bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alterations of insular dynamic functional connectivity and psychological characteristics in unmedicated bipolar depression patients with a recent suicide attempt
Authors: Shunkai Lai , Chen Pan , Zhong Shuming , Chen Guanmao , Zhang Yiliang , Zhao Hui , He Jiali , Su Ting , Yan Shuya , Luo Yange , Ran Hanglin , Jia Yanbin , Wang Ying
Published: March 2022

Background

Mounting evidence showed that insula contributed to the neurobiological mechanism of suicidal behaviors in bipolar disorder (BD). However, no studies have analyzed the dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) of insular Mubregions and its association with personality traits in BD with suicidal behaviors. Therefore, we investigated the alterations of dFC variability in insular subregions and personality characteristics in BD patients with a recent suicide attempt (SA).

Methods

Thirty unmedicated BD patients with SA, 38 patients without SA (NSA) and 35 demographically matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. The sliding-window analysis was used to evaluate whole-brain dFC for each insular subregion seed. We assessed between-group differences of psychological characteristics on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2. Finally, a multivariate regression model was adopted to predict the severity of suicidality.

Results

Compared to NSA and HCs, the SA group exhibited decreased dFC variability values between the left dorsal anterior insula and the left anterior cerebellum. These dFC variability values could also be utilized to predict the severity of suicidality (r = 0.456, p = 0.031), while static functional connectivity values were not appropriate for this prediction. Besides, the SA group scored significantly higher on the schizophrenia clinical scales (p < 0.001) compared with the NSA group.

Conclusions

Our findings indicated that the dysfunction of insula–cerebellum connectivity may underlie the neural basis of SA in BD patients, and highlighted the dFC variability values could be considered a neuromarker for predictive models of the severity of suicidality. Moreover, the psychiatric features may increase the vulnerability of suicidal behavior.
A sparsity-based method for fault-tolerant manipulation of a redundant robot
Authors: Li Zhan , Li Chunxu , Li Shuai , Zhu Shuo , Samani Hooman
Published: March 2022

As an important part of the manufacturing industry, redundant robots can undertake heavy and tough tasks, which human operators are difficult to sustain. Such onerous and repetitive industrial manipulations, that is, positioning and carrying, impose heavy burdens on the load bearing for redundancy robots’ joints. Under the circumstances of long-term and intense industrial operations, joints of redundant robots are conceivably to fall into functional failure, which may possibly cause abrupt joint lock or freeze at unknown time instants. Therefore, task accuracy by end-effectors tends to diminish considerably and gradually because of broken-down joints. In this paper, a sparsity-based method for fault-tolerant motion planning of redundant robots is provided for the first time. The developed fault-tolerant redundancy resolution approach is defined as L1-norm based optimization with immediate variables involved to avoid discontinuity in the dynamic solution process. Meanwhile, those potential faulty joint(s) can be located by the designed fault observer with the proposed fault-diagnosis algorithm. The proposed fault-tolerant motion planning method with fault diagnosis is dynamically optimized by resultant primal dual neural networks with provable convergence. Moreover, the sparsity of joint actuation by the proposed method can be enhanced by around 43.87% and 36.51%, respectively, for tracking circle and square paths. Simulation and experimental findings on a redundant robot (KUKA iiwa) prove the efficacy of the developed defect tolerant approach based on sparsity.
Anxiety, enjoyment, and boredom in language learning amongst junior secondary students in rural China: How do they contribute to L2 achievement?
Authors: Li Chengchen , Wei Li
Published: March 2022

Building on the control-value theory, the present study examined the independent and joint predictive effects of three emotions—enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom—on L2 achievement over time. The participants of the study were a group of junior secondary English learners in rural China, a population that has hitherto never featured in L2 learning research. Questionnaire data and achievement data were collected at four different time points (Time 1–Time 4: T1–T4) from a large sample of 954 learners. Structural equation modeling results show that: (a) the three emotions at T1 predicted English achievement at T2 (one week after T1) and T3 (five weeks after T1) independently, while only enjoyment predicted achievement at T4 (nine weeks after T1); (b) when combined, enjoyment was the strongest and most enduring predictor across T2–T4, followed by anxiety predicting achievement at T2–T3 negatively, while boredom completely lost its predictive power across T2–T4.
The interplay between parenting and environmental sensitivity in the prediction of children’s externalizing and internalizing behaviors during COVID-19
Authors: Lionetti Francesca , Spinelli Maria , Moscardino Ughetta , Ponzetti Silvia , Garito Maria Concetta , Dellagiulia Antonio , Aureli Tiziana , Fasolo Mirco , Pluess Michael
Published: March 2022

The interplay of parenting and environmental sensitivity on children’s behavioral adjustment during, and immediately after, the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions was investigated in two longitudinal studies involving Italian preschoolers (Study 1,N= 72; 43% girls,Myears= 3.82(1.38)) and primary school children (Study 2,N= 94; 55% girls,Myears= 9.08(0.56)). Data were collected before and during the first-wave lockdown (Studies 1 and 2) and one month later (Study 1). Parental stress and parent–child closeness were measured. Markers of environmental sensitivity in children were temperamental fearfulness and Sensory Processing Sensitivity. Results showed little change in externalizing and internalizing behaviors over time, but differences emerged when considering parenting and children’s environmental sensitivity. In preschoolers, greater parenting stress was related to a stronger increase in internalizing and externalizing behaviors, with children high in fearful temperament showing a more marked decrease in externalizing behaviors when parenting stress was low. In school-aged children, parent–child closeness emerged as a protective factor for internalizing and externalizing behaviors during COVID-19, with children high in Sensory Processing Sensitivity showing a marked decrease in internalizing behaviors when closeness was high. Implications for developmental theory and practice in times of pandemic are discussed.
Unpacking Tourism in the Cold War: International Tourism and Commercialism in Socialist Romania, 1960s–1980s
Authors: Stefan Adelina
Published: March 2022

The role of market-oriented tourist policies in the planned economies of socialist Eastern Europe has been long overlooked. This article examines how the socialist regime in Romania moved from sheer ideological rhetoric to commercialism and market-driven strategies when promoting Romania as a tourist destination in the ‘West’ between the 1960s and the 1980s. It argues that there was a continual shifting between using tourism as an ideological tool and a certain pragmatism that was needed to turn socialist Romania into a desirable tourist destination.
‘I am De Facto a Thief in this Matter’: Thesis Plagiarism Cases of Elected Representatives and the Concept of Political Accountability (Case Study of Slovakia and the Czech Republic)
Authors: Sekerák Marián
Published: March 2022

Numerous cases of thesis plagiarism by senior public officials in many European countries have attracted significant public attention in recent years. Such different cases, however, have had different political and legal consequences. This article elucidates some of the cases through the examples of Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Based on the theory of political accountability, it is clarified that the reactions of politicians to the exposure of their plagiarism cases were fundamentally different. Almost no common pattern of reactions can be found in the two countries. It is explained that the only solution in both countries was to adopt legislation allowing subsequent withdrawal of a university degree once acquired.
Speech, writing and boxsets: a messy linguistic change in English
Authors: LODGE KEN
Published: March 2022

This article is an attempt to explain an observable change in present-day English in terms of quite disparate influences. Since the change is not yet complete, it is a messy conspiracy of these influences. By studying life-time changes of this sort we may gain insights into how well-understood historical changes work. The change under discussion is most noticeable in the written form, but its trigger has been the phonetic realizations of the forms to be considered. The forms are exemplified by alternations in noun phrases such as box(ed)sets, skim(med) milk, arch(ed) corbel table. The relationship between the very different structures used in speech on the one hand and writing on the other is also relevant in this case. The NPs with -ed have a structure Adjpp N, whereas the forms without it are compound nouns. Some of the Adjpp forms found in such noun phrases are actually pseudo-past participles; that is, they are not formed from a verb, but take the -ed ending, e.g. four-wheeled, gate-legged. Whether native speakers learn such forms from the spoken or written language to some extent determines how they are perceived. This is relevant because the phonetic realization of members of both sets may be the same, so the phonetic form [bɒks set] may be perceived as boxed set or box set. I also consider the stress patterns of the new compounds, the orthography as a reflection of the structural change, and the ‘Germanic’ tendency towards compounding. The resultant picture is a messy one and the change has certainly not yet been completed, but we can see a conspiracy of disparate areas of the linguistic system putting pressure on certain lexical combinations. It should also be noted that ‘English’ is not a consistent linguistic system: we have to be clear about which variety is being discussed. English ‘belongs’ to many different groups of people, including non-native speakers as a lingua franca, so it is subject to many more influences today than the parochial versions of even just a hundred years ago.
Effect of a social network-based supportive program (WhatsApp) on the sexual self-concept of women with breast cancer: A single-blind-randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hamidi Fatemeh , Elyasi Forouzan , Mousavinasab Seyed-Nouraddin , Ghasemi Arash , Keshavarz Zohre , Shahhosseini Zohreh
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Sexual self-concept has an influence on the sexual behaviors of women with breast cancer. Supportive programs for these women have demonstrable empirical efficacy; however, their effectiveness has not been examined. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a supportive program based on social networks on the sexual self-concept of women with breast cancer.

Methods

In this randomized controlled single-blind trial, 60 women were assigned to the intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups using permuted block randomization. Overall, eight 45-min intervention sessions were held (twice a week). The primary outcome was sexual self-concept, and the secondary outcomes were women's sexual quality of life and participants’ satisfaction. The questionnaires were completed by patients before the intervention and immediately and 1 month after the intervention.

Results

The generalized equation estimation test showed that the positive sexual self-concept score of the intervention group versus the control group had increased by 15.67 points (P < 0.001, effect size = 2.00) 1 month after the intervention. The negative sexual self-concept score had decreased by 2.65 points (P < 0.001, effect size = 0.74), and the situational sexual self-concept score had upturned by 6.82 points (P < 0.001, effect size = 2.08) in the intervention group at the same period. Also, the sexual quality of life score in the intervention group compared to the control group generally increased by 13.82 points (P < 0.001, Effect size = 2.08) 1 month following the intervention.

Significance of the results

A social networking support program can be a promising approach to improve the sexual self-concept of women with breast cancer.

Clinical trials.gov identifier

Iranian Clinical Trial Register, IRCT20150608022609N8. Registered on 2 July 2020.
Adulthood asthma as a consequence of childhood adversity: a systematic review of epigenetically affected genes
Authors: Saygideger Yasemin , Özkan Hakan , Baydar Oya , Yilmaz Ozge
Published: March 2022

There is an accumulating data that shows relation between childhood adversity and vulnerability to chronic diseases as well as epigenetic influences that in turn give rise to these diseases. Asthma is one of the chronic diseases that is influenced from genetic regulation of the inflammatory biomolecules and therefore the hypothesis in this research was childhood adversity might have caused epigenetic differentiation in the asthma-related genes in the population who had childhood trauma. To test this hypothesis, the literature was systematically reviewed to extract epigenetically modified gene data of the adults who had childhood adversity, and affected genes were further evaluated for their association with asthma. PRISMA guidelines were adopted and PubMed and Google Scholar were included in the searched databases, to evaluate epigenetic modifications in asthma-related genes of physically, emotionally or sexually abused children. After retrieving a total of 5245 articles, 36 of them were included in the study. Several genes and pathways that may contribute to pathogenesis of asthma development, increased inflammation, or response to asthma treatment were found epigenetically affected by childhood traumas. Childhood adversity, causing epigenetic changes in DNA, may lead to asthma development or influence the course of the disease and therefore should be taken into account for the prolonged health consequences.
The Interval Anchoring Effect
Authors: Liu Manru , Zeng Jianmin , Gao Ziyun
Published: March 2022

Abstract. The anchoring effect refers to a decision bias that initial irrelevant information can influence late judgment. So far, most (if not all) studies on the anchoring effect adopted only point anchors (e.g., “Do you want to buy a computer with a price higher or lower than $1,000?”). In reality, people also use interval anchors (e.g., “Do you want to buy a computer with a price within $800–1,200?”). Can interval anchors also produce anchoring effect? Which kind of anchors have stronger anchoring effect? To answer these questions, we conducted four experiments involving quite different content. In each experiment, we found extremely significant anchoring effects for point anchors and interval anchors, respectively, but no significant difference between them. The results suggest that rarely researched interval anchors can be as powerful as intensively investigated point anchors and thus deserve more research and applications henceforth.
Effects of Learning Rates and Optimization Algorithms on Forecasting Accuracy of Hourly Typhoon Rainfall: Experiments With Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Uddin Md. Jalal , Li Yubin , Sattar Md. Abdus , Nasrin Zahan Most. , Lu Chunsong
Published: March 2022

The current study used seven optimization algorithms such as stochastic gradient descent (SGD), root mean square propagation (RMSprop), adaptive grad (AdaGrad), adaptive delta (AdaDelta), adaptive moment estimation (Adam), adaptive maximum (Adamax), and Nesterov‐accelerated adaptive moment estimation (Nadam) and eight learning rates (1, 0.1, 0.01, 0.001, 0.0001, le‐05, le‐06, and le‐07) to investigate the effects of these learning rates and optimizers on the forecasting performance of the convolutional neural network (CNN) model to forecast hourly typhoon rainfall. The model was developed using antecedent hourly typhoon rainfall within a 500 km radius from each typhoon center. Results showed that too‐large and too‐small learning rates would result in the inability of the model to learn anything to forecast hourly typhoon rainfall. The CNN model showed the best performance for learning rates of 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 to forecast hourly typhoon rainfall. For long‐lead‐time forecasting (1–6 hr), the CNN model with SGD, RMSprop, AdaGrad, AdaDelta, Adam, Adamax, Nadam optimizers and learning rates of 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 showed more accurate forecasts than the existing models. Therefore, this study recommends that future work may consider the CNN model as an alternative to the existing model for disaster warning systems.
EC‐Earth Simulations Reveal Enhanced Inter‐Hemispheric Thermal Contrast During the Last Interglacial Further Intensified the Indian Monsoon
Authors: Chen Kaiqi , Axelsson Josefine , Zhang Qiong , Li Jianping , Wang Lanning
Published: March 2022

Paleoclimate proxy data indicate a stronger Indian summer monsoon (ISM) during the Last Interglacial (LIG) than in the present day. This is largely attributed to orbital forcing induced high seasonal and latitudinal insolation anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere during LIG. According to the general circulation model EC‐Earth3, the simulated ISM rainfall is increased by approximately 28% during the LIG compared to the pre‐industrial period as a result of the orbital forcing and the amplified land‐sea contrast due to both local and remote ocean feedbacks. Although the LIG is often portrayed as a potential analogue of future warmer climates, our study suggests that the enhanced inter‐hemispheric thermal gradient during the LIG strengthened the ISM, in opposition to the observed weakening of ISM under present‐day warming.
Role of Iodine Recycling on Sea‐Salt Aerosols in the Global Marine Boundary Layer
Authors: Li Qinyi , Tham Yee Jun , Fernandez Rafael P. , He Xu‐Cheng , Cuevas Carlos A. , Saiz‐Lopez Alfonso
Published: March 2022

Heterogeneous uptake of hypoiodous acid (HOI), the dominant inorganic iodine species in the marine boundary layer (MBL), on sea‐salt aerosol (SSA) to form iodine monobromide and iodine monochloride has been adopted in models with assumed efficiency. Recently, field measurements have reported a much faster rate of this recycling process than previously assumed in models. Here, we conduct global model simulations to quantify the range of effects of iodine recycling within the MBL, using Conventional, Updated, and Upper‐limit coefficients. When considering the Updated coefficient, iodine recycling significantly enhances gaseous inorganic iodine abundance (∼40%), increases halogen atom production rates (∼40% in I, >100% in Br, and ∼60% in Cl), and reduces oxidant levels (−7% in O3, −2% in OH, and −4% in HO2) compared to the simulation without the process. We appeal for further direct measurements of iodine species, laboratory experiments on the controlling factors, and multiscale simulations of iodine heterogeneous recycling.
Compact ultrabroadband light-emitting diodes based on lanthanide-doped lead-free double perovskites
Authors: Jin Shilin , Li Renfu , Huang Hai , Jiang Naizhong , Lin Jidong , Wang Shaoxiong , Zheng Yuanhui , Chen Xueyuan , Chen Daqin
Published: March 2022

Impurity doping is an effective approach to tuning the optoelectronic performance of host materials by imparting extrinsic electronic channels. Herein, a family of lanthanide (Ln3+) ions was successfully incorporated into a Bi:Cs2AgInCl6 lead-free double-perovskite (DP) semiconductor, expanding the spectral range from visible (Vis) to near-infrared (NIR) and improving the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). After multidoping with Nd, Yb, Er and Tm, Bi/Ln:Cs2AgInCl6 yielded an ultrabroadband continuous emission spectrum with a full width at half-maximum of ~365 nm originating from intrinsic self-trapped exciton recombination and abundant 4f–4f transitions of the Ln3+ dopants. Steady-state and transient-state spectra were used to ascertain the energy transfer and emissive processes. To avoid adverse energy interactions between the various Ln3+ ions in a single DP host, a heterogeneous architecture was designed to spatially confine different Ln3+ dopants via a “DP-in-glass composite” (DiG) structure. This bottom-up strategy endowed the prepared Ln3+-doped DIG with a high PLQY of 40% (nearly three times as high as that of the multidoped DP) and superior long-term stability. Finally, a compact Vis–NIR ultrabroadband (400~2000 nm) light source was easily fabricated by coupling the DiG with a commercial UV LED chip, and this light source has promising applications in nondestructive spectroscopic analyses and multifunctional lighting.
Infection strategy and biogeography distinguish cosmopolitan groups of marine jumbo bacteriophages
Authors: Weinheimer Alaina R , Aylward Frank O
Published: March 2022

Recent research has underscored the immense diversity and key biogeochemical roles of large DNA viruses in the ocean. Although they are important constituents of marine ecosystems, it is sometimes difficult to detect these viruses due to their large size and complex genomes. This is true for “jumbo” bacteriophages, which have genome sizes >200 kbp and large capsids reaching up to 0.45 µm in diameter. In this study, we sought to assess the genomic diversity and distribution of these bacteriophages in the ocean by generating and analyzing jumbo phage genomes from metagenomes. We recover 85 marine jumbo phages that ranged in size from 201 to 498 kilobases, and we examine their genetic similarities and biogeography together with a reference database of marine jumbo phage genomes. By analyzing Tara Oceans metagenomic data, we show that although most jumbo phages can be detected in a range of different size fractions, 17 of our bins tend to be found in those greater than 0.22 µm, potentially due to their large size. Our network-based analysis of gene-sharing patterns reveals that jumbo bacteriophages belong to five genome clusters that are typified by diverse replication strategies, genomic repertoires, and potential host ranges. Our analysis of jumbo phage distributions in the ocean reveals that depth is a major factor shaping their biogeography, with some phage genome clusters occurring preferentially in either surface or mesopelagic waters, respectively. Taken together, our findings indicate that jumbo phages are widespread community members in the ocean with complex genomic repertoires and ecological impacts that warrant further targeted investigation.
Quantification of archaea-driven freshwater nitrification from single cell to ecosystem levels
Authors: Klotz Franziska , Kitzinger Katharina , Ngugi David Kamanda , Büsing Petra , Littmann Sten , Kuypers Marcel M M , Schink Bernhard , Pester Michael
Published: March 2022

Deep oligotrophic lakes sustain large populations of the class Nitrososphaeria (Thaumarchaeota) in their hypolimnion. They are thought to be the key ammonia oxidizers in this habitat, but their impact on N-cycling in lakes has rarely been quantified. We followed this archaeal population in one of Europe’s largest lakes, Lake Constance, for two consecutive years using metagenomics and metatranscriptomics combined with stable isotope-based activity measurements. An abundant (8–39% of picoplankton) and transcriptionally active archaeal ecotype dominated the nitrifying community. It represented a freshwater-specific species present in major inland water bodies, for which we propose the name “Candidatus Nitrosopumilus limneticus”. Its biomass corresponded to 12% of carbon stored in phytoplankton over the year´s cycle. Ca. N. limneticus populations incorporated significantly more ammonium than most other microorganisms in the hypolimnion and were driving potential ammonia oxidation rates of 6.0 ± 0.9 nmol l‒1 d‒1, corresponding to potential cell-specific rates of 0.21 ± 0.11 fmol cell−1 d−1. At the ecosystem level, this translates to a maximum capacity of archaea-driven nitrification of 1.76 × 109 g N-ammonia per year or 11% of N-biomass produced annually by phytoplankton. We show that ammonia-oxidizing archaea play an equally important role in the nitrogen cycle of deep oligotrophic lakes as their counterparts in marine ecosystems.
A novel prostaglandin E receptor 4 (EP4) small molecule antagonist induces articular cartilage regeneration
Authors: Jin Yunyun , Liu Qianqian , Chen Peng , Zhao Siyuan , Jiang Wenhao , Wang Fanhua , Li Peng , Zhang Yuanjin , Lu Weiqiang , Zhong Tao P. , Ma Xinran , Wang Xin , Gartland Alison , Wang Ning , Shah Karan Mehul , Zhang Hankun , Cao Xu , Yang Lei , Liu Mingyao , Luo Jian
Published: March 2022

Articular cartilage repair and regeneration is an unmet clinical need because of the poor self-regeneration capacity of the tissue. In this study, we found that the expression of prostaglandin E receptor 4 (PTGER4 or EP4) was largely increased in the injured articular cartilage in both humans and mice. In microfracture (MF) surgery-induced cartilage defect (CD) and destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery-induced CD mouse models, cartilage-specific deletion ofEP4remarkably promoted tissue regeneration by enhancing chondrogenesis and cartilage anabolism, and suppressing cartilage catabolism and hypertrophy. Importantly, knocking outEP4in cartilage enhanced stable mature articular cartilage formation instead of fibrocartilage, and reduced joint pain. In addition, we identified a novel selective EP4 antagonist HL-43 for promoting chondrocyte differentiation and anabolism with low toxicity and desirable bioavailability. HL-43 enhanced cartilage anabolism, suppressed catabolism, prevented fibrocartilage formation, and reduced joint pain in multiple pre-clinical animal models including the MF surgery-induced CD rat model, the DMM surgery-induced CD mouse model, and an aging-induced CD mouse model. Furthermore, HL-43 promoted chondrocyte differentiation and extracellular matrix (ECM) generation, and inhibited matrix degradation in human articular cartilage explants. At the molecular level, we found that HL-43/EP4 regulated cartilage anabolism through the cAMP/PKA/CREB/Sox9 signaling. Together, our findings demonstrate that EP4 can act as a promising therapeutic target for cartilage regeneration and the novel EP4 antagonist HL-43 has the clinical potential to be used for cartilage repair and regeneration.
Pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in a young adult harboring a novel germline MSH2 variant
Authors: Tomida Akimasa , Chiyonobu Tomohiro , Tokuda Shinsaku , Miyachi Mitsuru , Murashima Kyoko , Hirata Makoto , Nakagawa Masanori , Iehara Tomoko , Kuroda Junya , Takayama Koichi
Published: March 2022

Most cases of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) are sporadic and not associated with the Lynch syndrome (LS) spectrum. We report a young adult patient with RMS and a family history of colorectal cancer. Comprehensive cancer genomic profiling (CGP) of his tumor revealed a likely pathogenic variant of MSH2, NM_000251.3:c.1741delA (p.I581Lfs*9), which was also present in his blood sample. The widespread use of CGP may reveal that RMS can be a rare manifestation of LS.
Full-spin-wave-scaled stochastic micromagnetism for mesh-independent simulations of ferromagnetic resonance and reversal
Authors: Oezelt Harald , Qu Luman , Kovacs Alexander , Fischbacher Johann , Gusenbauer Markus , Beigelbeck Roman , Praetorius Dirk , Yano Masao , Shoji Tetsuya , Kato Akira , Chantrell Roy , Winklhofer Michael , Zimanyi Gergely T. , Schrefl Thomas
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we address the problem that standard stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (sLLG) simulations typically produce results that show unphysical mesh-size dependence. The root cause of this problem is that the effects of spin-wave fluctuations are ignored in sLLG. We propose to represent the effect of these fluctuations by a full-spin-wave-scaled stochastic LLG, or FUSSS LLG method. In FUSSS LLG, the intrinsic parameters of the sLLG simulations are first scaled by scaling factors that integrate out the spin-wave fluctuations up to the mesh size, and the sLLG simulation is then performed with these scaled parameters. We developed FUSSS LLG by studying the Ferromagnetic Resonance (FMR) in Nd2Fe14B cubes. The nominal scaling greatly reduced the mesh size dependence relative to sLLG. We then performed three tests and validations of our FUSSS LLG with this modified scaling. (1) We studied the same FMR but with magnetostatic fields included. (2) We simulated the total magnetization of the Nd2Fe14B cube. (3) We studied the effective, temperature- and sweeping rate-dependent coercive field of the cubes. In all three cases, we found that FUSSS LLG delivered essentially mesh-size-independent results, which tracked the theoretical expectations better than unscaled sLLG. Motivated by these successful validations, we propose that FUSSS LLG provides marked, qualitative progress towards accurate, high precision modeling of micromagnetics in hard, permanent magnets.
Corrosion fatigue behavior of electron beam melted iron in simulated body fluid
Authors: Wackenrohr Steffen , Torrent Christof Johannes Jaime , Herbst Sebastian , Nürnberger Florian , Krooss Philipp , Ebbert Christoph , Voigt Markus , Grundmeier Guido , Niendorf Thomas , Maier Hans Jürgen
Published: March 2022

Pure iron is very attractive as a biodegradable implant material due to its high biocompatibility. In combination with additive manufacturing, which facilitates great flexibility of the implant design, it is possible to selectively adjust the microstructure of the material in the process, thereby control the corrosion and fatigue behavior. In the present study, conventional hot-rolled (HR) pure iron is compared to pure iron manufactured by electron beam melting (EBM). The microstructure, the corrosion behavior and the fatigue properties were studied comprehensively. The investigated sample conditions showed significant differences in the microstructures that led to changes in corrosion and fatigue properties. The EBM iron showed significantly lower fatigue strength compared to the HR iron. These different fatigue responses were observed under purely mechanical loading as well as with superimposed corrosion influence and are summarized in a model that describes the underlying failure mechanisms.
The relative contributions of insight and neurocognition to intrinsic motivation in schizophrenia
Authors: Brasso Claudio , Bellino Silvio , Bozzatello Paola , Cardillo Simona , Montemagni Cristiana , Rocca Paola
Published: March 2022

Intrinsic motivation was described as the mental process of pursuing a task or an action because it is enjoyable or interesting in itself and was found to play a central role in the determination of the functional outcome of schizophrenia. Neurocognition is one of the most studied determinants of intrinsic motivation in clinically stable schizophrenia while little is known about the role of insight. Following this need we decided to focus on the contribution of different aspects of insight and of neurocognition to intrinsic motivation in a large sample (n = 176) of patients with stable schizophrenia. We performed three hierarchical linear regressions from which resulted that, among different insight aspects, the ability to correctly attribute signs and symptoms to the mental disorder made the strongest contribution to intrinsic motivation. Neurocognition, also, was significantly related to intrinsic motivation when analyzed simultaneously with insight. Moreover, even after accounting for sociodemographic and clinical variables significantly correlated with intrinsic motivation, the relationship between insight and neurocognition and intrinsic motivation remained statistically significant. These findings put the emphasis on the complex interplay between insight, neurocognition, and intrinsic motivation suggesting that interventions targeting both insight and neurocognition might possibly improve this motivational deficit in stable schizophrenia should.
A vaccine targeting the L9 epitope of the malaria circumsporozoite protein confers protection from blood-stage infection in a mouse challenge model
Authors: Jelínková Lucie , Flores-Garcia Yevel , Shapiro Sarah , Roberts Bryce T. , Petrovsky Nikolai , Zavala Fidel , Chackerian Bryce
Published: March 2022

Pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccines that induce high-titer, durable antibody responses can potentially provide protection from infection. Here, we engineered a virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccine targeting a recently described vulnerable epitope at the N-terminus of the central repeat region of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein that is recognized by the potently inhibitory monoclonal antibody L9 and show that immunization with L9 VLPs induces strong antibody responses that provide protection from blood-stage malaria in a mouse infection model.
Spatio-temporal analysis identifies marine mammal stranding hotspots along the Indian coastline
Authors: Dudhat Sohini , Pande Anant , Nair Aditi , Mondal Indranil , Srinivasan Mridula , Sivakumar Kuppusamy
Published: March 2022

Marine mammal strandings provide vital information on species’ life histories, population health and status of marine ecosystems. Opportunistic reporting of strandings also serve as a powerful low-cost tool for monitoring these elusive mammals. We collated data over ~ 270 years available through various open access databases, reports and publications. Annual strandings along the Indian coast (mean = 11.25 ± SE 9.1) increased in the last two years of the study (2015–2017, mean = 27.66 ± SE 8.5 strandings /year). We found that stranding events spike during June—September along the west coast and during December–January along the east coast. We identified several sections of the coastline, such as Mumbai (0.38 strandings/km), Kozhikode (0.28 strandings/km),  Tuticorin (0.4 strandings/km), Rameswaram (1.82 strandings/km), Chennai (0.32 strandings/km) and Bhubaneshwar (0.26 strandings/km) with a higher number of stranded animals reported. Emerging Hotspot Analysis located new and consecutive hotspots along the north-west coast, and sporadic hotspots along the south-east coast. We recommend establishing regional stranding response centres at the identified hotspots coordinated by a National Stranding Centre with adequately trained personnel and central funding support. Regular stranding response training programs for field veterinarians, and frontline personnel of State Forest Departments near stranding hotspots would provide an improved understanding of marine mammal health and threats in Indian waters. Further, the suggested National Stranding Centre needs to maintain a ‘National Stranding Database’ for long-term marine mammal conservation planning in India.
Triacontanol regulates morphological traits and enzymatic activities of salinity affected hot pepper plants
Authors: Sarwar Mubeen , Anjum Sumreen , Alam Muhammad Waqar , Ali Qurban , Ayyub C. M. , Haider Muhammad Saleem , Ashraf M. Irfan , Mahboob Wajid
Published: March 2022

Potential role of triacontanol applied as a foliar treatment to ameliorate the adverse effects of salinity on hot pepper plants was evaluated. In this pot experiment, hot pepper plants under 75 mM NaCl stress environment were subjected to foliar application of 25, 50, and 75 µM triacontanol treatments; whereas, untreated plants were taken as control. Salt stress had a significant impact on morphological characteristics, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange attributes, MDA content, antioxidants activities, electrolytes leakage, vitamin C, soluble protein, and proline contents. All triacontanol treatments significantly mitigated the adversative effects of salinity on hot pepper plants; however, foliar application triacontanol at 75 µM had considerably improved the growth of hot pepper plants in terms of plant height, shoot length, leaf area, plant fresh/dry biomasses by modulating above mentioned physio-biochemical traits. While, improvement in gas exchange properties, chlorophyll, carotenoid contents, increased proline contents coupled with higher SOD and CAT activities were observed in response to 75 µM triacontanol followed by 50 µM triacontanol treatment. MDA and H2O2 contents were decreased significantly in hot pepper plants sprayed with 75 µM triacontanol followed by 50 µM triacontanol foliar treatment. Meanwhile, root and shoot lengths were maximum in 50 µM triacontanol sprayed hot pepper plants along with enhanced APX activity on exposure to salt stress. In crux, exogenous application triacontanol treatments improved hot pepper performance under salinity, however,75 µM triacontanol treatment evidently was more effective in mitigating the lethal impact of saline stress via controlling the ROS generation and increment in antioxidant enzyme activities.
GaWRDenMap: a quantitative framework to study the local variation in cell–cell interactions in pancreatic disease subtypes
Authors: Krishnan Santhoshi N. , Mohammed Shariq , Frankel Timothy L. , Rao Arvind
Published: March 2022

Spatial pattern modelling concepts are being increasingly used in capturing disease heterogeneity. Quantification of heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment is extremely important in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which has been shown to co-occur with other pancreatic diseases and neoplasms with certain attributes that make visual discrimination difficult. In this paper, we propose the GaWRDenMap framework, that utilizes the concepts of geographically weighted regression (GWR) and a density function-based classification model, and apply it to a cohort of multiplex immunofluorescence images from patients belonging to six different pancreatic diseases. We used an internal cohort of 228 patients comprised of 34 Chronic Pancreatitis (CP), 71 PDAC, 70 intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), 16 mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN), 29 pancreatic intraductal neoplasia (PanIN) and 8 IPMN-associated PDAC patients. We utilized GWR to model the relationship between epithelial cells and immune cells on a spatial grid. The GWR model estimates were used to generate density signatures which were used in subsequent pairwise classification models to distinguish between any two pairs of disease groups. Image-level, as well as subject-level analysis, were performed. When applied to this dataset, our classification model showed significant discrimination ability in multiple pairwise comparisons, in comparison to commonly used abundance-based metrics, like the Morisita-Horn index. The model was able to best discriminate between CP and PDAC at both the subject- and image-levels. It was also able to reasonably discriminate between PDAC and IPMN. These results point to a potential difference in the spatial arrangement of epithelial and immune cells between CP, PDAC and IPMN, that could be of high diagnostic significance. Further validation on a more comprehensive dataset would be warranted.
Association between prehospital fluid resuscitation with crystalloids and outcome of trauma patients in Asia by a cross-national multicenter cohort study
Authors: Sung Chih-Wei , Sun Jen-Tang , Huang Edward Pei-Chuan , Shin Sang Do , Song Kyoung Jun , Hong Ki Jeong , Jamaluddin Sabariah Faizah , Son Do Ngoc , Hsieh Ming-Ju , Ma Matthew Huei-Ming , Hsu Li-Min , Chiang Wen-Chu ,   The PATOS Clinical Research Network, Rao Ramana , Abraham George P. , Ramakrishnan T. V. , Jamaluddin Sabariah Faiwah , Mohidin Mohd Amin Bin , Saim Al-Hilmi , Kean Lim Chee , Anthonysamy Cecilia , Yssof Shah Jahan Din Mohd , Ji Kang Wen , Kheng Cheah Phee , Ali Shamila Bt Mohamad , Ramanathan Periyanayaki , Yang Chia Boon , Chia Hon Woei , Hamad Hafidahwati Binti , Ismail Samsu Ambia , Abdullah Wan Rasydan B. Wan , Tanaka Hideharu , Kimura Akio , Velasco Bernadett , Gundran Carlos D. , Convocar Pauline , Sabarre Nerissa G. , Tiglao Patrick Joseph , Hong Ki Jeong , Song Kyoung Jun , Jeong Joo , Moon Sung Woo , Kim Joo-yeong , Cha Won Chul , Lee Seung Chul , Ahn Jae Yun , Lee Kang Hyeon , Yeom Seok Ran , Ryu Hyeon Ho , Kim Su Jin , Kim Sang Chul , Hu Ray-Heng , Sun Jen Tang , Wang Ruei-Fang , Hsieh Shang-Lin , Kao Wei-Fong , Riyapan Sattha , Tianwibool Parinya , Buaprasert Phudit , Akaraborworn Osaree , Sakaf Omer Ahmed Al , Fares Saleh , Huy Le Bao , Son Do Ngoc , Van Dai Nguyen
Published: March 2022

Prehospital fluid resuscitation with crystalloids in patients following trauma remain controversial. This study aimed to investigate the association between prehospital fluid resuscitation and outcomes of trauma patients in Asia. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of trauma patients between 2016 and 2018 using data from the Pan-Asia Trauma Outcomes Study (PATOS) database. Prehospital fluid resuscitation was defined as any administration of intravenous crystalloid fluid on the ambulance before arrival to hospitals. The outcomes were in-hospital mortality and poor functional outcomes, defined as Modified Rankin Scale ≥ 4. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to equalize potential prognostic factors in both groups. This study included 31,735 patients from six countries in Asia, and 4318 (13.6%) patients had ever received prehospital fluid resuscitation. The patients receiving prehospital fluid resuscitation had a higher risk of in-hospital mortality, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 2.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32–3.10, p = 0.001 in PSM analysis. Prehospital fluid resuscitation was also associated with poor functional outcomes, with an OR 1.73, 95% CI: 1.48–2.03, p < 0.001 in PSM analysis. Prehospital fluid resuscitation in patients with major trauma (injury severity score ≥ 16) presented a higher risk of poor functional outcomes (aOR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.89–3.73 in PSM analysis, pinteraction = 0.006) via subgroup analysis. Prehospital fluid resuscitation of trauma patients is associated with higher in-hospital mortality and poor functional outcomes in the subgroup in countries studied.
Positive selection over the mitochondrial genome and its role in the diversification of gentoo penguins in response to adaptation in isolation
Authors: Noll D. , Leon F. , Brandt D. , Pistorius P. , Le Bohec C. , Bonadonna F. , Trathan P. N. , Barbosa A. , Rey A. Raya , Dantas G. P. M. , Bowie R. C. K. , Poulin E. , Vianna J. A.
Published: March 2022

Although mitochondrial DNA has been widely used in phylogeography, evidence has emerged that factors such as climate, food availability, and environmental pressures that produce high levels of stress can exert a strong influence on mitochondrial genomes, to the point of promoting the persistence of certain genotypes in order to compensate for the metabolic requirements of the local environment. As recently discovered, the gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) comprise four highly divergent lineages across their distribution spanning the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. Gentoo penguins therefore represent a suitable animal model to study adaptive processes across divergent environments. Based on 62 mitogenomes that we obtained from nine locations spanning all four gentoo penguin lineages, we demonstrated lineage-specific nucleotide substitutions for various genes, but only lineage-specific amino acid replacements for the ND1 and ND5 protein-coding genes. Purifying selection (dN/dS < 1) is the main driving force in the protein-coding genes that shape the diversity of mitogenomes in gentoo penguins. Positive selection (dN/dS > 1) was mostly present in codons of the Complex I (NADH genes), supported by two different codon-based methods at the ND1 and ND4 in the most divergent lineages, the eastern gentoo penguin from Crozet and Marion Islands and the southern gentoo penguin from Antarctica respectively. Additionally, ND5 and ATP6 were under selection in the branches of the phylogeny involving all gentoo penguins except the eastern lineage. Our study suggests that local adaptation of gentoo penguins has emerged as a response to environmental variability promoting the fixation of mitochondrial haplotypes in a non-random manner. Mitogenome adaptation is thus likely to have been associated with gentoo penguin diversification across the Southern Ocean and to have promoted their survival in extreme environments such as Antarctica. Such selective processes on the mitochondrial genome may also be responsible for the discordance detected between nuclear- and mitochondrial-based phylogenies of gentoo penguin lineages.
Electrochemical cell recharging by solvent separation and transfer processes
Authors: Matsui Yohei , Kawase Makoto , Suzuki Takahiro , Tsushima Shohji
Published: March 2022

Electrochemical conversion and storage of unutilized renewable energy will contribute to decarbonization. Here, we create the concept of a liquid electrochemical cell that discharges between the anodic and cathodic sides by reverse reactions of the same redox couple in different solvation states, which are created by differences in the mixture ratios of two solvents called the main solvent (MS) and the transferred solvent (TS). The cell can be charged by a transfer of the TS between the discharged anolyte and catholyte. As an example, we demonstrate a cell utilizing a ferro-/ferricyanide redox couple. Stable discharging and charging via the proposed method is achieved by utilizing water (MS) and acetone (TS). Additionally, dominating factors in the design of a high-performance system are discussed, focusing on the electron acceptability of the MS and the TS. The cell voltages are successfully tuned, and a cell voltage of 0.63 V is achieved by the combination of dimethyl sulfoxide (MS) and water (TS). Moreover, the cell can be customized by various electrochemical reaction systems, which can allow multiple options for the charging processes. This concept provides new approaches for the utilization of diverse energy sources as an input for the charging of electrochemical cells.
Radioactive iodine and female fertility
Authors: Navarro Pino , Rocher Sandra , Miró-Martínez Pau , Oltra-Crespo Sandra
Published: March 2022

Radioactive iodine (I131) is used after surgery in the treatment of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma (DTC). There is no solid evidence about the potential deleterious effect of I131 on women fertility. The objective of this study is to assess the impact that I131 may have on fertility in women. All women followed by DTC in our department have been analyzed and women younger than 45 years old at the time of diagnosis and initial treatment were included. There were 40 women exposed to I131 (study group) and 11 women who were only treated with thyroidectomy (control group). Of the women exposed to I131, 40% went through early menopause, while no cases were reported among their controls. Furthermore, 29.2% of women exposed to I131 had decreased Antimüllerian Hormone (AMH), compared to the only 11% of unexposed women (not significant). Regarding the fertility impairment "perceived" by patients, in the group of women exposed to iodine, 17.9% described being unable to complete their genesic desire whereas, none was registered in the control group. We conclude that radioactive iodine can affect a woman's fertility and shorten her reproductive life, so this is an aspect that should be taken into consideration.