bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anti-arthritis Effects of Zingiberaceae Extracts on Models of Inflammatory Joint Disease
Authors: Kongdang Patiwat , Ongchai Siriwan , Chiranthanut Natthakarn , Pruksakorn Dumnoensun
Published: April 2023

Due to this becoming an aging society, the number of arthritis cases has been increasing. Unfortunately, some currently available medications can cause adverse effects. Using herbal
remedies as a form of alternative medicine is becoming increasingly popular. Zingiber officinale (ZO), Curcuma longa (CL), and Kaempferia parviflora (KP) are herbal plants in the
Zingiberaceae family that have potent anti-inflammatory effects. This study investigates the anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects of ZO, CL, and KP extracts on in vitro and
ex vivo inflammatory models. The combinatorial anti-arthritis effect of each extract is also evaluated in an in vivo model. ZO extract preserves cartilaginous proteoglycans in
proinflammatory cytokines-induced porcine cartilage explant in a fashion similar to that of CL and KP extracts and suppresses the expression of major inflammatory mediators in SW982 cells,
particularly the COX2 gene. CL extract downregulates some inflammatory mediators and genes-associated cartilage degradation. Only KP extract shows a significant reduction in S-GAGs
release in a cartilage explant model compared to the positive control, diacerein. In SW982 cells, it strongly suppresses many inflammatory mediators. The active constituents of each extract
selectively downregulate inflammatory genes. The combined extracts show a reduction in inflammatory mediators to a similar degree as the combined active constituents. Reductions in paw
swelling, synovial vascularity, inflammatory cell infiltration, and synovial hyperplasia are found in the combined extracts-treated arthritic rats. This study demonstrates that a combination
of ZO, CL, and KP extracts has an anti-arthritis effect and could potentially be developed into an anti-arthritis cocktail for arthritis treatment.
Accessing Aryldifluoromethyl Derivatives through Alkene Insertion into Benzylic C–F Bonds
Authors: Zhang Zuxiao , You Mengwei , Bian Tiancen , Zhou Liejin
Published: April 2023

We report our formal insertion of alkenes into benzylic C–F bonds of electron-deficient perfluoroalkylarenes under organophotocatalytic conditions with Et3N·3HF as an external fluoride source. The absence of a fluoride scavenger or other external reductant permits the formation of a carbocation and its trapping by other nucleophiles. This three-component reaction represents one of the most efficient methods for preparing a variety of complex partially fluorinated organic molecules. This redox-neutral transformation features mild conditions, a broad substrate scope, and extraordinary functional-group tolerance. Moreover, several examples of modifications of complex drug molecules further demonstrated its utility.
Comparison of Two-Point Compression Ultrasonography Performed by Emergency Medicine Doctors and Radiologists in Detection of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Authors: Öztürk Göknur , Selvi Fatih , Yıldız Günay , Atay Süleyman , Baltacıoğlu Bora , Bedel Cihan
Published: April 2023

Introduction Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious coagulation disorder that includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism and is an important cause of hospitalization and death. This study aimed to evaluate the compliance of the emergency doctor and radiologist in diagnosing DVT in the emergency department using the two-point compression ultrasonography (USG) method.

Patients and Methods This prospective cross-sectional study was performed between February and July 2022 in the Emergency Medicine Clinic of a tertiary university hospital with patients who were thought to have DVT and had lower extremity venous USG indication. Demographic information of patients, clinical markers used in the Wells score, and USG results of the emergency doctors and radiologists were recorded in the study form.

Results A total of 400 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the study patients was 59.8 ± 18.0 years, and 54.4% (n = 217) of the patients were male. There was a significant difference in the incidence of DVT between those with a Wells score of 2 or less and those above 2 (n = 67, 21.8% vs. n = 41, 47.1%; p < 0.001). Regarding interobserver agreement in the evaluation of DVT by emergency medicine doctor and radiologist, kappa values were 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71–0.91) for the right femoral vein, 0.89 (95% CI: 0.81–0.97) for the left femoral vein. It was found to be 0.81 (95% CI: 0.76–0.86) for all lower extremity vein USGs.

Conclusions There is a very good level of agreement between the emergency department and the radiologist in diagnosing DVT with USG.
Facial Expressions as an Index of Listening Difficulty and Emotional Response
Authors: Venkitakrishnan Soumya , Wu Yu-Hsiang
Published: April 2023

Knowledge about listening difficulty experienced during a task can be used to better understand speech perception processes, to guide amplification outcomes, and can be used by individuals to decide whether to participate in communication. Another factor affecting these decisions is individuals' emotional response which has not been measured objectively previously. In this study, we describe a novel method of measuring listening difficulty and affect of individuals in adverse listening situations using automatic facial expression algorithm. The purpose of our study was to determine if facial expressions of confusion and frustration are sensitive to changes in listening difficulty. We recorded speech recognition scores, facial expressions, subjective listening effort scores, and subjective emotional responses in 33 young participants with normal hearing. We used the signal-to-noise ratios of −1, +2, and +5 dB SNR and quiet conditions to vary the difficulty level. We found that facial expression of confusion and frustration increased with increase in difficulty level, but not with change in each level. We also found a relationship between facial expressions and both subjective emotion ratings and subjective listening effort. Emotional responses in the form of facial expressions show promise as a measure of affect and listening difficulty. Further research is needed to determine the specific contribution of affect to communication in challenging listening environments.
Time Scales and Moments of Listening Effort Revealed in Pupillometry
Authors: Winn Matthew B.
Published: April 2023

This article offers a collection of observations that highlight the value of time course data in pupillometry and points out ways in which these observations create deeper understanding of listening effort. The main message is that listening effort should be considered on a moment-to-moment basis rather than as a singular amount. A review of various studies and the reanalysis of data reveal distinct signatures of effort before a stimulus, during a stimulus, in the moments after a stimulus, and changes over whole experimental testing sessions. Collectively these observations motivate questions that extend beyond the “amount” of effort, toward understanding how long the effort lasts, and how precisely someone can allocate effort at specific points in time or reduce effort at other times. Apparent disagreements between studies are reconsidered as informative lessons about stimulus selection and the nature of pupil dilation as a reflection of decision making rather than the difficulty of sensory encoding.
Low Mortality among Under-5 Children with Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis of 588 Admissions in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Akinrinoye Olugbenga Oyewumi , Labaeka Adeyinka Adeyemi , Fowobaje Kayode Raphael , Graham Hamish , Falade Adegoke Gbadegesin
Published: April 2023

Objective Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the commonest cause of death in under-5 children worldwide. Although the mortality from CAP has decreased over the last decade, it is still unacceptably high in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to determine the case fatality rate (CFR), and factors associated with treatment failure and outcome, using recommended antimicrobials.

Methods A 5-year retrospective review of severe pediatric pneumonia admissions between August 1st, 2014 and July 31st, 2019 at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria was conducted. Relevant clinical information including antibiotics use and outcome was analyzed using descriptive statistics, test of association, and logistic regression.

Results There were 588 children aged 2 to 59 months, male:female ratio was 1.5:1. About two-thirds were aged ≤12 months. The majority were fully immunized for age (87.2%), about 34% were malnourished and 68% were hypoxemic at presentation. Only 71% of children were commenced on the recommended first-line antibiotics following the Pediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) antibiotic guidelines. Initial antibiotics were changed in 22.3% of the patients. The need to change intravenous (iv) amoxicillin plus iv gentamicin was necessary in 23.80% compared with 18.1% for iv cefuroxime plus iv gentamicin. Severe acute malnutrition (odds ratio [OR]: 2.8 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–7.3]) and hypoxemia (OR:2.3 [95%CI: 1.0–5.6]) were independently associated with antibiotics change. The CFR was 1.36%.

Conclusion The low CFR suggests a better outcome compared with other previous studies in LMICs. However, the high rate of antibiotics changes (22.3%) was possibly due to failure of first line antibiotics; especially among malnourished and hypoxemic children. Randomized controlled trial of iv cefuroxime plus gentamicin versus iv amoxicillin plus gentamicin is recommended.
How family structure influences middle-school students’ involvement in physical exercise and their academic achievement in China
Authors: Guo Zhengmao , Qi Changzhu , Yang Jian , Xu Yatao , Li Shouming
Published: April 2023

Increasing research attention is being paid to the factors influencing the comprehensive and healthy development of adolescents. However, few studies have specifically considered cultural contexts, including that of China. Based on public database—The China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) data, this paper takes fixed-effect model to examine the relationship between family structure and physical exercise/academic achievement of middle-school students, plus their intermediary mechanisms. The results were as follows: (1) Middle-school students in intact families displayed higher levels of physical exercise and academic achievement than those in families with one or both parents absent; (2) Family structure influenced middle-school students’ development through the two mechanisms of family socioeconomic status and parental input; and (3) Fathers and mothers fulfill different roles in middle-school students’ development: fathers contribute more to their involvement in physical exercise; mothers contribute more to their academic achievement. The results carry theoretical and practical implications for the development of adolescents, both in China and elsewhere.
Neuroleadership: a new way for happiness management
Authors: Ruiz-Rodríguez Raquel , Ortiz-de-Urbina-Criado Marta , Ravina-Ripoll Rafael
Published: April 2023

In a post-pandemic era, managers and leaders have a role to enable the changes needed to make workplaces happier and more productive. This paper aims to analyse the role of neuroleadership in the application of happiness management. Two research questions are proposed: what do we know about neuroleadership? and what role can neuroleadership play in happiness management? A mixed methodology is applied. A bibliometric technique is used to identify the main topics studied in neuroleadership. An in-depth analysis and logical reasoning are applied to propose a neuroleadership research roadmap and to present some research pathways for neuroleadership for happiness management. A neuroleadership research roadmap is proposed, considering the approaches, practices/actions, and purposes. It is observed that the consideration of the management of emotions and cognitive processes in the work environment is attracting interest to develop a leadership focused on making better workplaces. A new line of action focused on the management of happiness is emerging. In addition, neuroleadership is presented as a new way of understanding management. Their combined application can mark a before and after in business management, and for that, a proposal of future research lines and questions is developed. This paper presents four future research pathways—perspectives, reasons, adoption and implementation, and results—for studying neuroleadership for happiness management.
Measurement of femtosecond dynamics of ultrafast electron beams through terahertz compression and time-stamping
Authors: Othman Mohamed A. K. , Gabriel Annika E. , Snively Emma C. , Kozina Michael E. , Shen Xiaozhe , Ji Fuhao , Lewis Samantha , Weathersby Stephen , Vasireddy Praful , Luo Duan , Wang Xijie , Hoffmann Matthias C. , Nanni Emilio A.
Published: April 2023

Visualizing ultrafast dynamics at the atomic scale requires time-resolved characterization with femtosecond temporal resolution. For fully relativistic electron bunch probes, existing techniques for single-shot ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) are limited by the achievable electron probe bunch length, charge, and timing jitter. We present the first experimental demonstration of dual-fed THz-driven compression and time-stamping that enables electron probes with improved temporal resolution. This technique utilizes two counter-propagating quasi-single-cycle THz pulses generated from two OH-1 organic crystals coupled into an optimized THz compressor structure. We demonstrate electron bunch compression and time-of-arrival jitter suppression by a factor of 3 paving the way toward unique opportunities for UED time-resolved measurements.
Inverted optical bistability and optical limiting in coherently driven exciton–polaritons
Authors: Furman M. , Opala A. , Król M. , Tyszka K. , Mirek R. , Muszyński M. , Seredyński B. , Pacuski W. , Szczytko J. , Matuszewski M. , Piętka B.
Published: April 2023

Exciton–polaritons in optical cavities exhibit strong nonlinearities predominantly because of the third-order Kerr-like interactions mediated by the excitonic component. Under quasi-resonant excitation, depending on the energy of the incident laser, it results in the optical limiting or bistable behavior. The latter phenomenon is manifested by the hysteresis loop observed in the input–output power characteristics, when a cavity is quasi-resonantly driven by a laser field. The direction of the loop is typically counterclockwise when increasing and subsequently decreasing the optical power. In this work, we demonstrate the optical bistability with an inverted hysteresis direction. It is observed in an exfoliated CdTe-based semiconductor microcavity when the frequency of the pumping laser is tuned slightly below the lower polariton mode. This unusual behavior is caused by the interplay of the suppression of strong coupling and the redshift of the lower polariton mode energy when increasing the incident power. We show that under these conditions, the polariton microcavity can be used as an optical limiter. All of the experimental observations, the shape and the direction of the hysteresis and the optical limiting behavior, are fully supported by a theoretical model.
Dielectric, electrical conductivity, and photoluminescence properties of CaGa2S4:Eu2+ added high-density polyethylene
Authors: Tagiyev O. B. , Ibragimov T. D. , Asadov E. G. , Kazimova F. A. , Asadova A. G. , Ibrahimova T. Sh. , Ramazanova I. S. , Nuraliyev A. F.
Published: April 2023

Dielectric permittivity, electrical conductivity, and photoluminescence properties of high-density polyethylene with the additive of CaGa2S4:Eu+2 are studied. It was shown that dielectric permittivity and electric conductance increase with increasing filler concentration at all temperatures. In this case, conductivity has a hopping mechanism described by the Josher theory. The corresponding exponent parameter and activation energy slightly decrease with increasing filler concentration. The experimental data of dielectric permittivity are compared with the Maxwell–Garnett theory. It is also shown that the position of maximum of photoluminescence does not change with an increase in the concentration of Eu2+ ions and equals to about 550 nm. In this case, its intensity is maximal at the concentration of the filler is 5 mol. %.
Influence of abdominal aortic aneurysm shape on hemodynamics in human aortofemoral arteries: A transient open-loop study
Authors: Kumar Sumit , Kumar B. V. Rathish , Rai S. K.
Published: April 2023

New imaging methods have enabled the detection of unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). It is necessary to develop appropriate mathematical models for rupture prediction to allow a proper patient treatment plan. To provide valid hemodynamic parameters, high-fidelity numerical models with patient-specific boundary conditions are needed. Researchers have pointed out in recent research articles and reviews that those morphological parameters, such as shape, dilation ratio, neck angle, common iliac bifurcation angle, and AAA type, consistently correlate with the rupture mechanism. However, it is unclear how morphological indicators affect hemodynamics-based computational fluid dynamics predictions. The present work investigates the influence of AAA shape on local and global hemodynamics parameters and rupture predictions. Five cases of magnetic resonance imaging scan-based data for patient-specific aortofemoral artery modeling are explored. The inflow conditions are patient-specific, and an open loop system has been considered to model all five cases. Hemodynamics parameters in pulsating conditions, such as wall shear stress (WSS), velocity contour, time average WSS (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), vorticity, and streamlines, are computed and investigated. Both maximum dilation diameter and aneurysm neck angle are found to have substantial effects on local hemodynamics parameters. The magnitude of WSS, TAWSS, and OSI increases and decreases non-linearly with a change in maximum diameter during the cardiac process. Also, aneurysms with doubly titled and completely saccular shape show complex streamlines, low WSS, and high residence time in the sac area of the wall.
Experimental study on the impulsively started motion of a close-to-neutral buoyancy freely decelerating sphere
Authors: Lopez-Gavilan Pablo , Barrero-Gil Antonio , Velazquez Angel
Published: April 2023

An experimental study is presented that addresses the problem of a freely decelerating sphere in a still water tank. The diameter of the sphere was 0.04 m. Three different solid-to-fluid density ratios were considered: 0.78, 0.88, and 0.94. The submerged sphere was impulsively started upon being rammed by an actuator-mass system. Six initial velocities were considered: 0.91, 2.03, 2.54, 2.94, 3.29, and 3.78 m/s. The Reynolds number of the initial velocities based on the sphere diameter was 3.6 × 104, 8.1 × 104, 1.01 × 105, 1.17 × 105, 1.31 × 105, and 1.51 × 105 (subcritical). It was observed that both sphere dynamics and associated flow topology (identified via an optical system and a particle image velocimetry system, respectively) differed significantly from the case of an accelerating sphere. In the present case, a large vortex ring structure (both torus diameters of the order of the sphere's diameter) formed and attached to the sphere surface. This vortex ring followed the sphere motion all the way down the falling trajectory. From the data reduction standpoint, it was found that a suitably defined dimensionless acceleration parameter allowed for collapsing the kinematics variables of the sphere trajectory, namely, position, velocity, and acceleration, into a single ordinary differential equation.
Echoes of the hexagon: Remnants of hexagonal packing inside regular polygons
Authors: Amore Paolo , Carrizalez Mauricio , Zarate Ulises
Published: April 2023

We provide evidence that for regular polygons with σ = 6 j sides (with j = 2 , 3 , …), N ( k ) = 3 k ( k + 1 ) + 1 (with k = 1 , 2 , …) congruent disks of appropriate size can be nicely packed inside these polygons in highly symmetrical configurations, which apparently have maximal density for N sufficiently small. These configurations are invariant under rotations of π / 3 and are closely related to the configurations with perfect hexagonal packing in the regular hexagon and to the configurations with curved hexagonal packing (CHP) in the circle found a long time ago by Graham and Lubachevsky [“Curved hexagonal packings of equal disks in a circle,” Discrete Comput. Geometry 18(2), 179–194 (1997)]. The packing fraction, i.e., the portion of accessible volume (area) occupied by multiple solid objects, has a role in determining the properties of granular materials and fluids. At the basis of our explorations are the algorithms that we have devised, which are very efficient in producing the CHP and more general configurations inside regular polygons. We have used these algorithms to generate a large number of CHP configurations for different regular polygons and numbers of disks; a careful study of these results has made it possible to fully characterize the general properties of the CHP configurations and to devise a deterministic algorithm that completely ensembles a given CHP configuration once an appropriate input is specified.
Charge stabilization of shallow nitrogen-vacancy centers using graphene/diamond junctions
Authors: Haruyama Moriyoshi , Okigawa Yuki , Okada Mitsuhiro , Nakajima Hideaki , Okazaki Toshiya , Kato Hiromitsu , Makino Toshiharu , Yamada Takatoshi
Published: April 2023

We studied the charge-state stabilization of shallow nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in (111) diamond using graphene/diamond junctions. Measurement of the fluorescence stability and evaluation of the charge-state stability were conducted on the NV centers at the graphene and the graphene-free region. The results revealed that about half of the total NV centers (NV0 + NV−) at the graphene-free region were unstable, while over 90% of the measured NV centers at the graphene region were stabilized as NV− centers. Graphene/diamond junctions contribute significantly to charge-state stabilization of shallow NV− centers in (111) diamond.
A vortex-induction underwater energy harvester based on Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3–Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 single crystal macro-fiber composites
Authors: Liu Mingzi , Zhao Shiyan , Liu Jinfeng , Han Xu , Gao Xiangyu , Li Fei
Published: April 2023

Various wireless sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT) systems have been adopted in ocean exploration, with increasing energy supply concern. Regarding the marine environment, self-powered sensors utilizing ambient flow and wave energy can increase maintainability with a long lifespan. However, the current underwater piezoelectric energy harvesters made of piezoelectric ceramics suffer from low power density (<0.5 mW cm−3 m−1 s). In this paper, we proposed a vortex-induction underwater piezoelectric energy harvester based on a Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3–Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 (PIN–PMN–PT) single crystal macro-fiber composite (MFC). The single crystal MFC shows mechanical flexibility in which the volume fraction of the piezoelectric phase is 70%. Regarding the structure design, a bicylinder configuration with a ladder-shaped cantilever is employed for decreasing the resonant frequency of the underwater piezoelectric energy harvester and enhancing vortex force during fluid–structure interaction process. The designed underwater energy harvester exhibits a high output voltage of 54 Vpp at 0.9 m/s flow in the designed underwater energy harvesting test platform. Due to the high figure-of-merit d 32 × g 32 (7.65 × 10−11 m2/N) of the single crystal, the maximum output power reaches 62 μW under the flow speed of 0.9 m/s. The normalized power density is 1.1 mW cm−3 m−1 s, being 2.3 times larger than that of the state-of-the-art PZT ceramics-based underwater energy harvester. This work will help to mitigate the energy crisis of the IoT system, promoting the development of underwater equipment.
Plasmonic spin-multiplexing metasurface for controlling the generation and in-plane propagation of surface plasmon polaritons
Authors: Zhang Song , Wang Yilin , Huo Pengcheng , Xu Ting
Published: April 2023

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are electromagnetic waves that travel along a metal–dielectric interface and are finding an ever-increasing number of applications in newly emerging nano-photonic and optoelectronic technologies. Different from the traditional approach to excite SPPs using prism or grating, metallic metasurfaces incorporating nano-slots with different orientations enable the photonic spin-dependent directional coupling of SPPs, which shows the unique spin tunability. However, the propagations of these generated SPPs are still correlative due to the conjugated phase profiles of metasurfaces for two incident orthogonal spin states. Here, we propose a plasmonic spin-multiplexing metasurface composed of nano-slots with different geometric dimensions and orientations to efficiently control the near-field generation and in-plane propagation of SPPs. By taking into account both the geometric phase and resonant phase of the nano-slots, the metasurface can generate two independent and fully decoupled SPP fields for a pair of orthogonal spin states. As proof-of-concept, we design a series of spin-multiplexing metasurfaces to numerically demonstrate different near-field optical functionalities, including spin-controlled plasmonic bi-focusing, self-accelerating beams, and vortices. We envision this approach may have potential applications in designing polarization-dependent tunable plasmonic nano-devices.
Micromagnetic simulations for deterministic switching in SOT-MRAM cell with additional heavy metal capping strip
Authors: Chiao Kuan-Hao , Wu Yuh-Renn
Published: April 2023

Spin–orbit torque magnetic random-access memory (SOT-MRAM) has received extensive interest in the memory industry. Recent works have focused on a heavy metal (HM)/ferromagnet bilayer with an additional HM capping strip to deterministically switch the magnetization. This paper investigates the switching behaviors of SOT-MRAM utilizing this structure with micromagnetic simulations coupled to the drift-diffusion spin transport model. The mechanism is attributed to the non-negligible negative z-component from spin accumulation on the bottom HM interface, which originates from the associated accumulation at the edges of the HM capping strip. Moreover, device parameters are shown as crucial for deterministic switching and lower power consumption. This study provides fundamental insights into deterministic switching for SOT-MRAM with an additional HM capping strip, which can be readily adopted into practical applications.
Feral pig (Sus scrofa) activity and landscape feature revisitation across four sites in eastern Australia
Authors: Wilson Cameron , Gentle Matthew , Marshall Darren
Published: April 2023

Quantifying feral pig movements and understanding the fine-scale ecological drivers of feral pig landscape use are important factors for optimising pest management programs. We tracked 59 GPS-collared feral pigs at four sites in eastern Australia between 2017 and 2021, for a mean of 375 ± 277 (s.d.) days. The mean number of successful GPS fixes was 15 577 ± 11 833 (s.d.) and these were recorded at 30-min intervals. We calculated mean hourly and daily distances travelled to determine feral pig activity and investigated the influence of sex, site, season and time of day on this activity. We also investigated the proximity of highly active sites to habitat covariates, along with intensity and frequency of site use. Male daily movement, 4.9 km (95% CI = 4.2, 5.6 km), was significantly greater than it was for females, 3.6 km (95% CI = 3.0, 4.1 km) and males maintained a high level of activity all night, while female activity was predominantly crepuscular. Study site was a significant determinant of daily movement, but season was not, across either sex or site. Highly-visited site selection was negatively associated with distance from creeks, dams, cultivation, open herbaceous vegetation and medium woody vegetation. Both medium woody vegetation and dam sites had the longest duration of use (3 and 2.7 h respectively) and the shortest time between visitations (14.5 and 13 h respectively). Quantifying feral pig activity and key habitat feature preference are important steps in improving management programs. Better prediction of feral pig movement and behaviour allows for more targeted placement of control tools, potentially increasing encounter rates.
Elusive species and where to find them: assessment of survey protocols for primates habitat selection
Authors: Gazagne Eva , Wilputte Moïra , Ngoprasert Dusit , Vercauteren Martine , Vercauteren Drubbel Régine , Savini Tommaso
Published: April 2023

Context With the ongoing biodiversity crisis and the continued loss of species, it becomes crucial to find practical solutions to monitor threatened animal populations for wildlife conservation and management. However, in practice, monitoring is especially challenging for elusive, rare, and wide-ranging species, where estimating abundance is often expensive and time-consuming. Alternatively, estimating occupancy (i.e. detection/non-detection data) may be less resource-intensive, while still providing useful information for monitoring population trends. Aims We aimed to describe a new field method, the random walk grid survey, to conduct a habitat selection study on elusive diurnal forest-dwelling primates. We explored how to improve occupancy estimates when detection probability is low and determined the minimal effort needed for reasonable estimates on the species habitat selection by using site-occupancy models. Methods We collected data to assess the northern pigtailed macaques’ (Macaca leonina) occupancy and detection probability using a random walk survey of degraded forest fragments in Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve in Northeast Thailand. We ran simulations to identify what is required for minimum survey efforts to obtain reasonable estimates of occupancy and detection probability on small or relatively large spatial scales, covering a small primate community in Southeast Asia. Key results Simulations showed that the probability of detecting macaques increased dramatically with an increased survey effort. However, compared with similar line-transect survey methods, the random walk grid survey was less time-consuming. Additionally, the occupancy and habitat selection estimates were similar to our knowledge of macaque distribution within the study area. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the new random walk grid survey method is effective to assess the elusive northern pigtailed macaques’ occupancy, and to provide reliable data on habitat selection where there is low macaque abundance and detection probability in a degraded forest fragment. Implications Our survey protocol could be used as a starting point to target high location occupancy to start habituation processes, but also for further intensive studies on primate behaviour and habitat use of primate communities. Finally, combining the random walk grid survey with automated recording devices (e.g. camera traps or passive acoustic surveys) could help improve occupancy and detection probability estimates for long-term monitoring programs and over large spatial scales.
Proactive or reactive? Neural oscillatory insight into the leader–follower dynamics of early infant–caregiver interaction
Authors: Phillips Emily A. M. , Goupil Louise , Whitehorn Megan , Bruce-Gardyne Emma , Csolsim Florian A. , Marriott-Haresign Ira , Wass Sam V.
Published: April 2023

We know that infants’ ability to coordinate attention with others toward the end of the first year is fundamental to language acquisition and social cognition. Yet, we understand little about the neural and cognitive mechanisms driving infant attention in shared interaction: do infants play a proactive role in creating episodes of joint attention? Recording electroencephalography (EEG) from 12-mo-old infants while they engaged in table-top play with their caregiver, we examined the communicative behaviors and neural activity preceding and following infant- vs. adult-led joint attention. Infant-led episodes of joint attention appeared largely reactive: they were not associated with increased theta power, a neural marker of endogenously driven attention, and infants did not increase their ostensive signals before the initiation. Infants were, however, sensitive to whether their initiations were responded to. When caregivers joined their attentional focus, infants showed increased alpha suppression, a pattern of neural activity associated with predictive processing. Our results suggest that at 10 to 12 mo, infants are not routinely proactive in creating joint attention episodes yet. They do, however, anticipate behavioral contingency, a potentially foundational mechanism for the emergence of intentional communication.
The hands’ default location guides tactile spatial selectivity
Authors: Badde Stephanie , Heed Tobias
Published: April 2023

Our skin is a two-dimensional sheet that can be folded into a multitude of configurations due to the mobility of our body parts. Parts of the human tactile system might account for this flexibility by being tuned to locations in the world rather than on the skin. Using adaptation, we scrutinized the spatial selectivity of two tactile perceptual mechanisms for which the visual equivalents have been reported to be selective in world coordinates: tactile motion and the duration of tactile events. Participants’ hand position—uncrossed or crossed—as well as the stimulated hand varied independently across adaptation and test phases. This design distinguished among somatotopic selectivity for locations on the skin and spatiotopic selectivity for locations in the environment, but also tested spatial selectivity that fits neither of these classical reference frames and is based on the default position of the hands. For both features, adaptation consistently affected subsequent tactile perception at the adapted hand, reflecting skin-bound spatial selectivity. Yet, tactile motion and temporal adaptation also transferred across hands but only if the hands were crossed during the adaptation phase, that is, when one hand was placed at the other hand’s typical location. Thus, selectivity for locations in the world was based on default rather than online sensory information about the location of the hands. These results challenge the prevalent dichotomy of somatotopic and spatiotopic selectivity and suggest that prior information about the hands’ default position —right hand at the right side—is embedded deep in the tactile sensory system.
Mutant β
1
-adrenergic receptor improves REM sleep and ameliorates tau accumulation in a mouse model of tauopathy
Authors: Dong Qing , Ptáček Louis J. , Fu Ying-Hui
Published: April 2023

Sleep is essential for our well-being, and chronic sleep deprivation has unfavorable health consequences. We recently demonstrated that two familial natural short sleep (FNSS) mutations,
DEC2-P384R
and
Npsr1-Y206H
, are strong genetic modifiers of tauopathy in
PS19
mice, a model of tauopathy. To gain more insight into how FNSS variants modify the tau phenotype, we tested the effect of another FNSS gene variant,
Adrb1-A187V
, by crossing mice with this mutation onto the
PS19
background. We found that the
Adrb1-A187V
mutation helped restore rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and alleviated tau aggregation in a sleep–wake center, the locus coeruleus (LC), in
PS19
mice. We found that ADRB1
+
neurons in the central amygdala (CeA) sent projections to the LC, and stimulating CeA
ADRB1+
neuron activity increased REM sleep. Furthermore, the mutant
Adrb1
attenuated tau spreading from the CeA to the LC. Our findings suggest that the
Adrb1-A187V
mutation protects against tauopathy by both mitigating tau accumulation and attenuating tau spreading.
Mammals sustain amino acid homochirality against chiral conversion by symbiotic microbes
Authors: Gonda Yusuke , Matsuda Akina , Adachi Kenichiro , Ishii Chiharu , Suzuki Masataka , Osaki Akina , Mita Masashi , Nishizaki Naoto , Ohtomo Yoshiyuki , Shimizu Toshiaki , Yasui Masato , Hamase Kenji , Sasabe Jumpei
Published: April 2023

Mammals exhibit systemic homochirality of amino acids in
L
-configurations. While ribosomal protein synthesis requires rigorous chiral selection for
L
-amino acids, both endogenous and microbial enzymes convert diverse
L
-amino acids to
D
-configurations in mammals. However, it is not clear how mammals manage such diverse
D
-enantiomers. Here, we show that mammals sustain systemic stereo dominance of
L
-amino acids through both enzymatic degradation and excretion of
D
-amino acids. Multidimensional high performance liquidchromatography analyses revealed that in blood, humans and mice maintain
D
-amino acids at less than several percent of the corresponding
L
-enantiomers, while
D
-amino acids comprise ten to fifty percent of the
L
-enantiomers in urine and feces. Germ-free experiments showed that vast majority of
D
-amino acids, except for
D
-serine, detected in mice are of microbial origin. Experiments involving mice that lack enzymatic activity to catabolize
D
-amino acids showed that catabolism is central to the elimination of diverse microbial
D
-amino acids, whereas excretion into urine is of minor importance under physiological conditions. Such active regulation of amino acid homochirality depends on maternal catabolism during the prenatal period, which switches developmentally to juvenile catabolism along with the growth of symbiotic microbes after birth. Thus, microbial symbiosis largely disturbs homochirality of amino acids in mice, whereas active host catabolism of microbial
D
-amino acids maintains systemic predominance of
L
-amino acids. Our findings provide fundamental insight into how the chiral balance of amino acids is governed in mammals and further expand the understanding of interdomain molecular homeostasis in host-microbial symbiosis.
Influences of Sn on Fe phase segregation and properties of Cu-5Fe alloy
Authors: Luo Xin , Wang Lanhao , Yuan Dawei , Liu Zhenxia , Wang Hang , Xiao Xiangpeng , Chen Hui Ming , Guo Chengjun , Yang Bin
Published: April 2023

The Cu-5Fe-xSn alloy was prepared, and the effect of Sn on Fe phase distribution, precipitation kinetics, and properties of the Cu-5Fe alloy were investigated. The tensile strength and conductivity of Cu-5Fe-0.15Sn after aging at 400°C were 712 MPa and 66.6% IACS, respectively. Compared to the Cu-5Fe alloy, the tensile strength increased by about 190 MPa, while the conductivity decreased by only 1.4% IACS. Sn optimises Fe distribution and inhibits dendritic segregation. After drawing, the Fe phase is transformed into Fe fibre. Sn enhances the synergistic deformation ability of Cu/Fe, resulting in better continuity and density of Fe fibres. The precipitation activation energies of Fe in Cu-5Fe and Cu-5Fe-0.15Sn alloys were 95.9 and 84.9 kJ/mol, respectively.

HIGHLIGHTS The addition of Sn significantly improves the mechanical properties of Cu-5Fe alloy. Sn addition optimised the primary Fe phase distribution and increased the Fe fibre density. The addition of Sn reduces the ultimate solid solubility of Fe in Cu and promotes the nucleation of γ-Fe phase. Sn reduces the activation energy of Fe phase and promotes the precipitation of Fe phase.
CCQM-P206, nitrous oxide (N2O) in air, ambient level, pilot study run in parallel with CCQM-K68.2019
Authors: Viallon J , Choteau T , Flores E , Idrees F , Moussay P , Wielgosz R I , Harth Christina M , Guillevic Myriam , Weiss Ray F , Hall B , Lim J S
Published: April 2023

Main text

The Pilot Study CCQM-P206 was conducted in parallel with the Key Comparison CCQM-K68.2019, which was aimed at evaluating the level of comparability of laboratories' capabilities for nitrous oxide in air primary reference mixtures at ambient amount fractions, in the range 320 nmol mol−1 to 350 nmol mol−1. The Pilot Study was set up to allow the participation of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California San Diego (SIO/UCSD) as guest expert laboratory of the CCQM.

The SIO/UCSD was invited by the CCQM in view of its long experience in accurate measurements of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere and is the calibration laboratory for this compound in the AGAGE (Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment) global measurement network. The laboratory has developed a unique method which provides an independent assessment of the N2O amount fraction compared to participants in CCQM-K68.2019. Its participation was also seen as the occasion to contribute to a more general reflexion on the compared advantages of two different systems to ensure traceability: a unique scale maintained by one central laboratory, or the dissemination of materials all traceable to the SI by multiple national metrology institutes.

The comparison CCQM-K68.2019 was coordinated by the BIPM and the KRISS. It consisted in the simultaneous comparison of a suite of 2n primary gas standards, two standards to be prepared by each of the n participating laboratories. Two independent analytical methods were used by the BIPM to analyse the amount fraction of N2O in air, namely Gas Chromatography with an Electron Capture Detector (GC−ECD) and Quantum Cascade Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (QCLAS).

For the Pilot Study, SIO/UCSD provided results of measurements of the N2O amount fraction in the two standards submitted by the Global Monitoring Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a participant in the Key Comparison. Therefore, this study consists in looking at the agreement between SIO/UCSD measurement results and the Key Comparison reference value.

All details on the Key Comparison CCQM-K68.2019, including its protocol and its results, can be found in its report. This report focuses on SIO/UCSD results and agreement with participants in the Key Comparison.

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
On uniqueness and stable estimation of multiple parameters in the Cahn–Hilliard equation
Authors: Brunk Aaron , Egger Herbert , Habrich Oliver
Published: April 2023

We consider the identifiability and stable numerical estimation of multiple parameters in a Cahn–Hilliard model for phase separation. Spatially resolved measurements of the phase fraction are assumed to be accessible, with which the identifiability of single and multiple parameters up to certain scaling invariances is established. A regularized equation error approach is proposed for the stable numerical solution of the parameter identification problems, and convergence of the regularized approximations is proven under reasonable assumptions on the data noise. The viability of the theoretical results and the proposed methods is demonstrated in numerical tests.
Investigating WBC margination in different microfluidic geometries: influence of RBC shape and size
Authors: Mane Sanjay , Hemadri Vadiraj , Tripathi Siddhartha
Published: April 2023

White blood cells (WBCs) reside close enough to the endothelium vascular wall to detect a variety of chemical signals and combat bacterial and viral diseases in the human body. It is vital to understand the phenomenon of WBC margination since it is an essential mechanism in microcirculation which aids fighting infections. Several factors influence WBC margination, including hematocrit (Hct), flow rate, red blood cell (RBC) aggregation, RBC and WBC deformability, and the width of RBC free layer. WBC dynamics is strongly influenced by the presence of RBCs. In this study, we investigate WBC margination by varying the size and shapes of RBCs. The change in size and shape of RBCs is achieved by altering the tonicity of the blood sample. The margination phenomenon is studied at different values of hematocrits (3%–40% Hct) and flow rates (0.2–1μl min−1). The different values of hematocrits is achieved by diluting the whole human blood using normal saline (0.9% NaCl), hypotonic saline (0.45% NaCl), and hypertonic saline (3% NaCl) solutions, respectively. Experiments are conducted using three different geometrical microchannels; straight, curved, and constriction-expansion (CE). The findings of hypotonic and hypertonic saline solutions are compared to the results of normal saline solutions. It is found that hypotonic and hypertonic solutions have minimum effect on WBC margination in a curved channel; however, in the case of straight and CE channel margination improves. When blood cells are diluted with hypotonic saline, WBC margination is shown to be highest in CE microchannels, whereas for straight microchannel, the hypertonic solution provides the best margination. We also report particle dynamics within the microchannel and compare their behavior with experimental results for Hct 3%. This study provides critical information on WBC margination in situations where RBCs deviate from their normal shape and size.
PDMS-polyimide transcutaneous blood gas collector with self-folding out-of-plane heater elements
Authors: Seton Ragnar , Khaji Zahra , Persson Anders
Published: April 2023

This paper introduces and evaluates a novel, highly scalable fabrication technique for folding flexible printed circuit board (PCB) features into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The technique is then used to create fast and effective skin-heaters in a prototype gas collector for transcutaneous blood gas monitoring (TBM), a well-established technique to non-invasively measure the amount of CO2 and O2 in a patient’s blood. Previous studies have shown that TBM can be made safer by heating the patient’s skin with short pulses rather than continuously. Hence, the effects of incorporating a resistive heater with folded heating elements into a PDMS gas collector was investigated and compared to a heater with surface mounted heating elements. The results show that the fabrication technique provides consistent, controllable folding angles using only the surface and viscous forces of the flexible PCB and PDMS. With the investigated design- and material parameters a maximum folding angle of 30° was achieved, resulting in a 2000% increase in initial surface heating compared to an un-folded reference. For the intended application, this corresponds to reducing the time needed to heat the skin of a patient to less than half. The presented fabrication technique is, however, not limited to the application investigated in this paper, but rather offers the possibility to quickly and automatically fold complex structures and circuits into the bulk of the PDMS without introducing any time overhead as the number of features and folds grow.
Quasi-deuterons in light nuclei
Authors: Müther H , Srivastava Praveen C
Published: April 2023

The role of pairing correlations for nucleon pairs with isospin T = 1 and T = 0 is investigated for ground-states of nuclei in the mass region 12 ≤ A ≤ 42. For that purpose, the two-nucleon densities resulting from nuclear shell-model calculations in one and two major shells are analyzed. Various tools are applied in this analysis including the sensitivity of correlation effects on components of the NN interaction. Significant effects on the resulting energies are observed due to the formation of T = 0 pairs. The formation of quasi-deuterons is maximal for symmetric nuclei with N = Z. The formation of T = 0 pairs is less sensitive to the density of single-particle states close to the Fermi energy than the T = 1 pairing. Therefore the correlations in T = 0 pairs are relevant also for excitations across shell closures. This robustness also explains why T = 0 pairing does not lead to such clear evidence in comparing energies of neighbored nuclei as the ‘odd–even mass staggering’ due to the formation of T = 1 pairing.