bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dating the emergence of dairying by the first farmers of Central Europe using
14
C analysis of fatty acids preserved in pottery vessels
Authors: Casanova Emmanuelle , Knowles Timothy D. J. , Bayliss Alex , Roffet-Salque Mélanie , Heyd Volker , Pyzel Joanna , Claßen Erich , Domboróczki László , Ilett Michael , Lefranc Philippe , Jeunesse Christian , Marciniak Arkadiusz , van Wijk Ivo , Evershed Richard P.
Published: October 2022

Direct, accurate, and precise dating of archaeological pottery vessels is now achievable using a recently developed approach based on the radiocarbon dating of purified molecular components of food residues preserved in the walls of pottery vessels. The method targets fatty acids from animal fat residues, making it uniquely suited for directly dating the inception of new food commodities in prehistoric populations. Here, we report a large-scale application of the method by directly dating the introduction of dairying into Central Europe by the
Linearbandkeramik
(LBK) cultural group based on dairy fat residues. The radiocarbon dates (
n
= 27) from the 54th century BC from the western and eastern expansion of the LBK suggest dairy exploitation arrived with the first settlers in the respective regions and were not gradually adopted later. This is particularly significant, as contemporaneous LBK sites showed an uneven distribution of dairy exploitation. Significantly, our findings demonstrate the power of directly dating the introduction of new food commodities, hence removing taphonomic uncertainties when assessing this indirectly based on associated cultural materials or other remains.
Yellow polyketide pigment suppresses premature hatching in social amoeba
Authors: Günther Markus , Reimer Christin , Herbst Rosa , Kufs Johann E. , Rautschek Julia , Ueberschaar Nico , Zhang Shuaibing , Peschel Gundela , Reimer Lisa , Regestein Lars , Valiante Vito , Hillmann Falk , Stallforth Pierre
Published: October 2022

Low-molecular-weight natural products from microbes are indispensable in the development of potent drugs. However, their biological roles within an ecological context often remain elusive. Here, we shed light on natural products from eukaryotic microorganisms that have the ability to transition from single cells to multicellular organisms: the social amoebae. These eukaryotes harbor a large number of polyketide biosynthetic genes in their genomes, yet virtually none of the corresponding products can be isolated or characterized. Using complementary molecular biology approaches, including CRISPR-Cas9, we generated polyketide synthase (
pks5
) inactivation and overproduction strains of the social amoeba
Dictyostelium discoideum
. Differential, untargeted metabolomics of wild-type versus mutant fruiting bodies allowed us to pinpoint candidate metabolites derived from the amoebal PKS5. Extrachromosomal expression of the respective gene led to the identification of a yellow polyunsaturated fatty acid. Analysis of the temporospatial production pattern of this compound in conjunction with detailed bioactivity studies revealed the polyketide to be a spore germination suppressor.
Prostaglandin production selectively in brain endothelial cells is both necessary and sufficient for eliciting fever
Authors: Shionoya Kiseko , Eskilsson Anna , Blomqvist Anders
Published: October 2022

Fever is known to be elicited by prostaglandin E
2
acting on the brain, but its origin has remained disputed. We show in mice that selective deletion of prostaglandin synthesis in brain endothelial cells, but not in neural cells or myeloid cells, abolished fever induced by intravenous administration of lipopolysaccharide and that selective rescue of prostaglandin synthesis in brain endothelial cells reinstated fever. These data demonstrate that prostaglandin production in brain endothelial cells is both necessary and sufficient for eliciting fever.
Phenomenology and dynamics of competitive ecosystems beyond the niche-neutral regimes
Authors: Leibovich Nava , Rothschild Jeremy , Goyal Sidhartha , Zilman Anton
Published: October 2022

Structure, composition, and stability of ecological populations are shaped by the inter- and intraspecies interactions within their communities. It remains to be fully understood how the interplay of these interactions with other factors, such as immigration, controls the structure, the diversity, and the long-term stability of ecological systems in the presence of noise and fluctuations. We address this problem using a minimal model of interacting multispecies ecological communities that incorporates competition, immigration, and demographic noise. We find that a complete phase diagram exhibits rich behavior with multiple regimes that go beyond the classical “niche” and “neutral” regimes, extending and modifying the “rare biosphere” or “niche-like” dichotomy. In particular, we observe regimes that cannot be characterized as either niche or neutral where a multimodal species abundance distribution is observed. We characterize the transitions between the different regimes and show how these arise from the underlying kinetics of the species turnover, extinction, and invasion. Our model serves as a minimal null model of noisy competitive ecological systems, against which more complex models that include factors such as mutations and environmental noise can be compared.
Coexistence in diverse communities with higher-order interactions
Authors: Gibbs Theo , Levin Simon A. , Levine Jonathan M.
Published: October 2022

A central assumption in most ecological models is that the interactions in a community operate only between pairs of species. However, two species may interactively affect the growth of a focal species. Although interactions among three or more species, called higher-order interactions, have the potential to modify our theoretical understanding of coexistence, ecologists lack clear expectations for how these interactions shape community structure. Here we analytically predict and numerically confirm how the variability and strength of higher-order interactions affect species coexistence. We found that as higher-order interaction strengths became more variable across species, fewer species could coexist, echoing the behavior of pairwise models. If interspecific higher-order interactions became too harmful relative to self-regulation, coexistence in diverse communities was destabilized, but coexistence was also lost when these interactions were too weak and mutualistic higher-order effects became prevalent. This behavior depended on the functional form of the interactions as the destabilizing effects of the mutualistic higher-order interactions were ameliorated when their strength saturated with species’ densities. Last, we showed that more species-rich communities structured by higher-order interactions lose species more readily than their species-poor counterparts, generalizing classic results for community stability. Our work provides needed theoretical expectations for how higher-order interactions impact species coexistence in diverse communities.
A role for axon–glial interactions and Netrin-G1 signaling in the formation of low-threshold mechanoreceptor end organs
Authors: Meltzer Shan , Boulanger Katelyn C. , Osei-Asante Emmanuella , Handler Annie , Zhang Qiyu , Sano Chie , Itohara Shigeyoshi , Ginty David D.
Published: October 2022

Low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs) and their cutaneous end organs convert light mechanical forces acting on the skin into electrical signals that propagate to the central nervous system. In mouse hairy skin, hair follicle–associated longitudinal lanceolate complexes, which are end organs comprising LTMR axonal endings that intimately associate with terminal Schwann cell (TSC) processes, mediate LTMR responses to hair deflection and skin indentation. Here, we characterized developmental steps leading to the formation of Aβ rapidly adapting (RA)-LTMR and Aδ-LTMR lanceolate complexes. During early postnatal development, Aβ RA-LTMRs and Aδ-LTMRs extend and prune cutaneous axonal branches in close association with nascent TSC processes. Netrin-G1 is expressed in these developing Aβ RA-LTMR and Aδ-LTMR lanceolate endings, and
Ntng1
ablation experiments indicate that Netrin-G1 functions in sensory neurons to promote lanceolate ending elaboration around hair follicles. The Netrin-G ligand (NGL-1), encoded by
Lrrc4c
, is expressed in TSCs, and ablation of
Lrrc4c
partially phenocopied the lanceolate complex deficits observed in
Ntng1
mutants. Moreover, NGL-1–Netrin-G1 signaling is a general mediator of LTMR end organ formation across diverse tissue types demonstrated by the fact that Aβ RA-LTMR endings associated with Meissner corpuscles and Pacinian corpuscles are also compromised in the
Ntng1
and
Lrrc4c
mutant mice. Thus, axon–glia interactions, mediated in part by NGL-1–Netrin-G1 signaling, promote LTMR end organ formation.
Trim69 is a microtubule regulator that acts as a pantropic viral inhibitor
Authors: Song Yuxin , Nguyen Xuan-Nhi , Kumar Anuj , da Silva Claire , Picard Léa , Etienne Lucie , Cimarelli Andrea
Published: October 2022

Through a screen that combines functional and evolutionary analyses, we identified tripartite motif protein (Trim69), a poorly studied member of the Trim family, as a negative regulator of HIV-1 infection in interferon (IFN)-stimulated myeloid cells. Trim69 inhibits the early phases of infection of HIV-1, but also of HIV-2 and SIV
MAC
in addition to the negative and positive-strand RNA viruses vesicular stomatitis virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, with magnitudes that depend on the combination between cell type and virus. Mechanistically, Trim69 associates directly to microtubules and its antiviral activity is linked to its ability to promote the accumulation of stable microtubules, a program that we uncover to be an integral part of antiviral IFN-I responses in myeloid cells. Overall, our study identifies Trim69 as the antiviral innate defense factor that regulates the properties of microtubules to limit viral spread and highlights the cytoskeleton as an unappreciated battleground in the host-pathogen interactions that underlie viral infections.
Competing future constructions and the Complexity Principle
Authors: Mikkelsen Olaf , Hartmann Stefan
Published: October 2022

This paper presents a contrastive study on the role of syntactic complexity in the choice between different future constructions in English and Norwegian. Previous work on the English future alternation (BE going to vs. will) has shown that going to is preferred in syntactically complex contexts. We replicate this result for English on the basis of data from the Spoken BNC 2014. In addition, we address the question of whether this account can be generalized to another language that shows a very similar alternation, namely Norwegian (skal/vil vs. kommer til å). We use data from the Norwegian Speech Corpus (NoTa) and the BigBrother corpus, showing that syntactic complexity correlates with the shorter form skal here. We take this as an indication that the observed syntactic distribution is actually a side-effect of semantic differences and suggest possible explanations for this.
Diachronic learner corpus research
Authors: Gilquin Gaëtanelle
Published: October 2022

This paper argues for a diachronic approach to the study of learner language and provides a first exploration of the evolution of English as a foreign language over the last twenty-five years, relying on a corpus resource specifically designed for the short-term diachronic analysis of learner English. The paper describes some of the challenges involved in creating such a resource and shows how these challenges have been responded to. It then investigates a number of linguistic features, some of them taken from short-term diachronic research on native English, and highlights certain changes, underlining that these may be the consequence of natural linguistic evolution, but also of other factors characterizing the acquisition of a foreign language.
“I’m putting some salt in my sandwich”.
Authors: Le Foll Elen
Published: October 2022

Previous studies have claimed that the progressive is frequently over- and misrepresented in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks (e.g. Römer 2005). This paper compares the representation of progressives in the dialogues of nine series of secondary school EFL textbooks (43 volumes) to the Spoken BNC2014. The frequencies, morphosyntactic and functional aspects of progressive constructions, such as contraction, negation, framing and time reference, are investigated. Collostructional analysis is used to explore the lexical associations of the progressive. A number of idiosyncratic uses of the progressive in textbook conversation are highlighted and pedagogical implications discussed. In particular, key conversational discourse-structuring phrasemes in the progressive are found to be critically underrepresented.
Determinants of exaptation in Verb-Object predicates in the transition from Late Middle English to Early Modern English
Authors: Pérez-Guerra Javier
Published: October 2022

While Verb-Object (VO) is the basic unmarked constituent order of predicates in Present-Day English, in older stages Object-Verb (OV) was the preferred option at least in certain syntactic contexts. This corpus-based study investigates OV linearisation after the loss of verb-second and focuses on morphosyntactic, processing, semantic and textual determinants of the VO/OV variation in the transition from Late Middle to Early Modern English. The findings reveal a shift from OV word order, ruled by systematic predictors in Late Middle English, to an essentially stylistic alternative in Early Modern English, when VO succeeded as the syntacticised organisation in English predicates. Also, in the later period, the postverbal slot was adapted to host constituents functioning as objects, which constitutes an illustration of exaptation.
Understanding solidification and wear behaviour of Al-3Cu-Bi alloys
Authors: de Moura Danusa Araújo , Gomes Leonardo Fernandes , Siqueira Claudio Alves , Garcia Amauri , Spinelli José Eduardo
Published: October 2022

Considering that Bi is able to decrease friction between contacting surfaces, wear damage is expected to decrease as well. Bi-containing Al alloys have emerged as a choice for creating self-lubricating parts. The current work compares the effects of two distinct Bi alloy contents on the microstructure, Bi morphology/spacing, hardness, and wear resistance of Al-3.0wt.%Cu-Bi alloys. The novelty is in determining the microstructure constituting the Al-Cu based alloys with different Bi additions. Also, functional relationships between the wear resistance and the Bi droplets are derived. Increasing the Bi content from 2.0 to 3.2 wt.% changed the size and spacing of Bi particles as well as decreased hardness and increased the wear resistance. Even though the Al-3.0wt%Cu-3.2wt%Bi alloy has a lower hardness, the greater Bi fraction seems to be the key factor enhancing wear resistance. The bigger Bi areas spreading over the Al-rich phase under wear allowed higher wear resistance.
Liquid–liquid phase separation mediates the formation of herpesvirus assembly compartments
Authors: Zhou Sheng , Fu Zhifei , Zhang Ziwei , Jia Xing , Xu Guangjun , Sun Long , Sun Fei , Gao Pu , Xu Pingyong , Deng Hongyu
Published: October 2022

Virus assembly, which takes place during the late stage of viral replication, is essential for virus propagation. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially for viruses with complicated structures. Here, we use correlative light and electron microscopy to examine the formation of cytoplasmic virion assembly compartments (cVACs) during infection by a γ-herpesvirus. These cVACs are membraneless organelles with liquid-like properties. Formation of cVACs during virus infection is mediated by ORF52, an abundant tegument protein. ORF52 undergoes liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), which is promoted by both DNA and RNA. Disrupting ORF52 phase separation blocks cVACs formation and virion production. These results demonstrate that phase separation of ORF52 is critical for cVACs formation. Our work defines herpesvirus cVACs as membraneless compartments that are generated through a process of LLPS mediated by a tegument protein and adds to the cellular processes that are facilitated by phase separation.
Electronic absorption spectral analysis of chlorin-based dyad sensitizers by TD-DFT calculations
Authors: Nakamura Takashi , Sasaki Shin-Ichi , Wang Xiao-Feng , Kitao Osamu
Published: October 2022

As part of our studies of chlorophyll-based sensitizers for solar energy applications, we recently synthesized two dyad panchromatic chromophores of chlorin-indoline (Chl-Ind) and chlorin-carotenoid (Chl-Car) conjugates aiming at the wider range of sunlight utilization. By comparing the absorption spectra of these dyad sensitizers in various solvents, we found that each chromophore unit in Chl-Ind showed drastic red-shift when measured in polar solvents, while the spectra of Chl-Car showed lesser solvent effects. To elucidate the origin of such solvatochromism by time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations with molecular dynamics studies, we decided to compare the estimation results of TD-DFT/CAM-B3LYP (M06-2X and ωB97X-D)/6-31(d,p) using polarizable continuum model (H2O and THF) with the absorption spectra for Chl-Ind and Chl-Car, together with their sole chromophore units methyl trans-32-carboxy-pyropheophorbide-a (Chl), methyl ester of indoline dye D102 (Ind), and β–apo-8ʹ-carotenoic acid ethyl ester (Car). The results revealed that the unusual peak shifts of Chl and Ind moieties in Chl-Ind dyad could be most properly reproduced at ωB97X-D density functionals. This is likely because ωB97X-D contains dispersion-corrected and long-range corrected functionals. The destabilized HOMO−1 is expected to contribute to the red-shift of Ind peak in the dyad. Our results would provide useful information for the selection of computational methods to anticipate spectral characteristics of covalently-linked multi-chromophores in advance.
Broadband and large-depth terahertz modulation by self-assembly monolayer silver nanoparticle arrays
Authors: Lai Weien , Zhu Qing , Liu Gen , Shi Guanghua , Gan Yichen , Amini Abbas , Cheng Chun
Published: October 2022

Broadband and large-depth THz modulation are crucially important for building next-generation THz devices in THz communication systems. Here, we present a broadband and large-depth THz modulator based on silicon/self-assembled silver nanoparticle (SAM AgNP) arrays, which exhibits a broadband modulation within the frequency range of 0.2–2.0 THz and a large modulation depth of ∼91.2% under a moderate near-infrared (NIR) light intensity of 1.77 W cm−2. For a modulation mechanism, the plasmon-enhanced NIR light absorption of SAM AgNP arrays shows a key role in increasing the photoconductivity of the device under NIR light irradiation. The experimental results are verified well by the numerical simulation. The proposed device can significantly improve the overall performance of THz systems, and opens the opportunity for designing novel nanoparticle-based THz devices.
Delicate superconductivity in nodal-line NaAlGe single crystal
Authors: Chen Zhaoxu , Yang Yuxin , Deng Jun , Du Shixuan , Ying Tianping , Guo Jiangang , Chen Xiaolong
Published: October 2022

Nodal-line superconductor NaAlSi with a transition temperature (

T

c

) of 7 K has attracted considerable attention in recent years, whereas its Ge counterpart, NaAlGe, does not superconduct down to the lowest temperature regardless of their similar atomic and electrical structures. To tackle this enigma, we resort to the growth of NaAlGe single crystal and characterize its ground state. Interestingly, when hole doped by oxidation or extracting Na, single-crystalline NaAlGe transforms from a semimetal/semiconductor to a superconductor (

T

c

=
1.8
∼

3.3 K) with zero resistivity and a diamagnetic shielding fraction over 100

%

, but without a thermodynamic response in heat capacity. Continuous x-ray diffraction reveals a transient new structure with a larger c axis, which is suggested to have arisen from the minor loss of Na and to be responsible for the emergence of the delicate superconductivity. Our findings place NaAlGe on an equal footing with NaAlSi and provide an alternative for studying the intriguing relationship between superconductivity and nodal-line topology.
Parabolic bifurcation loci in the spaces of rational functions
Authors: Okuyama Yûsuke
Published: October 2022

We give a geometric description of the parabolic bifurcation locus in the space Rat
d
of all rational functions on

P

1

of degree d > 1, generalising the study by Morton and Vivaldi in the case of monic polynomials. The results are new even for quadratic rational functions.
Local well-posedness of a coupled Westervelt–Pennes model of nonlinear ultrasonic heating
Authors: Nikolić Vanja , Said-Houari Belkacem
Published: October 2022

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) waves are known to induce localised heat to a targeted area during medical treatments. In turn, the rise in temperature influences their speed of propagation. This coupling affects the position of the focal region as well as the achieved pressure and temperature values. In this work, we investigate a mathematical model of nonlinear ultrasonic heating based on the Westervelt wave equation coupled to the Pennes bioheat equation that captures this so-called thermal lensing effect. We prove that this quasi-linear model is well-posed locally in time and does not degenerate under a smallness assumption on the pressure data.
Global well-posedness of 2D Euler-α equation in exterior domain
Authors: You Xiaoguang , Zang Aibin , Li Yin
Published: October 2022

After casting Euler-α equations into vorticity-stream function formula, we obtain some very useful estimates from the properties of the vorticity formula in exterior domain. Basing on these estimates, one can have got the global existence and uniqueness of the solutions to Euler-α equations in 2D exterior domain provided that the initial data is regular enough.
E and B modes of the CMB y-type distortions: polarised kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect from the reionisation and post-reionisation eras
Authors: Gon Aritra Kumar , Khatri Rishi
Published: October 2022

We study the E and B mode polarisation of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) originating from the transverse peculiar velocity of free electrons, at second order in perturbation theory, during the reionisation and post-reionisation eras. Interestingly, the spectrum of this polarised kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect can be decomposed into a blackbody part and a y-type distortion. The y-distortion part is distinguishable from the primary E and B modes and also the lensing B modes. Furthermore, it is also differentiable from the other y-type signals, such as the thermal SZ effect, which are unpolarised. We show that this signal is sensitive to the reionisation history, in particular to how fast reionisation happens. The E and B modes of y-type distortion provide a way to beat the cosmic variance of primary CMB anisotropies and are an independent probe of the cosmological parameters. The blackbody component of the pkSZ effect would be an important foreground for the primordial tensor modes for tensor to scalar ratio r ≲ 3 × 10-5.
Q-switching pulse and mode-locked square-wave pulse generated in a fiber ring laser based on nonlinear polarization rotation
Authors: Wang H Y , Zhan X K , Wang S C , Li Z Y
Published: October 2022

We observe anomalous modes including Q-switching pulses and mode-locked square-wave pulses generated in a dual-gain-media fiber ring laser based on nonlinear polarization rotation in a semiconductor optical amplifier. We disclose the evolution process between them, and present in detail the temporal and spectra profiles of the output pulses. We find that the width of the square-wave pulse can be varied continuously from 500 ps to 165 ns by increasing the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) current or rotating the polarization controllers in the ring. The width of the pulse varies along with the temporal profile and spectrum pattern, then we further analyse its width-energy curve. For the first time to our knowledge, when we change the parameter of the ring laser (polarization controllers or variable optical attenuator), the stationary point of the width-energy curve will be shifted to a different position so that change the tuneable range of the pulse width. In addition, the evolution (no peak power clamping effect) and the features (chair-like pulse profile) of the generated square-wave pulse are different than previous reported square-wave pulses. Thus, the proposed scheme can facilitate further investigations of the characteristics of pulse generation in fiber lasers. Additionally, it can also serve as a multi-functional optical source to generate square-wave and Q-switching pulses for potential applications.
Analysis of P

cs
(4338) and related pentaquark molecular states via QCD sum rules*
Authors: Wang Xiu-Wu , Wang Zhi-Gang
Published: October 2022

In this study, we tentatively identify

as the

molecular state and distinguish the isospins of current operators to explore in detail the

,

,

,

,

,

,

, and

molecular states without strange, with strange, and with double strange in the framework of QCD sum rules. The present exploration favors identifying

(

) as the

(

) molecular state with the spin-parity

(

) and isospin

, and the observation of their cousins with the isospin

in the

invariant mass distributions would decipher their inner structures.
Resting-state EEG functional connectivity predicts post-traumatic stress disorder subtypes in veterans
Authors: Li Qianliang , Coulson Theodorsen Maya , Konvalinka Ivana , Eskelund Kasper , Karstoft Karen-Inge , Bo Andersen Søren , Andersen Tobias S
Published: October 2022

Objective. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly heterogeneous, and identification of quantifiable biomarkers that could pave the way for targeted treatment remains a challenge. Most previous electroencephalography (EEG) studies on PTSD have been limited to specific handpicked features, and their findings have been highly variable and inconsistent. Therefore, to disentangle the role of promising EEG biomarkers, we developed a machine learning framework to investigate a wide range of commonly used EEG biomarkers in order to identify which features or combinations of features are capable of characterizing PTSD and potential subtypes. Approach. We recorded 5 min of eyes-closed and 5 min of eyes-open resting-state EEG from 202 combat-exposed veterans (53% with probable PTSD and 47% combat-exposed controls). Multiple spectral, temporal, and connectivity features were computed and logistic regression, random forest, and support vector machines with feature selection methods were employed to classify PTSD. To obtain robust results, we performed repeated two-layer cross-validation to test on an entirely unseen test set. Main results. Our classifiers obtained a balanced test accuracy of up to 62.9% for predicting PTSD patients. In addition, we identified two subtypes within PTSD: one where EEG patterns were similar to those of the combat-exposed controls, and another that were characterized by increased global functional connectivity. Our classifier obtained a balanced test accuracy of 79.4% when classifying this PTSD subtype from controls, a clear improvement compared to predicting the whole PTSD group. Interestingly, alpha connectivity in the dorsal and ventral attention network was particularly important for the prediction, and these connections were positively correlated with arousal symptom scores, a central symptom cluster of PTSD. Significance. Taken together, the novel framework presented here demonstrates how unsupervised subtyping can delineate heterogeneity and improve machine learning prediction of PTSD, and may pave the way for better identification of quantifiable biomarkers.
Reply to Comment on ‘The advanced tokamak path to a compact net electric fusion pilot plant’
Authors: Buttery R.J. , Park J.M. , McClenaghan J.T. , Weisberg D. B , Canik J. , Ferron J. , Garofalo A. M , Holcomb C.T. , Leuer J. A , Snyder P.B. , the ATOM Project Team
Published: October 2022

The Comment by Manheimer (submitted to Nucl. Fusion with this response) on our recent paper Buttery et al (2021 Nucl. Fusion
61 046028), has mischaracterized our paper with a series of misleading statements about its content, which it then seeks to refute. It also offers a series of assertions that are unsupported by refereed publication or scientific data—and sometimes in contradiction to the published record and well-established points in the scientific community. In this response we address the main thrusts and themes of the comment, while providing a point-by-point response in the appendix.
FPGA-based fast track reconstruction for the conceptual design of STCF MDC trigger
Authors: Dong W. , Feng C. , Hao Y. , Zhou H. , Zhang E. , Liu S.
Published: October 2022

The Super Tau-Charm Facility (STCF) is a future high
luminosity electron-positron collider proposed in China, with a peak
luminosity greater than 0.5× 1035 cm2s-1 at
center-of-mass energy of 4.0 GeV. The main drift chamber (MDC) is
designed as the central tracker, which provides the charged particle
information for the level-1 trigger. This paper presents an
FPGA-based fast trigger algorithm with the function of finding the
charged particle tracks and reconstructing their transverse momentum
and azimuthal angle. It adopts a two-stage lookup-table-based
pattern matching architecture. The prototype trigger logic was
implemented in a Xilinx XCKU060 FPGA. Test results with simulated
data suggest that the trigger efficiency of J/Ψ events is
better than 96%, and the resolution in the reconstructed track's
azimuthal angle at the interaction point is better than
12 mrad. The overall dead time is 24 ns and the total latency is
339 ns. All these performances meet the requirements of the MDC
trigger in the current conceptual design stage of STCF project.
Magnetic field measurements on the mini-ICAL detector using Hall probes
Authors: Khindri Honey , Satyanarayana B. , Shinde R. , Datar V.M. , Indumathi D. , Thulasi Ram K V , Dalal N. , Prabhakar S. , Ajith S. , Pathak Sourabh , Patel Sandip
Published: October 2022

The magnetised 51 kton Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector
proposed to be built at INO is designed with a focus on detecting
1–20 GeV muons. The magnetic field will enable the measurement of
the momentum of the μ
- and μ
+ generated from the
charge current interactions of atmospheric νμ
and
ν̅μ
separately within iron in the detector, thus
permitting the determination of the neutrino mass
ordering/hierarchy, among other important goals of ICAL. Hence it is
important to determine the magnetic field as accurately as
possible. The mini-ICAL detector is an 85-ton prototype of
ICAL, which is operational at Madurai in South India. We describe
here the first measurement of the magnetic field in mini-ICAL
using Hall sensors. A set-up was developed to
calibrate the Hall probe sensors using an electromagnet. The readout
system has been designed using an Arduino Nano board for selection
of channels of Hall probes mounted on the PCB and the output voltage
was measured. The magnetic field has been measured in the small gaps
(provided for the purpose) between iron plates in the top layer of mini-ICAL
as well as in the air just outside the
detector. A precision of better than 3% was obtained, with a
sensitivity down to about 3 mT when measuring the small fringe
fields outside the detector.
Long-term basin-scale hydropower expansion under alternative scenarios in a global multisector model
Authors: Zhang Ying , Binsted Matthew , Iyer Gokul , Kim Sonny , Wild Thomas , Zhao Mengqi
Published: October 2022

Hydropower is an important source of renewable, low-carbon energy. Global and regional energy systems, including hydropower, may evolve in a variety of ways under different scenarios. Representation of hydropower in global multisector models is often simplified at the country or regional level. Some models assume a fixed hydropower supply, which is not affected by economic drivers or competition with other electricity generation sources. Here, we implement an endogenous model of hydropower expansion in the Global Change Analysis Model, including a representation of hydropower potential at the river basin level to project future hydropower production across river basins and explore hydropower’s role in evolving energy systems both regionally and globally, under alternative scenarios. Each scenario utilizes the new endogenous hydropower implementation but makes different assumptions about future low-carbon transitions, technology costs, and energy demand. Our study suggests there is ample potential for hydropower to expand in the future to help meet growing demand for electricity driven by socioeconomic growth, electrification of end-use sectors, or other factors. However, hydropower expansion will be constrained by resource availability, resource location, and cost in ways that limit its growth relative to other technologies. As a result, all scenarios show a generally decreasing share of hydroelectricity over total electricity generation at the global level. Hydropower expansion varies across regions, and across basins within regions, due to differences in resource potential, cost, current utilization, and other factors. In sum, our scenarios entail hydropower generation growth between 36% and 119% in 2050, compared to 2015, globally.
Cathode position effects on microwave discharge cusped field thruster
Authors: ZENG Ming , LIU Hui , CHEN Ye , YU Daren , HUANG Hongyan
Published: October 2022

The microwave discharge cusped field thruster is a novel concept of electric micropropulsion device, which operates μN level thrust in low mass flow rate conditions, making use of a coaxial transmission line resonator. With its advantages of low thrust noise and high thrust resolution over a wide range of thrust, the thruster has emerged as a candidate thruster for the space-borne gravitational wave detection mission. The cathode effects commonly exist in many kinds of electric propulsion, and they are typically significant in micropropulsions. In order to find out the cathode position effects on a microwave discharge cusped field thruster, a thermionic cathode is mounted on a cross-slider for coupling. Under different cathode positions, the plume is analyzed by a Faraday probe and a retarding potential analyzer to analyze the performance and discharge characteristics. The results show that the magnetic mirror effect leads to significant degradation of anode current and an increase in low-energy ion ratio as the cathode moves away from the thruster exit. The electron conduction route also significantly impacts anode current efficiency, related to the cathode-exit distance and the thruster magnetic topology.
Multi-trophic consequences of mass flowering in two bamboos (Poales: Poaceae)
Authors: Sakata Yuzu , Kobayashi Keito , Makita Akifumi
Published: October 2022

Mass flowering (masting) has been hypothesized to be an adaptive strategy to satiate florivores/granivores. However, few studies have corroborated this by examining seed predation in multiple flowering patches of varying sizes across a wide geographical range over multiple years. Moreover, the trophic consequences of masting for the parasitoids of florivores/granivores and their feedback effects are poorly understood. Here, we used the nationwide masting of two bamboo species, Sasamorpha borealis var. borealis and Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis, in Japan and compared florivory and seed sets in multiple flowering patches during the masting year and the following sporadic flowering years. We found lower florivory damage in both bamboo species and higher seed set for Sasamorpha borealis var. borealis in patches with massive and spatiotemporally isolated flowering. Additionally, the relative level of parasitism of florivores increased considerably in the sporadic flowering year, particularly in large flowering patches of Sasamorpha borealis var. borealis. Our results indicate the importance of spatiotemporal isolation during masting for satiating two dipteran florivores and suggest that parasitoids might rapidly suppress the extent of florivory in the sporadic flowering years after masting. Collectively, our study highlights the importance of considering multi-trophic consequences in understanding the adaptive significance of masting.
Whole-brain dynamics of human sensorimotor adaptation
Authors: Standage Dominic I , Areshenkoff Corson N , Gale Daniel J , Nashed Joseph Y , Flanagan J Randall , Gallivan Jason P
Published: October 2022

Humans vary greatly in their motor learning abilities, yet little is known about the neural processes that underlie this variability. We identified distinct profiles of human sensorimotor adaptation that emerged across 2 days of learning, linking these profiles to the dynamics of whole-brain functional networks early on the first day when cognitive strategies toward sensorimotor adaptation are believed to be most prominent. During early learning, greater recruitment of a network of higher-order brain regions, involving prefrontal and anterior temporal cortex, was associated with faster learning. At the same time, greater integration of this “cognitive network” with a sensorimotor network was associated with slower learning, consistent with the notion that cognitive strategies toward adaptation operate in parallel with implicit learning processes of the sensorimotor system. On the second day, greater recruitment of a network that included the hippocampus was associated with faster learning, consistent with the notion that declarative memory systems are involved with fast relearning of sensorimotor mappings. Together, these findings provide novel evidence for the role of higher-order brain systems in driving variability in adaptation.
The Responsibility to Rebuild, Transitional Justice, and Afghanistan: A Debacle as a Consequence of the Denial of Ownership
Authors: Hilpold Peter
Published: October 2022

After intervention and occupation lasting for two decades, the US and their allies left Afghanistan hastily and precipitately. Afghanistan is again ruled by the Taliban who do not seem to be able to provide minimum guarantees of stability and basic human rights protection. These events put into question pivotal international law concepts, such as the Responsibility to Protect or the requirement to provide for transitional justice, brought forward as a justification for intervention and occupation in the first place. This article aims to evidence that these concepts, independently from the terminology chosen, are expression of overarching aims of the State community. Interventions directed at these goals are associated with broader responsibilities both by the interveners as by the State community as a whole. In view of limited intervention and administration capacity, it is crucial to return ownership to the affected populations as soon as possible. Protracted intervention and foreign rule undermines self-determination and the capacity to find a self-reliant way to justice.

More attention has also to be devoted to the long-term effects of measures of intervention and the reciprocal interaction between rebuilding activities in the larger sense. It is submitted that attempts to re-engineer a societal fabric as a fighting tool in an ideological struggle creates enhanced responsibility as it undermines self-determination and ownership. A glaring example is the purposeful radicalization of students in Afghan refugee camps.
Rapid Quantitative Analysis of 19 Bioactive Components in Fangji Huangqi Decoction Based on UHPLC–MS/MS
Authors: Cui Wenbo , Yang Liu , Zhang Lichao , Liu Yuetao , Yan Yan , Li Aiping , Qin Xuemei
Published: October 2022

Fangji Huangqi Decoction (FHD) is a classic prescription of traditional Chinese medicine which is recorded in “Jin Gui Yao Lue”. The purpose of this study is to develop a method for simultaneous determination multicomponent in FHD. The separation of the 19 compounds that included calycosin, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, formononetin, ononin, methylnissolin, methylnissolin-3-O-glucoside, isomucronulatol, tetrandrine, fangchinoline, atractylenolide-I, atractylenolide-III, liquiritigenin, liquiritin, isomucronulatol-7-O-β-D-glucoside, astragaloside-I, astragaloside-II, astragaloside-III, astragaloside-IV and glycyrrhetinic acid were achieved by linear gradient elution. The 19 components were identified by comparing the chromatographic peaks with the reference compounds and were quantitatively analyzed by multiple reaction monitoring. This method was strict validated with recovery (96.10–101.70%), precision [relative standard deviation (RSD), 1.34–3.34%], stability (RSD, 1.49–3.80%) and repeatability (RSD, 1.60–3.49%), respectively. All the compounds showed good linearities (R2 > 0.999). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) for the 19 compounds were in the range of 0.03–0.27 μg/mL (LODs) and 0.05–1.23 μg/mL (LOQs). The correlation analysis indicated that astragalus flavonoids were negatively correlated with astragalosides, tetrandrine and their corresponding flavonoid glycosides, and atractylenolides were positively correlated with astragalosides and fangchinoline. This method proved to be reliable and effective, which would give a helpful basis for the quality control, pharmacological and pharmacokinetic of FHD.
Anthrax Meningoencephalitis and Intracranial Hemorrhage
Authors: Caffes Nicholas , Hendricks Katherine , Bradley John S , Twenhafel Nancy A , Simard J Marc
Published: October 2022

The neurological sequelae of Bacillus anthracis infection include a rapidly progressive fulminant meningoencephalitis frequently associated with intracranial hemorrhage, including subarachnoid and intracerebral hemorrhage. Higher mortality than other forms of bacterial meningitis suggests that antimicrobials and cardiopulmonary support alone may be insufficient and that strategies targeting the hemorrhage might improve outcomes. In this review, we describe the toxic role of intracranial hemorrhage in anthrax meningoencephalitis. We first examine the high incidence of intracranial hemorrhage in patients with anthrax meningoencephalitis. We then review common diseases that present with intracranial hemorrhage, including aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, postulating applicability of established and potential neurointensive treatments to the multimodal management of hemorrhagic anthrax meningoencephalitis. Finally, we examine the therapeutic potential of minocycline, an antimicrobial that is effective against B. anthracis and that has been shown in preclinical studies to have neuroprotective properties, which thus might be repurposed for this historically fatal disease.
Risk Factors for Death or Meningitis in Adults Hospitalized for Cutaneous Anthrax, 1950–2018: A Systematic Review
Authors: Thompson Julie M , Cook Rachel , Person Marissa K , Negrón María E , Traxler Rita M , Bower William A , Hendricks Katherine
Published: October 2022

Background

Cutaneous anthrax accounts for approximately 95% of anthrax cases worldwide. About 24% of untreated patients die, and many cases are complicated by meningitis. Here, we explore clinical features of cutaneous disease associated with poor outcomes.

Methods

A systematic review identified 303 full-text articles published from 1950 through 2018 that met predefined inclusion criteria. Cases were abstracted, and descriptive analyses and univariate logistic regression were conducted to identify prognostic indicators for cutaneous anthrax.

Results

Of 182 included patients, 47 (25.8%) died. Previously reported independent predictors for death or meningitis that we confirmed included fever or chills; nausea or vomiting; headache; severe headache; nonheadache, nonmeningeal signs; leukocytosis; and bacteremia. Newly identified predictors included anxiety, abdominal pain, diastolic hypotension, skin trauma, thoracic edema, malignant pustule edema, lymphadenopathy, and evidence of coagulopathy (all with P < .05).

Conclusions

We identified patient presentations not previously associated with poor outcomes.
Systematic Review of Hospital Treatment Outcomes for Naturally Acquired and Bioterrorism-Related Anthrax, 1880–2018
Authors: Person Marissa K , Cook Rachel , Bradley John S , Hupert Nathaniel , Bower William A , Hendricks Katherine
Published: October 2022

Background

Bacillus anthracis can cause anthrax and is a potential bioterrorism agent. The 2014 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for medical countermeasures against anthrax were based on in vitro data and expert opinion. However, a century of previously uncompiled observational human data that often includes treatment and outcomes is available in the literature for analysis.

Methods

We reviewed treatment outcomes for patients hospitalized with anthrax. We stratified patients by meningitis status, route of infection, and systemic criteria, then analyzed survival by treatment type, including antimicrobials, antitoxin/antiserum, and steroids. Using logistic regression, we calculated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals to compare survival between treatments. We also calculated hospital length of stay. Finally, we evaluated antimicrobial postexposure prophylaxis (PEPAbx) using data from a 1970 Russian-language article.

Results

We identified 965 anthrax patients reported from 1880 through 2018. After exclusions, 605 remained: 430 adults, 145 children, and 30 missing age. Survival was low for untreated patients and meningitis patients, regardless of treatment. Most patients with localized cutaneous or nonmeningitis systemic anthrax survived with 1 or more antimicrobials; patients with inhalation anthrax without meningitis fared better with at least 2. Bactericidal antimicrobials were effective for systemic anthrax; addition of a protein synthesis inhibitor(s) (PSI) to a bactericidal antimicrobial(s) did not improve survival. Likewise, addition of antitoxin/antiserum to antimicrobials did not improve survival. Mannitol improved survival for meningitis patients, but steroids did not. PEPAbx reduced risk of anthrax following exposure to B. anthracis.

Conclusions

Combination therapy appeared to be superior to monotherapy for inhalation anthrax without meningitis. For anthrax meningitis, neither monotherapy nor combination therapy were particularly effective; however, numbers were small. For localized cutaneous anthrax, monotherapy was sufficient. For B. anthracis exposures, PEPAbx was effective.