bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plaque removal efficacy of a new toothbrush with a double-sided head and rotating handle—a pilot randomized control trial in acquired brain injury patients
Authors: Mato Eliane García , López Lucía Sande , Freitas Marcio Diniz , Pazos María Teresa Abeleira , Posse Jacobo Limeres , Dios Pedro Diz , Mundiña Berta Rivas
Published: June 2023

Objectives

To assess the efficacy of a new toothbrush (Balene) for the mechanical removal of dental plaque in patients with acquired brain injury.

Material and methods

The study group consisted of 25 adults with acquired brain injury. The participants underwent 2 sessions of toothbrushing lasting 1 min, one with a conventional toothbrush and the other with the Balene toothbrush. This new double-headed toothbrush has 6 active sides, which allows for the simultaneous toothbrushing of both alveolar arches, with elastomer bristles angled at 45°, as well a handle that rotates up to 180°. Therefore, the user does not need to remove the toothbrush from the oral cavity during the toothbrushing process. Dental plaque accumulation was assessed using the simplified oral hygiene index of Greene and Vermillion.

Results

The plaque index was significantly reduced both with the Balene toothbrush (p < 0.001) and with the conventional toothbrush (p < 0.001). The dental plaque removal efficacy was similar with the two toothbrushes. There were also no statistically significant differences in the removal of plaque with the Balene toothbrush between the autonomous and assisted toothbrushing modalities (p = 0.345).

Conclusions

For patients with acquired brain injury, the Balene toothbrush was as effective as a conventional toothbrush, regardless of whether the toothbrushing modality was autonomous or assisted.

Clinical relevance

The Balene® toothbrush’s efficacy in removing dental plaque is similar to that of conventional toothbrushes, both with the autonomous and assisted toothbrushing modality. Given its particular ergonomics, this toothbrush could be indicated for certain select patients with acquired brain injury (i.e., those whose degree of cooperation allows for toothbrushing, with a sufficient mouth opening, with no substantial abnormalities in the intermaxillary relationship, and with no significant edentulous sections).
Into the unknown: active monitoring of neural networks (extended version)
Authors: Kueffner Konstantin , Lukina Anna , Schilling Christian , Henzinger Thomas A.
Published: June 2023

Neural-network classifiers achieve high accuracy when predicting the class of an input that they were trained to identify. Maintaining this accuracy in dynamic environments, where inputs frequently fall outside the fixed set of initially known classes, remains a challenge. We consider the problem of monitoring the classification decisions of neural networks in the presence of novel classes. For this purpose, we generalize our recently proposed abstraction-based monitor from binary output to real-valued quantitative output. This quantitative output enables new applications, two of which we investigate in the paper. As our first application, we introduce an algorithmic framework for active monitoring of a neural network, which allows us to learn new classes dynamically and yet maintain high monitoring performance. As our second application, we present an offline procedure to retrain the neural network to improve the monitor’s detection performance without deteriorating the network’s classification accuracy. Our experimental evaluation demonstrates both the benefits of our active monitoring framework in dynamic scenarios and the effectiveness of the retraining procedure.
Novel Environmentally Superior Tribomaterial with Superlow Friction: 100% Cellulose Nanofiber Molding
Authors: Okubo Hikaru , Hashiba Hiromi , Inamochi Toru , Sato Kaisei , Sasaki Shinya , Yamada Kazushi , Nakano Ken
Published: June 2023

In this paper, we report on a novel, environmentally superior tribomaterial with superlow friction of 100% cellulose nanofiber (CNF) molding. Based on our experimental results, the CNF molding exhibited a superlow friction coefficient of approximately 0.01 under lubrication with a fatty acid: glycerin monooleate (GMO) diluted with poly-alfa-olefine. Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and high-resolution frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy analyses demonstrated that superlow friction of the CNF molding was realized by GMO-assisted functionalization of the CNF surface, which effectively promoted the formation of a soft absorption film or soft swollen CNF layer. Our findings indicate that the in-situ functionalization of OH-terminated CNF surfaces during the friction process plays a crucial role in achieving superlow friction.

Graphical Abstract
The Role of Biotics as a Therapeutic Strategy for Oral Mucositis - A Systematic Review
Authors: Frey-Furtado Leonor , Magalhães Inês , Azevedo Maria João , Sampaio-Maia Benedita
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Oral mucositis (OM) is an acute and highly prevalent side effect of cancer treatments. Currently, there is no effective strategy for its prevention or treatment. This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness of biotics used as a therapeutic strategy for the management of OM.

Materials and Methods

The PRISMA checklist was followed and PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were screened for clinical and pre-clinical studies assessing the potential effects of biotics in OM. Inclusion criteria included in vivo studies related to oral mucositis evaluating the effect of biotics, and written in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, or Dutch. The following exclusion criteria were used: systematic reviews and meta-analyses, reviews, case reports, opinion papers or comments, conference papers, letters without results, articles not related to oral therapy-induced mucositis or biotics, or in vitro articles that do not simulate oral mucositis.

Results

From a total of 1250 articles retrieved, 9 were included in this systematic review. Four clinical studies reported a reduction in oral mucositis occurrence with Lactobacillus species (Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus brevis CD2) and Bacillus clausii UBBC07. In pre-clinical studies, Lactococcus lactis genetically modified and Lactobacillus reuteri reduced the severity of OM and Streptococcus salivarius K12 also decreased the size of the ulcers.

Conclusion

The findings of this systematic review suggest that probiotic supplementation may potentially reduce the incidence of therapy-induced OM and decrease its severity in patients undergoing cancer treatment. However, the available evidence is marred by significant heterogeneity across studies.
Does Adsorption of Cd, Cu and Pb on Polymeric Silicic Acid Occur Under Acidic Conditions?
Authors: Stein Mathias , Buchweitz Maria , Mayer Pia , Rennert Thilo
Published: June 2023

Contamination with Cd, Cu and Pb is a major environmental issue. Cations of those metals may adsorb on negatively charged surfaces of polymeric silicic acid (pSi), altering their environmental fate. Aiming to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and the extent of adsorption, we conducted batch adsorption experiments at pH 4 to 6 and concentrations that excluded precipitation of solid phases. Zeta-potential measurements were conducted to monitor surface charge changes. In addition, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used to derive thermodynamic parameters of the interaction between the metals and pSi. Surprisingly, neither did batch-adsorption experiments reveal any metal adsorption on pSi after 24 h reaction time, nor did ITC experiments show any evidence for chemical adsorption of the metals, as no heat was released or absorbed during the experiments. However, zeta-potential measurements indicated weak electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged silanol groups and the metals. These electrostatic interactions may be the initial step of metal incorporation into the matrix of polymerizing silicic acid, which were spectroscopically proven in long-term experiments.
Association of periodontitis with handgrip strength and skeletal muscle mass in middle-aged US adults from NHANES 2013–2014
Authors: Bunte Kübra , Wiessner Christian , Bahat Gülistan , Erdogan Tugba , Cruz-Jentoft Alfonso J. , Zapf Antonia
Published: June 2023

Objectives

The relationship between periodontitis and sarcopenia parameters in middle-aged adults is largely unexplored. This study investigated the association between periodontitis and combined handgrip strength and skeletal muscle mass in middle-aged adults.

Materials and methods

A sub-cohort of 1912 individuals with complete periodontal and whole-body dual X-ray absorptiometry examinations from the 2013–2014 wave of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 10,175) were analyzed using fully adjusted multiple linear regression models for associations between periodontitis and skeletal muscle mass index (kg/m2) and combined handgrip strength (kg).

Results

The mean age of the study cohort was 43 (± 8.4) years and 49.4% of the participants were male. In total, 612 participants (32%) were determined to have periodontitis, of which 513 (26.8%) had non-severe (mild or moderate) periodontitis, and 99 (5.2%) had severe periodontitis. In unadjusted regression models, both non-severe and severe periodontitis were associated with SMMI (βnon-severe = 1.01, 95% CI 0.50; 1.52 and βsevere = 1.42, 95% CI 0.59; 2.25) but not with cHGS. After adjusting for age, sex, education, body mass index, bone mineral density, diabetic status, education, total energy intake, total protein intake, and serum vitamin D2 + D3, periodontitis was associated with cHGS (βnon-severe = -2.81, 95% CI − 4.7; − 1.15 and βsevere = − 2.73, 95% CI − 6.31; 0.83). The association between periodontitis and SMMI remained for non-severe periodontitis (βnon-severe = 0.07, 95% CI − 0.26; 0.40 and βsevere = 0.22, 95% CI − 0.34; 0.78).

Conclusion

The present study highlights the need of further prospective research to investigate the nature and direction of the relationship between periodontitis and sarcopenia indicators. Future studies can support the screening, prevention and clinical management of sarcopenia and periodontitis, and emphasize the interdisciplinary and complementary approach between the disciplines of geriatric medicine and periodontology.
Error Propagation from Sleep Stage Classification to Derived Sleep Parameters in Machine Learning on Data from Wearables
Authors: Hardarson Emil , Islind Anna Sigridur , Arnardottir Erna Sif , Óskarsdóttir María
Published: June 2023

Purpose of Review:

Automatic analysis of sleep is an important and active area of research. Machine learning models are commonly developed to classify time segments into sleep stages. The sleep stages can be used to calculate various sleep parameters, such as sleep efficiency and total sleep time. The machine learning models are typically trained to minimize the sleep stage classification error, but little is known about how error propagates from sleep stages to derived sleep parameters.

Recent findings:

We review recently published studies where machine learning was used to classify sleep stages using data from wearable devices. Using classification error statistics from these studies, we perform a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate sleep parameter error in a dataset of 197 hypnograms. This is, to our knowledge, the first attempt at evaluating how robust sleep parameter estimation is to misclassification of sleep stages.

Our analysis suggests that a machine learning model capable of 90% accurate sleep stage classification (surpassing current state-of-art in wearable sleep tracking) may perform worse than a random guess in estimating some sleep parameters. Our analysis also indicates that sleep stage classification may not be a relevant target variable for machine learning on wearable sleep data and that regression models may be better suited to estimating sleep parameters. Finally, we propose a baseline model to use as a reference for sleep stage estimation accuracy. When applied to a test set, the baseline model predicts 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-class sleep stages with an accuracy of 74%, 54%, 46% and 35%, respectively
Machine learning and the James–Stein estimator
Authors: Efron Bradley
Published: June 2023

It is now 62 years since the publication of James and Stein’s seminal article on the estimation of a multivariate normal mean vector. The paper made a spectacular first impression on the statistical community through its demonstration of inadmissability of the maximum likelihood estimator. It continues to be influential, but not for the initial reasons. Empirical Bayes shrinkage estimation, now a major topic, found its early justification in the James–Stein formula. Less obvious downstream topics include Tweedie’s formula and Benjamini and Hochberg’s false discovery rate algorithm. This is a short and mainly non-technical review of the James–Stein rule and its effects on the machine learning era of statistical innovation.
Resilient Multi-range Radar Detection System for Autonomous Vehicles: A New Statistical Method
Authors: Enayati Javad , Asef Pedram , Wilson Peter
Published: June 2023

Critical issues with current detection systems are their susceptibility to adverse weather conditions and constraint on the vertical field view of the radars limiting the ability of such systems to accurately detect the height of the targets. In this paper, a novel multi-range radar (MRR) arrangement (i.e. triple: long-range, medium-range, and short-range radars) based on the sensor fusion technique is investigated that can detect objects of different sizes in a level 2 advanced driver-assistance system. To improve the accuracy of the detection system, the resilience of the MRR approach is investigated using the Monte Carlo (MC) method for the first time. By adopting MC framework, this study shows that only a handful of fine-scaled computations are required to accurately predict statistics of the radar detection failure, compared to many expensive trials. The results presented huge computational gains for such a complex problem. The MRR approach improved the detection reliability with an increased mean detection distance (4.9% over medium range and 13% over long range radar) and reduced standard deviation over existing methods (30% over medium range and 15% over long-range radar). This will help establishing a new path toward faster and cheaper development of modern vehicle detection systems.
Primary Science Education
Authors: Forbes Anne
Published: June 2023

Primary Science Education: A Teacher's Toolkit is an accessible and comprehensive guide to primary school science education and its effective practice in the classroom. Primary Science Education is structured in two parts: Planning for Science and Primary Science in the Classroom. Each chapter covers fundamental topics, such as: curriculum requirements (including the Australian Curriculum and Australian Professional Standards for Teachers); preparing effective learning sequences with embedded authentic assessment; combining science learning with other learning areas, such as technologies and STEM; and critically analysing the teacher's role in the classroom. The text features short-answer and 'Bringing it Together' questions to encourage readers to consolidate their understanding of key themes. Case studies throughout provide guidance on the classroom experience and Teacher Background Information boxes explore topics where more in-depth knowledge is required. The book is supported by a suite of online resources, including interviews with Australian primary teachers and students, and downloadable activities.
Sovereign Anxiety
Authors: Wani Javed Iqbal
Published: June 2023

This book studies issues of public order in late colonial and earlier postcolonial India. It identifies various governmental practices, such as curfews, bans and police action, that thrive on extraordinary legislation to maintain public order. The colonial regime often deployed extraordinary legislation to curtail the liberties of individuals and groups by citing potential harm to public order. Through public order, a spectacle of sovereign power and politics of contestation between the citizens and law enforcement emerges. The book will contribute to existing discussions about sovereignty and legitimacy of state power by providing a representative sample of concrete instances such as inter and intra-community riots, labour riots, labour strikes and nationalist agitation. It will also enable a comparative approach and illustrates processes of the evolution of state formation and citizenship in South Asia.
Passages through India
Authors: Biswas Somak
Published: June 2023

Passages Through India offers a study of the phenomenon of Western Indophilia: romanticised engagements around Hindu ideas of India. It argues that affective practices cultivated between major Indian guru-figures (Gandhi, Tagore and Vivekananda) and their white disciples serviced a larger politics of respectability, tied to exigencies of Indian cultural and nationalist politics. Indophile deployments in transnational projects like the abolition of indentured labour and global Hinduism, while anti-colonial, were not quite emancipatory. Such deployments – in Africa, America, Fiji and India – frequently reproduced deep hierarchies around race, class, caste and gender. Unifying distinct strands of western discipleship within a shared tradition of Indophilia, Passages Through India offers a new methodological framework that situates self and subjectivity as central to processes of global mobility and migration.
Local Selfhood, Global Turns
Authors: Chakrabarti Sumit
Published: June 2023

The book examines the works of Akshay Kumar Dutta (1820–1886), who can be seen as ideologically inhabiting the cusp between religion and rationalism – the two most crucial avenues of debate and discussion in the public sphere in nineteenth-century Bengal. While nineteenth-century Bengal has been an important discourse within South Asian history, major figures of reform such as Rammohun Roy, Debendranath Tagore, Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, or Keshub Chunder Sen have generally been the focus. The book attempts to rescue Dutta from the clutches of academic amnesia, and to locate him as one of the foundational figures of intellectual refashioning among the common albeit educated public in nineteenth-century Bengal.
Ensemble-based 4DVarNet uncertainty quantification for the reconstruction of sea surface height dynamics
Authors: Beauchamp Maxime , Febvre Quentin , Fablet Ronan
Published: June 2023

Uncertainty quantification (UQ) plays a crucial role in data assimilation (DA) since it impacts both the quality of the reconstruction and near-future forecast. However, traditional UQ approaches are often limited in their ability to handle complex datasets and may have a large computational cost. In this paper, we present a new ensemble-based approach to extend the 4DVarNet framework, an end-to-end deep learning scheme backboned on variational DA used to estimate the mean of the state along a given DA window. We use conditional 4DVarNet simulations compliant with the available observations to estimate the 4DVarNet probability density function. Our approach enables to combine both the efficiency of 4DVarNet in terms of computational cost and validation performance with a fast and memory-saving Monte-Carlo based post-processing of the reconstruction, leading to the so-called En4DVarNet estimation of the state pdf. We demonstrate our approach in a case study involving the sea surface height: 4DVarNet is pretrained on an idealized Observation System Simulation Experiment (OSSE), then used on real-world dataset (OSE). The sampling of independent realizations of the state is made among the catalogue of model-based data used during training. To illustrate our approach, we use a nadir altimeter constellation in January 2017 and show how the uncertainties retrieved by combining 4DVarNet with the statistical properties of the training dataset lead to a relevant information providing in most cases a confidence interval compliant with the Cryosat-2 nadir alongtrack dataset kept for validation.
Amyloid β-based therapy for Alzheimer’s disease: challenges, successes and future
Authors: Zhang Yun , Chen Huaqiu , Li Ran , Sterling Keenan , Song Weihong
Published: June 2023

Amyloid β protein (Aβ) is the main component of neuritic plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and its accumulation has been considered as the molecular driver of Alzheimer’s pathogenesis and progression. Aβ has been the prime target for the development of AD therapy. However, the repeated failures of Aβ-targeted clinical trials have cast considerable doubt on the amyloid cascade hypothesis and whether the development of Alzheimer’s drug has followed the correct course. However, the recent successes of Aβ targeted trials have assuaged those doubts. In this review, we discussed the evolution of the amyloid cascade hypothesis over the last 30 years and summarized its application in Alzheimer’s diagnosis and modification. In particular, we extensively discussed the pitfalls, promises and important unanswered questions regarding the current anti-Aβ therapy, as well as strategies for further study and development of more feasible Aβ-targeted approaches in the optimization of AD prevention and treatment.
Internalization of apoptotic cells during efferocytosis requires Mertk-mediated calcium influx
Authors: Yang Susumin , Min Chanhyuk , Moon Hyunji , Moon Byeongjin , Lee Juyeon , Jeon Jaeseon , Kwon Hagyeong , Jang Deokyun , Park Daeho
Published: June 2023

Phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, called efferocytosis, requires calcium inside and outside of phagocytes. Due to its necessity, calcium flux is sophisticatedly modulated, and the level of intracellular calcium in phagocytes is ultimately elevated during efferocytosis. However, the role of elevated intracellular calcium in efferocytosis remains elusive. Here, we report that Mertk-mediated intracellular calcium elevation is necessary for internalization of apoptotic cells during efferocytosis. Drastic depletion of intracellular calcium abrogated the internalization step of efferocytosis by delaying phagocytic cup extension and closure. Especially, the defect of phagocytic cup closure for internalization of apoptotic cells was caused by impaired F-actin disassembly and the attenuated interaction of Calmodulin with myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), leading to diminished myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. Genetic and pharmacological impairment of the Calmodulin-MLCK-MLC axis or Mertk-mediated calcium influx also resulted in inefficient efferocytosis due to a defect in internalization of the targets. Taken together, our observations imply that intracellular calcium elevation through Mertk-mediated calcium influx facilitates efferocytosis by inducing myosin II-mediated contraction and F-actin disassembly required for internalization of apoptotic cells.
Interferon-γ elicits the ocular surface pathology mimicking dry eye through direct modulation of resident corneal cells
Authors: Ko Jung Hwa , Kim Seonghwan , Ryu Jin Suk , Song Hyo Jeong , Oh Joo Youn
Published: June 2023

Despite accumulating evidence indicating a key role of interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-producing immune cells in ocular infection and immunity, little is known about the direct effects of IFN-γ on resident corneal cells or on the ocular surface. Here, we report that IFN-γ impacts corneal stromal fibroblasts and epithelial cells to promote inflammation, opacification, and barrier disruption on the ocular surface, leading to dry eye. Our results demonstrated that IFN-γ dose-dependently induced cytotoxicity, pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production, and expression of major histocompatibility complex class II and CD40 in cultures of corneal stromal fibroblasts and epithelial cells while increasing myofibroblast differentiation of corneal stromal fibroblasts. In mice, subconjunctival IFN-γ administration caused corneal epithelial defects and stromal opacity in dose- and time-dependent manners while promoting neutrophil infiltration and inflammatory cytokine expression in the cornea. Moreover, IFN-γ reduced aqueous tear secretion and the number of conjunctival goblet cells responsible for mucinous tear production. Together, our findings suggest that IFN-γ induces the ocular surface changes characteristic of dry eye disease at least in part through its direct effects on resident corneal cells.
Programmable spatial deformation by controllable off-center freestanding 4D printing of continuous fiber reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites
Authors: Wang Qingrui , Tian Xiaoyong , Zhang Daokang , Zhou Yanli , Yan Wanquan , Li Dichen
Published: June 2023

Owing to their high deformation ability, 4D printed structures have various applications in origami structures, soft robotics and deployable mechanisms. As a material with programmable molecular chain orientation, liquid crystal elastomer is expected to produce the freestanding, bearable and deformable three-dimensional structure. However, majority of the existing 4D printing methods for liquid crystal elastomers can only fabricate planar structures, which limits their deformation designability and bearing capacity. Here we propose a direct ink writing based 4D printing method for freestanding continuous fiber reinforced composites. Continuous fibers can support freestanding structures during the printing process and improve the mechanical property and deformation ability of 4D printed structures. In this paper, the integration of 4D printed structures with fully impregnated composite interfaces, programmable deformation ability and high bearing capacity are realized by adjusting the off-center distribution of the fibers, and the printed liquid crystal composite can carry a load of up to 2805 times its own weight and achieve a bending deformation curvature of 0.33 mm−1 at 150 °C. This research is expected to open new avenues for creating soft robotics, mechanical metamaterials and artificial muscles.
Fast-exchanging spirocyclic rhodamine probes for aptamer-based super-resolution RNA imaging
Authors: Englert Daniel , Burger Eva-Maria , Grün Franziska , Verma Mrigank S. , Lackner Jens , Lampe Marko , Bühler Bastian , Schokolowski Janin , Nienhaus G. Ulrich , Jäschke Andres , Sunbul Murat
Published: June 2023

Live-cell RNA imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution remains a major challenge. Here we report the development of RhoBAST:SpyRho, a fluorescent light-up aptamer (FLAP) system ideally suited for visualizing RNAs in live or fixed cells with various advanced fluorescence microscopy modalities. Overcoming problems associated with low cell permeability, brightness, fluorogenicity, and signal-to-background ratio of previous fluorophores, we design a novel probe, SpyRho (Spirocyclic Rhodamine), which tightly binds to the RhoBAST aptamer. High brightness and fluorogenicity is achieved by shifting the equilibrium between spirolactam and quinoid. With its high affinity and fast ligand exchange, RhoBAST:SpyRho is a superb system for both super-resolution SMLM and STED imaging. Its excellent performance in SMLM and the first reported super-resolved STED images of specifically labeled RNA in live mammalian cells represent significant advances over other FLAPs. The versatility of RhoBAST:SpyRho is further demonstrated by imaging endogenous chromosomal loci and proteins.
Single-cell profiling of lncRNA expression during Ebola virus infection in rhesus macaques
Authors: Santus Luisa , Sopena-Rios Maria , García-Pérez Raquel , Lin Aaron E. , Adams Gordon C. , Barnes Kayla G. , Siddle Katherine J. , Wohl Shirlee , Reverter Ferran , Rinn John L. , Bennett Richard S. , Hensley Lisa E. , Sabeti Pardis C. , Melé Marta
Published: June 2023

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in numerous biological processes and are pivotal mediators of the immune response, yet little is known about their properties at the single-cell level. Here, we generate a multi-tissue bulk RNAseq dataset from Ebola virus (EBOV) infected and not-infected rhesus macaques and identified 3979 novel lncRNAs. To profile lncRNA expression dynamics in immune circulating single-cells during EBOV infection, we design a metric, Upsilon, to estimate cell-type specificity. Our analysis reveals that lncRNAs are expressed in fewer cells than protein-coding genes, but they are not expressed at lower levels nor are they more cell-type specific when expressed in the same number of cells. In addition, we observe that lncRNAs exhibit similar changes in expression patterns to those of protein-coding genes during EBOV infection, and are often co-expressed with known immune regulators. A few lncRNAs change expression specifically upon EBOV entry in the cell. This study sheds light on the differential features of lncRNAs and protein-coding genes and paves the way for future single-cell lncRNA studies.
Spatial distribution, sources and health risk assessment of heavy metals in topsoil around oil and natural gas drilling sites, Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors: Aradhi Keshav Krishna , Dasari Babu Mallesh , Banothu Dasaram , Manavalan Satyanarayanan
Published: June 2023

Soils are usually the interface between human activity and environmental components that must be conserved and protected. As a result of rising industrialization and urbanization, activities such as exploration and extraction operations lead to the release of heavy metals into the environment. This study presents distribution of six heavy metals (As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in 139 top soil samples collected in and around oil and natural gas drilling sites at a sampling density of 1 site/12 km2. The results indicated the concentration ranged from 0.1 to 16 mg/kg for As, 3–707 mg/kg for Cr, 7–2324 mg/kg for Cu, 14–234 mg/kg for Ni, 9–1664 mg/kg for Pb, and 60–962 mg/kg for Zn. The contamination of soil was estimated on the basis of Index of geo accumulation (Igeo), enrichment factor (Ef), and contamination factor (Cf). Further, spatial distribution pattern maps indicated that the pollution levels for Cu, Cr, Zn, and Ni were higher around drilling sites of the study area relative to other regions. Using exposure factors for the local population and references from the USEPA’s integrated database, potential ecological risk indices (PERI) and health risk assessments were made. The hazard index (HI) values of Pb (in adults) and Cr, Pb (in children) exceeded the recommended limit of HI = 1, indicating the non-carcinogenic risks. Total carcinogenic risk (TCR) calculations revealed Cr (in adults) and As, Cr (in children) levels in soils exceeded the threshold value of 1.0E − 04, indicating significant carcinogenic risk due to high metal concentrations in the study area. These results may assist in determining the soil’s present state and its effect due to extraction strategies used during drilling process and initiate few remedial techniques, particularly for proper management strategies in farming activities to decrease point and non-point source of contamination.
Study on distribution of sidewall earth pressure on open caissons considering soil arching effect
Authors: Yang Bai , Shi Qingye , Zhou Hexiang , Qin Chao , Xiao Weiwei
Published: June 2023

Based on the soil arching effect theory, the magnitude and distribution of sidewall earth pressure on open caissons when the embedded depth is large was analyzed by using theory of non-limit state earth pressure theory and horizontal differential element method. The theoretical formula was deduced. The theoretical calculation results are compared with the field test results and centrifugal model test results respectively. The results show that when the embedded depth of the open caisson is large, the distribution of earth pressure on the side wall of the open caisson first increases with the increase of embedded depth, reaches a peak value, and then sharply decreases. The peak point is located at 2/3 ~ 4/5 of the embedded depth. In engineering practice, when the embedded depth of the open caisson is 40 m, the relative error between the field test value and the theoretical calculation value is − 55.8% ~ 1.2%, with an average error of 13.8%. When the equivalent embedded depth of the open caisson in the centrifugal model test is 36 m, the relative error between the centrifugal model test value and the theoretical calculation value is − 20.1% ~ 68.0%, with an average error of 10.6%, The results are consistent well. The results of this article provides reference for the design and construction of open caisson.
Quantum random number generation based on a perovskite light emitting diode
Authors: Argillander Joakim , Alarcón Alvaro , Bao Chunxiong , Kuang Chaoyang , Lima Gustavo , Gao Feng , Xavier Guilherme B.
Published: June 2023

The recent development of perovskite light emitting diodes (PeLEDs) has the potential to revolutionize the fields of optical communication and lighting devices, due to their simplicity of fabrication and outstanding optical properties. Here we demonstrate that PeLEDs can also be used in the field of quantum technologies by implementing a highly-secure quantum random number generator (QRNG). Modern QRNGs that certify their privacy are posed to replace classical random number generators in applications such as encryption and gambling, and therefore need to be cheap, fast and with integration capabilities. Using a compact metal-halide PeLED source, we generate random numbers, which are certified to be secure against an eavesdropper, following the quantum measurement-device-independent scenario. The obtained generation rate of more than 10 Mbit s−1, which is already comparable to commercial devices, shows that PeLEDs can work as high-quality light sources for quantum information tasks, thus opening up future applications in quantum technologies.
Methyl regulation triggers high-temperature ferroelastic phase transition
Authors: Zhang Si-Yue , Zhang Zhi-Cheng , Zhang Tie , Ni Hao-Fei , Zhang Zhi-Xu , Fu Da-Wei , Lu Hai-Feng
Published: June 2023

A series of organic–inorganic hybrid materials were synthesized with cadmium iodide. The extension of alkane chains elevates the phase transition temperature and enables the development of ferroelastic materials.
Effective heterogeneous Fenton-like degradation of antibiotics by ferroferric oxide nanoparticle coated reduced iron powder with accelerated Fe(ii)/Fe(iii) redox cycling
Authors: Zhou Jiahui , Li Xuesong , Yi Qiuying , Wang Zhiwei
Published: June 2023

In this study, we present a novel strategy of accelerating cycle of Fe(ii)/Fe(iii) in iron-mediated catalyst for heterogeneous Fenton-like processes.
Prevention of DSS-induced colitis in mice with water kefir microbiotaviaanti-inflammatory and microbiota-balancing activity
Authors: Ye Zhimin , Yang Ximiao , Deng Boxiong , Liao Zhenlin , Fang Xiang , Wang Jie
Published: June 2023

Water kefir microbiota exerted preventive roles in DSS-induced colitis by modulating the expression of tight junction proteins, reducing inflammation via inactivating the NF-κB signaling pathway, and regulating microbial dysbiosis.
High temperature stability in few atomic layer MoS2 based thin film heterostructures: structural, static and dynamic magnetization properties
Authors: Gupta Nanhe Kumar , Kumar Amar , Pandey Lalit , Hait Soumyarup , Barwal Vineet , Khan Amir , Mishra Vireshwar , Sharma Nikita , Kumar Nakul , Chaudhary Sujeet
Published: June 2023

Layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have shown commendable properties for spintronic applications.
A review on consequences of flexible layered double hydroxide-based electrodes: fabrication and water splitting application
Authors: Nagappan Sreenivasan , Yang Seungmin , Adhikari Arindam , Patel Rajkumar , Kundu Subrata
Published: June 2023

In this review, the fabrication of LDH-based nanostructures and their role in water splitting application is explored and different structures with pioneering modifications mainly exfoliation and vacancy creations are discussed for the first time.
La zone pellucide
Authors: Trocka Daria , Satie Anne-Pascale , Ravel Célia
Published: June 2023

La zone pellucide (ZP) est une matrice extracellulaire spécifique enveloppant l’ovocyte. Elle régule la liaison des spermatozoïdes à l’ovocyte lors de la fécondation. Après la fécondation, la zone pellucide prévient la polyspermie en modifiant sa conformation. La zone pellucide est importante pour la protection de l’embryon pré-implantatoire en développement lors de son trajet oviductal en évitant l’implantation ectopique. Suite au développement des techniques génétiques et du séquençage du génome, de nombreuses mutations ont été récemment décrites chez des patientes infertiles. Après avoir présenté la structure et les fonctions des glycoprotéines ZP constituant la zone pellucide, nous discutons dans cette revue de l’impact des mutations mises en évidence dans les gènes codant ces glycoprotéines sur la fertilité féminine.
Les neurones contactant le liquide cérébrospinal
Authors: Wyart Claire
Published: June 2023

Le liquide cérébrospinal est le siège d’une interface sensorielle qui permet des interactions entre le système nerveux et le reste du corps. Au centre de la moelle épinière, des neurones sensoriels en contact avec le liquide cérébrospinal détectent des changements de son contenu et s’activent lorsque sa composition change, en particulier lors d’une infection bactérienne du système nerveux central. Ces neurones de contact forment aussi un système mécanosensoriel axial détectant la courbure spinale grâce à un couplage avec la fibre de Reissner, un long polymère protéique situé dans le canal central. Sous l’effet d’une compression, les neurones de contact s’activent et modulent l’activité des circuits moteurs antérieurs au niveau du tronc cérébral et de la moelle épinière, contribuant à augmenter la vitesse du mouvement et à stabiliser la posture. Ce système sensoriel permet l’alignement de la colonne vertébrale en agissant sur sa structure via la libération de peptides de la famille de l’urotensine-II dont les récepteurs sont situés dans les muscles squelettiques.
Phylogenetic and phylogeographic insights on Trans-Andean spectacled caiman populations in Colombia
Authors: Jiménez-Alonso Gonzalo , Balaguera-Reina Sergio A. , Hoyos Manuel , Ibáñez Carolina , Hernández Rangel Sandra Marcela , del Valle Useche Carlos Miguel , Moncada Juan Felipe , Bloor Paul
Published: June 2023

Context Spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) is a species complex with at least eight phylogenetic lineages distributed across Central and South America. However, several populations remain unstudied, which limits a clear understanding of the relationship among lineages as well as whether all hidden diversity has been unveiled. Aim We analysed the molecular variation of spectacled caiman populations inhabiting the Colombian Trans-Andean range based on cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome B (CytB) mitochondrial markers. Methods We performed phylogenetic and population genetic analysis to identify phylogeographic patterns and verify genetic variation across Trans-Andean spectacled caiman by using a dataset of 78 individuals from 15 localities across Colombia. Results Haplotype accumulation curve estimated that our sample sizes recovered 82.68% of all unique haplotypes. Analysis of molecular variance showed that most of the genetic variation across the Trans-Andean samples collected can be explained by macro basins (49.85%), 32.45% by localities and 17.70% by intra-specific variation within populations. Conclusions Our study confirmed that high nucleotide diversity is present in Colombian Trans-Andean spectacled caiman populations, the absence of a genetically distinguished lineage in the Choco region, as suggested by morphologic analysis, and the presence of only one molecularly well distinguished group (C. c. fuscus sensu stricto) in the in the Colombian Trans-Andean region.
同源異形漢字考六則
Authors: Hsu Hui-chuan
Published: June 2023

在方言對比和諧聲串聯的基礎上，本文訴諸舌根音唇化、舌根塞音塞擦化和去塞擦化，論述臺閩語「箍茶~、豆~｣、｢啡~血、~痰、~瀾：吐口水呸~瀾：吐口水｣、｢齊~勻：平均、喬協調、調整｣、｢晬度~：周歲｣、｢逗、鬥拼湊、同居、結伴一起」和臺灣華語「拐架~子」的本字分別是「麩｣、｢唾｣、｢調｣、｢歲｣、｢湊」及「肘」。中古字母未必是語音討論起點，同音替代時日一久，積非成是。一個理論意義是：知組上古恐非來自端組，而是見組。
Wh-adjuncts in Chinese refutatory
wh-sentences
Authors: Yin Rong , Hu Xiaoshi
Published: June 2023

The present study focuses on the refutatory
wh-sentences in Chinese. The main idea is two-fold. First, contrary to the previous accounts arguing for the interrogative nature of
refutatory sentences, we argue that refutatory wh-sentences
exclude the interrogative force and should be distinguished from rhetorical
questions accordingly. Second, we will show that all
wh-words bearing the refutatory interpretation should occur
as adjuncts, which are syntactically placed in the left periphery. Two subtypes
of refutatory wh-adjuncts, namely, propositional refutatory
wh-adjuncts and modal refutatory
wh-adjuncts, are further classified in this study. The former
is semantically akin to the pure negator bu, while the latter
semantically relates to modality.
Towards a Field-Theory based Relativistic Quantum Information
Authors: Anastopoulos Charis , Hu Bei-Lok , Savvidou Konstantina
Published: June 2023

We present our program for the development of quantum informational concepts in relativistic systems in terms of the unequal-time correlation functions of quantum fields. We employ two formalisms that provide the basis for further developments. (i) The Quantum Temporal Probabilities (QTP) Method for quantum field measurements and (ii) the Closed-Time-Path (CTP) formalism for causal time evolutions. We present the main ideas of QTP and we show how it relates to the CTP formalism, allowing us to express concepts of measurement theory in terms of path-integrals. We also present many links of our program to non-equilibrium quantum field theories. Details can be found in a recent paper by the authors [1].
Solid State Neuroscience: Spiking Neural Networks as Time Matter
Authors: Rozenberg Marcelo
Published: June 2023

We aim at building a bridge between to a priori disconnected fields: Neuroscience and Material Science. We construct an analogy based on identifying spikes events in time with the positions of particles of matter. We show that one may think of the dynamical states of spiking neurons and spiking neural networks as time-matter. Namely, a structure of spike-events in time having analogue properties to that of ordinary matter. We can define for neural systems notions equivalent to the equations of state, phase diagrams and their phase transitions. For instance, the familiar Ideal Gas Law relation (Pυ = constant) emerges as analogue of the Ideal Integrate and Fire neuron model relation (Iin
ISI = constant). We define the neural analogue of the spatial structure correlation function, that can characterize spiking states with temporal long-range order, such as regular tonic spiking. We also define the “neuro-compressibility” response function in analogy to the lattice compressibility. We show that similarly to the case of ordinary matter, the anomalous behavior of the neuro-compressibility is a precursor effect that signals the onset of changes in spiking states. We propose that the notion of neuro-compressibility may open the way to develop novel medical tools for the early diagnose of diseases. It may allow to predict impending anomalous neural states, such as Parkinson’s tremors, epileptic seizures, electric cardiopathies, and perhaps may even serve as a predictor of the likelihood of regaining consciousness.
Revisiting Quantum Contextuality in an Algebraic Framework.
Authors: Bossche Mathias Van Den , Grangier Philippe
Published: June 2023

Within the framework of quantum contextuality, we discuss the ideas of extracontextuality and extravalence, that allow one to relate Kochen-Specker’s and Gleason’s theorems. We emphasize that whereas Kochen-Specker’s is essentially a no-go theorem, Gleason’s provides a mathematical justification of Born’s rule. Our extracontextual approach requires however a way to describe the “Heisenberg cut”. Following an article by John von Neumann on infinite tensor products, this can be done by noticing that the usual formalism of quantum mechanics, associated with unitary equivalence of representations, stops working when countable infinities of particles (or degrees of freedom) are encountered. This is because the dimension of the corresponding Hilbert space becomes uncountably infinite, leading to the loss of unitary equivalence, and to sectorisation. Such an intrinsically contextual approach provides a unified mathematical model including both quantum and classical physics, that appear as required incommensurable facets in the description of nature.
Shadows of new physics on Dirac materials, analog GUPs and other amusements
Authors: Iorio Alfredo , Ivetić Boris , Mignemi Salvatore , Pais Pablo
Published: June 2023

We discuss here how, when higher-order effects in the parameter

ℓ
ℏ

|

p
→

|

, related to the lattice spacing ℓ, are considered, pristine graphene, and other Dirac materials, can be used as tabletop systems where generalized commutation relations are naturally realized. Such generalized algebras of quantization, which lead to generalized versions of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, are under intense scrutiny these days, as they could manifest a fundamental length scale of spacetime. Despite the efforts and the many intriguing results, there are no experimental signatures of any generalized uncertainty principle (GUP). Therefore, our results here, which tell how to use tabletop physical systems to test certain GUPs in analog experiments, should be of interest to practitioners of quantum gravity. We identify three different energy regimes that we call “layers”, where the physics is still of a Dirac type but within precisely described limits. The higher the energy, the more sensitive the Dirac system becomes to the effects of the lattice. Here such lattice plays the role of a discrete space where the Dirac quasi-particles live. With the goals just illustrated, we had to identify the mapping between the high-energy coordinates, X

i
, and the low-energy ones, x

i
, i.e., those measured in the lab. We then obtained three generalized Heisenberg algebras. For two of them we have the noticeable result that X
i

= x
i

, and for the third one we obtained an improvement with respect to an earlier work: the generalized coordinates expressed in terms of the standard phase space variables, X
i

(x, p), and higher order terms.
Poincaré Breaking and Gauge Invariance: A Road to Emergent Gravity and New Particles
Authors: Demir Durmuş
Published: June 2023

In this talk, we discuss how gauge symmetries broken explicitly by a Poincare-breaking UV cutoff can be restored. We show that gauge symmetries can be restored by the introduction of affine curvature in reminiscence to the Higgs field. In fact, gauge symmetries get restored and general relativity emerges at the extremum of the metric-affine action. As per this point, we show emergence of the general relativity, reveal how its parameters relate to the flat spacetime loops, elucidate the new particle spectrum it brings along, and discuss its salient signatures. We show that the resulting field-theoretic plus gravitational setup can be probed via various phenomena ranging from collider experiments to black holes.