bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The perceptual span in traditional Chinese
Authors: Pan Jinger , Yan Ming
Published: July 2023

The present study aimed at examining the perceptual span, the visual field area for information extraction within a single fixation, during the reading of traditional Chinese sentences. Native traditional Chinese readers’ eye-movements were recorded as they read sentences that were presented using a gaze-contingent technique, in which legible text was restricted within a window that moved in synchrony with the eyes, while characters outside the window were masked. Comparisons of the window conditions with a baseline condition in which no viewing constraint was applied showed that when the window revealed one previous character and three upcoming characters around the current fixation, reading speed and oculomotor activities reached peak performance. Compared to previous results with simplified Chinese reading, based on a similar set of materials, traditional Chinese exhibits a reduction of the perceptual span. We suggest that the visual complexity of a writing system likely influences the perceptual span during reading.
New Data from Pedra Pintada Cave, Brazilian Amazon: Technological Analyses of the Lithic Industries in the Pleistocene–Holocene
Authors: Rodet Maria Jacqueline , Duarte-Talim Déborah , Pereira Edithe , Moraes Claide
Published: July 2023

For many years, the existence of ancient human settlements in the Amazon was deemed impossible, particularly those as old as 12,000 BP as found in Pedra Pintada Cave in Monte Alegre, in the state of Pará, by Anna Roosevelt and colleagues in the 1990s and by Edithe Pereira's team in 2014. In this article, we present the results of the technological analyses of the bifacial tools found in the cave, focusing on raw materials, techniques, shaping and retouching methods, and technical procedures. The analyses indicate careful knapping, with no mistakes, in hundreds of flakes in the shaping and retouching phases, as well as fragmented tools with flaws. Whenever possible, we compare the results to the data published by Roosevelt and colleagues in 1996 from the same site.
A Role for the Fauxrizon in the Semiclassical Limit of a Fuzzball
Authors: Schneider Mike D.
Published: July 2023

Recent work on the status of astrophysical modeling in the wake of quantum gravity indicates that a “fauxrizon” (a portmanteau of faux horizon), such as is relevant to understanding astrophysical black holes according to the fuzzball proposal within string theory, might ultimately solve the familiar black hole evaporation paradox. I clarify, with general upshots for the foundations of quantum gravity research, some of what this suggestion would amount to: identification of intertheoretic constraints on global spacetime structure in (observer-relative) semiclassical models of fuzzballs.
Women Also Know Stuff: Challenging the Gender Gap in Political Sophistication
Authors: KRAFT PATRICK W.
Published: July 2023

This article proposes a simple but powerful framework to measure political sophistication based on open-ended survey responses. Discursive sophistication uses automated text analysis methods to capture the complexity of individual attitude expression. I validate the approach by comparing it to conventional political knowledge metrics using different batteries of open-ended items across five surveys spanning four languages (total $ N\approx 35,000 $). The new measure casts doubt on the oft-cited gender gap in political knowledge: women might know fewer facts about institutions and elites, but they do not differ substantively in the sophistication of their expressed political attitudes.
Association study of urinary iodine concentrations and coronary artery disease among adults in the USA: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2018
Authors: Wu Zhijian , Li Meng , Liu Jiandi , Xie Feng , Chen Yang , Yang Shuai , Li Xiaozhong , Wu Yanqing
Published: July 2023

Iodine is a vital trace element in the human body and is associated with several important coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors. We aimed to explore the correlation between urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and CAD. Data from 15 793 US adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003–2018) were analysed. We conducted multivariable logistic regression models and fitted smoothing curves to study the correlation between UIC and CAD. Furthermore, we performed subgroup analysis to investigate possible effect modifiers between them. We found a J-shaped association between UIC and CAD, with an inflection point at Lg UIC = 2·65 μg/l. This result indicated a neutral association (OR 0·89; 95 % CI 0·68, 1·16) between UIC and CAD as Lg UIC < 2·65 μg/l, but the per natural Lg [UIC] increment was OR 2·29; 95 % CI 1·53, 3·43 as Lg UIC ≥ 2·65 μg/l. An interaction between diabetes and UIC might exist. The increase in UIC results in an increase in CAD prevalence (OR 1·84, 95 % CI 1·32, 2·58) in diabetes but results in little to no difference in non-diabetes (OR 0·98, 95 % CI 0·77, 1·25). The J-shaped correlation between UIC and CAD and the interaction between diabetes and UIC should be confirmed in a prospective study with a series of UIC measurements. If excessive iodine precedes CAD, then this new finding could guide clinical practice and prevent iodine deficiency from being overcorrected.
Micronutrients and socio-demographic factors were major predictors of anaemia among the Ethiopian population
Authors: Belay Adamu , Joy Edward J. M. , Lark R. Murray , Ander E. Louise , Young Scott D. , Bailey Elizabeth H. , Broadley Martin R. , Gashu Dawd
Published: July 2023

Anaemia is characterised by low hemoglobin (Hb) concentration. Despite being a public health concern in Ethiopia, the role of micronutrients and non-nutritional factors as a determinant of Hb concentrations has been inadequately explored. This study focused on the assessment of serum micronutrient and Hb concentrations and a range of non-nutritional factors, to evaluate their associations with the risk of anaemia among the Ethiopian population (n 2046). It also explored the mediation effect of Zn on the relation between se and Hb. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the relationship between serum micronutrients concentration, inflammation biomarkers, nutritional status, presence of parasitic infection and socio-demographic factors with Hb concentration (n 2046). Sobel–Goodman test was applied to investigate the mediation of Zn on relations between serum se and Hb. In total, 18·6 % of participants were anaemic, 5·8 % had iron deficiency (ID), 2·6 % had ID anaemia and 0·6 % had tissue ID. Younger age, household head illiteracy and low serum concentrations of ferritin, Co, Cu and folate were associated with anaemia. Serum se had an indirect effect that was mediated by Zn, with a significant effect of se on Zn (P < 0·001) and Zn on Hb (P < 0·001). The findings of this study suggest the need for designing a multi-sectorial intervention to address anaemia based on demographic group.
Understanding the Patient Experience of Foreign-Born Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Older Immigrants Receiving Health Care in Canada
Authors: Wood Jessica , Stolee Paul , Tong Catherine
Published: July 2023

In Canada, foreign-born older adults (FBOAs) have a higher prevalence of chronic conditions and poorer self-reported physical and mental health than their Canadian-born peers. However, very little research has explored FBOAs’ experiences of health care after immigration. This review aims to understand the patient experiences of older immigrants within the Canadian health care system. Employing Arksey and O’Malley’s framework for scoping reviews, we searched six databases and identified 12 articles that discussed the patient experience of this population. Although we sought to understand patient experience, the studies largely focused on barriers to care, including: communication difficulties, lack of cultural integration, systematic barriers in health care, financial barriers, and intersecting barriers related to culture and gender.

This review provides insight into new areas of research and advocates for strengthened policy and/or programming. Our review also highlights that there is a paucity of literature for an ever-growing segment of the Canadian population.
Cross-language validation of COVID-19 Compliance Scale in 28 languages
Authors: Blackburn Angélique M. , Han Hyemin , Gallegos Aranza
Published: July 2023

Although compliance scales have been used to assess compliance with health guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19, no scale known to us has shown content validity regarding global guidelines and reliability across an international sample. We assessed the validity and reliability of a Compliance Scale developed by a group of over 150 international researchers. Exploratory factor analysis determined reliable items on the English version. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the reliability of the six-item scale and convergent validity was found. After invariance testing and alignment, we employed a novel R code to run a Monte Carlo simulation for alignment validation. This scale can be employed to measure compliance across multiple languages, and our alignment validation method can be conducted with future cross-language surveys.
The retirement years of Doctor Helen B. Taussig: an intersection of art and medicine
Authors: Mainwaring Richard D. , Mainwaring Stephanie
Published: July 2023

Dr Helen B. Taussig (1898–1986) worked a paediatric cardiologist at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland from 1930 to 1963. Dr Taussig would become world-renowned for her contributions to the systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt to treat congenital heart patients with cyanosis. This shunt would eventually be named after the surgeon/cardiologist as the Blalock–Taussig shunt. Dr Taussig’s name was also attached to the description of one form of double outlet right ventricle called the Taussig-Bing malformation. Dr Taussig ultimately received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964 as a testimony to her life-long contributions to the field of congenital heart surgery.

In 1963, Dr Taussig retired from clinical practice but continued her teaching and academic pursuits at Johns Hopkins for another 14 years. Upon her “second retirement” in 1977, she moved to Kennett Square, PA. This paper will review the retirement years of Dr Helen Taussig and the curious intersection between art and medicine.
Using nomogram scores to predict the early regression of coronary artery aneurysms of Kawasaki disease
Authors: He Yunru , Shao Shuran , Qiao Yanni , Zhang Nanjun , Gong Xue , Hua Yimin , Zhou Kaiyu , Li Yifei , Liu Xiaoliang , Wang Chuan
Published: July 2023

Background:

Coronary artery aneurysms have been considered the most serious complication of Kawasaki disease. However, some coronary artery aneurysms do regress. Therefore, the ability to predict the expected time of coronary artery aneurysm regression is critical. Herein, we have created a nomogram prediction system to determine the early regression (<1 month) among patients with small to medium coronary artery aneurysms.

Methods:

Seventy-six Kawasaki disease patients identified with coronary artery aneurysms during the acute or subacute phase were included. All the patients who met inclusion criteria demonstrated regression of coronary artery aneurysms within the first-year post Kawasaki disease diagnosis. The clinical and laboratory parameters were compared between the groups of coronary artery aneurysms regression duration within and beyond 1 month. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent parameters for early regression based on the results from the univariable analysis. Then nomogram prediction systems were established with associated receiver operating characteristic curves.

Results:

Among the 76 included patients, 40 cases recovered within 1 month. Haemoglobin, globulin, activated partial thromboplastin time, the number of lesions, location of the aneurysm, and coronary artery aneurysm size were identified as independent factors for early regression of coronary artery aneurysms in Kawasaki disease patients. The predictive nomogram models revealed a high efficacy in predicting early regression of coronary artery aneurysms.

Conclusion:

The size of coronary artery aneurysms, the number of lesions, and the location of aneurysms presented better predictive value for predicting coronary artery aneurysms regression. The nomogram system created from the identified risk factors successfully predicted early coronary artery aneurysm regression.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Profile of Patients in SAMU-Asturias EMS (Spain): A Two-Year Retrospective Analysis of Advanced Life Support Unit Data
Authors: Diaz Villanueva Lucia , Lada Colunga Barbara , Villanueva Ordóñez Maria José , Cuartas Álvarez Tatiana , Cernuda Martinez Jose Antonio , Castro Delgado Rafael
Published: July 2023

Introduction:

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had important consequences on the health system. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were a key element in the response and were forced to modify their daily procedures. The main objective of this study was to find out if there were differences in response times and in the profile of patients treated by the Advanced Life Support (ALS) units of Servicio de Asistencia Médica Urgente (SAMU)-Asturias, the EMS of the Principality of Asturias, between the pre-pandemic period and the pandemic period.

Methodology:

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, observational, and retrospective study that included all patients treated by SAMU-Asturias ALS from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2020.

Results:

The pandemic has had an impact on daily activity of SAMU-Asturias, with a 9.2% decrease in daily ALS services during the pandemic, longer prehospital times during the pandemic period (mean = 54’35”; SD = 0’48”; P = 0.00) mainly due to an increase in scene time (mean = 28’01”; SD = 12’57”; P = 0.00), and a slight increase in the average age of patients during the pandemic in relation to the pre-pandemic period. No differences were found between the types of incidents for ALS or between the resolution of the patients.

Conclusions:

The COVID-19 pandemic mainly affects prehospital times in an emergency service, with no differences being observed in types of incidents; in EMS future pandemic planning, this should be taken into consideration.
Pathways from information to the adoption of conservation agriculture practices in Malawi and Tanzania
Authors: Marenya Paswel P. , Gatua Josephine G. , Rahut Dil B.
Published: July 2023

To reduce agriculture's carbon, land and water footprint, the diffusion of conservation farming methods is one commonly cited proposition. Yet the process of translating available information on new conservation farming methods into farmers' practices is often a black box in many studies. This understanding is critical to inform strategies for scaling these complex, knowledge-intensive, but necessary practices for improving agriculture's resource and climate balance sheet. By implementing a series of mediation analysis using data from 700 households in Malawi and 930 households in Tanzania, this study examines how an improved understanding of conservation agriculture (CA) principles is an important mediator in the pathway from extension contact to the adoption of two of the CA practices examined. For the adoption of conservation tillage, the share of the mediated treatment effect was in the 31.5–34.4% range, while it was 31.6–46.9% for the adoption of soil cover (mulching). Our results suggest that unless learning from external sources strongly correlates with improved farmers' technical understanding of new farming practices, private learning by doing must be a critical adjunct to other avenues of learning. Beyond the basic promotional goals, improving farmers' technical know-how needs to be the centerpiece of holistic efforts in support of conservation farming and similar knowledge-intensive practices necessary for agriculture's sustinability goals.
Cu Exists Predominantly as Kinetically Inert Complexes Throughout the Interior of the Equatorial and North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Moriyasu Rintaro , John Seth G. , Bian Xiaopeng , Yang Shun‐Chung , Moffett James W.
Published: July 2023

The chemistry of copper (Cu) in seawater is well known to be dominated by complexation with organic ligands. The prevailing paradigm is that Cu forms strong but labile complexes. Recently, a novel procedure revealed that only a small fraction of dissolved Cu exists as labile complexes. The majority is present as a fraction that is relatively inert on timescales of weeks or more and probably does not participate in coordination exchange reactions, including biologically mediated processes. Samples collected from the 2018 GEOTRACES GP15 cruise show that throughout the interior of the Pacific Ocean, this inert fraction comprises about 90% of the dissolved Cu. Labile Cu accumulates in surface waters, probably arising from photochemical decomposition of the inert fraction. There is also a modest accumulation of labile Cu near deep sea sediments and along the Alaskan shelf and slope. The results have important implications for Cu transport and biological availability. Inert Cu may influence Cu transport throughout the water column and contribute to the linear increase in Cu with depth, a distribution which is hard to explain for a biologically active trace metal. The origins of inert Cu are unknown. It may be produced slowly within the water column on the timescale of meridional overturning circulation. In the Columbia River, between 92% and 98% of the dissolved Cu is in the inert fraction, suggesting a possible terrestrial source of inert Cu to the ocean.
Improving the Extraction Ability of Thermospheric Mass Density Variations From Observational Data by Deep Learning
Authors: Li Wenbo , Liu Libo , Chen Yiding , Xiao Zhuowei , Le Huijun , Zhang Ruilong
Published: July 2023

Understanding the variation of the Thermospheric Mass Density (TMD) is important for solar‐terrestrial physics and applications for spacecraft safety. The thermosphere, as an open system, is impacted by various space environment conditions and has complicated temporal and spatial features. Consequently, TMD observations contain a wealth of multi‐scale feature information. How to extract such information from observations is a challenge that requires ongoing research. It is vital to improving our understanding of the TMD features. Deep learning (DL) can learn complex representations directly from raw data, which makes it a compelling feature extraction and modeling tool for providing a novel perspective for TMD modeling. The Residual Network is used in this study to build a DL model with deep network architecture. The observations of CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload are utilized in the training phase, while the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, High Accuracy Satellite Drag Model and Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter radar Extended model are used to evaluate the performance of the DL model. The results reveal that, compared with the shallow model of the typical Multi‐Layer Perceptron, the DL model can better extract multi‐scale features in the observations while retaining generalization capabilities. Controlled simulation experiments allow us to extract the effects of different physical processes, which improves the interpretability of the DL model. It is demonstrated that the DL model can discriminate the physical processes corresponding to the different space environment indices by simulating Equatorial Mass density Anomaly and geomagnetic storms.
Nature and Origin of Magnetic Lineations Within Valdivia Bank: Ocean Plateau Formation by Complex Seafloor Spreading
Authors: Thoram S. , Sager W. W. , Gaastra K. , Tikoo S. M. , Carvallo C. , Avery A. , Del Gaudio Arianna V. , Huang Y. , Hoernle K. , Höfig T. W. , Bhutani R. , Buchs D. M. , Class C. , Dai Y. , Valle G. Dalla , Fielding S. , Han S. , Heaton D. E. , Homrighausen S. , Kubota Y. , Li C.‐F. , Nelson W. R. , Petrou E. , Potter K. E. , Pujatti S. , Scholpp J. , Shervais J. W. , Tshiningayamwe M. , Wang X. J. , Widdowson M.
Published: July 2023

Valdivia Bank (VB) is a Late Cretaceous oceanic plateau formed by volcanism from the Tristan‐Gough hotspot at the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge (MAR). To better understand its origin and evolution, magnetic data were used to generate a magnetic anomaly grid, which was inverted to determine crustal magnetization. The magnetization model reveals quasi‐linear polarity zones crossing the plateau and following expected MAR paleo‐locations, implying formation by seafloor spreading over ∼4 Myr during the formation of anomalies C34n‐C33r. Paleomagnetism and biostratigraphy data from International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 391 confirm the magnetic interpretation. Anomaly C33r is split into two negative bands, likely by a westward ridge jump. One of these negative anomalies coincides with deep rift valleys, indicating their age and mechanism of formation. These findings imply that VB originated by seafloor spreading‐type volcanism during a plate reorganization, not from a vertical stack of lava flows as expected for a large volcano.
Microglia and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: translating scientific progress into novel therapeutic interventions
Authors: Zhuo Chuanjun , Tian Hongjun , Song Xueqin , Jiang Deguo , Chen Guangdong , Cai Ziyao , Ping Jing , Cheng Langlang , Zhou Chunhua , Chen Chunmian
Published: July 2023

Cognitive impairment is a core clinical feature of schizophrenia, exerting profound adverse effects on social functioning and quality of life in a large proportion of patients with schizophrenia. However, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment are not well understood. Microglia, the primary resident macrophages in the brain, have been shown to play important roles in psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Increasing evidence has revealed excessive microglial activation in cognitive deficits related to a broad range of diseases and medical conditions. Relative to that about age-related cognitive deficits, current knowledge about the roles of microglia in cognitive impairment in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, is limited, and such research is in its infancy. Thus, we conducted this review of the scientific literature with a focus on the role of microglia in schizophrenia-associated cognitive impairment, aiming to gain insight into the roles of microglial activation in the onset and progression of such impairment and to consider how scientific advances could be translated to preventive and therapeutic interventions. Research has demonstrated that microglia, especially those in the gray matter of the brain, are activated in schizophrenia. Upon activation, microglia release key proinflammatory cytokines and free radicals, which are well-recognized neurotoxic factors contributing to cognitive decline. Thus, we propose that the inhibition of microglial activation holds potential for the prevention and treatment of cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia. This review identifies potential targets for the development of new treatment strategies and eventually the improvement of care for these patients. It might also help psychologists and clinical investigators in planning future research.
Cells collectively migrate during ammonium chemotaxis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Nelson Gabela , Strain Alexis , Isu Atsuko , Rahnama Alireza , Wakabayashi Ken-ichi , Melvin Adam T. , Kato Naohiro
Published: July 2023

The mechanisms governing chemotaxis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii are largely unknown compared to those regulating phototaxis despite equal importance on the migratory response in the ciliated microalga. To study chemotaxis, we made a simple modification to a conventional Petri dish assay. Using the assay, a novel mechanism governing Chlamydomonas ammonium chemotaxis was revealed. First, we found that light exposure enhances the chemotactic response of wild-type Chlamydomonas strains, yet phototaxis-incompetent mutant strains, eye3-2 and ptx1, exhibit normal chemotaxis. This suggests that Chlamydomonas transduces the light signal pathway in chemotaxis differently from that in phototaxis. Second, we found that Chlamydomonas collectively migrate during chemotaxis but not phototaxis. Collective migration during chemotaxis is not clearly observed when the assay is conducted in the dark. Third, the Chlamydomonas strain CC-124 carrying agg1−, the AGGREGATE1 gene (AGG1) null mutation, exhibited a more robust collective migratory response than strains carrying the wild-type AGG1 gene. The expression of a recombinant AGG1 protein in the CC-124 strain suppressed this collective migration during chemotaxis. Altogether, these findings suggest a unique mechanism; ammonium chemotaxis in Chlamydomonas is mainly driven by collective cell migration. Furthermore, it is proposed that collective migration is enhanced by light and suppressed by the AGG1 protein.
Determination and managerial implications of machine conditions for high-grade industrial polycaprolactam (nylon 6)
Authors: Esangbedo Moses Olabhele , Abifarin Johnson Kehinde
Published: July 2023

Polycaprolactam (PA6) is a thermoplastic polymeric material and because of its excellent mechanical properties, it has found an extensive application in military, textile, biomedical, building and construction, and several others. Because of its extensive applications, machine turning operation becomes a crucial section in the manufacturing of high-grade PA6. Hence, to have a high-grade PA6, turning operational conditions (cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut) are optimized on the three surface profile responses and one material removal rate (MMR) with help probability based multi-response optimization analysis. This analysis is employed for an efficient multi-criterial decision making when PA6 is manufactured with a turning operation machine. The result revealed an optimal turning operational conditions to be 860 rpm cutting speed, 0.083 mm/rev feed rate, and 4 mm depth of cut. Furthermore, the analysis of variance and the numerical presentation of the turning operational conditions revealed that the feed rate is the most significant condition with a contribution of 34.09%, followed by cutting speed with a contribution of 32.05%, and then depth of cut with a contribution of 28.62%. Also, the confirmation analysis revealed a very high efficacy of the multi-objective optimization method employed in this study. This suggests that probability based multi-objective optimization is efficacious for optimizing machine conditions of any manufactured engineering material. It is interesting to state that the high confidence level placed on the considered turning operational conditions gives room for probable machine conditions adjustments for better PA6 in the case where different machine types are employed.
Novel deep learning method for coronary artery tortuosity detection through coronary angiography
Authors: Cobo Miriam , Pérez-Rojas Francisco , Gutiérrez-Rodríguez Constanza , Heredia Ignacio , Maragaño-Lizama Patricio , Yung-Manriquez Francisca , Lloret Iglesias Lara , Vega José A.
Published: July 2023

Coronary artery tortuosity is usually an undetected condition in patients undergoing coronary angiography. This condition requires a longer examination by the specialist to be detected. Yet, detailed knowledge of the morphology of coronary arteries is essential for planning any interventional treatment, such as stenting. We aimed to analyze coronary artery tortuosity in coronary angiography with artificial intelligence techniques to develop an algorithm capable of automatically detecting this condition in patients. This work uses deep learning techniques, in particular, convolutional neural networks, to classify patients into tortuous or non-tortuous based on their coronary angiography. The developed model was trained both on left (Spider) and right (45°/0°) coronary angiographies following a fivefold cross-validation procedure. A total of 658 coronary angiographies were included. Experimental results demonstrated satisfactory performance of our image-based tortuosity detection system, with a test accuracy of (87 ± 6)%. The deep learning model had a mean area under the curve of 0.96 ± 0.03 over the test sets. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values of the model for detecting coronary artery tortuosity were (87 ± 10)%, (88 ± 10)%, (89 ± 8)%, and (88 ± 9)%, respectively. Deep learning convolutional neural networks were found to have comparable sensitivity and specificity with independent experts’ radiological visual examination for detecting coronary artery tortuosity for a conservative threshold of 0.5. These findings have promising applications in the field of cardiology and medical imaging.
Biocoordination reactions in copper(II) ions and phosphocholine systems including pyrimidine nucleosides and nucleotides
Authors: Gabryel-Skrodzka Malwina , Nowak Martyna , Grajewski Jakub , Jastrząb Renata
Published: July 2023

The complexation reactions of phosphocholine and pyrimidine nucleosides as well as nucleotides with copper(II) ions were studied in the water system. Using potentiometric methods and computer calculations, the stability constants of the species were determined. Using spectroscopic methods such as UV-vis, EPR, 13C NMR, 31P NMR, FT–IR and CD, the coordination mode was established for complexes created in pH range 2.5–11.0. These studies will lead to a better understanding the role of copper(II) ions in living organisms and explain the interactions between them and the studied bioligands. The differences and similarities between nucleosides and nucleotides in the studied systems were also described, which testify to the significant influence of phosphate groups on the processes of metal ion complexation and interactions between ligands.
A comparative study on characteristics of composite (Cr3C2-NiCr) clad developed through diode laser and microwave energy
Authors: Hebbale Ajit M. , Kumar Manish , Soudagar Manzoore Elahi Mohammad , Ahamad Tansir , Kalam Md. Abul , Mubarak Nabisab Mujawar , Alfantazi Akram , Khalid Mohammad
Published: July 2023

A typical ferrite/martensitic heat-resistant steel (T91) is widely used in reheaters, superheaters and power stations. Cr3C2-NiCr-based composite coatings are known for wear-resistant coatings at elevated temperature applications. The current work compares the microstructural studies of 75 wt% Cr3C2- 25 wt% NiCr-based composite clads developed through laser and microwave energy on a T91 steel substrate. The developed clads of both processes were characterized through a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) attached with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and assessment of Vickers microhardness. The Cr3C2-NiCr based clads of both processes revealed better metallurgical bonding with the chosen substrate. The microstructure of the developed laser clad shows a distinctive dense solidified structure, with a rich Ni phase occupying interdendritic spaces. In the case of microwave clad, the hard chromium carbide particles consistently dispersed within the soft nickel matrix. EDS study evidenced that the cell boundaries are lined with chromium where Fe and Ni were found inside the cells. The X-ray phase analysis of both the processes evidenced the common presence of phases like chromium carbides (Cr7C3, Cr3C2, Cr23C6), Iron Nickel (FeNi3) and chromium-nickel (Cr3Ni2, CrNi), despite these phases iron carbides (Fe7C3) are observed in the developed microwave clads. The homogeneous distributions of such carbides in the developed clad structure of both processes indicated higher hardness. The typical microhardness of the laser-clad (1142 ± 65HV) was about 22% higher than the microwave clad (940 ± 42 HV). Using a ball-on-plate test, the study analyzed microwave and laser-clad samples' wear behavior. Laser-cladding samples showed superior wear resistance due to hard carbide elements. At the same time, microwave-clad samples experienced more surface damage and material loss due to micro-cutting, loosening, and fatigue-induced fracture.
Analogous response of temperate terrestrial exoplanets and Earth’s climate dynamics to greenhouse gas supplement
Authors: Hochman Assaf , Komacek Thaddeus D. , De Luca Paolo
Published: July 2023

Humanity is close to characterizing the atmospheres of rocky exoplanets due to the advent of JWST. These astronomical observations motivate us to understand exoplanetary atmospheres to constrain habitability. We study the influence greenhouse gas supplement has on the atmosphere of TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-like exoplanet, and Earth itself by analyzing ExoCAM and CMIP6 model simulations. We find an analogous relationship between CO2 supplement and amplified warming at non-irradiated regions (night side and polar)—such spatial heterogeneity results in significant global circulation changes. A dynamical systems framework provides additional insight into the vertical dynamics of the atmospheres. Indeed, we demonstrate that adding CO2 increases temporal stability near the surface and decreases stability at low pressures. Although Earth and TRAPPIST-1e take entirely different climate states, they share the relative response between climate dynamics and greenhouse gas supplements.
Response of seed yield and biochemical traits of Eruca sativa Mill. to drought stress in a collection study
Authors: Nikzad Sharifeh , Mirmohammady Maibody Seyed Ali Mohammad , Ehtemam Mohammad Hossein , Golkar Pooran , Mohammadi Seyed Abolghasem
Published: July 2023

Drought tolerance is a complex trait in plants that involves different biochemical mechanisms. During two years of study (2019–2020), the responses of 64 arugula genotypes to drought stress were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications under field conditions. Several metabolic traits were evaluated, i.e. relative water content, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids), proline, malondialdehyde, enzymatic antioxidants (catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and peroxidase), total phenolic and flavonoid contents and seed yield. On average, the drought stress significantly increased the proline content (24%), catalase (42%), peroxidase (60%) and malondialdehyde activities (116%) over the two years of study. As a result of the drought stress, the seed yield (18%), relative water content (19.5%) and amount of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids) dropped significantly. However, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents showed no significant changes. Under drought stress, the highest seed yields were seen in the G50, G57, G54, G55 and G60 genotypes, while the lowest value was observed in the G16 genotype (94 g plant−1). According to the findings, when compared to the drought-sensitive genotypes, the drought-tolerant arugula genotypes were marked with higher levels of proline accumulation and antioxidant enzyme activity. Correlation analysis indicated the positive effects of peroxidase, catalase and proline on seed yield under drought conditions. These traits can be considered for the selection of drought-tolerant genotypes in breeding programs.
Irreversible and quantum thermodynamic considerations on the quantum zeno effect
Authors: Lucia Umberto
Published: July 2023

The quantum zeno effect slows down the quantum system’s time evolution under frequent measurements. This paper aims to study this quantum effect by introducing the definition of time based on an irreversible thermodynamic analysis of quantum systems. Consequently, the quantum zeno effect requires (i) high values of the electromagnetic entropy generation rate related to the spontaneously down-converted light and (ii) a decrease in the quantum system’s entropy value. So, the quantum zeno effect is a quantum process related to the interaction between a quantum system and the electromagnetic waves of the measurement device, causing a quantum thermodynamic stationary state. Last, the fundamental role of irreversibility emerges.
Spheresomes are the main extracellular vesicles in low-grade gliomas
Authors: Baselga Marta , Iruzubieta Pablo , Castiella Tomás , Monzón Marta , Monleón Eva , Berga Carmen , Schuhmacher Alberto J. , Junquera Concepción
Published: July 2023

Cancer progression and its impact on treatment response and prognosis is deeply regulated by tumour microenvironment (TME). Cancer cells are in constant communication and modulate TME through several mechanisms, including transfer of tumour-promoting cargos through extracellular vesicles (EVs) or oncogenic signal detection by primary cilia. Spheresomes are a specific EV that arise from rough endoplasmic reticulum–Golgi vesicles. They accumulate beneath cell membrane and are released to the extracellular medium through multivesicular spheres. This study describes spheresomes in low-grade gliomas using electron microscopy. We found that spheresomes are more frequent than exosomes in these tumours and can cross the blood–brain barrier. Moreover, the distinct biogenesis processes of these EVs result in unique cargo profiles, suggesting different functional roles. We also identified primary cilia in these tumours. These findings collectively contribute to our understanding of glioma progression and metastasis.
Neuromuscular compartmentation of the subscapularis muscle and its clinical implication for botulinum neurotoxin injection
Authors: Cho Tae-Hyeon , Hong Ju-Eun , Yang Hun-Mu
Published: July 2023

In this study, using immunohistochemistry with fresh cadavers, deliberate histological profiling was performed to determine which fibers are predominant within each compartment. To verify the fascial compartmentation of the SSC and elucidate its histological components of type I and II fibers using macroscopic, histological observation and cadaveric simulation for providing an anatomical reference of efficient injection of the BoNT into the SSC. Seven fixed and three fresh cadavers (six males and four females; mean age, 82.5 years) were used in this study. The dissected specimens revealed a distinct fascia demarcating the SSC into the superior and inferior compartments. The Sihler’s staining revealed that the upper and lower subscapular nerves (USN and LSN) innervated the SSC, with two territories distributed by each nerve, mostly corresponding to the superior and inferior compartments of the muscle, although there were some tiny communicating twigs between the USN and LSN. The immunohistochemical stain revealed the density of each type of fiber. Compared with the whole muscle area, the densities of the slow-twitch type I fibers were 22.26 ± 3.11% (mean ± SD) in the superior and 81.15 ± 0.76% in the inferior compartments, and the densities of the fast-twitch type II fiber were 77.74% ± 3.11% in the superior and 18.85 ± 0.76% in the inferior compartments. The compartments had different proportions of slow-fast muscle fibers, corresponding to the functional differences between the superior compartment as an early-onset internal rotator and the inferior compartment as a durable stabilizer of the glenohumeral joint.
ALDH1A1 promotes PARP inhibitor resistance by enhancing retinoic acid receptor-mediated DNA polymerase θ expression
Authors: Lavudi Kousalya , Banerjee Ananya , Li Na , Yang Yajing , Cai Shurui , Bai Xuetao , Zhang Xiaoli , Li Aidan , Wani Elsa , Yang Shyh-Ming , Zhang Junran , Rai Ganesha , Backes Floor , Patnaik Srinivas , Guo Peixuan , Wang Qi-En
Published: July 2023

Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) have been approved for both frontline and recurrent setting in ovarian cancer with homologous recombination (HR) repair deficiency. However, more than 40% of BRCA1/2-mutated ovarian cancer lack the initial response to PARPi treatment, and the majority of those that initially respond eventually develop resistance. Our previous study has demonstrated that increased expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1) contributes to PARPi resistance in BRCA2-mutated ovarian cancer cells by enhancing microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) but the mechanism remains unknown. Here, we find that ALDH1A1 enhances the expression of DNA polymerase θ (Polθ, encoded by the POLQ gene) in ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the retinoic acid (RA) pathway is involved in the transcription activation of the POLQ gene. The RA receptor (RAR) can bind to the retinoic acid response element (RARE) located in the promoter of the POLQ gene, promoting transcription activation-related histone modification in the presence of RA. Given that ALDH1A1 catalyzes the biosynthesis of RA, we conclude that ALDH1A1 promotes POLQ expression via the activation of the RA signaling pathway. Finally, using a clinically-relevant patient-derived organoid (PDO) model, we find that ALDH1A1 inhibition by the pharmacological inhibitor NCT-505 in combination with the PARP inhibitor olaparib synergistically reduce the cell viability of PDOs carrying BRCA1/2 mutation and positive ALDH1A1 expression. In summary, our study elucidates a new mechanism contributing to PARPi resistance in HR-deficient ovarian cancer and shows the therapeutic potential of combining PARPi and ALDH1A1 inhibition in treating these patients.
Effect of Coulomb impurities on the electronic structure of magic angle twisted bilayer graphene
Authors: Ramzan Muhammad Sufyan , Goodwin Zachary A. H. , Mostofi Arash A. , Kuc Agnieszka , Lischner Johannes
Published: July 2023

In graphene, charged defects break the electron-hole symmetry and can even give rise to exotic collapse states when the defect charge exceeds a critical value which is proportional to the Fermi velocity. In this work, we investigate the electronic properties of twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) with charged defects using tight-binding calculations. Like monolayer graphene, tBLG exhibits linear bands near the Fermi level but with a dramatically reduced Fermi velocity near the magic angle (approximately 1.1°). This suggests that the critical value of the defect charge in magic-angle tBLG should also be very small. We find that charged defects give rise to significant changes in the low-energy electronic structure of tBLG. Depending on the defect position in the moiré unit cell, it is possible to open a band gap or to induce an additional flattening of the low-energy valence and conduction bands. Our calculations suggest that the collapse states of the two monolayers hybridize in the twisted bilayer. However, their in-plane localization remains largely unaffected by the presence of the additional twisted layer because of the different length scales of the moiré lattice and the monolayer collapse state wavefunctions. These predictions can be tested in scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments.
Atypical functional connectivity hierarchy in Rolandic epilepsy
Authors: Zhang Qirui , Li Jiao , He Yan , Yang Fang , Xu Qiang , Larivière Sara , Bernhardt Boris C. , Liao Wei , Lu Guangming , Zhang Zhiqiang
Published: July 2023

Functional connectivity hierarchy is an important principle in the process of brain functional organization and an important feature reflecting brain development. However, atypical brain network hierarchy organization in Rolandic epilepsy have not been systematically investigated. We examined connectivity alteration with age and its relation to epileptic incidence, cognition, or underlying genetic factors in 162 cases of Rolandic epilepsy and 117 typically developing children, by measuring fMRI multi-axis functional connectivity gradients. Rolandic epilepsy is characterized by contracting and slowing expansion of the functional connectivity gradients, highlighting the atypical age-related change of the connectivity hierarchy in segregation properties. The gradient alterations are relevant to seizure incidence, cognition, and connectivity deficit, and development-associated genetic basis. Collectively, our approach provides converging evidence for atypical connectivity hierarchy as a system-level substrate of Rolandic epilepsy, suggesting this is a disorder of information processing across multiple functional domains, and established a framework for large-scale brain hierarchical research.
NMR-based quantification of liquid products in CO2 electroreduction on phosphate-derived nickel catalysts
Authors: Preikschas Phil , Martín Antonio J. , Yeo Boon Siang , Pérez-Ramírez Javier
Published: July 2023

Recently discovered phosphate-derived Ni catalysts have opened a new pathway towards multicarbon products via CO2 electroreduction. However, understanding the influence of basic parameters such as electrode potential, pH, and buffer capacity is needed for optimized C3+ product formation. To this end, rigorous catalyst evaluation and sensitive analytical tools are required to identify potential new products and minimize increasing quantification errors linked to long-chain carbon compounds. Herein, we contribute to enhance testing accuracy by presenting sensitive 1H NMR spectroscopy protocols for liquid product assessment featuring optimized water suppression and reduced experiment time. When combined with an automated NMR data processing routine, samples containing up to 12 products can be quantified within 15 min with low quantification limits equivalent to Faradaic efficiencies of 0.1%. These developments disclosed performance trends in carbon product formation and the detection of four hitherto unreported compounds: acetate, ethylene glycol, hydroxyacetone, and i-propanol.
Practical advantage of quantum machine learning in ghost imaging
Authors: Xiao Tailong , Zhai Xinliang , Wu Xiaoyan , Fan Jianping , Zeng Guihua
Published: July 2023

Demonstrating the practical advantage of quantum computation remains a long-standing challenge whereas quantum machine learning becomes a promising application that can be resorted to. In this work, we investigate the practical advantage of quantum machine learning in ghost imaging by overcoming the limitations of classical methods in blind object identification and imaging. We propose two hybrid quantum-classical machine learning algorithms and a physical-inspired patch strategy to allow distributed quantum learning with parallel variational circuits. In light of the algorithm, we conduct experiments for imaging-free object identification and blind ghost imaging under different physical sampling rates. We further quantitatively analyze the advantage through the lens of information geometry and generalization capability. The numerical results showcase that quantum machine learning can restore high-quality images but classical machine learning fails. The advantage of identification rate are up to 10% via fair comparison with the classical machine learning methods. Our work explores a physics-related application capable of practical quantum advantage, which highlights the prospect of quantum computation in the machine learning field.