bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multistability and Derrida’s Différance: Investigating the Relations Between Postphenomenology and Stiegler’s General Organology
Authors: Pavanini Marco
Published: January 2022

In this paper, in the first place, I aim to enquire into Bernard Stiegler’s critical appropriation of his mentor Jacques Derrida’s notion of différance, emphasizing how Stiegler’s philosophy of technology stems from an original interpretation of the main tenets of deconstruction. From this perspective, I will investigate Stiegler’s definition of technology as tertiary retention, i.e., exosomatized, artificial memory interrelating with biological memory, testing its hermeneutic strengths as well as possible weaknesses. In the second place, I aim to contrast Stiegler’s understanding of technology with the concept of multistability brought forward by postphenomenological philosophies of technology such as those elaborated by Don Ihde and Peter-Paul Verbeek. This investigation will enable me to submit that Stiegler’s approach represents a peculiar and innovative way to conceive of technology. On the one hand, indeed, it does not seem to fall prey to the criticisms raised by postphenomenology against traditional philosophies of technology such as Martin Heidegger’s or Jacques Ellul’s, deemed to be overly deterministic, abstract and pessimistic in their understanding of technology. On the other, it retains important methodological precautions from deconstruction, thereby pointing at some possible blind spots of postphenomenology, especially concerning the vexed question of the empirical-transcendental divide, which Stiegler aims to develop beyond both Derrida’s and postphenomenology’s stances.
Active targeting via ligand-anchored pH-responsive strontium nanoparticles for efficient nucleic acid delivery into breast cancer cells
Authors: Bakhtiar Athirah , Liew Qing Xin , Ng Khuen Yen , Chowdhury Ezharul Hoque
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Gene therapy is a promising and novel therapeutic strategy for many mutated gene-associated diseases, including breast cancer. However, it poses significant biological drawbacks such as rapid clearance from the circulatory system and low cellular uptake of the exogenously delivered functional nucleic acids. The development of efficient and biocompatible carriers for genetic materials has been extensively explored in the literature, and the functionalization of nanoparticles (NPs) with cancer cell-recognizing ligands has become an attractive approach to promote tumor targetability and efficient cellular internalization via endocytosis.

Methods

This study introduced self-assembling targeting ligands, including transferrin and fibronectin with the ability to electrostatically interact with strontium nanoparticles (SNPs), and then analyzed their influence on size and zeta potential of the resultant hybrid SNPs, cellular uptake and expression efficiency of transgene-loaded hybrid NPs.

Results

Smaller ligand-coated SNPs (LCSNPs) remarkably increased gene transfection activity in both MCF-7 and 4T1 cells as well as nucleic acid localization into tumor tissues with improved tumor regression activity in a 4T1-tumor xenograft mouse model.

Conclusion

LCSNPs-mediated delivery of p53 gene and MAPK siRNA provided a proof-of-concept for the functionalized nanocarrier formulation in order to inhibit breast cancer cell growth.
SynergyFinder Plus: Toward Better Interpretation and Annotation of Drug Combination Screening Datasets
Authors: Zheng Shuyu , Wang Wenyu , Aldahdooh Jehad , Malyutina Alina , Shadbahr Tolou , Tanoli Ziaurrehman , Pessia Alberto , Tang Jing
Published: January 2022

Combinatorial therapies have been recently proposed to improve the efficacy of anticancer treatment. The SynergyFinder R package is a software used to analyze pre-clinical drug combination datasets. Here, we report the major updates to the SynergyFinder R package for improved interpretation and annotation of drug combination screening results. Unlike the existing implementations, the updated SynergyFinder R package includes five main innovations. 1) We extend the mathematical models to higher-order drug combination data analysis and implement dimension reduction techniques for visualizing the synergy landscape. 2) We provide a statistical analysis of drug combination synergy and sensitivity with confidence intervals and P values. 3) We incorporate a synergy barometer to harmonize multiple synergy scoring methods to provide a consensus metric for synergy. 4) We evaluate drug combination synergy and sensitivity to provide an unbiased interpretation of the clinical potential. 5) We enable fast annotation of drugs and cell lines, including their chemical and target information. These annotations will improve the interpretation of the mechanisms of action of drug combinations. To facilitate the use of the R package within the drug discovery community, we also provide a web server at www.synergyfinderplus.org as a user-friendly interface to enable a more flexible and versatile analysis of drug combination data.
Finite-size evaporating droplets in weakly compressible homogeneous shear turbulence
Authors: Scapin Nicolò , Dalla Barba Federico , Lupo Giandomenico , Rosti Marco Edoardo , Duwig Christophe , Brandt Luca
Published: January 2022

We perform interface-resolved simulations of finite-size evaporating droplets in weakly compressible homogeneous shear turbulence. The study is conducted by varying three dimensionless physical parameters: the initial gas temperature over the critical temperature

$T_{g,0}/T_c$

, the initial droplet diameter over the Kolmogorov scale

$d_0/\eta$

and the surface tension, i.e. the shear-based Weber number,

$We_{\mathcal {S}}$

. For the smallest

$We_{\mathcal {S}}$

, we first discuss the impact on the evaporation rate of the three thermodynamic models employed to evaluate the gas thermophysical properties: a constant property model and two variable-properties approaches where either the gas density or all the gas properties are allowed to vary. Taking this last approach as reference, the model assuming constant gas properties and evaluated with the ‘1/3’ rule is shown to predict the evaporation rate better than the model where the only variable property is the gas density. Moreover, we observe that the well-known Frössling/Ranz-Marshall correlation underpredicts the Sherwood number at low temperatures,

$T_{g,0}/T_c=0.75$

. Next, we show that the ratio between the actual evaporation rate in turbulence and the one computed in stagnant conditions is always much higher than one for weakly deformable droplets: it decreases with

$T_{g,0}/T_c$

without approaching unity at the highest

$T_{g,0}/T_c$

considered. This suggests an evaporation enhancement due to turbulence also in conditions typical of combustion applications. Finally, we examine the overall evaporation rate and the local interfacial mass flux at higher

$We_{\mathcal {S}}$

, showing a positive correlation between evaporation rate and interfacial curvature, especially at the lowest

$T_{g,0}/T_c$

.
Can edge waves be generated by wind?
Authors: Shrira Victor I. , Sheremet Alex , Troitskaya Yulia I. , Soustova Irina A.
Published: January 2022

Edge waves, the infragravity waves trapped by near-shore topography, are important in morphodynamics and flooding on mildly sloping beaches. Edge waves are usually generated by swell via triad interactions. Here, we examine the possibility that edge waves might be also generated directly by wind. By processing data from the SandyDuck’97 near-shore experiment, we show that pronounced directional asymmetry of edge waves does occur in nature, apparently unrelated to the direction of swells and along-shore currents. These observations exhibit edge waves propagating in the downwind direction under moderate wind against the along-shore currents, while swell is incident nearly normally to the shoreline, which strongly suggests generation of edge waves by wind. We examine theoretically possible mechanisms of edge-wave excitation by wind. We show that the ‘maser’ mechanism suggested by Longuet-Higgins (Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A, vol. 311, issue 1506, 1969b, pp. 371–389) in the context of excitation of free water waves is effective under favourable conditions: nonlinearly interacting random short wind-forced waves create a viscous shear stress on the water surface with the variation of stress being phase linked to edge waves, which allows self-excitation of a coherent edge wave. The model we put forward is based upon the kinetic equation for short wind waves propagating on the inhomogeneous current due to an edge wave. The model needs a dedicated experiment for validation. Analysis of plausible alternative mechanisms of generation via Miles’ critical layer and via the viscous shear stresses induced by the edge wave in the air revealed no instability in the consideration confined to the main mode and constant slope bathymetry.
A vorticity-based criterion to characterise leading edge dynamic stall onset
Authors: Sudharsan Sarasija , Ganapathysubramanian B. , Sharma A.
Published: January 2022

We propose a more conservative, physically-intuitive criterion, namely, the boundary enstrophy flux (

$BEF$

), to characterise leading-edge-type dynamic stall onset in incompressible flows. Our results are based on wall-resolved large-eddy simulations of pitching aerofoils, with fine spatial and temporal resolution around stall onset. We observe that

$|BEF|$

reaches a maximum within the stall onset regime identified. By decomposing the contribution to

$BEF$

from the flow field, we find that the dominant contribution arises from the laminar leading edge region, due to the combined effect of large clockwise vorticity and favourable pressure gradient. A relatively small contribution originates from the transitional/turbulent laminar separation bubble (LSB) region, due to LSB-induced counter-clockwise vorticity and adverse pressure gradient. This results in

$BEF$

being nearly independent of the integration length as long as the region very close to the leading edge is included. This characteristic of

$BEF$

yields a major advantage in that the effect of partial or complete inclusion of the noisy LSB region can be filtered out, without changing the

$BEF$

peak location in time significantly. Next, we analytically relate

$BEF$

to the net wall shear and show that its critical value (

$=\max (|BEF|)$

) corresponds to the instant of maximum net shear prevailing at the wall. Finally, we have also compared

$BEF$

with the leading edge suction parameter (

$LESP$

) (Ramesh et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 751, 2014, pp. 500–538) and find that the former reaches its maximum value between

$0.3^{\circ }$

and

$0.8^{\circ }$

of rotation earlier.
Conversations along the Mbwemkuru: Foreign Itinerants and Local Agents in German East Africa
Authors: Larson Lorne
Published: January 2022

The underlying theme of this essay is how intelligence was gathered and expertise dispersed in an emerging colonial environment in Africa, and how that knowledge was captured, credited and distributed between local Africans and (largely) itinerant Europeans. It sets that discussion within a more recent debate on the mechanics of European exploration during the wider nineteenth century. The expanded population of Europeans (officials, merchants, missionaries) that arrived in the later part of that century to consolidate the colonial enterprise in German East Africa often moved with initial uncertainty through the landscape, triggering a demand for topographical knowledge to become commodified and commercialised, to become less dependent on the knowledge of individuals. This demand fuelled the production of an innovative series of standardised grid maps. At a time when slavery was still legal, when the local workforce was increasingly discussed in colonial circles in terms of unskilled plantation labour, our essay explores two case studies that demonstrate how certain African experts came to exert key technical and management influence within long-term scientific and commercial projects unfolding in the southeast corner of what is today Tanzania. The matter of water flows through this essay, and does so with deliberate intent.
Guidelines for postmortem examination of newborn dogs
Authors: Mila Hanna , Guerard Chloé , Raymond-Letron Isabelle
Published: January 2022

Neonatal mortality in puppies is a problem frequently encountered by dog breeders. Often, only postmortem examination allows diagnosis and implementation of measures to save the rest of the litter. This article presents the key steps of the postmortem examination, namely, autopsy, histopathology, bacteriology, molecular identification of pathogens, and coproscopy. Sampling, samples' conservation, and interpretation of the obtained results are presented as well as their relative importance for the final diagnosis. Finally, examples of the most frequent syndromes observed under postmortem examination in canine newborns, together with the results from a complementary analysis looking for infectious agents responsible for death, are discussed.
Hydromechanical Effects of Micro‐Organisms on Fine‐Grained Sediments During Early Burial
Authors: Mills N. Tanner , Reece Julia S. , Tice Michael M. , Sylvan Jason B.
Published: January 2022

Micro‐organisms are known to change fluid flow and permeability processes in subsurface environments, but this has only been demonstrated for coarse‐grained sediments and fractures. For fine‐grained sediments (mudstones), little is known about the effects of micro‐organisms on hydromechanical properties. Here, we investigated the influence of micro‐organisms on the porosity, permeability, and compressibility of fine‐grained sediments. We performed resedimentation experiments with and without micro‐organisms added to two reconstituted, fine‐grained sediment samples. These sediments were collected from the Ursa and Brazos‐Trinity Basins in the Gulf of Mexico during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 308. Micro‐organisms caused a systematic, yet small increase in compression index for both sediments. Changes to permeability caused by micro‐organisms, while relatively minor, were greater for the Ursa sediment than the Brazos‐Trinity sediment. Additionally, the effect of micro‐organisms on permeability is greater at higher porosities and lower vertical effective stresses. Differences in permeability behavior between the two sediments are likely due to differences in sediment properties and nutrients for microbial growth. We therefore suggest that the effectiveness of micro‐organisms at altering fluid flow in fine‐grained sediments is dependent on burial depth (porosity as a function of vertical effective stress) and the grain size, pore and pore throat size, and specific surface area of a sediment. Characterizing the effects of micro‐organisms on the hydromechanical properties of fine‐grained sediments can further our understanding of the controls on pore pressure near the sediment–water interface in marine environments and aid in bioclogging practices around contaminated sites in terrestrial environments.
Three Mw ≥ 4.7 Earthquakes Within the Changning (China) Shale Gas Field Ruptured Shallow Faults Intersecting With Hydraulic Fracturing Wells
Authors: Wang Shuai , Jiang Guoyan , Lei Xinglin , Barbour Andrew J. , Tan Xibin , Xu Caijun , Xu Xiwei
Published: January 2022

From 2017 to 2019, three destructive earthquakes (27 January 2017 Mw 4.7, 16 December 2018 Mw 5.2, and 3 January 2019 Mw 4.8) occurred in the Changning shale gas field in the southwest Sichuan Basin, China. Previous seismological studies attributed these events to hydraulic fracturing (HF), but were unable to identify the causative seismogenic faults and their slip behaviors. Here, we use Sentinel‐1 synthetic aperture radar data to measure surface deformation triggered by the three events and conduct geodetic inversions to characterize their rupture models. The resulting coseismic interferograms show prominent surface deformation with the maximum line‐of‐sight displacements of up to 4 cm. The inversion results show that all three earthquakes mainly ruptured sedimentary formations above the shale gas bed, in the upper 3 km of the crust, with slip magnitudes ranging from 8.5 to 15 cm, and stress drops ranging from ∼1.8 to ∼3.3 MPa. Their source faults intersect with horizontal HF wells, but do not root in the crystalline basement. Combined with the reported difficulty of increasing HF operation pressures prior to the three events, we argue that they were most likely induced by direct injection of pressurized fluids into the fault zones. Crustal deformation patterns inferred from regional topography and GPS velocities highlight that the Changning field is located within a triple junction region near the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau with large deformation gradients; such conditions are not only favorable to the development of critically stressed faults, but also facilitate the occurrence of at least moderate magnitude earthquakes.
Ocean Productivity in the Gulf of Cadiz Over the Last 50 kyr
Authors: Penaud A. , Eynaud F. , Etourneau J. , Bonnin J. , de Vernal A. , Zaragosi S. , Kim J.‐H. , Kang S. , Gal J.‐K. , Oliveira D. , Waelbroeck C.
Published: January 2022

Reconstructions of ocean primary productivity (PP) help to explain past and present biogeochemical cycles and climate changes in the oceans. We document PP variations over the last 50 kyr in a currently oligotrophic subtropical region, the Gulf of Cadiz. Data combine refined results from previous investigations on dinocyst assemblages, alkenones, and stable isotopes (18O, 13C) in planktonic (Globigerina bulloides) and endobenthic (Uvigerina mediterranea) foraminifera from cores MD04‐2805 CQ and MD99‐2339, with new isotopic measurements on epibenthic (Cibicides pachyderma‐Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi) foraminifera and dinocyst‐based estimates of PP using the new n = 1,968 modern database. We constrain PP variations and export production by integrating qualitative information from bioindicators with dinocyst‐based quantitative reconstructions such as PP and seasonal sea surface temperature and information about remineralization from the benthic Δδ13C (difference between epibenthic and endobenthic foraminiferal δ13C signatures). This study also includes new information on alkenone‐based SST and total organic carbon which provides insights into the relationship between past regional hydrological activity and PP regime change. We show that PP, carbon export, and remineralization were generally high in the NE subtropical Atlantic Ocean during the last glacial period and that the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) had lower Δδ13C than the Heinrich Stadials with sustained high PP, likely allowing enhanced carbon sequestration. We link these PP periods to the dynamics of upwelling, active almost year‐round during sadials, but restricted to spring‐summer during interstadials and LGM, like today. During interstadials, nutrient advection through freshwater inputs during autumn‐winter needs also to be considered to fully understand PP regimes.
Genetic common variants associated with cerebellar volume and their overlap with mental disorders: a study on 33,265 individuals from the UK-Biobank
Authors: Chambers Tom , Escott-Price Valentina , Legge Sophie , Baker Emily , Singh Krish D. , Walters James T. R. , Caseras Xavier , Anney Richard J. L.
Published: January 2022

Interest in the cerebellum is expanding given evidence of its contributions to cognition and emotion, and dysfunction in various psychopathologies. However, research into its genetic architecture and shared influences with liability for mental disorders is lacking. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of total cerebellar volume and underlying cerebellar lobe volumes in 33,265 UK-Biobank participants. Total cerebellar volume was heritable (h2SNP = 50.6%), showing moderate genetic homogeneity across lobes (h2SNP from 35.4% to 57.1%; mean genetic correlation between lobes rg ≈ 0.44). We identified 33 GWAS signals associated with total cerebellar volume, of which 6 are known to alter protein-coding gene structure, while a further five mapped to genomic regions known to alter cerebellar tissue gene expression. Use of summary data-based Mendelian randomisation further prioritised genes whose change in expression appears to mediate the SNP-trait association. In total, we highlight 21 unique genes of greatest interest for follow-up analyses. Using LD-regression, we report significant genetic correlations between total cerebellar volume and brainstem, pallidum and thalamus volumes. While the same approach did not result in significant correlations with psychiatric phenotypes, we report enrichment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorder associated signals within total cerebellar GWAS results via conditional and conjunctional-FDR analysis. Via these methods and GWAS catalogue, we identify which of our cerebellar genomic regions also associate with psychiatric traits. Our results provide important insights into the common allele architecture of cerebellar volume and its overlap with other brain volumes and psychiatric phenotypes.
Heterogeneity in endothelial cells and widespread venous arterialization during early vascular development in mammals
Authors: Hou Siyuan , Li Zongcheng , Dong Ji , Gao Yun , Chang Zhilin , Ding Xiaochen , Li Shuaili , Li Yunqiao , Zeng Yang , Xin Qian , Wang Baihan , Ni Yanli , Ning Xiaowei , Hu Yuqiong , Fan Xiaoying , Hou Yu , Li Xianlong , Wen Lu , Zhou Bin , Liu Bing , Tang Fuchou , Lan Yu
Published: January 2022

Arteriogenesis rather than unspecialized capillary expansion is critical for restoring effective circulation to compromised tissues in patients. Deciphering the origin and specification of arterial endothelial cells during embryonic development will shed light on the understanding of adult arteriogenesis. However, during early embryonic angiogenesis, the process of endothelial diversification and molecular events underlying arteriovenous fate settling remain largely unresolved in mammals. Here, we constructed the single-cell transcriptomic landscape of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) during the time window for the occurrence of key vasculogenic and angiogenic events in both mouse and human embryos. We uncovered two distinct arterial VEC types, the major artery VECs and arterial plexus VECs, and unexpectedly divergent arteriovenous characteristics among VECs that are located in morphologically undistinguishable vascular plexus intra-embryonically. Using computational prediction and further lineage tracing of venous-featured VECs with a newly developed Nr2f2CrexER mouse model and a dual recombinase-mediated intersectional genetic approach, we revealed early and widespread arterialization from the capillaries with considerable venous characteristics. Altogether, our findings provide unprecedented and comprehensive details of endothelial heterogeneity and lineage relationships at early angiogenesis stages, and establish a new model regarding the arteriogenesis behaviors of early intra-embryonic vasculatures.
Parallel functional assessment of m6A sites in human endodermal differentiation with base editor screens
Authors: Cheng Weisheng , Liu Fang , Ren Zhijun , Chen Wenfang , Chen Yaxin , Liu Tianwei , Ma Yixin , Cao Nan , Wang Jinkai
Published: January 2022

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) plays important role in lineage specifications of embryonic stem cells. However, it is still difficult to systematically dissect the specific m6A sites that are essential for early lineage differentiation. Here, we develop an adenine base editor-based strategy to systematically identify functional m6A sites that control lineage decisions of human embryonic stem cells. We design 7999 sgRNAs targeting 6048 m6A sites to screen for m6A sites that act as either boosters or barriers to definitive endoderm specification of human embryonic stem cells. We identify 78 sgRNAs enriched in the non-definitive endoderm cells and 137 sgRNAs enriched in the definitive endoderm cells. We successfully validate two definitive endoderm promoting m6A sites on SOX2 and SDHAF1 as well as a definitive endoderm inhibiting m6A site on ADM. Our study provides a functional screening of m6A sites and paves the way for functional studies of m6A at individual m6A site level.
The shape of memory in temporal networks
Authors: Williams Oliver E. , Lacasa Lucas , Millán Ana P. , Latora Vito
Published: January 2022

How to best define, detect and characterize network memory, i.e. the dependence of a network’s structure on its past, is currently a matter of debate. Here we show that the memory of a temporal network is inherently multidimensional, and we introduce a mathematical framework for defining and efficiently estimating the microscopic shape of memory, which characterises how the activity of each link intertwines with the activities of all other links. We validate our methodology on a range of synthetic models, and we then study the memory shape of real-world temporal networks spanning social, technological and biological systems, finding that these networks display heterogeneous memory shapes. In particular, online and offline social networks are markedly different, with the latter showing richer memory and memory scales. Our theory also elucidates the phenomenon of emergent virtual loops and provides a novel methodology for exploring the dynamically rich structure of complex systems.
Heterospin frustration in a metal-fullerene-bonded semiconductive antiferromagnet
Authors: Shen Yongbing , Cui Mengxing , Takaishi Shinya , Kawasoko Hideyuki , Sugimoto Kunihisa , Tsumuraya Takao , Otsuka Akihiro , Kwon Eunsang , Yoshida Takefumi , Hoshino Norihisa , Kawachi Kazuhiko , Kasama Yasuhiko , Akutagawa Tomoyuki , Fukumura Tomoteru , Yamashita Masahiro
Published: January 2022

Lithium-ion-encapsulated fullerenes (Li+@C60) are 3D superatoms with rich oxidative states. Here we show a conductive and magnetically frustrated metal–fullerene-bonded framework {[Cu4(Li@C60)(L)(py)4](NTf2)(hexane)}n (1) (L = 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(methanesulfonamido)benzene, py = pyridine, NTf2− = bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide anion) prepared from redox-active dinuclear metal complex Cu2(L)(py)4 and lithium-ion-encapsulated fullerene salt (Li+@C60)(NTf2−). Electron donor Cu2(L)(py)2 bonds to acceptor Li+@C60 via eight Cu‒C bonds. Cu–C bond formation stems from spontaneous charge transfer (CT) between Cu2(L)(py)4 and (Li+@C60)(NTf2−) by removing the two-terminal py molecules, yielding triplet ground state [Cu2(L)(py)2]+(Li+@C60•−), evidenced by absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra, magnetic properties and quantum chemical calculations. Moreover, Li+@C60•− radicals (S = ½) and Cu2+ ions (S = ½) interact antiferromagnetically in triangular spin lattices in the absence of long-range magnetic ordering to 1.8 K. The low-temperature heat capacity indicated that compound 1 is a potential candidate for an S = ½ quantum spin liquid (QSL).
Unraveling of cocatalysts photodeposited selectively on facets of BiVO4 to boost solar water splitting
Authors: Qi Yu , Zhang Jiangwei , Kong Yuan , Zhao Yue , Chen Shanshan , Li Deng , Liu Wei , Chen Yifan , Xie Tengfeng , Cui Junyan , Li Can , Domen Kazunari , Zhang Fuxiang
Published: January 2022

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) has been widely investigated as a photocatalyst or photoanode for solar water splitting, but its activity is hindered by inefficient cocatalysts and limited understanding of the underlying mechanism. Here we demonstrate significantly enhanced water oxidation on the particulate BiVO4 photocatalyst via in situ facet-selective photodeposition of dual-cocatalysts that exist separately as metallic Ir nanoparticles and nanocomposite of FeOOH and CoOOH (denoted as FeCoOx), as revealed by advanced techniques. The mechanism of water oxidation promoted by the dual-cocatalysts is experimentally and theoretically unraveled, and mainly ascribed to the synergistic effect of the spatially separated dual-cocatalysts (Ir, FeCoOx) on both interface charge separation and surface catalysis. Combined with the H2-evolving photocatalysts, we finally construct a Z-scheme overall water splitting system using [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− as the redox mediator, whose apparent quantum efficiency at 420 nm and solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency are optimized to be 12.3% and 0.6%, respectively.
USP44 regulates irradiation-induced DNA double-strand break repair and suppresses tumorigenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Chen Yang , Zhao Yin , Yang Xiaojing , Ren Xianyue , Huang Shengyan , Gong Sha , Tan Xirong , Li Junyan , He Shiwei , Li Yingqin , Hong Xiaohong , Li Qian , Ding Cong , Fang Xueliang , Ma Jun , Liu Na
Published: January 2022

Radiotherapy is the primary treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and approximately 20% of patients experience treatment failure due to tumour radioresistance. However, the exact regulatory mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the deubiquitinase USP44 is hypermethylated in NPC, which results in its downregulation. USP44 enhances the sensitivity of NPC cells to radiotherapy in vitro and in vivo. USP44 recruits and stabilizes the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM25 by removing its K48-linked polyubiquitin chains at Lys439, which further facilitates the degradation of Ku80 and inhibits its recruitment to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), thus enhancing DNA damage and inhibiting DNA repair via non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Knockout of TRIM25 reverses the radiotherapy sensitization effect of USP44. Clinically, low expression of USP44 indicates a poor prognosis and facilitates tumour relapse in NPC patients. This study suggests the USP44-TRIM25-Ku80 axis provides potential therapeutic targets for NPC patients.
Field-induced multiple metal-insulator crossovers of correlated Dirac electrons of perovskite CaIrO3
Authors: Yamada R. , Fujioka J. , Kawamura M. , Sakai S. , Hirayama M. , Arita R. , Okawa T. , Hashizume D. , Sato T. , Kagawa F. , Kurihara R. , Tokunaga M. , Tokura Y.
Published: January 2022

The interplay between electron correlation and topology of relativistic electrons may lead to a fascinating stage of the research on quantum materials and emergent functions. The emergence of various collective electronic orderings/liquids, which are tunable by external stimuli, is a remarkable feature of correlated electron systems, but has rarely been realized in the topological semimetals with high-mobility relativistic electrons. Here, we report that the correlated Dirac electrons in perovskite CaIrO3 show unconventional field-induced successive metal–insulator–metal crossovers in the quantum limit accompanying a giant magnetoresistance (MR) with MR ratio of 3500 % (18 T and 1.4 K). In conjunction with the numerical calculation, we propose that the insulating state originates from the collective electronic ordering such as charge/spin density wave promoted by electron correlation, whereas it turns into the quasi-one-dimensional metal at higher fields due to the field-induced reduction of chemical potential, highlighting the highly field-tunable character of correlated Dirac electrons.
Longitudinal changes in cortical responses to letter-speech sound stimuli in 8–11 year-old children
Authors: Romanovska Linda , Janssen Roef , Bonte Milene
Published: January 2022

While children are able to name letters fairly quickly, the automatisation of letter-speech sound mappings continues over the first years of reading development. In the current longitudinal fMRI study, we explored developmental changes in cortical responses to letters and speech sounds across 3 yearly measurements in a sample of 18 8–11 year old children. We employed a text-based recalibration paradigm in which combined exposure to text and ambiguous speech sounds shifts participants’ later perception of the ambiguous sounds towards the text. Our results showed that activity of the left superior temporal and lateral inferior precentral gyri followed a non-linear developmental pattern across the measurement sessions. This pattern is reminiscent of previously reported inverted-u-shape developmental trajectories in children’s visual cortical responses to text. Our findings suggest that the processing of letters and speech sounds involves non-linear changes in the brain’s spoken language network possibly related to progressive automatisation of reading skills.
Becoming nature: effects of embodying a tree in immersive virtual reality on nature relatedness
Authors: Spangenberger Pia , Geiger Sonja Maria , Freytag Sarah-Christin
Published: January 2022

The potential of using immersive virtual reality (iVR) technologies to enhance nature relatedness by embodying non-human beings, such as plants or animals, is only sparsely researched. To contribute to this emerging research field we conducted an experimental study (N = 28) that compared the effects of the viewing condition (iVR or desktop) while embodying a tree on nature relatedness, perspective-taking and, as a control, on perceived immersion. A mixed-method approach employing quantitative and qualitative questions was used. Our results showed that irrespective of condition allocation, the more immersed participants felt in their experience, the greater they reported increased levels of nature relatedness (r = 0.42, p < .05). While our quantitative data did yield a difference in immersion levels between the viewing condition (iVR vs. video, t(26) = 2.05, p = .05, d = .50) that did not translate into a stronger experimental effect of the iVR condition on nature relatedness (FInteraction(1,26) < 1). Regarding perspective taking, no significant differences between both groups emerged in the number of users who self-reported having fully taken on the perspective of the tree, (χ2(1) = 2.33, p = .127). However, only participants from the iVR group described their experience from a first-person perspective, suggesting a higher level of identification with the tree. This matches the observation that only those participants also reported self-reflective processes of their own role as a human being towards nature. Our results support previous research suggesting that experiencing nature via immersive VR in itself does not seem to suffice for creating an effect on nature relatedness. However, we observed that a higher perceived level of immersion for participants experiencing the embodiment of a tree in the iVR condition provoked reflective processes on one’s own role towards nature more strongly. We discuss the role of immersion and further factors to explain these differences and suggest steps for future research settings to help understand the beneficial potential of using immersive VR for nature relatedness.
Serotonin transporter functional polymorphisms potentially increase risk of schizophrenia separately and as a haplotype
Authors: Ghamari Rana , Yazarlou Fatemeh , Khosravizadeh Zahra , Moradkhani Atefeh , Abdollahi Elaheh , Alizadeh Fatemeh
Published: January 2022

Schizophrenia is a severe, disabling psychiatric disorder with unclear etiology. Family-based, twins, and adoption studies have shown that genetic factors have major contributions in schizophrenia occurrence. Until now, many studies have discovered the association of schizophrenia and its comorbid symptoms with functional polymorphisms that lie within serotonin reuptake pathway genes. Here, we aimed to investigate the association of three variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) functional polymorphisms in MAOA and SLC6A4 with schizophrenia in the Iranian population. Two hundred and forty-one subjects with schizophrenia and three hundred and seventy age and sex-matched healthy controls were genotyped for MAOA promoter uVNTR, 5-HTTLPR, and STin2 polymorphisms. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with locus-specific primers and running the PCR product on agarose 2.5% gel electrophoresis. Finally, the statistical inference was performed using R programming language and Haploview software. MAOA promoter uVNTR analysis of allele frequency showed no differences between schizophrenia subjects and healthy controls in both males and females and no significant differences were observed between female cases and female controls in MAOA promoter uVNTR 4 repeat frequency. Also, there were no differences between Schizophrenia and healthy control groups in 5-HTTLPR allele and genotype frequency but, 5-HTTLPR S allele carriers are significantly more frequent among cases. In addition, STin2.12 repeats were significantly more frequent among schizophrenia patients. Genotype comparison suggested that 5-HTTLPR S allele and STin2.12 repeat carriers were significantly more frequent among schizophrenia cases and being STin2.12 repeat carrier significantly increase the risk of schizophrenia occurrence. Besides, analysis of haplotype showed stronger linkage disequilibrium between 5-HTTLPR and STin2 haplotype block in cases than controls. These results suggest that SLC6A4 functional polymorphisms potentially could play a possible role as risk factors for the incidence of schizophrenia.
Optimal control problem arising in mathematical modeling of cerebral vascular pathology embolization
Authors: Sharifullina Tatiana , Cherevko Alexander , Ostapenko Vladimir
Published: January 2022

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the brain is a congenital vascular abnormality, in which the arterial and venous blood pools are intertwined and directly connected. This dangerous disease causes a high risk of intracranial hemorrhage and disrupts brain functioning. The preferred method of AVM treating is embolization, which is the endovascular filling of abnormal AVM vessels with a special embolic agent. Despite the fact that this method is widely used in neurosurgery, in some cases its use is accompanied by perioperative AVM vessels rupture. In this regard, the aim of this work is to study the optimal scenarios for multi-stage AVM embolization from the effectiveness and safety of the procedure point of view. Mathematically, the joint movement of blood and embolic agent in the AVM body is described on the basis of a one-dimensional two-phase filtration model, which takes into account the redistribution of blood to surrounding healthy vessels. For the numerical solution of the resulting integro-differential system of equations, a monotonic modification of the CABARET scheme is used. To find optimal embolization scenarios, the optimal control problem with phase constraints arising from medicine is formulated. A modified particle swarm optimization method is used to solve this problem numerically. This technique is used to obtain optimal embolization scenarios on the basis of real patients clinical data collected during neurosurgical operations.
Solar power generation intermittency and aggregation
Authors: Wu Cong , Zhang Xiao-Ping , Sterling Michael
Published: January 2022

The inherent intermittency of solar power due to diurnal and seasonal cycles has usually resulted in the need for alternative generation sources thereby increasing system operation costs. However, when solar power is spread over a large geographical area with significant time differences, the intermittency can be significantly reduced and also the electricity market balancing cost. The aim of this article is to address the fundamental scientific question on how the intermittency of solar power generation is affected by aggregation, which is of great interest in the wider power and energy community and would have profound impacts on the solar energy integration into the energy supply and Net-Zero Implementation. This article goes beyond the typical regional analysis by investigating solar power intermittency at 5 aggregation levels from a global perspective based on global 7 year hourly meteorological re-analysis data with a fine spatial resolution of $${0.25}^{\circ }\times {0.25}^{\circ } (\sim 28 \; \mathrm{km} \times 28 \; \mathrm{km})$$

0.25

∘

×

0.25

∘

(
∼
28

km
×
28

km
)

. In the proposed assessment framework, a coefficient of variation (CV) is used to quantify solar power intermittency and hence characterize the potential benefits of wide area solar power aggregation. A duration curve is used to characterize the intermittency in terms of power availability and a probability density function is further employed to investigate the dispersion and scaling behavior of CV at different aggregation levels. The findings indicate that the CV of solar power generation of ‘Inner Mongolia’ in China drops from 129.65 to 105.65% in the level of ‘Asia’ (by 24% decrease), to 56.11% in ‘Asia-North_America’ (by 73.54% decrease) and to the smallest 43.50% in ‘Global’ (by 86.15% decrease), nearly 3.5 times of that in ‘Asia’; (b) the availability of solar power generation increases from 52.17% in Germany, to 73.30% in ‘Europe_EU_plus’, to 77.82% in ‘Europe’, to 98.59% in ‘Europe-North_America’ (80.60% in ‘Europe-Africa’, 96.90% in ‘Europe-Asia’), to 100% in ‘Global’. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are provided to support a Net-Zero strategy.
Interactions between human milk oligosaccharides, microbiota and immune factors in milk of women with and without mastitis
Authors: Castro Irma , García-Carral Cristina , Furst Annalee , Khwajazada Sadaf , García Janneiry , Arroyo Rebeca , Ruiz Lorena , Rodríguez Juan M. , Bode Lars , Fernández Leónides
Published: January 2022

Lactational mastitis is an excellent target to study possible interactions between HMOs, immune factors and milk microbiota due to the infectious and inflammatory nature of this condition. In this work, microbiological, immunological and HMO profiles of milk samples from women with (MW) or without (HW) mastitis were compared. Secretor status in women (based on HMO profile) was not associated to mastitis. DFLNH, LNFP II and LSTb concentrations in milk were higher in samples from HW than from MW among Secretor women. Milk from HW was characterized by a low bacterial load (dominated by Staphylococcus epidermidis and streptococci), high prevalence of IL10 and IL13, and low sialylated HMO concentration. In contrast, high levels of staphylococci, streptococci, IFNγ and IL12 characterized milk from MW. A comparison between subacute (SAM) and acute (AM) mastitis cases revealed differences related to the etiological agent (S. epidermidis in SAM; Staphylococcus aureus in AM), milk immunological profile (high content of IL10 and IL13 in SAM and IL2 in AM) and milk HMOs profile (high content of 3FL in SAM and of LNT, LNnT, and LSTc in AM). These results suggest that microbiological, immunological and HMOs profiles of milk are related to mammary health of women.
Phase synchronization and measure of criticality in a network of neural mass models
Authors: Kazemi Sheida , Jamali Yousef
Published: January 2022

Synchronization has an important role in neural networks dynamics that is mostly accompanied by cognitive activities such as memory, learning, and perception. These activities arise from collective neural behaviors and are not totally understood yet. This paper aims to investigate a cortical model from this perspective. Historically, epilepsy has been regarded as a functional brain disorder associated with excessive synchronization of large neural populations. Epilepsy is believed to arise as a result of complex interactions between neural networks characterized by dynamic synchronization. In this paper, we investigated a network of neural populations in a way the dynamics of each node corresponded to the Jansen–Rit neural mass model. First, we study a one-column Jansen–Rit neural mass model for four different input levels. Then, we considered a Watts–Strogatz network of Jansen–Rit oscillators. We observed an epileptic activity in the weak input level. The network is considered to change various parameters. The detailed results including the mean time series, phase spaces, and power spectrum revealed a wide range of different behaviors such as epilepsy, healthy, and a transition between synchrony and asynchrony states. In some points of coupling coefficients, there is an abrupt change in the order parameters. Since the critical state is a dynamic candidate for healthy brains, we considered some measures of criticality and investigated them at these points. According to our study, some markers of criticality can occur at these points, while others may not. This occurrence is a result of the nature of the specific order parameter selected to observe these markers. In fact, The definition of a proper order parameter is key and must be defined properly. Our view is that the critical points exhibit clear characteristics and invariance of scale, instead of some types of markers. As a result, these phase transition points are not critical as they show no evidence of scaling invariance.
Antiviral activity of galvanic microcells of zinc and copper contained within painted surfaces
Authors: Spisak Wojciech , Kaszczyszyn Mariusz , Szar Mateusz , Kozak Jarosław , Stachowicz Krzysztof
Published: January 2022

This study presents research related to the antiviral activity of painted surfaces containing galvanic microcells of zinc and copper. The aim of this study was to investigate the virucidal activity of galvanic microcells of zinc and copper grains fixed with adequate homogeneity and degree of aggregation in water-based acrylic paint layers in reference to a non-treated reference control. This paper provides evidence that a paint coating with a total copper surface area of 4.4% displays antiviral activity against human coronavirus NL63 according to ISO 21702 and inactivates > 99% of virus after 4 h of contact relative to a non-treated reference control.
Dual RNA-Seq analysis of SARS-CoV-2 correlates specific human transcriptional response pathways directly to viral expression
Authors: Maulding Nathan D. , Seiler Spencer , Pearson Alexander , Kreusser Nicholas , Stuart Joshua M.
Published: January 2022

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has challenged humankind’s ability to quickly determine the cascade of health effects caused by a novel infection. Even with the unprecedented speed at which vaccines were developed and introduced into society, identifying therapeutic interventions and drug targets for patients infected with the virus remains important as new strains of the virus evolve, or future coronaviruses may emerge that are resistant to current vaccines. The application of transcriptomic RNA sequencing of infected samples may shed new light on the pathways involved in viral mechanisms and host responses. We describe the application of the previously developed “dual RNA-seq” approach to investigate, for the first time, the co-regulation between the human and SARS-CoV-2 transcriptomes. Together with differential expression analysis, we describe the tissue specificity of SARS-CoV-2 expression, an inferred lipopolysaccharide response, and co-regulation ofCXCL’s,SPRR’s,S100’swith SARS-CoV-2 expression. Lipopolysaccharide response pathways in particular offer promise for future therapeutic research and the prospect of subgrouping patients based on chemokine expression that may help explain the vastly different reactions patients have to infection. Taken together these findings highlight unappreciated SARS-CoV-2 expression signatures and emphasize new considerations and mechanisms for SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic intervention.