bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation between small polaron tunneling relaxation and donor ionization in Ga2O3
Authors: Shi Ying-Li , Huang Dong , Ling Francis Chi-Chung , Tian Qi-Sheng , Liao Liang-Sheng , Phillips Matthew R. , Ton-That Cuong
Published: April 2022

Pulsed laser deposition is employed to fabricate as-grown amorphous and post-growth annealed crystalline β-Ga2O3 films. The films annealed at temperatures above 600 °C are found to exhibit a pure monolithic phase with a bandgap of 4.7 eV. The thermally activated donor ionization and dielectric relaxation of these films are systematically investigated by temperature-dependent DC and AC conductivity measurements, and complex electric modulus analysis. A donor level at ∼180 meV below the conduction band edge and a small polaron tunneling (SPT) relaxation with an activation energy of ∼180 meV are observed in the as-grown amorphous Ga2O3 film but not in the monolithic β-Ga2O3 film. The SPT occurs between donor sites with its thermal relaxation of polarization being associated with the thermal ionization of the donor state. Thermal annealing of the amorphous films removes the 180 meV donors as well the corresponding SPT relaxation.
Data-driven fluid mechanics of wind farms: A review
Authors: Zehtabiyan-Rezaie Navid , Iosifidis Alexandros , Abkar Mahdi
Published: April 2022

With the growing number of wind farms over the last few decades and the availability of large datasets, research in wind-farm flow modeling—one of the key components in optimizing the design and operation of wind farms—is shifting toward data-driven techniques. However, given that most current data-driven algorithms have been developed for canonical problems, the enormous complexity of fluid flows in real wind farms poses unique challenges for data-driven flow modeling. These include the high-dimensional multiscale nature of turbulence at high Reynolds numbers, geophysical and atmospheric effects, wake-flow development, and incorporating wind-turbine characteristics and wind-farm layouts, among others. In addition, data-driven wind-farm flow models should ideally be interpretable and have some degree of generalizability. The former is important to avoid a lack of trust in the models with end-users, while the most popular strategy for the latter is to incorporate known physics into the models. This article reviews a collection of recent studies on wind-farm flow modeling, covering both purely data-driven and physics-guided approaches. We provide a thorough analysis of their modeling approach, objective, and methodology and specifically focus on the data utilized in the reviewed works.
Sex film viewing, but not hypersexual concerns, are associated with more sexual arousal in anticipation of an intimate partner experience
Authors: Prause Nicole , Siegle Greg
Published: April 2022

Background Hypersexual behaviours could reflect psychopathology, in part, because they impair interactions with intimate partners. Methods Hypersexual concerns were measured as: (1) concern about inability to control one’s own sexual behaviours; and (2) sexual films viewed. The outcome, sexual arousal, was measured using two indicators: (1) self-reported sexual arousal (before/after); and (2) skin conductance response from the person stimulated (continuously). Two-hundred and fifty participants completed Orgasmic Meditation (OM), a coupled, structured, 15-min manual-genital stroking. Results Reported difficulty controlling their own sexual behaviours was not related to sexual arousal reports. Participants who viewed more sexual films reported more sexual arousal before starting OM than participants who viewed less sexual films. Strokers who viewed more sexual films were associated with a higher skin conductance response in the stroked partner. Conclusions Despite statistical power and pre-registration, hypersexual concerns did not predict sexual responses with a partner. Sex film viewing may increase sexual responsiveness in individuals and their partners.
duperis a null mutation of Cryptochrome 1 in Syrian hamsters
Authors: Lee Yin Yeng , Cal-Kayitmazbatir Sibel , Francey Lauren J. , Bahiru Michael Seifu , Hayer Katharina E. , Wu Gang , Zeller Molly J. , Roberts Robyn , Speers James , Koshalek Justin , Berres Mark E. , Bittman Eric L. , Hogenesch John B.
Published: April 2022

Significance

We successfully identified theduperallele as a null mutation of Cryptochrome 1 in Syrian hamsters. Here, we have shown the use of fast homozygosity mapping as an effective approach to identify causal mutations in mammals, despite lacking chromosomal genome information. In the course of this work, we improved the draft Syrian hamster genome and generated datasets necessary to exploit Syrian hamsters as a modern genetic research model. The unique physiological features of Syrian hamsters make them a desirable model to investigate human diseases, including circadian disorders, cancer, heart function, metabolism, and infectious diseases (e.g., severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2).
Reactions to second language speech*
Authors: Isaacs Talia , Thomson Ron I.
Published: April 2022

This study investigates how Mandarin and Slavic language speakers’ comprehensibility, accentedness, and fluency ratings, as assigned by experienced teacher-raters and novice raters, align with discrete linguistic measures, and raters’ accounts of influences on their scoring. In addition to examining mean ratings in relation to rater experience and speaker first language background, we correlated ratings with segmental, prosodic, and temporal measures. Introspective reports were segmented, coded, enumerated, and submitted to loglinear analysis to elucidate influences on ratings. Results showed that ratings were strongly correlated with prosodic goodness and moderately correlated with segmental errors, implying the importance of both segmentals and prosody in L2 speech ratings. Experienced teacherraters provided lengthier reports than novice raters, producing more comments for all coded categories where an error was identified except for pausing (a disfluency marker). This may be because novice raters observed little else about the speech or struggled to pinpoint or articulate other features.
In vivo labeling reveals continuous trafficking of TCF-1+ T cells between tumor and lymphoid tissue
Authors: Li Zhi , Tuong Zewen K. , Dean Isaac , Willis Claire , Gaspal Fabrina , Fiancette Rémi , Idris Suaad , Kennedy Bethany , Ferdinand John R. , Peñalver Ana , Cabantous Mia , Murtuza Baker Syed , Fry Jeremy W. , Carlesso Gianluca , Hammond Scott A. , Dovedi Simon J. , Hepworth Matthew R. , Clatworthy Menna R. , Withers David R.
Published: April 2022

Improving the efficacy of immune checkpoint therapies will require a better understanding of how immune cells are recruited and sustained in tumors. Here, we used the photoconversion of the tumor immune cell compartment to identify newly entering lymphocytes, determine how they change over time, and investigate their egress from the tumor. Combining single-cell transcriptomics and flow cytometry, we found that while a diverse mix of CD8 T cell subsets enter the tumor, all CD8 T cells retained within this environment for more than 72 h developed an exhausted phenotype, revealing the rapid establishment of this program. Rather than forming tumor-resident populations, non-effector subsets, which express TCF-1 and include memory and stem-like cells, were continuously recruited into the tumor, but this recruitment was balanced by concurrent egress to the tumor-draining lymph node. Thus, the TCF-1+ CD8 T cell niche in tumors is highly dynamic, with the circulation of cells between the tumor and peripheral lymphoid tissue to bridge systemic and intratumoral responses.
Camera calibration algorithm development for a two-view collimated shadowgraph system
Authors: Zhu H J , Zhao C Y , Wang Q
Published: April 2022

Shadowgraph imaging is a promising technique for volumetric velocity measurements, which features a high framing rate, long depth focus, and a cheap light source. The main objective of the current study is to develop a camera calibration algorithm for collimated shadowgraph systems, which is an essential procedure for 3D particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) strategies. First, the optical model of a two-view collimated shadowgraph system is established, which can be described by the orthographic projection model. The image distortion effect is also taken into consideration. Then, the calibration algorithm is developed using a flexible planar-target-based method. Aiming towards 3D PTV applications, the extrinsic parameters, including rotation and translation relationships between the two camera imaging coordinates, have been derived. The ambiguity around the sign confirmation of the extrinsic parameters has been solved by introducing extra information from the relative positions of the two views. Moreover, extrinsic parameters self-calibration (EPSC) has been implemented to deal with unavoidable camera drifts during the experiments. The results indicate that the EPSC is effective in removing the global system error in the current two-view system. The proposed calibration algorithm has been verified using synthetic images, which has shown a mean reprojection error of less than 0.1 pixels. In a water jet experiment, the mean reprojection error is around 0.3 pixels (about 0.019 mm in reality) after the board calibration. The relative error evaluated from the reconstruction points is less than 1%. The results indicate that the proposed calibration procedure is effective and feasible for collimated shadowgraph imaging systems. The 3D-particle positions of a sample frame have been reconstructed successfully. It is believed that the high quality shadowgraph images can offer high precision measurements for further implementations of 3D PTV algorithms.
Supraventricular ectopic beats and ventricular ectopic beats detection based on improved U-net
Authors: Qiu Lishen , Cai Wenqiang , Zhang Miao , Dong Yanfang , Zhu Wenliang , Wang Lirong
Published: April 2022

Objective. Supraventricular ectopic beats (SVEB) or ventricular ectopic beats (VEB) are common arrhythmia with uncertain occurrence and morphological diversity, so realizing their automatic localization is of great significance in clinical diagnosis. Methods. We propose a modified U-net network: U
SV
-net, it can simultaneously realize the automatic positioning of VEB and SVEB. The improvement consists of three parts: firstly, we reconstruct part of the convolutional layer in U-net using group convolution to reduce the expression of redundant features. Secondly, a plug-and-play multi-scale 2D deformable convolution module is designed to extract cross-channel features of different scales. Thirdly, in addition to conventional output of U-net, we also compress and output the bottom feature map of U-net, the dual-output is trained through Dice-loss to take into account the learning of high/low resolution features of the model. We used the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database for patient-specific training, and used Sensitivity, Positive prediction rate and F1-scores to evaluate the effectiveness of our method. Main Result. The F1-scores of SVEB and VEB achieve the best results compared with other studies in different testing records. It is worth noting that the F1-scores of SVEB and VEB reached 81.3 and 95.4 in the 24 testing records. Moreover, our method is also at the forefront in Sensitivity and Positive prediction rate. Significance. The method proposed in this paper has great potential in the detection of SVEB and VEB. We anticipate efficiency and accuracy of clinical detection of ectopic beats would be improved.
Full fluid moment modeling of rotating spokes in Penning-type configuration
Authors: Mansour A R , Hara K
Published: April 2022

Rotating spokes are observed in a partially magnetized plasma using a two-dimensional full fluid moment (FFM) model. In the present setup, where the radial electric field and plasma density gradient exist in opposite directions, it is observed that the spokes propagate in the direction of the diamagnetic drift and not the E × B drift. This is contrary to the modified Simon–Hoh instability, and the results suggest that the spokes can be driven by a strong diamagnetic drift. Different parameters, including magnetic field amplitude and physical domain size, influence the growth of the rotational instability as well as the dominant wave modes that arise. The propagation speed of the rotating spokes obtained from the FFM simulation are in good agreement with the observations in experimental and other computational work.
The fully-kinetic investigations on the ion acceleration mechanisms in an electron-driven magnetic nozzle
Authors: Chen Zhiyuan , Wang Yibai , Ren Junxue , Tang Haibin , Wu Peng , Li Min
Published: April 2022

A fully kinetic particle-in-cell study is conducted to investigate the ion acceleration mechanisms in an electron-driven magnetic nozzle. All five powers contributing to the axial kinetic energy of ions are derived and evaluated under different magnetic field strength and inlet density profiles. Among them, the electrothermal and electromagnetic acceleration contributes over 98% of the total accelerating power. The dominating acceleration mechanism is found to be the electrothermal acceleration, covering two thirds of the axial accelerating power in the electron-driven magnetic nozzle. The electromagnetic mechanism is found to originate from four sources, among which the major accelerating and decelerating one are the diamagnetic acceleration driven by radial gradient of electron pressure and the E × B mechanism due to the inward ion detachment. The power induced by the viscous-stress of electrons contributes 14%–23% of the decelerating power, indicating the non-negligible influence of finite electron Larmor radius effect on the ion acceleration. Results indicates that the net effect of electromagnetic mechanism can even be decelerating when the magnetic field is too high with a uniform inlet. Finally, the conversion efficiency from the inlet thermal energy to the ion axial kinetic energy is derived and evaluated, which can reach as high as 65.0% under 0.25 T with a Gaussian-profile inlet. Raising the magnetic field to 0.75 T or a uniform inlet will decrease the conversion efficiency.
Logic and memory characteristics of an inverter comprising a feedback FET and a MOSFET
Authors: Lim Eunhyeok , Son Jaemin , Cho Kyoungah , Kim Sangsig
Published: April 2022

In this study, we design an inverter comprising a p-channel feedback field-effect transistor (p-FBFET) and an n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor and examine its logic and memory characteristics. For the transition of inverter from the logic ‘0’ (‘1’) state to ‘1’ (‘0’) state, the gain is 2001.6 V/V (1992.4 V/V). The steep switching characteristics and high on/off current ratio of the p-FBFET contribute to the high inverter gains. For an inverter with zero static power consumption, the logic states remain for more than 500 s. The long retention time allows the inverter proposed in this study to be applicable to logic-in-memory.
Systematic study of niobium thermal treatments for superconducting radio frequency cavities employing x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Prudnikava A , Tamashevich Y , Babenkov S , Makarova A , Smirnov D , Aristov V , Molodtsova O , Kugeler O , Viefhaus J , Foster B
Published: April 2022

The structural and chemical composition of the surface layer (100–140 nm) of niobium radiofrequency cavities operating at cryogenic temperature has enormous impact on their superconducting characteristics. During the last years, cavities treated with a new thermal processing recipe, so-called nitrogen infusion, have demonstrated an increased efficiency and high accelerating gradients. The role and importance of nitrogen gas has been a topic of many debates. In the present work we employ variable-energy synchrotron x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), to study the niobium surface subjected to the following treatments: vacuum annealing at 800 °C, nitrogen infusion, and vacuum heat treatment as for the infusion process but without nitrogen supply. Careful analysis of XPS energy-distribution curves revealed a slightly increased thickness of the native oxide Nb2O5 for the infused samples (∼3.8 nm) as compared to the annealed one (∼3.5 nm) which indicates insignificant oxygen incorporation into niobium during 120 °C baking and no effect of nitrogen on the formation of oxides or other niobium phases. By conducting an additional in-situ annealing experiment and analyzing the niobium after the failed infusion process, we conclude that the vacuum furnace hygiene particularly during the high-temperature stage is the prerequisite for success of any treatment recipe.
Dual-mode room temperature self-calibrating photodiodes approaching cryogenic radiometer uncertainty
Authors: Ulset Marit S , Bardalen Eivind , Pepe Carlo , Filippo Roberto , Rajteri Mauro , Sildoja Meelis-Mait , Kübarsepp Toomas , Gieseler Julian , Gran Jarle
Published: April 2022

The room temperature dual-mode self-calibrating detector combines low-loss photodiodes with electrical substitution radiometry for determination of optical power. By using thermal detection as a built-in reference in the detector, the internal losses of the photodiode can be determined directly, without the need of an external reference. Computer simulations were used to develop a thermal design that minimises the electro-optical non-equivalence in electrical substitution. Based on this thermal design, we produced detector modules that we mounted in a trap structure for minimised reflection loss. The thermal simulations predicted a change in response of around 280 parts per million per millimeter when changing the position of the beam along the centre line of the photodiode, and we were able to reproduce this change experimentally. We report on dual-mode internal loss estimation measurements with radiation of 488 nm at power levels of 500 μW, 875 μW and 1250 μW, using two different methods of electrical substitution. In addition, we present three different calculation algorithms for determining the optical power in thermal mode, all three showing consistent results. We present room temperature optical power measurements at an uncertainty level approaching that of the cryogenic radiometer with 400 ppm (k = 2), where the type A standard uncertainty in the thermal measurement only contributed with 26 ppm at 1250 μW in a 6 hour long measurement sequence.
Impacts of El Niño on the South China Sea surface salinity as seen from satellites
Authors: Qi Jifeng , Du Yan , Chi Jianwei , Yi Daling Li , Li Delei , Yin Baoshu
Published: April 2022

The impacts of El Niño on sea surface salinity (SSS) in the South China Sea (SCS) are investigated using satellite observations, in-situ data, and reanalysis products. Here, we show that positive SSS anomalies cover most of the SCS during the mature phase of El Niño. The physical processes controlling these positive SSS anomalies are different from region to region, and the differences are especially obvious between the northern and southern SCS. In the northern SCS, the positive SSS anomalies are primarily caused by horizontal advection in response to an enhanced Kuroshio intrusion through the Luzon Strait, while changes in surface freshwater fluxes act to reduce SSS. In the southern SCS, the positive SSS anomalies are largely due to reduced surface freshwater fluxes, with ocean dynamics playing a secondary role. An anomalous anticyclone associated with El Niño is mainly responsible for the reduction of surface freshwater fluxes in the southern SCS.
Many body density of states in the edge of the spectrum: non-interacting limit
Authors: Shukla Pragya
Published: April 2022

In noninteracting limit, the density of states (dos) of a many body system can be expressed as a convolution of the single body dos of its subunits. We use the formulation to derive, in the edge of the spectrum, a differential equation for the ensemble averaged many body dos that is relatively easier to solve. Our analysis, based on the systems in which the subunits can be modelled by a Gaussian or Wishart random matrix ensemble, indicates that a rescaling of energy by the number of subunits leaves the many body dos in a mathematically invariant form.
Effect of post-treatment drying processes on the optical and photothermal properties of carbon nanodots derived via microwave-assisted method
Authors: Indriyati  , Munir Muhammad Miftahul , Nasir Muhamad , Iskandar Ferry
Published: April 2022

Carbon nanodots (CNDs) are considered as potential materials for photothermal applications and can be used as solar absorbers to enhance the absorption and conversion efficiency of solar energy to heat. To meet the criteria as solar absorbers, CNDs were synthesized via microwave heating and dried by two different drying processes, namely freeze drying and oven drying, obtaining CNDs powder with the labeled of CND-FD and CND-OD, respectively. The effect of these two drying methods on the optical and photothermal properties of CNDs was investigated. It was observed that soft and light powders were obtained from freeze drying, while oven drying resulted in shiny and agglomerate particles. Oven drying did not alter the absorption profile of CNDs, but freeze-drying resulted in broader and slightly red-shift absorption compared with that of CNDs colloid before drying. Photoluminescence intensity of CND-FD was only half of that of CND-OD. FTIR analysis revealed that CND-FD contained fewer hydroxyl and hydrophilic amine groups, leading to less hygroscopic nature of CND-FD than CND-OD. Because of its better absorption capability, the presence of CND-FD in water significantly increased the water evaporation rate and evaporation efficiency up to 2.2 kg/m2.h and 84%, respectively, three times higher than that of water without CNDs. With a similar photothermal testing condition, CND-OD resulted in a evaporation rate of only 0.9 kg/m2.h and evaporation efficiency of 36%. It can be noticed that freeze drying is more suitable to dry CNDs powder over oven drying to obtain excellent optical and photothermal properties of CNDs.
Preliminary study on seaweed fermentation for lactic acid production
Authors: Hidawati  , Nissa Rossy Choerun , Dawam Akbar Hanif , Marganingrum Dyah
Published: April 2022

Indonesia is a maritime country that is rich in seaweed. However, seaweed fermentation into lactic acid is not yet usually. Seaweed fermentation has outstanding potential because it has the most abundant polysaccharides compared to other sources. This research aims to synthesize lactic acid by fermentation using a single culture of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) and two substrates, namely seaweed flour and refined salt Kappa-Carrageenan (RKC). Lactic acid was analyzed by fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and its concentration was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The proximate analysis showed that crude Fiber and starch levels in seaweed are 25.37% and 14.66% (w/w) and also in RKC are 16.45% and 1.07% (w/w), respectively. The highest reducing sugar was attained at H2SO4 2% (w/w), which were 51,184 mg/L in RKC and 24,824 mg/L in seaweed flour. Based on FT-IR data, lactic acid characteristic signals were found at broadband approximately 3000 - 3500 cm−1, which indicated the presence of OH band, a band at 1656 cm−1 revealed C=O stretching of carbonyl groups, and a band at 1118 cm−1 for C-O stretching of alcohol. Based on GC-MS data, the highest lactic acid production was 42,267 mg/L in RKC and 37,130 mg/L in seaweed flour. In this study, we can conclude that the efficiency of hydrolysis and fermentation of RKC was better than seaweed flour. However, the substrate concentration for optimum lactic acid production was unknown, so a more in-depth study was needed.
A parallelized, perfused 3D triculture model of leukemia for in vitro drug testing of chemotherapeutics
Authors: Zippel Sabrina , Dilger Nadine , Chatterjee Chandralekha , Raic Annamarija , Brenner-Weiß Gerald , Schadzek Patrik , Rapp Bastian E , Lee-Thedieck Cornelia
Published: April 2022

Leukemia patients undergo chemotherapy to combat the leukemic cells (LCs) in the bone marrow. During therapy not only the LCs, but also the blood-producing hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) may be destroyed. Chemotherapeutics targeting only the LCs are urgently needed to overcome this problem and minimize life-threatening side-effects. Predictive in vitro drug testing systems allowing simultaneous comparison of various experimental settings would enhance the efficiency of drug development. Here, we present a three-dimensional (3D) human leukemic bone marrow model perfused using a magnetic, parallelized culture system to ensure media exchange. Chemotherapeutic treatment of the acute myeloid leukemia cell line KG-1a in 3D magnetic hydrogels seeded with mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) revealed a greater resistance of KG-1a compared to 2D culture. In 3D tricultures with HSPCs, MSCs and KG-1a, imitating leukemic bone marrow, HSPC proliferation decreased while KG-1a cells remained unaffected post treatment. Non-invasive metabolic profiling enabled continuous monitoring of the system. Our results highlight the importance of using biomimetic 3D platforms with proper media exchange and co-cultures for creating in vivo-like conditions to enable in vitro drug testing. This system is a step towards drug testing in biomimetic, parallelized in vitro approaches, facilitating the discovery of new anti-leukemic drugs.
Noise-like pulses from all-normal dispersion ytterbium doped all-fiber oscillator with semiconductor saturable absorber
Authors: Paul Nitish , Singh C P , Bhuvnesh  , Gupta P K , Mukhopadhyay P K , Bindra K S
Published: April 2022

We report generation of stable train of noise like pulses (NLPs) from all-normal dispersion ytterbium doped all-fiber unidirectional ring cavity consisting of semiconductor saturable absorber (SeSA) without any bandpass filter (BPF). NLPs are characterized by their autocorrelation traces which exhibit ∼500 fs spike riding on a broad pedestal of ∼200 ps. NLP operation is also supported by its relatively broad optical spectrum along with reasonably stable longer pulse profile on oscilloscope. Numerical simulations have also been performed in detail to study the effects of cavity parameters like the cavity length, BPF bandwidth and depth of modulation (q
0) of SeSA on the evolved pulses from the cavity. The simulation results suggest that stable single clean pulse (SSCP) is generated for a certain range of cavity parameters and in the absence of BPF no SSCP is possible from the cavity if the value of q
0 is below a certain value. Under this condition either NLP or no pulse is generated in the simulation. Numerically simulated NLP in a ring cavity matches qualitatively with the experimentally obtained results for NLP. The study carried out on NLP will enrich database of pulse dynamics in modelocked oscillators and has potential application in optical coherence tomography and supercontinuum generation.
Effect of ambient atmosphere on the formation and evolution of conjugated structure of pre-oxidized polyacrylonitrile
Authors: Wang Bin , Lei Shuai , Li Chenggao , Gao Aijun
Published: April 2022

The ambient atmosphere has the remarkable effect on the chemical reaction mechanism and the formation of characteristic chemical structures and conjugated structures for pre-oxidized polyacrylonitrile (PAN). In the present paper, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) were used to characterize the variations of chemical reaction characteristic structures and conjugate structures of copolymerized PAN in nitrogen and air atmosphere, respectively. Combined with the multivariate reaction model proposed by the predecessors, it can be found that two main conjugated structures (conjugated polyene and conjugated aromatic heterocycle) formed during the pre-oxidation process of copolymerized PAN. In nitrogen atmosphere, the formed main structure units were the conjugated diene and conjugated double ring with 1–2 double bonds. By contrast, the formed main units in air were the conjugated diene and conjugated tricyclic with a double bond. During the whole pre-oxidation process, the maximum unit numbers of conjugated double bonds and conjugated rings were no more than four and six, respectively. Increasing the heat treatment temperature favored to form more conjugate structures than prolonging the heat treatment time. Furthermore, with the increase of heat treatment temperature or time in air, the main conjugate unit numbers had no obvious change, while the maximum unit numbers increased slightly. For the exposure in nitrogen atmosphere, the main conjugated polycyclic structure was transformed into conjugated tricyclic structure after the heat treatment at 250 °C for more than 3 h. In addition, when the heat treatment temperature and time were 280 °C for more than 4 h, the main conjugated polyene structure was transformed into conjugated triene, and the maximum conjugated unit numbers increased slightly.
Investigation of ferronickel slag powder for marine applications by using MIP method
Authors: Shanmugasundar G , Krishnan Ganesh Sai , Babu L Ganesh , Kumar S , Makos Mebratu
Published: April 2022

The main aim of this work is to study the performance of the ferro-nickel slag in the powder form and to analyze the permeability performance using MIP method. The test is carried out under two different conditions. It is performed in clean water and a marine environment. Under these conditions different admixture conditions were examined. The change in impermeability of soil and cements for various admixture conditions were examined and the values were measured. A Mercury Intrusion Porosimeter (MIP) was used to examine the pore structure. Permeability values shown increasing trend in both clean water and in a marine environment. The Impermeability values shown increasing trend in marine environment compared with the clean water. During experimentation when Ferronickel slag powder exceeds 20 percentage. The impermeability reduces gradually and it gets decreased.40 percentages of ferronickel slag powder obtained were seemed to be optimum. Based on the results obtained from Mercury Intrusion Porosimeter (MIP), synergetic integration of ferro nickel slag powder on mixing with the soil-cement creates a micro-aggregate effect and the porosity of soil-cement which in turn increased the resistance for sea water erosions.
Social information use about novel aposematic prey depends on the intensity of the observed cue
Authors: Mulà Clelia , Thorogood Rose , Hämäläinen Liisa
Published: April 2022

Animals gather social information by observing the behavior of others, but how the intensity of observed cues influences decision-making is rarely investigated. This is crucial for understanding how social information influences ecological and evolutionary dynamics. For example, observing a predator’s distaste of unpalatable prey can reduce predation by naïve birds, and help explain the evolution and maintenance of aposematic warning signals. However, previous studies have only used demonstrators that responded vigorously, showing intense beak-wiping after tasting prey. Therefore, here we conducted an experiment with blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) informed by variation in predator responses. First, we found that the response to unpalatable food varies greatly, with only few individuals performing intensive beak-wiping. We then tested how the intensity of beak-wiping influences observers’ foraging choices using video-playback of a conspecific tasting a novel conspicuous prey item. Observers were provided social information from 1) no distaste response, 2) a weak distaste response, or 3) a strong distaste response, and were then allowed to forage on evolutionarily novel (artificial) prey. Consistent with previous studies, we found that birds consumed fewer aposematic prey after seeing a strong distaste response, however, a weak response did not influence foraging choices. Our results suggest that while beak-wiping is a salient cue, its information content may vary with cue intensity. Furthermore, the number of potential demonstrators in the predator population might be lower than previously thought, although determining how this influences social transmission of avoidance in the wild will require uncovering the effects of intermediate cue salience.
Persisting chemosensory impairments in 366 healthcare workers following COVID-19: an 11-month follow-up
Authors: Bussiere Nicholas , Mei Jie , Levesque-Boissonneault Cindy , Blais Mathieu , Carazo Sara , Gros-Louis Francois , Laforce Robert , De Serres Gaston , Dupre Nicolas , Frasnelli Johannes
Published: April 2022

Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions (OD, GD) are prevalent symptoms following COVID-19 and persist in 6%–44% of individuals post-infection. As only few reports have described their prognosis after 6 months, our main objective was to assess the prevalence of OD and GD 11-month post-COVID-19. We also aimed to determine intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of chemosensory self-ratings for the follow-up of chemosensory sensitivity. We designed an observational study and distributed an online questionnaire assessing chemosensory function to healthcare workers with a RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection 5- and 11-month post-COVID-19. Specifically, we assessed olfaction, gustation, and trigeminal sensitivity (10-point visual analog scale) and function (4-point Likert scale). We further measured clinically relevant OD using the Chemosensory Perception Test, a psychophysical test designed to provide a reliable remote olfactory evaluation. We included a total of 366 participants (mean [SD] age of 44.8 (11.7) years old). They completed the last online questionnaire 10.6 months (0.7) after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Of all participants, 307 (83.9%) and 301 (82.2%) individuals retrospectively reported lower olfactory or gustatory sensitivity during the acute phase of COVID-19. At the time of evaluation, 184 (50.3%) and 163 (44.5%) indicated reduced chemosensory sensitivity, 32.2% reported impairment of olfactory function while 24.9% exhibited clinically relevant OD. Olfactory sensitivity had a high test–retest reliability (ICC: 0.818; 95% CI: 0.760–0.860). This study suggests that chemosensory dysfunctions persist in a third of COVID-19 patients 11 months after COVID-19. OD appears to be a common symptom of post-COVID-19 important to consider when treating patients.
Unpacking strategic behavior in cyberspace: a schema-driven approach
Authors: Gomez Miguel Alberto , Whyte Christopher
Published: April 2022

The contemporary literature on cybersecurity and related interstate interactions often cites the need to overcome uncertainty due to an inherent information deficit about cyber operations. While this notion remains relevant in studies that advance our understanding of state behavior in cyberspace, noticeable gaps persist. These stem from the limited utility of cyber operations to shift the balance of strategic power between states or to signal intent and resolve effectively. In response, this article advances a cognitive-cultural framework, wherein behavior reflects preferences derived from schema usage. Using cross-national wargames, the article illustrates the schematic use of strategic culture as a basis for deriving strategic objectives and the means of achieving these. Consequently, the article is an initial foray aimed at expanding our understanding of interstate behavior in cyberspace.
Engaging students in dialogic interactions through questioning
Authors: Yang Zi , Brindley Sue
Published: April 2022

This paper presents a study of EFL classroom talk with the focus on how teachers successfully encourage and elicit student dialogic talk through questioning. It is based on observation data from forty-nine classes involving eleven teaching staff in a university in central China. The findings reveal the difficulty of engaging students to be the first to participate in dialogic interactions in a culture where deeply engrained reserve is the accepted norm. Two teacher questioning patterns are identified that are effective in eliciting students’ first dialogic contribution in each interaction. These patterns can also serve as a profitable investment to elicit subsequent productive talk from students. This study also argues for a situated, contextualized analysis of classroom talk.
Rethinking referral pathways: qualitative evaluation of general practice networks to increase access to intrauterine contraception
Authors: Bell Sara F E , Harvey Caroline , Mack Fiona , Lambert Stephen , Lazarou Mattea , Strom Kay , Dean Judith A
Published: April 2022

Background

Long-acting reversible contraceptives are recommended first-line contraception; however, intrauterine device (IUD) uptake remains low in Australia.

Objectives

To describe the outcomes of an independent evaluation of the General Practitioner IUD Insertion Network (GPIIN), a project designed to address access barriers through formalized referral pathways between general practitioners (GPs) inserting IUDs and noninserters.

Methods

An independent qualitative pragmatic inductive evaluation, involving 14 in-depth interviews with GPIIN members, was conducted 18 months post-GPIIN implementation in 2 Australian jurisdictions to identify and explore critical success factors and limitations of the model.

Results

Local GP-to-GP IUD referral networks were considered a useful model to assist affordable and timely IUD access, improve noninserters’ IUD knowledge and inserters’ reflection on best practice. However, pathway simplification is needed to determine optimal integration of the concept into pragmatic GP-to-GP referral arrangements.

Conclusions

GPIIN provides an opportunity to improve IUD access in Primary Health Care. Further consideration of organizations best positioned and resourced to facilitate sustainable delivery and coordination is necessary.
Contrasting elevational patterns and underlying drivers of stream bacteria and fungi at the regional scale on the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Liu Jiawen , Zhao Wenqian , Ren Minglei , Liu Yongqin , Xu Yan , Wang Jianjun
Published: April 2022

Elevational gradients are the focus of development and evaluation of general theories on biodiversity. However, elevational studies of microorganisms and the underlying mechanisms remain understudied, especially at regional scales. Here, we examined stream bacterial and fungal communities along an elevational gradient of 990–4600 m with a geographic distance up to 500 km in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau and further analyzed their elevational patterns and drivers of three biodiversity indicators, including species richness, ecological uniqueness, and community composition. Bacteria and fungi showed distinct elevational trends in species richness and consistently decreasing patterns in their ecological uniqueness. The distance–decay relationships were concordant for the two microbial groups, while fungi showed higher dissimilarity and a lower turnover rate. Interestingly, bacterial and fungal compositions substantially differed between the elevations below and above 3000 m. Climate predictors, such as the mean annual temperature and precipitation seasonality, had greater effects than local environment drivers. Notably, fungal diversity was mainly influenced by climate, while bacterial diversity was explained by the shared contributions of climate and local factors. Collectively, these findings revealed the elevational patterns of stream microbial biodiversity across mountains on a large spatial scale and highlight their underlying response mechanisms to environmental predictors.
Affective forecasting in elections: A socio-communicative perspective
Authors: Tenenboim-Weinblatt Keren , Baden Christian , Aharoni Tali , Overbeck Maximilian
Published: April 2022

In orienting themselves to the future, people form expectations not only on what will happen but also on how they will feel about possible future occurrences. So far, such affective forecasting—the prediction of future feelings—has been studied mainly from a psychological perspective. This study aims to show the importance of a socio-communicative perspective for understanding the predictors, manifestations, and consequences of affective forecasting, especially when collective futures are at stake. Using the case study of the 2019–2021 Israeli elections and a combination of a 12-wave survey and 25 focus groups, we show how political affective forecasts are associated with socio-communicative factors, are used in social interactions, and have consequences for political polarization and participation. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our findings for future research on affective forecasting in communication studies.
Catastrophic health expenditure on private sector pharmaceuticals: a cross-sectional analysis from the state of Odisha, India
Authors: Haakenstad Annie , Kalita Anuska , Bose Bijetri , Cooper Jan E , Yip Winnie
Published: April 2022

India has high rates of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE): 16% of Indian households incur CHE. To understand why CHE is so high, we conducted an in-depth analysis in the state of Odisha—a state with high rates of public sector facility use, reported eligibility for public insurance of 80%, and the provision of drugs for free in government-run facilities—yet with the second-highest rates of CHE across India (24%). We collected household data in 2019 representative of the state of Odisha and captured extensive information about healthcare seeking, including the facility type, its sector (private or public), how much was spent out-of-pocket, and where drugs were obtained. We employ Shapley decomposition to attribute variation in CHE and other financial hardship metrics to characteristics of healthcare, controlling for health and social determinants. We find that 36.3% (95% uncertainty interval: 32.7–40.1) of explained variation in CHE is attributed to whether a private sector pharmacy was used and the number of drugs obtained. Of all outpatient visits, 13% are with a private sector chemist, a similar rate as public primary providers (15%). Insurance was used in just 6% of hospitalizations and its use explained just 0.2% (0.1–0.4) of CHE overall. Eighty-six percent of users of outpatient care obtained drugs from the private sector. We estimate that eliminating spending on private drugs would reduce CHE by 56% in Odisha. The private sector for pharmaceuticals fulfills an essential health system function in Odisha—supplying drugs to the vast majority of patients. To improve financial risk protection in Odisha, the role currently fulfilled by private sector pharmacies must be considered alongside existing shortcomings in the public sector provision of drugs and the lack of outpatient care and drug coverage in public insurance programs.
Suleiman-El-Hattab syndrome: a histone modification disorder caused by TASP1 deficiency
Authors: Riedhammer Korbinian M , Burgemeister Anna L , Cantagrel Vincent , Amiel Jeanne , Siquier-Pernet Karine , Boddaert Nathalie , Hertecant Jozef , Kannouche Patricia L , Pouvelle Caroline , Htun Stephanie , Slavotinek Anne M , Beetz Christian , Diego-Alvarez Dan , Kampe Kapil , Fleischer Nicole , Awamleh Zain , Weksberg Rosanna , Kopajtich Robert , Meitinger Thomas , Suleiman Jehan , El-Hattab Ayman W
Published: April 2022

Background: TASP1 encodes an endopeptidase activating histone methyltransferases of the KMT2 family. Homozygous loss-of-function variants in TASP1 have recently been associated with Suleiman-El-Hattab syndrome. We report six individuals with Suleiman-El-Hattab syndrome and provide functional characterization of this novel histone modification disorder in a multi-omics approach. Methods: Chromosomal microarray/exome sequencing in all individuals. Western blotting from fibroblasts in two individuals. RNA sequencing and proteomics from fibroblasts in one individual. Methylome analysis from blood in two individuals. Knock-out of tasp1 orthologue in zebrafish and phenotyping. Results: All individuals had biallelic TASP1 loss-of-function variants and a phenotype including developmental delay, multiple congenital anomalies (including cardiovascular and posterior fossa malformations), a distinct facial appearance and happy demeanor. Western blot revealed absence of TASP1. RNA sequencing/proteomics showed HOX gene downregulation (HOXA4, HOXA7, HOXA1 and HOXB2) and dysregulation of transcription factor TFIIA. A distinct methylation profile intermediate between control and Kabuki syndrome (KMT2D) profiles could be produced. Zebrafish tasp1 knock-out revealed smaller head size and abnormal cranial cartilage formation in tasp1 crispants. Conclusion: This work further delineates Suleiman-El-Hattab syndrome, a recognizable neurodevelopmental syndrome. Possible downstream mechanisms of TASP1 deficiency include perturbed HOX gene expression and dysregulated TFIIA complex. Methylation pattern suggests that Suleiman-El-Hattab syndrome can be categorized into the group of histone modification disorders including Wiedemann–Steiner and Kabuki syndrome.
Empirical use of β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations does not increase mortality compared with cloxacillin and cefazolin in methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia: a propensity-weighted cohort study
Authors: Willekens Rein , Puig-Asensio Mireia , Suanzes Paula , Fernández-Hidalgo Nuria , Larrosa Maria N , González-López Juan J , Rodríguez-Pardo Dolors , Pigrau Carles , Almirante Benito
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness of empirical therapy with β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (BL/BLICs) for MSSA bacteraemia.

Methods

We conducted a post hoc analysis of all adult patients with MSSA bacteraemia who were hospitalized at a Spanish university hospital between 2013 and 2018. We compared 30 day mortality among patients receiving initial therapy with BL/BLICs (de-escalated to cloxacillin or cefazolin within 96 h) versus cloxacillin or cefazolin, using propensity score analysis with the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method.

Results

We evaluated 373 patients with MSSA bacteraemia. Among them, 198 patients met the eligibility criteria, including 127 patients in the BL/BLICs group and 71 patients in the cloxacillin/cefazolin group. Patients in the BL/BLICs group had a higher Charlson comorbidity index (median, 2 [IQR, 1–4.5] versus 2 [IQR, 0–4]); an increased proportion of high-risk sources (i.e. endocarditis, respiratory sources and bacteraemia of unknown origin [34.6% versus 18.3%]); and an earlier start of antibiotic treatment (median, 0 days [IQR, 0–0] versus 1 day [IQR, 1–2]). Thirty day mortality did not significantly differ between the BL/BLICs and the cloxacillin/cefazolin groups (27 patients [21.3%] versus 13 patients [18.3%]; IPTW-adjusted OR = 0.53 [95% CI, 0.18–1.51]). For secondary outcomes, 7 day mortality and 90 day relapse were not statistically different between study groups (8.7% versus 5.6% [P = 0.62] and 6.2% versus 3.8% [P = 0.81], respectively).

Conclusions

BL/BLICs might be an effective empirical treatment for MSSA bacteraemia when de-escalated to cloxacillin or cefazolin within 96 h from the index blood culture.