bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vehicular mobility patterns and their applications to Internet-of-Vehicles: a comprehensive survey
Authors: Cui Qimei , Hu Xingxing , Ni Wei , Tao Xiaofeng , Zhang Ping , Chen Tao , Chen Kwang-Cheng , Haenggi Martin
Published: November 2022

With the growing popularity of the Internet-of-Vehicles (IoV), it is of pressing necessity to understand transportation traffic patterns and their impact on wireless network designs and operations. Vehicular mobility patterns and traffic models are the keys to assisting a wide range of analyses and simulations in these applications. This study surveys the status quo of vehicular mobility models, with a focus on recent advances in the last decade. To provide a comprehensive and systematic review, the study first puts forth a requirement-model-application framework in the IoV or general communication and transportation networks. Existing vehicular mobility models are categorized into vehicular distribution, vehicular traffic, and driving behavior models. Such categorization has a particular emphasis on the random patterns of vehicles in space, traffic flow models aligned to road maps, and individuals’ driving behaviors (e.g., lane-changing and car-following). The different categories of the models are applied to various application scenarios, including underlying network connectivity analysis, off-line network optimization, online network functionality, and real-time autonomous driving. Finally, several important research opportunities arise and deserve continuing research efforts, such as holistic designs of deep learning platforms which take the model parameters of vehicular mobility as input features, qualification of vehicular mobility models in terms of representativeness and completeness, and new hybrid models incorporating different categories of vehicular mobility models to improve the representativeness and completeness.
Where limits to growth are tangible: the olive sector in Jaén and its bioeconomic future
Authors: Koch Philip
Published: November 2022

The olive sector in Jaén in the South of Spain serves as an example of what happens when a centuries-old bio-based economy reaches its biophysical limits. The Andalusian Bioeconomy Strategy seeks to reform the sector by modernizing it, i.e. investing in technological innovation and increasing the efficiency of mechanization. This paper first considers recent data on the olive sector in Jaén before comparing its historical evolution with the demands of the 2018 Andalusian Bioeconomy Strategy. The comparison yields several results: first, the history of olive cultivation in the province is characterized by a strong peasantry that continuously grew on a large scale and consisted of thousands of small farmers; thus, it is not a typical story of land concentration and technological modernization. Second, there is potential for conflict between what the paper depicts as a historical, “old” bioeconomy and the bioeconomy envisioned by the Andalusian strategy.
The Role of Depression on Treatment Adherence in Patients with Heart Failure–a Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Poletti Valentina , Pagnini Francesco , Banfi Paolo , Volpato Eleonora
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Although poor medication adherence is considered an impacting risk factor for worsening heart failure (HF) outcomes, adherence rates in HF patients continue to be considerably low. To improve this condition, several studies investigated the impact of many determinants on medication adherence; however, few authors explored the role of depression on it.

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this systematic review was to explore the association between depressive symptoms and medication adherence in HF patients. In particular, the research question was is depression a barrier to medication adherence in HF patients?

Methods

A systematic review of quantitative analysis studies was undertaken. Six electronic databases were searched between the end of October and March 2022. Thirty-one trials were included, all of them assessed depression, adherence to medication, and their possible relationship.

Results

As was intended, findings showed that the impact of a mild to moderate level of depression was significant on adherence to treatment in HF patients. However, many other risk factors emerged, like family support and health practices (es. low sodium diet).

Conclusion

The detection of depression in the setting of HF should be crucial to HF patients’ physical health and quality of life. Future research should take depression into account, exploring this area through self-report and qualitative interview as well.
Morele dilemma’s rond gelijke kansen op gezondheid
Authors: Haverkamp Beatrijs , Verweij Marcel
Published: November 2022

Samenvatting

In het kader van kansengelijkheid is het verbeteren van de gezondheid van achtergestelde groepen voor gemeenten een belangrijke maar lastige opdracht. Naast gebrek aan kennis over wat effectieve interventies zijn, kan er ook onzekerheid zijn over de vraag wat moreel gezien eigenlijk het beste is om te doen. Om een beeld te krijgen van deze ‘morele obstakels’ inventariseerden we bij de afdeling Volksgezondheid van de gemeente Utrecht welke ethische dilemma’s medewerkers tegenkomen in hun streven naar gelijke kansen op gezondheid. Op basis van vier dilemmabesprekingen met gemeentemedewerkers en filosofische literatuur over rechtvaardigheid, formuleren we hier vijf inzichten over wat het concreet betekent om in de gemeentelijke volksgezondheidspraktijk gelijke kansen op gezondheid te bevorderen. Te weten 1) kansengelijkheid bevorderen vereist dat medewerkers in de beleidspraktijk morele afwegingen maken; 2) kansengelijkheid vraagt om balanceren tussen idealisme en realisme; 3) feitelijke kansengelijkheid vereist meer dan formele kansengelijkheid; 4) kansengelijkheid kunnen we het beste bevorderen door prioriteit te geven aan degenen die het slechtst af zijn; 5) kansengelijkheid bevorderen vraagt om paternalisme. Deze inzichten, samen met de gebruikte gespreksstructuur, kunnen gemeentemedewerkers ondersteunen bij het maken van keuzen die bijdragen aan gelijke kansen op gezondheid.
New thiophene derivative augments the antitumor activity of γ-irradiation against colorectal cancer in mice via anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic pathways
Authors: ElBakary Nermeen M. , Hagag Sanaa A. , Ismail Mohamed A. , El-Sayed Wael M.
Published: November 2022

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide and the second cause of cancer-related deaths. It usually starts as an inflammation that progresses to adenocarcinoma. The goal of the present study was to investigate the antitumor efficacy of a new thiophene derivative against CRC in mice and explore the possible associated molecular pathways. The potential of this thiophene derivative to sensitize the CRC tumor tissue to a low dose of gamma irradiation was also investigated.

Methods

Adult male mice were divided into seven groups; control, group treated with dimethylhydrazine (DMH) for the induction of CRC. The DMH-group was further divided into six groups and treated with either cisplatin, thiophene derivative, γ-irradiation, cisplatin + γ-irradiation, thiophene derivative + γ-irradiation, or left untreated.

Results

DMH induced CRC as evidenced by the macroscopic examination of colon tissues and histopathology, and elevated the activities of cyclooxygenase2 (COX2) and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). DMH also elevated kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) and downregulated the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPARγ) as shown by RT-PCR and Western blotting. DMH exerted anti-apoptotic activity by reducing the expression of phosphorylated p53 and cleaved caspase3 at the gene and protein levels. The flow cytometry analysis showed that DMH elevated the necrosis and reduced the apoptosis compared to the other groups. The colon tissue from DMH-treated mice showed hyperplasia, aberrant crypt foci, loss of cell polarity, typical CRC of grade 4 with lymphocytes and macrophages infiltrating mucosa, muscularis mucosa, and submucosa score 3. Treatment with thiophene derivative or γ-irradiation ameliorated most of these deleterious effects of DMH. The concomitant action of thiophene derivative + γ-irradiation was typified by the better amelioration of tumor incidence and multiplicity, iNOS, PPARγ, p53, caspase 3, and histopathology of colon.

Conclusion

Taken together, the new thiophene derivative is a promising therapeutic candidate for treatment of colorectal cancer in mice. It also sensitizes the CRC tumor to the ionizing radiation through anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic pathways.
It is a relay not a sprint! Evolving co-design in a digital and virtual environment: neighbourhood services for elders
Authors: Osborne Stephen , Powell Madeline , Cucciniello Maria , Macfarlane Joanne
Published: November 2022

There is an emerging body of research on the co-design of public services, including co-design with vulnerable adults. However, what has been less explored has been the impact of digital technology and virtual environments upon the co-design process in this context. This paper analyses the contingencies of virtual co-design through a case study of a project to develop supportive local communities for vulnerable elderly people. This project was initially planned to use traditional co-design methods within a face-to-face environment, in the context of the local public service ecosystem. The CoVid-19 pandemic made this impossible. Consequently, an innovative approach to co-design was developed that shifted the process from a face-to-face to a virtual environment. This exploratory paper reports and evaluates this approach and its implications for the future of the theory and practice of the co-design of public services for vulnerable adults. Theoretically the paper evolves a model of co-design in a virtual space that is embedded within a public service ecosystem framework of value creation. At a practice level, the paper provides insight into the strategic and operational management of co-creation in a virtual space. It evolves the ‘Relay’ model of asynchronous co-creation across time and considers it key contingencies.
Escaping the Laboratory: An Escape Room to Reinforce Biomedical Engineering Skills
Authors: Kwok Sunny , Childers Rachel
Published: November 2022

Commercial escape rooms have grown in popularity as an enjoyable experience that also doubles as an exercise in communication and collaboration. Educators can take advantage of these natural qualities to engage and support students in a low-stress learning environment. The primary goal of this study is to share the development and application of an educational escape room as a tool to provide biomedical engineering (BME) students with an immersive and practical experience. A BME laboratory course-specific escape room was developed and beta-tested on an initial group of BME students. The first set of feedback enabled improvements to the design and difficulty of the escape room, which was followed by the final release of the activity for the intended undergraduate BME course. Across an academic year, 74 participants agreed to provide survey feedback for this study. Despite a moderate escape rate (29%), students reported high satisfaction and enthusiasm for the activity. Student survey responses indicated that participants were engaged and empowered to successfully escape even without external motivators. Responses supported the effectiveness of the escape room as a BME learning environment, allowing students to practice and retain course-related knowledge in a challenging but low-risk activity. The foundational structure of escape rooms offers a beneficial environment for experiential knowledge application. We conclude that educational escape rooms show promise as a pedagogical tool in promoting enhanced knowledge retention through immersive, game-based learning.
How the built environment affects the spatiotemporal pattern of urban vitality: A comparison among different urban functional areas
Authors: Tang Shuwei , Ta Na
Published: November 2022

Urban vitality is an essential indicator of an area’s capacity to promote lively social and economic activities. Urban functional areas can play different roles throughout the day, and urban vitality may exhibit significant intraday temporal dynamics. However, few studies have evaluated the dynamic vitality throughout the day among various urban functional areas or explored how the built environment influences this attribute. To bridge this gap, we assessed the vitality dynamics in intensity, variability, and night ratio. We then examined the influencing factors of urban vitality in Central Shanghai using heatmap and point of interest (POI) data. We found significant differences in the intensity, variability, and night ratio of urban vitality among different urban functional areas. The difference in vitality intensity was more significant than the variability and night ratio between weekdays and weekends. The built environment significantly affected urban vitality, but its role differed among the various urban functional areas. Overall, describing urban vitality from a dynamic perspective could improve our understanding of the differences in attracting and maintaining human activities among different urban functional areas.
Late Ottoman Origins of Modern Islamic Thought
Authors: Hammond Andrew
Published: November 2022

In this major contribution to Muslim intellectual history, Andrew Hammond offers a vital reappraisal of the role of Late Ottoman Turkish scholars in shaping modern Islamic thought. Focusing on a poet, a sheikh and his deputy, Hammond re-evaluates the lives and legacies of three key figures who chose exile in Egypt as radical secular forces seized power in republican Turkey: Mehmed Akif, Mustafa Sabri and Zahid Kevseri. Examining a period when these scholars faced the dual challenge of non-conformist trends in Islam and Western science and philosophy, Hammond argues that these men, alongside Said Nursi who remained in Turkey, were the last bearers of the Ottoman Islamic tradition. Utilising both Arabic and Turkish sources, he transcends disciplinary conventions that divide histories along ethnic, linguistic and national lines, highlighting continuities across geographies and eras. Through this lens, Hammond is able to observe the long-neglected but lasting impact that these Late Ottoman thinkers had upon Turkish and Arab Islamist ideology.
The 1918–20 Influenza Pandemic
Authors: Athukorala Prema-chandra , Athukorala Chaturica
Published: November 2022

The pandemic of 1918–20-commonly known as the Spanish flu-infected over a quarter of the world's population and killed over fifty million people. It is by far the greatest humanitarian disaster caused by an infectious disease in modern history. Epidemiologists and health scientists often draw on this experience to set the plausible upper bound (the 'worst case scenario') on future pandemic mortality. The purpose of this study is to piece together and analyse the scattered multi-disciplinary literature on the pandemic in order to place debates on the evolving course of the current COVID-19 crisis in historical perspective. The analysis focuses on the changing characteristics of pathogens and disease over time, the institutional factors that shaped the global spread, the demographic and socio-economic consequences, and pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical responses to the pandemic. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Being a Celebrity: Alienation, Integrity, and the Uncanny
Authors: ARCHER ALFRED , ROBB CATHERINE M.
Published: November 2022

A central feature of being a celebrity is experiencing a divide between one's public image and private life. By appealing to the phenomenology of Sartre and Merleau-Ponty, we analyze this experience as paradoxically involving both a disconnection and alienation from one's public persona and a sense of close connection with it. This ‘uncanny’ experience presents a psychological conflict for celebrities: they may have a public persona they feel alienated from and that is at the same time closely connected to them and shapes many of their personal interactions. We offer three ways in which a celebrity might approach this conflict: (i) eradicating the divide between their public and private selves, (ii) splitting or separating their private and public selves, or (iii) embracing the arising tension. We argue that it is only this third approach that successfully mitigates the negative effects of the alienation felt by many celebrities.
Mobility Interrupted: A New Framework for Understanding Anti-Left Sentiment Among Brazil’s “Once-Rising Poor”
Authors: Junge Benjamin , Mitchell Sean T. , Klein Charles H. , Spearly Matthew
Published: November 2022

How do sequences of upward and downward socioeconomic mobility influence political views among those who have “risen” or “fallen” during periods of leftist governance? While existing studies identify a range of factors, long-term mobility trajectories have been largely unexplored. The question has particular salience in contemporary Brazil, where, after a decade of extraordinary poverty reduction on the watch of the leftist Workers’ Party (PT), a subsequent period of economic and political crises intensified anti-PT sentiment. This article uses original data from the 2016 Brazil’s Once-Rising Poor (BORP) Survey, using a 3-city sample of 822 poor and working-class Brazilians to analyze the relationship between retrospective assessments of prior socioeconomic mobility and anti-PT sentiment. The study found that people who reported a “stalled” mobility sequence (upward mobility followed by static or downward mobility) were more likely to harbor anti-left sentiment than other groups, as measured by this study’s anti-PT index.
Random networks grown by fusing edges via urns
Authors: Bhutani Kiran R. , Kalpathy Ravi , Mahmoud Hosam
Published: November 2022

Many classic networks grow by hooking small components via vertices. We introduce a class of networks that grows by fusing the edges of a small graph to an edge chosen uniformly at random from the network. For this random edge-hooking network, we study the local degree profile, that is, the evolution of the average degree of a vertex over time. For a special subclass, we further determine the exact distribution and an asymptotic gamma-type distribution. We also study the “core,” which consists of the well-anchored edges that experience fusing. A central limit theorem emerges for the size of the core.

At the end, we look at an alternative model of randomness attained by preferential hooking, favoring edges that experience more fusing. Under preferential hooking, the core still follows a Gaussian law but with different parameters. Throughout, Pólya urns are systematically used as a method of proof.
Pulmonary arterial compliance in patients of CHD with increased pulmonary blood flow
Authors: Choubey Mrigank , Kothari Shyam S. , Gupta Saurabh K. , Ramakrishnan Sivasubramanian , Saxena Anita
Published: November 2022

Introduction:

Pulmonary arterial compliance, the dynamic component of pulmonary vasculature, remains inadequately studied in patients with left to right shunts. We sought to study the pulmonary arterial compliance in patients with left to right shunt lesions and its utility in clinical decision-making.

Materials and methods:

In this single-centre retrospective study, we reviewed cardiac catheterisation data of consecutive patients of left to right shunt lesions catheterised over one year. In addition to the various other parameters, pulmonary arterial compliance was calculated, as indexed pulmonary flow (Qpi) / (Heart rate × pulse pressure in the pulmonary artery). RC time was also calculated, as the product of pulmonary arterial compliance and pulmonary vascular resistance index. Patients were divided into “operable,” “borderline,” and “inoperable” based on the decision of the treating team, and the pulmonary arterial compliance values were evaluated in these groups to study if it can be utilised to refine the operability decision.

Results:

298 patients (Median age 16 years, 56% <18 years) with various acyanotic shunt lesions were included. Overall, the pulmonary arterial compliance varied with Qpi, pulmonary artery mean pressure, and pulmonary vascular resistance index, but did not vary with age, type of lesion, or transpulmonary gradients. The median pulmonary arterial compliance in patients with normal pulmonary artery pressure (Mean pulmonary artery pressure less than 20 mmHg) was 4.1 ml/mmHg/m2 (IQR 3.2). The median pulmonary arterial compliance for operable patients was 2.67 ml/mmHg/m2 (IQR 2.2). Median pulmonary arterial compliance was significantly lower in both inoperable (0.52 ml/mmHg/m2, IQR 0.34) and borderline (0.80 ml/mmHg/m2, IQR 0.36) groups when compared to operable patients (p < 0.001). A pulmonary arterial compliance value lower than 1.18 ml/mmHg/m2 identified inoperable patients with high sensitivity and specificity (95%, AUC 0.99). However, in borderline cases, assessment by this value did not agree with empirical clinical assessment.

The median RC time for the entire study population was 0.47 S (IQR 0.30). RC time in operable patients was significantly lower than that in the inoperable patients (Median 0.40 IQR 0.23 in operable, 0.73 0.25 in inoperable patients (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Addition of pulmonary arterial compliance to the routine haemodynamic assessment of patients with shunt lesions may improve our understanding of the pulmonary circulation and may have clinical utility.
Komplexität außerstationärer Intensivpflege beatmeter Menschen
Authors: Klingshirn Hanna , Gerken Laura , Hofmann Katharina , Heuschmann Peter Ulrich , Haas Kirsten , Schutzmeier Martha , Brandstetter Lilly , Wurmb Thomas , Kippnich Maximilian , Reuschenbach Bernd
Published: November 2022

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Zur Abbildung des Pflegeprozesses wird in der außerstationären Intensivpflege in Deutschland bevorzugt im Freitext dokumentiert, obwohl Klassifikationssysteme eine genauere Beschreibung ermöglichen könnten. Fragestellung: Wie lässt sich die pflegerische Versorgung außerstationär beatmeter Menschen mit der NNN-Taxonomie darstellen und welche Empfehlungen ergeben sich daraus für die Pflegepraxis? Methoden: Angewendet wurde ein qualitatives „multiple Case“ Design. Mittels deduktiver Inhaltsanalyse (Datenquellen: Pflegedokumentation und Sekundäranalyse von Interviews mit Betroffenen) wurden mehrere Fälle sowohl individuell als auch über alle Fälle hinweg mit den Pflegediagnosen, -interventionen und -ergebnissen der NNN-Taxonomie verknüpft (Cross-Mapping). Ergebnisse: Insgesamt wurde die Pflegedokumentation von 16 invasiv beatmete Personen mit einem Durchschnittsalter von 58,4 Jahren ( SD = 16,3) analysiert. Sieben Personen steuerten zusätzlich Interviewdaten bei. Dokumentiert wurde überwiegend nach dem „Strukturmodell“ (14/16) mit einer mittleren bis hohen Genauigkeit (D-Catch Score: 16,6; SD = 4,1). Beim Cross-Mapping wurden 4016 Codes vergeben: 618 Pflegediagnosen, 1956 -interventionen und 1442 -ergebnisse. Es wurde stark maßnahmenorientiert, wenig personenzentriert und mit mangelnder Differenzierung zwischen Diagnostik und Intervention dokumentiert. Schlussfolgerungen: Zur Verbesserung der Pflegepraxis sollen eine personenzentrierte Grundhaltung und die Fähigkeit zwischen pflegerischen Diagnosen, Interventionen und Ergebnissen zu unterscheiden gefördert werden.
Introducing the scr-OLBI
Authors: Mitropoulou Eirini Marina , Zampetakis Leonidas
Published: November 2022

Abstract. The Greek version of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), used to assess exhaustion and disengagement from work, was analyzed using item response theory analyses to investigate the dimensionality and the psychometric properties of the measure’s items. The OLBI was administered to 617 Greek employees, of whom 314 also participated in the validation study. The results indicated that four negatively keyed items from the original measure exhibited excellent psychometric properties (item/test information functions) and were used for the construction of a shorter version of the OLBI. The scr-OLBI, composed of the first letters of the word “screening,” was tested for differential item functioning between male and female employees; no bias was detected in relation to gender. Our results reveal that the scr-OLBI is a reliable and valid indicator of work-related burnout, which appears to be functionally equivalent to the original version both theoretically and empirically, yet exhibits the advantages of a short measure.
Inhibitive Effects of Recent Exceeding Air Temperature Optima of Vegetation Productivity and Increasing Water Limitation on Photosynthesis Reversed Global Greening
Authors: Chen Baozhang , Ke Yu , Ciais Philippe , Zeng Zhenzhong , Black Andy , Lv Honggang , Huang Mengtian , Yuan Wenping , Xiao Xiangming , Fang Junjun , Hou Kun , Wang Ying‐Ping , Luo Yiqi
Published: November 2022

Global terrestrial vegetation dynamics have been rapidly altered by climate change. A widespread vegetation greenness over a large part of the planet from the 1980s to early this century has been reported, whereas weakening of CO2 fertilization effects and increasing climate extremes and the adverse impact of increasing rate of warming and severity of drought on vegetation growth were also reported. Earth system models project that the land carbon sink will decrease in size in response to an increase in warming during this century. How global vegetation is changing during this century in response to global warming and water availability across spatial and temporal scales remains uncertain. Our understanding of the widespread vegetation greening or browning processes and identifying the biogeochemical mechanisms remain incomplete. Here we use multiple long‐term satellite leaf area index (LAI) records to investigate vegetation growth trends from 1982 to 2018. We find that the widespread increase of growing‐season integrated LAI (greening) since 1980s was reversed (p‐value < 0.05) around the year 2000 over 90% of the global vegetated area, and continued in only 10% of the global vegetated area. The reversal of greening trend was largely explained by the inhibitive effects of excessive optimal temperature on photosynthesis in most of the tropics and low latitudes, and by increasing water limitation (increasing in atmospheric vapor pressure deficit and decreasing in soil water availability) in the northern high latitudes (>45°N). Overall, the reversal of greening trend since 2000 weakened the negative feedback of carbon sequestration on the climatic system and should be considered in the strategies for climate warming mitigation and adaptation. Our findings of the diversity of processes that drive browning across bioclimatic‐zones and ecosystems and of how those driving processes are changing would enhance our ability to project global future vegetation change and its climatic and abiotic consequences.
Fluid Dynamics of Tiny, Ancient Marine Animals
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: November 2022

Water flow simulations using 3D models of fossils yield new clues to the evolution of organisms known as medusozoans.
Association of Equatorward Extending Auroral Streamers With Ground Magnetic Perturbations and Geosynchronous Injections
Authors: Yadav Sneha , Lyons Larry. R. , Liu Jiang , Nishimura Yukitoshi , Tian Sheng , Zou Ying , Donovan Eric F.
Published: November 2022

Auroral streamers have been found to be a particularly important cause of magnetic perturbations within the auroral oval during substorms. We present a detailed investigation on the association of equatorward extending auroral streamers with ground magnetic perturbations at locations initially equatorward of the auroral oval using Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions imagers and ground magnetometers. Based on the analysis of four events, we show that negative perturbations in the horizontal (H) component at initially subauroral latitudes were not seen prior to streamer onset, and the peak negative H‐bay at subauroral latitudes coincided with the equatorward extending auroral streamers. Although stations close to the poleward boundary of auroral oval showed modest H‐component perturbations in response to the substorm onset and poleward auroral intensifications, the abrupt and large responses within the oval were associated with the onset of streamers. Results confirm that ground magnetic perturbations that are traditionally perceived as signatures of magnetic substorm onset are not always an auroral substorm onset but can also be related to auroral streamers. These results are supported by the remarkable correlation of positive bay onset and sudden Pi2 enhancement with the onset of auroral streamers, irrespective of the classical substorm onset. In addition, the magnitude of positive bay and amplitude of Pi2 pulsations, particularly at subauroral latitudes, are enhanced during the events of equatorward extending streamers. In general, all streamer events were accompanied by dipolarization and electron flux enhancement at geosynchronous orbit that continue to strengthen during the emergence of bright streamers.
Mesoscale Variability of Surface Ducts During Santa Ana Wind Episodes
Authors: Jiang Q. , Wang Q. , Gaberšek S.
Published: November 2022

Mesoscale variability of the marine boundary layer characteristics and the corresponding radio wave ducting conditions over the Southern California Bight (SCB) during three Santa Ana wind events have been examined based on the analysis of field observations and diagnosis of mesoscale model simulations. Under the influence of a dry and the stably stratified airflow from inland, a shallow moist internal boundary layer (MIBL) develops over the coastal waters. The MIBL consists of a thin well‐mixed moist layer capped by an inversion layer where the specific humidity decreases with height sharply. Accordingly, a surface duct (SD) is virtually ubiquitous with its depth compared with the MIBL depth. The wind direction and the SD characteristics exhibit diurnal variations over the SCB area associated with land and sea breezes. In addition, the MIBL interacts with the coastal topography, Channel Islands, and sea surface temperature gradients, resulting in spatial mesoscale variabilities in SD characteristics. Specifically, the SD height and strength grow with the offshore distance owing to the surface latent heat flux over sea, and in the meantime, exhibit substantial along‐shore variations. The shallow MIBL tends to split and flow around the higher elevation of the islands, leading to the formation of wakes with reduced modified refractivity. These island wakes may extend dozens of kilometers downstream with the SD height and strength growing accordingly.
Too Frequent and Too Light Arctic Snowfall With Incorrect Precipitation Phase Partitioning in the MIROC6 GCM
Authors: Imura Yuki , Michibata Takuro
Published: November 2022

Cloud‐phase partitioning has been studied in the context of cloud feedback and climate sensitivity; however, precipitation‐phase partitioning also has a significant role in controlling the energy budget and sea ice extent. Although some global models have introduced a more sophisticated precipitation parameterization to reproduce realistic cloud and precipitation processes, the effects on the process representation of mixed‐ and ice‐phase precipitation are poorly understood. Here, we evaluate how different precipitation modeling (i.e., diagnostic [DIAG] vs. prognostic [PROG] schemes) affects the simulated precipitation phase and occurrence frequency. Two versions of MIROC6 were used with the satellite simulator COSP2. Although the PROG scheme significantly improves the simulated cloud amount and snowfall rates, the phase partitioning, frequency, and intensity of precipitation with the PROG scheme are still biased, and are even worse than with the DIAG scheme. We found a “too frequent and too light” Arctic snowfall bias in the PROG, which cannot be eliminated by model tuning. The cloud‐phase partitioning is also affected by the different approaches used to consider precipitation. The ratio of supercooled liquid water is underrepresented by switching from the DIAG to PROG scheme, because some snowflakes are regarded to be cloud ice. Given that the PROG precipitation retains more snow in the atmosphere, the underestimation becomes apparent when other models incorporate the PROG scheme. This depends on how much precipitation is within the clouds in the model. Our findings emphasize the importance of correctly reproducing the phase partitioning of cloud and precipitation, which ultimately affects the simulated climate sensitivity.
Computational and neural mechanisms of statistical pain learning
Authors: Mancini Flavia , Zhang Suyi , Seymour Ben
Published: November 2022

Pain invariably changes over time. These fluctuations contain statistical regularities which, in theory, could be learned by the brain to generate expectations and control responses. We demonstrate that humans learn to extract these regularities and explicitly predict the likelihood of forthcoming pain intensities in a manner consistent with optimal Bayesian inference with dynamic update of beliefs. Healthy participants received probabilistic, volatile sequences of low and high-intensity electrical stimuli to the hand during brain fMRI. The inferred frequency of pain correlated with activity in sensorimotor cortical regions and dorsal striatum, whereas the uncertainty of these inferences was encoded in the right superior parietal cortex. Unexpected changes in stimulus frequencies drove the update of internal models by engaging premotor, prefrontal and posterior parietal regions. This study extends our understanding of sensory processing of pain to include the generation of Bayesian internal models of the temporal statistics of pain.
Structural insights into the contactin 1 – neurofascin 155 adhesion complex
Authors: Chataigner Lucas M. P. , Gogou Christos , den Boer Maurits A. , Frias Cátia P. , Thies-Weesie Dominique M. E. , Granneman Joke C. M. , Heck Albert J. R. , Meijer Dimphna H. , Janssen Bert J. C.
Published: November 2022

Cell-surface expressed contactin 1 and neurofascin 155 control wiring of the nervous system and interact across cells to form and maintain paranodal myelin-axon junctions. The molecular mechanism of contactin 1 – neurofascin 155 adhesion complex formation is unresolved. Crystallographic structures of complexed and individual contactin 1 and neurofascin 155 binding regions presented here, provide a rich picture of how competing and complementary interfaces, post-translational glycosylation, splice differences and structural plasticity enable formation of diverse adhesion sites. Structural, biophysical, and cell-clustering analysis reveal how conserved Ig1-2 interfaces form competing heterophilic contactin 1 – neurofascin 155 and homophilic neurofascin 155 complexes whereas contactin 1 forms low-affinity clusters through interfaces on Ig3-6. The structures explain how the heterophilic Ig1-Ig4 horseshoe’s in the contactin 1 – neurofascin 155 complex define the 7.4 nm paranodal spacing and how the remaining six domains enable bridging of distinct intercellular distances.
Electronically phase separated nano-network in antiferromagnetic insulating LaMnO3/PrMnO3/CaMnO3 tricolor superlattice
Authors: Li Qiang , Miao Tian , Zhang Huimin , Lin Weiyan , He Wenhao , Zhong Yang , Xiang Lifen , Deng Lina , Ye Biying , Shi Qian , Zhu Yinyan , Guo Hangwen , Wang Wenbin , Zheng Changlin , Yin Lifeng , Zhou Xiaodong , Xiang Hongjun , Shen Jian
Published: November 2022

Strongly correlated materials often exhibit an electronic phase separation (EPS) phenomena whose domain pattern is random in nature. The ability to control the spatial arrangement of the electronic phases at microscopic scales is highly desirable for tailoring their macroscopic properties and/or designing novel electronic devices. Here we report the formation of EPS nanoscale network in a mono-atomically stacked LaMnO3/CaMnO3/PrMnO3 superlattice grown on SrTiO3 (STO) (001) substrate, which is known to have an antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulating ground state. The EPS nano-network is a consequence of an internal strain relaxation triggered by the structural domain formation of the underlying STO substrate at low temperatures. The same nanoscale network pattern can be reproduced upon temperature cycling allowing us to employ different local imaging techniques to directly compare the magnetic and transport state of a single EPS domain. Our results confirm the one-to-one correspondence between ferromagnetic (AFM) to metallic (insulating) state in manganite. It also represents a significant step in a paradigm shift from passively characterizing EPS in strongly correlated systems to actively engaging in its manipulation.
Endowing homodimeric carbamoyltransferase GdmN with iterative functions through structural characterization and mechanistic studies
Authors: Wei Jianhua , Zhang Xuan , Zhou Yucong , Cheng Xingnuo , Lin Zhi , Tang Mancheng , Zheng Jianting , Wang Binju , Kang Qianjin , Bai Linquan
Published: November 2022

Iterative enzymes, which catalyze sequential reactions, have the potential to improve the atom economy and diversity of industrial enzymatic processes. Redesigning one-step enzymes to be iterative biocatalysts could further enhance these processes. Carbamoyltransferases (CTases) catalyze carbamoylation, an important modification for the bioactivity of many secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical applications. To generate an iterative CTase, we determine the X-ray structure of GdmN, a one-step CTase involved in ansamycin biosynthesis. GdmN forms a face-to-face homodimer through unusual C-terminal domains, a previously unknown functional form for CTases. Structural determination of GdmN complexed with multiple intermediates elucidates the carbamoylation process and identifies key binding residues within a spacious substrate-binding pocket. Further structural and computational analyses enable multi-site enzyme engineering, resulting in an iterative CTase with the capacity for successive 7-O and 3-O carbamoylations. Our findings reveal a subclade of the CTase family and exemplify the potential of protein engineering for generating iterative enzymes.
Solar-driven methanogenesis with ultrahigh selectivity by turning down H2 production at biotic-abiotic interface
Authors: Ye Jie , Wang Chao , Gao Chao , Fu Tao , Yang Chaohui , Ren Guoping , Lü Jian , Zhou Shungui , Xiong Yujie
Published: November 2022

Integration of methanogens with semiconductors is an effective approach to sustainable solar-driven methanogenesis. However, the H2 production rate by semiconductors largely exceeds that of methanogen metabolism, resulting in abundant H2 as side product. Here, we report that binary metallic active sites (namely, NiCu alloys) are incorporated into the interface between CdS semiconductors and Methanosarcina barkeri. The self-assembled Methanosarcina barkeri-NiCu@CdS exhibits nearly 100% CH4 selectivity with a quantum yield of 12.41 ± 0.16% under light illumination, which not only exceeds the reported biotic-abiotic hybrid systems but also is superior to most photocatalytic systems. Further investigation reveal that the Ni-Cu-Cu hollow sites in NiCu alloys can directly supply hydrogen atoms and electrons through photocatalysis to the Methanosarcina barkeri for methanogenesis via both extracellular and intracellular hydrogen cycles, effectively turning down the H2 production. This work provides important insights into the biotic-abiotic hybrid interface, and offers an avenue for engineering the methanogenesis process.
A sense of ginger fraud: prevalence and deconstruction of the China-European union supply chain
Authors: Han Qing , Erasmus Sara W. , Elliott Christopher T. , van Ruth Saskia M.
Published: November 2022

As an important spice, ginger has been widely distributed in the Chinese and the European Union (EU) markets, the two largest trading areas, in various forms. The ginger supply chain between China and the EU is long and complex, providing opportunities for fraudsters to deceive consumers. However, limited attention has been given to food fraud in ginger, and there is a lack of research on this topic. In this review, ginger was used as an example for interpreting the fraud issues within low-priced and high-trade volume spice products. This review aims to summarize the open access information from food and food fraud databases, literature, and stakeholders about ginger fraud, and to map, deconstruct and analyse the food fraud vulnerability in the supply chain. In addition, potential testing strategies to detect ginger fraud were also discussed. The investigation of food fraud databases, a semi-structured literature review and online interviews with stakeholders revealed that adulteration is the major fraud type in ginger products. And the most vulnerable ginger products are ground ginger and finely processed ginger. The ginger supply chain from China to the EU comprises nine stages and is medium vulnerable to food fraud, both in regard to opportunities and motivational drivers. To ensure the integrity of the ginger supply chain, there is a need to apply fraud vulnerability tools in the companies of the industry. In addition, screening and confirmatory techniques based on the characteristics of ginger should be utilised for monitoring fraud issues in the supply chain.
Motor imagery training of goal-directed reaching in relation to imagery of reaching and grasping in healthy people
Authors: Mencel Joanna , Marusiak Jarosław , Jaskólska Anna , Kamiński Łukasz , Kurzyński Marek , Wołczowski Andrzej , Jaskólski Artur , Kisiel-Sajewicz Katarzyna
Published: November 2022

The study aimed to determine whether four weeks of motor imagery training (MIT) of goal-directed reaching (reaching to grasp task) would affect the cortical activity during motor imagery of reaching (MIR) and grasping (MIG) in the same way. We examined cortical activity regarding event-related potentials (ERPs) in healthy young participants. Our study also evaluated the subjective vividness of the imagery. Furthermore, we aimed to determine the relationship between the subjective assessment of motor imagery (MI) ability to reach and grasp and the cortical activity during those tasks before and after training to understand the underlying neuroplasticity mechanisms. Twenty-seven volunteers participated in MIT of goal-directed reaching and two measurement sessions before and after MIT. During the sessions 128-channel electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during MIR and MIG. Also, participants assessed the vividness of the MI tasks using a visual analog scale (VAS). The vividness of imagination improved significantly (P < .05) after MIT. A repeated measures ANOVA showed that the task (MIR/MIG) and the location of electrodes had a significant effect on the ERP's amplitude (P < .05). The interaction between the task, location, and session (before/after MIT) also had a significant effect on the ERP's amplitude (P < .05). Finally, the location of electrodes and the interaction between location and session had a significant effect on the ERP's latency (P < .05). We found that MIT influenced the EEG signal associated with reaching differently than grasping. The effect was more pronounced for MIR than for MIG. Correlation analysis showed that changes in the assessed parameters due to MIT reduced the relationship between the subjective evaluation of imagining and the EEG signal. This finding means that the subjective evaluation of imagining cannot be a simple, functional insight into the bioelectrical activity of the cerebral cortex expressed by the ERPs in mental training. The changes we noted in ERPs after MIT may benefit the use of non-invasive EEG in the brain-computer interface (BCI) context.

Trial registration: NCT04048083.
Rosmarinic acid prevents post-operative abdominal adhesions in a rat model
Authors: Kakanezhadi Ali , Rezaei Mehrdad , Raisi Abbas , Dezfoulian Omid , Davoodi Farshid , Ahmadvand Hassan
Published: November 2022

This study aims to determine the effects of rosmarinic acid which involved the mechanisms to decrease the postoperative peritoneal adhesion formation in rats. Various incisions and removing a 1 × 1 cm piece of peritoneum was used to induce the peritoneal adhesions. Experimental groups were as follows: 1—Sham group. 2—Control group: Peritoneal adhesions were induced and no treatments were performed. 3—Treatment groups: Following inducing peritoneal adhesions, animals received rosmarinic acid with 50 and 70 mg/kg dosage, respectively. Macroscopic examination of adhesions indicated that adhesion bands were reduced in both treatment groups compared to the control group. Moreover, the adhesion score was decreased in both treatment groups on day 14. Inflammation and fibroblast proliferation were both reduced in the treatment groups on day 14. TGF-β1, TNF-α, and VEGF were all evaluated by western blot and immunohistochemistry on days 3 and 14. Treatment groups reduced inflammatory cytokines on days 3 and 14. The treatment group with a 70 mg/kg dosage decreased TGF-β1 and TNF-α levels more than the other treatment group. The administration of rosmarinic acid significantly reduced MDA and increased CAT levels. In conclusion, the rosmarinic acid was effective to reduce the adhesion bands, inflammatory cytokines, angiogenesis, and oxidative stress.
Relative enlargement of the medial preoptic nucleus in the Etruscan shrew, the smallest torpid mammal
Authors: Sun Senmiao , Brecht Michael
Published: November 2022

Endothermy is a key feature of mammalian biology and enables mammals to maintain stable body temperature and homeostatic functions in the face of a rapidly changing environment. However, when faced with harsh environmental conditions, certain mammalian species enter torpor, a state characterized by reduced metabolism, body temperature, and activity, to minimize energy loss. Etruscan shrews are the smallest mammals, with a surface-to-volume ratio that is very unfavorable for endothermic animals. As a result, Etruscan shrews have an extremely high metabolic rate and are known to enter torpor frequently, presumably as an energy-saving measure. Despite the recent identification of medial preoptic area (MPA) as a key brain region to regulate torpor in mouse, little is known about neural control of torpor in other endothermic animals, including the Etruscan shrew. Here, we confirmed that Etruscan shrews readily enter torpor even in the absence of strong physiological triggers. We then compared the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) within the MPA of Etruscan shrew and rat, a mammal that does not enter torpor under physiological conditions. While rats have roughly 100 times the body weight and 33 times the brain weight of Etruscan shrews, we find that the male rat MPN exhibits only 6.7 times the volume of that of the male Etruscan shrew. Accordingly, the relative brain volume of the MPN was 6.5-fold larger in shrews, a highly significant difference. Moreover, MPN neuron counts were only roughly twofold lower in shrews than in rats, an astonishing observation considering the interspecies size difference and that neocortical neurons are ~ 20 × more numerous in rats than in shrews. We suggest that the extraordinary enlargement of the Etruscan shrew MPN is a specialization for orchestrating torpor in a mammal with an exceptional metabolism.