bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Legal Challenges to Cryptocurrency and its Guardian-Less Victims in India: A Critical Victimological Analysis
Authors: Halder Debarati , Saiyed Akil Ali
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown pushed several groups of traders to rely on cryptocurrency as one of the chosen tools for commercial transactions. India is no exception. Because of its notorious misuses by criminal gangs, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) declared cryptocurrency as derecognized. Consequently, the Indian parliament also created a draft bill titled Banning of Cryptocurrency & Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2019 (the Bill), which not only derecognizes the currency or the use of it for any commercial purposes, it also makes the investors, exchanges and agencies dealing with cryptocurrency criminally liable. Later, the Supreme Court of India in 2020 set aside the above-mentioned RBI guidelines banning cryptocurrency. But this has not nullified or suggested any amendment for the Bill. This article argues that due to this legal confusion, cryptocurrency investors, traders, exchanges and agencies, etc. have become guardian-less victims who may not be eligible to claim basic rights of victims as has been established by the United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power. In such a legal tangle, it is necessary to analyse the issues from cyber-victimological perspectives for providing functional suggestions for restitution of justice.
The Burden of a Violent Past: Formative Experiences of Repression and Support for Secession in Catalonia
Authors: Rodon Toni , Tormos Raül
Published: June 2022

This letter studies the impact of past violence and repression on current territorial preferences in a contemporary democracy. Does a violent past lay the grounds for pro-secessionist preferences, or does it lead individuals to cling on to the territorial status quo? We study whether exposure to the events of the Spanish Civil War and its immediate aftermath made people more or less likely to support Catalan secession from Spain. Our analysis employs a dataset that combines a large N of individual-level survey data with historical data about repression and violence in each Catalan municipality. Findings indicate that current preferences for secession tend to diminish among the oldest Catalan generation that was exposed to higher levels of violence in their municipality. Most crucially, we show that exposure to violence created a sense of apathy towards politics among the oldest cohort, which eventually leads to a lower predisposition to support secession, a feeling that was not transmitted to subsequent generations. Our findings qualify some of the existing knowledge on the effects of past political violence on present political attitudes.
Mexico's Business and Entrepreneurship in the Era of Nationalism
Authors: Gómez Galvarriato Aurora , Recio Cavazos Gabriela
Published: June 2022

This article studies the evolution of business in Mexico from the Revolution (1910–1920) to the early 1980s, a period when the state played a major role in the economy and undertook nationalistic policies. It explores the development of distinctive features that characterize business in Latin America: the importance of family-owned diversified business groups and immigrants, the prominence of illegal business, the central role of the entrepreneur, and the greater need to forge ties with government agents for company success. We argue that while some of these features had existed earlier, during this era they took the form that has prevailed until the present day.
Explaining the (local) ethnic census: subnational variation in ethnic politics in Kenyan elections
Authors: Harris Kirk A.
Published: June 2022

Why do elections in some ethnically diverse constituencies resemble an ethnic census, while in others ethnicity plays a less prominent role? Prior literature on ethnic bloc voting in Africa suggests that political parties acquire ethnic ‘labels’ that tacitly signal which groups belong to the party. In ethnic census-style elections, voters and politicians then use ethnicity as a heuristic for deciding which party to support. However, ethnic censuses are not the only possible outcome in diverse constituencies. Links between ethnic identities and political parties can create a disconnect between locally and nationally relevant identities that affects the dynamics of local elections. Drawing on data from over 160 semi-structured, qualitative interviews and detailed election results in four ethnically diverse Kenyan parliamentary constituencies, I show how local constructions of ethnic difference mediate the effects of national political dynamics and shape patterns of political competition in parliamentary elections, affecting the behaviour of politicians and voters.
Sequencing of symptom emergence in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and purging disorder in adolescent girls and relations of prodromal symptoms to future onset of these eating disorders
Authors: Yamamiya Yuko , Desjardins Christopher David , Stice Eric
Published: June 2022

Background

To advance knowledge regarding the etiology of eating disorders, we characterized the sequencing of eating disorder symptom emergence for adolescent girls who subsequently developed anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and purging disorder (PD) for community-recruited adolescents and tested whether prodromal symptoms increased risk for future onset of each eating disorder.

Methods

Data collected from adolescent girls (N = 496; M age = 13.02, s.d.= 0.73) who completed a diagnostic interview annually over an 8-year period were used to address these aims.

Results

For all four eating disorders, compensatory weight-control behaviors were the first behavioral symptom to emerge and weight/shape overvaluation was the first cognitive symptom to emerge. Moreover, lower-than-expected BMI predicted future AN onset, binge eating and all cognitive symptoms predicted future BN onset, weight/shape overvaluation predicted future BED onset, and compensatory behavior and all cognitive symptoms predicted future PD onset. These predictive effects were small-to-large in magnitude. Collectively, prodromal symptoms predicted an eating disorder onset with 83–87% accuracy.

Conclusions

Results suggest that compensatory weight-control behaviors and weight/shape overvaluation typically emerge before other prodromal symptoms in all eating disorders during adolescence. Moreover, different prodromal symptoms seem to predict future onset of different eating disorders. Screening adolescent girls for these prodromal symptoms and implementing indicated prevention programs designed to reduce these symptoms may prove effective in preventing future onset of eating disorders.
Propositional faith and trustworthiness
Authors: Hazlett Allan
Published: June 2022

I argue that propositional faith presupposes trustworthiness, in this sense: faith that p is fitting only if the one in whom you have faith to bring it about that p is trustworthy to bring it about that p. In defence of this, I argue that propositional faith is a species of interpersonal faith and that interpersonal faith presupposes trustworthiness. I also discuss some of the consequences of my thesis for theistic propositional faith.
Design and locomotion analysis of modular soft robot
Authors: Liu Zhaoyu , Wang Yuxuan , Wang Jiangbei , Fei Yanqiong
Published: June 2022

In the paper, a novel modular soft robot that can crawl and turn is presented. The modular soft robot is composed of multiple drive modules connected in series, including one head module, one tail module and three body modules. Each module is actuated by the air chamber. Due to the nonlinear performance of the air chamber, the strain energy function of the air chamber is established. The relationship between the displacement of the air chamber expansion wall and the inflation pressure is obtained, and the manufacturing parameters of the air chamber are determined. By dividing the body of the robot into a series of continuous flexible models, the driving force and the friction force of the robot in locomotion are analyzed. An inflation and deflation control method is presented to complete the locomotion. According to the experiment, the crawling speed of the robot can reach 15.53 mm/s (0.03 body length per second). The turning speed of the robot can reach 1.273 °/s. The robot can crawl and turn on the rough blanket surface effectively. The robot can explore and move in a complex and changeable environment.
An Improved Earthquake Catalog During the 2018 Kı̄lauea Eruption From Combined Onshore and Offshore Seismic Arrays
Authors: Wei XiaoZhuo , Shen Yang , Caplan‐Auerbach Jacqueline , Morgan Julia K.
Published: June 2022

The Island of Hawai’i was formed by repeated eruptions of basalts at an oceanic hotspot. Kı̄lauea, the youngest among the subaerial volcanoes of the island, erupted intensely in 2018. The eruption provided an opportunity to look into the mechanisms that operate at the volcano and associated earthquake activities, as it was recorded simultaneously, for the first time, by onshore and offshore seismometers. We used most of the publicly available seismic data during the eruption period, including temporary arrays, to build a more complete earthquake catalog during the eruption than that provided by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. We used a short‐time‐average/long‐time‐average method to identify potential earthquakes. The detections were associated with events and automatically picked with P‐wave and S‐wave arrivals, which were used to locate the events in a three‐dimensional velocity model. After re‐examining these earthquake events, their coda/duration magnitudes were determined. The resulting half‐year catalog contains 375,736 events with one of the highest daily earthquake numbers ever reported (6,128 on 21 June 2018). A great number of events were recorded during the caldera collapses, from its beginning until its rapid ending. The catalog also contains abundant events near the Pu’u‘ō‘ō vent and in the lower East Rift Zone, where an increase of seismicity in mid‐July and August indicated a step‐up in magma intrusion after the eruption.
Evaluating Twenty‐Year Trends in Earth's Energy Flows From Observations and Reanalyses
Authors: Loeb Norman G. , Mayer Michael , Kato Seiji , Fasullo John T. , Zuo Hao , Senan Retish , Lyman John M. , Johnson Gregory C. , Balmaseda Magdalena
Published: June 2022

Satellite, reanalysis, and ocean in situ data are analyzed to evaluate regional, hemispheric and global mean trends in Earth's energy fluxes during the first 20 years of the twenty‐first century. Regional trends in net top‐of‐atmosphere (TOA) radiation from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), ECMWF Reanalysis 5 (ERA5), and a model similar to ERA5 with prescribed sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice differ markedly, particularly over the Eastern Pacific Ocean, where CERES observes large positive trends. Hemispheric and global mean net TOA flux trends for the two reanalyses are smaller than CERES, and their climatological means are half those of CERES in the southern hemisphere (SH) and more than nine times larger in the northern hemisphere (NH). The regional trend pattern of the divergence of total atmospheric energy transport (TEDIV) over ocean determined using ERA5 analyzed fields is similar to that inferred from the difference between TOA and surface fluxes from ERA5 short‐term forecasts. There is also agreement in the trend pattern over ocean for surface fluxes inferred as a residual between CERES net TOA flux and ERA5 analysis TEDIV and surface fluxes obtained directly from ERA5 forecasts. Robust trends are observed over the Gulf Stream associated with enhanced surface‐to‐atmosphere transfer of heat. Within the ocean, larger trends in ocean heating rate are found in the NH than the SH after 2005, but the magnitude of the trend varies greatly among datasets.
Ethical Challenges in Qualitative Methods to Improve Pediatric Clinical Care: Researcher Perspectives
Authors: Lang Amy C. , Lim Paulina S. , Everhart Samantha A. , Linneman Nina G. , Davies W. Hobart , Alderfer Melissa A.
Published: June 2022

Objective: The purpose of the current project was to distill guidance for psychology researchers regarding ethical challenges that may arise in the conduct of qualitative research aimed to improve pediatric clinical care. Method: 6 pediatric psychologists with relevant research experience participated in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive methods of general thematic analysis and then emerging ethical issues were interpreted within the framework of the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Code. Results: 6 broad areas of ethical considerations were derived: Establish competence and ensure research rigor; clearly distinguish research and clinical roles; consider the potential for sample selection bias and demand characteristics; protect research participants, especially minors; attend to common and unique privacy and confidentiality concerns; and respect provider stakeholders and the clinical setting. Researchers consistently identified proactive, rather than reactive approaches, in addressing potential ethical concerns. Some of the themes and subthemes represent typical considerations of psychology research while others speak to the unique elements of qualitative methodologies, pediatric populations, and clinical care improvement. Conclusions: Researchers’ identified ethical considerations aligned with the APA Ethics Code, specifically sections 2 (competence), 3 (human relations), 4 (privacy and confidentiality), and 8 (research and publication). Recommendations were derived to aid in study planning and reflect the importance of considering competencies within the research team, dual relationships, privacy and confidentiality, and the context of clinical qualitative research. Overwhelmingly, researchers encouraged others to conduct qualitative pediatric clinical care research and emphasized the invaluable nature of the rich, in-depth information gained from such research.

Implications for Impact Statement

Pediatric psychologists with relevant research experience identified the following ethical considerations to proactively address when conducting qualitative research aimed to improve pediatric clinical care: competencies; distinction of research and clinical roles; sample selection bias and demand characteristics; protection of research participants; confidentiality and privacy; and respect for stakeholders and clinical setting. The results of the current study informed specific guidelines for researchers that align with the APA Ethics Code ( American Psychological Association, 2017 ), specifically related to competence, dual-relationships, privacy and confidentiality, and the research process.
Accurate modulation of photoprinting under stiffness imaging feedback for engineering ECMs with high-fidelity mechanical properties
Authors: Li Xin , Wang Huaping , Dong Xinyi , Shi Qing , Sun Tao , Shimoda Shingo , Huang Qiang , Fukuda Toshio
Published: June 2022

Engineered extracellular matrices (ECMs) that replicate complex in-vivo features have shown great potential in tissue engineering. Biocompatible hydrogel microstructures have been widely used to replace these native ECMs for physiologically relevant research. However, accurate reproduction of the 3D hierarchical and nonuniform mechanical stiffness inside one integrated microstructure to mimic the complex mechanical properties of native ECMs presents a major challenge. Here, by using digital holographic microscopy (DHM)-based stiffness imaging feedback, we propose a novel closed-loop control algorithm to achieve high-accuracy control of mechanical properties for hydrogel microstructures that recapitulate the physiological properties of native ECMs with high fidelity. During photoprinting, the photocuring area of the hydrogel is divided into microscale grid areas to locally control the photocuring process. With the assistance of a motorized microfluidic channel, the curing thickness is controlled with layer-by-layer stacking. The DHM-based stiffness imaging feedback allows accurate adjustment of the photocuring degree in every grid area to change the crosslinking network density of the hydrogel, thus enabling large-span and high-resolution modulation of mechanical properties. Finally, the gelatin methacrylate was used as a typical biomaterial to construct the high-fidelity biomimetic ECMs. The Young’s modulus could be flexibly modulated in the 10 kPa to 50 kPa range. Additionally, the modulus gradient was accurately controlled to within 2.9 kPa. By engineering ECM with locally different mechanical properties, cell spreading along the stiff areas was observed successfully. We believe that this method can regenerate complex biomimetic ECMs that closely recapitulate in-vivo mechanical properties for further applications in tissue engineering and biomedical research.
Splicing mutations in the CFTR gene as therapeutic targets
Authors: Deletang Karine , Taulan-Cadars Magali
Published: June 2022

The marketing approval, about ten years ago, of the first disease modulator for patients with cystic fibrosis harboring specific CFTR genotypes (~5% of all patients) brought new hope for their treatment. To date, several therapeutic strategies have been approved and the number of CFTR mutations targeted by therapeutic agents is increasing. Although these drugs do not reverse the existing disease, they help to increase the median life expectancy. However, on the basis of their CFTR genotype, ~10% of patients presently do not qualify for any of the currently available CFTR modulator therapies, particularly patients with splicing mutations (~12% of the reported CFTR mutations). Efforts are currently made to develop therapeutic agents that target disease-causing CFTR variants that affect splicing. This highlights the need to fully identify them by scanning non-coding regions and systematically determine their functional consequences. In this review, we present some examples of CFTR alterations that affect splicing events and the different therapeutic options that are currently developed and tested for splice switching.
Comprehensive characterization of posttranscriptional impairment-related 3′-UTR mutations in 2413 whole genomes of cancer patients
Authors: Wei Wenqing , Gao Wenyan , Li Qinglan , Liu Yuhao , Chen Hongyan , Cui Yongping , Sun Zhongsheng , Liu Zhihua
Published: June 2022

The 3′ untranslated region (3′-UTR) is the vital element regulating gene expression, but most studies have focused on variations in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), miRNAs, alternative polyadenylation (APA) and RNA modifications. To explore the posttranscriptional function of 3′-UTR somatic mutations in tumorigenesis, we collected whole-genome data from 2413 patients across 18 cancer types. Our updated algorithm, PIVar, revealed 25,216 3′-UTR posttranscriptional impairment-related SNVs (3′-UTR piSNVs) spanning 2930 genes; 24 related RBPs were significantly enriched. The somatic 3′-UTR piSNV ratio was markedly increased across all 18 cancer types, which was associated with worse survival for four cancer types. Several cancer-related genes appeared to facilitate tumorigenesis at the protein and posttranscriptional regulation levels, whereas some 3′-UTR piSNV-affected genes functioned mainly via posttranscriptional mechanisms. Moreover, we assessed immune cell and checkpoint characteristics between the high/low 3′-UTR piSNV ratio groups and predicted 80 compounds associated with the 3′-UTR piSNV-affected gene expression signature. In summary, our study revealed the prevalence and clinical relevance of 3′-UTR piSNVs in cancers, and also demonstrates that in addition to affecting miRNAs, 3′-UTR piSNVs perturb RBPs binding, APA and m6A RNA modification, which emphasized the importance of considering 3′-UTR piSNVs in cancer biology.
αKlotho decreases after reduced weight-bearing from both spaceflight and hindlimb unloading
Authors: Willey Jeffrey S. , Aunon-Chancellor Serena , Miles Lauren A. , Moore Joseph E. , Mao Xiao W. , Wallace Robert W. , Foy Matthew C.
Published: June 2022

Alpha(α)Klotho, a soluble transmembrane protein, facilitates calcium-phosphorus homeostasis through feedback between bone and kidney and is a potential systemic biomarker for bone-kidney health during spaceflight. We determined if: (1) plasma αKlotho was reduced after both spaceflight aboard the ISS and hindlimb unloading (HU); and (2) deficiency could be reversed with exercise. Both spaceflight and HU lowered circulating plasma αKlotho: plasma αKlotho recovered with exercise after HU.
Experimental study of quantum uncertainty from lack of information
Authors: Zhao Yuan-Yuan , Rozpędek Filip , Hou Zhibo , Wu Kang-Da , Xiang Guo-Yong , Li Chuan-Feng , Guo Guang-Can
Published: June 2022

Quantum uncertainty is a well-known property of quantum mechanics that states the impossibility of predicting measurement outcomes of multiple incompatible observables simultaneously. In contrast, the uncertainty in the classical domain comes from the lack of information about the exact state of the system. One may naturally ask, whether the quantum uncertainty is indeed a fully intrinsic property of the quantum theory, or whether similar to the classical domain lack of knowledge about specific parts of the physical system might be the source of this uncertainty. This question has been addressed in the previous literature where the authors argue that in the entropic formulation of the uncertainty principle that can be illustrated using the so-called, guessing games, indeed such lack of information has a significant contribution to the arising quantum uncertainty. Here we investigate this issue experimentally by implementing the corresponding two-dimensional and three-dimensional guessing games. Our results confirm that within the guessing-game framework, the quantum uncertainty to a large extent relies on the fact that quantum information determining the key properties of the game is stored in the degrees of freedom that remain inaccessible to the guessing party. Moreover, we offer an experimentally compact method to construct the high-dimensional Fourier gate which is a major building block for various tasks in quantum computation, quantum communication, and quantum metrology.
Semen Ziziphi Spinosae attenuates blood–brain barrier dysfunction induced by lipopolysaccharide by targeting the FAK-DOCK180-Rac1-WAVE2-Arp3 signaling pathway
Authors: Liu Huayan , Zhang Xin , Liu Yujiao , Xin Nian , Deng Yulin , Li Yujuan
Published: June 2022

Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (SZS) has been extensively used in the daily diet as a functional food for neuroprotective health-benefit in China for many years. However, the neuroprotective mechanism of SZS associated with blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity remains unexplored. The present study suggests SZS could protect against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BBB dysfunction. Proteomics indicate that 135 proteins in rat brain are significantly altered by SZS. These differentially expressed proteins are mainly clustered into cell–cell adhesion and adherens junctions, which are closely related with BBB integrity. SZS reversed LPS-induces BBB breakdown by activating the FAK-DOCK180-Rac1-WAVE2-Arp3 pathway. Molecular docking between signaling pathway proteins and identified SZS components in rat plasma reveals that 6”‘-feruloylspinosin, spinosin, and swertisin strongly binds to signaling proteins at multiple amino acid sites. These novel findings suggest a health benefit of SZS in prevention of cerebral diseases and contributes to the further application of SZS as a functional food.
Rapid learning of a phonemic discrimination in the first hours of life
Authors: Wu Yan Jing , Hou Xinlin , Peng Cheng , Yu Wenwen , Oppenheim Gary M. , Thierry Guillaume , Zhang Dandan
Published: June 2022

Human neonates can discriminate phonemes, but the neural mechanism underlying this ability is poorly understood. Here we show that the neonatal brain can learn to discriminate natural vowels from backward vowels, a contrast unlikely to have been learnt in the womb. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we examined the neuroplastic changes caused by 5 h of postnatal exposure to random sequences of natural and reversed (backward) vowels (T1), and again 2 h later (T2). Neonates in the experimental group were trained with the same stimuli as those used at T1 and T2. Compared with controls, infants in the experimental group showed shorter haemodynamic response latencies for forward vs backward vowels at T1, maximally over the inferior frontal region. At T2, neural activity differentially increased, maximally over superior temporal regions and the left inferior parietal region. Neonates thus exhibit ultra-fast tuning to natural phonemes in the first hours after birth.
CoV2K model, a comprehensive representation of SARS-CoV-2 knowledge and data interplay
Authors: Alfonsi Tommaso , Al Khalaf Ruba , Ceri Stefano , Bernasconi Anna
Published: June 2022

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many research organizations have studied the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus; a body of public resources have been published for monitoring its evolution. While we experience an unprecedented richness of information in this domain, we also ascertained the presence of several information quality issues. We hereby propose CoV2K, an abstract model for explaining SARS-CoV-2-related concepts and interactions, focusing on viral mutations, their co-occurrence within variants, and their effects. CoV2K provides a clear and concise route map for understanding different connected types of information related to the virus; it thus drives a process of data and knowledge integration that aggregates information from several current resources, harmonizing their content and overcoming incompleteness and inconsistency issues. CoV2K is available for exploration as a graph that can be queried through a RESTful API addressing single entities or paths through their relationships. Practical use cases demonstrate its application to current knowledge inquiries.
Paired field and water measurements from drainage management practices in row-crop agriculture
Authors: Abendroth L. J. , Chighladze G. , Frankenberger J. R. , Bowling L. C. , Helmers M. J. , Herzmann D. E. , Jia X. , Kjaersgaard J. , Pease L. A. , Reinhart B. D. , Strock J. , Youssef M.
Published: June 2022

This paper describes a multi-site and multi-decadal dataset of artificially drained agricultural fields in seven Midwest states and North Carolina, USA. Thirty-nine research sites provided data on three conservation practices for cropland with subsurface tile drainage: saturated buffers, controlled drainage, and drainage water recycling. These practices utilize vegetation and/or infrastructure to minimize off-site nutrient losses and retain water in the landscape. A total of 219 variables are reported, including 90 field measurement variables and 129 management operations and metadata. Key measurements include subsurface drain flow (206 site-years), nitrate-N load (154 site-years) and other water quality metrics, as well as agronomic, soil, climate, farm management and metadata records. Data are published at the USDA National Agricultural Library Ag Data Commons repository and are also available through an interactive website at Iowa State University. These multi-disciplinary data have large reuse potential by the scientific community as well as for design of drainage systems and implementation in the US and globally.
China industrial environmental database 1998–2015
Authors: Qian Haoqi , Ren Feizhou , Gong Yanran , Ma Rong , Wei Wendong , Wu Libo
Published: June 2022

There has been a rapid-growing trend in studying China’s environmental problems in the past decade. However, the existing environmental statistics data are far from meeting researchers’ requirements. The biggest problem is that the official environmental statistics data are only provided at either regional level or sectoral level. Considering the huge heterogeneities in different regions and sectors, researchers are unable to conduct comprehensive policy evaluations. In this study, we constructed the time-series industrial environmental database for China (CIED) at both regional and sectoral level. The database includes totally 31 regions and four types of pollutants: chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N), and nitrogen oxide (NOX). This study also clarifies several important concepts for researchers to better understand China’s official environmental statistics data.
Tweet topics and sentiments relating to distance learning among Italian Twitter users
Authors: Stracqualursi Luisa , Agati Patrizia
Published: June 2022

The outbreak of COVID-19 forced a dramatic shift in education, from in-person learning to an increased use of distance learning over the past 2 years. Opinions and sentiments regarding this switch from traditional to remote classes can be tracked in real time in microblog messages promptly shared by Twitter users, who constitute a large and ever-increasing number of individuals today. Given this framework, the present study aims to investigate sentiments and topics related to distance learning in Italy from March 2020 to November 2021. A two-step sentiment analysis was performed using the VADER model and thesyuzhetpackage to understand the overall sentiments and emotions. A dynamic latent Dirichlet allocation model (DLDA) was built to identify commonly discussed topics in tweets and their evolution over time. The results show a modest majority of negative opinions, which shifted over time until the trend reversed. Among the eight emotions of thesyuzhetpackage, ‘trust’ was the most positive emotion observed in the tweets, while ‘fear’ and ‘sadness’ were the top negative emotions. Our analysis also identified three topics: (1) requests for support measures for distance learning, (2) concerns about distance learning and its application, and (3) anxiety about the government decrees introducing the red zones and the corresponding restrictions. People’s attitudes changed over time. The concerns about distance learning and its future applications (topic 2) gained importance in the latter stages of 2021, while the first and third topics, which were ranked highly at first, started a steep descent in the last part of the period. The results indicate that even if current distance learning ends, the Italian people are concerned that any new emergency will bring distance learning back into use again.
Effects of soil properties on heavy metal bioavailability and accumulation in crop grains under different farmland use patterns
Authors: Xu Decong , Shen Zhangjun , Dou Changming , Dou Zhiyong , Li Yang , Gao Yi , Sun Qingye
Published: June 2022

Mining activities have increased the accumulation of heavy metals in farmland soil and in food crops. To identify the key soil properties influencing heavy metal bioavailability and accumulation in food crops, 81 crop samples and 81 corresponding agricultural soil samples were collected from rape, wheat, and paddy fields. Heavy metal (copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn)) concentrations in soils and rape, wheat, rice grains were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, and soil physicochemical properties (pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, and available potassium (AK)) were analyzed. Soil extractable metals were extracted using various single extractants (DTPA, EDTA, NH4OAc, NH4NO3, and HCl). The average concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Mn in the soil samples all exceeded the local geochemical background value (background values of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Mn are 43.0, 81.0, 28.5, 0.196, and 616 mg/kg, respectively), and Cd over-standard rate was the highest, at 98%. Furthermore, soil total Cd concentrations (0.1–24.8 mg/kg) of more than 86% of the samples exceeded the soil pollution risk screening value (GB 15618-2018). The sources of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Mn in soils were mainly associated with mining activities. The key factors influencing heavy metal bioavailability were associated with the types of extractants (complexing agents or neutral salt extractants) and the metals. Cd and Pb concentrations in most wheat and rice grain samples exceeded the maximum allowable Cd and Pb levels in food, respectively, and Cd concentrations in approximately 10% of the rice grain samples exceeded 1.0 mg/kg. Furthermore, rice and wheat grains exhibited higher Cd accumulation capacity than rape grains, and despite the high soil Cd concentrations in the rape fields, the rape grains were safe for consumption. High soil pH and AK restricted Cd and Cu accumulation in wheat grains, respectively. Soil properties seemed to influence heavy metal accumulation in rice grains the most.
Elevated AST/ALT ratio is associated with all-cause mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease: a secondary analysis based on a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Liu Xiaobo , Liu Peng
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study is to explore the association between the aspartate amino transferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio and all-cause mortality (ACM) in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The study is a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study involving 203 stable CAD patients. Patients were divided into two groups, based on the optimal AST/ALT ratio threshold calculated by the ROC curve (low group: AST/ALT ratio < 1.40; high group: AST/ALT ratio ≥ 1.40). Results were compared using hazard ratio (HR) and a 95% confidence interval (CI). ACM occurred in 18 patients after an average follow-up time of 749 (435–1122) days. Among them, ACM occurred in 6 patients in the low group and 12 patients in the high group, with significant differences between the groups (4.65% versus 16.22%, P value = 0.005). In the Kaplan–Meier analysis, an elevated AST/ALT ratio was associated with increased ACM in stable ACD patients (HR 3.78, 95% CI 1.44–9.93, P value < 0.001). An elevated AST/ALT ratio was still found to be an independent prognostic factor for ACM (HR 2.93, 95% CI 1.08–7.91, P value = 0.034) after adjusting for potential confounders. Therefore, an elevated AST/ALT ratio is an independent prognostic factor for ACM in stable ACD patients.
Quantitative evaluation of the vertical mobility of the first tarsometatarsal joint during stance phase of gait
Authors: Maeda Noriaki , Ikuta Yasunari , Tashiro Tsubasa , Arima Satoshi , Morikawa Masanori , Kaneda Kazuki , Ishihara Honoka , Brand Andreas , Nakasa Tomoyuki , Adachi Nobuo , Urabe Yukio
Published: June 2022

We determined how the in vivo mobility of the first tarsometatarsal (TMT) joint can be quantified during gait. Twenty-five healthy participants (12 females) with no history of foot disorders were included. Non-invasive ultrasound (US) with a three-dimensional motion analysis (MA) system was used to evaluate the kinematic characteristics of first TMT joint during stance phase of gait. US probe was positioned longitudinally above the first TMT joint and adjusted to its proximal dorsal prominence. Gait analysis was conducted by the MA system starting with the activation of B-mode US video at 80 frames per second and 60-mm depth for simultaneous capture. During stance phase, the first metatarsal was translated dorsally with respect to the medial cuneiform, returning to a neutral level at toe-off in all subjects. During middle stance phase, the medial cuneiform was stable in males but displaced in the plantar direction in females and was the primary contributor to the differences in sagittal mobility observed between groups. Quantitatively measuring sagittal mobility of the first TMT joint could be useful for the early detection of foot abnormalities. The dynamic characteristics of the medial cuneiform during gait in healthy females may be associated with a high prevalence of hallux valgus.
Lower number of modifiable risk factors was associated with reduced atrial fibrillation incidence in an 18-year prospective cohort study
Authors: Son Mi Kyoung , Song Dae Sub , Lee Kyoungho , Park Hyun-Young
Published: June 2022

Prevention strategies for atrial fibrillation (AF) are lacking. This study aimed to identify modifiable risk factors (MRFs) and estimate their impact on AF in the midlife general population. We assessed 9049 participants who were free of prevalent AF at baseline from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Cox models with time-varying assessment of risk factors were used to identify significant MRFs for incident AF. The MRF burden was defined as the proportion of visits with MRFs during follow-up. Over a median follow-up of 13.1 years, 182 (2.01%) participants developed AF. Three MRFs, including systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 140 mmHg, obesity with central obesity, and an inactive lifestyle were significantly associated with incident AF. Among participants with 3, 2, 1, and 0 MRFs at baseline, 16 (3.9%), 51 (2.5%), 90 (1.8%) and 25 (1.5%) had incident AF, respectively. Compared to participants with three MRFs, those with one or no MRFs had a decreased risk of AF (hazard ratio [95% CI] for one MRF, 0.483 [0.256–0.914]; and for no MRF, 0.291 [0.145–0.583]). A decreasing MRF burden was associated with reduced AF risk (hazard ratio [95% CI] per 10% decrease in burden for SBP ≥ 140 mmHg, 0.937 [0.880–0.997]; for obesity with central obesity, 0.942 [0.907–0.978]; for inactivity, 0.926 [0.882–0.973]). Maintaining or achieving MRF ≤ 1 was associated with decreased AF risk, suggesting that minimizing the burden of MRF might help prevent AF.
Improving stability in two-dimensional transistors with amorphous gate oxides by Fermi-level tuning
Authors: Knobloch Theresia , Uzlu Burkay , Illarionov Yury Yu. , Wang Zhenxing , Otto Martin , Filipovic Lado , Waltl Michael , Neumaier Daniel , Lemme Max C. , Grasser Tibor
Published: June 2022

Electronic devices based on two-dimensional semiconductors suffer from limited electrical stability because charge carriers originating from the semiconductors interact with defects in the surrounding insulators. In field-effect transistors, the resulting trapped charges can lead to large hysteresis and device drifts, particularly when common amorphous gate oxides (such as silicon or hafnium dioxide) are used, hindering stable circuit operation. Here, we show that device stability in graphene-based field-effect transistors with amorphous gate oxides can be improved by Fermi-level tuning. We deliberately tune the Fermi level of the channel to maximize the energy distance between the charge carriers in the channel and the defect bands in the amorphous aluminium gate oxide. Charge trapping is highly sensitive to the energetic alignment of the Fermi level of the channel with the defect band in the insulator, and thus, our approach minimizes the amount of electrically active border traps without the need to reduce the total number of traps in the insulator.
Yellow fever surveillance suggests zoonotic and anthroponotic emergent potential
Authors: Aliaga-Samanez Alisa , Real Raimundo , Segura Marina , Marfil-Daza Carlos , Olivero Jesús
Published: June 2022

Yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes among human and non-human primates. In the last decades, infections are occurring in areas that had been free from yellow fever for decades, probably as a consequence of the rapid spread of mosquito vectors, and of the virus evolutionary dynamic in which non-human primates are involved. This research is a pathogeographic assessment of where enzootic cycles, based on primate assemblages, could be amplifying the risk of yellow fever infections, in the context of spatial changes shown by the disease since the late 20th century. In South America, the most relevant spread of disease cases affects parts of the Amazon basin and a wide area of southern Brazil, where forest fragmentation could be activating enzootic cycles next to urban areas. In Africa, yellow fever transmission is apparently spreading from the west of the continent, and primates could be contributing to this in savannas around rainforests. Our results are useful for identifying new areas that should be prioritised for vaccination, and suggest the need of deep yellow fever surveillance in primates of South America and Africa.
Citraconate inhibits ACOD1 (IRG1) catalysis, reduces interferon responses and oxidative stress, and modulates inflammation and cell metabolism
Authors: Chen F. , Elgaher W. A. M. , Winterhoff M. , Büssow K. , Waqas F. H. , Graner E. , Pires-Afonso Y. , Casares Perez L. , de la Vega L. , Sahini N. , Czichon L. , Zobl W. , Zillinger T. , Shehata M. , Pleschka S. , Bähre H. , Falk C. , Michelucci A. , Schuchardt S. , Blankenfeldt W. , Hirsch A. K. H. , Pessler F.
Published: June 2022

Although the immunomodulatory and cytoprotective properties of itaconate have been studied extensively, it is not known whether its naturally occurring isomers mesaconate and citraconate have similar properties. Here, we show that itaconate is partially converted to mesaconate intracellularly and that mesaconate accumulation in macrophage activation depends on prior itaconate synthesis. When added to human cells in supraphysiological concentrations, all three isomers reduce lactate levels, whereas itaconate is the strongest succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) inhibitor. In cells infected with influenza A virus (IAV), all three isomers profoundly alter amino acid metabolism, modulate cytokine/chemokine release and reduce interferon signalling, oxidative stress and the release of viral particles. Of the three isomers, citraconate is the strongest electrophile and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) agonist. Only citraconate inhibits catalysis of itaconate by cis-aconitate decarboxylase (ACOD1), probably by competitive binding to the substrate-binding site. These results reveal mesaconate and citraconate as immunomodulatory, anti-oxidative and antiviral compounds, and citraconate as the first naturally occurring ACOD1 inhibitor.
A convenient and versatile SNAr-decarboxylation protocol for the construction of C(sp2)–C(sp3) bonds
Authors: Burtea Alexander , DeForest Jacob , Baldwin Neil , Leverett Carolyn , Gallego Gary M.
Published: June 2022

A versatile and operationally simple one-pot procedure for the construction of C(sp2)-C(sp3) bonds via a nucleophilic aromatic substitution-decarboxylation sequence is described.
Enantioselective synthesis of acyclic monohydrosilanes by steric hindrance assisted C–H silylation
Authors: Mu Delong , Pan Shuqiong , Wang Xiaoyu , Liao Xiaoyun , Huang Yong , Chen Jiean
Published: June 2022

Herein, a rhodium-catalyzed desymmetrization of dihydrosilanes with heterocyclic compoundsviaintermolecular dehydrogenative C–H silylation is developed.
Efficient activation of peroxymonosulfate by C3N5 doped with cobalt for organic contaminant degradation
Authors: Li Tai , Cui Peixin , Wang Xiaolei , Liu Cun , Zeng Yu , Fang Guodong , Zhao Yuan , Gao Juan , Wang Yujun , Zhou Dongmei
Published: June 2022

The activation of peroxymonosulfate by metal-doped C–N-based materials has been used extensively for pollutant degradation but usually suffers from low efficiency and stability due to the relatively few N coordination sites.
Synthesis, antifungal evaluation, and safety assessment of mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with prothioconazole against crop pathogens
Authors: Feng Jianguo , Sun Li , Chen Wang , Wei Nuo , Hou Chaoqun , Chen Zhiyang , Meng Fei , Cao Hongen
Published: June 2022

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) can be used as carriers to prepare pesticide controlled release formulations with high pesticide loadings and reduce the negative environmental impact of pesticides.
Mechanistic insights into the effect of the feed concentration on product formation during acid-catalyzed conversion of glucose in ethanol
Authors: Peng Lincai , Tao Chaonan , Yang Hui , Zhang Junhua , Liu Huai
Published: June 2022

Increasing the glucose concentration from 20 to 200 g L−1 largely boosted the formation of WSO instead of SHU, thus downgrading the yield of EL.
Inorganic salt-induced synthesis of lignin derived hierarchical porous carbon with self-embedded quantum dots and ultrahigh mesoporosity for supercapacitors
Authors: Wei Lansheng , Wu Zhengguo , Li Jiaming , Xiong Yutong , Wang Xiaoying
Published: June 2022

Lignin-based hierarchical porous carbon with self-embedded carbon quantum dots for supercapacitor electrodes.
Simultaneous pre-intercalation of caesium and sodium ions into vanadium oxide bronze nanowires for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Authors: Tian Hua , He Yunyi , Wang Lin , Lai Yuannan , Wang Jianwei , Xiang Hanqing , Zhao Wenjun , Zhang Lin
Published: June 2022

The simultaneous pre-intercalation of caesium and sodium ions into vanadium oxide bronze nanowires can enlarge the interplanar spacing and afford surface oxygen defects conducive to improving zinc energy storage performance.
A 0.7 V R‐2R SAR ladder‐based temperature sensor with less supply sensitivity
Authors: Xie Shuang , Yu Ting , Wang Yong
Published: June 2022

A 0.7 V, R‐2R SAR ladder‐based temperature sensor with less supply sensitivity is presented, intended for Very Large‐Scale Integration thermal management. Its silicided and non‐silicided resistors in the R‐2R ladders serve as both thermal sensing and quantization elements. The only active component it requires is the comparator, which is compatible with low power supply voltage. The post‐layout simulation results show it has an inaccuracy of 0.5°C between –40°C and 125°C for TT, FF and SS corners.
Two modified DFT‐based algorithms for fundamental phasor estimation
Authors: Afrandideh Saeed , Arabshahi Mohammad Reza , Fazeli Seyed Mahdi
Published: June 2022

The discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is a powerful phasor estimation algorithm conventionally used in digital relaying applications. The DFT‐based phasor estimation is usually accompanied by oscillatory error due to the presence of the decaying DC (DDC) components in fault current signals. Accordingly, two modified DFT‐based phasor estimation algorithms are proposed in this paper. The proposed algorithms accurately estimate the exact fundamental phasor by extracting the DDC components using successive outputs of the conventional DFT algorithm. The performance of the proposed algorithms is validated by the mathematically generated and PSCAD‐simulated signals and is compared with previous algorithms. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms in this paper are more robust than other ones. Moreover, they are applicable in the DFT algorithm with different data windows.
A dual‐stopband FSS using knitted and strong‐coupled structures with excellent angular stability and polarisation insensitivity
Authors: Li Chenchen , Yan Mingbao , Wang Weiyu , Wang Jiafu , Xia Song , Bai Hui , Wang He , Li Songyan , Qin Zhe , Qu Shaobo
Published: June 2022

In this paper, a novel dual‐stopband frequency selective surface (FSS) based on the knitted and strong‐coupled structures is proposed. The proposed FSS works stably at frequencies of 2.51 and 5.06 GHz for both TE and TM mode, even when the incident angles vary from 0° to 75°. The element size and thickness of the proposed structure are λ0/16 and λ0/170, respectively, where λ0 represents the free‐space wavelength. To clarify the operating principle, a general equivalent circuit model (ECM) is developed. A prototype of the proposed FSS is fabricated and measured. It is demonstrated that the proposed structure has good angular stability, polarisation insensitivity, and independent operation in the dual‐stopband. Importantly, the proposed structure has good prospects for application in dual‐band electromagnetic shielding in complex environments.