bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tracking eye-gaze in smart home systems (SHS): first insights from eye-tracking and self-report measures
Authors: Cassioli Federico , Angioletti Laura , Balconi Michela
Published: April 2021

Human–computer interaction (HCI) is particularly interesting because full-immersive technology may be approached differently by users, depending on the complexity of the interaction, users’ personality traits, and their motivational systems inclination. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between psychological factors and attention towards specific tech-interactions in a smart home system (SHS). The relation between personal psychological traits and eye-tracking metrics is investigated through self-report measures [locus of control (LoC), user experience (UX), behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral activation system (BAS)] and a wearable and wireless near-infrared illumination based eye-tracking system applied to an Italian sample (n = 19). Participants were asked to activate and interact with five different tech-interaction areas with different levels of complexity (entrance, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom) in a smart home system (SHS), while their eye-gaze behavior was recorded. Data showed significant differences between a simpler interaction (entrance) and a more complex one (living room), in terms of number of fixation. Moreover, slower time to first fixation in a multifaceted interaction (bathroom), compared to simpler ones (kitchen and living room) was found. Additionally, in two interaction conditions (living room and bathroom), negative correlations were found between external LoC and fixation count, and between BAS reward responsiveness scores and fixation duration. Findings led to the identification of a two-way process, where both the complexity of the tech-interaction and subjects’ personality traits are important impacting factors on the user’s visual exploration behavior. This research contributes to understand the user responsiveness adding first insights that may help to create more human-centered technology.
Effect of wetting and drying cycles on the durability of bio-cemented soil of expressway slope
Authors: Gowthaman S. , Nakashima K. , Kawasaki S.
Published: April 2021

Cyclic wet-dry is one of the influential weathering agents which can rapidly alter the mechanical properties of soils, limiting their durability and consistent performance. This study investigates the effect of wet-dry cycles on the mechanical behaviour of bio-cemented soil. Microbial-induced carbonate precipitation-based bio-cementation is an innovative soil improvement method, which is gaining increasing attention as a potential alternative for stabilizing slope surface. As the treated surfaces are exposed to repeated rainfalls and draughts, durability analysis is essential; cyclic wet-dry tests were therefore performed as a credible indicator of durability. The soil obtained from the Hokkaido expressway slope was treated at laboratory to varying cementation levels (% CaCO3) and subjected to 50 subsequent wet-dry cycles. Physical and mechanical changes were monitored using mass loss, shear wave velocities and needle penetration tests during wet-dry cycles. The results showed that the wet-dry cycles deteriorated the physical and mechanical at two stages. The mass and S-wave velocity of specimens significantly dropped after first few cycles and then tended to reach equilibrium. The second stage of notable deterioration was observed between 30 and 50 wet-dry cycles. It is suggested that the erosion of weak and powdery deposition of CaCO3 causes the degradation at the early stage, whereas the degradation in the late stage was attributed to the microstructural deformations of intact carbonate bonds. It was also found that the increase in cementation level decreases the deterioration of bio-cemented soil under wet-dry cycles.
The Role of Mu-Opioids for Reward and Threat Processing in Humans: Bridging the Gap from Preclinical to Clinical Opioid Drug Studies
Authors: Meier Isabell M. , Eikemo Marie , Leknes Siri
Published: April 2021

Purpose of Review

Opioid receptors are widely expressed in the human brain. A number of features commonly associated with drug use disorder, such as difficulties in emotional learning, emotion regulation and anhedonia, have been linked to endogenous opioid signalling. Whereas chronic substance use and misuse are thought to alter the function of the mu-opioid system, the specific mechanisms are not well understood. We argue that understanding exogenous and endogenous opioid effects in the healthy human brain is an essential foundation for bridging preclinical and clinical findings related to opioid misuse. Here, we will examine psychopharmacological evidence to outline the role of the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) system in the processing of threat and reward, and discuss how disruption of these processes by chronic opioid use might alter emotional learning and reward responsiveness.

Recent Findings

In healthy people, studies using opioid antagonist drugs indicate that the brain’s endogenous opioids downregulate fear reactivity and upregulate learning from safety. At the same time, endogenous opioids increase the liking of and motivation to engage with high reward value cues. Studies of acute opioid agonist effects indicate that with non-sedative doses, drugs such as morphine and buprenorphine can mimic endogenous opioid effects on liking and wanting. Disruption of endogenous opioid signalling due to prolonged opioid exposure is associated with some degree of anhedonia to non-drug rewards; however, new results leave open the possibility that this is not directly opioid-mediated.

The available human psychopharmacological evidence indicates that the healthy mu-opioid system contributes to the regulation of reward and threat processing. Overall, endogenous opioids can subtly increase liking and wanting responses to a wide variety of rewards, from sweet tastes to feelings of being connected to close others. For threat-related processing, human evidence suggests that endogenous opioids inhibit fear conditioning and reduce the sensitivity to aversive stimuli, although inconsistencies remain. The size of effects reported in healthy humans are however modest, clearly indicating that MORs play out their role in close concert with other neurotransmitter systems. Relevant candidate systems for future research include dopamine, serotonin and endocannabinoid signalling. Nevertheless, it is possible that endogenous opioid fine-tuning of reward and threat processing, when unbalanced by e.g. opioid misuse, could over time develop into symptoms associated with opioid use disorder, such as anhedonia and depression/anxiety.
Tsukushi and TSKU genotype in obesity and related metabolic disorders
Authors: Li Y. , Jin L. , Yan J. , Huang Y. , Zhang H. , Zhang R. , Hu C.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Whether Tsukushi (TSK) can protect against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and improve glucose metabolism remains controversial. Serum levels of TSK in the population have not been reported until now. We assessed the association among TSK level, TSKU genotype, and metabolic traits in humans.

Methods

Associations between serum TSK levels and metabolic traits were assessed in 144 Han Chinese individuals. Loci in the TSKU gene region were further genotyped in 11,022 individuals. The association between the loci and serum TSK level was evaluated using the additive genetic model. The association between the loci and their metabolic traits in humans were also verified.

Results

Lower TSK levels were observed in obese subjects than in control subjects (median and interquartile range 17.78:12.07–23.28 vs. 23.81:12.54–34.56, P < 0.05). However, in obese subjects, TSK was positively associated with BMI (β ± SE: 0.63 ± 0.31, P = 0.049), visceral fat area (β ± SE: 12.15 ± 5.94, P = 0.011), and deterioration of glucose metabolism. We found that rs11236956 was associated with TSK level in obese subjects (β 95% CI 0.17, 0.07–0.26; P = 0.0007). There was also a significant association between rs11236956 and metabolic traits in our population.

Conclusions

Our findings showed that serum TSK levels were associated with metabolic disorders in obese subjects. We also identified rs11236956 to be associated with serum TSK levels in obese subjects and with metabolic disorders in the total population.
Algorithm for solving the decision-making problems based on correlation coefficients under cubic intuitionistic fuzzy information: a case study in watershed hydrological system
Authors: Garg Harish , Kaur Gagandeep
Published: April 2021

Cubic intuitionistic fuzzy sets (CIFSs) are a powerful and relevant medium for expressing imprecise information to solve the decision-making problems. The conspicuous feature of their mathematical concept is that it considers simultaneously the hallmarks of both the intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) and interval-valued IFSs. The present paper is divided into two parts: (i) defining the correlation measures for the CIFSs; (ii) introducing the decision-making algorithm for the CIFS information. Furthermore, few of the fundamental properties of these measures are examined in detail. Based on this, we define a novel algorithm to solve the multi-criteria decision-making process and illustrate numerical examples related to watershed’s hydrological geographical areas, global recruitment problem and so on. A contrastive analysis with several existing studies is also administered to test the effectiveness and verify the proposed method.
The academic wanderer: structure of collaboration network and relation with research performance
Authors: Paraskevopoulos Pavlos , Boldrini Chiara , Passarella Andrea , Conti Marco
Published: April 2021

Thanks to the widespread availability of large-scale datasets on scholarly outputs, science itself has come under the microscope with the aim of capturing a quantitative understanding of its workings. In this study, we leverage well-established cognitive models coming from anthropology in order to characterise the personal network of collaborations between scientists, i.e., the network considered from the standpoint of each individual researcher (referred to as ego network), in terms of the cognitive investment they devote to the different collaborations. Building upon these models, we study the interplay between the structure of academic collaborations, academic performance, and academic mobility at different career stages. We take into account both purely academic mobility (i.e., the number of affiliation changes) and geographical mobility (i.e., physical relocations to different countries). For our investigation, we rely on a dataset comprising the geo-referenced publications of a group of 81,500 authors extracted from Scopus, one of the biggest repositories of academic knowledge. Our main finding is that there is a clear correlation between the structure of co-authorship ego networks and academic performance indices: the more one publishes and the higher their impact, the larger their collaboration network. However, we observe a capacity bound effect, whereby, beyond a certain point, higher performances become increasingly less correlated with large collaboration networks. We also find that international academic migrants are better at growing their networks than researchers that only migrate within the same country, but the latter seem to be better in exploiting their collaboration to achieve higher impact. High academic mobility does not appear to translate into better academic performance or larger collaboration networks. This shows a different finding with respect to related literature, where scientific productivity is seen as directly linked to mobility. Our results show that, when looking atimpactof research, this is not necessarily the case.
Experimental investigation of the displacement flow mechanism and oil recovery in primary polymer flood operations
Authors: Mahon Ruissein , Oluyemi Gbenga , Oyeneyin Babs , Balogun Yakubu
Published: April 2021

Polymer flooding is a mature chemical enhanced oil recovery method employed in oilfields at pilot testing and field scales. Although results from these applications empirically demonstrate the higher displacement efficiency of polymer flooding over waterflooding operations, the fact remains that not all the oil will be recovered. Thus, continued research attention is needed to further understand the displacement flow mechanism of the immiscible process and the rock–fluid interaction propagated by the multiphase flow during polymer flooding operations. In this study, displacement sequence experiments were conducted to investigate the viscosifying effect of polymer solutions on oil recovery in sandpack systems. The history matching technique was employed to estimate relative permeability, fractional flow and saturation profile through the implementation of a Corey-type function. Experimental results showed that in the case of the motor oil being the displaced fluid, the XG 2500 ppm polymer achieved a 47.0% increase in oil recovery compared with the waterflood case, while the XG 1000 ppm polymer achieved a 38.6% increase in oil recovery compared with the waterflood case. Testing with the motor oil being the displaced fluid, the viscosity ratio was 136 for the waterflood case, 18 for the polymer flood case with XG 1000 ppm polymer and 9 for the polymer flood case with XG 2500 ppm polymer. Findings also revealed that for the waterflood cases, the porous media exhibited oil-wet characteristics, while the polymer flood cases demonstrated water-wet characteristics. This paper provides theoretical support for the application of polymer to improve oil recovery by providing insights into the mechanism behind oil displacement.

Graphic abstract

Highlights

The difference in shape of relative permeability curves are indicative of the effect of mobility control of each polymer concentration.

The water-oil systems exhibited oil-wet characteristics, while the polymer-oil systems demonstrated water-wet characteristics.

A large contrast in displacing and displaced fluid viscosities led to viscous fingering and early water breakthrough.
Effect of deficit irrigation and kaolin clay on yield and yield components of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.)
Authors: Khalili Mikaiel , Nejatzadeh Fatemeh
Published: April 2021

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of kaolin clay application and deficit irrigation on quantitative characteristics of pumpkin in a field located in Siahbaz village of Khoy, Iran. In order to investigate the effect of irrigation and kaolin clay on yield and yield components of (Cucurbita pepo L.), this experimental was considered. An experiment was performed with irrigation at four levels (complete irrigation, deficit irrigation from the shoot stage, deficit irrigation from flowering stage and deficit irrigation from seed filling stage) and three levels of kaolin foliar application (control, 3% kaolin and 6% kaolin) was considered. Analysis of variance showed that deficit irrigation and kaolin had significant effect on number of seeds per fruit, fruit yield, 1000 grain weight, grain and biological yield, harvest index, oil and protein percentage, oil yield and protein yield. Maximum grain weight (294.5 gr), grain yield (807 kg ha−1), oil percentage (46.2) and oil yield (373.3 kg ha−1) were related to complete irrigation treatment. The highest grain weight (257.07 gr), grain yield (733 kg ha−1) and fruit yield (23.8 kg ha−1) were observed in the 3% kaolin. Based on the results, deficit irrigation at seed filling stage was superior to other treatments. Kaolin had no effect on grain yield and could be interrupted once without irrigation. Kaolin used in this experiment under irrigation limitation conditions could partially offset the water-deficit yield due to control treatment. Due to lack of water, yield of untreated plants was lower than kaolin-treated ones.
Recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9 and applications for wheat functional genomics and breeding
Authors: Li Jun , Li Yan , Ma Ligeng
Published: April 2021

Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the three major food crops in the world; thus, wheat breeding programs are important for world food security. Characterizing the genes that control important agronomic traits and finding new ways to alter them are necessary to improve wheat breeding. Functional genomics and breeding in polyploid wheat has been greatly accelerated by the advent of several powerful tools, especially CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology, which allows multiplex genome engineering. Here, we describe the development of CRISPR/Cas9, which has revolutionized the field of genome editing. In addition, we emphasize technological breakthroughs (e.g., base editing and prime editing) based on CRISPR/Cas9. We also summarize recent applications and advances in the functional annotation and breeding of wheat, and we introduce the production of CRISPR-edited DNA-free wheat. Combined with other achievements, CRISPR and CRISPR-based genome editing will speed progress in wheat biology and promote sustainable agriculture.
Privacy Int'l v. Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs and La Quadrature du Net v. Premier ministre (C.J.E.U.)
Authors: Maxwell Jack , Tomlinson Joe
Published: April 2021

In October 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), sitting as a Grand Chamber, handed down its preliminary rulings in Privacy International v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Privacy International) and in the joined cases of La Quadrature du Net v. Premier ministre and Ordre des barreaux francophones et germanophone v. Conseil des ministers (La Quadrature du Net). In Privacy International, the CJEU held that member states are precluded from enacting laws enabling bulk transmission of communications data from providers to the state. In La Quadrature du Net, it laid down requirements for various types of data processing, including bulk and targeted retention and automated analysis, and held for the first time that bulk retention of communications data could be justified on national security grounds. The judgments represent a significant development of the CJEU's jurisprudence on communications data processing and state surveillance, as the European Union (EU) continues to move towards a new digital privacy law.
Ende
Authors: Lindsey Kate L.
Published: April 2021

Ende (ISO639-3 code: kit) is a Pahoturi River language spoken by at least 600 (Eberhard, Simons & Fennig 2019) and as many as 1000 (Dareda 2016) people in Western Province, Papua New Guinea, primarily in the villages of Limol, Malam, and Kinkin, as shown in Figure 1. The Pahoturi River family, which also includes the Agob, Em, Idi, Kawam, and Taeme language varieties, has not yet been demonstrated to be related to any other language family and is thus classified as Papuan due to its geographical location. As with many languages in the region, the name of the language, Ende /ende/ [ʔende], is the Ende word meaning ‘what’.
Judicial authority, legitimacy and the (international) rule of law as essentially contested and interpretive concepts: Introduction to the special issue
Authors: TRAISBACH KNUT
Published: April 2021

Beyond setting the stage, the Introduction makes three claims about the conceptual triangle of the rule of law, judicial authority and legitimacy. The first is that all three are essentially contested and interpretive concepts in the sense of Walter B. Gallie and Ronald Dworkin. In their expositions, the contested and interpretative nature of such concepts is nothing to be ‘solved’, rather the formulation of different conceptions and contestation about them are central functions of such concepts. The interpretive and essentially contested nature points us to the relevant ‘actors’ and to conflicts and trade-offs between contested competencies. Thus the second point is that arguments about the rule of law and judicial legitimacy are often a means of questioning or securing the authority of a particular actor or institution in relation to other actors and institutions. The final point is that transposing concepts from the domestic to the supranational is a constructive endeavour because it entails creating new conceptions and substituting old ones as well as legitimising new authorities and delegitimising old ones. Thus, this special issue also cautions against discourses that ultimately are more about legitimation than about legitimacy and more about new ways of ruling than the rule of law.
Hybrid Plasma Simulations of Farley‐Buneman Instabilities in the Auroral E‐Region
Authors: Rojas E. L. , Hysell D. L.
Published: April 2021

We implemented a hybrid continuous solver for fluid electrons and kinetic ions. Because the simulation is continuous, numerical noise is not an issue as it is for particle‐in‐cell approaches. Moreover, given that the ion kinetic equation is solved using a characteristic based method, no particle pushes have to be done. Our main goals are to reduce the computational cost of the simulations proposed by Kovalev (Kovalev et al., 2008, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo2628532008) and reproduce the main experimental features of Farley‐Buneman instabilities measured by radars and rockets. The equations were derived from first principles using the approximations that are satisfied in the auroral E‐region. Various tests will be presented to assess numerical accuracy. With the proposed numerical framework, we are able to recover important nonlinear features associated with Farley‐Buneman instabilities: wave turning of dominant modes, and saturation of density irregularities at values consistent with experiments.
Quantification of Ionospheric Perturbations From Lightning Using Overlapping Paths of VLF Signal Propagation
Authors: Gołkowski M. , Renick C. , Cohen M. B.
Published: April 2021

Lightning induced perturbations of the lower ionosphere are investigated with very low frequency (VLF) remote sensing on a unique overlapping propagation path geometry. The signals from two VLF transmitters (at different frequencies) are observed at a single receiver after propagation through a common channel in the Earth‐ionosphere waveguide. This measurement diversity allows for greater certainty in quantification of perturbations to the ionospheric D region. Changes in amplitude and phase are modeled with the Long Wave Propagation Capability (LWPC) software package to quantify changes in reference height and steepness of the two parameter D region electron density model. Since the nighttime D region profile prior to the perturbation is found to strongly affect the resulting quantification, and is highly variable and generally unknown at nighttime, an error minimization method for identifying the most likely ionospheric disturbance independent of the ambient profile is used. Analysis of 12 large lightning perturbations resulting from discharges with peak currents greater than 160 kA shows that the ionospheric reference height can change by 2–8 km. We investigate both early/fast events (direct ionization and heating from lightning) and lightning‐induced electron precipitation (LEP) events, induced by lightning hundreds of kilometer away. LEP events increase D region electron density while early/fast events can lead to a increase or decrease in electron density. Multi‐point observations along a VLF propagation path are needed to further improve ionospheric perturbation quantification with VLF remote sensing.
Longitudinal Variations of Equatorial Ionospheric Electric Fields Near Sunrise
Authors: Chen Junjie , Wang Wenbin , Lei Jiuhou
Published: April 2021

In this work, we carry out a comprehensive modeling study, using the Thermosphere–Ionosphere–Electrodynamics General Circulation Model, to explore the physical processes by which the longitude‐dependent geomagnetic field drives the longitudinal variations of the sunrise enhancement of the zonal electric fields at the dip equator near the June solstice. Numerical experiments and diagnostic analyses of the electrodynamics equation show that the longitudinal differences of the equatorial zonal electric fields near sunrise are primarily associated with the longitudinal variations in the zonal wind dynamo, with those from the meridional wind dynamo contributing secondarily. Furthermore, the longitudinal differences of the wind dynamo near sunrise are mainly related to the longitudinal variations of and conductance, which are caused primarily by the direct influence of the longitudinal structures of magnetic field declination and strength. Meanwhile, the longitudinal variations of neutral winds, which also result in moderate longitudinal variations, play a secondary role in the longitudinal variations of the neutral wind dynamo, while plasma density, which has minor longitudinal differences near sunrise, contributes slightly by modifying the conductance. Overall, the sunrise enhancement in June is more significant at the longitudes where the magnetic field strength and distortion are larger or the magnetic field declination is smaller in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Influence of Arctic Landfast Ice on Seasonal Modulation of the M2 Tide
Authors: Bij de Vaate I. , Vasulkar A. N. , Slobbe D. C. , Verlaan M.
Published: April 2021

Seasonal modulation of the M2 tide has been quantified for the entire Arctic Ocean and connected regional seas, using tidal harmonic analysis of water levels derived from Synthetic Aperture Radar altimetry. Results are compared to numerical simulations that model the effect of two limiting cases of seasonal landfast ice cover on the M2 tide. The largest seasonal modulation (up to 0.25 m) is observed along coastlines and in bays. Locally, the presence of landfast ice decreases amplitudes, but in some cases, the opposite effect was observed further afield. In most of the Arctic, winter months experience a later arrival of the tide, except for Hudson Bay where phase advance is observed. Most of the altimeter‐derived seasonal modulation could be explained by the modeled impact of landfast ice. However, particularly in the Hudson Bay system there is a discrepancy between model‐ and altimeter‐derived seasonal modulation. This suggests that other seasonal processes are important. Finally, results suggest that the consequences of variations in Arctic landfast ice are not restricted to the Arctic, but affect tidal water levels on a global scale.
Prevalence of poor psychiatric status and sleep quality among frontline healthcare workers during and after the COVID-19 outbreak: a longitudinal study
Authors: Zhou Yifang , Ding Hailong , Zhang Yifan , Zhang Baoyan , Guo Yingrui , Cheung Teris , Hall Brian J. , Shi Tieying , Xiang Yu-Tao , Tang Yanqing
Published: April 2021

Poor psychiatric status and sleep quality were common among frontline healthcare workers (FHWs) during the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but the change in these mental health outcomes overtime remained unknown. This study compared the psychiatric status and sleep quality of FHWs during and after the COVID-19 outbreak in China. FHWs who volunteered to work in Hubei province (the COVID-19 epicenter) were assessed at baseline during the COVID-19 outbreak and re-assessed when they returned to their place of origin (Liaoning province) after the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants’ psychiatric status and sleep quality were measured with the Symptom CheckList-90 (SCL-90) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. A total of 494 FHWs was assessed at baseline and 462 at follow-up assessments. The prevalence of poor psychiatric status was 10.5% at baseline and increased to 14.9% at the follow-up assessment (P = 0.04). The corresponding figures of poor sleep quality at baseline and follow-up assessment were 16.4% and 27.9%, respectively (P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis found that severe fatigue (p = 0.003, OR = 1.266, 95% CI = 1.081–1.483), poor sleep quality (p < 0.001, OR = 1.283, 95% CI = 1.171–1.405), and history of pre-existing psychiatric disorders (p < 0.001, OR = 5.085, 95% CI = 2.144–12.06) were independently associated with higher odds of poor psychiatric status among the FHWs. Poor psychiatric status and sleep quality were common among FHWs during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the prevalence increased following their volunteer experiences. This suggests a critical need for longer-term psychological support for this subpopulation.
The effect of eviction moratoria on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Nande Anjalika , Sheen Justin , Walters Emma L. , Klein Brennan , Chinazzi Matteo , Gheorghe Andrei H. , Adlam Ben , Shinnick Julianna , Tejeda Maria Florencia , Scarpino Samuel V. , Vespignani Alessandro , Greenlee Andrew J. , Schneider Daniel , Levy Michael Z. , Hill Alison L.
Published: April 2021

Massive unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic could result in an eviction crisis in US cities. Here we model the effect of evictions on SARS-CoV-2 epidemics, simulating viral transmission within and among households in a theoretical metropolitan area. We recreate a range of urban epidemic trajectories and project the course of the epidemic under two counterfactual scenarios, one in which a strict moratorium on evictions is in place and enforced, and another in which evictions are allowed to resume at baseline or increased rates. We find, across scenarios, that evictions lead to significant increases in infections. Applying our model to Philadelphia using locally-specific parameters shows that the increase is especially profound in models that consider realistically heterogenous cities in which both evictions and contacts occur more frequently in poorer neighborhoods. Our results provide a basis to assess eviction moratoria and show that policies to stem evictions are a warranted and important component of COVID-19 control.
Production of itaconic acid from alkali pretreated lignin by dynamic two stage bioconversion
Authors: Elmore Joshua R. , Dexter Gara N. , Salvachúa Davinia , Martinez-Baird Jessica , Hatmaker E. Anne , Huenemann Jay D. , Klingeman Dawn M. , Peabody George L. , Peterson Darren J. , Singer Christine , Beckham Gregg T. , Guss Adam M.
Published: April 2021

Expanding the portfolio of products that can be made from lignin will be critical to enabling a viable bio-based economy. Here, we engineer Pseudomonas putida for high-yield production of the tricarboxylic acid cycle-derived building block chemical, itaconic acid, from model aromatic compounds and aromatics derived from lignin. We develop a nitrogen starvation-detecting biosensor for dynamic two-stage bioproduction in which itaconic acid is produced during a non-growth associated production phase. Through the use of two distinct itaconic acid production pathways, the tuning of TCA cycle gene expression, deletion of competing pathways, and dynamic regulation, we achieve an overall maximum yield of 56% (mol/mol) and titer of 1.3 g/L from p-coumarate, and 1.4 g/L titer from monomeric aromatic compounds produced from alkali-treated lignin. This work illustrates a proof-of-principle that using dynamic metabolic control to reroute carbon after it enters central metabolism enables production of valuable chemicals from lignin at high yields by relieving the burden of constitutively expressing toxic heterologous pathways.
Biased cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism via small-molecule ligands binding P450 oxidoreductase
Authors: Jensen Simon Bo , Thodberg Sara , Parween Shaheena , Moses Matias E. , Hansen Cecilie C. , Thomsen Johannes , Sletfjerding Magnus B. , Knudsen Camilla , Del Giudice Rita , Lund Philip M. , Castaño Patricia R. , Bustamante Yanet G. , Velazquez Maria Natalia Rojas , Jørgensen Flemming Steen , Pandey Amit V. , Laursen Tomas , Møller Birger Lindberg , Hatzakis Nikos S.
Published: April 2021

Metabolic control is mediated by the dynamic assemblies and function of multiple redox enzymes. A key element in these assemblies, the P450 oxidoreductase (POR), donates electrons and selectively activates numerous (>50 in humans and >300 in plants) cytochromes P450 (CYPs) controlling metabolism of drugs, steroids and xenobiotics in humans and natural product biosynthesis in plants. The mechanisms underlying POR-mediated CYP metabolism remain poorly understood and to date no ligand binding has been described to regulate the specificity of POR. Here, using a combination of computational modeling and functional assays, we identify ligands that dock on POR and bias its specificity towards CYP redox partners, across mammal and plant kingdom. Single molecule FRET studies reveal ligand binding to alter POR conformational sampling, which results in biased activation of metabolic cascades in whole cell assays. We propose the model of biased metabolism, a mechanism akin to biased signaling of GPCRs, where ligand binding on POR stabilizes different conformational states that are linked to distinct metabolic outcomes. Biased metabolism may allow designing pathway-specific therapeutics or personalized food suppressing undesired, disease-related, metabolic pathways.
Author Correction: A model for the fragmentation kinetics of crumpled thin sheets
Authors: Andrejevic Jovana , Lee Lisa M. , Rubinstein Shmuel M. , Rycroft Chris H.
Published: April 2021

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22791-z
Genetic algorithm optimized node deployment in IEEE 802.15.4 potato and wheat crop monitoring infrastructure
Authors: Pal Pankaj , Sharma Rashmi Priya , Tripathi Sachin , Kumar Chiranjeev , Ramesh Dharavath
Published: April 2021

This proposal investigates the effect of vegetation height and density on received signal strength between two sensor nodes communicating under IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standard. With the aim of investigating the path loss coefficient of 2.4 GHz radio signal in an IEEE 802.15.4 precision agriculture monitoring infrastructure, measurement campaigns were carried out in different growing stages of potato and wheat crops. Experimental observations indicate that initial node deployment in the wheat crop experiences network dis-connectivity due to increased signal attenuation, which is due to the growth of wheat vegetation height and density in the grain-filling and physical-maturity periods. An empirical measurement-based path loss model is formulated to identify the received signal strength in different crop growth stages. Further, a NSGA-II multi-objective evolutionary computation is performed to generate initial node deployment and is optimized over increased coverage, reduced over-coverage, and received signal strength. The results show the development of a reliable wireless sensor network infrastructure for wheat crop monitoring.
Spatial variability of saturated hydraulic conductivity and its links with other soil properties at the regional scale
Authors: Usowicz Boguslaw , Lipiec Jerzy
Published: April 2021

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) is a key property for evaluating soil water movement and quality. Most studies on spatial variability of K have been performed soil at a field or smaller scale. Therefore, the aim of this work was to assess (quantify) the spatial distribution of K at the larger regional scale in south-eastern Poland and its relationship with other soil properties, including intrinsic sand, silt, and clay contents, relatively stable organic carbon, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and temporally variable water content (WC), total porosity (FI), and dry bulk density (BD) in the surface layer (0–20 cm). The spatial relationships were assessed using a semivariogram and a cross-semivariogram. The studied region (140 km2) with predominantly permeable sandy soils with low fertility and productivity is located in the south-eastern part of Poland (Podlasie region). The mean sand and organic carbon contents are 74 and 0.86 and their ranges (in %) are 45–95 and 0.002–3.75, respectively. The number of individual samples varied from 216 to 228 (for K, WC, BD, FI) to 691 for the other soil properties. The best fitting models were adjusted to the empirical semivariogram (exponential) and the cross-semivariogram (exponential, Gaussian, or linear) used to draw maps with kriging. The results showed that, among the soil properties studied, K was most variable (coefficient of variation 77.3%) and significantly (p < 0.05) positively correlated with total porosity (r = 0.300) and negatively correlated with soil bulk density (r = – 0.283). The normal or close to the normal distribution was obtained by natural logarithmic and root square transformations. The mean K was 2.597 m day−1and ranged from 0.01 up to 11.54 m day−1. The spatial autocorrelation (range) of K in the single (direct) semivariograms was 0.081° (8.1 km), while it favourably increased up to 0.149°–0.81° (14.9–81 km) in the cross-semivariograms using the OC contents, textural fractions, and CEC as auxiliary variables. The generated spatial maps allowed outlining two sub-areas with predominantly high K above 3.0 m day−1in the northern sandier (sand content > 74%) and less silty (silt content < 22%) part and, with lower K in the southern part of the study region. Generally, the spatial distribution of the K values in the study region depended on the share of individual intrinsic textural fractions. On the other hand, the ranges of the spatial relationship between K and the intrinsic and relatively stable soil properties were much larger (from ~ 15 to 81 km) than between K and the temporally variable soil properties (0.3–0.9 km). This knowledge is supportive for making decisions related to land management aimed at alteration of hydraulic conductivity to improve soil water resources and crop productivity and reduce chemical leaching.
Botulinum toxin injection changes resting state cerebellar connectivity in cervical dystonia
Authors: Hok Pavel , Hvizdošová Lenka , Otruba Pavel , Kaiserová Michaela , Trnečková Markéta , Tüdös Zbyněk , Hluštík Petr , Kaňovský Petr , Nevrlý Martin
Published: April 2021

In cervical dystonia, functional MRI (fMRI) evidence indicates changes in several resting state networks, which revert in part following the botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT) therapy. Recently, the involvement of the cerebellum in dystonia has gained attention. The aim of our study was to compare connectivity between cerebellar subdivisions and the rest of the brain before and after BoNT treatment. Seventeen patients with cervical dystonia indicated for treatment with BoNT were enrolled (14 female, aged 50.2 ± 8.5 years, range 38–63 years). Clinical and fMRI examinations were carried out before and 4 weeks after BoNT injection. Clinical severity was evaluated using TWSTRS. Functional MRI data were acquired on a 1.5 T scanner during 8 min rest. Seed-based functional connectivity analysis was performed using data extracted from atlas-defined cerebellar areas in both datasets. Clinical scores demonstrated satisfactory BoNT effect. After treatment, connectivity decreased between the vermis lobule VIIIa and the left dorsal mesial frontal cortex. Positive correlations between the connectivity differences and the clinical improvement were detected for the right lobule VI, right crus II, vermis VIIIb and the right lobule IX. Our data provide evidence for modulation of cerebello-cortical connectivity resulting from successful treatment by botulinum neurotoxin.
Food-related impulsivity assessed by longitudinal laboratory tasks is reduced in patients with binge eating disorder in a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Schag Kathrin , Leehr Elisabeth J. , Meneguzzo Paolo , Martus Peter , Zipfel Stephan , Giel Katrin E.
Published: April 2021

Food-related impulsivity, i.e. a food-related attentional bias proposed to be due to increased reward sensitivity and diminished inhibitory control, has been cross-sectionally associated with binge eating disorder. To analyze changes in food-related impulsivity, we implemented longitudinal analyses of objective laboratory tasks in a randomized controlled trial called IMPULS. Patients who attended an impulsivity-focused group intervention (IG N = 31) and control patients who did not take part in the intervention (CG N = 25) were compared before (T0) and after the intervention period (T1) and at three months follow-up (T2). Patients’ impulsive gaze behavior towards food vs. neutral stimuli was measured in two eye tracking paradigms, one addressing reward sensitivity and another addressing inhibitory control. Initial fixations of food vs. neutral stimuli were increased at T0 (IG: p = .014, CG: p = .001), but not at T1 and T2 in IG (T1: p = .178, T2: p = .203) and in CG after Bonferroni correction only at T2 (T1: p = .031, T2: p = .002). Patients from IG increased dwell time on neutral stimuli at T1 contrary to patients from CG (p = .016) and rated the presented food stimuli as less positive (e.g. pleasantness p < .001 at T1 and T2). A possible explanation for this observation is reduced reward sensitivity, which implies a short-term treatment effect. Both groups showed improvement in inhibiting eye movements towards food and neutral stimuli over time (i.e. first saccade errors overall p < .001, second saccade errors overall p < .003). This could indicate increased inhibitory control due to training effects from the study paradigm. The results suggest that food-related impulsivity represents an underlying mechanism of BED and that it is modifiable by cognitive behavioral interventions.
Background factors for chronic low back pain resistant to cognitive behavioral therapy
Authors: Shimizu Keisuke , Inage Kazuhide , Orita Sumihisa , Eguchi Yawara , Shiga Yasuhiro , Koda Masao , Aoki Yasuchika , Kotani Toshiaki , Akazawa Tsutomu , Furuya Takeo , Nakamura Junichi , Takahashi Hiroshi , Suzuki-Narita Miyako , Maki Satoshi , Hagiwara Shigeo , Inoue Masahiro , Norimoto Masaki , Kinoshita Hideyuki , Sato Takashi , Sato Masashi , Enomoto Keigo , Takaoka Hiromitsu , Mizuki Norichika , Hozumi Takashi , Tsuchiya Ryuto , Kim Geundong , Otagiri Takuma , Mukaihata Tomohito , Hishiya Takahisa , Ohtori Seiji
Published: April 2021

This study examined the factors that inhibit the therapeutic effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and clarify the adaptation judgment criteria of CBT. We included patients with chronic low back pain and allocated them to the adaptation (with visual analog scale [VAS] improvement) or non-adaptation group (without VAS improvement). The patients were analyzed using various psychological tests. CBT improved depressive symptoms and catastrophic thinking; however, they were not correlated with the VAS and did not directly affect low back pain improvement. The non-adaptation group showed an unexplainable/vague sense of anxiety; an excessive focus on searching for pain; a strong intimacy desire; a strong tendency of medical dependency; and fantasy or distortion of the actual experience, especially self-image. Moreover, the patients showed a low ability to objectively express or attribute meaning to pain due to poor language skills, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and emotional value judgment. Individuals with the aforementioned characteristics of pre-CBT psychological tests should select a different treatment approach given the high poor-adaption possibility. Even patients with depressive or anxious symptoms are not necessarily adaptable for CBT. Therefore, pre-CBT tests for treatment suitability are necessary. Future studies should establish a protocol for psychotherapy suitable for the non-adaptation group.
Levels of pathogen virulence and host resistance both shape the antibody response to an emerging bacterial disease
Authors: Gates Daisy E. , Staley Molly , Tardy Luc , Giraudeau Mathieu , Hill Geoffrey E. , McGraw Kevin J. , Bonneaud Camille
Published: April 2021

Quantifying variation in the ability to fight infection among free-living hosts is challenging and often constrained to one or a few measures of immune activity. While such measures are typically taken to reflect host resistance, they can also be shaped by pathogen effects, for example, if more virulent strains trigger more robust immune responses. Here, we test the extent to which pathogen-specific antibody levels, a commonly used measure of immunocompetence, reflect variation in host resistance versus pathogen virulence, and whether these antibodies effectively clear infection. House finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) from resistant and susceptible populations were inoculated with > 50 isolates of their novel Mycoplasma gallisepticum pathogen collected over a 20-year period during which virulence increased. Serum antibody levels were higher in finches from resistant populations and increased with year of pathogen sampling. Higher antibody levels, however, did not subsequently give rise to greater reductions in pathogen load. Our results show that antibody responses can be shaped by levels of host resistance and pathogen virulence, and do not necessarily signal immune clearance ability. While the generality of this novel finding remains unclear, particularly outside of mycoplasmas, it cautions against using antibody levels as implicit proxies for immunocompetence and/or host resistance.
Soil CO2 emission and soil attributes associated with the microbiota of a sugarcane area in southern Brazil
Authors: Moitinho Mara Regina , Teixeira Daniel De Bortoli , Bicalho Elton da Silva , Panosso Alan Rodrigo , Ferraudo Antonio Sergio , Pereira Gener Tadeu , Tsai Siu Mui , Borges Beatriz Maria Ferrari , La Scala Newton
Published: April 2021

The spatial structure of soil CO2emission (FCO2) and soil attributes are affected by different factors in a highly complex way. In this context, this study aimed to characterize the spatial variability patterns of FCO2and soil physical, chemical, and microbiological attributes in a sugarcane field area after reform activities. The study was conducted in an Oxisol with the measurement of FCO2, soil temperature (Ts), and soil moisture (Ms) in a regular 90 × 90-m grid with 100 sampling points. Soil samples were collected at each sampling point at a depth of 0–0.20 m to determine soil physical (density, macroporosity, and microporosity), particle size (sand, silt, and clay), and chemical attributes (soil organic matter, pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, H + Al, cation exchange capacity, and base saturation). Geostatistical analyses were performed to assess the spatial variability and map soil attributes. Two regions (R1 and R2) with contrasting emission values were identified after mapping FCO2. The abundance of bacterial 16S rRNA,pmoA, andnifH genes, determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), enzymatic activity (dehydrogenase, urease, cellulase, and amylase), and microbial biomass carbon were determined in R1 and R2. The mean values of FCO2(2.91 µmol m−2 s−1), Ts (22.6 °C), and Ms (16.9%) over the 28-day period were similar to those observed in studies also conducted under Oxisols in sugarcane areas and conventional soil tillage. The spatial pattern of FCO2was similar to that of macropores, air-filled pore space, silt content, soil organic matter, and soil carbon decay constant. No significant difference was observed between R1 and R2 for the copy number of bacterial 16S rRNA andnifH genes, but the results of qPCR for thepmoA gene presented differences (p < 0.01) between regions. The region R1, with the highest FCO2(2.9 to 4.2 µmol m−2 s−1), showed higher enzymatic activity of dehydrogenase (33.02 µg TPF g−1dry soil 24 h−1), urease (41.15 µg NH4–N g−1dry soil 3 h−1), amylase (73.84 µg glucose g−1dry soil 24 h−1), and microbial biomass carbon (41.35 µg C g−1soil) than R2, which had the lowest emission (1.9 to 2.7 µmol m−2 s−1). In addition, the soil C/N ratio was higher in R2 (15.43) than in R1 (12.18). The spatial pattern of FCO2in R1 and R2 may not be directly related to the total amount of the microbial community (bacterial 16S rRNA) in the soil but to the specific function that these microorganisms play regarding soil carbon degradation (pmoA).