: Dhanya I. , Heera S. , Samuel M. Soosen , Pisharady Sreejith K.
Published: December 2021

The thermoelectric properties of europium-doped graphene oxide nanocomposite and determination of barrier hopping transport parameters.
Four- and two-armed hetero porphyrin dimers: their specific recognition and self-sorting behaviours
Authors: Ueda Masahiro , Kimura Masaki , Miyagawa Shinobu , Naito Masaya , Takaya Hikaru , Tokunaga Yuji
Published: December 2021

Self-assembled/self-sorted hetero dimer capsules consisting of pairs of two- and four-armed porphyrins were constructed. Small and large aromatic guests were selectively recognized by two- and four-armed dimers, respectively.