bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early adversity, adult lifestyle, and posttraumatic stress disorder in a military sample
Authors: Clint Edward K. , Fessler Daniel M. T.
Published: May 2022

Early adversity is considered a major risk factor for adult posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Simultaneously, however, early adversity is also known to contribute to psychological resilience, and, indeed, some high-adversity groups do not display elevated PTSD risk. We explored correlates of PTSD in the Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers military dataset to evaluate contrasting accounts of the relationship between early adversity and PTSD. The standard deficit model depicts ontogeny as inherently vulnerable to insult, such that early adversity yields a less robust adult phenotype. A complementary life history theory account holds that adverse early experiences cue a fast life history orientation that reduces investment in maintenance, yielding an adult phenotype less able to recover from trauma. An opposing life history theory account holds that early adversity cues expectations of an adverse adult environment, adaptively reducing reactivity to adverse events. We use principal component analysis to extract a latent variable representing several childhood experiences and multiple lifestyle factors that plausibly proxy life history orientation. After correcting for covariates, we find a strong positive influence of such proxies on PTSD risk, suggesting that early adversity may indeed increase risk for PTSD, and thus that either the standard deficit model, the reduced maintenance account or a combination are correct.
Numerical study of spatial chirp distortion in quasi-parametric chirped-pulse amplification
Authors: Wang Yirui , Wang Jing , Ma Jingui , Yuan Peng , Qian Liejia
Published: May 2022

Optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification is inevitably subject to high-order spatial chirp, particularly under the condition of saturated amplification and a Gaussian pump; this corresponds to an irreversible spatiotemporal distortion and consequently degrades the maximum attainable focused intensity. In this paper, we reveal that such spatial chirp distortion can be significantly mitigated in quasi-parametric chirped-pulse amplification (QPCPA) with idler absorption. Simulation results show that the quality of focused intensity in saturated QPCPA is nearly ideal, with a spatiotemporal Strehl ratio higher than 0.98. As the seed bandwidth increases, the idler absorption spectrum may not be uniform, but the Strehl ratio in QPCPA can be still high enough due to stronger idler absorption.
Comparative study of cholesteatoma in paediatric and adult patients
Authors: Kalia M , Dass A , Singhal S K , Gupta N
Published: May 2022

Background

The aggressiveness of paediatric cholesteatoma has long been a matter of debate. While much of the evidence is substantiated by data from the Western world, it is further limited by the retrospective nature of most studies. Therefore, this paper presents a comparative analysis of various characteristics of cholesteatoma between paediatric and adult populations seen at our centre.

Methods

A total of 50 patients (25 adults and 25 paediatric) with clinical diagnosis of chronic suppurative otitis media with cholesteatoma underwent canal wall down mastoidectomy over a period of two years. The intra-operative findings were noted and patients were followed up for six months.

Results

There was more extensive spread and ossicular erosion in paediatric cases. However, complications such as facial canal dehiscence and lateral semicircular canal dehiscence were more common in adults.

Conclusion

Paediatric cholesteatoma is more aggressive and invasive than adult cholesteatoma, and the clinical behaviour is consistent with findings from other parts of the world.
The original Scott Base buildings
Authors: Davey Frederick J.
Published: May 2022

Scott Base was built in the summer of 1956/7 at Pram Point, Ross Island, initially to provide accommodation for the Ross Sea Support Party of the Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition (NZ TAE) and for the New Zealand International Geophysical Year Antarctic Expedition (NZ IGY). It has generally been accepted that it was built primarily by and for the Ross Sea Support Party. This is reflected in naming one of the last, conserved, original huts (Hut A) after the NZ TAE and also in ignoring the existence of the other original huts (Hut G and H) still in use. The contribution of the NZ IGY programme to Scott Base (SB) has received little recognition. Furthermore, SB provided a presence in the Ross Dependency to support the New Zealand claimant position. The specifications for the base buildings were developed by a joint committee from both expeditions with final design by the Ministry of Works of the New Zealand Government. The base was constructed and largely paid for by the New Zealand Government. This note briefly reviews what occurred during the conception, design, construction and payment for the base.
Macrotermes termite mounds influence the spatial pattern of tree species in two African rainforest sites, in northern Congo. But were they really forests in the past?
Authors: Penel Benoit , Freycon Vincent , Marcon Éric , Rossi Vivien , Cornu Guillaume , Bénédet Fabrice , Forni Éric , Gourlet-Fleury Sylvie
Published: May 2022

Termite mounds have been poorly studied in tropical rainforest in contrast to those of savannahs where they create fertility hotspots and influence the spatial pattern of vegetation. An inventory of termite mounds and of 15 tree species with a diameter at breast height ≥ 10 cm was carried out in two 800-ha blocks, in two rainforest sites located in northern Congo. We used inhomogeneous and intertype K functions to study the spatial pattern of termite mounds and of tree species around mounds, respectively. We found that mounds in Loundoungou were over-dispersed within a radius of less than 70 m, while those in Mokabi were randomly spaced. Tree species within a 20-m radius around a mound were aggregated towards the mound, e.g. Entandrophragma cylindricum, randomly distributed, or even repulsed by the mound. The specific responses also differed in the two sites. These results suggest that (i) the mounds in Loundoungou were created by savannah termite species 3,000-2,000 years BP during the Late Holocene Rainforest Crisis and (ii) the mounds in Mokabi are characteristic of forest mounds. The impact of termite mounds on the spatial pattern of tree species is thus site-dependent, and these differences might be due to species seed dispersal strategies and to soil calcium concentrations.
Correlated evolution of seed mass and genome size varies among life forms in flowering plants
Authors: Carta Angelino , Mattana Efisio , Dickie John , Vandelook Filip
Published: May 2022

Seeds show important variation as plant regenerative units among species, but their evolutionary co-variations with other plant characteristics are still poorly understood. Whilst a positive association of seed mass with genome size (GS) and life forms has already been documented, a broad-scale quantification of their evolutionary correlation and adaptive selection has never been conducted. Here, we tested for correlated evolution of seed mass and GS towards distinct selective regimes related to life form in angiosperms. In particular, we tested the hypothesis that the selection toward lighter seeds and smaller genomes is stronger for annual plants, ensuring high regenerative potential. Using multivariate evolutionary models over a dataset containing 3242 species, we showed an overall positive correlated evolution of seed mass and GS deviating from a pure drift process. Instead, evolutionary changes in seed and genome sizes were driven by adaptive selection towards optimal values differing among life forms. Specifically, the evolutionary optima towards which the seed and genome sizes evolve show a covariation toward small values in annuals, intermediate values in perennial herbs and a trade-off between seed mass and GS in woody plants. Moreover, the evolutionary correlation between seed mass and GS is strongest in annuals as an adaption to complete their life cycle in a short time window, when environmental conditions are favourable for regeneration and development to maturity. The asymmetry in the correlated evolution acting on seed and genome sizes due to life form could explain how life-history traits interplay with functional traits and how plants have evolved diverse successful life-history strategies.
Sub-THz Luneburg lens enabled wide-angle frequency-coded identification tag for passive indoor self-localization
Authors: Kadera Petr , Sánchez-Pastor Jesús , Schmitt Lisa , Schüßler Martin , Jakoby Rolf , Hoffmann Martin , Jiménez-Sáez Alejandro , Lacik Jaroslav
Published: May 2022

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2021 15th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP) and was published in its Proceedings. This paper describes a design, fabrication, and characterization of a planar frequency-coded retroreflector for indoor localization. The retroreflector is fabricated in high-resistive silicon and consists of a Luneburg lens antenna and a photonic crystal high-Q resonator reflective layer, providing ranging and identification within the same tag and bandwidth. The Luneburg lens antenna presents a measured gain of 21.63 dBi at a design frequency of 240 GHz. The frequency-coded retroreflector allows for ranging in a continuous 130 degree angular range in azimuthal plane, with a discrete but repeatable two-resonance identification over multiples of 15 degree. Its maximum measured radar cross-section is −23.48 dBsqm at a frequency of 240 GHz. The retroreflective tag set in ideal line-of-sight situation is compared to a non-line-of-sight arrangement showing the influence of a metallic rod as an obstacle on the overall tag detection parameters. Finally, the successful read-out of the retroreflective tag is discussed in unknown environments, where no a-priori information is available.
Eine Normierung unterschiedlicher Aspekte der emotionalen Bewertung von Persönlichkeitsattributen
Authors: Kaufmann Martina , Alexopoulos Theodore , Blaison Christophe
Published: May 2022

Zusammenfassung. Die emotionale Bewertung von Eigenschaftsbegriffen und Persönlichkeitsattributen ist in vielen Forschungsbereichen und für viele Forschungszwecke von Bedeutung. Diese Untersuchung liefert eine neue Datenbank für emotionale Bewertungen von 140 Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen. Die Bewertungen von N = 701 Teilnehmenden wurden erhoben. In Erweiterung der bisher veröffentlichten Listen unterscheidet die vorliegende Datenbank neben der positiven und negativen Valenz und Erregung, die von den Merkmalen vermittelt wird, zwischen 5 Emotionen (Freude, Ärger, Ekel, Traurigkeit und Angst) sowie subjektiven Annäherungs- und Vermeidungstendenzen. Die Ergebnisse der Normierung sind unter https://osf.io/gbcq2 abrufbar.
Summer‐Winter Contrast in the Response of Precipitation Extremes to Climate Change Over Northern Hemisphere Land
Authors: Williams Andrew I. L. , O’Gorman Paul A.
Published: May 2022

Climate models project a distinct seasonality to future changes in daily extreme precipitation. In particular, models project that over land in the extratropical Northern Hemisphere the summer response is substantially weaker than the winter response in percentage terms. Here we decompose the projected response into thermodynamic and dynamic contributions and show that the seasonal contrast arises due to a negative dynamic contribution in northern summer, and a positive dynamic contribution and an anomalously strong thermodynamic contribution in northern winter. The negative dynamic contribution in northern summer is due to weakened ascent and is strongly correlated with decreases in mean near‐surface relative humidity. Finally, we show that the summer‐winter contrast is also evident in observed trends of daily precipitation extremes in northern midlatitudes, which provides support for the contrast found in climate‐model simulations.
Initial Distribution and Interannual Decrease of Suspended Sediment in a Two‐Basin Lake Following a Massive Mine Tailings Spill: Quesnel Lake, BC, Canada
Authors: Granger Brody , Laval Bernard , Vagle Svein , Petticrew Ellen L. , Owens Philip N. , Baldwin Susan A.
Published: May 2022

On 4 August 2014, a tailings dam failure at Mount Polley Mine in central British Columbia led to the largest short‐term release of mine waste into a lake ever recorded. Once released by the breach, slurry entered the smaller of Quesnel Lake’s two basins, called the West Basin, from which the lake drains northwest into the Quesnel River. An estimated 38,000 ± 11,000 tonnes of fine solids remained suspended in the West Basin on 10 September 2014, 37 days postspill. This decreased to within background levels (<300 tonnes) by June 2015, by which time ∼4,000 tonnes of sediment had flowed from the West Basin into the Quesnel River, and ∼31,000 tonnes had been transported east into the main basin, the direction opposed to the mean hydraulic gradient. Here, we evaluate sediment transport in Quesnel Lake following the Mount Polley tailings dam spill. We apply conservation of mass in two ways: using data collected between 12 August 2014 and 15 October 2020 to estimate suspended sediment mass and mass flows into and out of the West Basin; and using one‐ and two‐basin completely mixed models. Suspended sediment concentrations were highly elevated through the first three seasons postspill, then fluctuated within a gradually decreasing, seasonal cycle. The observed mass trend and an analytical mass balance model of a simplified, two‐basin system suggest that suspended sediment mass will fall to below the median prespill mass by 7 ± 5 years postspill.
Modeling Atmospheric Waves from Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai
Authors: Sidder Aaron
Published: May 2022

A shallow-water oceanic model showed agreement with satellite observations of atmospheric waves produced by the eruption of the underwater volcano.
The Origin of Large, Long‐Period Near‐Fault Ground Velocities During Surface‐Breaking Strike‐Slip Earthquakes
Authors: Kaneko Yoshihiro , Goto Hiroyuki
Published: May 2022

Records of near‐fault ground motions from recent surface‐breaking earthquakes are characterized by large (> a few m/s), long‐period (a few seconds) ground velocity pulses, which may pose significant hazard for tall buildings and large infrastructures. Yet, the generation mechanism is not well understood. Here, using spontaneous rupture simulations, we examine the origin of large velocity pulses observed during the 2016 Mw7.0 Kumamoto (Japan) earthquake. We show that near‐fault waveform data as well as seismologically estimated moment and radiated energy can be well reproduced by a relatively simple model with uniform along‐strike pre‐stress and frictional properties. Our results suggest that large, long‐period ground velocities are caused by the dynamic interaction of propagating rupture and the Earth's surface, which is enhanced by reflected waves from the boundaries of low‐velocity layers. Such a generic mechanism suggests that large, long‐period ground motion is a common occurrence in near‐fault regions during surface‐breaking, strike‐slip earthquakes.
Second‐Harmonic Generation of EMIC Waves in the Inner Magnetosphere: Theoretical Analyses and Hybrid Simulations
Authors: Xue Zuxiang , Yuan Zhigang , Yu Xiongdong , Deng Dan , Huang Zheng
Published: May 2022

Observations of non‐linear second harmonic (SH) in various waves have recently been reported by several studies. However, the quantitative relation of the amplitudes between the fundamental wave (FW) and the SH has not been derived and verified yet. In this letter, the relation equations for the FW and the SH are simplified under the cold plasma assumption, which is reasonable in the inner magnetosphere. The quantitative relation of the amplitudes between the FW and the SH of the electromagnetic ion cyclotron wave is theoretically derived and verified through 1‐D hybrid simulations. The quantitative influences of the FW frequency and wave normal angle on the SH excitation mechanism are obtained.
Simultaneous Evolutions of Inner Magnetospheric Plasmaspheric Hiss and EMIC Waves Under the Influence of a Heliospheric Plasma Sheet
Authors: Liu Nigang , Jin Yuyue , He Zhaoguo , Yu Jiang , Li Kun , Cui Jun
Published: May 2022

Plasmaspheric hiss and electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves are two of the most important magnetospheric plasma waves inside the Earth's high‐density plasmasphere. In this work, utilizing observations from the WIND and Van Allen Probes missions, we investigate the simultaneous evolutions of inner magnetospheric plasmaspheric hiss and EMIC waves under the influence of a heliospheric plasma sheet (HPS). The long duration impingement of high‐density solar wind HPS onto the magnetosphere produced hot anisotropy electrons and protons, and then caused excitations of plasmaspheric hiss and EMIC waves in the duskside plasmasphere (L ∼ 6.75, MLT ∼ 16.85). In contrast, the solar wind decompression associated with the subsequent cessation of the HPS led to decreases in hot electron and proton fluxes, triggering prompt disappearances of the compression‐related plasmaspheric hiss and EMIC waves. The presented results highlight the importance of solar wind conditions for the Earth's space weather and provide new insights into the solar wind‐magnetosphere coupling.
Diverse Physical Processes Drive Upper‐Tail Flood Quantiles in the US Mountain West
Authors: Yu Guo , Wright Daniel B. , Davenport Frances V.
Published: May 2022

Floods in the mountainous western U.S. typically arise from rainfall, snowmelt, or rain‐on‐snow (ROS). This implies that streamflow records comprise “mixtures” of flood regimes with differing physical characteristics. This runs counter to the assumption, made in flood hazard practice, that flood observations are independent and identically distributed. In this study, we examine 308 watersheds and 281 (91%) of which exhibited substantial roles of at least two flood regimes, with rainfall and ROS accounting for the very largest floods. We demonstrate that flood mixtures can have dramatic impacts on upper‐tail flood quantiles—rarer than the 0.01 annual exceedance probability. While the geographic distribution of mixed flood regimes is explained by climate and elevation, such regimes are subject to future change due to climate warming. The complexities brought about by diverse flood mixtures require process‐based approaches for understanding and modeling future flood frequency distributions.
Understanding the Microphysical Control and Spatial‐Temporal Variability of Warm Rain Probability Using CloudSat and MODIS Observations
Authors: Zhang Zhibo , Oreopoulos Lazaros , Lebsock Matthew D. , Mechem David B. , Covert Justin
Published: May 2022

By combining measurements from MODIS and the CloudSat radar, we develop a parameterization scheme to quantify the combined microphysical controls by liquid water path (LWP) and cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) of the probability of precipitation (PoP) in marine low cloud over tropical oceans. We demonstrate that the spatial‐temporal variation of grid‐mean in‐cloud  can be largely explained by the variation of the joint probability density function of LWP and CDNC in the phase space specified by the bivariate PoP (LWP and CDNC) function. Through a series of sensitivity tests guided by this understanding, we find that in the Southeastern Pacific and Atlantic the stratocumulus to cumulus transition of the  is mainly due to the variation of CDNC while the annual cycle is mainly due to the variation of LWP. The results of this study provide a viable way to diagnose the root cause of warm rain problems in global climate models.
Latrophilin-2 is a novel receptor of LRG1 that rescues vascular and neurological abnormalities and restores diabetic erectile function
Authors: Yin Guo Nan , Kim Do-Kyun , Kang Ji In , Im Yebin , Lee Dong Sun , Han Ah-reum , Ock Jiyeon , Choi Min-Ji , Kwon Mi-Hye , Limanjaya Anita , Jung Saet-Byel , Yang Jimin , Min Kwang Wook , Yun Jeongwon , Koh Yongjun , Park Jong-Eun , Hwang Daehee , Suh Jun-Kyu , Ryu Ji-Kan , Kim Ho Min
Published: May 2022

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by inappropriate hyperglycemia, which causes endothelial dysfunction and peripheral neuropathy, ultimately leading to multiple complications. One prevalent complication is diabetic erectile dysfunction (ED), which is more severe and more resistant to treatment than nondiabetic ED. The serum glycoprotein leucine-rich ɑ-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) is a modulator of TGF-β-mediated angiogenesis and has been proposed as a biomarker for a variety of diseases, including DM. Here, we found that the adhesion GPCR latrophilin-2 (LPHN2) is a TGF-β-independent receptor of LRG1. By interacting with LPHN2, LRG1 promotes both angiogenic and neurotrophic processes in mouse tissue explants under hyperglycemic conditions. Preclinical studies in a diabetic ED mouse model showed that LRG1 administration into the penile tissue, which exhibits significantly increased LPHN2 expression, fully restores erectile function by rescuing vascular and neurological abnormalities. Further investigations revealed that PI3K, AKT, and NF-κB p65 constitute the key intracellular signaling pathway of the LRG1/LPHN2 axis, providing important mechanistic insights into LRG1-mediated angiogenesis and nerve regeneration in DM. Our findings suggest that LRG1 can be a potential new therapeutic option for treating aberrant peripheral blood vessels and neuropathy associated with diabetic complications, such as diabetic ED.
Acquisition of threat responses are associated with elevated plasma concentration of endocannabinoids in male humans
Authors: Weisser Smilla , Mueller Madeleine , Rauh Jonas , Esser Roland , Fuss Johannes , Lutz Beat , Haaker Jan
Published: May 2022

Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are involved in buffering threat and stress responses. Elevation of circulating eCBs in humans was reported to strengthen inhibition (i.e., extinction) of threat responses and to reduce effects of stressors. However, it remains unclear whether the acquisition of threat responses involves a physiological change in circulating eCBs. Here, we demonstrate in male human volunteers that the plasma concentration of the eCB N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and its metabolite arachidonic acid (AA) are increased during acquisition of threat responses. Furthermore, elevated responses to a learned threat cue (e.g., rating of fear) were associated with individual increases in plasma concentration of the eCB 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). In complementing these observations, we found individual increases in AEA associated with elevated neural responses during threat learning in the amygdala. Our results thereby suggest that physiological increases in circulating eCB levels are part of a response mechanism to learned threats.
Genomic architecture of fetal central nervous system anomalies using whole-genome sequencing
Authors: Yang Ying , Zhao Sheng , Sun Guoqiang , Chen Fang , Zhang Tongda , Song Jieping , Yang Wenzhong , Wang Lin , Zhan Nianji , Yang Xiaohong , Zhu Xia , Rao Bin , Yin Zhenzhen , Zhou Jing , Yan Haisheng , Huang Yushan , Ye Jingyu , Huang Hui , Cheng Chen , Zhu Shida , Guo Jian , Xu Xun , Chen Xinlin
Published: May 2022

Structural anomalies of the central nervous system (CNS) are one of the most common fetal anomalies found during prenatal imaging. However, the genomic architecture of prenatal imaging phenotypes has not yet been systematically studied in a large cohort. Patients diagnosed with fetal CNS anomalies were identified from medical records and images. Fetal samples were subjected to low-pass and deep whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for aneuploid, copy number variation (CNV), single-nucleotide variant (SNV, including insertions/deletions (indels)), and small CNV identification. The clinical significance of variants was interpreted based on a candidate gene list constructed from ultrasound phenotypes. In total, 162 fetuses with 11 common CNS anomalies were enrolled in this study. Primary diagnosis was achieved in 62 cases, with an overall diagnostic rate of 38.3%. Causative variants included 18 aneuploids, 17 CNVs, three small CNVs, and 24 SNVs. Among the 24 SNVs, 15 were novel mutations not reported previously. Furthermore, 29 key genes of diagnostic variants and critical genes of pathogenic CNVs were identified, including five recurrent genes: i.e., TUBA1A, KAT6B, CC2D2A, PDHA1, and NF1. Diagnostic variants were present in 34 (70.8%) out of 48 fetuses with both CNS and non-CNS malformations, and in 28 (24.6%) out of 114 fetuses with CNS anomalies only. Hypoplasia of the cerebellum (including the cerebellar vermis) and holoprosencephaly had the highest primary diagnosis yields (>70%), while only four (11.8%) out of 34 neural tube defects achieved genetic diagnosis. Compared with the control group, rare singleton loss-of-function variants (SLoFVs) were significantly accumulated in the patient cohort.
Analysis of adherent cell culture lysates with low metabolite concentrations using the Biocrates AbsoluteIDQ p400 HR kit
Authors: Fritsche-Guenther Raphaela , Gloaguen Yoann , Eisenberger Alina , Kirwan Jennifer A.
Published: May 2022

The AbsoluteIDQ p400 HR kit is a commercial product for targeted metabolomics. While the kit has been validated for human plasma and serum, adherent cell lysates have not yet been evaluated. We have optimized the detection of polar and lipid metabolites in cell lysates using the kit to enable robust and repeatable analysis of the detected metabolites. Parameters optimized include total cell mass, loading volume and extraction solvent. We present a cell preparation and analytical method and report on the performance of the kit with regard to detectability of the targeted metabolites and their repeatability. The kit can be successfully used for a relative quantification analysis of cell lysates from adherent cells although validated only for human plasma and serum. Most metabolites are below the limit of the Biocrates’ set quantification limits and we confirmed that this relative quantification can be used for further statistical analysis. Using this approach, up to 45% of the total metabolites in the kit can be detected with a reasonable analytical performance (lowest median RSD 9% and 13% for LC and FIA, respectively) dependent on the method used. We recommend using ethanol as the extraction solvent for cell lysates of osteosarcoma cell lines for the broadest metabolite coverage and 25 mg of cell mass with a loading volume of 20 µL per sample.
Simple low-cost 3D metal printing via plastic skeleton burning
Authors: Burtsev Vladimir D. , Vosheva Tatyana S. , Khudykin Anton A. , Ginzburg Pavel , Filonov Dmitry S.
Published: May 2022

Additive manufacturing of complex volumetric structures opened new frontiers in many technological fields, turning previously inconceivable designs into a practical reality. Electromagnetic components, including antenna and waveguiding elements, can benefit from exploring the third dimension. While fused deposition modeling (FDM) polymer printers become widely accessible, they manufacture structures with moderately low electromagnetic permittivities, compared to metals. However, metal 3D printers, being capable of producing complex volumetric constructions, remain extremely expensive and hard to maintain apparatus, suitable for high-end market applications. Here we develop a new metal printing technique, based on a low-cost and simple FDM device and subsequent electrochemical deposition. For testing the new method, we fabricated several antenna devices and compared their performances to standard printed FeCl3 etched board-based counterparts, demonstrating clear advantages of the new technique. Our new metal printing can be applied to manufacture electromagnetic devices as well as metallic structures for other applications.
Cohort dominance rank and “robbing and bartering” among subadult male long-tailed macaques at Uluwatu, Bali
Authors: Peterson Jeffrey V. , Fuentes Agustín , Wandia I Nengah
Published: May 2022

Robbing and bartering is a habitual behavior among free-ranging long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) at a single site in Bali, Indonesia. The behavior consists of three main elements: (1) a macaque takes an item from a human; (2) the macaque maintains possession of the item; then (3) the macaque releases or hands off the item after accepting a food offer from a human. In this paper, we analyze data on individual variation in robbing and bartering among subadult males in relation to dominance rank. Using focal animal sampling we collected 197 observation hours of data on 13 subadult males from two groups (6 from Celagi; 7 from Riting) at the Uluwatu temple site from May 2017 to March 2018, recording 44 exchanges of items for food from 92 total robberies following 176 total attempts. We also measured dominance rank using interaction data from our focal animals. Dominance rank was strongly positively correlated with robbery efficiency in Riting, but not Celagi, meaning that more dominant Riting subadult males exhibited fewer overall robbery attempts per successful robbery. We suggest the observed variation in robbing and bartering practices indicates there are crucial, yet still unexplored, social factors at play for individual robbing and bartering decisions.
A nonconvex $$\hbox{TV}_q-l_1$$ regularization model and the ADMM based algorithm
Authors: Fang Zhuang , Liming Tang , Liang Wu , Hanxin Liu
Published: May 2022

The total variation (TV) regularization with $$l_1$$

l
1

fidelity is a popular method to restore the image contaminated by salt and pepper noise, but it often suffers from limited performance in edge-preserving. To solve this problem, we propose a nonconvex $$\hbox{TV}_q-l_1$$

TV
q

-

l
1

regularization model in this paper, which utilizes a nonconvex $$l_q$$

l
q

-norm $$(0<q<1)$$

(
0
<
q
<
1
)

defined in total variation (TV) domain (called $$\hbox{TV}_q$$

TV
q

regularizer) to regularize the restoration, and uses $$l_1$$

l
1

fidelity to measure the noise. Compared to the traditional TV model, the proposed model can more effectively preserve edges and contours since it provides a more sparse representation of the restoration in TV domain. An alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) combining with majorization-minimization (MM) scheme and proximity operator is introduced to numerically solve the proposed model. In particular, a sufficient condition for the convergence of the proposed algorithm is provided. Numerical results validate the proposed model and algorithm, which can effectively remove salt and pepper noise while preserving image edges and contours. In addition, compared with several state-of-the-art variational regularization models, the proposed model shows the best performance in terms of peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) and mean structural similarity index (MSSIM). We can obtain about 0.5 dB PSNR and 0.06 MSSIM improvements against all compared models.
Non-volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath particles correspond to active tuberculosis
Authors: Chen Dapeng , Bryden Noella A. , Bryden Wayne A. , McLoughlin Michael , Smith Dexter , Devin Alese P. , Caton Emily R. , Haddaway Caroline R. , Tameris Michele , Scriba Thomas J. , Hatherill Mark , Gessner Sophia , Warner Digby F. , Wood Robin
Published: May 2022

Human breath contains trace amounts of non-volatile organic compounds (NOCs) which might provide non-invasive methods for evaluating individual health. In previous work, we demonstrated that lipids detected in exhaled breath aerosol (EBA) could be used as markers of active tuberculosis (TB). Here, we advanced our analytical platform for characterizing small metabolites and lipids in EBA samples collected from participants enrolled in clinical trials designed to identify molecular signatures of active TB. EBA samples from 26 participants with active TB and 73 healthy participants were processed using a dual-phase extraction method, and metabolites and lipids were identified via mass spectrometry database matching. In total, 13 metabolite and 9 lipid markers were identified with statistically different optimized relative standard deviation values between individuals diagnosed with active TB and the healthy controls. Importantly, EBA lipid profiles can be used to separate the two sample types, indicating the diagnostic potential of the identified molecules. A feature ranking algorithm reduced this number to 10 molecules, with the membrane glycerophospholipid, phosphatidylinositol 24:4, emerging as the top driver of segregation between the two groups. These results support the use of this approach to identify consistent NOC signatures from EBA samples in active TB cases. This suggests the potential to apply this method to other human diseases which alter respiratory NOC release.
Bacillus velezensis strain B26 modulates the inflorescence and root architecture of Brachypodium distachyon via hormone homeostasis
Authors: Sharma Meha , Charron Jean-Benoit , Rani Mamta , Jabaji Suha
Published: May 2022

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) influence plant health. However, the genotypic variations in host organisms affect their response to PGPR. To understand the genotypic effect, we screened four diverse B. distachyon genotypes at varying growth stages for their ability to be colonized by B. velezensis strain B26. We reasoned that B26 may have an impact on the phenological growth stages of B. distachyon genotypes. Phenotypic data suggested the role of B26 in increasing the number of awns and root weight in wild type genotypes and overexpressing transgenic lines. Thus, we characterized the expression patterns of flowering pathway genes in inoculated plants and found that strain B26 modulates the transcript abundance of flowering genes. An increased root volume of inoculated plants was estimated by CT-scanning which suggests the role of B26 in altering the root architecture. B26 also modulated plant hormone homeostasis. A differential response was observed in the transcript abundance of auxin and gibberellins biosynthesis genes in inoculated roots. Our results reveal that B. distachyon plant genotype is an essential determinant of whether a PGPR provides benefit or harm to the host and shed new insight into the involvement of B. velezensis in the expression of flowering genes.
Disentangling the lifestyle of bacterial communities in tropical soda lakes
Authors: Cotta Simone R. , Pellegrinetti Thierry A. , Andreote Ana Paula D. , Costa Juliana S. , Sarmento Hugo , Fiore Marli F.
Published: May 2022

Microbial lifestyles may reveal niche-specific signatures and can contribute to detecting the effects of abiotic fluctuations on biogeochemical cycles. Microorganisms make a tradeoff between optimizing nutrient uptake, improving biomass yield, and overcoming environmental changes according to environmental hostility. Soda lakes are natural environments rich in carbonate and bicarbonate water, resulting in elevated pH and salinities that frequently approach saturation. We hypothesized that during the dry period (elevated pH and salinity), microorganisms try to overcome this harshness by allocating energy to the cellular maintenance process. As these environmental conditions improve during the wet period, microorganisms will begin to invest in nutrient uptake. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated four soda lakes in two different seasons by applying metagenomics combined with flow cytometry (estimate heterotrophic bacterial biomass). The natural occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms in some lakes is the main driver of carbon. These primary producers provide organic carbon that supports heterotrophic bacterial growth and, consequently, a high biomass yield. Under harsh conditions (dry season), cyanobacteria invest in nutrient uptake mechanisms, whereas heterotrophic bacteria allocate energy to survive at the expense of biomass yield. Lakes without cyanobacteria blooms invest in nutrient uptake independent of environmental hostility. This study clarifies the microbial tradeoffs in hostile environments and the impact of this choice on carbon and energy flux in tropical alkaline lakes.
Image statistics determine the integration of visual cues to motion-in-depth
Authors: Goutcher Ross , Murray Lauren , Benz Brooke
Published: May 2022

Motion-in-depth perception is critical in enabling animals to avoid hazards and respond to potential threats. For humans, important visual cues for motion-in-depth include changing disparity (CD) and changing image size (CS). The interpretation and integration of these cues depends upon multiple scene parameters, such as distance moved, object size and viewing distance, posing a significant computational challenge. We show that motion-in-depth cue integration depends upon sensitivity to the joint probabilities of the scene parameters determining these signals, and on the probability of CD and CS signals co-occurring. Models that took these factors into account predicted human performance in speed-in-depth and cue conflict discrimination tasks, where standard linear integration models could not. These results suggest that cue integration is affected by both the uncertainty of sensory signals and the mapping of those signals to real-world properties. Evidence of a role for such mappings demonstrates the importance of scene and image statistics to the processes underpinning cue integration and the perception of motion-in-depth.
Immune surveillance for six vaccinable pathogens using paired plasma and dried blood spots in HIV infected and uninfected children in Kinshasa
Authors: Rodríguez-Galet A. , Rubio-Garrido M. , Valadés-Alcaraz A. , Rodríguez-Domínguez M. , Galán J. C. , Ndarabu A. , Reina G. , Holguín A.
Published: May 2022

Child vaccination reduces infant mortality rates. HIV-infected children present higher risk of diseases than non-infected. We report the protection coverage rates for 6 vaccine-preventable diseases in a paediatric population from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the impact of HIV infection, providing the first data on the validity of dried blood samples (DBS) to monitor the immune protection. During 2016–2018 DBS from 143 children/adolescents were collected in Kinshasa (DRC), being 52 HIV-infected. Forty-two had a paired plasma sample. Protective IgG was quantified (VirClia-IgG,VIRCELL) to obtain the optimal cut-off in IgG detection in DBS. ROC curves were generated with R software and statistical analyses with Stata. Protective IgG levels varied across pathogens, not reaching herd immunity. HIV-infected presented lower vaccine protection than uninfected for all analyzed pathogens, except rubella, with statistically significant differences for measles (30.8% vs. 53.8%; p = 0.008) and tetanus (3.8% vs. 22%; p = 0.0034). New cut-offs were calculated when using DBS to improve test performance. We reinforce the necessity to increase pediatric vaccination coverage in Kinshasa, especially in HIV seropositive, with less capacity to maintain adequate antibody levels. DBS were useful to monitor vaccination coverage in seroprevalence studies in resource-limited settings, after optimizing the cut-off value for each pathogen.
Probing the effect of Ni, Co and Fe doping concentrations on the antibacterial behaviors of MgO nanoparticles
Authors: Almontasser Asma , Parveen Azra
Published: May 2022

The divalent transition metal ions (Ni, Co, and Fe)-doped MgO nanoparticles were synthesized via the sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction showed the MgO pure, single cubic phase of samples at 600 °C. Field emission electron microscope showed the uniform spherical shape of samples. The magnetic behavior of Ni, Co, Fe-doped MgO system were varied with Ni, Co, Fe content (0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07). The magnetic nature of pure had changed from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic. The number of oxygen vacancies increases with increasing amounts of dopant ions that lead to an ionic charge imbalance between Ni2+/Co2+/Fe2+ and Mg2+, leading to increase magnetic properties of the samples. The magnetic nature of prepared samples makes them suitable for biomedical applications. A comparative study of the antibacterial activity of nanoparticles against the Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus) was performed by disc diffusion, pour plate techniques, and study surface morphology of untreated and treated bacterial cell wall. An investigation of the antibacterial activity of doped MgO nanoparticles reveals that the doped MgO nanoparticles show effective antibacterial activity against the Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacterium. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the synthesized nanoparticles against microorganisms was recorded with 40 μg/ml, while the maximum inhibitory concentration was observed with 80 μg/ml. At a concentration of 80 μg/ml, the complete growth inhibition of the E. coli was achieved with 7% Co-doped MgO and 7% Fe-doped MgO, while bacterial growth of S. aureus was inhibited by 100% in the presence of 7% Fe-doped MgO. The present work is promising for using nanomaterials as a novel antibiotic instead of the conventional antibiotics for the treatment of infectious diseases which are caused by tested bacteria.
The breast cancer immune microenvironment is modified by neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Urueña Claudia , Lasso Paola , Bernal-Estevez David , Rubio Diego , Salazar Ana Janeth , Olaya Mercedes , Barreto Alfonso , Tawil Mauricio , Torregrosa Lilian , Fiorentino Susana
Published: May 2022

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAT) in breast cancer (BC) has been used to reduce tumor burden prior to surgery. However, the impact on prognosis depends on the establishment of Pathological Complete Response (pCR), which is influenced by tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte levels and the activation of the antitumor immune response. Nonetheless, NAT can affect immune infiltration and the quality of the response. Here, we showed that NAT induces dynamic changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). After NAT, an increase of regulatory T cells and a decrease of CD8+ T cells was found in tumor, correlated with the presence of metastatic cells in lymph nodes. In addition, an increase of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor like cells was found in luminal patients post-NAT. pCR patients showed a balance between the immune populations, while non-pCR patients presented an inverse relationship in the frequency of CD68+ versus CD3+, CD8+, and CD20+ cells. Moreover, activated T cells were found in peripheral blood, as well as an increase in T cell clonality with a lower diversity post-NAT. Overall, these results shown that NAT induces an activation of immune response, however, a balance in the TME seems to be related to a better antigenic presentation and therefore a better response to treatment.
Emotional processing in bullying: an event-related potential study
Authors: Bonilla-Santos Gisella , Gantiva Carlos , González-Hernández Alfredis , Padilla-García Tatiana , Bonilla-Santos Jasmin
Published: May 2022

Bullying is a subtype of violence that leads to maladaptive behaviors and emotional responses, with implications for social competence, emotions, and empathy. The present study compared the time course of emotional processing in children who were involved in the dynamics of bullying (i.e., as victims, bullies, and observers) by evaluating event-related potentials [early posterior negativity and late positive potential (LPP)] in different brain regions during a passive visualization task that involved positive, neutral, and negative social pictures. High-density electroencephalograms were recorded in 45 children, 8–12 years old (M = 9.5 years, SD = 1.3), while they observed emotional and neutral social pictures that we selected from the International Affective Picture System. Late positive potential had higher amplitudes in the victim group, especially in posterior and anterior regions. In the central region, LPP was greater toward neutral social pictures in bullying victims. The greater amplitude of LPP in victims was observed during and after the stimulus. The results showed a consistent response with a higher intensity in response to emotional stimuli in the victim group, suggesting a tendency toward hypervigilance that could interfere with emotional regulation.
Structure-guided functional studies of plasmid-encoded dihydrofolate reductases reveal a common mechanism of trimethoprim resistance in Gram-negative pathogens
Authors: Krucinska Jolanta , Lombardo Michael N. , Erlandsen Heidi , Estrada Alexavier , Si Debjani , Viswanathan Kishore , Wright Dennis L.
Published: May 2022

Two plasmid-encoded dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) isoforms, DfrA1 and DfrA5, that give rise to high levels of resistance in Gram-negative bacteria were structurally and biochemically characterized to reveal the mechanism of TMP resistance and to support phylogenic groupings for drug development against antibiotic resistant pathogens. Preliminary screening of novel antifolates revealed related chemotypes that showed high levels of inhibitory potency againstEscherichia colichromosomal DHFR (EcDHFR), DfrA1, and DfrA5. Kinetics and biophysical analysis, coupled with crystal structures of trimethoprim bound to EcDHFR, DfrA1 and DfrA5, and two propargyl-linked antifolates (PLA) complexed with EcDHFR, DfrA1 and DfrA5, were determined to define structural features of the substrate binding pocket and guide synthesis of pan-DHFR inhibitors.
Tb3+/Sm3+ co-doped double perovskite: synthesis, exfoliation and luminescence properties
Authors: Bai Mingjun , Zhang Ying , Wan Hao , Chen Gen , Liu Xiaohe , Ma Renzhi
Published: May 2022

Bulk double perovskite K[K1.5(Tb1−xSmx)0.5]Ta3O10 achieved multicolour emissions through tailoring the ratio of Tb3+/Sm3+ co-dopants and could be further delaminated into monolayers through a soft-chemistry exfoliation process.
Surmounting the interband threshold limit by the hot electron excitation of multi-metallic plasmonic AgAuCu NPs for UV photodetector application
Authors: Lin Shusen , Kulkarni Rakesh , Mandavkar Rutuja , Habib Md Ahasan , Burse Shalmali , Kunwar Sundar , Lee Jihoon
Published: May 2022

Sharply improved photoresponse characteristics are demonstrated by the multi-metallic AgCu, AuCu and AgAuCu NP based UV-PDs through the superior photo carrier injection by the strong elemental composition-dependent hot electrons and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR).
Importance of the many-body effects on the structural properties of the novel iron oxide Fe2O
Authors: Shorikov Alexey O. , Streltsov Sergey V.
Published: May 2022

The importance of many-body effects on the electronic and magnetic properties and stability of different structural phases was studied in the novel iron oxide Fe2O.
Nucleophilicity of the boron atom in compounds R–B, (R = F, Cl, Br, I, CN, NC, CH3, SiH3, CF3, H): a new look at the inductive effects of the group R
Authors: Alkorta Ibon , Legon Anthony
Published: May 2022

Nucleophilicities NR–B of molecules R–B (R = F, Cl, Br, I, CN, NC, CH3, SiH3, CF3, H) are determined from the equilibrium dissociation energies De of 70 hydrogen-bonded complexes R–B⋯HX (X = F, Cl, Br, I, HCN, HCCH, HCP).
Noncovalent interactions in proteins and nucleic acids: beyond hydrogen bonding and π-stacking
Authors: Jena Subhrakant , Dutta Juhi , Tulsiyan Kiran Devi , Sahu Akshay Kumar , Choudhury Shubhranshu Shekhar , Biswal Himansu S.
Published: May 2022

This review presents a summary of seven noncovalent interactions (NCIs) that are prevalent in proteins and nucleic acids. These NCIs are belittled in the literature and need special attention.
A universal strategy for high-voltage aqueous batteries via lone pair electrons as the hydrogen bond-breaker
Authors: Shang Yanxin , Chen Shi , Chen Nan , Li Yuejiao , Lai Jingning , Ma Yue , Chen Jun , Wu Feng , Chen Renjie
Published: May 2022

Two proposed effective strategies to inhibit the hydrogen evolution of water from the aspect of kinetic and thermodynamic factors.