bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical properties and failure analysis of refill friction stir spot-welded 5052/2A12 joints
Authors: Yuan Tao , Kang Shaoqian , Jiang Xiaoqing , Tang Fajie , Gao Yanjun , Zheng Xing
Published: July 2022

The mechanical properties and failure process of 2 mm-thick 5052 Al and 6 mm-thick 2A12 Al fabricated by refill friction stir spot-welding were investigated. The hooks were bent respectively downwards and upwards at plunge depths smaller and larger than the upper plate thickness. The joint area of the lap interface and bearing thickness of the upper plate were related to the hook direction. The tensile shear failure load was affected by structural characteristics and hardness of the joints. Stress concentration occurred in the hook and strain expanded with the hook during fracture. There were two fracture modes: shear fracture and shear plug fracture, where both cracks passed through the hook and fracture morphology of the hook was less plastic.
Space-time propagation of photon pulses in dielectric media, illustrations with beam splitters
Authors: Federico M , Dorier V , Guérin S , Jauslin H R
Published: July 2022

Photons are the elementary quantum excitations of the electromagnetic field. Quantization is usually constructed on the basis of an expansion in eigenmodes, in the form of plane waves. Since they form a basis, other electromagnetic configurations can be constructed by linear combinations. In this presentation we discuss a formulation constructed in the general formalism of bosonic Fock space, in which the quantum excitation can be constructed directly on localized pulses of arbitrary shape. Although the two formulations are essentially equivalent, the direct formulation in terms of pulses has some conceptual and practical advantages, which we illustrate with some examples. The first one is the passage of a single photon pulse through a beam splitter. The analysis of this formulation in terms of pulses in Fock space shows that there is no need to introduce ‘vacuum fluctuations entering through the unused port’, as is often done in the literature. Another example is the Hong–Ou–Mandel effect. It is described as a time dependent process in the Schrödinger representation in Fock space. The analysis shows explicitly how the two essential ingredients of the Hong–Ou–Mandel effect are the same shape of the pulses and the bosonic nature of photons. This formulation shows that all the phenomena involving linear quantum optical devices can be described and calculated on the basis of the time dependent solution of the corresponding classical Maxwell’s equations for pulses, from which the quantum dynamics in Fock space can be immediately constructed.
Magnetohydrodynamic modeling and simulation of a vacuum arc plasma jet with a ring anode under different external magnetic fields
Authors: Zhang Zhefeng , Wang Lijun , Yang Ze , Chen Jieli , Gao Hexiao
Published: July 2022

Supersonic plasma has been widely used. A vacuum arc ion source provides one possible method for generating supersonic plasma. An external magnetic field can effectively avoid the wall loss of the plasma in the ion source and improve the ion yield. In this work, a two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model is established, considering different components including ions and electrons. With the help of simulation, we explore the physical characteristics of the supersonic vacuum arc plasma formed from a copper disk cathode. The characteristics that we focus on include plasma composition, current density distribution, plasma velocity, and plasma temperature. These characteristics as well as the ion yield are compared when different magnetic fields generated by solenoids near the cathode are applied, as well as when the arc current is different. The results show that, in the absence of an external magnetic field, ions expand freely with the approximate axial velocity and average ion charge state. With the increase of external magnetic flux density, the wall loss of the plasma will decrease, and the axial velocity and average ion charge state will increase, but the magnetic saturation phenomenon exists. The simulation results are consistent with the experimental results.
Pair production of neutral Higgs particles in the B-LSSM
Authors: He Dan , Feng Tai-Fu , Yang Jin-Lei , Ning Guo-Zhu , Zhang Hai-Bin , Dong Xing-Xing
Published: July 2022

Higgs pair production provides a unique handle for measuring the strength of Higgs self interaction and constraining the shape of the Higgs potential. Including radiative corrections to the trilinear couplings of CP-even Higgs, we investigate the cross section of the lightest neutral Higgs pair production in gluon fusion at the Large Hadron Collider in the supersymmetric extensions of the standard model. Numerical results indicate that the correction to the cross section is about 11% in the B-LSSM, while is only about 4% in the MSSM. Considering the constraints of the experimental data of the lightest Higgs, we find that the gauge couplings of U(1)
B–L
and the ratio of the nonzero vacuum expectation values of two singlets also affect strongly the theoretical evaluations on the production cross section in the B-LSSM.
TRL-Net: a tiny object recognition and localization method in the artemisinin manufacturing process
Authors: Guo Ling , Wan Ping , Li Jie , Ren Siyu , Zhu Wenwen
Published: July 2022

Artemisinin is a key pharmaceutical ingredient for dysentery treatment. In the manufacturing process of artemisinin, artemisinin recognition and localization (ARL) is an important step to guarantee high drug purity. As an image processing problem, real-time solvent volatilization images of artemisinin production are used to determine the recognition of artemisinin materials. Images with artemisinin have small and intensive properties, which increases the difficulty of identification and location. Therefore, this paper proposes a tiny recognition and localization network (TRL-Net) based on a region-based convolutional neural network (R-CNN) to improve the performance of ARL. In TRL-Net, we establish a deep extraction backbone network with specially designed tiny necks to catch detailed features. Furthermore, tiny cross-entropy and Smooth-L1 loss functions are discovered to reduce the severe influence of negative samples on locating actions. Finally, experimental results on the real-world artemisinin dataset indicate that our proposed approach outperforms other compared methods.
Development of the DICOM-based Monte Carlo dose reconstruction system for a retrospective study on the secondary cancer risk in carbon ion radiotherapy
Authors: Furuta Takuya , Koba Yusuke , Hashimoto Shintaro , Chang Weishan , Yonai Shunsuke , Matsumoto Shinnosuke , Ishikawa Akihisa , Sato Tatsuhiko
Published: July 2022

Objective.A retrospective study on secondary cancer risk on carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) is ongoing at the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC). The reconstruction of the whole-body patient dose distribution is the key issue in the study because dose distribution only around the planning target volume was evaluated in the treatment planning system.Approach.We therefore developed a new dose reconstruction system based on the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) coupled with the treatment plan DICOM data set by extending the functionalities of RadioTherapy package based on PHITS (RT-PHITS). In the system, the geometry of patient-specific beam devices such as the range shifter, range compensator, and collimators as well as the individual patient’s body are automatically reconstructed. Various functions useful for retrospective analysis on the CIRT are implemented in the system, such as those for separately deducing dose contributions from different secondary particles and their origins.Main results.The accuracy of the developed system was validated by comparing the dose distribution to the experimental data measured in a water tank and using a treatment plan on an anthropomorphic phantom.Significance.The extended RT-PHITS will be used in epidemiological studies based on clinical data from HIMAC.
Bandgap enhancement of two-dimensional lattice metamaterial via re-entrant hierarchy
Authors: Hou Jiahong , Li Dong , Zhang Zhijun , Ruan Haifeng , Liu Hongchen
Published: July 2022

This paper proposed a one-dimensional (1D) meta-beam through embedding re-entrant hexagons on a 1D single beam. Then a two-dimensional (2D) square resonator lattice with re-entrant hexagons was designed via replacing the ribs with the 1D meta-beams. Based on Bloch’s theorem and finite element method, the dispersions and bandgap properties of 1D meta-beam and 2D lattice with re-entrant hexagon were analyzed. The numerical results indicated that the bandgap property of both structures was improved via embedding re-entrant hexagons. For the 2D square resonator lattice with re-entrant hexagon, the total bandgap width was 34.3% higher than the 2D lattice without re-entrant hexagon. Then a parametric study was implemented, and the results showed the re-entrant ratio, rib thickness and the number of re-entrant hexagons had strong effects on bandgap distribution, especially the re-entrant hexagons, which enhanced the bandgap property in the low-frequency region significantly. Through calculating the contours of group velocity, the anisotropy of the 2D square resonator lattice with re-entrant hexagons was investigated, and the results indicated that there was pronounced caustic at specific parameter sets which reflects energy focus. To verify the bandgap property in the realistic application, the specimen of 2D square resonator lattice with re-entrant hexagons was prepared through additive manufacturing technology, and a low amplitude harmonic test was performed. The experimental result demonstrated the bandgap property of the 2D square resonator lattice with re-entrant hexagons. This paper may introduce a method to enhance the bandgap property of lattice metamaterial.
What does cosmology tell us about the mass of thermal-relic dark matter?
Authors: An Rui , Gluscevic Vera , Calabrese Erminia , Hill J. Colin
Published: July 2022

The presence of light thermally coupled dark matter affects early expansion history and production of light elements during the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. Specifically, dark matter that annihilates into Standard Model particles can modify the effective number of light species in the universe N
eff, as well as the abundance of light elements created buring BBN. These quantities in turn affect the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy. We present the first joint analysis of small-scale temperature and polarization CMB anisotropy from Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and South Pole Telescope (SPT), together with Planck data and the recent primordial abundance measurements of helium and deuterium to place comprehensive bounds on the mass of light thermal-relic dark matter. We consider a range of models, including dark matter that couples to photons and Standard-Model neutrinos. We discuss the sensitivity of the inferred mass bounds on measurements of N
eff, primordial element abundances and the baryon density, and quantify the sensitivity of our results to a possible existence of additional relativistic species. We find that the combination of ACT, SPT, and Planck generally leads to the most stringent mass constraint for dark matter that couples to neutrinos, improving the lower limit by 40%–80%, with respect to previous Planck analyses. On the other hand, the addition of ACT and SPT leads to a slightly weaker bound on electromagnetically coupled particles, due to a shift in the preferred values of Y
p and N
eff driven by the ground based experiments. In most scenarios, the combination of CMB data has a higher constraining power than the primordial abundance measurements alone, with the best results achieved when all data are combined. Combining all CMB measurements with primordial abundance measurements, we rule out masses below ∼4 MeV at 95% confidence, for all models.
We show that allowing for new relativistic species can weaken the mass bounds for dark matter that couples to photons by up to an order of magnitude or more.
Finally, we discuss the reach of the next generation of the CMB experiments in terms of probing the mass of the thermal relic dark matter.
Effective dynamics of scalar cosmological perturbations from quantum gravity
Authors: Marchetti Luca , Oriti Daniele
Published: July 2022

We derive an effective dynamics for scalar cosmological perturbations from quantum gravity, in the framework of group field theory condensate cosmology. The emergent spacetime picture is obtained from the mean-field hydrodynamic regime of the fundamental theory, and physical observables are defined using a relational strategy applied at the same level of approximation, in terms of suitable collective states of the GFT field. The dynamical equations we obtain for volume and matter perturbations lead to the same solutions as those of classical GR in the long-wavelength, super-horizon limit, but differ in other regimes. These differences could be of phenomenological interest and make contact between fundamental quantum gravity models and cosmological observations, indicating new physics or limitations of the fundamental models or of the approximations leading to the effective cosmological dynamics.
Highly underexpanded helium jet and its effect on dust resuspension under in-vessel loss of coolant accident of fusion reactor
Authors: Qin Zhijie , Zhang Shichao , Wang Zhen , Chen Zhibin , Li Taosheng
Published: July 2022

During an in-vessel loss of coolant accident (LOCA) of a helium-cooled blanket in a fusion reactor, the high-pressure helium gas ingress into the vacuum vessel (VV) will produce highly underexpanded jet, resulting in the resuspension and migration of the radioactive dust deposited in the VV. In this study, the flow field in the VV and the influence of friction velocity were simulated and analyzed by using ANSYS Fluent code. In addition, the differences between in-vessel LOCA and loss of vacuum accident (LOVA) were compared. The results showed that the pressure of the VV reaches the pressure relief limit of the VV pressure suppression system rapidly after a LOCA. With the development of a LOCA, the Mach disk continued to move towards the equatorial break of the VV, its shape continued to shrink and the number of structures gradually increased. Compared with the LOVA, the LOCA had a higher friction velocity, resulting in a greater probability of dust resuspension and radioactive risk.
Characterization of Modified PID Controllers to Improve the Response Time of Angular Velocity to the Voltage Step in DC Motors by Means of a Mathematical Model Diagram Using SIMULINK Software
Authors: Kong Jorge , Rodríguez José , Hermosa-Altez Percy , Huarancca Patricia , Aréstegui Jesús , Chauca Mario
Published: July 2022

The objective of this research was the characterization of modified PID controllers to improve the response time of direct current (DC) motors. The Degem System EB-109 experimentation module (includes DC motor and six-pole pair synchronous motor), Tektronix TDS 2012 oscilloscope, Fluke 175 multimeter and a simulation environment for block diagrams with Simulink software were used. The procedure began by making voltage and current measurements in the armature of the DC motor in order to calculate its mechanical-electrical constants and obtain its mathematical model. Then, using block diagrams, a closed-loop control system was designed for the DC motor, using the PID as a control block in a first phase, and then in a second phase, the modified PID. The system was analyzed with simulation software and the results of both phases were compared. With the modified PID controller, a better speed and stability response time was obtained, thus eliminating transient peaks.
Application of Pattern Matching in Heating Furnace – Rough Rolling Process
Authors: Cui G M , Cheng Y
Published: July 2022

Hot continuous rolling is a complex industrial process. Aiming at the problems of difficult optimization control, information island between process and strong coupling between parameters in 2250 mm rolling line of a steel plant, a parameter optimization method based on multi-level pattern matching is proposed, which is applied to the heating furnace – rough rolling link to adapt the best operation parameters in the current superior operational pattern library so as to improve the product quality of transfer bar. For the situation that the multi-level matching method cannot find the optimal operation mode, an input-output prediction model based on fuzzy neural network is established and particle swarm optimization algorithm is used until the output optimal operation parameters meet the requirements, and updates the new optimal mode to the superior operational pattern library to complete the expansion of the library. The simulation results show that the minimum relative error between the optimization results and the actual operation parameters is about 0.44%, which proves the feasibility of the pattern matching and evolution strategy, so as to achieve the purpose of improving the quality of hot rolling products and improving the enterprise efficiency.
BIM Information Classification and Codification for manufacturing Heritage Buildings
Authors: Lu Shizhong , Yu Zhimin , Zhou Zejia , Wei Longming , Luo Zhihua
Published: July 2022

Heritage buildings have gained great popularity lately due to the attraction of the unique culture embedded in the heritage building elements and the incentive policies of the government to publicize traditional culture. manufacturing construction has been adopted in the construction industry due to many advantages over traditional on-site construction. However, the construction industry is still dominated by traditional on-site construction methods, and existing research in manufacturing construction mainly focuses on modern architecture styles. There is little discussion on the application of manufacturing construction to heritage buildings, especially on the integration of digital technology. This article proposes a BIM information classification method and the key information codification system to support the lifecycle management of manufacturing heritage buildings with BIM as the basic digital technology carrier, and two cases are used to verify its effectiveness.
A Direct Proof of the Prime Number Theorem using Riemann’s Prime-counting Function
Authors: Liu Zihao
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we develop a novel analytic method to prove the prime number theorem in de la Vallée Poussin’s form:

π
(
x
)
=
li
(
x
)
+
O
(
x

e

−
c

log
x

)

. Instead of performing asymptotic expansion on Chebyshev functions as in conventional analytic methods, this new approach uses contour-integration method to analyze Riemann’s prime counting function J(x), which only differs from π(x) by

O
(

x

log
log
x
/
log
x
)

.
An Analysis of the X1.59 Flare and Associated Events on 3rd July 2021
Authors: Shamsuddin S N A , Shariff N N M
Published: July 2022

Solar flares are caused by a complex magnetic field on the surface of the Sun, which releases a large amount of radiation. We present an analysis of the X1.5 flare that occurred on 3rd July 2021 at 14:29 UT from the active region AR 2838. It was believed that some other events were related. Prior to satellite communication, the ionosphere was commonly used for radio communication. In case of enhanced excess photoionization due to solar activities, the D layer will not disappear after sunset. This includes the burst of the day, as well as the ionospheric response caused by the flare event. Although numerous studies have been conducted on the sun, its dynamic behavior has continued to draw the interest of astrophysicists to this area to this day.
A TIM-based Method of Automatic Generation of FE Models for Pit Engineering
Authors: Chen Lisheng , Li Zhiyi , Chen Taili , Zhao Guoqiang , Shen Yi
Published: July 2022

BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology has developed rapidly in many fields of civil engineering. However, in pit engineering, the method of automatically generating FE models by BIM models is not as mature as that in tunnel engineering. There are still some problems in it, such as the lack of stratum data and construction data, the limit of geometric models, and the weak of the integration of numerical results with BIM platform. To solve these problems, this paper presents a TIM (Tunnel Information Modeling)-based on digital solution, which is more specific to underground engineering. Firstly, a normalized numerical pit model is built. TIM models, stratum data and construction data, all these required by numerical model are integrated in iS3 platform. Then a program is developed to obtain the data that has been supplemented or modified from the databases and automatically draw the profiles, then generate the input files to automatic calculation. The integrated TIM/FEM software based on iS3 platform is developed to import the result files to finish the post-processing and schemes assessment and optimization. This method is successfully applied in the pit project of Haikou Wenmingdong Tunnel, shortens the modeling time, and improves the modeling quality and the integration level of TIM/FEM.
Green infrastructure conceptual framework for Kuala Lumpur
Authors: Yeo O T S , Mohd Yusof M J , Maruthaveeran S , Shafri H Z M , Saito K
Published: July 2022

Kuala Lumpur (KL) undergoes significant development since Malaysia independence. Thus, the green spaces in KL are under increasing pressure of decreasing, which lead to fragmentation. Nevertheless, there is a question on how to do Green Infrastructure (GI) planning in KL spatially to solve this problem? The study outlines the conceptual framework of GI planning and establishment in KL. Firstly, a range of literature related to GI, landscape ecology principle, Morphology Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) and landscape connectivity was studied. Subsequently, a conceptual framework was proposed to solve the green space fragmentation. The findings can be a starting point to conduct a GI plan in KL. The study ended by highlighting the main concept of GI in the spatial planning of KL, Malaysia.
Organic field-effect transistors with low-temperature curable high-k hybrid gate dielectrics
Authors: Liu Yiwen , Wang Yongfei , Li Xiao , Hu Zhizhi
Published: July 2022

We report a low-voltage-operated organic field-effect transistor that uses a hybrid gate insulator that has a high dielectric constant k. The gate insulator consists of a high-k polymer cyanoetylated pullulan (CEP) that can be efficiently cross-linked by glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOPTMS) at low temperature (∼110 °C). The very low curing temperature is below the glass transition temperature T

g
of conventional plastic substrates for plastic electronics, and is therefore compatible with many plastic substrates for plastic electronics. The cross-linking is very efficient in that only 1/10 (w:w) GOPTMS: CEP produced densely cross-linked thin films with a smooth surface, good insulating property, high capacitance density and high k. The devices functioned at low voltage, and exhibited charge carrier mobility ∼1.83 cm2 V−1 s−1, and steep substheshold swing ∼88 mV dec−1. These results imply that high quality polymer gate insulators are achievable at low temperature with a very small fraction of blended crosslinking agents; this characteristic offers a method to achieve portable all-plastic flexible electronics that function at low voltage.
An Italian Online Survey Regarding the Use of Hyaluronidase in Previously Hyaluronic Acid-Injected Noses Looking for Surgical Rhinoplasty
Authors: Staglianò Samuel , Tartaro Gianpaolo , Bertossi Dario , Pascali Michele , Finocchi Valerio , Zerbinati Nicola , Bove Pierfrancesco , Cirillo Pierfrancesco , Fragola Romolo , Rauso Raffaele
Published: July 2022

Background

Nonsurgical nasal reshaping (nSNR) with hyaluronic acid (HA) filler is a well-established procedure performed to ameliorate nasal appearance and is considered a valid alternative to surgical rhinoplasty in selected patients.

Objectives

The aim of our study is to evaluate the decision-making process and management of patients undergoing rhinoplasty, with previous HA filler injection, and evaluate if consensus could be achieved to recommend guidelines.

Methods

Between April and May 2021, an online survey was sent to 402 Italian surgeons of different specialties. The survey collected information regarding the types of treatment of patients who have previously undergone nSNR, who should undergo surgical rhinoplasty. For those surgeons using hyaluronidase, an additional information was collected.

Results

In a range of time of 2 months (April and May 2021), a total of 72 surgeons replied and completed the survey: out of the 402 questionnaires sent, the response rate was approximately 18%. The majority of respondents (61.5%) replied to inject hyaluronidase (HYAL) in patients who had to undergo a rhinoplasty but reported previous nSNR. Of the surgeons who use HYAL, 70% performed rhinoplasty after a waiting time of 3 to 4 weeks.

Conclusions

Either direct surgical approach or hyaluronidase injection first seems to be a viable options. The use of HYAL before surgery is the choice with the broadest consensus in our survey. However, a larger case-control study with long follow-ups is necessary to understand if in patient seeking surgical rhinoplasty who already received nSNR, the injection of hyaluronidase before surgery is mandatory, recommended, or not.
UV exposure causes energy trade-offs leading to increased chytrid fungus susceptibility in green tree frog larvae
Authors: Cramp Rebecca L , Ohmer Michel E B , Franklin Craig E
Published: July 2022

Levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation have increased in many parts of the world due to the anthropogenic destruction of the ozone layer. UV radiation is a potent immunosuppressant and can increase the susceptibility of animal hosts to pathogens. UV radiation can directly alter immune function via immunosuppression and photoimmunotolerance; however, UV may also influence pathogen defences by affecting the distribution of energy resources among competing physiological processes. Both defence against UV damage and repair of incurred damage, as well as the maintenance of immune defences and responding to an immune challenge, are energetically expensive. These competing demands for finite energy resources could trade off against one another, resulting in sub-optimal performance in one or both processes. We examined the potential for a disease-related energy trade-off in green tree frog (Litoria caerulea) larvae. Larvae were reared under high- or low-UV conditions for 12 weeks during which time we measured growth rates, metabolic rate and susceptibility to the amphibian fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). We found that larvae exposed to high levels of UV radiation had higher rates of energy expenditure than those exposed to low UV levels; however, UV exposure did not affect growth rates or developmental timings. Larvae exposed to high UV radiation also experienced greater Bd infection rates and carried a higher infection burden than those not exposed to elevated UV radiation. We propose that the increased energetic costs of responding to UV radiation were traded off against immune defences to protect larval growth rates. These findings have important implications for the aetiology of some Bd-associated amphibian declines, particularly in montane environments where Bd infections are most severe and where UV levels are highest.
The problem of popular culture
Authors: Powers Devon
Published: July 2022

This article argues that concept of popular culture, as conceptualized within the media/cultural studies tradition in the Anglophone West, is in crisis. The idea of the “popular” that continues to be embraced by many critical media/communication and cultural studies scholars derives from postwar assumptions about mass media which no longer accurately fit present conditions. However, the resilience of these assumptions has created “the problem of popular culture,” a complicated and longstanding series of dilemmas for contemporary scholarship. This article documents several manifestations of this problem and proposes that scholars reserve the term popular culture for instances of popular practice.
Deletion of Thioredoxin Reductase Disrupts Redox Homeostasis and Impairs β-Cell Function
Authors: Stancill Jennifer S , Hansen Polly A , Mathison Angela J , Schmidt Edward E , Corbett John A
Published: July 2022

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated as mediators of pancreatic β-cell damage. While β-cells are thought to be vulnerable to oxidative damage, we have shown, using inhibitors and acute depletion, that thioredoxin reductase, thioredoxin, and peroxiredoxins are the primary mediators of antioxidant defense in β-cells. However, the role of this antioxidant cycle in maintaining redox homeostasis and β-cell survival in vivo remains unclear. Here, we generated mice with a β-cell specific knockout of thioredoxin reductase 1 (Txnrd1fl/fl; Ins1Cre/+, βKO). Despite blunted glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, knockout mice maintain normal whole-body glucose homeostasis. Unlike pancreatic islets with acute Txnrd1 inhibition, βKO islets do not demonstrate increased sensitivity to ROS. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that Txnrd1-deficient β-cells have increased expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-regulated genes, and altered expression of genes involved in heme and glutathione metabolism, suggesting an adaptive response. Txnrd1-deficient β-cells also have decreased expression of factors controlling β-cell function and identity which may explain the mild functional impairment. Together, these results suggest that Txnrd1-knockout β-cells compensate for loss of this essential antioxidant pathway by increasing expression of Nrf2-regulated antioxidant genes, allowing for protection from excess ROS at the expense of normal β-cell function and identity.
Enteric bacterial infection in Drosophila induces whole-body alterations in metabolic gene expression independently of the immune deficiency signaling pathway
Authors: Deshpande Rujuta , Lee Byoungchun , Grewal Savraj S
Published: July 2022

When infected by intestinal pathogenic bacteria, animals initiate both local and systemic defence responses. These responses are required to reduce pathogen burden and also to alter host physiology and behavior to promote infection tolerance, and they are often mediated through alterations in host gene expression. Here, we have used transcriptome profiling to examine gene expression changes induced by enteric infection with the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas entomophila in adult female Drosophila. We find that infection induces a strong upregulation of metabolic gene expression, including gut and fat body-enriched genes involved in lipid transport, lipolysis, and beta-oxidation, as well as glucose and amino acid metabolism genes. Furthermore, we find that the classic innate immune deficiency (Imd)/Relish/NF-KappaB pathway is not required for, and in some cases limits, these infection-mediated increases in metabolic gene expression. We also see that enteric infection with Pseudomonas entomophila downregulates the expression of many transcription factors and cell–cell signaling molecules, particularly those previously shown to be involved in gut-to-brain and neuronal signaling. Moreover, as with the metabolic genes, these changes occurred largely independent of the Imd pathway. Together, our study identifies many metabolic, signaling, and transcription factor gene expression changes that may contribute to organismal physiological and behavioral responses to enteric pathogen infection.
Post-seismic motion after 3 Chilean megathrust earthquakes: a clue for a linear asthenospheric viscosity
Authors: Boulze H , Fleitout L , Klein E , Vigny C
Published: July 2022

Over the last decade, three major subduction earthquakes, Maule Mw 8.8 (2010), Illapel Mw 8.3 (2015) and Iquique Mw 8.1 (2014), occurred in Chile and generated significant post-seismic deformations. These large scale and long lasting deformations can be quantified with modern GNSS precise positioning and highlight viscoelastic processes in the asthenosphere. Here, we calculate the ratios of cumulative post-seismic displacements after 5 yr over the coseismic offsets. We find that at any distance from the trench, ratios are similar for the three earthquakes despite their different magnitudes which imply induced stresses that are more than one order of magnitude apart. This observation suggests that the post-seismic deformation is related to the same effective viscosity for the three earthquakes, indicating Newtonian rheology, rather than power-law rheology in the asthenosphere.
Mechanistic understanding of antibiotic resistance mediated by EnvZ/OmpR two-component system in Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis
Authors: Ko Duhyun , Choi Sang Ho
Published: July 2022

Background

Outer membrane porins (OMPs) are a major route for the entry of small hydrophilic antibiotics. Thus, compositional modulation of OMPs is often accompanied by multidrug resistance in a human pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis.

Objectives

The role of EnvZ/OmpR two-component system in antibiotic resistance has not been established except that it regulates the expression of two OMPs, OmpC and OmpF. Here, we have gained mechanistic insight into EnvZ/OmpR-mediated antibiotic resistance in S. Enteritidis.

Methods

The envZP248L and envZH243A strains, mimicking the S. Enteritidis strains with active and inactive states of EnvZ/OmpR, were used in this study. Antibiotic resistance was determined by the broth microdilution method and the spot plating assay. Transcriptomes of the S. Enteritidis strains were analysed by RNA-seq. Western blot, quantitative reverse transcription–PCR, electrophoretic mobility shift assays and β-galactosidase activity assays were performed.

Results

The active state of EnvZ/OmpR induced a differential expression of multiple OMP genes including SEN1522, SEN2875, ompD and ompW, enhancing resistance to β-lactams in S. Enteritidis. OmpR directly activated SEN1522 and SEN2875 but repressed ompD and ompW. Interestingly, an increased cellular level of OmpR determined the expression of the four OMP genes, and phosphorylation of OmpR was even not necessary for the repression of ompD and ompW. EnvZ/OmpR increased its own expression in response to β-lactams, decreasing outer membrane permeability and providing S. Enteritidis with benefits for survival upon exposure to the antibiotics.

Conclusions

EnvZ/OmpR remodels OMP composition in response to β-lactams and thereby enhances antibiotic resistance in S. Enteritidis.
Prompt recovery after surgical treatment of pulmonary and aortic valve endocarditis in a patient with acute heart failure
Authors: Gavalaki Aikaterini , Athanasopoulos George , Roussakis Antonios , Koutouzis Michael , Perreas Konstantinos , Nenekidis Ioannis
Published: July 2022

Infective endocarditis remains a medical challenge among urgent cases of cardiac disease. Multi-valvular endocarditis is uncommon and simultaneous right and left-sided valvular involvement, particularly affecting the pulmonary valve, is scarcely reported. A rare case of a patient with subacute myelodysplastic syndrome, who presented with endocarditis involving both aortic and pulmonary valves, complicated with new-onset heart failure, is described. The patient presented prompt recovery of both right and left ventricular function after combined aortic and pulmonary valve replacement.
Surgical rarities: case report of appendicular diverticulitis and literature review
Authors: Bonomo Luca Domenico , Zago Marcello , Quirico Claudia , Ottinetti Antonio , Panzera Filippo , Galli Alessandra , Gattoni Luca , Canova Gualtiero , Nicotera Antonella
Published: July 2022

Appendicular diverticulosis is a rare condition observed in about 0.004–2% of all appendectomy specimens. Risk of perforation/bleeding is high and a relevant association with mucinous neoplasms is known. Appendectomy is indicated even in case of occasional finding. We present the case of a 22-year-old man who entered the Emergency Room for pain in right iliac fossa. Blood tests showed only a slight increase in C-reactive protein. Abdominal ultrasound (US) evidenced an appendix with thickened walls and a rounded fluid-filled hypoechoic lesion at its distal tip. Laparoscopic appendectomy confirmed the presence of mucocele. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patients discharged on postoperative day 3. Histological examination indicated diverticulitis/peridiverticulitis of the appendix and acute suppurative appendicitis. No perforation of the diverticula was detected. No neoplastic epithelium/mucous material was observed. In our case, preoperative US proved to be a useful alternative to computed tomography for the diagnosis.
TOR kinase, a GPS in the complex nutrient and hormonal signaling networks to guide plant growth and development
Authors: Meng Yanyan , Zhang Nan , Li Jiatian , Shen Xuehong , Sheen Jen , Xiong Yan
Published: July 2022

To survive and sustain growth, sessile plants have developed sophisticated internal signalling networks that respond to various external and internal cues. Despite the central roles of nutrient and hormone signaling in plant growth and development, how hormone-driven processes coordinate with metabolic status remains largely enigmatic. Target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase is an evolutionarily conserved master regulator that integrates energy, nutrients, growth factors, hormones, and stress signals to promote growth in all eukaryotes. Inspired by recent comprehensive systems, chemical, genetic, and genomic studies on TOR in plants, this review discusses a potential role of TOR as a ‘global positioning system’ that directs plant growth and developmental programs both temporally and spatially by integrating dynamic information in the complex nutrient and hormonal signaling networks. We further evaluate and depict the possible functional and mechanistic models for how a single protein kinase, TOR, is able to recognize, integrate, and even distinguish a plethora of positive and negative input signals to execute appropriate and distinct downstream biological processes via multiple partners and effectors.
Visceral disseminated varicella zoster virus infection during non-intensive maintenance therapy in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Hattori Koto , Tanaka Shigeru , Ishikawa Junichi , Yabe Yoko , Iwamoto Taro , Furuta Shunsuke , Ikeda Kei , Suzuki Kotaro , Nakajima Hiroshi
Published: July 2022

Visceral disseminated varicella zoster virus infection (VD-VZV) is a rare complication in immunocompromised patients. Although systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients have a higher risk of VZV infection, only a few reports describe VD-VZV in SLE. Here, we report a 48-year-old woman with SLE who had received maintenance therapy. She was transferred to the hospital because of severe epigastric pain. There were no significant abnormalities in abdominal computed tomography and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. On hospital day 4, she developed vesicular eruption on her face and abdomen. VZV antigen was detected in specimens obtained from skin lesions, and treatment with acyclovir was started. VZV DNA in blood turned out to be positive, and the epigastric pain was thought to be caused by VD-VZV. There is a risk of VD-VZV in patients with SLE, even in those receiving non-intensive maintenance therapy.
Petaurista philippensis(Rodentia: Sciuridae)
Authors: Koli Vijay Kumar
Published: July 2022

Petaurista philippensis (Elliot, 1839), commonly known as the Indian giant flying squirrel or the large brown flying squirrel, is one of the largest flying squirrels. It has a grizzled brown or claret brown coat, and a black-tipped long tail. Petaurista philippensis is distributed in a range of habitats throughout Southeast Asia, reaching a maximum elevation of 2,200 m. It is nocturnal. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as “Least Concern” (LC) on the global scale, but its populations are declining in many regions. The Indian Government has included it in Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and Sri Lanka has listed it in Schedule II (Section 30) of the Fauna and Flora Protection (Amendment) Act.
Outline of a Theory of Reasons
Authors: Crupi Vincenzo , Iacona Andrea
Published: July 2022

This paper investigates the logic of reasons. Its aim is to provide an analysis of the sentences of the form ‘p is a reason for q’ that yields a coherent account of their logical properties. The idea that we will develop is that ‘p is a reason for q’ is acceptable just in case a suitably defined relation of incompatibility obtains between p and ¬q. As we will suggest, a theory of reasons based on this idea can solve three challenging puzzles that concern, respectively, contraposing reasons, conflicting reasons, and supererogatory reasons, and opens a new perspective on some classical issues concerning non-deductive inferences.
A New Witness to Two Early Tudor Poems
Authors: Atkin Tamara
Published: July 2022

This article offers an account of a copy of two poems preserved in the binding of Cambridge, Emmanuel College, MSS 4.3.9, a printed Sammelband containing two works published by Johannes Prael in 1531. ‘To my myshap alas I fynd’ and ‘I wyll allthow I may not’ occur in all modern editions of the poetry of Sir Thomas Wyatt, although their attribution to Wyatt remains doubtful. In Cambridge, Emmanuel College, MSS 4.3.9, these poems are copied into the lower endpapers, joined together by five otherwise unattested ‘bridging’ stanzas. A cancelled inscription on the lower pastedown offers some evidence for the scribe’s identity and social milieu and suggests that the textual conversation performed by the poems is an imitation rather than an example of the ‘social textuality’ witnessed in other manuscripts of Wyatt’s verse including Dublin, Trinity College, MS D.2.7, the so-called Blage Manuscript, and London, British Library, Additional MS 17492, the Devonshire Manuscript. Analysing the palaeographic and orthographic features of the hand, the article suggests a mid-Tudor copying date, and by collating variants shows that the versions of ‘To my myshap’ and ‘I wyll allthow I may not’ preserved in Cambridge, Emmanuel College, MSS 4.3.9, may be earlier than those recorded in other known witnesses. Reading the new bridging stanzas alongside other poems by Wyatt, the article shows their indebtedness to well-known tropes and phrases in the Wyatt canon and concludes that the Cambridge MSS 4.3.9 poems function as a Wyattian assemblage that performs a version of the kind of courtly identity found in coterie manuscripts of courtly verse.
Limitations of an effective field theory treatment of early Universe cosmology
Authors: Brandenberger Robert
Published: July 2022

Assuming that superstring theory is the fundamental theory which unifies all forces of Nature at the quantum level, I argue that there are key limitations to the applicability of effective field theory techniques in describing early Universe cosmology.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The future of mathematical cosmology, Volume 2’.
Brane-world singularities and asymptotics of five-dimensional bulk fluids
Authors: Antoniadis I. , Cotsakis S. , Klaoudatou I.
Published: July 2022

We review studies on the singularity structure and asymptotic analysis of a 3-brane (flat or curved) embedded in a five-dimensional bulk filled with a ‘perfect fluid’ with an equation of state

p
=
γ
ρ

, where

p

is the ‘pressure’ and

ρ

is the ‘density’ of the fluid, depending on the fifth space coordinate. Regular solutions satisfying positive energy conditions in the bulk exist only in the cases of a flat brane for

γ
=
−
1

or of AdS branes for

γ
∈
[
−
1
,
−
1

/

2
)

. More cases can be found by gluing two regular brunches of solutions at the position of the brane. However, only a flat brane for

γ
=
−
1

leads to finite Planck mass on the brane and thus localizes gravity. In a more recent work, we showed that a way to rectify the previous findings and obtain a solution for a flat brane and a range of

γ

, which is both free from finite-distance singularities and compatible with the physical conditions of energy and finiteness of four-dimensional Planck mass, is by introducing a bulk fluid component that satisfies a nonlinear equation of state of the form

p
=
γ

ρ

λ

with

γ
<
0

and

λ
>
1

.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The future of mathematical cosmology, Volume 2’.
An
S
-matrix approach to gravitational-wave physics
Authors: Vanhove Pierre
Published: July 2022

The detection of gravitational waves emitted by binary systems has opened a new astronomical window into the Universe. We describe recent advances in the field of scattering amplitudes applied to the post-Minkowskian expansion, and the extraction of the effective two-body gravitational potential. The techniques presented here apply to any effective field theory of gravity and are not restricted to four-dimensional Einstein gravity.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The future of mathematical cosmology, Volume 2’.
Higgs effect without lunch
Authors: Erickson C. W. , Leung Rahim , Stelle K. S.
Published: July 2022

Reduction in effective space–time dimensionality can occur in field-theory models more general than the widely studied dimensional reductions based on technically consistent truncations. Situations where wave function factors depend non-trivially on coordinates transverse to the effective lower dimension can give rise to unusual patterns of gauge symmetry breaking. Leading-order gauge modes can be left massless, but naturally occurring Stueckelberg modes can couple importantly at quartic order and higher, thus generating a ‘covert’ pattern of gauge symmetry breaking. Such a situation is illustrated in a five-dimensional model of scalar electrodynamics in which one spatial dimension is taken to be an interval with Dirichlet/Robin boundary conditions on opposing ends. The Stueckelberg mode remains in the theory as a propagating scalar degree of freedom from a dimensionally reduced perspective, but it is not ‘eaten’ in a mass-generating mechanism. At leading order, it also makes no contribution to the conserved energy; for this reason, it may be called a (non-ghost) ‘phantom’. This simple model illuminates a mechanism which also has been found in gravitational braneworld scenarios.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The future of mathematical cosmology, Volume 2’.
How inflationary gravitons affect gravitational radiation
Authors: Tan L. , Tsamis N. C. , Woodard R. P.
Published: July 2022

We include the single graviton loop contribution to the linearized Einstein equation. Explicit results are obtained for one loop corrections to the propagation of gravitational radiation. Although suppressed by a minuscule loop-counting parameter, these corrections are enhanced by the square of the number of inflationary

e

-foldings. One consequence is that perturbation theory breaks down for a very long epoch of primordial inflation. Another consequence is that the one loop correction to the tensor power spectrum might be observable, in the far future, after the full development of 21 cm cosmology.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The future of mathematical cosmology, Volume 2’.
Gravity beyond Einstein? Yes, but in which direction?
Authors: Kazanas Demosthenes , Papadopoulos Demetrios , Christodoulou Dimitris
Published: July 2022

We present qualitative arguments in favour of an extension of the theory of the gravitational interaction beyond that resulting from the Hilbert–Einstein action. To this end, we consider a locally conformal invariant theory of gravity, discussed some 30 years ago by Mannheim and Kazanas. We discuss its exact solution of the static, spherically symmetric configurations and, based on these, we revisit some of the outstanding problems associated with gravity, high energy interactions and sketch potential resolutions within the conformal gravity framework.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The future of mathematical cosmology, Volume 2’.