bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust fractional‐order integral terminal sliding mode control with adaptive uncertainty observation for a VCM‐driven X–Y motion stage
Authors: Chen Syuan‐Yi , Wu Guan‐Wei , Yu Cheng‐Jui
Published: September 2022

In this study, a fractional‐order integral terminal sliding mode control (FITSMC) system is proposed to control a new voice coil motor (VCM)‐driven X–Y motion stage with different thrust forces in the X–Y axes for the tracking of reference contours. First, the operation principle and dynamics of the stage are conducted based on the equivalent electrical circuit and magnetic analysis of the VCM. Subsequently, an integer‐order integral terminal sliding mode control (ITSMC) approach is designed to control the stage for contour tracking in finite time. To enhance the positioning accuracy of the ITSMC, a novel FITSMC system is further proposed by bringing in a new fractional‐order integral terminal sliding surface. However, the hitting control gain for the FITSMC is difficult to design because of the system uncertainties. To address this issue, an intelligent adaptive uncertainty observer (AUO) is proposed to directly observe the system uncertainties, thereby eliminating the need for hitting control term and attenuating the chattering phenomena of control force. Stability analysis of the proposed FITSMC and FITSMC‐AUO systems is conducted on the basis of the Lyapunov stability theory. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed control systems in comparison with the existing ITSMC system in the contour tracking tests.
An intelligent ubiquitous compression technique for DNA sequencing using Hadoop
Authors: Sun Wenlin , Sharma Ashutosh , Asenso Evans
Published: September 2022

To solve the problem of reducing the amount of data storage in the practical application of massive biomedical data and efficiently using existing storage devices and bandwidth resources to store shared data. The proposed model includes both compression modes: the first is a single sequence compression mode designed for the characteristics of a large number of repeated substrings in DNA sequences; the second is a reference‐based multi‐sequence compression mode designed for the very similar characteristics of DNA sequences of different individuals of the same species. Both types of compression use the Lempel–Ziv–Welch (LZ) compression method, which is quite comparable to one another, to examine the sequence, as well as to study and classify the repetitive data that exists between a single sequence and numerous sequences in the sequence set. The proposed method aims to solve the problem of high pressure caused by single‐point processing of large sequence files, effectively reduces redundant information by using the local correlation of data, and effectively uses the computing resources of a cloud platform that is used for biological information processing to support the efficient storage, transmission, and sharing of data.
Nahrungsergänzungsmittel auf Basis von Safran – wie
sieht die Qualitätssituation aus?
Authors: Sendker Jandirk , Chen Binbin , Lechtenberg Matthias , Hensel Andreas
Published: September 2022

Safran, die getrockneten, dreigeteilten Narbenschenkel der Blüten von
Crocus sativus L., werden zur symptomatischen Behandlung leichter
Depressionen verwendet. Die Droge stellt ein teures Handelsprodukt dar, weswegen
Qualitätsprobleme nicht unwahrscheinlich erscheinen. Bisher bestehen
keine diesbezüglichen Arzneimittelzulassungen, wohl aber werden
Safran-Produkte als Nahrungsergänzungsmittel (NEM) vermarktet. Die
vorliegende Studie hatte das Ziel, die Qualität ausgewählter und
über verschiedene Vertriebswege bezogene Safran-NEM analytisch zu
untersuchen.

Hierzu wurde eine validierte Methode zur Quantifizierung Safran-typischer
Inhaltsstoffe (Crocin-1, Crocin-2, Picrocrocin und Safranal) eingesetzt. Alle 9
untersuchten Handelspräparate in Kapselform enthielten in der jeweiligen
Deklaration die Zutat „Safran-Extrakt“. Die mikroskopische
Untersuchung des Kapselinhaltes wies allerdings lediglich auf das Vorliegen von
stark gepulvertem Pflanzenmaterial hin. Insofern erscheint die Bezeichnung
„Extrakt“ für diese Präparate nicht
gerechtfertigt, da es sich nicht um aufkonzentrierte Präparationen
handelt. Acht der untersuchten 9 Safran-Kapsel-Präparate waren
bezüglich des Inhaltsstoffes Safran nicht zu beanstanden, die
Safran-typischen Inhaltsstoffe konnten in relevanter Menge nachgewiesen werden.
In einem Präparat konnten zwar Crocine gefunden werden, jedoch weder
Picrocrocin noch Safranal, zusätzlich wurde hier das Iridoidglucosid
Geniposid detektiert. Dieser Befund legt nahe, dass in diesem Präparat
Safran durch Material von Gardenia jasminoides (Gardeniae fructus)
ersetzt wurde. Dieses pflanzliche Material enthält wie Safran
Crocinfarbstoffe und kann so Safran vortäuschen. Die Untersuchung zeigt,
dass zur Verbesserung der Produktqualität von NEM, insbesondere bei
solchen, die als wertbestimmende Inhaltsstoffe pflanzliche Zubereitungen (sog.
„Botanicals“) enthalten, verstärkte analytische
Anstrengungen zur Sicherstellung der Produktqualität und im Sinne des
Verbraucherschutzes notwendig sind.
Pulmonary Sonography – Neonatal Diagnosis Part 1
Authors: Schwarz Simone
Published: September 2022

Diseases of the respiratory system are among the main problems of premature patients in the neonatal intensive care unit. Radiography of the thorax is the gold standard of imaging. This results in high cumulative radiation exposure with potential negative long-term consequences. Ultrasound examination of thoracic structures represents a promising radiation-free and ubiquitously available alternative.

A healthy, ventilated lung can only be imaged via artifacts, since total reflection of the sound waves occurs due to the high impedance difference between tissue and air-filled lung. Pathologies of pleura and subpleural lung tissue lead to changes in the acoustic properties of the tissue and thus to variations in the artifacts that can be imaged. The main sonographic characteristics of pulmonary pathology are: pleural line abnormalities, increased B-lines and comet-tail artifacts, lung consolidations, a visible pulmonary pulse, pleural sliding abnormalities, and visualization of effusions. Deviations from normal sonographic findings can be assigned to specific underlying pathophysiologies, so that conclusions about the disease can be drawn in conjunction with the clinical symptoms.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Training In Women Practicing High-impact Sports:
A Systematic Review
Authors: Fukuda Fernanda Sayuri , Arbieto Eliane Regina Mendoza , Da Roza Thuane , Luz Soraia Cristina Tonon da
Published: September 2022

Urinary incontinence (UI) in female athletes can impair their quality-of-life
(QoL) and reduce their participation in sports. This review aims to evaluate the
effect of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) in treating UI in women
participating in high-impact sports. Furthermore, to assess the influence of
PFMT on pelvic floor muscles (PFM) function and the UI impact on their QoL. For
this purpose, a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and
non-RCTs was performed. An electronic search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE,
SciELO, and Scopus. The quality of evidence was assessed using the PEDro and
ROBINS-I scales. The Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT) was used to
assess the quality of PFMT protocols. All studies were available in full-text
including incontinent female participants who are practitioners of high-impact
sports, investigating PFMT vs control groups(inactive) or undergoing other
treatments. Three RCTs and two non-RCTs (104 participants) were analyzed. PFMT
provided a significant improvement in UI symptoms with a reduction in the
frequency (n=3) and the amount of UI (n=5). PFM function was
assessed in three studies, and two found improvement in maximal contraction and
one in vaginal resting pressure in favor of PFMT. None of the two studies that
assessed QoL found a difference after PFMT intervention.
Relationship between the Femoral and Tibial Component Positions and Postoperative Knee Range of Motion after Posterior-Stabilized Total Knee Arthroplasty in Varus-Aligned Knees
Authors: Hanada Mitsuru , Hotta Kensuke , Koyama Hiroshi , Matsuyama Yukihiro
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the femoral and tibial component positions and postoperative knee range of motion after posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Forty-four patients (48 knees in total: 9 men, 9 knees; 35 women, 39 knees) who underwent posterior-stabilized TKA using a navigation system were included. The femoral and tibial component positions were measured from the preoperative and postoperative computed tomography data with three-dimensional evaluation software. We investigated the relationship between the knee range of motion, including extension restriction and maximum flexion angles at 2 years postoperatively, and the femoral and tibial component positions. Patients with knee extension restriction of 10° or more at 2 years postoperatively showed greater posterior flexion position of the tibial component than those with knee extension restriction less than 10° (6.2° and 3.9°, respectively, p=0.018). The postoperative knee flexion angle was positively associated with the internal rotational position of the femoral component (p=0.032, 95% confidence interval: 0.105–2.178). Patients with a knee flexion angle more than 120° at 2 years postoperatively had greater internal rotational position of the femoral component than those with 120° or less (5.2° and 1.5°, respectively, p=0.002). In conclusions, after posterior-stabilized TKA, the postoperative knee extension restriction angle was associated with the posterior flexion position of the tibial component, and the knee flexion angle was positively related to the internal rotational position of the femoral component.
A minimized and efficient low temperature loading device for indentation
Authors: Wang S. B. , Wu O. Y. , Li S. R. , Wang Y. Y. , Zhao H. W.
Published: September 2022

A minimized and efficient low temperature loading device cooling with Peltier coolers for indentation test is developed. Both specimen and indentation tip are immersed in 50% methanol–water solution, totally eliminating the contact thermal drift problem. Low temperature indentation tests down to 253.8 K can be realized within 10 min. The size of the device is miniaturized within 50 × 40 × 30 mm3, and no vacuum environment is required. Monocrystalline copper is tested to perform the feasibility of the device. Based on the simple structure and stable experimental effect, the developed device can be integrated into various types of current indentation devices to attach low temperature testing ability.
On the origin of chaotic attractors with two zero Lyapunov exponents in a system of five biharmonically coupled phase oscillators
Authors: Grines Evgeny A. , Kazakov Alexey , Sataev Igor R.
Published: September 2022

We study chaotic dynamics in a system of four differential equations describing the interaction of five identical phase oscillators coupled via biharmonic function. We show that this system exhibits strange spiral attractors (Shilnikov attractors) with two zero (indistinguishable from zero in numerics) Lyapunov exponents in a wide region of the parameter space. We explain this phenomenon by means of bifurcation analysis of a three-dimensional Poincaré map for the system under consideration. We show that chaotic dynamics develop here near a codimension three bifurcation, when a periodic orbit (fixed point of the Poincaré map) has the triplet of multipliers (1,1,1). As it is known, the flow normal form for such bifurcation is the well-known three-dimensional Arneodó–Coullet–Spiegel–Tresser (ACST) system, which exhibits spiral attractors. According to this, we conclude that the additional zero Lyapunov exponent for orbits in the observed attractors appears due to the fact that the corresponding three-dimensional Poincaré map is very close to the time-shift map of the ACST-system.
Cascade neural approximating for few-shot super-resolution photoacoustic angiography
Authors: Ma Yuanzheng , Xiong Kedi , Hou Xuefei , Zhang Wuyu , Chen Xin , Li Ling , Yang Sihua
Published: September 2022

High-resolution photoacoustic angiography images are reconstructed from undersampled images with the help of a super-resolution deep neural network, enhancing the ability of the photoacoustic angiography systems to image dynamic processes in living tissues. However, image degradations are difficult to estimate due to a lack of knowledge of the point spread function and noise sources, resulting in poor generalization capability of the trained super-resolution model. In this work, a high-order residual cascade neural network was developed to reconstruct high-resolution vascular images, which is a neural approximating approach used to remove image degradations of photoacoustic angiography. To handle overfitting in training super-resolution model with a limited dataset, we proposed a BicycleGAN based image synthesis method in data preparation, achieving a strong regularization by forging realistic photoacoustic vascular images that act to essentially increase the training dataset. The quantitative analysis of the reconstructed results shows that the high-order residual cascade neural network surpassed the other residual super-resolution neural networks. Most importantly, we demonstrated that the generalized model could be achieved despite the limited training dataset, promising to be a methodology for few-shot super-resolution photoacoustic angiography.
First-principles study of oxygen vacancy defects in orthorhombic Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/SiO2/Si gate stack
Authors: Chai Junshuai , Xu Hao , Xiang Jinjuan , Zhang Yuanyuan , Zhou Lixing , Zhao Shujing , Tian Fengbin , Duan Jiahui , Han Kai , Wang Xiaolei , Luo Jun , Wang Wenwu , Ye Tianchun , Guo Yuzheng
Published: September 2022

The gate defect of the ferroelectric HfO2-based Si field-effect transistor (Si FeFET) plays a dominant role in its reliability issue. The first-principles calculations are an effective method for the atomic-scale understanding of gate defects. However, the first-principles study on the defects of FeFET gate stacks, i.e., the metal/orthorhombic-Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/SiOx/Si structure, has not been reported so far. The key challenge is the construction of metal/orthorhombic-Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/SiOx/Si gate stack models. Here, the atomic structure and defect property of orthorhombic-Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/SiO2/Si gate stack are systematically studied by first-principles calculations. We use the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2(130) high-index crystal face as the orthorhombic ferroelectric layer and construct a robust atomic structure of the orthorhombic-Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/SiO2/Si gate stack without any gap states based on the electron counting rule. The calculated band offsets show that this gate structure is of type-I band alignment. Furthermore, the formation energies and charge transition levels (CTLs) of defects reveal that the oxygen vacancy defects are more favorable to form compared with other defects such as oxygen interstitial and Hf/Zr vacancy, and their CTLs are mainly localized near the Si conduction band minimum and valence band maximum, in agreement with the reported experimental results. The oxygen vacancy defects are responsible for charge trapping/de-trapping behavior in Si FeFET. This work provides an insight into gate defects and paves the way to carry out the first-principles study of ferroelectric HfO2-based Si FeFET.
Thermodynamic modeling of fluid polyamorphism in hydrogen at extreme conditions
Authors: Fried Nathaniel R. , Longo Thomas J. , Anisimov Mikhail A.
Published: September 2022

Fluid polyamorphism, the existence of multiple amorphous fluid states in a single-component system, has been observed or predicted in a variety of substances. A remarkable example of this phenomenon is the fluid–fluid phase transition (FFPT) in high-pressure hydrogen between insulating and conducting high-density fluids. This transition is induced by the reversible dimerization/dissociation of the molecular and atomistic states of hydrogen. In this work, we present the first attempt to thermodynamically model the FFPT in hydrogen at extreme conditions. Our predictions for the phase coexistence and the reaction equilibrium of the two alternative forms of fluid hydrogen are based on experimental data and supported by the results of simulations. Remarkably, we find that the law of corresponding states can be utilized to construct a unified equation of state combining the available computational results for different models of hydrogen and the experimental data.
Theoretical dissociation, ionization, and spin–orbit energetics of the diatomic platinum hydrides PtH, PtH+, and PtH–
Authors: Irikura Karl K.
Published: September 2022

Spin–orbit configuration interaction (SO-CI) and coupled-cluster [CCSDT(Q)] theoretical methods are combined to evaluate zero-temperature thermochemical properties of PtH, PtH+, and PtH−. We obtain vibrational zero-point energies and spin–orbit stabilization energies, which lead to predictions for observable quantities: ionization energy IE(PtH) = (9.44 ± 0.07) eV; electron affinity EA(PtH) = (1.65 ± 0.04) eV; and dissociation energies D0(Pt–H) = (329.6 ± 3.9) kJ mol−1, D0(Pt+–H) = (279.3 ± 5.7) kJ mol−1, and D0(Pt−–H) = (285.0 ± 2.4) kJ mol−1 (uncertainty coverage factor = 2). Compared with available experiments, our value of D0(Pt+–H) is higher by (8 ± 8) kJ mol−1, EA(PtH) is higher by 0.15 eV, and D0(Pt–H) is lower than the upper bound by (2 ± 4) kJ mol−1.
Evidence from sperm whale clans of symbolic marking in non-human cultures
Authors: Hersh Taylor A. , Gero Shane , Rendell Luke , Cantor Maurício , Weilgart Lindy , Amano Masao , Dawson Stephen M. , Slooten Elisabeth , Johnson Christopher M. , Kerr Iain , Payne Roger , Rogan Andy , Antunes Ricardo , Andrews Olive , Ferguson Elizabeth L. , Hom-Weaver Cory Ann , Norris Thomas F. , Barkley Yvonne M. , Merkens Karlina P. , Oleson Erin M. , Doniol-Valcroze Thomas , Pilkington James F. , Gordon Jonathan , Fernandes Manuel , Guerra Marta , Hickmott Leigh , Whitehead Hal
Published: September 2022

Culture, a pillar of the remarkable ecological success of humans, is increasingly recognized as a powerful force structuring nonhuman animal populations. A key gap between these two types of culture is quantitative evidence of symbolic markers—seemingly arbitrary traits that function as reliable indicators of cultural group membership to conspecifics. Using acoustic data collected from 23 Pacific Ocean locations, we provide quantitative evidence that certain sperm whale acoustic signals exhibit spatial patterns consistent with a symbolic marker function. Culture segments sperm whale populations into behaviorally distinct clans, which are defined based on dialects of stereotyped click patterns (codas). We classified 23,429 codas into types using contaminated mixture models and hierarchically clustered coda repertoires into seven clans based on similarities in coda usage; then we evaluated whether coda usage varied with geographic distance within clans or with spatial overlap between clans. Similarities in within-clan usage of both “identity codas” (coda types diagnostic of clan identity) and “nonidentity codas” (coda types used by multiple clans) decrease as space between repertoire recording locations increases. However, between-clan similarity in identity, but not nonidentity, coda usage decreases as clan spatial overlap increases. This matches expectations if sympatry is related to a measurable pressure to diversify to make cultural divisions sharper, thereby providing evidence that identity codas function as symbolic markers of clan identity. Our study provides quantitative evidence of arbitrary traits, resembling human ethnic markers, conveying cultural identity outside of humans, and highlights remarkable similarities in the distributions of human ethnolinguistic groups and sperm whale clans.
More evidence that a usage-based, applied cognitive linguistics approach is effective for teaching the Spanish prepositions por and para
Authors: Kissling Elizabeth M.
Published: September 2022

While applying cognitive linguistics (CL) to language teaching has been proven effective for teaching polysemous prepositions in English, it has demonstrated less success with the difficult-to-acquire Spanish prepositions por and para. This points to the need for more practical research investigating if and how CL might be effective for this particular target, especially given that conventional instruction has been found to be lacking. The current study compared three instructional conditions in intact intermediate Spanish classes. The first was a traditional approach to teaching por and para that presented learners with lists of disconnected uses in one lesson (n = 32). The second was an applied CL approach that presented Principled Polysemy Networks gradually over time (n = 34), an incremental approach that is usage-based and is a best practice for cognitively demanding instruction. The third was a traditional approach that presented lists of disconnected uses but incrementally over time (n = 26). The usage-based CL approach was found to confer the most advantage for learners on a multiple-choice test, but not a fill-in-the-blank test. The findings are discussed in relation to their pedagogical applications, future directions for applied CL research, and limitations of the study.
Syntactic priming and alignment in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Hopkins Zoë
Published: September 2022

Syntactic priming is the unconscious repetition of grammatical constructions across utterances and between
(and within) speakers. This chapter considers syntactic priming effects in the language production of children with autism
spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition associated with communication deficits, and in some cases, with
co-occurring language disorder. Syntactic priming supports the acquisition of syntax in typical language development (e.g.
Chang, Dell & Bock, 2006), and – via syntactic alignment (the convergence
of syntactic behaviour and representation between speakers in dialogue) – promotes successful communication (Reitter & Moore, 2014), raising the possibility that impaired syntactic priming
mechanisms are implicated in autistic1 children’s language and communication
difficulties. Overall, the studies reviewed in this chapter demonstrate that autistic children’s difficulties with interactive
language do not stem from a general deficit in linguistic imitation: they converge syntactic structures with an interlocutor
and display alignment at the same level as their typically-developing peers. In fact, evidence suggests that autistic children
might occasionally engage in syntactic over-alignment, which could be communicatively maladaptive if priming
effects intersect with structural and pragmatic language impairments.
DarT-mediated mtDNA damage induces dynamic reorganization and selective segregation of mitochondria
Authors: Dua Nitish , Seshadri Akshaya , Badrinarayanan Anjana
Published: September 2022

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that play essential roles in cell growth and survival. Processes of fission and fusion are critical for the distribution, segregation, and maintenance of mitochondria and their genomes (mtDNA). While recent work has revealed the significance of mitochondrial organization for mtDNA maintenance, the impact of mtDNA perturbations on mitochondrial dynamics remains less understood. Here, we develop a tool to induce mitochondria-specific DNA damage using a mitochondrial-targeted base modifying bacterial toxin, DarT. Following damage, we observe dynamic reorganization of mitochondrial networks, likely driven by mitochondrial dysfunction. Changes in the organization are associated with the loss of mtDNA, independent of mitophagy. Unexpectedly, perturbation to exonuclease function of mtDNA replicative polymerase, Mip1, results in rapid loss of mtDNA. Our data suggest that, under damage, partitioning of defective mtDNA and organelle are de-coupled, with emphasis on mitochondrial segregation independent of its DNA. Together, our work underscores the importance of genome maintenance on mitochondrial function, which can act as a modulator of organelle organization and segregation.
Molecular Insights into Striking Antibody Evasion of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant
Authors: Yan Zeng-Shuai , Xu Yao , Ding Hong-Ming , Ma Yu-Qiang
Published: September 2022

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has become the dominant variant in the world. Uncovering the structural basis of altered immune response and enhanced transmission of Omicron is particularly important. Here, taking twenty-five antibodies from four groups as examples, we comprehensively reveal the underlying mechanism of how mutations in Omicron induces the weak neutralization by using molecular simulations. Overall, the binding strength of 68% antibodies is weakened in Omicron, much larger than that in Delta (40%). Specifically, the percentage of the weakened antibodies vary largely in different groups. Moreover, the mutation-induced repulsion is mainly responsive for the weak neutralization in AB/CD groups but does not take effect in EF group. Significantly, we demonstrate that the disappearance of hydrophobic interaction and salt bridges due to residue deletions contributes to the decreased binding energy in NTD group. This work provides unprecedented atomistic details for the distinct neutralization of WT/Delta/Omicron, which informs prospective efforts to design antibodies/vaccines against Omicron.
Influence of the dielectric thickness on the homogeneity of a diffuse dielectric barrier discharge in air
Authors: Belinger Antoine , Dap Simon , Naudé Nicolas
Published: September 2022

This work focuses on a diffuse Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) in atmospheric pressure air using an original experimental approach. In air, the role of the capacitance on the discharge regime has not yet been studied even though it affects the discharge current. To address this gap in knowledge, the dielectric capacitance was modified by the means of the dielectric thickness in a plane-to-plane DBD configuration. The discharge regime was analyzed using short exposure time photographs and electrical measurements in order to remove any potential uncertainties regarding the diffuse nature of the DBD in atmospheric pressure air. The influence of the dielectric capacitance on the discharge regime was analyzed thanks to the working domain of the discharge. Additionally, using an original electrical model of the discharge, the effective surface and current density of the discharge was obtained only from electrical measurements. Thus, the crucial role of the maximum current density on the discharge regime was highlighted. The control of the current density by the means of the dielectric capacitance led to the obtention of a diffuse discharge at a frequency up to 5 kHz for the very first time. Considering this high frequency, the possibility of using a DBD in air at atmospheric pressure for coating applications is discussed.
Adjustment of high-energy ion flux in BP-HiPIMS via pulsed coil magnetic field: plasma dynamics and film deposition
Authors: Luo Yang , Han Mingyue , Su Yukun , Li Hua , Li Duoduo , Tang Ling , Deng Dachen , Gu Jiabin , Yan Xin , Xu Ye , Luo Sida , Li Liuhe
Published: September 2022

As an emerging and extraordinary plasma source, bipolar pulsed high power impulse magnetron sputtering (BP-HiPIMS) discharge has been widely concerned by academia and industry due to the ability to control the deposited ion energy. In the present work, with the intension of increasing the high-energy ion fraction and flux during deposition, the BP-HiPIMS is operated together with a solenoidal coil installed in front of the target. This intension is achieved by applying a pulsed coil current so that the ions generated during the high-power negative pulse can be manipulated to diffuse towards substrate and then arrive at the substrate surface during the positive pulse. Systematic investigations of discharge characteristics and plasma parameters for Ti target discharge in Ar gas have been made, illustrating that applying a pulsed coil current prior to the positive pulse onset for ∼50 μs is an optimal selection to obtain a larger fraction of high-energy ions. The complex plasma dynamics has also been explored using the particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision approach. To verify the statements realized by plasma measurements, the Ti films have been deposited on a floating Si substrate, whose microstructure and surface morphology are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope. The deposition illustrates that applying a pulsed coil current prior to the positive pulse onset for ∼50 μs can prepare a thicker, denser, and smoother Ti film. The link between the plasma parameters and film microstructure is studied using the molecular dynamics simulations which show that the high-energy ions contribute to optimizing the adatom diffusion and mobility on growing film surface, which is more beneficial to get a smaller grain size and decrease the film surface roughness.
On the relevance of accurate input data for vibrational kinetics in air cold plasmas: the case of nitrogen fixation
Authors: Esposito Fabrizio
Published: September 2022

The need for green chemistry processes is currently pressing the research world to find solutions suited for a direct use of inherently intermittent renewable energy sources. However, these solutions must be also energy efficient, due to the world-size magnitude of the production that has to be substituted in the near future. One of the top problems in this sense is the nitrogen fixation, responsible for at least 40% of world food production by the synthesis of fertilisers. Using air plasmas for this process is an old idea dating back to the first years of 1900, then rapidly substituted by other processes more economically but much less ecologically sustainable. Reaching a balance between these two aspects of a realistic sustainability using non-equilibrium plasmas is the present challenge. Chemical kinetics modelling including vibrational kinetics of heavy species is key in this sense, because it allows to experiment possible solutions in a much easier way than in the laboratory, provided the model is sufficiently complete and based on accurate input data, in order to smoothly reproduce the available experimental findings. The present paper is focussed on the state-of-the-art of some heavy-particle processes crucial in air plasmas in general and for nitrogen fixation in particular, including new specific rate coefficient data, on their comparisons with well-known data largely used in models and on their possible improvements in the near future.
Interfacial modulation of TiN nanoribbons/graphene oxide for high performance photoactuators
Authors: Yang Bo , Luo Le , Zhu Shanshan , Jin Fengxian , Guo Sheng-Qi
Published: September 2022

Photoactuators have attracted tremendous scientific attention due to the potential application prospects in sensors, switches, artificial muscles and microelectromechanical devices. However, catering for practical applications, the weak interfacial contact of bilayer limits its further applications. Herein, we focus our investigations on modulating the interface of titanium nitride (TiN) nanoribbons and graphene oxide (GO) by controlling the topography to successful design a high performance photoactuator. In one respect, the surface of TiN nanoribbons was treated by controlling the heating process, forming a uniform dispersion with GO that is convenient for preparing film. Also, the interface between the photothermal conversion layer and passive deformation layer optimized forming close chemical bonds combining. The actuator exhibits fast and reversible actuation performance under the control of light, which only takes 0.8 s to reach the maximum bending. This strategy facilitates unexpected photoactuation with interface engineering, which is expected to further broaden the application prospects of the actuator in smart devices.
Variation in the propagation characteristics of extraordinary mode with density, magnetic field and temperature in a relativistic plasma environment
Authors: Ali M , Khan Waseem
Published: September 2022

Propagation characteristics of extraordinary mode (perpendicularly propagating electromagnetic wave which is partly transverse and partly longitudinal known as X-mode) are examined in a relativistic, weakly relativistic and non-relativistic plasma environment for various density to magnetic field ratio (

ω

pe

ω

ce

). The dispersion relation for X-mode is derived by using the relativistic kinetic model and employing Maxwell-Juttner distribution function. The integrals involved in the calculation are evaluated by using numerical quadrature approach. The mass dependent quantities like the cyclotron frequency and the plasma frequency will change by introducing sufficiently high temperature for which

η
=

mc

2

k

B

T

<
1

. This will effect significantly the propagation characteristics of X-mode. As the relativistic effects increase, the absorption at cyclotron frequency reduces and the dispersion characteristics of plasma vanishes. With the increase in the density or decrease in the magnetic field, the upper hybrid frequency and the right cutoff frequency shifted to a higher value, altering the propagation region.
Satelight: self-attention-based model for epileptic spike detection from multi-electrode EEG
Authors: Fukumori Kosuke , Yoshida Noboru , Sugano Hidenori , Nakajima Madoka , Tanaka Toshihisa
Published: September 2022

Objective. Because of the lack of highly skilled experts, automated technologies that support electroencephalogram (EEG)-based in epilepsy diagnosis are advancing. Deep convolutional neural network-based models have been used successfully for detecting epileptic spikes, one of the biomarkers, from EEG. However, a sizeable number of supervised EEG records are required for training. Approach. This study introduces the Satelight model, which uses the self-attention (SA) mechanism. The model was trained using a clinical EEG dataset labeled by five specialists, including 16 008 epileptic spikes and 15 478 artifacts from 50 children. The SA mechanism is expected to reduce the number of parameters and efficiently extract features from a small amount of EEG data. To validate the effectiveness, we compared various spike detection approaches with the clinical EEG data. Main results. The experimental results showed that the proposed method detected epileptic spikes more effectively than other models (accuracy = 0.876 and false positive rate = 0.133). Significance. The proposed model had only one-tenth the number of parameters as the other effective model, despite having such a high detection performance. Further exploration of the hidden parameters revealed that the model automatically attended to the EEG’s characteristic waveform locations of interest.
dICC: distance-based intraclass correlation coefficient for metagenomic reproducibility studies
Authors: Chen Jun , Zhang Xianyang
Published: September 2022

Due to the sparsity and high dimensionality, microbiome data are routinely summarized into pairwise distances capturing the compositional differences. Many biological insights can be gained by analyzing the distance matrix in relation to some covariates. A microbiome sampling method that characterizes the inter-sample relationship more reproducibly is expected to yield higher statistical power. Traditionally, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) has been used to quantify the degree of reproducibility for a univariate measurement using technical replicates. In this work, we extend the traditional ICC to distance measures and propose a distance-based ICC (dICC). We derive the asymptotic distribution of the sample-based dICC to facilitate statistical inference. We illustrate dICC using a real dataset from a metagenomic reproducibility study.

Availability and implementation

dICC is implemented in the R CRAN package GUniFrac.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Induced-ovulation in female dromedary camel involves kisspeptin neuron activation by β nerve growth factor
Authors: Ainani Hassan , Chhaibi Hamid , Achaâban Mohammed Rachid , Piro Mohammed , Ouassat Mohammed , Tibary Ahmed , El Allali Khalid , Simonneaux Valérie
Published: September 2022

The dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) is a short-day desert breeder in which female ovulation is induced by mating. Current data indicate that male-induced ovulation is triggered by its seminal plasma nerve growth factor beta (β-NGF), but the exact mechanisms involved in the induction of ovulation are still unknown. In this study, we report that an intramuscular injection of β-NGF in sexually active short-day-adapted female camels induces an ovulation attested by a surge of circulating LH (2–6 h after treatment) followed by an oocyte release with its cumulus oophorus (confirmed by ultrasonography 72 h after treatment) and a large and progressive increase in circulating progesterone (significant from the 2nd to the 10th days after β-NGF injection). In addition, this β-NGF treatment induces a broad nuclear c-FOS activation in cells located in various hypothalamic areas, notably the preoptic area, the arcuate nucleus, the dorso- and ventromedial hypothalamus, the paraventricular nucleus, and the supraoptic nucleus. A double immunostaining with neuropeptides known to be involved in the central control of reproduction indicates that ~28% kisspeptin neurons and 43% GnRH neurons in the proptic area, and ~10% RFRP-3 neurons in the dorso- and ventromedial hypothalamus are activated following β-NGF injection. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that systemic β-NGF induces ovulation in the female dromedary camel and indicates that this effect involves the central activation of hypothalamic neurons, notably the kisspeptin neurons.
Phospho-tau with subthreshold tau-PET predicts increased tau accumulation rates in amyloid-positive individuals
Authors: Groot Colin , Smith Ruben , Stomrud Erik , Binette Alexa Pichet , Leuzy Antoine , Wuestefeld Anika , Wisse Laura E M , Palmqvist Sebastian , Mattsson-Carlgren Niklas , Janelidze Shorena , Strandberg Olof , Ossenkoppele Rik , Hansson Oskar
Published: September 2022

Different tau biomarkers become abnormal at different stages of Alzheimer’s disease, with CSF phospho-tau typically becoming elevated at subthreshold levels of tau-PET binding. To capitalize on the temporal order of tau biomarker-abnormality and capture the earliest changes of tau accumulation, we implemented an observational study design to examine longitudinal changes in tau-PET, cortical thickness and cognitive decline in amyloid-β-positive individuals with elevated CSF p-tau levels (P+) but subthreshold Tau-PET retention (T−). To this end, individuals without dementia (i.e. cognitively unimpaired or mild cognitive impairment, n = 231) were selected from the BioFINDER-2 study. Amyloid-β-positive (A+) individuals were categorized into biomarker groups based on cut-offs for abnormal CSF p-tau217 and 18F-RO948 (Tau) PET, yielding groups of tau-concordant-negative (A+P−T−; n = 30), tau-discordant (i.e. A+P+T−; n = 48) and tau-concordant-positive (A+P+T+; n = 18) individuals. In addition, 135 amyloid-β-negative, tau-negative, cognitively unimpaired individuals served as controls. Differences in annual change in regional tau-PET, cortical thickness and cognition between the groups were assessed using general linear models, adjusted for age, sex, clinical diagnosis and (for cognitive measures only) education. Mean follow-up time was ∼2 years. Longitudinal increase in tau-PET was faster in the A+P+T− group than in the control and A+P−T− groups across medial temporal and neocortical regions, with the highest accumulation rates in the medial temporal lobe. The A+P+T− group showed a slower rate of increase in tau-PET compared to the A+P+T+ group, primarily in neocortical regions. We did not detect differences in yearly change in cortical thickness or in cognitive decline between the A+P+T− and A+P−T− groups. The A+P+T+ group, however, showed faster cognitive decline compared to all other groups. Altogether, these findings suggest that the A+P+T− biomarker profile in persons without dementia is associated with an isolated effect on increased tau-PET accumulation rates but not on cortical thinning and cognitive decline. While this suggests that the tau-discordant biomarker profile is not strongly associated with short-term clinical decline, this group does represent an interesting population for monitoring the effects of interventions with disease-modifying agents on tau accumulation in early Alzheimer’s disease, and for examining the emergence of tau aggregates in Alzheimer’s disease. Further, we suggest updating the AT(N) criteria for Alzheimer’s disease biomarker classification to APT(N).
Isolation and characterisation of Pulsatilla Radix-utilising bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus PR-1 from human faeces
Authors: Liu Yue , Sun Xiaoxia , Zhang Jincan , Gao Feng , Yu Leilei , Dong Lina , Zhang Gangli , Wu Changxin
Published: September 2022

Although probiotics have been isolated from different sources, few were isolated from traditional Chinese medicine. The current study firstly isolates Pulsatilla Radix-utilising Pediococcus pentosaceus PR-1 from human faeces. Subsequently, the tolerance of PR-1 to low pH, bile salts, simulated gastric juice and succus entericus, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, cholesterol assimilation and antibiotics susceptibility were investigated. After 2 h of incubation at pH 2.0, over 80% of PR-1 survived. The cell viability of PR-1 at 2 h under 0.1% bile salt condition was 99.2%. The survival rate of PR-1 in gastric juice and succus entericus was 64.48% and 81.86%, respectively. Cell-free supernatant of PR-1 culture also showed antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium. Besides, antioxidant activity of PR-1 CFS was significantly greater than cell pellet. PR-1 was shown to be resistant to kanamycin, streptomycin, vancomycin and norfloxacin and was able to lower the cholesterol level to 72.5±1.5%. In addition, PR-1 displayed γ-haemolysis and was non-pathogenic.
Beyond Chronological Age: A Multidimensional Approach to Survival Prediction in Older Adults
Authors: Salignon Jérôme , Rizzuto Debora , Calderón-Larrañaga Amaia , Zucchelli Alberto , Fratiglioni Laura , Riedel Christian G , Vetrano Davide L
Published: September 2022

Background

There is a growing interest in generating precise predictions of survival to improve the assessment of health and life-improving interventions. We aimed to (a) test if observable characteristics may provide a survival prediction independent of chronological age; (b) identify the most relevant predictors of survival; and (c) build a metric of multidimensional age.

Methods

Data from 3 095 individuals aged ≥60 from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen. Eighty-three variables covering 5 domains (diseases, risk factors, sociodemographics, functional status, and blood tests) were tested in penalized Cox regressions to predict 18-year mortality.

Results

The best prediction of mortality at different follow-ups (area under the receiver operating characteristic curves [AUROCs] 0.878–0.909) was obtained when 15 variables from all 5 domains were tested simultaneously in a penalized Cox regression. Significant prediction improvements were observed when chronological age was included as a covariate for 15- but not for 5- and 10-year survival. When comparing individual domains, we find that a combination of functional characteristics (ie, gait speed, cognition) gave the most accurate prediction, with estimates similar to chronological age for 5- (AUROC 0.836) and 10-year (AUROC 0.830) survival. Finally, we built a multidimensional measure of age by regressing the predicted mortality risk on chronological age, which displayed a stronger correlation with time to death (R = −0.760) than chronological age (R = −0.660) and predicted mortality better than widely used geriatric indices.

Conclusions

Combining easily accessible characteristics can help in building highly accurate survival models and multidimensional age metrics with potentially broad geriatric and biomedical applications.
Paid Care Services and Transitioning out of the Community Among Black and White Older Adults With Dementia
Authors: Roche-Dean Maria , Baik Sol , Moon Heehyul , Coe Norma B , Oh Anna , Zahodne Laura B
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Paid care provided in the home includes important support services for older adults with dementia such as cleaning and personal care assistance. By reducing unmet needs, these services could delay the transition to residential long-term care, but access may differ across racial groups. This study examined the relationship between paid care and transitioning out of the community among Black and White older adults with dementia.

Methods

Using data from 303 participants (29.4% Black) with probable dementia in the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study, competing risk hazards models estimated the association between receiving paid care at baseline and the probability of transitioning out of the community over 8 years (through 2019). Covariate selection was guided by the Andersen model of health care utilization.

Results

Paid care was associated with lower risk of transitioning out of the community (subhazard ratios [SHR] = 0.70, 95% CI [0.50, 0.98]). This effect was similar after controlling for predisposing factors and most prominent after controlling for enabling and need for services factors (SHR = 0.65, 95% CI [0.44, 0.95]). There was no racial difference in the use of paid care despite evidence of greater care needs in Blacks. Furthermore, Black participants were less likely to transition out of the community than Whites.

Discussion

Paid care services may help delay transitions out of the community. Future research should seek to explain racial differences in access to and/or preferences for home-based, community-based, and residential care.
The role of TREM2 N-glycans in trafficking to the cell surface and signal transduction of TREM2
Authors: Shirotani Keiro , Hatta Daisuke , Wakita Naoki , Watanabe Kaori , Iwata Nobuhisa
Published: September 2022

Variants of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) are associated with an increased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other neurodegenerative disorders. TREM2 is glycosylated in vitro and in vivo, but the significance of the modification is unknown. We previously established a sensitive and specific reporter cell model involving cultured Jurkat cells stably expressing a luciferase reporter gene and a gene encoding a TREM2DAP12 fusion protein to monitor TREM2-dependent signalling. In the present study, we prepared modified reporter cells to investigate the role of the N-glycans at N20 and N79. We show that the N-glycans at N79 have a requisite role in translocation of TREM2 to the cell surface, while the N-glycans at both N20 and N79 have a critical role in intracellular signal transduction. Our results indicate that structural changes to the TREM2 N-glycans may cause microglial dysfunction that contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders and that maintaining the integrity of TREM2 N-glycosylation and the responsible glycosyltransferases may be a novel therapeutic strategy to treat these disorders.