bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of hydrophobic moieties on the crystallization of amphiphilic DNA nanostructures
Authors: Walczak Michal , Brady Ryan A. , Leathers Adrian , Kotar Jurij , Di Michele Lorenzo
Published: January 2023

Three-dimensional crystalline frameworks with nanoscale periodicity are valuable for many emerging technologies, from nanophotonics to nanomedicine. DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a prime route for constructing these materials, with most approaches taking advantage of the structural rigidity and bond directionality programmable for DNA building blocks. Recently, we have introduced an alternative strategy reliant on flexible, amphiphilic DNA junctions dubbed C-stars, whose ability to crystallize is modulated by design parameters, such as nanostructure topology, conformation, rigidity, and size. While C-stars have been shown to form ordered phases with controllable lattice parameter, response to stimuli, and embedded functionalities, much of their vast design space remains unexplored. Here, we investigate the effect of changing the chemical nature of the hydrophobic modifications and the structure of the DNA motifs in the vicinity of these moieties. While similar design variations should strongly alter key properties of the hydrophobic interactions between C-stars, such as strength and valency, only limited differences in self-assembly behavior are observed. This finding suggests that long-range order in C-star crystals is likely imposed by structural features of the building block itself rather than the specific characteristics of the hydrophobic tags. Nonetheless, we find that altering the hydrophobic regions influences the ability of C-star crystals to uptake hydrophobic molecular cargoes, which we exemplify by studying the encapsulation of antibiotic penicillin V. Besides advancing our understanding of the principles governing the self-assembly of amphiphilic DNA building blocks, our observations thus open up new routes to chemically program the materials without affecting their structure.
Temporal rainbow scattering at boundary-induced time interfaces
Authors: Stefanini L. , Ramaccia D. , Toscano A. , Bilotti F.
Published: January 2023

Since the dawn of modern optics and electromagnetics, the optical prism is one of the most fascinating optical elements for refracting light. Exploiting its frequency dispersive behavior, a prism is able to refract different frequencies in different directions, realizing polychromatic light rainbows. Recently, thanks to their engineerable electromagnetic response, metamaterials have been exploited for achieving novel refractive scattering processes, going beyond the classical prism effects. In this Letter, we report on a rainbow-like scattering process taking place at the interface of a boundary-induced temporal metamaterial realized by instantaneously opening the boundary conditions of a parallel plate waveguide. Changing abruptly the conductivity of one of the two metallic plates, we demonstrate that an equivalent temporal interface between two different media is realized, and the monochromatic wave propagating into the waveguide gets scattered into a polychromatic rainbow in free space. We derive the relationships between the waveguide mode and the raising rainbow in terms of scattered amplitude and frequencies as a function of the elevation angle with respect to the waveguide axis. We apply the underlying physics to control the temporal rainbow by imposing a principal direction of scattering by design. Full-wave numerical simulations are performed for computing the rainbow temporal scattering and verifying the design guidelines for achieving controlled temporal rainbow scattering.
UV photoreaction pathways of acetylacetaldehyde trapped in cryogenic matrices
Authors: Rousselot-Pailley P. , Mascetti J. , Pizzo A. , Aupetit C. , Sobanska S. , Coussan S.
Published: January 2023

The broadband UV photochemistry kinetics of acetylacetaldehyde, the hybrid form between malonaldehyde and acetylacetone (the two other most simple molecules exhibiting an intramolecular proton transfer), trapped in four cryogenic matrices, neon, nitrogen, argon, and xenon, has been followed by FTIR and UV spectroscopy. After deposition, only the two chelated forms are observed while they isomerize upon UV irradiation toward nonchelated species. From previous UV irradiation effects, we have already identified several nonchelated isomers, capable, in turn, of isomerizing and fragmenting; even fragmentation seems to be most unlikely due to cryogenic cages confinement. Based on these findings, we have attempted an approach to understand the reaction path of electronic relaxation. Indeed, we have demonstrated, in previous studies, that in the case of malonaldehyde, this electronic relaxation pathway proceeds through singlet states while it proceeds through triplet ones in the case of acetylacetone. We observed CO and CO2 formations when photochemistry is almost observed among nonchelated forms, i.e., when the parent molecule is almost totally consumed. In order to identify a triplet state transition, we have tried to observe a “heavy atom effect” by increasing the weight of the matrix gas, from Ne to Xe, and to quench the T1 state by doping the matrices with O2. It appears that, as in the case of acetylacetone, it is the nonchelated forms that fragment. It also appears that these fragmentations certainly take place in the T1 triplet state and originate in an Π* ← n transition.
Indium arsenide single quantum dash morphology and composition for wavelength tuning in quantum dash lasers
Authors: Obhi R.-J. K. , Schaefer S. W. , Valdivia C. E. , Liu J. R. , Lu Z. G. , Poole P. J. , Hinzer K.
Published: January 2023

InAs quantum dot and dash gain media demonstrate performance benefits, such as lower threshold current densities and reduced temperature sensitivity over quantum wells for lasers operating in the C-band telecommunications window. Quantum dashes are of much interest for their higher gain over quantum dots due to an increased density of states. We combine experimental results and simulations to understand how quantum dash morphology and composition can be used to tune the emission wavelengths of these nanoparticles. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis is performed to determine the effect of growth temperature and sublayer type on InAs/InGaAsP/InP nanoparticle morphology and homogeneity. Uncapped InAs nanoparticles grown by CBE on a GaAs sublayer will have dash-like geometries with heights up to 2.36 nm for growth temperatures of 500–540 °C. GaP sublayers will induce taller quantum dots except for a growth temperature of 530 °C, where quantum dashes form. The dimensions extracted from AFM scans are used in conjunction with photoluminescence data to guide parabolic band simulations of an InAs quantum dash with a GaP or GaAs sublayer and InP cap buried within InGaAsP. The calculated emission energy of a buried 30 × 300 nm quantum dash decreases by ∼100 meV for increasing heights from 1.5 to 2.5 nm, or increases by ∼100 meV by addition of 20% phosphorus in the dash and wetting layers. Modifying the quantum dash height and leveraging the As/P intermixing that occurs between the InAs and InP layers are, thus, most effective for wavelength tuning.
Thickness scaling down to 5 nm of ferroelectric ScAlN on CMOS compatible molybdenum grown by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Wang Ding , Wang Ping , Mondal Shubham , Hu Mingtao , Wang Danhao , Wu Yuanpeng , Ma Tao , Mi Zetian
Published: January 2023

We report on the thickness scaling behavior of ferroelectric Sc0.3Al0.7N (ScAlN) films grown on Mo substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Switchable ferroelectricity is confirmed in ScAlN films with thicknesses ranging from 100 to 5 nm. An increase in coercive field and a significant diminution of remnant polarization are found when the ferroelectric layer is scaled down to below 20 nm. Notably, a switching voltage of 2–3.8 V and saturated remnant polarization of ∼23 μC/cm2 are measured in 5 nm thick ScAlN. X-ray diffractions and transmission electron microscopy studies indicate that the increase in coercive field and diminishment in switchable polarization can be closely linked to the surface oxidation and strain state in ultrathin ScAlN films. This work sheds light on the fundamental thickness scaling fingerprints of ScAlN thin films and represents an important step for next-generation compact and power-efficient devices and applications based on nitride ferroelectrics.
Leaning induced layer undulated tilted smectic phase of asymmetric bent-core liquid crystals
Authors: Mishra Vishnu Deo , Srinivasa H. T. , Roy Arun
Published: January 2023

We report the synthesis and experimental studies on the liquid crystalline phase of a homologous series of compounds comprised of strongly asymmetric bent-core banana shaped molecules. Our x-ray diffraction studies clearly indicate that the compounds exhibit a frustrated tilted smectic phase with layer undulated structure. The low value of the dielectric constant as well as switching current measurements indicate the absence of polarization in this layer undulated phase. In spite of the absence of polarization, a planar aligned sample can be transformed irreversibly to a higher birefringent texture on the application of a high electric field. The zero field texture can only be retrieved by heating the sample to the isotropic phase and cooling it subsequently to the mesophase. We propose a double tilted smectic structure having layer undulation to account for the experimental observations with the layer undulation arising due to the leaning of the molecules in the layer.
Effects of wall disturbances on the statistics of supersonic turbulent boundary layers
Authors: Yu Ming , Liu PengXin , Tang ZhiGong , Yuan XianXu , Xu ChunXiao
Published: January 2023

In the present study, we perform direct numerical simulations to investigate the spatial development and basic flow statistics in the supersonic turbulent boundary layers at the free-stream Mach number of 2.0 over smooth and disturbed walls, the latter of which enforces extra Reynolds shear stress in the streamwise direction to emulate the drag increment and mean streamline curvature effects of rough walls. Such disturbances escalate the growth rate of turbulent boundary layer thickness and the shape factor. It is found that under the rescaled global coordinate, the mean velocity, Reynolds stress, and pressure fluctuation variance manifest outer-layer similarity, whereas the average and fluctuation variances of temperature and density do not share such a property. Compressibility effects are enhanced by the wall disturbances, yet not sufficiently strong to directly impact the turbulent kinetic energy transport under the presently considered flow parameters. The generalized Reynolds analogy that relates the mean velocity and temperature can be satisfied by incorporating the refinement in modifying the generalized recovery coefficient, and that associates the fluctuating velocity and temperature work reasonably well, indicating the passive transport of temperature fluctuations. The dispersive motions are dominant and decay exponentially below the equivalent sand grain roughness height ks, above which the wall disturbances are distorted to form unsteady motions responsible for the intensified density and pressure fluctuations in the free-stream traveling isentropically as the acoustic radiations.
Trends in Indian Ocean marine fisheries since 1950: synthesis of reconstructed catch and effort data
Authors: Zeller D. , Ansell M. , Andreoli V. , Heidrich K.
Published: January 2023

Context Contrary to other ocean basins, Indian Ocean catches have increased consistently since 1950, although reported data are known to be incomplete. Fish is a crucial food source in the Indian Ocean; however, ineffective management often empowers over-exploitation. Aims We synthesised and reviewed Indian Ocean reconstructed catch and effort data by fishing sector and fishing country at the ocean-basin scale. Methods We aggregated reported and reconstructed unreported catch and effort data for the Indian Ocean and derived catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) time-series by sector. Key results Indian Ocean rim country catches dominated in the Indian Ocean. Small-scale catches in the Indian Ocean have grown continuously by over 300% from 1.9 × 106 tonnes (Mg) year−1 in 1950 to 6.5 × 106 tonnes year−1 by 2018. By contrast, total industrial catches from the Indian Ocean have reached a plateau at ~8.5 × 106 tonnes year−1 since the late 1990s, after having steadily risen from very low levels in the early 1960s. Unreported catches declined from 45 to 25% of total catches. Total fishing effort, driven by the industrial sector, has increased 30-fold since 1950 from 0.4 × 109 to 11 × 109 kW-days by 2010, whereas CPUE has declined 78%, with steeper declines in the small-scale (>80% since 1950) than in the industrial sector (65% from its 1981 peak). Conclusions The different sectoral patterns in the Indian Ocean compared with other ocean basins are likely to be due to the region’s high dependence on small-scale fisheries and the later onset but swift growth of industrial fishing. The declining CPUE suggests strong decreases in stock biomass caused by strongly increasing fishing effort, especially in the industrial sector. Implications Indian Ocean countries should prioritise lower-impact well-managed domestic small-scale fisheries to maximise long-term, sustainable nutrient supply for local livelihoods.
Solid-state NMR molecular snapshots of
Aspergillus fumigatus
cell wall architecture during a conidial morphotype transition
Authors: Lamon Gaëlle , Lends Alons , Valsecchi Isabel , Wong Sarah Sze Wah , Duprès Vincent , Lafont Frank , Tolchard James , Schmitt Christine , Mallet Adeline , Grélard Axelle , Morvan Estelle , Dufourc Erick J. , Habenstein Birgit , Guijarro J. Iñaki , Aimanianda Vishukumar , Loquet Antoine
Published: January 2023

While establishing an invasive infection, the dormant conidia of
Aspergillus fumigatus
transit through swollen and germinating stages, to form hyphae. During this morphotype transition, the conidial cell wall undergoes dynamic remodeling, which poses challenges to the host immune system and antifungal drugs. However, such cell wall reorganization during conidial germination has not been studied so far. Here, we explored the molecular rearrangement of
Aspergillus fumigatus
cell wall polysaccharides during different stages of germination. We took advantage of magic-angle spinning NMR to investigate the cell wall polysaccharides, without employing any destructive method for sample preparation. The breaking of dormancy was associated with a significant change in the molar ratio between the major polysaccharides β-1,3-glucan and α-1,3-glucan, while chitin remained equally abundant. The use of various polarization transfers allowed the detection of rigid and mobile polysaccharides; the appearance of mobile galactosaminogalactan was a molecular hallmark of germinating conidia. We also report for the first time highly abundant triglyceride lipids in the mobile matrix of conidial cell walls. Water to polysaccharides polarization transfers revealed an increased surface exposure of glucans during germination, while chitin remained embedded deeper in the cell wall, suggesting a molecular compensation mechanism to keep the cell wall rigidity. We complement the NMR analysis with confocal and atomic force microscopies to explore the role of melanin and RodA hydrophobin on the dormant conidial surface. Exemplified here using
Aspergillus fumigatus
as a model, our approach provides a powerful tool to decipher the molecular remodeling of fungal cell walls during their morphotype switching.
Trends in racial and ethnic discrimination in hiring in six Western countries
Authors: Quillian Lincoln , Lee John J.
Published: January 2023

We examine trends in racial and ethnic discrimination in hiring in six European and North American countries: Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States. Our sample includes all available discrimination estimates from 90 field experimental studies of hiring discrimination, encompassing more than 170,000 applications for jobs. The years covered vary by country, ranging from 1969 to 2017 for Great Britain to 1994 to 2017 for Germany. We examine trends in discrimination against four racial-ethnic origin groups: African/Black, Asian, Latin American/Hispanic, and Middle Eastern or North African. The results indicate that levels of discrimination in callbacks have remained either unchanged or slightly increased overall for most countries and origin categories. There are three notable exceptions. First, hiring discrimination against ethnic groups with origins in the Middle East and North Africa increased during the 2000s relative to the 1990s. Second, we find that discrimination in France declined, although from very high to “merely” high levels. Third, we find evidence that discrimination in the Netherlands has increased over time. Controls for study characteristics do not change these trends. Contrary to the idea that discrimination will tend to decline in Western countries, we find that discrimination has not fallen over the last few decades in five of the six Western countries we examine.
Disordered region encodes α-crystallin chaperone activity toward lens client γD-crystallin
Authors: Woods Christopher N. , Ulmer Lindsey D. , Guttman Miklos , Bush Matthew F. , Klevit Rachel E.
Published: January 2023

Small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) are a widely expressed family of ATP-independent molecular chaperones that are among the first responders to cellular stress. Mechanisms by which sHSPs delay aggregation of client proteins remain undefined. sHSPs have high intrinsic disorder content of up to ~60% and assemble into large, polydisperse homo- and hetero-oligomers, making them challenging structural and biochemical targets. Two sHSPs, HSPB4 and HSPB5, are present at millimolar concentrations in eye lens, where they are responsible for maintaining lens transparency over the lifetime of an organism. Together, HSPB4 and HSPB5 compose the hetero-oligomeric chaperone known as α-crystallin. To identify the determinants of sHSP function, we compared the effectiveness of HSPB4 and HSPB5 homo-oligomers and HSPB4/HSPB5 hetero-oligomers in delaying the aggregation of the lens protein γD-crystallin. In chimeric versions of HSPB4 and HSPB5, chaperone activity tracked with the identity of the 60-residue disordered N-terminal regions (NTR). A short 10-residue stretch in the middle of the NTR (“Critical sequence”) contains three residues that are responsible for high HSPB5 chaperone activity toward γD-crystallin. These residues affect structure and dynamics throughout the NTR. Abundant interactions involving the NTR Critical sequence reveal it to be a hub for a network of interactions within oligomers. We propose a model whereby the NTR critical sequence influences local structure and NTR dynamics that modulate accessibility of the NTR, which in turn modulates chaperone activity.
Generation and analysis of context-specific genome-scale metabolic models derived from single-cell RNA-Seq data
Authors: Gustafsson Johan , Anton Mihail , Roshanzamir Fariba , Jörnsten Rebecka , Kerkhoven Eduard J. , Robinson Jonathan L. , Nielsen Jens
Published: January 2023

Single-cell RNA sequencing combined with genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) has the potential to unravel the differences in metabolism across both cell types and cell states but requires new computational methods. Here, we present a method for generating cell-type-specific genome-scale models from clusters of single-cell RNA-Seq profiles. Specifically, we developed a method to estimate the minimum number of cells required to pool to obtain stable models, a bootstrapping strategy for estimating statistical inference, and a faster version of the task-driven integrative network inference for tissues algorithm for generating context-specific GEMs. In addition, we evaluated the effect of different RNA-Seq normalization methods on model topology and differences in models generated from single-cell and bulk RNA-Seq data. We applied our methods on data from mouse cortex neurons and cells from the tumor microenvironment of lung cancer and in both cases found that almost every cell subtype had a unique metabolic profile. In addition, our approach was able to detect cancer-associated metabolic differences between cancer cells and healthy cells, showcasing its utility. We also contextualized models from 202 single-cell clusters across 19 human organs using data from Human Protein Atlas and made these available in the web portal Metabolic Atlas, thereby providing a valuable resource to the scientific community. With the ever-increasing availability of single-cell RNA-Seq datasets and continuously improved GEMs, their combination holds promise to become an important approach in the study of human metabolism.
Coherence in translation
Authors: Sanders José , Evers-Vermeul Jacqueline
Published: January 2023

When comparing old and new Bible translations, differences are striking at all discourse levels. This paper concentrates on variations in the representation of subjective cognition and reasoning of subjects in the discourse. A corpus-based analysis was conducted that compared the domains of use of causal fragments in Dutch Bible translations that were either old, contemporary and loyal, or “easy”. In a close comparison of Bible translations, differences between domains of use are analysed in more detail. In old translations, the character’s subjective reasoning is clearly separated from the narrator’s utterances. By contrast, in modern translations, causal reasoning is more intertwined between character and narrator, resulting in shared reasoning.
Evolution is an arc along a timeline
Authors: Andorno Cecilia
Published: January 2023

Growing evidence shows the role of teachers gestures not only in L2 learning (Stam & Tellier, 2021) but also in supporting learning in the L1 classroom (Alibali et al., 2014;Crowder, 1996;Wilson et al., 2014). The current study aims at contributing to this last perspective. Based on data from a 3rd grade plurilingual classroom in an Italian school, it observes the ‘catchments’ (McNeill, 2000) in teacher’s gesticulation during a cycle of lessons on “The origin of life”. The analysis identifies conceptual components based on thetime is spacemetaphor associated with gestures, and observes their alignment with lexical items – either technical or common words (evolution, ages, ancestors, archaic;change, back, old) – in speech. The gesture-word association supports both the conceptualization of the notions and the acquisition of the related lexicon: gestures connect recurring concepts to their different verbalisations, ensuring a conceptually coherent representation over the lesson; they establish synonimic relations between technical and common words; and they can also work as memory triggers towards and between concepts and lexical units.
Bodily engagement in the learning and teaching of grammar
Authors: Suñer Ferran , Roche Jörg , Van Vossel Liesbeth
Published: January 2023

Cognitive Linguistics claims that language is not purely abstract and arbitrary, but meaningful and grounded in
concepts arising from our embodied experiences (Oakley, 2007). The potential of using
imagery and bodily representations to explain the conceptual motivation of grammar has been widely recognized in the context of
language acquisition and teaching. This study investigates whether an increase of learners’ bodily engagement through the
performance of bodily movements and locomotion produces even greater learning outcomes. To this end, we refer to Talmy’s (2000) Force Dynamic System to conduct a pretest-posttest interventional study
with two groups of learners dealing with the German modal verb system. Whereas the first group watched multimedia animations (low
bodily engagement), the second group was asked to perform bodily movements in line with the force-dynamic notions underlying the
different modal verbs (high bodily engagement). The results show that both groups produced similar learning gains and that an
increased bodily engagement could not be associated directly with a significantly better performance.
Community on conflict: social representations of the recent past among members of historical memory associations of Biscay (La comunidad en conflicto: representaciones sociales del pasado reciente en miembros de asociaciones de memoria histórica de Vizcaya)
Authors: Sainz de la Maza Martin , Gil de Montes Lorena , Idoiaga Nahia
Published: January 2023

This paper aims to identify how the members of historical memory associations of Biscay (Spain) constructed their ‘community images’ through their social representations of the recent past. We analysed the discourse of 12 in-depth interviews with various members of six historical memory associations. The findings show that the interviewees conceptualize the community from a postmodern perspective, characterizing it in terms of diversity, mobility and interdependence. The identities that were constructed through the narratives were articulated according to ideological orientation and power differences. Power differences most strongly determine the distance between collectives and groups that appear in the narratives. These findings indicate the consequences of obscuring the debate of the recent past with political subjects without giving voice to the citizens themselves and open the way to future reflections on the psychosocial effects resulting from the lack of a shared narrative within communities.
Relationship between attitudes (implicit and explicit), feelings and beliefs. A study on urban and rural areas in Spain (Relación entre actitudes (implícitas y explícitas), sentimientos y creencias. Un estudio sobre las zonas urbanas y rurales en España)
Authors: López Rafael , Gordillo Fernando , Martínez-Mascorro Guillermo-Arturo , Sanz Javier , Calvo José-Luis
Published: January 2023

Migration to the city requires in-depth study of the underlying reasons. These reasons include attitudes towards urban and rural areas. To study the relationship between attitudes (implicit and explicit), feelings and beliefs regarding urban and rural areas, we conducted research to measure implicit attitudes through the Implicit Association Test, and explored explicit attitudes, feelings and beliefs through ad hoc questions. The results showed that having a university education (vs. not having one) is associated with less negative feelings towards urban areas. Those who had a favourable implicit and explicit attitude towards urban areas expressed the greatest concern about the depopulation of rural areas. We discuss the results in terms of ‘attitudinal balance’, which would imply a change in attitudes among the population that seeks to increase beliefs about the benefits of rural areas without undermining positive beliefs associated with urban areas.
Myeloid-like B cells boost emergency myelopoiesis through IL-10 production during infection
Authors: Kanayama Masashi , Izumi Yuta , Akiyama Megumi , Hayashi Toyoki , Atarashi Koji , Roers Axel , Sato Taku , Ohteki Toshiaki
Published: January 2023

Emergency myelopoiesis (EM) is a hematopoietic response against systemic infections that quickly supplies innate immune cells. As lymphopoiesis is strongly suppressed during EM, the role of lymphocytes in that process has not received much attention. Here, we found that myeloid-like B cells (M-B cells), which express myeloid markers, emerge in the bone marrow (BM) after the induction of EM. M-B cells were mainly derived from pre-B cells and preferentially expressed IL-10, which directly stimulates hematopoietic progenitors to enhance their survival and myeloid-biased differentiation. Indeed, lacking IL-10 in B cells, blocking IL-10 in the BM with a neutralizing antibody, and deleting the IL-10 receptor in hematopoietic progenitors significantly suppressed EM, which failed to clear microbes in a cecal ligation and puncture model. Thus, a distinct B cell subset generated during infection plays a pivotal role in boosting EM, which suggests the on-demand reinforcement of EM by adaptive immune cells.
Road surface and inventory extraction from mobile LiDAR point cloud using iterative piecewise linear model
Authors: Zeybek Mustafa , Biçici Serkan
Published: January 2023

Roads are one of the main characteristics of cities, and their data should be updated periodically. In this study, a new automatic method is proposed for extracting road surface information and road inventory from a Mobile LiDAR System-based point cloud. The proposed method consists of four steps. First, a three-dimensional point cloud is acquired using the mobile LiDAR scanning raw data. To improve the extraction accuracy, irrelevant points are removed from the point cloud. Piecewise linear models are used in the third step to classify the road surface. Road geometric characteristics such as centerline, profile, cross-section, and cross slope are extracted in the final step. The manually obtained road boundary is compared with the extracted road boundary to assess the classification results. Completeness, correctness, quality, and accuracy measures are range from

97
%

to

99
%

. When comparing these measures with previous studies, the proposed method produces one of the highest ones.
Cardio-respiratory interactions in response to lower-body negative pressure
Authors: Fadil Rabie , Verma Ajay Kumar , Sadeghian Farshid , Blaber Andrew Philip , Tavakolian Kouhyar
Published: January 2023

Objective: The goal of this study is to investigate the potential of the physiological interaction between heart rate and blood pressure, and cardiorespiratory coupling to track the progression of simulated hemorrhage, as well as differentiate individuals with low tolerance (LT) from the ones with high tolerance (HT) to hypovolemia. Approach: Wavelet transform coherence and convergent cross-mapping techniques were employed to study the physiological interdependence and the causal relationship between heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration in nineteen subjects who underwent a progressive lower body negative pressure (LBNP) protocol. Main results: The interaction between blood pressure and heart rate to maintain homeostasis was higher in the LT group during baseline, and LBNP simulated mild, moderate, and severe hemorrhage. The significant time of interaction between blood pressure, and respiration, and the causal effect of blood pressure on respiration were higher in the HT group during baseline compared to the LT group. HT participants also had a higher causal effect of respiration on blood pressure compared to LT. The calculated metrics to distinguish LT from HT subjects achieved a sensitivity of 58–83%, accuracy of 63-84%, and an area under the ROC curve of 74–86%, while the overlap of LT individual responses with HT was 0-33%. Significance: The outcomes of this study indicate the potential of cardiorespiratory coupling, and heart rate and blood pressure interaction toward tracking the progression of hemorrhage and distinguishing individuals with low tolerance to hypovolemia from those with high tolerance. Measurements of such interactions could improve clinical outcomes for patients with low tolerance to hypovolemia and therefore reduce morbidity and mortality through early implementation of life-saving interventions.
Introducing the Condor Array Telescope. I. Motivation, Configuration, and Performance
Authors: Lanzetta Kenneth M. , Gromoll Stefan , Shara Michael M. , Berg Stephen , Valls-Gabaud David , Walter Frederick M. , Webb John K.
Published: January 2023

The “Condor Array Telescope” or “Condor” is a high-performance “array telescope” comprised of six apochromatic refracting telescopes of objective diameter 180 mm, each equipped with a large-format, very low-read-noise (≈1.2 e−), very rapid-read-time (<1 s) CMOS camera. Condor is located at a very dark astronomical site in the southwest corner of New Mexico, at the Dark Sky New Mexico observatory near Animas, roughly midway between (and more than 150 km from either) Tucson and El Paso. Condor enjoys a wide field of view (2.29 × 1.53 deg2 or 3.50 deg2), is optimized for measuring both point sources and extended, very low-surface-brightness features, and for broad-band images can operate at a cadence of 60 s (or even less) while remaining sky-noise limited with a duty cycle near 100%. In its normal mode of operation, Condor obtains broad-band exposures of exposure time 60 s over dwell times spanning dozens or hundreds of hours. In this way, Condor builds up deep, sensitive images while simultaneously monitoring tens or hundreds of thousands of point sources per field at a cadence of 60 s. Condor is also equipped with diffraction gratings and with a set of He ii 468.6 nm, [O iii] 500.7 nm, He i 587.5 nm, Hα 656.3 nm, [N ii] 658.4 nm, and [S ii] 671.6 nm narrow-band filters, allowing it to address a variety of broad- and narrow-band science issues. Given its unique capabilities, Condor can access regions of “astronomical discovery space” that have never before been studied. Here we introduce Condor and describe various aspects of its performance.
Interaction of moiré excitons with cavity photons in two-dimensional semiconductor hetero-bilayers
Authors: Gao Yuchen , Ye Yu
Published: January 2023

Moiré materials, composed of two single-layer two-dimensional semiconductors, are important because they are good platforms for studying strongly correlated physics. Among them, moiré materials based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been intensively studied. The hetero-bilayer can support moiré interlayer excitons if there is a small twist angle or small lattice constant difference between the TMDs in the hetero-bilayer and form a type-II band alignment. The coupling of moiré interlayer excitons to cavity modes can induce exotic phenomena. Here, we review recent advances in the coupling of moiré interlayer excitons to cavities, and comment on the current difficulties and possible future research directions in this field.
3D Printing of Conductive Flexible Filaments for E-Textile Applications
Authors: Goncu-Berk Gozde
Published: January 2023

Electronic textiles (e-textiles) can incorporate conductive materials at all levels of integration, from fibers to yarns to fabric itself. There are many ways to connect the textile elements to electronic components with interconnect mechanisms from mechanical gripping to welding, to gluing, to printing, to embroidery, knitting, and weaving. 3D printing method offers the possibility of creating flexible and stretchable interconnects for e-textiles applications. This study explored 3D printing of flexible conductive filaments on fabric to create interconnects for hard electrical components as well as transmission lines and switches for electronic textile applications. NinjaTek Eel and Palmiga TPU based conductive filaments were printed on polyester knit fabric. Electrical characterization measurements as well as visual and haptic analysis of printed samples were conducted. The results showed that TPU based flexible conductive filaments offer possibilities of direct 3D printing onto textiles for electronic textile applications.
Investigation on bio-sourced textile reinforcement for composite material based on sisal Moroccan yarns
Authors: Samouh Z , Abed A , Cochrane C , Labanieh A R , Boussu F , Soulat D , El-Mozznine R , Cherkaoui O
Published: January 2023

The main objective of this paper aims at investigating the potential use of sisal yarn into composite material despite the inherent variability of properties of natural resources. A multi-scale approach of the behavior of sisal fiber woven reinforcements is conducted to understand and evaluate the different properties of woven reinforcements. At the yarn scale, a piezo-resistive sensor yarn was developed to assess deformations and stress concentrations in-situ in order to understand the material behavior during the weaving of woven reinforcements fibrous for bio-sourced composite materials. At the fabric scale, 2D woven reinforcements are developed based on a conventional weaving process. The production and characterization of composite sheets based on 2D woven reinforcements show the potential of sisal fiber woven reinforcements compared to natural fiber woven reinforcements from literature.
Towards commercialization of graphene-based end-of-life sensors for fire-protective fabrics
Authors: Yehia D , Lawson L , King D , Chung H-J , Batcheller J , Dolez P I
Published: January 2023

Fire-resistant (FR) fabrics used in protective clothing experience a reduction in performance as a result of exposure to various ageing conditions, for instance: heat, ultraviolet (UV) light, moisture, abrasion and laundering procedures. However, there are few visible clues to indicate if the deterioration of the protective clothing has reached a dangerous level. To address this issue, graphene-based end-of-life sensors (heat, UV light, and moisture) are being developed at the University of Alberta in collaboration with five industry partners, including Davey Textile Solutions, Inc (DTS). DTS has the production capacity to manufacture the graphene-based end-of-life sensors, including weaving, finishing, conductive track application, fusing, and product assembly. The lifetime of fire-protective clothing is an important parameter to monitor, and the graphene-based end-of-life sensors are a straightforward, non-destructive, and effective tool for this purpose. The plan is to fabricate, integrate and commercialize the sensors. DTS, alongside academic researchers from the University of Alberta, are in the process of scaling up the manufacturing and testing of the sensors. The health and safety of firefighters will be improved by bringing graphene-based end-of-life sensors to the market.
Loop Fabric EEG Textrode for Brain Activity Monitoring
Authors: Tseghai G B , Malengier B , Fante K A , Langenhove L Van
Published: January 2023

Recently, metallic dry EEG electrodes have been introduced to overcome the limitation of wet electrodes, as the conductive gel used causes skin irritation and dries out over time. However, the metal dry EEG electrodes have a high weight and a stiff structure that limits them from wearable application. In this work, we have developed a textile-based EEG electrode (textrode) from silver-plated polyamide loop fabric washable up to 100 cycles. The new EEG textrode collects quality signals comparable to commercial dry Ag/AgCl EEG electrodes. The signals were detected at all major EEG bandwidths. In addition, the new textrodes showed a lower skin-to-electrode impedance (-19.23%) than the commercial dry electrode and a higher signal-to-noise ratio (+27.4%). Therefore, these novel textile-based electrodes can be used to monitor brain activity for wearable applications, especially when long-term monitoring is required.
Structural and optical variation of pseudoisocyanine aggregates nucleated on DNA substrates
Authors: Chiriboga Matthew , Green Christopher M , Mathur Divita , Hastman David A , Melinger Joseph S , Veneziano Remi , Medintz Igor L , Díaz Sebastián A
Published: January 2023

Coherently coupled pseudoisocyanine (PIC) dye aggregates have demonstrated the ability to delocalize electronic excitations and ultimately migrate excitons with much higher efficiency than similar designs where excitations are isolated to individual chromophores. Here, we report initial evidence of a new type of PIC aggregate, formed through heterogeneous nucleation on DNA oligonucleotides, displaying photophysical properties that differ significantly from previously reported aggregates. This new aggregate, which we call the super aggregate (SA) due to the need for elevated dye excess to form it, is clearly differentiated from previously reported aggregates by spectroscopic and biophysical characterization. In emission spectra, the SA exhibits peak narrowing and, in some cases, significant quantum yield variation, indicative of stronger coupling in cyanine dyes. The SA was further characterized with circular dichroism and atomic force microscopy observing unique features depending on the DNA substrate. Then by integrating an AlexaFluorTM 647 (AF) dye as an energy transfer acceptor into the system, we observed mixed energy transfer characteristics using the different DNA. For example, SA formed with a rigid DNA double crossover tile (DX-tile) substrate resulted in AF emission sensitization. While SA formed with more flexible non-DX-tile DNA (i.e. duplex and single strand DNA) resulted in AF emission quenching. These combined characterizations strongly imply that DNA-based PIC aggregate properties can be controlled through simple modifications to the DNA substrate’s sequence and geometry. Ultimately, we aim to inform rational design principles for future device prototyping. For example, one key conclusion of the study is that the high absorbance cross-section and efficient energy transfer observed with rigid substrates made for better photonic antennae, compared to flexible DNA substrates.
Climate change and macro-financial risks: financial policy responses for an orderly low-carbon transition
Authors: D’Orazio Paola
Published: January 2023

Climate-related financial policies (CRFPs) are needed to tame potential climate-related financial risks deriving from climate change and to finance the low-carbon transition. International engagement levels and CRFP adoption are currently too low to encourage an adequate low-carbon transition and protect the financial system from materializing climate risks. Therefore, greater global commitment is especially important as the COP27 will likely uphold the 1.5 ∘C targets while following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s advice to keep global warming below 2 ∘C. Despite the recent rapid proliferation of the literature on climate-related financial policymaking, some important knowledge gaps remain. Additional investigation, particularly in financial disclosure and stress tests, climate-aligned macro-prudential policies aimed at financial capital, climate data availability, and new research approaches, is required to help decision-makers achieve orderly and swift decarbonization.
Left-sided valvular heart disease in dialysis recipients: a single-centre observational study
Authors: Elewa Mohamed , Mitra Sandip , Jayanti Anuradha
Published: January 2023

Background

With the increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease, the number of people receiving renal replacement is expected to increase by 50% by 2030. Cardiovascular mortality remains significantly higher in this population. The presence of valvular heart disease (VHD) in patients with end-stage renal disease is associated with poor survival. In a dialysis cohort, we assessed the prevalence and characteristics of patients with significant VHD, the association with clinical parameters and the impact on survival.

Methods

Echocardiographic parameters for dialysis recipients from a single centre in the UK were collected. Significant left-sided heart disease (LSHD) was defined as moderate or severe left valvular lesions or left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) (ejection fraction <45%) or both. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were ascertained.

Results

In 521 dialysis recipients {median age 61 years [interquartile range (IQR) 50–72], 59% male}, 88% were on haemodialysis and the median dialysis vintage was 2.8 years (IQR 1.6–4.6). A total of 238 (46%) had evidence of LSHD: 102 had VHD, 63 had LVSD and 73 had both. Overall, 34% had evidence of left-sided VHD. In multivariable regression analysis, age and use of cinacalcet were associated with higher odds of VHD {odds ratio [OR] 1.03 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.05] and OR 1.85 [95% CI 1.06–3.23], respectively}, while the use of phosphate binders was associated with increased odds of aortic stenosis [AS; OR 2.64 (95% CI 1.26–5.79)]. The 1-year survival was lower in VHD [78% versus 86% (95% CI 0.72–0.84 and 0.83–0.90), respectively] and in LSHD [78% versus 88% (95% CI 0.73–0.83 and 0.85–0.92), respectively]. In AS, the 1-year survival was 64% (95% CI 0.49–0.82). Using propensity score matching to adjust for age, diabetes and low serum albumin, AS was significantly associated with lower survival (P = .01). LSHD was significantly associated with worse survival (P = .008) compared with survival in LVSD (P = .054).

Conclusion

A high proportion of dialysis patients have clinically significant LSHD. This was associated with higher mortality. In valvular heart disease, the development of AS is independently associated with higher mortality in dialysis patients.
Case report: a transcatheter aortic valve replacement failure secondary to COVID-19 infection
Authors: Tacon P Ryan , Cao Louie , Birkeland Kade , Kedan Ilan
Published: January 2023

Background

Valve thrombosis is a well-documented cause of bioprosthetic valve failure. Case reports have been published of prosthetic valve thrombosis secondary to COVID-19 infection. This is the first case report of COVID-19 associated valve thrombosis in a patient with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Case summary

A 90-year-old female with atrial fibrillation on therapeutic apixaban and status-post TAVR presented with COVID-19 infection and was found to have severe bioprosthetic valvular regurgitation with features suggestive of valve thrombosis. She underwent valve-in-valve TAVR with resolution of valvular dysfunction.

Discussion

This case report contributes to a growing body of evidence describing the occurrence of thrombotic complications in patients with valve replacement and COVID-19 infection. Increased vigilance and continued investigation are warranted to better characterize thrombotic risk and to inform optimal antithrombotic strategies during COVID-19 infection.
Older Adults’ User Engagement With Mobile Health: A Systematic Review of Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Studies
Authors: van Acker Justine , Maenhout Laura , Compernolle Sofie
Published: January 2023

Background and Objectives

The aging population places increasing demands on our healthcare system. Mobile health offers the potential to reduce this burden. The aim of this systematic review is to thematically synthesize qualitative evidence of older adults’ user engagement toward mobile health, and to generate relevant recommendations for intervention developers.

Research Design and Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in Medline, Embase, and Web of Science electronic databases from inception until February 2021. Papers on qualitative and mixed-methods studies that investigated older adults’ user engagement with a mobile health intervention were included. Relevant data were extracted and analyzed using thematic analysis. The Critical Appraisal Skills Program Qualitative Checklist was used to assess the quality of the included studies.

Results

Thirty-two articles were deemed eligible for inclusion in the review. Three overarching analytical themes emerged from the 25 descriptive themes generated by the line-by-line coding: the limited capabilities, the prerequisite of motivation, and the importance of social support.

Discussion and Implications

Successful development and implementation of future mobile health intervention for older adults will be challenging given the physical and psychological limitations and motivational barriers that older adults experience. Design adaptations and well-thought-out blended alternatives (i.e., combining mobile health with face-to-face support) might be potential solutions to improve older adults’ user engagement with mobile health interventions.