bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sperm acrosome status before and during fertilization in the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus), and observation of oviductal vesicles and globules
Authors: Tateno Hiroyuki , Tamura‐Nakano Miwa , Kusakabe Hirokazu , Hirohashi Noritaka , Kawano Natsuko , Yanagimachi Ryuzo
Published: November 2021

The present study was conducted to determine exact location where the acrosome reaction of fertilizing spermatozoa begins in the oviduct of the Chinese hamster. Unlike spermatozoa of other rodent species, Chinese hamster spermatozoa did not spontaneously undergo the acrosome reaction in fertilization‐supporting media. In naturally mated females, spermatozoa in the uterus had intact acrosomes, whereas those in the lower oviductal isthmus had visibly thin acrosomal caps. The acrosomal cap was lost when spermatozoa passed through the cumulus oophorus. Thus, Chinese hamster spermatozoa begin the acrosome reaction in the lower isthmus and complete it in the cumulus oophorus. The mucosal epithelium of the oviductal isthmus released many “transparent” vesicles into the lumen, was very fragile and readily sloughed off by rough handling or rapid flushing with medium. Globular materials that oozed out of the dissected oviduct were most likely mucosa cells destroyed by rough handling. Although the oviducts of Chinese hamsters may be exceptionally delicate, this observation nevertheless warns us to cautiously handle the oviducts of any species when studying oviduct secretions that could be involved in inducing capacitation and the acrosome reaction of spermatozoa within the female genital tract.
Three‐dimensional spline scaled boundary finite elements with high‐order completeness
Authors: Li Chong‐Jun , Jia Yan‐Mei , Zhang Ying , Chen Juan
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we construct two three‐dimensional (3D) scaled boundary finite elements (SBFEM) combined with the quadratic and cubic quadrilateral spline elements, which possess the second‐ and third‐order completeness in Cartesian coordinates, respectively. The two‐dimensional quadrilateral spline elements have the same nodes as the Serendipity elements, and the accuracy can be comparable with the Lagrange elements. The surface elements in the 3D SBFEM adopt the two‐dimensional quadrilateral spline elements in the B‐net form. Then the computation of derivatives, integrals, and products of the element shape functions in the SBFEM can be significantly simplified by using the Bézier coefficients. Moreover, no mapping or coordinate transformation is required when using the spline elements as the surface elements. This paper gives two algorithms for the implementation of the SBFEM. The numerical results show that the proposed spline scaled boundary finite elements have high‐order completeness and good precision with fewer nodes.
Carbon nanomaterials as additives to ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer foams for sport footwear applications
Authors: Lunchev Andrey V. , Tham Shi Cheng , Lipik Vitali , Tok Alfred ling Yoong
Published: November 2021

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer foams with addition of 1.0, 2.5, and 5 wt% of carbon nanomaterials (graphene, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes) were fabricated. Properties of these foams were compared with reference sample (no additives) and samples containing carbon black. The following properties of these samples were examined: density, compressive stress (50% compression), impact behavior, thermal conductivity, and hydrophobicity. The morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy. The samples were additionally characterized using thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Increasing weight percentage of carbon‐based additives led to foam structure with lower porosity and higher density. Samples with a higher degree of cross‐linking were less dense (~10%) as compared to the reference sample and also displayed better mechanical and thermal properties. Increasing weight percentages of additives led to higher compressive strength and higher energy absorption. Samples with 5 wt% of additives and increased quantity of cross‐linking agent exhibited great mechanical properties. Despite their lower density, these samples had higher values of compressive stress, 10%–15% higher than those of the reference sample, and higher energy return properties. All samples follow the trend of increasing values of compressive strength with the increase in density, for some samples, this correlation has quasi linear character. The obtained results show that EVA foams with the addition of carbon black, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes have properties desirable in high‐performance materials for sport footwear soles. Multiwalled carbon nanotube additives could be incorporated at low weight percentages and low degree of crosslinking into EVA matrix to achieve lower density and enhanced energy repulsion and cushioning effects.
Improving the high temperature tribology of polyimide by molecular structure design and grafting POSS
Authors: Yin Yuhang , Song Jingfu , Zhao Gai , Ding Qingjun
Published: November 2021

In this paper, the method of enhancing glass transition temperature of polyimide (PI) composite for ultrasonic motor was employed from the three aspects by molecular dynamics simulation. First, polyimide with different molecular stiffness was designed and their mechanical and thermal properties were calculated after optimization. The simulated results showed that polyimide with stronger stiffness had higher glass transition temperature (Tg), higher Young's modulus and shear modulus. Besides, PI composite was designed by filling different proportional polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) to improve the thermostability continuously. Simulated results showed that the glass transition temperature of PI composites increased with an increase of POSS content. The third method was filling grafted POSS (POSS‐PI) with PI molecular into PI matrix to improve the compatibility. It was found that the thermal properties were slightly improved compared with PI filled with single POSS. PI composite with 9% POSS‐PI2 had the highest glass transition temperature. More importantly, the friction coefficient and the temperature rise on the friction interface were calculated and the result showed that the friction coefficient decreased with the increase of environment temperature. Finally, the improvement mechanism of grafted POSS was analyzed by extracting the energy of intermolecular interaction, mean square displacement, atomic relative concentration and velocity.
Unlocking the potential of boronsilicate glass passivation for industrial tunnel oxide passivated contact solar cells
Authors: Liao Baochen , Ge Jia , Wu Xinyuan , Wang Qiang , Yeo Reuben J. , Du Zheren
Published: November 2021

In this work, we present a breakthrough in boronsilicate glass (BSG) passivated industrial tunnel oxide passivated contact (i‐TOPCon) solar cells. We find that a high‐temperature firing process significantly improves the front side BSG passivation quality; however, the use of such high‐temperatures is undesirable for metallization as it could lead to more junction damage by the metal paste spikes. In this study, we present a simple and industrially viable method to resolve this dilemma. With a high‐temperature industrial firing activation step to maximize the potential of BSG passivation, a low emitter saturation current (J0e) of 34 fA/cm2 has been achieved, demonstrating excellent boron emitter passivation that is comparable to state‐of‐the‐art SiO2 and Al2O3‐based passivation methods on similar structures and boron emitters. Applying this solution to cell device, the open‐circuit voltage (Voc) is improved by about 6 mV, corresponding to an absolute cell efficiency improvement of about 0.2%. Furthermore, after activating the BSG passivation, a lower temperature paste could be used at the rear side which further improves the Voc by around 3 mV. Combined together, an overall improvement of Voc close to 10 mV is achieved, propelling the cell Voc into the 690‐mV era. The effectiveness of this solution was also verified in a mass production line, with average cell efficiencies of around 23.2% (0.5% more than the baseline) and a maximum cell efficiency and Voc of 23.4% and 693 mV, respectively. This work opens new routes for further improving conventional solar cell efficiencies, in particular for BSG‐passivated TOPCon solar cells.
Flame spread over n‐butanol fuel at sub‐flashpoint temperature with steps in the gas phase
Authors: Li Manhou , Hu Peiyuan , Wang Changjian , Liu Zhaotao
Published: November 2021

Flame spread over liquid fuel is an evitable process during the development of spilling liquid fires. The scale of the combustion zone may be expanded by the spreading fire, making the fire uncontrollable. Thus, the flame spread is a major threat to the process safety of the usage of liquid fuels. An experimental apparatus is designed to study the flame spread over n‐butanol under the effect of the gas step that is built by the low‐heat conductivity marbles. The flame morphology, flame resident time, and movement of subsurface liquid convection are measured under various widths and heights of the marble steps. The resident time is affected by the coupling effects of the viscous resistance of step and the heat loss to unburned fuel. The flame height is decreased by the width of the step but enhanced by the height of the step. The convective heat transfer through subsurface flow and flame radiation to the unburned fuel behind the step is calculated. The convective heat transfer rate accounts for more than 90% of the total heat transfer rate. This current finding provides a theoretical basis for the safety application and emergency management of liquid fuels.
A fungal Bipolaris bicolor strain as a potential bioherbicide for goosegrass (Eleusine indica) control
Authors: Xiao Wan , Li Jingjing , Zhang Yaxin , Guo Yanjing , Fang Wanping , Valverde Bernal E , Yin Juan , Qiang Sheng , Chen Shiguo
Published: November 2021

BACKGROUND

Tea, one of the most important commercial crops on earth, is strongly affected by weeds on productivity and quality. Bioherbicides are shedding new light on weed control in tea gardens in an economical and safe manner.

RESULTS

A pathogenic strain SYNJC‐2‐2 was isolated from diseased leaves of a noxious weed, goosegrass (Eleusine indica), from a tea garden in Zhejiang Province, China. It was identified as the fungal species Bipolaris bicolor based on the morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis. The potential of the B. bicolor strain SYNJC‐2‐2 as a bioherbicide was assessed by determining its efficacy to control weeds and selectivity to crops, its infection process and the influence of environmental conditions on conidial production and germination. The ED90 (effective dose of conidia resulting in 90 disease index) of SYNJC‐2‐2 on goosegrass was 2 × 104 conidia mL−1. Additionally, three Poaceae weeds, Setaria viridis, Microstegium vimineum and Pennisetum alopecuroides, were also extremely susceptible to SYNJC‐2‐2. SYNJC‐2‐2 was safe to 14 out of 17 crop species in nine families, especially tea plants. Conidial germination, hyphal growth and appressorial formation occurred within 3 to 6 h on goosegrass leaves. Hyphae invaded leaf tissues mainly through epidermal cell junctions and cracks, causing cell death and necrotic lesions within 2 days on inoculated leaves and killing goosegrass plants within 7 days. Furthermore, SYNJC‐2‐2 has a strong adaptability to environmental variables and high conidial production capacity on goosegrass juice agar media.

CONCLUSION

Bipolaris bicolor strain SYNJC‐2‐2 has the potential to be developed as a bioherbicide for controlling goosegrass, especially in tea gardens.
Cold pools over the Netherlands: A statistical study from tower and radar observations
Authors: Kruse Irene L. , Haerter Jan O. , Meyer Bettina
Published: November 2021

We provide a detailed analysis of convectively generated cold pools (CPs) over flat midlatitude land, combining ten‐year high‐frequency time series of measurements at several heights available from the 213‐m tower observatory at Cabauw, the Netherlands, with a collocated 2D radar rainfall dataset. This combination of data allows us to relate observations of the CP's temporal and vertical structure to the properties of each CP's parent rain cell, which we identify by rain‐cell tracking. Using a new detection method, based on the anomalies of both the vertically averaged wind and the temperature, we monitor the arrival and passing of 189 CPs during ten summers (2010–2019). The time series show a clear signature of vortex‐like motion along the leading CP edge in the vertical and horizontal wind measurements. The arrival of CP gust fronts is characterized by a steep decrease in both temperature and moisture, with a recovery time of approximately two hours. We see no evidence of moisture rings on the gust front edge, and therefore no indications for thermodynamic convective triggering. From the tower data, we obtain a median CP temperature drop of and a height‐averaged horizontal wind anomaly of  4.4 ms. Relating the individual CP's horizontal wind anomalies and temperature drops, we confirm the validity of the theoretical density current relationship, . We further propose a simple statistical model to relate the CP strength defined by to the environmental properties influencing the CP: rain intensity and lower boundary‐layer saturation. A multivariate linear regression suggests a colder CP for a 4 mmhr more intense rain cell (instantaneous area‐averaged rain intensity) or for a larger pre‐CP dew‐point depression.
A novel EWMA mean chart with its extensions
Authors: Haq Abdul , Iqbal Shahid , Khoo Michael B. C.
Published: November 2021

The EWMA chart is an advanced process monitoring tool because of its sensitive nature against small and moderate shifts that occur in the process parameter(s). In this paper, with a transformation related to the Brownian motion, we propose novel EWMA, double EWMA, triple EWMA, and quadruple EWMA charts for monitoring the mean of a process that follows a normal distribution. The Monte Carlo simulations are used to compute the run length properties of the proposed charts. Based on a comparative study, it is found that the newly proposed charts are uniformly and substantially better than their existing counterparts when detecting different kinds of shifts in the process mean. Real datasets are also considered to demonstrate the implementation of the proposed charts.
Switching from omalizumab to mepolizumab therapy improved extra‐pulmonary abdominal and cutaneous vasculitis symptoms in a patient with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis
Authors: Chen Yu‐Hsuan , Kuo Ping‐Hung
Published: November 2021

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a systemic vasculitis of small‐to‐medium‐sized vessels. Both eosinophilic infiltration and vasculitis are thought to contribute to multi‐organ damage. Some biologics have been used to reduce the required dose of corticosteroids in EGPA, but no single agent can ensure a complete control of this disease. Here, we describe a patient with anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies‐negative relapsing EGPA whose asthma control was improved by omalizumab, but she continued to develop flares of abdominal and cutaneous vasculitis symptoms. After switching to mepolizumab therapy, her blood hypereosinophilia and extra‐pulmonary symptoms were significantly improved. Moreover, the dose of daily maintenance corticosteroid could be tapered off. The experience from our case suggests that biologics targeting interleukin‐5 may be more effective than omalizumab in the management of extra‐thoracic manifestations in EGPA.
Low‐Cost Dopant‐Free Carbazole Enamine Hole‐Transporting Materials for Thermally Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Zhou Suer , Daskeviciene Maryte , Steponaitis Matas , Bubniene Giedre , Jankauskas Vygintas , Schutt Kelly , Holzhey Philippe , Marshall Ashley R. , Caprioglio Pietro , Christoforo Grey , Ball James M. , Malinauskas Tadas , Getautis Vytautas , Snaith Henry J.
Published: November 2021

Perovskite solar cells deliver high efficiencies, but are often made from high‐cost bespoke chemicals, such as the archetypical hole‐conductor, 2,2′,7,7′‐tetrakis(N,N‐di‐p‐methoxy‐phenylamine)‐9‐9′‐spirobifluorene (spiro‐OMeTAD). Herein, new charge‐transporting carbazole‐based enamine molecules are reported. The new hole conductors do not require chemical oxidation to reach high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) when employed in n‐type‐intrinsic‐p‐type perovskite solar cells; thus, reducing the risk of moisture degrading the perovskite layer through the hydrophilicity of oxidizing additives that are typically used with conventional hole conductors. Devices made with these new undoped carbazole‐based enamines achieve comparable PCEs to those employing doped spiro‐OMeTAD, and greatly enhanced stability under 85 °C thermal aging; maintaining 83% of their peak efficiency after 1000 h, compared with spiro‐OMeTAD‐based devices that degrade to 26% of the peak PCE within 24 h. Furthermore, the carbazole‐based enamines can be synthesized without the use of organometallic catalysts and complicated purification techniques, lowering the material cost by one order of magnitude compared with spiro‐OMeTAD. As a result, we calculate that the overall manufacturing costs of future photovoltaic (PV) modules are reduced, making the levelized cost of electricity competitive with silicon PV modules.
Nekrotisierende Myositis des Oberschenkels
Authors: Schmitz Paul , Hausmann Nadine
Published: November 2021

Infektionen des muskuloskeletalen Systems sind in der Unfallchirurgie mitunter die Krankheitsbilder, die Patienten am gravierendsten beeinträchtigen, Ärzte fachlich sowie Kliniken und das Gesundheitssystem ökonomisch herausfordern. Das systemische „Capillary-leak“-Syndrom (SCLS) ist ein seltenes idiopathisches Syndrom, welches auch bei harmlosen Infektionen fulminante lebensbedrohliche Verläufe provozieren kann. Neben einer übersichtlichen Darstellung des SCLS wird über einen betroffenen Patienten, der infolge einer instabilen Narbe eine nekrotisierende Myositis des Oberschenkels entwickelte, berichtet.
Maßgeschneiderte Sanierungsverfahren für die Tunnelentwässerung – DrainRepair
Authors: Arbeiter Florian , Schachinger Tobias , Wenighofer Robert , Rieß Giesbert , Steiner Michael , Schoen Andreas , Griebaum Michael , Laufer Viktor , Galler Robert
Published: November 2021

Drainagesysteme dienen in druckwasserentlasteten Tunnelbauwerken der permanenten konzentrierten Ableitung des anfallenden Grundwassers. Zur Sicherstellung der Funktionstüchtigkeit der Bauwerke müssen diese Drainagen in regelmäßigen Abständen gewartet und gereinigt werden. Vor allem bei schwer lösbaren Versinterungen kann es durch intensive Reinigung auch zu Schäden an den Drainage-Rohren selbst kommen. Je nach auftretendem Schadensbild können diese defekten Rohre im schlimmsten Fall sogar eine Bedrohung für das gesamte Bauwerk darstellen. Aus diesem Grund ist es unerlässlich, beschädigte Drainage-Rohre zeitnah instand zu setzen.

Aus dem Bereich der kommunalen Wasserwirtschaft und dem Kanalwesen sind einige Verfahren, die zur grabenlosen Sanierung von Rohren standardmäßig eingesetzt werden können, bekannt. Das Problem bestehender Verfahren ist, dass diese die spezifischen tunnelbaulichen Aspekte, wie die benötigte Drainagewirkung, eingeschränkte Zutrittsmöglichkeiten über Putzschächte, keine komplette Absperrmöglichkeit des Drainagewassers, intensivere Reinigungsarbeiten etc. bis dato meist nicht berücksichtigen.
Die künstliche Intelligenz im Einsatz zur adaptiven Planung von Injektionsmaßnahmen im Tunnelbau (Forschungsprojekt AVANT)
Authors: Villeneuve Marlene , Wenighofer Robert , Könemann Frank , Thienert Christian , Klaproth Christoph , Gabriel Patrick , Ouschan Michael
Published: November 2021

Für Vortriebe können Injektionen zur Baugrundverbesserung sowie zur Abdichtung des Tunnelbauwerks erforderlich sein. Häufig schränken diese Maßnahmen die Vortriebsgeschwindigkeit gravierend ein, weswegen deren effiziente Vorausplanung bedeutsam ist. Injektionen eignen sich bei wechselhaften Bedingungen besonders, weil sie mit vergleichsweise einfachen Baugeräten flexibel durchgeführt werden können. Zusätzlich ermöglicht die Flexibilität ein fortwährendes Anpassen der Bohr- und Injektionsparameter während der Durchführung. Dies kann die regelmäßige Anpassung des Bohrschemas, der -länge sowie der Injektionsparameter, des Injektionsmaterials und Abbruchkriteriums bedeuten.

Die Möglichkeit maschinenbasierter, datengetriebener Maßnahmen mittels künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) wird im Forschungsprojekt AVANT untersucht. Ein Forschungskonsortium, bestehend aus den deutschen Partnern STUVA e. V., geoteam Ingenieurges. m.b.H. und den österreichischen Partnern eguana GmbH, Montanuniversität Leoben und Züblin Spezialtiefbau Ges.m.b.H., nimmt sich dieser Aufgabe an.

Digitale Systeme zur Datenaufzeichnung sind nun auch im Bereich der Bohr- und Injektionstechnologie vorzufinden. Diese Systeme werden derzeit vorwiegend in der Dokumentation im Rahmen des Qualitätsmanagements eingesetzt. Im Projekt AVANT werden diese Daten untersucht, um einen effizienteren und somit wirtschaftlicheren Vortrieb sowie deren begleitende Injektionsmaßnahmen zu ermöglichen. Die zentrale Idee ist die Prozessierung der Bohr- und Injektionsdaten auf der Baustelle untertage sowie deren Einbindung im nachfolgenden Bauprozess, anstatt sie wie üblich ausschließlich zu Dokumentationszwecken zu archivieren. Konkret sollen die einzelnen Prozessschritte in eine dynamische echtzeitfähige Verarbeitung eingebettet werden. Dazu werden Methoden der künstlichen Intelligenz auf Bohr- und Injektionsdaten angewandt.

Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird das Konzept des Projekts AVANT erläutert, und es werden erste Ergebnisse aus den Aufbereitungen der Datenquelle entsprechend den Algorithmen der künstlichen Intelligenz und deren Einschränkungen dargelegt. Der Beitrag beleuchtet tiefer gehend die nötige Grundlagenarbeit, um die Daten für die Prozessierung aufzubereiten und sie in eine KI-Trainingsumgebung zu überführen.
Like It or Not: When Corporate Social Responsibility Does Not Attract Potential Applicants
Authors: Jakob Eva Alexandra , Steinmetz Holger , Wehner Marius Claus , Engelhardt Christina , Kabst Rüdiger
Published: November 2021

Companies increasingly recognize the importance of communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR) including their engagement toward employees, the community, the environment and other stakeholder groups to attract applicants. The positive findings on the effect of CSR on applicants’ reactions are commonly based on the assumption that companies send a clear signal about their commitment to CSR. However, communication is always contextualized and has become more ambiguous through the increased availability of information online. External stakeholders including actual and potential applicants are confronted with inconsistencies between the way companies communicate CSR activities and their overall CSR performance. Drawing on signaling theory, this article raises the question of how the interaction between strong CSR communication and low CSR performance influences organizational attractiveness. We propose that low CSR performance dampens the effect of CSR communication on organizational attractiveness. Hence, the inconsistency between CSR communication and CSR performance decreases organizational attractiveness. To test our hypotheses, we scraped 67,189 posts published on corporate Facebook career pages by 58 Fortune 500 companies from the time they began their respective career page until June 2018. Surprisingly, our results show that a low CSR performance strengthens the effect of CSR communication on organizational attractiveness. Thus, inconsistencies between CSR communication and CSR performance seem to lead to positive evaluations among applicants.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: IRE1α-XBP1 but not PERK inhibition exerts anti-tumor activity in osteosarcoma
Authors: Sasa Keita , Saito Tsuyoshi , Kurihara Taisei , Hasegawa Nobuhiko , Sano Kei , Kubota Daisuke , Akaike Keisuke , Okubo Taketo , Hayashi Takuo , Takagi Tatsuya , Yao Takashi , Ishijima Muneaki , Suehara Yoshiyuki
Published: November 2021

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor. However, the therapeutic results of the advanced cases at the first visit were still extremely poor. Therefore, more effective therapeutic options based on molecular profiling of OS are needed. In this study, we investigated the functions of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress activities in OS and elucidated whether ER stress inhibitors could exert antitumor effects. The expression of 84 key genes associated with unfolded protein response (UPR) was assessed in four OS cells (143B, MG63, U2OS and KHOS) by RT2 Profiler PCR Arrays. Based on results, we performed both siRNA and inhibitor assays focusing on IRE1α-XBP1 and PERK pathways. All OS cell lines showed resistance to PERK inhibitors. Furthermore, ATF4 and EIF2A inhibition by siRNA did not affect the survival of OS cell lines. On the other hand, IRE1α-XBP1 inhibition by toyocamycin suppressed OS cell growth (IC50: < 0.075 μM) and cell viability was suppressed in all OS cell lines by silencing XBP1 expression. The expression of XBP1s and XBP1u in OS cell lines and OS surgical samples were confirmed using qPCR. In MG63 and U2OS, toyocamycin decreased the expression level of XBP1s induced by tunicamycin. On the other hand, in 143B and KHOS, stimulation by toyocamycin did not clearly change the expression level of XBP1s induced by tunicamycin. However, morphological apoptotic changes and caspase activation were observed in these two cell lines. Inhibition of the IRE1α-XBP1s pathway is expected to be a promising new target for OS.
Sweet spots prediction through fracture genesis using multi-scale geological and geophysical data in the karst reservoirs of Cambrian Longwangmiao Carbonate Formation, Moxi-Gaoshiti area in Sichuan Basin, South China
Authors: Jiang Ren , Zhao Lun , Xu Anzhu , Ashraf Umar , Yin Jiquan , Song Heng , Su Nan , Du Bingyi , Anees Aqsa
Published: November 2021

Fractures play a vital role in reservoir transformation, but the distribution of faults and fractures is difficult to obtain by observing cores, which ultimately limits the effective development of gas dolomite reservoirs. We propose an integrated method that incorporates thin-section observations, three-dimensional (3D) seismic data, and image logs to interpret the distribution of faults and fractures of Cambrian Longwangmiao Carbonate Formation to predict potential development areas in the Moxi-Gaoshiti area of the Sichuan Basin, South China. Firstly, the faults were well interpreted by using the automatic tracking and 3D visualization technique based on the new seismic combination attribute of symmetry and ant tracking. Secondly, a comprehensive analysis was conducted using the thin sections, paleogeomorphology, and in situ test results to determine the fracture types (corrosion and structural fractures). The results help us to find potential sweet spot zones with good permeabilities, which is of great significance in reducing the risk of water production of drilled wells in the field development.
Quantum Support Vector Machines for Continuum Suppression in B Meson Decays
Authors: Heredge Jamie , Hill Charles , Hollenberg Lloyd , Sevior Martin
Published: November 2021

Quantum computers have the potential to speed up certain computational tasks. A possibility this opens up within the field of machine learning is the use of quantum techniques that may be inefficient to simulate classically but could provide superior performance in some tasks. Machine learning algorithms are ubiquitous in particle physics and as advances are made in quantum machine learning technology there may be a similar adoption of these quantum techniques. In this work a quantum support vector machine (QSVM) is implemented for signal-background classification. We investigate the effect of different quantum encoding circuits, the process that transforms classical data into a quantum state, on the final classification performance. We show an encoding approach that achieves an average Area Under Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) of 0.848 determined using quantum circuit simulations. For this same dataset the best classical method tested, a classical Support Vector Machine (SVM) using the Radial Basis Function (RBF) Kernel achieved an AUC of 0.793. Using a reduced version of the dataset we then ran the algorithm on the IBM Quantum ibmq_casablanca device achieving an average AUC of 0.703. As further improvements to the error rates and availability of quantum computers materialise, they could form a new approach for data analysis in high energy physics.
Zystische Pankreastumore – eine diagnostische und therapeutische Herausforderung
Authors: Metzger Jürg
Published: November 2021

Zusammenfassung. Die Inzidenz von neu diagnostizierten zystischen Pankreasneoplasien hat deutlich zugenommen. Die korrekte Diagnosestellung und eine adäquate Therapie sind anspruchsvoll. Die schwierigste Gruppe sind die intraduktalen papillären muzinösen Neoplasien (IPMN) vom Seitengang-Typ. Risiken der Pankreaschirurgie müssen gegen das potenzielle Malignitätsrisiko abgewogen werden.
Acupuncture versus cognitive behavioral therapy for pain among cancer survivors with insomnia: an exploratory analysis of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Yang Mingxiao , Liou Kevin T. , Garland Sheila N. , Bao Ting , Hung Tony K. W. , Li Susan Q. , Li Yuelin , Mao Jun J.
Published: November 2021

Pain and insomnia often co-occur and impair the quality of life in cancer survivors. This study evaluated the effect of acupuncture versus cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) on pain severity among cancer survivors with comorbid pain and insomnia. Using data from the CHOICE trial that compared acupuncture versus CBT-I for insomnia among cancer survivors, we analyzed the effect of interventions on pain outcomes in 70 patients with moderate to severe baseline pain. Interventions were delivered over eight weeks. We assessed average pain severity (primary outcome) and pain interference at baseline, week 8, and week 20. We further defined insomnia and pain responders as patients who achieved clinically meaningful improvement in insomnia and pain outcomes, respectively, at week 8. We found that compared with baseline, the between-group difference (-1.0, 95% CI -1.8 to -0.2) was statistically significant favoring acupuncture for reduced pain severity at week 8 (-1.4, 95% CI -2.0 to -0.8) relative to CBT-I (-0.4, 95% CI-1.0 to 0.2). Responder analysis showed that 1) with acupuncture, insomnia responders reported significantly greater pain reduction from baseline to week 4, compared with insomnia non-responders (-1.5, 95% CI -2.7 to -0.3); 2) with CBT-I, pain responders reported significantly greater insomnia reduction at week 8, compared with pain non-responders (-4.7, 95% CI -8.7 to -1.0). These findings suggest that among cancer survivors with comorbid pain and insomnia, acupuncture led to rapid pain reductions, which contributed to a decrease in insomnia, whereas CBT-I had a delayed effect on pain, possibly achieved by insomnia improvement.
Photoinduced anisotropic lattice dynamic response and domain formation in thermoelectric SnSe
Authors: Wang Wei , Wu Lijun , Li Junjie , Aryal Niraj , Jin Xilian , Liu Yu , Fedurin Mikhail , Babzien Marcus , Kupfer Rotem , Palmer Mark , Petrovic Cedomir , Yin Weiguo , Dean Mark P. M. , Robinson Ian K. , Tao Jing , Zhu Yimei
Published: November 2021

Identifying and understanding the mechanisms behind strong phonon–phonon scattering in condensed matter systems is critical to maximizing the efficiency of thermoelectric devices. To date, the leading method to address this has been to meticulously survey the full phonon dispersion of the material in order to isolate modes with anomalously large linewidth and temperature-dependence. Here we combine quantitative MeV ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) analysis with Monte Carlo based dynamic diffraction simulation and first-principles calculations to directly unveil the soft, anharmonic lattice distortions of model thermoelectric material SnSe. A small single-crystal sample is photoexcited with ultrafast optical pulses and the soft, anharmonic lattice distortions are isolated using MeV-UED as those associated with long relaxation time and large displacements. We reveal that these modes have interlayer shear strain character, induced mainly by c-axis atomic displacements, resulting in domain formation in the transient state. These findings provide an innovative approach to identify mechanisms for ultralow and anisotropic thermal conductivity and a promising route to optimizing thermoelectric devices.
A single dose, BCG-adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine provides sterilising immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Counoupas Claudio , Johansen Matt D. , Stella Alberto O. , Nguyen Duc H. , Ferguson Angela L. , Aggarwal Anupriya , Bhattacharyya Nayan D. , Grey Alice , Hutchings Owen , Patel Karishma , Siddiquee Rezwan , Stewart Erica L. , Feng Carl G. , Hansbro Nicole G. , Palendira Umaimainthan , Steain Megan C. , Saunders Bernadette M. , Low Jason K. K. , Mackay Joel P. , Kelleher Anthony D. , Britton Warwick J. , Turville Stuart G. , Hansbro Philip M. , Triccas James A.
Published: November 2021

Global control of COVID-19 requires broadly accessible vaccines that are effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants. In this report, we exploit the immunostimulatory properties of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the existing tuberculosis vaccine, to deliver a vaccination regimen with potent SARS-CoV-2-specific protective immunity. Combination of BCG with a stabilised, trimeric form of SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen promoted rapid development of virus-specific IgG antibodies in the blood of vaccinated mice, that was further augmented by the addition of alum. This vaccine formulation, BCG:CoVac, induced high-titre SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies (NAbs) and Th1-biased cytokine release by vaccine-specific T cells, which correlated with the early emergence of T follicular helper cells in local lymph nodes and heightened levels of antigen-specific plasma B cells after vaccination. Vaccination of K18-hACE2 mice with a single dose of BCG:CoVac almost completely abrogated disease after SARS-CoV-2 challenge, with minimal inflammation and no detectable virus in the lungs of infected animals. Boosting BCG:CoVac-primed mice with a heterologous vaccine further increased SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody responses, which effectively neutralised B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. These findings demonstrate the potential for BCG-based vaccination to protect against major SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating globally.
GABA administration improves liver function and insulin resistance in offspring of type 2 diabetic rats
Authors: Hosseini Dastgerdi Azadehalsadat , Sharifi Mohammadreza , Soltani Nepton
Published: November 2021

This study investigated the role of GABA in attenuating liver insulin resistance (IR) in type 2 diabetes parents and reducing its risk in their descendants’ liver. Both sexes’ rats were divided into four groups of non-diabetic control, diabetic control (DC), GABA-treated (GABA), and insulin-treated (Ins). The study duration lasted for six months and the young animals followed for four months. Consequently, hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp was performed for all animals. Apart from insulin tolerance test (ITT), serum and liver lipid profile were measured in all groups. Glycogen levels, expression of Foxo1, Irs2, Akt2, and Pepck genes in the liver were assessed for all groups. Overall, GABA improved ITT, increased liver glycogen levels and decreased lipid profile, blood glucose level, and HbA1c in parents and their offspring in compared to the DC group. GIR also increased in both parents and their offspring by GABA. Moreover, the expression of Foxo1, Irs2, Akt2, and Pepck genes improved in GABA-treated parents and their descendants in compared to DC group. Results indicated that GABA reduced liver IR in both parents and their offspring via affecting their liver insulin signaling and gluconeogenesis pathways.
Anti-inflammatory effect of gold nanoparticles supported on metal oxides
Authors: Fujita Takashi , Zysman Maeva , Elgrabli Dan , Murayama Toru , Haruta Masatake , Lanone Sophie , Ishida Tamao , Boczkowski Jorge
Published: November 2021

Gold (Au) can be deposited as nanoparticles (NPs) smaller than 10 nm in diameter on a variety of metal oxide (MOx) NPs. Au/MOx have high catalytic performance and selective oxidation capacity which could have implications in terms of biological activity, and more specifically in modulation of the inflammatory reaction. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effect of Au/TiO2, Au/ZrO2 and Au/CeO2 on viability, phagocytic capacity and inflammatory profile (TNF-α and IL-1β secretion) of murine macrophages. The most important result of this study is an anti-inflammatory effect of Au/MOx depending on the MOx nature with particle internalization and no alteration of cell viability and phagocytosis. The effect was dependent on the MOx NPs chemical nature (Au/TiO2 > Au/ZrO2 > Au/CeO2 if we consider the number of cytokines whose concentration was reduced by the NPs), and on the inflammatory mediator considered. The effect of Au/TiO2 NPs was not related to Au NPs size (at least in the case of Au/TiO2 NPs in the range of 3–8 nm). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an anti-inflammatory effect of Au/MOx.
Video encryption/compression using compressive coded rotating mirror camera
Authors: Matin Amir , Wang Xu
Published: November 2021

Compressive coded rotating mirror (CCRM) camera is a novel high-speed imaging system that operates under amplitude optical encoding and frame sweeping modalities in a passive imaging mode that is capable of reconstructing 1400 frames from a single shot image acquisition and achieves the highest compression ratio of 368 compared to the other compressive sensing (CS) based single-shot imaging modalities. The integrated optical encoding and compression adds a strong layer of encryption on the observed data and facilitates the integration of the CCRM camera with the imaging applications that require highly efficient data encryption and compression due to capturing highly sensitive data or limited transmission and storage capacities. CCRM uses amplitude encoding that significantly extends the key space where the probability of having the exact encoder pattern is estimated as$$P\left( A\right) \ =\ 1/{10}^{122,500}$$PA=1/10122,500, hence drastically reducing the possibility of data recovery in a brute force manner. Data reconstruction is achieved under CS based algorithms where the obtained amplitude-based pattern from optical encoder operates as the key in the recovery process. Reconstruction on the experimental as well as the synthetic data at various compression ratios demonstrate that the estimated key with less than 95$$\%$$%matching elements were unable to recover the data where the achieved averaged structural similarity (SSIM) of 0.25 before 95$$\%$$%encoder similarity and 0.85 SSIM at 100$$\%$$%encoder similarity demonstrates the high-sensitivity of the proposed optical encryption technique.
Inhibition of SYK and cSrc kinases can protect bone and cartilage in preclinical models of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Novikov F. N. , Panova M. V. , Titov I. Y. , Stroylov V. S. , Stroganov O. V. , Chilov G. G.
Published: November 2021

The pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA) includes the destruction of subchondral bone tissue and inflammation of the synovium. Thus, an effective disease-modifying treatment should act on both of these pathogenetic components. It is known that cSrc kinase is involved in bone and cartilage remodeling, and SYK kinase is associated with the inflammatory component. Thus the aim of this study was to characterize the mechanism of action and efficacy of a small molecule multikinase inhibitor MT-SYK-03 targeting SYK and cSrc kinases among others in different in vitro and in vivo arthritis models. The selectivity of MT-SYK-03 kinase inhibition was assayed on a panel of 341 kinases. The compound was evaluated in a set of in vitro models of OA and in vivo OA and RA models: surgically-induced arthritis (SIA), monosodium iodoacetate-induced arthritis (MIA), collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). MT-SYK-03 inhibited cSrc and SYK with IC50 of 14.2 and 23 nM respectively. Only five kinases were inhibited > 90% at 500 nM of MT-SYK-03. In in vitro OA models MT-SYK-03 reduced hypertrophic changes of chondrocytes, bone resorption, and inhibited SYK-mediated inflammatory signaling. MT-SYK-03 showed preferential distribution to joint and bone tissue (in rats) and revealed disease-modifying activity in vivo by halving the depth of cartilage erosion in rat SIA model, and increasing the pain threshold in rat MIA model. Chondroprotective and antiresorptive effects were shown in a monotherapy regime and in combination with methotrexate (MTX) in murine and rat CIA models; an immune-mediated inflammation in rat AIA model was decreased. The obtained preclinical data support inhibition of cSrc and SYK as a viable strategy for disease-modifying treatment of OA. A Phase 2 clinical study of MT-SYK-03 is to be started.
Seasonal variation of dry and wet islands in Beijing considering urban artificial water dissipation
Authors: Luo Zhuoran , Liu Jiahong , Zhang Yongxiang , Zhou Jinjun , Shao Weiwei , Yu Yingdong , Jia Ruitao
Published: November 2021

Urbanization has resulted in dry/wet island effects in built-up areas. Compared to the limited number of observational datasets, simulations can provide data with richer spatial distribution, thereby proving to be more helpful for revealing the spatial distribution of dry/wet islands. This study simulated dry/wet island effects during typical summer and winter conditions in Beijing by coupling the Artificial Water Dissipation Urban Canopy Model with the Weather Research and Forecasting model. Observations of relative humidity, absolute humidity, and temperature from weather stations in Beijing were used to verify the model. The results showed that in 2020, Beijing was prone to be a dry island during summer, with the relative humidity approximately 5–10% lower than the surrounding suburbs. The dry island effect was not obvious in winter, and Beijing tended to be a wet island. The influence of artificial water dissipation on dry/wet islands is higher in winter than in summer. By considering the water vapor from artificial water dissipation, humidity in urban areas can be simulated more accurately.
Infrared nanoscopy and tomography of intracellular structures
Authors: Kanevche Katerina , Burr David J. , Nürnberg Dennis J. , Hass Pascal K. , Elsaesser Andreas , Heberle Joachim
Published: November 2021

Although techniques such as fluorescence-based super-resolution imaging or confocal microscopy simultaneously gather both morphological and chemical data, these techniques often rely on the use of localized and chemically specific markers. To eliminate this flaw, we have developed a method of examining cellular cross sections using the imaging power of scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy at a spatial resolution far beyond the diffraction limit. Herewith, nanoscale surface and volumetric chemical imaging is performed using the intrinsic contrast generated by the characteristic absorption of mid-infrared radiation by the covalent bonds. We employ infrared nanoscopy to study the subcellular structures of eukaryotic (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) and prokaryotic (Escherichia coli) species, revealing chemically distinct regions within each cell such as the microtubular structure of the flagellum. Serial 100 nm-thick cellular cross-sections were compiled into a tomogram yielding a three-dimensional infrared image of subcellular structure distribution at 20 nm resolution. The presented methodology is able to image biological samples complementing current fluorescence nanoscopy but at less interference due to the low energy of infrared radiation and the absence of labeling.
Staphylococcus aureus injection drug use-associated bloodstream infections are propagated by community outbreaks of diverse lineages
Authors: Marks Laura R. , Calix Juan J. , Wildenthal John A. , Wallace Meghan A. , Sawhney Sanjam S. , Ransom Eric M. , Durkin Michael J. , Henderson Jeffrey P. , Burnham Carey-Ann D. , Dantas Gautam
Published: November 2021

Background

The ongoing injection drug use (IDU) crisis in the United States has been complicated by an emerging epidemic of Staphylococcus aureus IDU-associated bloodstream infections (IDU-BSI).

Methods

We performed a case-control study comparing S. aureus IDU-BSI and non-IDU BSI cases identified in a large US Midwestern academic medical center between Jan 1, 2016 and Dec 21, 2019. We obtained the whole-genome sequences of 154 S. aureus IDU-BSI and 91 S. aureus non-IDU BSI cases, which were matched with clinical data. We performed phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses to investigate clonal expansion of lineages and molecular features characteristic of IDU-BSI isolates.

Results

Here we show that patients with IDU-BSI experience longer durations of bacteremia and have lower medical therapy completion rates. In phylogenetic analyses, 45/154 and 1/91 contemporaneous IDU-BSI and non-IDU BSI staphylococcal isolates, respectively, group into multiple, unique clonal clusters, revealing that pathogen community transmission distinctively spurs IDU-BSI. Lastly, multiple S. aureus lineages deficient in canonical virulence genes are overrepresented among IDU-BSI, which may contribute to the distinguishable clinical presentation of IDU-BSI cases.

Conclusions

We identify clonal expansion of multiple S. aureus lineages among IDU-BSI isolates, but not non-IDU BSI isolates, in a community with limited access to needle exchange facilities. In the setting of expanding numbers of staphylococcal IDU-BSI cases consideration should be given to treating IDU-associated invasive staphylococcal infections as a communicable disease.
Graphene supported single metal atom catalysts for the efficient hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline media
Authors: Zhao Lianming , Han Xiaonan , Kong Weichao , Tong Yanfu , Ding Yanping , Wang Jiajun , Li Bingyu , Liu Yonghui , Xu Jing , Xing Wei
Published: November 2021

Single Pt and Ni atoms anchored on the divacancy graphene exhibit both high activity and superior antioxidant capacity for the hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline fuel cells.
Electrocatalysis enabled transformation of earth-abundant water, nitrogen and carbon dioxide for a sustainable future
Authors: Liu Kaili , Cao Pengfei , Chen Wei , Ezeh Collins I. , Chen Zijian , Luo Yonglan , Liu Qian , Zhao Haitao , Rui Zhenhua , Gao Shuyan , Yin Zongyou , Sun Xuping , Yu Xuefeng
Published: November 2021

This review summarizes the recent advances in the development of electrocatalysts to facilitate the conversion of H2O, N2and CO2into essential global products, providing an in-depth understanding of the design of high-performance electrocatalysts.
Organocatalytic synthesis of (Het)biaryl scaffolds via photoinduced intra/intermolecular C(sp2)–H arylation by 2-pyridone derivatives
Authors: Das Tapas Kumar , Kundu Mrinalkanti , Mondal Biswajit , Ghosh Prasanjit , Das Sajal
Published: November 2021

A unique N,O-bidentate ligand 6-oxo-1,6-dihydro-pyridone-2-carboxylic acid dimethylamide (L1) catalyzed direct C(sp2)–H arylation of unactivated arenes has been developed to expedite access to (Het)biaryl scaffolds under UV-irradiation.
Dispiroacridine-indacenobisthiophene positional isomers: impact of the bridge on the physicochemical properties
Authors: Peltier Jean-David , Heinrich Benoît , Donnio Bertrand , Ibraikulov Olzhas A. , Heiser Thomas , Leclerc Nicolas , Rault-Berthelot Joëlle , Poriel Cyril
Published: November 2021

We report the influence of positional isomerism on the electronic, photophysical, physical and charge transport properties of dispiroacridine-indacenobisthiophene positional isomers.