bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensors based on modified PDMS and hybrid particles of AgNWs/graphene
Authors: Zhang Kaili , Jiang Wenshuai , Li Xiaokuan , Gao Xiaoguang
Published: November 2022

High-performance strain sensors have received extensive attention due to their wide range of applications in pulsebeat detection, speech recognition, motion detection, and blood pressure monitoring. However, it is difficult to simultaneously attain high sensitivity and excellent stretchability. In this work, a strain sensor based on modified polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and conductive hybrid particles of silver nanowires (AgNWs)/graphene was successfully fabricated. A facile solvothermal polymerization process was used to change the structure of cross-linking networks and to obtain the PDMS elastomer with excellent stretchability. The application of the modified PDMS endows the strain sensor with a large strain range (∼20%), which is 100% higher than that of the strain sensor with unmodified PDMS. The AgNWs/graphene hybrid particles were prepared by a simple coprecipitation, reduction, and drying method. AgNWs serve as bridges between graphene sheets, endowing the strain sensor with a large gauge factor (GF = 400). The stability of the strain sensor was also verified. Besides, the strain sensor was successfully used in fields such as finger bending and speech recognition. Considering its high sensitivity, excellent stretchability, and high working stability, the sensor has great potential in health monitoring and motion detection.
Inhibiting corrosion and side reactions of zinc metal anode by nano-CaSiO3 coating towards high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Authors: Zhai Penghui , Zhai Xiaoliang , Jia Zhihui , Zhang Wanhong , Pan Kunming , Liu Yong
Published: November 2022

The aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs) have been deemed as one of the most promising energy storage devices owing to their high safety, low cost, and environmental benignity. Nevertheless, the severe corrosion of zinc metal anode and side reactions between the anode and electrolyte greatly hinder the practical application of AZIBs. To address above-mentioned issues, herein, a nano-CaSiO3 layer was coated on the surface of Zn metal anode via the solution casting method. Results showed that this hydrophobic coating layer could effectively inhibit the direct contact of Zn metal anode with electrolyte, suppressing its corrosion and side reactions during Zn deposition/stripping. When applied in symmetrical cells, the nano-CaSiO3 coated Zn (CSO-Zn) electrode exhibited much longer cycle life than bare Zn electrode. Moreover, with this nano-CaSiO3 modified Zn anode, both vanadium-based and manganese-based full cells depicted excellent capacity retention. This nano-CaSiO3 coating layer provides a good choice for improving the stability of Zn metal anode for high-performance AZIBs.
GPU-accelerated Monte Carlo simulation of electron and photon interactions for radiotherapy applications
Authors: Franciosini G , Battistoni G , Cerqua A , De Gregorio A , De Maria P , De Simoni M , Dong Y , Fischetti M , Marafini M , Mirabelli R , Muscato A , Patera V , Salvati F , Sarti A , Sciubba A , Toppi M , Traini G , Trigilio A , Schiavi A
Published: November 2022

Objective. The Monte Carlo simulation software is a valuable tool in radiation therapy, in particular to achieve the needed accuracy in the dose evaluation for the treatment plans optimisation. The current challenge in this field is the time reduction to open the way to many clinical applications for which the computational time is an issue. In this manuscript we present an innovative GPU-accelerated Monte Carlo software for dose valuation in electron and photon based radiotherapy, developed as an update of the FRED (Fast paRticle thErapy Dose evaluator) software. Approach. The code transports particles through a 3D voxel grid, while scoring their energy deposition along their trajectory. The models of electromagnetic interactions in the energy region between 1 MeV—1 GeV available in literature have been implemented to efficiently run on GPUs, allowing to combine a fast tracking while keeping high accuracy in dose assessment. The FRED software has been bench-marked against state-of-art full MC (FLUKA, GEANT4) in the realm of two different radiotherapy applications: Intra-Operative Radio Therapy and Very High Electron Energy radiotherapy applications. Results. The single pencil beam dose-depth profiles in water as well as the dose map computed on non-homogeneous phantom agree with full-MCs at 2% level, observing a gain in processing time from 200 to 5000. Significance. Such performance allows for computing a plan with electron beams in few minutes with an accuracy of ∼%, demonstrating the FRED potential to be adopted for fast plan re-calculation in photon or electron radiotherapy applications.
Multi-species ion acceleration from sub-ps, PW interactions with ultra-thin foils
Authors: McCusker O , Ahmed H , McIlvenny A , Martin P , Ferguson S , Green J , Jarrett J , King M , Zhai S , McKenna P , Kar S , Borghesi M
Published: November 2022

Multi-species ion acceleration from ultra-thin foils was studied experimentally, employing the Vulcan Petawatt laser at the Central Laser Facility, UK. Plastic (CH) foils with thicknesses in the range 10–340 nm were irradiated with intense, short (750 fs) laser pulses producing maximum energies of

∼

65

 MeV and 25 MeV/nucleon obtained for H+ and C6+ ions, respectively. Ion spectra obtained from high resolution spectrometers suggest differences in the acceleration dynamics for the two species. Comparisons are made with two-dimensional Particle in Cell simulations, which identify, for an optimal thickness, two main mechanisms contributing to the ion acceleration process, namely multi-species target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) and radiation pressure acceleration (RPA). Ion energies are further enhanced by the onset of relativistically induced transparency. A final stage in the acceleration is caused by the formation of electron jets (as the target undergoes transparency), which accelerate the ions off-axis. By analysing the spatial and temporal evolution of the accelerating fields, we are able to infer the effect of the different mechanisms on each species and how this translates to the experimental observations. The two main mechanisms, TNSA and RPA, are seen to each produce a distinct population of high energy protons whereas a single population of carbon is accelerated by a summation of these effects. This species-specific analysis sheds new light on the complex dynamics in a multi-species target expansion and on the contribution of different acceleration processes to the acceleration of the most energetic ions in the spectrum.
From chaos to encryption using fractional order Lorenz-Stenflo model with flux-controlled feedback memristor
Authors: Khan Najeeb Alam , Qureshi Muhammad Ali , Akbar Saeed , Ara Asmat
Published: November 2022

To add complexity to a chaotic system, a new five-dimensional fractional-order chaotic system is proposed based on the Lorenz-Stenflo model with a feedback memristor. By analyzing the phase portraits, equilibrium points, bifurcation analysis, and Poincaré maps, the system generates a two-wing attractor with symmetrical coexistence, which implies that the newly developed chaotic system has abundant dynamical characteristics. The Routh–Hurwitz stability criterion, eigenvalues, and Lyapunov exponents were calculated for a memristive-based system, suggesting that the developed system is unstable and hyperchaotic. The chaotic system is executed with analogue circuits for both the open-loop and closed-loop feedback memristive systems. The transfer function technique was used for the fractional operator. The simulation results showed excellent agreement between the circuit and numerical simulations. Finally, random data information from a chaotic system is utilized to process multimedia encryption. A new cryptographic scheme is presented with the idea of an image as a key, which is introduced and tested with security analysis in support of the provision that images and chaotic systems together can form a viable key.
Evidence of oblique electron acoustic solitary waves triggered by magnetic reconnection in Earth’s magnetosphere
Authors: Atteya A , EL-Labany S K , Karmakar P K , Afify M S
Published: November 2022

Motivated by the recent Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations of oblique electron acoustic waves, we addressed the generation mechanism of the observed waves by utilizing the reductive perturbation technique. A nonlinear Zakharov-Kuznetsov (ZK) equation is derived for a collisionless, magnetised plasma composed of cool inertial background electrons, cool inertial electron beam, hot inertialess suprathermal electrons; represented by aκ-distribution, and stationary ions. Moreover, the instability growth rate is derived by using the small-kperturbation expansion method. Our findings revealed that the structure of the electrostatic wave profile is significantly influenced by the external magnetic field, the unperturbed hot, cool, and electron beam densities, the obliquity angle, and the rate of superthermality. Such parameters also have an effect on the instability growth rate. This study clarifies the characteristics of the oblique electron solitary waves that may be responsible for changing the electron and ion distribution functions, which alter the magnetic reconnection process. Moreover, the increase of the growth rate with the plasma parameters could be a source of anomalous resistivity that enhances the rate of magnetic reconnection.
Promising broadband and enhanced microwave absorption of polypyrrole decorated hollow porous ZnO microspheres
Authors: Ye Xiaoyun , Zhang Leilei , Lv Yihua , Chen Dinggui , Chen Song , Liu Xuehua , Ma Lian , Wu Yuping , Liang Weikang , Wang Qianting
Published: November 2022

The design of hollow porous microstructure and the selection of reasonable dielectric composition are effective ways to obtain microwave absorbing (MWA) materials with outstanding performance. In this paper, polypyrrole decorated ZnO hollow porous composites (ZnO@PPy HPC) with improved MWA performance were successfully prepared by an in situ polymerization method. The results showed that PPy was uniformly loaded on the surface of ZnO hollow porous microspheres (ZnO HPM) to build a hierarchically core–shell hollow structure. The addition and proportion regulation of PPy can effectively improve the dielectric properties, generate interfacial polarization effect and achieve good impedance matching, leading to enhanced MWA characteristics of composite materials. ZnO@PPy HPC exhibited promising broadband microwave absorption properties. The minimum reflection loss (RL
min) reached −48.5 dB at 14.5 GHz with broad effective bandwidth (less than −10 dB) of 6.2 GHz when the matching thickness was 2.2 mm. This study provides guidance for the development on a new type of microwave absorbing materials composed of hollow porous structure and conductive polymer.
Computational indistinguishability and boson sampling*
Authors: Nikolopoulos Georgios M
Published: November 2022

We introduce a computational problem of distinguishing between the output of an ideal coarse-grained boson sampler and the output of a true random number generator, as a resource for cryptographic schemes, which are secure against computationally unbounded adversaries. Moreover, we define a cryptographic setting for the implementation of such schemes, including message encryption and authentication, as well as entity authentication.
Phase transition and properties of ternary MgGeN2 under pressure: a first principles investigation
Authors: Chen Kai , Chang Xiangrong , Zeng Ying , Hu Chunfeng , Feng Qingguo
Published: November 2022

In this work the structural, electronic, mechanical and optical properties of MgGeN2 under pressure are investigated through the density functional theory based first principles computations using the recently proposed Strongly Constrained and Appropriately Normed (SCAN) functional. It was found that the orthorhombic structure is energetically stable at ambient conditions and a phase transition from orthorhombic phase to a newly found tetragonal phase occurs at about 23 GPa under hydrostatic compression. In addition, in the investigated pressure range, MgGeN2 does not follow the rule that the materials will become more metallic under pressure due to that the strengthened covalent bond will enlarge the band gap and enable the system more insulating. Therefore, for both the orthorhombic phase and the high pressure tetragonal phase, the band gap shows a monotonic increment along increasing pressure. A reduction of the band gap was accompanied with the phase transition. In addition, the high pressure phase has a much larger bulk modulus and shear modulus than the orthorhombic phase, together with an enhanced optical absorption and conductivity. Finally, the potential applications of pressure induced structural change and band tuning are interpreted.
Can we actually constrain fNL using the scale-dependent bias effect? An illustration of the impact of galaxy bias uncertainties using the BOSS DR12 galaxy power spectrum
Authors: Barreira Alexandre
Published: November 2022

The scale-dependent bias effect on the galaxy power spectrum is a very promising probe of the local primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG) parameter f
NL, but the amplitude of the effect is proportional to f
NL
bϕ
, where bϕ
is the linear PNG galaxy bias parameter. Our knowledge of bϕ
is currently very limited, yet nearly all existing f
NL constraints and forecasts assume precise knowledge for it. Here, we use the BOSS DR12 galaxy power spectrum to illustrate how our uncertain knowledge of bϕ
currently prevents us from constraining f
NL with a given statistical precision σ

fNL. Assuming different fixed choices for the relation between bϕ
and the linear density bias b
1, we find that σ

fNL can vary by as much as an order of magnitude. Our strongest bound is f
NL = 16 ± 16 (1σ), while the loosest is f
NL = 230 ± 226 (1σ) for the same BOSS data. The impact of bϕ
can be especially pronounced because it can be close to zero. We also show how marginalizing over bϕ
with wide priors is not conservative, and leads in fact to biased constraints through parameter space projection effects. Independently of galaxy bias assumptions, the scale-dependent bias effect can only be used to detect f
NL ≠ 0 by constraining the product f
NL
bϕ
, but the error bar σ

fNL remains undetermined and the results cannot be compared with the CMB; we find f
NL
bϕ
≠ 0 with 1.6σ significance. We also comment on why these issues are important for analyses with the galaxy bispectrum. Our results strongly motivate simulation-based research programs aimed at robust theoretical priors for the bϕ
parameter, without which we may never be able to competitively constrain f
NL using galaxy data.
Core-collapse supernova constraint on the origin of sterile neutrino dark matter via neutrino self-interactions
Authors: Chen Yu-Ming , Sen Manibrata , Tangarife Walter , Tuckler Douglas , Zhang Yue
Published: November 2022

Novel neutrino self-interaction can open up viable parameter space for the relic abundance of sterile-neutrino dark matter (SνDM). In this work, we constrain the relic target using core-collapse supernova which features the same fundamental process and a similar environment to the early universe era when SνDM is dominantly produced. We present a detailed calculation of the effects of a massive scalar mediated neutrino self-interaction on the supernova cooling rate, including the derivation of the thermal potential in the presence of non-zero chemical potentials from plasma species. Our results demonstrate that the supernova cooling argument can cover the neutrino self-interaction parameter space that complements terrestrial and cosmological probes.
Classical and quantum dynamics of gyroscopic systems and dark energy
Authors: Comelli Denis , Di Giambattista Maicol , Pilo Luigi
Published: November 2022

Gyroscopic systems in classical and quantum field theory are characterized by the presence of at least two scalar degrees of
freedom and by terms that mix fields and
their time derivatives in the quadratic Lagrangian.
In Minkowski spacetime, they naturally appear
in the presence of a coupling among fields with
time-dependent vacuum expectation values and fields with
space-dependent vacuum expectation values, breaking spontaneously
Lorentz symmetry; this is the case for a supersolid.
In a cosmological background
a gyroscopic system can also arise from the time dependence of
non-diagonal kinetic and mass matrices.
We study the classical and quantum dynamics computing the correlation
functions on the vacuum state that minimizes the energy.
Two
regions of stability in parameter space are found: in one region, dubbed normal, the
Hamiltonian is positive defined, while in the second region, dubbed anomalous, it has no definite sign. Interestingly, in the anomalous
region the 2-point correlation function exhibits a resonant behaviour
in a certain region of parameter space.
We show that as dynamical a dark energy (with an exact equation of state w = -1)
arises naturally as a gyroscopic system.
Weak lensing trispectrum and Kurt-spectra
Authors: Munshi Dipak , Lee Hayden , Dvorkin Cora , McEwen Jason D.
Published: November 2022

We introduce two kurt-spectra to probe fourth-order statistics of weak lensing convergence maps.
Using state-of-the-art numerical simulations, we study the shapes of these kurt-spectra as a function of source redshifts and smoothing angular scales. We employ a pseudo-Cℓ
approach to estimate the spectra from realistic convergence maps in the presence of an observational mask and noise for stage-IV large-scale structure surveys. We compare these results against theoretical predictions calculated using the FFTLog formalism, and find that a simple nonlinear clustering model — the hierarchical ansatz — can reproduce the numerical trends for the kurt-spectra in the nonlinear regime. In addition, we provide estimators for beyond fourth-order spectra where no definitive analytical results are available, and present corresponding results from numerical simulations.
Characterization of crude oil viscosity change under laser irradiation
Authors: Zhang Shanzhe , Sun Xiaorong , Zheng Dongyu , Liu Cuiling , Miao Xinyang , Zhao Kun
Published: November 2022

Heavy crude oil is a type of crude oil that has high viscosity, which leads to poor fluidity. In this paper, a 532 nm laser was employed to reduce the oil viscosity at low current. The voltage, temperature and the viscosity will change under laser irradiation. Under laser irradiation, the photon energy was absorbed by liquid and converted into heat energy, leading to the temperature rise. Furthermore, the rise in temperature led to breaking of the hydrogen bonds, which resulted in the drop in the viscosity v. Due to the thermal effect induced by the laser, the variation of viscosity Δv was closely related to the laser irradiation position. The results of the experiments suggest that laser technology could be applied to characterize the viscosity change in crude oil under laser irradiation.
EEG-based mental fatigue detection using linear prediction cepstral coefficients and Riemann spatial covariance matrix
Authors: Chen Kun , Liu Zhiyong , Liu Quan , Ai Qingsong , Ma Li
Published: November 2022

Objective. Establishing a mental fatigue monitoring system is of great importance as for severe fatigue may cause unimaginable consequences. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is often utilized for mental fatigue detection because of its high temporal resolution and ease of use. However, many EEG-based approaches for detecting mental fatigue only take into account the feature extraction of a single domain and do not fully exploit the information that EEG may offer. Approach. In our work, we propose a new algorithm for mental fatigue detection based on multi-domain feature extraction and fusion. EEG components representing fatigue are closely related in the past and present because fatigue is a dynamic and gradual process. Accordingly, the idea of linear prediction is used to fit the current value with a set of sample values in the past to calculate the linear prediction cepstral coefficients (LPCCs) as the time domain feature. Moreover, in order to better capture fatigue-related spatial domain information, the spatial covariance matrix of the original EEG signal is projected into the Riemannian tangent space using the Riemannian geometric method. Then multi-domain features are fused to obtain comprehensive spatio-temporal information. Main results. Experimental results prove the suggested algorithm outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods, achieving an average accuracy of 87.10% classification on the public dataset SEED-VIG (three categories) and 97.40% classification accuracy (two categories) on the dataset made by self-designed experiments. Significance. These findings show that our proposed strategy perform more effectively for mental fatigue detection based on EEG.
Evaluation of the functional acceptability of the ITER vacuum vessel
Authors: Moon Hokyu , Park Soo-Hyeon , Kim Hyun-Soo , Kim Beom Seok
Published: November 2022

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) vacuum vessel (VV) is one of the critical components of the ITER tokamak fusion reactor. The first sector of the ITER VV was delivered to ITER Organization in 2020, and it is ready to assemble into the tokamak system. After manufacturing the ITER VV, an evaluation should ensure that the components are designed and manufactured to meet the functional requirements, such as vacuum leak tightness and structural integrity. The factory acceptance test (FAT) is essential for confirming acceptance in engineering and manufacturing. This paper introduces the engineering process and technical method of the FAT, which is applied explicitly to the first-of-a-kind ITER VV. We establish a visual inspection, pre-pumping assessment, pressure test, helium (vacuum) leak test, and final dimensional inspection for the FAT. The visual inspection revealed no blockages in the cooling channels of the double walls. The pre-pumping assessment conducted to check the vacuum level and residual gas condition, concluded that the inside of the VV was flawless and thus met the leak test requirements of 1 × 10−8 Pa m3 s−1. We confirmed no leakage or deformation through the pressure test under reduced pressure. The helium leak test demonstrated engineering soundness with leak tightness of 6.08 × 10−9 Pa m3 s−1, which is more stringent than the allowable limit. Furthermore, three-dimensional metrology was utilized to determine the as-built dimensions of the manufactured sector. Due to unavoidable weld deformation and tight tolerances, the as-built result does not perfectly meet the assigned tolerance level. Nevertheless, it can be considered as advanced information for assembly with in-vessel components and other sectors. Based on the conformance and suitability of the suggested FAT for the first ITER VV sector, we will determine the acceptability of the upcoming VV sectors, which will be manufactured and delivered by Korea shortly.
Increased radiation due to non-coronal effects on DIII-D and MAST-U with varying input power
Authors: Roeltgen Jonathan , Kotschenreuther Mike , Harrison James , Moulton David , Chen Zhong-Ping , Mahajan Swadesh
Published: November 2022

Through SOLPS-ITER simulations of DIII-D and MAST-U, an X-divertor (XD) on DIII-D and a super X-divertor (SXD) on MAST-U were shown to have increased carbon emissivity (P
Rad/n
e
n
I) over corresponding standard divertors (SD) at similar degrees of partial detachment. The reasons behind the increased emissivity in the DIII-D XD and SXD are analyzed using a simple 0D transport model. From the transport model, it is seen that a major cause of the increased emissivity in the XD and SXD over the SDs is a shorter impurity confinement time. An additional cause (for the SXD) is an increase in the ratio of neutral hydrogen to electron density. The input power (P
in) was varied and the XD had a higher emissivity at the higher P
in, unlike the SDs which had the emissivity decrease with increasing P
in. A basic geometrical reason is given to explain both the benefits of the XD over the SD as well as the increase in the XD’s emissivity with P
in.
The interpolation between random walk and self-avoiding walk by avoiding marked sites
Authors: Sharma Trupti R , Rangarajan G , Gade Prashant M
Published: November 2022

The self-avoiding walk (SAW) on a regular lattice is one of the most important and classic problems in statistical mechanics with major applications in polymer chemistry. Random walk is an exactly solved problem while SAW is an open problem so far. We interpolate these two limits in 1D and 2D by considering a model in which the walker marks certain sites in time and does not visit them again. We study two variants: (a) the walker marks sites at every k time-steps, in this case, it is possible to enumerate all possible paths of a given length. (b) The walker marks sites with a certain probability p. For k = 1 or p = 1, the walk reduces to the usual SAW. We compute the average trapping time and distance covered by a walker as a function of the number of steps and radius of gyration in these cases. We observe that 1D deterministic, 1D probabilistic, and 2D deterministic cases are in the same universality class as SAW while 2D probabilistic case shows continuously varying exponents.
Development of the novel and superior adaptive beam-loading compensation system calculated in the frequency domain for the J-PARC Linac
Authors: Futatsukawa K. , Cicek E. , Fang Z. , Fukui Y. , Mizobata S. , Sato Y.
Published: November 2022

The Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) is
one of the highest intensity proton accelerator facilities in the
world. Its accelerator consists of a 400-MeV linac (LINAC), a 3-GeV
rapid-cycling synchrotron (RCS), and a 30-GeV main ring (MR) and its
beam is provided for wide-ranging applications. The peak current of
the beam at LINAC had been increased from 30 mA to the design value
of 50 mA in 2018. Therefore, the performance of the beam-loading
compensation implementing in the low-level radio frequency (LLRF)
system has been more important to satisfy the stability of the
accelerating gradient. Although the iterative learning control
(ILC) scheme with adaptive ability was demonstrated, the practical
use of ILC was not convenient for large accelerators such as the
J-PARC LINAC with forty-nine RF stations. Therefore, we developed
at novel and superior adaptive beam-loading compensation system that
was calculated in the frequency domain. Compared to the scheme of
the previous ILC, the newly developed system is useful because it
does not require parameter adjustment using the beam. In the
experimental results utilizing this system, the optimum tables of
FF_BEAM were able to be obtained as a smaller number of iterations.
The peak-to-peak stability of amplitude was achieved to ± 0.23%
and the peak-to-peak stability of phase was improved to
± 0.036°. In addition, errors such as white noise
did not accumulate for the table of FF_BEAM and this system solved
the problem of the divergence when the number of iterations was
increased. This implementation of the adaptive beam-loading
compensation system calculated in the frequency domain will
potentially contribute to the improvement of the J-PARC LINAC LLRF,
and this system may lead to a stable user operation. This system is
so simple in principle and effective that it could be applied to
other linear accelerators with the pulsed beam.
Transfer of non-classical features and quantum states of light in circularly coupled waveguide arrays
Authors: Rai Atmadev , Rai Amit
Published: November 2022

We investigate the applicability of the circular arrays of coupled single-mode optical waveguides in transferring the non-classical state of light for quantum information processing. We study the nonclassical states of light, such as a single-photon Fock state, a two-photon NOON state, a single-mode squeezed state and a two-mode squeezed state as inputs to the lattice, which are key resources for various applications in the field of quantum information science. In addition, for comparison, we also examine a coherent state. We investigate the transport of non-classical features and quantum states of light from one waveguide mode to another. For the single and two-mode squeezed states, we perform a detailed study of the evolution of the squeezing. Our work highlights the potential of the circular arrays of optical waveguides platform for the transport of non-classical features and quantum states of light. We expect our results should have applications in the physical implementation of photonic quantum technologies.
Energy norm analysis of exactly symmetric mixed finite elements for linear elasticity
Authors: Lederer Philip , Stenberg Rolf
Published: November 2022

We consider mixed finite element methods for linear elasticity for which the symmetry of the stress tensor is exactly satisfied. We derive a new quasi-optimal a priori error estimate uniformly valid with respect to the compressibility. For the a posteriori error analysis we consider the Prager-Synge hypercircle principle and introduce a new estimate uniformly valid in the incompressible limit. All estimates are validated by numerical examples.
Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Food Consumption: Examination in Diverse Samples
Authors: Brondolo Elizabeth , Simons R Rhiannon , Keating Luke H , Vincent Brian , Kittleman Julie , Roth Alan , Basello Gina , Danyluck Chad , Blair Irene V
Published: November 2022

Background

Racial/ethnic discrimination has been linked to poor health outcomes. Effects of discrimination on health behaviors, including patterns of food consumption, may contribute to health outcomes.

Purpose

We examined relations of discrimination to consumption of healthy and unhealthy foods in two diverse samples. Structural equation modeling was used to examine variations in associations of discrimination to consumption by the timing and type of discrimination, for healthy vs. unhealthy food, and by sample.

Methods

Study 1 included a racially and ethnically diverse sample of adults from New York City (NYC: N = 157); Study 2 included a sample of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults from the Denver metro area (N = 303), many of whom also identified with other racial/ethnic groups. Participants completed self-report measures of racial/ethnic discrimination, food consumption, life stressors, and sociodemographic variables.

Results

Structural equation models indicated discrimination was associated with food consumption. Tests of model invariance indicated that the model of discrimination to food consumption can be applied to both samples. Discrimination within the past-week was associated with more frequent consumption of both unhealthy and healthy foods, whereas lifetime discrimination was associated with more frequent consumption only of unhealthy foods.

Conclusions

The data were limited to self-report measures and only the frequency of consumption was assessed. The findings suggest discrimination may contribute to health disparities through effects on food consumption. Differential effects for past-week and lifetime discrimination suggest that multiple mechanisms may be involved.
Mitigation of greenhouse gas emission by nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Authors: Minamisawa Kiwamu
Published: November 2022

Chemical nitrogen fixation by the Haber–Bosch method permitted industrial-scale fertilizer production that supported global population growth, but simultaneously released reactive nitrogen into the environment. This minireview highlights the potential for bacterial nitrogen fixation and mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soybean and rice fields. Nitrous oxide (N2O), a GHG, is mainly emitted from agricultural use of nitrogen fertilizer and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Some rhizobia have a denitrifying enzyme system that includes an N2O reductase and are able to mitigate N2O emission from the rhizosphere of leguminous plants. Type II methane (CH4)-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) are endophytes in paddy rice roots and fix N2 using CH4 (a GHG) as an energy source, mitigating the emission of CH4 and reducing nitrogen fertilizer usage. Thus, symbiotic nitrogen fixation shows potential for GHG mitigation in soybean and rice fields while simultaneously supporting sustainable agriculture.
High-resolution shotgun metagenomics: the more data, the better?
Authors: Tremblay Julien , Schreiber Lars , Greer Charles W
Published: November 2022

In shotgun metagenomics (SM), the state-of-the-art bioinformatic workflows are referred to as high-resolution shotgun metagenomics (HRSM) and require intensive computing and disk storage resources. While the increase in data output of the latest iteration of high-throughput DNA sequencing systems can allow for unprecedented sequencing depth at a minimal cost, adjustments in HRSM workflows will be needed to properly process these ever-increasing sequence datasets. One potential adaptation is to generate so-called shallow SM datasets that contain fewer sequencing data per sample as compared with the more classic high coverage sequencing. While shallow sequencing is a promising avenue for SM data analysis, detailed benchmarks using real-data are lacking. In this case study, we took four public SM datasets, one massive and the others moderate in size and subsampled each dataset at various levels to mimic shallow sequencing datasets of various sequencing depths. Our results suggest that shallow SM sequencing is a viable avenue to obtain sound results regarding microbial community structures and that high-depth sequencing does not bring additional elements for ecological interpretation. More specifically, results obtained by subsampling as little as 0.5 M sequencing clusters per sample were similar to the results obtained with the largest subsampled dataset for human gut and agricultural soil datasets. For an Antarctic dataset, which contained only a few samples, 4 M sequencing clusters per sample was found to generate comparable results to the full dataset. One area where ultra-deep sequencing and maximizing the usage of all data was undeniably beneficial was in the generation of metagenome-assembled genomes.
Role of ceRNAs in non-tumor female reproductive diseases
Authors: Yang Yuxin , Xiong Yiyi , Pan Zezheng
Published: November 2022

The molecular mechanism of non-tumor female reproductive diseases is complicated and needs to be further elucidated. Recently, increasing evidence indicates that non-coding RNAs(ncRNAs) which are extremely rich in the female reproductive system are crucial factors in the pathogenesis of some female reproductive disorders. In fact, these ncRNAs such as lncRNAs, circRNAs, snoRNAs, and pseudogenes that share the same miRNA response elements (MREs) with mRNAs could compete for miRNA binding site to regulate gene expression, this phenomenon is known as the competing endogenous RNAs(ceRNAs) mechanism. This review aims to summarize the role of ceRNAs in cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of non-tumor female reproductive diseases such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure (POF), pre-eclampsia (PE), recurrent implantation failure (RIF), recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), endometriosis (EM), and endometritis, and list ceRNAs regulatory axes as well as downstream related signaling pathway. Additionally, based on certain ncRNAs that have already been proven to exist at differential levels in patient tissue samples, we also generalize some ncRNAs that can be used as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for these diseases in the future.
A high-quality, haplotype-phased genome reconstruction reveals unexpected haplotype diversity in a pearl oyster
Authors: Takeuchi Takeshi , Suzuki Yoshihiko , Watabe Shugo , Nagai Kiyohito , Masaoka Tetsuji , Fujie Manabu , Kawamitsu Mayumi , Satoh Noriyuki , Myers Eugene W
Published: November 2022

Homologous chromosomes in the diploid genome are thought to contain equivalent genetic information, but this common concept has not been fully verified in animal genomes with high heterozygosity. Here we report a near-complete, haplotype-phased, genome assembly of the pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata, using hi-fidelity (HiFi) long reads and chromosome conformation capture data. This assembly includes 14 pairs of long scaffolds (>38 Mb) corresponding to chromosomes (2n = 28). The accuracy of the assembly, as measured by an analysis of k-mers, is estimated to be 99.99997%. Moreover, the haplotypes contain 95.2% and 95.9%, respectively, complete and single-copy BUSCO genes, demonstrating the high quality of the assembly. Transposons comprise 53.3% of the assembly and are a major contributor to structural variations. Despite overall collinearity between haplotypes, one of the chromosomal scaffolds contains megabase-scale non-syntenic regions, which necessarily have never been detected and resolved in conventional haplotype-merged assemblies. These regions encode expanded gene families of NACHT, DZIP3/hRUL138-like HEPN, and immunoglobulin domains, multiplying the immunity gene repertoire, which we hypothesize is important for the innate immune capability of pearl oysters. The pearl oyster genome provides insight into remarkable haplotype diversity in animals.
Upgrading right ventricular pacemakers to biventricular pacing or conduction system pacing: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kaza Nandita , Htun Varanand , Miyazawa Alejandra , Simader Florentina , Porter Bradley , Howard James P , Arnold Ahran D , Naraen Akriti , Luria David , Glikson Michael , Israel Carsten , Francis Darrel P , Whinnett Zachary I , Shun-Shin Matthew J , Keene Daniel
Published: November 2022

Guidelines recommend patients undergoing a first pacemaker implant who have even mild left ventricular (LV) impairment should receive biventricular or conduction system pacing (CSP). There is no corresponding recommendation for patients who already have a pacemaker. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies assessing device upgrades. The primary outcome was the echocardiographic change in LV ejection fraction (LVEF). Six RCTs (randomizing 161 patients) and 47 observational studies (2644 patients) assessing the efficacy of upgrade to biventricular pacing were eligible for analysis. Eight observational studies recruiting 217 patients of CSP upgrade were also eligible. Fourteen additional studies contributed data on complications (25 412 patients). Randomized controlled trials of biventricular pacing upgrade showed LVEF improvement of +8.4% from 35.5% and observational studies: +8.4% from 25.7%. Observational studies of left bundle branch area pacing upgrade showed +11.1% improvement from 39.0% and observational studies of His bundle pacing upgrade showed +12.7% improvement from 36.0%. New York Heart Association class decreased by −0.4, −0.8, −1.0, and −1.2, respectively. Randomized controlled trials of biventricular upgrade found improvement in Minnesota Heart Failure Score (−6.9 points) and peak oxygen uptake (+1.1 mL/kg/min). This was also seen in observational studies of biventricular upgrades (−19.67 points and +2.63 mL/kg/min, respectively). In studies of the biventricular upgrade, complication rates averaged 2% for pneumothorax, 1.4% for tamponade, and 3.7% for infection over 24 months of mean follow-up. Lead-related complications occurred in 3.3% of biventricular upgrades and 1.8% of CSP upgrades. Randomized controlled trials show significant physiological and symptomatic benefits of upgrading pacemakers to biventricular pacing. Observational studies show similar effects between biventricular pacing upgrade and CSP upgrade.
Disease progression rate is a strong predictor of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with cardiac laminopathies: a primary prevention cohort study
Authors: Rootwelt-Norberg Christine , Skjølsvik Eystein T , Chivulescu Monica , Bogsrud Martin P , Ribe Margareth P , Aabel Eivind W , Beitnes Jan Otto , Brekke Pål H , Håland Trine F , Hasselberg Nina E , Lie Øyvind H , Haugaa Kristina H
Published: November 2022

Aims

Cardiac disease progression prior to first ventricular arrhythmia (VA) in LMNA genotype–positive patients is not described.

Methods and results

We performed a primary prevention cohort study, including consecutive LMNA genotype–positive patients from our centre. Patients underwent repeated clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic examinations. Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic disease progression as a predictor of first-time VA was evaluated by generalized estimation equation analyses. Threshold values at transition to an arrhythmic phenotype were assessed by threshold regression analyses. We included 94 LMNA genotype–positive patients without previous VA (age 38 ± 15 years, 32% probands, 53% females). Nineteen (20%) patients experienced VA during 4.6 (interquartile range 2.1–7.3) years follow up, at mean age 50 ± 11 years. We analysed 536 echocardiographic and 261 electrocardiogram examinations. Individual patient disease progression was associated with VA [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) odds ratio (OR) 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–1.6 per 5% reduction, left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVi) OR 1.2 (95% CI 1.1–1.3) per 5 mL/m2 increase, PR interval OR 1.2 (95% CI 1.1–1.4) per 10 ms increase]. Threshold values for transition to an arrhythmic phenotype were LVEF 44%, LVEDVi 77 mL/m2, and PR interval 280 ms.

Conclusions

Incidence of first-time VA was 20% during 4.6 years follow up in LMNA genotype–positive patients. Individual patient disease progression by ECG and echocardiography were strong predictors of VA, indicating that disease progression rate may have additional value to absolute measurements when considering primary preventive ICD. Threshold values of LVEF <44%, LVEDVi >77 mL/m2, and PR interval >280 ms indicated transition to a more arrhythmogenic phenotype.
A head-to-head comparison of laser vs. powered mechanical sheaths as first choice and second line extraction tools
Authors: Zsigmond Elod-Janos , Saghy Laszlo , Benak Attila , Miklos Marton , Makai Attila , Hegedus Zoltan , Alacs Endre , Agocs Szilvia , Vamos Mate
Published: November 2022

Aims

During transvenous lead extraction (TLE) longer dwelling time often requires the use of powered sheaths. This study aimed to compare outcomes with the laser and powered mechanical tools.

Methods and results

Single-centre data from consecutive patients undergoing TLE between 2012 and 2021 were retrospectively analysed. Efficacy and safety of the primary extraction tool were compared. Procedures requiring crossover between powered sheaths were also analysed. Moreover, we examined the efficacy of each level of the stepwise approach. Out of 166 patients, 142 (age 65.4 ± 13.7 years) underwent TLE requiring advanced techniques with 245 leads (dwelling time 9.4 ± 6.3 years). Laser sheaths were used in 64.9%, powered mechanical sheaths in 35.1% of the procedures as primary extraction tools. Procedural success rate was 85.5% with laser and 82.5% with mechanical sheaths (P = 0.552). Minor and major complications were observed in similar rate. Procedural mortality occurred only in the laser group in the case of three patients. Crossover was needed in 19.5% after laser and in 12.8% after mechanical extractions (P = 0.187). Among crossover procedures, only clinical success favoured the secondary mechanical arm (87.1 vs. 54.5%, aOR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01–0.79, P = 0.030). After step-by-step efficacy analysis, procedural success was 64.9% with the first-line extraction tool, 75.1% after crossover, 84.5% with bailout femoral snare, and 91.8% by non-emergency surgery.

Conclusion

The efficacy and safety of laser and mechanical sheaths were similar, however in the subgroup of crossover procedures mechanical tools had better performance regarding clinical success. Device diversity seems to help improving outcomes, especially in the most complicated cases.
Simplified stepwise anatomical ablation strategy for mitral isthmus: efficacy, efficiency, safety, and outcome
Authors: Li Xiaoqin , Li Mengmeng , Zhang Yuan , Zhang Hao , Wu Wenli , Ran Boli , Li Xiaoli , Tang Qianmei , Fu Biao
Published: November 2022

Aims

Bidirectional and durable block of mitral isthmus (MI) is essential for catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) and perimitral flutter (PMF), but it remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to create a simple anatomical ablation strategy with minimal fluoroscopy that would yield a high success rate for MI block.

Methods and results

Patients with PeAF or PMF were included. Mitral isthmus was ablated in a stepwise strategy. In Step 1, endocardial MI linear ablation was performed; in Step 2, ablation was targeted to the posterolateral portion of the left atrium along the MI line; in Step 3, epicardial ablation within the coronary sinus (CS) was performed across the MI line to the ostium of the vein of Marshall (VOM) or performed within the VOM if available; in Step 4, the catheter was rotated and ablated in the CS to isolate the CS; and in Step 5, the early activation site with complex component potential above the MI line during distal CS pacing was considered as the ablation target. All patients were followed up. A total of 178 (17 patients with mechanical prosthetic mitral valve) were included. One hundred and sixty-six patients achieved a confirmed MI bidirectional conduction block (93%). One patient had cardiac tamponade. Four patients showed re-conduction across the MI line during a repeated ablation. In the latest follow-up [12 (7, 16) months], 161 of 178 (90%) patients maintained their sinus rhythm.

Conclusion

A simple stepwise anatomical ablation strategy for MI shows a high success rate with low fluoroscopy exposure.
Prevalence of foodborne and zoonotic viral pathogens in raw cow milk samples
Authors: Pakbin Babak , Rossen John W A , Brück Wolfram Manuel , Montazeri Naim , Allahyari Samaneh , Dibazar Shaghayegh Pishkhan , Abdolvahabi Razieh , Mahmoudi Razzagh , Peymani Amir , Samimi Rasoul
Published: November 2022

Foodborne and zoonotic viral pathogens are responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. These viruses can be transmitted through foods such as dairy products to humans and cause several acute and chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and profile of different foodborne and zoonotic viruses in raw cow milk samples. We collected 492 raw cow milk samples from local dairy markets in Qazvin, Iran. Then we evaluated the presence of hepatitis A virus, noroviruses, rotavirus, astrovirus, bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in samples using conventional and nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction methods. We found that 34.95, 7.72, 25.81, 14.63, 66.86, 12.80 and 21.34% of raw milk samples were contaminated with norovirus GI, norovirus GII, hepatitis A virus, rotavirus, astrovirus, BLV and TBEV viruses, respectively. Interestingly, the samples collected from the city's south area revealed a higher prevalence of foodborne and zoonotic viruses. Astrovirus and its combination with norovirus GI were the most prevalent virus profiles. Also, the highest correlations were observed among the presence of rotavirus and hepatitis A viruses (0.36) and TBEV and norovirus GII (0.31). Considering the prevalence rate and virus profiles of different foodborne and zoonotic viruses in raw milk samples, hygiene practices and the pasteurization process are strongly suggested to be conducted throughout the cow milk production chain and in dairy industries to prevent infections with these pathogens.