bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical and hydraulic properties of fault rocks under multi-stage cyclic loading and unloading
Authors: Hou Wentao , Ma Dan , Li Qiang , Zhang Jixiong , Liu Yong , Zhou Chenyao
Published: September 2023

The rock mass in fault zones is frequently subjected to cyclic loading and unloading during deep resource exploitation and tunnel excavation. Research on the mechanical and hydraulic characteristics of fault rock during the cyclic loading and unloading is of great significance for revealing the formation mechanism of water-conducting pathways in fault and preventing water inrush disasters. In this study, the mechanical and seepage tests of fault rock under the multi-stage cyclic loading and unloading of axial compression were carried out by using the fluid–solid coupling triaxial experimental device. The hysteresis loop of the stress–strain curve, peak strain rate, secant Young's modulus, and permeability of fault rock were obtained, and the evolution law of the dissipated energy of fault rock with the cyclic number of load and unloading was discussed. The experimental results show that with an increase in the cyclic number of loading and unloading, several changes occur. The hysteresis loop of the stress–strain curve of the fault rock shifts towards higher levels of strain. Additionally, both the peak strain rate and the secant Young's modulus of the fault rock increase, resulting in an increase in the secant Young's modulus of the fault rock mass. However, the growth rate of the secant Young's modulus gradually slows down with the increase of cyclic number of loading and unloading. The permeability evolution of fault rock under the multi-stage cyclic loading and unloading of axial compression can be divided into three stages: steady increase stage, cyclic decrease stage, and rapid increase stage. Besides, the calculation model of dissipated energy of fault rock considering the effective stress was established. The calculation results show that the relationship between the dissipated energy of fault rock and the cyclic number of loading and unloading conforms to an exponential function.
The Effects of Cooling Rate on Microstructure Formation during Solidification of 319 Alloy
Authors: da Penha Gomes Izabel , Barros André , Brollo Gabriela Lujan , da Silva Cássio Augusto Pinto , Cheung Noé , Zoqui Eugênio José
Published: September 2023

This work assesses the effect of cooling rate ($$\dot{T}$$

T
˙

) on the solidification kinetics and microstructural evolution of a 319 aluminum alloy with and without the addition of Al–5 wt%Ti–1wt%B grain refiner. Directionally solidified samples were produced under various cooling rates (from 0.05 to 40 °C/s). Microstructure coarsening was then quantitatively analyzed by measuring grain size (GS) and primary (λ1), secondary (λ2) and average (λL) dendrite arm spacing. The results show that polarized optical images can be used to identify dendrite fragments between neighboring primary dendrites, allowing a more accurate microstructural analysis after the addition of grain refiner. The results also show that, for a given $$\dot{T}$$

T
˙

, although GS is reduced after the addition of grain refiner, the respective values of λ1, λ2 and λL remain practically the same. In other words, the grain refiner only affects nucleation and not grain growth. Experimental growth equations are proposed to represent this behavior. Furthermore, λL is shown to be a good parameter for evaluating microstructural refinement.
Designing human resource management systems in the age of AI
Authors: Tinguely Patrick Nicolas , Lee Junghyun , He Vivianna Fang
Published: September 2023

The increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the practices of human resource management (HRM). We propose a typology of HR–AI collaboration systems across the dimensions of task characteristics (routine vs. non-routine; low vs. high cognitive complexity) and social acceptability of such systems among organizational members. We discuss how organizations should design HR–AI collaboration systems in light of issues of AI explainability, high stakes contexts, and threat to employees’ professional identities. We point out important design considerations that may affect employees' perceptions of organizational fairness and emphasize HR professionals' role in the design process. We conclude by discussing how our Point of View article contributes to literatures on organization design and human–AI collaboration and suggesting potential avenues for future research.
Molecular mapping of QTL for rice black-streaked dwarf disease resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Sun Zhiguang , Pan Gen , An Hongzhou , Wang Baoxiang , Xu Dayong
Published: September 2023

Rice black-streaked dwarf disease (RBSDD) is one of the most serious crop diseases in Asia, causing serious damage to rice production. Therefore, reducing the harmful effects of RBSDD is vital to the food security of China and other Asian countries. In this study, 248 rice varieties from different countries were screened for resistance to RBSDD, and 19 varieties with high resistance to RBSDD were found. Among them, H185, an indica variety, showed stable and high resistance to RBSDD. Using an F2:3 population of H185 and Wuyujing 3 (WYJ3, a highly susceptible japonica rice variety), three QTL conferring resistance to RBSDD, namely qRBSDD2, qRBSDD7, and qRBSDD11 were identified, and they explained 53.6% of the total phenotypic variation. Among them, qRBSDD2 and qRBSDD7, with LOD scores of 4.26 and 4.25, respectively, were repeatedly detected in artificial inoculation conditions, accounting for 28.0% and 29.8% of the total phenotypic variation, respectively. Resistant alleles of the two QTL were all derived from H185, and several BC5F2 lines possessing single or two QTL of qRBSDD2 and qRBSDD7 exhibited higher resistance for RBSDD. The QTL detected in our study open new possibilities for breeding rice cultivars with RBSDD resistance through resistance gene pyramiding.
Accurate Fetal QRS-Complex Classification from Abdominal Electrocardiogram Using Deep Learning
Authors: Darmawahyuni Annisa , Tutuko Bambang , Nurmaini Siti , Rachmatullah Muhammad Naufal , Ardiansyah Muhammad , Firdaus Firdaus , Sapitri Ade Iriani , Islami Anggun
Published: September 2023

Fetal heart monitoring during pregnancy plays a critical role in diagnosing congenital heart disease (CHD). A noninvasive fetal electrocardiogram (fECG) provides additional clinical information for fetal heart monitoring. To date, the analysis of noninvasive fECG is challenging due to the cancellation of maternal QRS-complexes, despite significant advances in electrocardiography. Fetal QRS-complex is highly considered to measure fetal heart rate to detect some fetal abnormalities such as arrhythmia. In this study, we proposed a deep learning (DL) framework that stacked a convolutional layer and bidirectional long short-term memory for fetal QRS-complexes classification. The fECG signals are first preprocessed using discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to remove the noise or inferences. The following step beats and QRS-complex segmentation. The last step is fetal QRS-complex classification based on DL. In the experiment of Physionet/Computing in Cardiology Challenge 2013, this study achieved 100% accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, and F1-score. A stacked DL model demonstrates an effective tool for fetal QRS-complex classification and contributes to clinical applications for long-term maternal and fetal monitoring.
The Association of Women’s Empowerment with HIV-Related Indicators: A Pooled Analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Schierl Theresa , Tanaka Luana Fiengo , Klug Stefanie J. , Winkler Andrea Sylvia , Stelzle Dominik
Published: September 2023

Background

Women’s empowerment is an important factor for HIV prevention, but the association with HIV-related indicators has never been quantified. In this study, we examined the association between women’s empowerment and selected HIV-related indicators.

Methods

We used the latest Demographic and Health Surveys that included HIV testing among other biomarkers of 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Empowerment was measured by the Survey-based Women’s EmPowERment (SWPER) index and was compared to the HIV-related indicators: HIV status, HIV testing (ever and in the past 12 months), condom use at last high-risk sex, the ability to ask the partner to use a condom, and the ability to refuse sex.

Results

208,947 women were included in the analysis, of whom 100,924 (48%) were considered highly empowered and 21,933 (10%) as lowly empowered. There was no association between empowerment and HIV status (OR = 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98–1.28). Highly empowered women were more likely to have ever been tested for HIV (OR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.60–1.74) but less likely to have been tested for HIV in the past 12 months (OR = 0.92, 95%CI 0.88–0.96). Highly empowered women were more commonly able to ask the partner to use a condom (OR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.63–1.75) and to refuse sex (OR = 1.78, 95%CI 1.72–1.85).

Conclusions

Women’s empowerment does not seem to be linked to HIV status, but it is strongly associated with a woman’s ability to make decisions about their sexual behavior. Empowering women and young girls has the potential to contribute toward achieving the United Nations’ goal of ending AIDS by 2030.
Some Soliton Hierarchies Associated with Lie Algebras $$\mathfrak {sp}(4)$$ and $$\mathfrak {so}(5)$$
Authors: He Baiying , Liu Shiyuan , Gao Siyu
Published: September 2023

Based on the symplectic Lie algebra $$\mathfrak {sp}(4)$$

sp
(
4
)

, we obtain two integrable hierarchies of $$\mathfrak {sp}(4)$$

sp
(
4
)

, and by using the trace identity, we give their Hamiltonian structures. Then, we use $$2\times 2$$

2
×
2

Kronecker product, and construct integrable coupling systems of one soliton equation. Next, we consider two bases of Lie algebra $$\mathfrak {so}(5)$$

so
(
5
)

, and we get the corresponding two integrable hierarchies. Finally, we discuss the relation between the integrable hierarchies of two different bases associated with Lie algebra $$\mathfrak {so}(5)$$

so
(
5
)

.
Synergy between infection control and antimicrobial stewardship programs to control carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales
Authors: Cornistein Wanda , Santonato Daniela , Novau Paula Andrea , Fabbro Leonardo Guillermo , Jorge Melisa Fernanda , Malvicini Maria Agustina , Vilches Viviana , Iudica Fernando Martin
Published: September 2023

Objective:

Argentina is the third country in the world with the higher levels of CRE. The primary objective is to achieve an optimal result in the CRE infection rate after the implementation of an IPC program and antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) in a large teaching hospital in Argentina.

Methods:

Retrospective, observational study from January 2018 to December 2021, in a 220-bed tertiary care teaching hospital in Buenos Aires province. Actions aimed at CRE control and prevention included CRE and healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance; compliance with hand hygiene, hospital hygiene, contact isolation precautions, and care bundles for the prevention of device-associated infections; optimization of antimicrobial treatments, antimicrobial consumption, education, and feedback.

Results:

Synergy between an ICP and ASP achieved controlled rate of CRE infections reaching the lowest levels during 2020 (0.08 episodes/1000 patient days). Colonization rate remained stable throughout the study period. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rate showed a trend toward lower rates. Compliance with care bundles showed rates >85%. Antimicrobial consumption increased slightly during the study period (15%). Among high-impact antimicrobials, only colistin consumption increased.

Conclusion:

Our study demonstrates the sustained and beneficial impact of an IPC Program and an ASP to control CRE infection.
The many facets of inhibitory control and their role in syntactic selection
Authors: Korko Małgorzata , Coulson Mark , Jones Alexander , de Mornay Davies Paul
Published: September 2023

There is accumulating evidence that distinct forms of domain-general inhibition underlie the selection of lexical candidates from among co-activated representations in single-word production. It is less clear whether similar control processes are engaged in the resolution of syntactic conflict in sentence production. This study assessed the relative contribution of three types of inhibitory control operating at different stages of information processing to syntactic interference resolution in an active-passive voice production task. Inhibition of response execution (the anti-saccade effect) and resolution of representational conflict (the flanker effect) were related to the occurrence of repairs and sentence onset latencies in passive voice trials. The results suggest not only that general-purpose mechanisms may be in place that resolve conflict regardless of whether it stems from syntactic or non-syntactic (non-verbal) representations, but also that they operate at dissociable processing stages.
Provenance of a Late Permian retroarc foreland basin along the eastern Gondwanan margin: northern Sydney Basin, eastern Australia
Authors: Maravelis Angelos G. , Offler Robin , Botziolis Chrysanthos , Pantopoulos George , Scott Alexandra , Landenberger Bill , Collins William J.
Published: September 2023

The Upper Permian sedimentary successions in the northern Sydney Basin have been the subject of several stratigraphic, sedimentological and coal petrographic studies, and recently, extensive U-Pb zircon dating has been carried out on tuffs in the Newcastle Coal Measures. However, detailed petrographic and geochemical studies of these successions are lacking. These are important because a major change in tectonic setting occurred prior to the Late Permian because of the Hunter-Bowen Orogeny that caused the uplift of the Carboniferous and Devonian successions in the Tamworth Group and Tablelands Complex adjacent to the Sydney Basin. This should be reflected in the detrital makeup of the Upper Permian rocks. This study provides data that confirms major changes did take place at this time. Petrographic analysis indicates that the source area is composed of sedimentary, felsic volcanic and plutonic and low-grade metamorphic rocks. Conglomerate clast composition analysis confirms these results, revealing a source region that is composed of felsic volcanics, cherts, mudstones and sandstones. Geochemical analysis suggests that the sediments are geochemically mature and have undergone a moderate degree of weathering. The provenance data presented in this paper indicate that the southern New England Orogen is the principal source of detritus in the basin. Discrimination diagrams confirm that the source rocks derive from an arc-related, contractional setting and agree with the provenance analyses that indicate sediment deposition in a retroarc foreland basin. This study offers new insights on the provenance and tectonic setting of the Northern Sydney Basin, eastern Australia.
Retrofitting the Mekong: Community-based environmental responses to Chinese transnational infrastructure in a Thai border town
Authors: Saiyarod Panitda
Published: September 2023

For decades, the Mekong River has been a site of ongoing tensions between China-backed infrastructure and communities relying on the mighty Mekong for their lives and livelihoods. In Thailand, tensions have escalated into actions against ecologically damaging hydropower dam development and the blasting of river rapids for Chinese navigation in a Thai border town. This article examines how Chinese transnational infrastructure has been reconfiguring power relationships among actors at multiple scales. Based on my fieldwork, I offer a narrative of the concerted efforts by one small community-based environmental group in northern Thailand, some of whose activism has prodded Chinese planners and project managers into responding to widespread criticism of ecological damage caused by its hydropower and riparian infrastructure and ignoring the needs of downstream local communities. The interactions between Chinese agencies and local NGOs will be discussed through the concept of a moral ecology of infrastructure, which contributes to transcending infrastructure and the environment, enabling a broadened understanding of human and nonhuman relations in more recent retrofitting of the dams and waterway projects. I argue that the reconfigured ‘Green’ Belt and Road Initiative is a contingent process in which multiple transnational actors claim decision-making power over the retrofitting and redevelopment of the Mekong's ecological infrastructure.
Reciprocal relationships between stress and depressive symptoms: the essential role of the nucleus accumbens
Authors: Ma Yizhou , Kochunov Peter , Kvarta Mark D. , LeGates Tara , Adhikari Bhim M. , Chiappelli Joshua , van der Vaart Andrew , Goldwaser Eric L. , Bruce Heather , Hatch Kathryn S. , Gao Si , Chen Shuo , Summerfelt Ann , Nichols Thomas E. , Hong L. Elliot
Published: September 2023

Background

Stress and depression have a reciprocal relationship, but the neural underpinnings of this reciprocity are unclear. We investigated neuroimaging phenotypes that facilitate the reciprocity between stress and depressive symptoms.

Methods

In total, 22 195 participants (52.0% females) from the population-based UK Biobank study completed two visits (initial visit: 2006–2010, age = 55.0 ± 7.5 [40–70] years; second visit: 2014–2019; age = 62.7 ± 7.5 [44–80] years). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the longitudinal relationship between self-report stressful life events (SLEs) and depressive symptoms. Cross-sectional data were used to examine the overlap between neuroimaging correlates of SLEs and depressive symptoms on the second visit among 138 multimodal imaging phenotypes.

Results

Longitudinal data were consistent with significant bidirectional causal relationship between SLEs and depressive symptoms. In cross-sectional analyses, SLEs were significantly associated with lower bilateral nucleus accumbal volume and lower fractional anisotropy of the forceps major. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with extensive white matter hyperintensities, thinner cortex, lower subcortical volume, and white matter microstructural deficits, mainly in corticostriatal-limbic structures. Lower bilateral nucleus accumbal volume were the only imaging phenotypes with overlapping effects of depressive symptoms and SLEs (B = −0.032 to −0.023, p = 0.006–0.034). Depressive symptoms and SLEs significantly partially mediated the effects of each other on left and right nucleus accumbens volume (proportion of effects mediated = 12.7–14.3%, p < 0.001−p = 0.008). For the left nucleus accumbens, post-hoc seed-based analysis showed lower resting-state functional connectivity with the left orbitofrontal cortex (cluster size = 83 voxels, p = 5.4 × 10−5) in participants with high v. no SLEs.

Conclusions

The nucleus accumbens may play a key role in the reciprocity between stress and depressive symptoms.
Adaptive preferences, self-expression and preference-based freedom rankings
Authors: Costella Annalisa
Published: September 2023

If preference-based freedom rankings are based on all-things-considered preferences, they risk judging phenomena of adaptive preferences as freedom enhancing. As a remedy, it has been suggested to base preference-based freedom rankings on reasonable preferences. But this approach is also problematic. This article argues that the quest for a remedy is unnecessary. All-things-considered preferences retain information on whether the availability of an option contributes to the value that freedom has for a person’s self-expression. If preference-based freedom rankings use all-things-considered preferences to evaluate whether an option contributes to a person’s self-expression, they are immune to the problem posed by adaptive preferences.
„Wer arbeitet in der Praxis, wenn wir zunehmend Akademiker haben müssen?“
Authors: Laimbacher Sabrina , Wolfensberger Peter , Hahn Sabine
Published: September 2023

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Wachsende Anforderungen an die Gesundheitsversorgung erfordern in der Psychiatrie die Entwicklung neuer Versorgungsstrukturen und -modelle, wie die Implementierung der Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). Der APN-Entwicklungsprozess ist herausfordernd und emotionale und interaktionelle Aspekte scheinen dabei eine Rolle zu spielen. Fragestellung: Welche emotionalen und interaktionellen Aspekte beteiligter oder mitbetroffener Fachpersonen zeigen sich als relevant bezüglich Förderung und Hemmung im APN-Rollenentwicklungs- und Implementierungsprozess? Methoden: 13 semi-strukturierte problemzentrierte Interviews wurden einer qualitativen Sekundäranalyse mittels thematischer Analyse unterzogen. Ergebnisse: Die APN-Rollenentwicklung in der Psychiatrie bewegt sich in einem Spannungsfeld, erzeugt aus übergeordneten gesundheitspolitischen und ökonomischen Anforderungen und der Professionsentwicklung der Pflege. Drei zentrale Themen „Berufsidentität in der Bredouille“, „Unter Druck weiterentwickeln (müssen)“ und „APN als Personifizierung des Wandels“ liessen sich identifizieren. Diese bilden emotionale und interaktionelle Aspekte ab, die sich auf den APN-Entwicklungsprozess in der Psychiatrie auswirken oder durch diesen entstehen. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Auseinandersetzung mit Veränderungsanforderungen und der Professionsentwicklung scheint wenig fortgeschritten. Eine Investition in die Rollenklärung unter Einbezug der Schlüsselpersonen und Berücksichtigung emotionaler und interaktioneller Aspekte kann die nachhaltige Rollenimplementierung unterstützen.
Wissenstransformation durch Dialog
Authors: Schelle Regine , Blatter Kristine
Published: September 2023

Zusammenfassung. Wissenstransfer im Sinne einer gemeinsamen Wissenstransformation durch Praxis und Forschung setzt einen Dialog zwischen den Akteur_innen voraus, bei dem Wissensbestände sowie Handlungs- und Deutungsmuster ausgetauscht werden. Die inhaltsanalytische Auswertung von fünf Gruppendiskussionen in Kindertageseinrichtungen zeigt, dass von pädagogischen Fachkräften vorrangig Barrieren beschrieben werden, die einen gewinnbringenden Dialog zwischen Praxis und Forschung erschweren. Diese zeigen sich etwa in einer Praxisferne der Forschung, einem diffusen Forschungsbegriff der pädagogischen Fachkräfte oder in einem eher durch Geringschätzung geprägten Verhältnis zwischen den beiden Systemen. Sollen eine nachhaltige, praxisorientierte Weiterentwicklung und die dafür notwendige Anschlussfähigkeit der Akteur_innen erreicht werden, werden auf verschiedenen Ebenen Handlungsbedarfe deutlich.
Von der Wissenschaft in die Praxis und zurück
Authors: Lohse-Bossenz Hendrik , Brandtner Miriam , Kilian Regina , Ding Kathrin , Erdmann Kim , Rehm Markus
Published: September 2023

Zusammenfassung. Fortbildungen sind zentrale Lerngelegenheiten für die Professionalisierung pädagogischen Personals in Kindertageseinrichtungen. Inwiefern Inhalte von Fortbildungen in der alltäglichen Praxis Anwendung finden, stellt ein zentrales Qualitätskriterium von Fortbildungen dar. Daher existieren vielfältige Vorstellungen und Konzepte darüber, wie diese Anwendung – der Transfer – unterstützt werden kann. Der vorliegende Beitrag greift theoretische und empirische Erkenntnisse aus der Bildungs- und Lehr-Lernforschung auf und stellt ein Modell der Wissenstransformation von der Theorie in Handlungen und von Handlungen in die Theorie vor. Zentral an diesem Modell ist die Vorstellung, dass Wissen durch verschiedene Akteure (Fortbildner_innen sowie pädagogische Fachkräfte) transformiert wird und kontextuelle sowie individuelle Merkmale diesen Transformationsprozess beeinflussen. Implikationen für Forschung und -praxis werden diskutiert.
Geomorphic Response of a Coastal Berm to Storm Surge and the Importance of Sheet Flow Dynamics
Authors: Pontiki M. , Puleo J. A. , Bond H. , Wengrove M. , Feagin R. A. , Hsu T.‐J. , Huff T.
Published: September 2023

During a storm, as the beach profile is impacted by increased wave forcing and rapidly changing water levels, sand berms may help mitigate erosion of the backshore. However, the mechanics of berm morphodynamics have not been fully described. In this study, 26 trials were conducted in a large wave flume to explore the response of a near‐prototype berm to scaled storm conditions. Sensors were used to quantify hydrodynamics, sheet flow dynamics, and berm evolution. Results indicate that berm overtopping and offshore sediment transport were key processes causing berm erosion. During the morphological evolution of the beach profile, two sand bars were formed offshore that attenuated subsequent wave energy. The landward extent of that energy was confined to the seaward foreshore, inhibiting inundation of the backshore. Net offshore‐directed transport was dominant when infragravity motions increased in the swash zone. Conversely, the influence of incident‐band motions on sediment transport was relatively greater in the inner‐surf zone. Near‐bed flow velocities and sheet flow layer thicknesses were larger in the swash zone than in the inner‐surf zone. This paper also provides a valuable analysis between morphology‐estimated total sediment transport rates and rates derived from in situ measurements. Sheet flow dynamics dominated foreshore cross‐shore sediment processes, constituting the largest portion of the total sediment transport load throughout the berm erosion.
A Novel Efficient Method of Estimating Suspended‐To‐Total Sediment Load Fraction in Natural Rivers
Authors: Noh Hyoseob , Park Yong Sung , Seo Il Won
Published: September 2023

Sediment transport load monitoring is important in civil and environmental engineering fields. Monitoring the total load is difficult, especially because of the cost of the bed load transport measurement. This study proposes estimation models for the suspended‐to‐total load fraction using dimensionless hydro‐morphological variables. Two prominent variable combinations were identified using the recursive feature elimination for support vector regression (SVR): (a) width‐to‐depth ratio, dimensionless particle size, flow Reynolds number, densimetric Froude number, and falling particle Reynolds number, and (b) flow Reynolds number, Froude number, and densimetric Froude number. The explicit relations between the suspended‐to‐total load fraction and the two combinations were revealed by two modern symbolic regression methods: multi‐gene genetic programming and Operon. The five‐variable SVR model showed the best performance. Clustering analyses using a self‐organizing map and Gaussian mixture model, respectively, identified the underlying relationships between dimensionless variables. Subsequently, the one‐at‐a‐time sensitivity of the input variables of the empirical models was investigated. The suspended‐to‐total load fraction is positively related to the flow Reynolds number and is inversely related to the densimetric Froude number. The models developed in this study are practical and easy to implement in other suspended sediment monitoring methods because they only require basic measurable hydro‐morphological variables, such as velocity, depth, width, and median bed material size.
Shocklets and Short Large Amplitude Magnetic Structures (SLAMS) in the High Mach Foreshock of Venus
Authors: Collinson Glyn A. , Hietala Heli , Plaschke Ferdinand , Karlsson Tomas , Wilson Lynn B. , Archer Martin , Battarbee Markus , Blanco‐Cano Xochitl , Bertucci Cesar , Long David , Opher Merav , Sergis Nick , Gasque Claire , Liu Terry , Raptis Savvas , Burne Sofia , Frahm Rudy , Zhang Tielong , Futaana Yoshifumi
Published: September 2023

Shocklets and short large‐amplitude magnetic structures (SLAMS) are steepened magnetic fluctuations commonly found in Earth's upstream foreshock. Here we present Venus Express observations from the 26th of February 2009 establishing their existence in the steady‐state foreshock of Venus, building on a past study which found SLAMS during a substantial disturbance of the induced magnetosphere. The Venusian structures were comparable to those reported near Earth. The 2 Shocklets had magnetic compression ratios of 1.23 and 1.34 with linear polarization in the spacecraft frame. The 3 SLAMS had ratios between 3.22 and 4.03, two of which with elliptical polarization in the spacecraft frame. Statistical analysis suggests SLAMS coincide with unusually high solar wind Alfvén mach‐number at Venus (12.5, this event). Thus, while we establish Shocklets and SLAMS can form in the stable Venusian foreshock, they may be rarer than at Earth. We estimate a lower limit of their occurrence rate of ≳14%.
Reply to “Comment on ‘‘Unraveling the Role of IMF Bx in Driving Geomagnetic Activity’’” by Lauri Holappa et al.
Authors: Kubyshkina M. V. , Semenov V. S. , Tsyganenko N. A. , Wang X.‐G. , Kubyshkin I. V.
Published: September 2023

We thank Lauri Holappa, Jone Peter Reistad and Anders Ohma for their interest in our research and for having published their comments, referred hereafter as HEA2023. Here we present our counterarguments to the points presented in HEA2023. We explain the observed excess of AL values for different polarities of IMF By over different IMF Bx polarities by an additional negative IMF Bz, which exist due to the 7.25‐degree tilt of the solar equatorial plane to the ecliptic plane. We emphasize again that the AL index strongly depends on the dipole tilt, so that under the same driving conditions  is more than twice larger during non‐tilted dipole periods than at solstices. The IMF Bx component, depending on its polarity, moves the magnetotail plasma sheet away from or toward the equatorial plane, and thus changes the effective dipole tilt angle. That change may be a cause of the asymmetric response of the AL‐index to positive or negative values of the IMF Bx.
Mechanisms Controlling Interannual Variability of Seasonal Hypoxia Off the Changjiang River Estuary
Authors: Zhang Wenxia , Zhou Feng , Huang Daji , Chen Jianfang , Zhu Jianrong
Published: September 2023

Hypoxia has long been a symptom of deteriorating ecosystem that threatens the health of estuarine and coastal waters. Episodic hypoxia events and intraseasonal variation of coastal hypoxia have been amply investigated. However, interannual variability of coastal hypoxia has only been assessed in few regions. Bottom hypoxia forms seasonally off the Changjiang River Estuary in the East China Sea mainly due to the large riverine inputs. Large river discharge and its interactions with ambient water combine to contribute to the development of episodic hypoxia events and the intraseasonal migration of bottom hypoxia. However, little is known about the interannual variation of bottom hypoxia in this region. This study used a well‐evaluated, coupled physical–biogeochemical model to explore the long‐term feature of hypoxia in the East China Sea. The bottom water in the hypoxic zone lost oxygen with a rate of −1.2 mmol/m3/year. Bottom hypoxia showed large interannual variations of geographical location, severity, volume expansion, and sustainment. Large Changjiang River discharge was a prerequisite for hypoxia formation and the associated interannual variation. The interannual variations in the direction and strength of shelf wind controlled long‐term distribution of Changjiang diluted water. The delivery of freshwater fundamentally determined the strength of vertical stratification and the rates of biogeochemical cycles, contributing 73% of the interannual variation of bottom hypoxia.
Intercomparison of Deep Learning Architectures for the Prediction of Precipitation Fields With a Focus on Extremes
Authors: Otero Noelia , Horton Pascal
Published: September 2023

In recent years, the use of deep learning methods has rapidly increased in many research fields. Similarly, they have become a powerful tool within the climate scientific community. Deep learning methods have been successfully applied for different tasks, such as the identification of atmospheric patterns, weather extreme classification, or weather forecasting. However, due to the inherent complexity of atmospheric processes, the ability of deep learning models to simulate natural processes, particularly in the case of weather extremes, is still challenging. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of their performance and robustness in predicting precipitation fields is still needed, especially for extreme precipitation events, which can have devastating consequences in terms of infrastructure damage, economic losses, and even loss of life. In this study, we present a comprehensive evaluation of a set of deep learning architectures to simulate precipitation, including heavy precipitation events (>95th percentile) and extreme events (>99th percentile) over the European domain. Among the architectures analyzed here, the U‐Net network was found to be superior and outperformed the other networks in simulating precipitation events. In particular, we found that a simplified version of the original U‐Net with two encoder‐decoder levels generally achieved similar skill scores than deeper versions for predicting precipitation extremes, while significantly reducing the overall complexity and computing resources. We further assess how the model predicts through the attribution heatmaps from a layer‐wise relevance propagation explainability method.
Mechanical stiffness promotes skin fibrosis through Piezo1-mediated arginine and proline metabolism
Authors: He Jiahao , Fang Bin , Shan Shengzhou , Li Qingfeng
Published: September 2023

The increased mechanics of fibrotic skin tissue continuously regulate fibroblast functions such as survival and differentiation. Although all these processes consume metabolites, it is unclear whether and how cells adapt their metabolic activity to increased matrix stiffness. Here, we show that transferring mouse dermal fibroblasts from soft to stiff substrates causes an up-regulation of arginine and proline metabolism. Increased matrix stiffness stimulates the expression and activity of key metabolic enzymes, leading to the synthesis of L-proline, a major source of collagen. In addition, the novel mechanosensitive channel Piezo1 was identified as a key regulator of arginine and proline metabolism in fibroblasts under increased stiffness. Consistently, targeting Piezo1 to dermal fibroblasts in vivo effectively reduces fibrosis and arginine-proline metabolism in mouse skin. Therefore, mechanical stiffness is a critical environmental cue for fibroblast metabolism and skin fibrosis progression.
The complexity of NISQ
Authors: Chen Sitan , Cotler Jordan , Huang Hsin-Yuan , Li Jerry
Published: September 2023

The recent proliferation of NISQ devices has made it imperative to understand their power. In this work, we define and study the complexity class , which encapsulates problems that can be efficiently solved by a classical computer with access to noisy quantum circuits. We establish super-polynomial separations in the complexity among classical computation, , and fault-tolerant quantum computation to solve some problems based on modifications of Simon’s problems. We then consider the power of for three well-studied problems. For unstructured search, we prove that cannot achieve a Grover-like quadratic speedup over classical computers. For the Bernstein-Vazirani problem, we show that only needs a number of queries logarithmic in what is required for classical computers. Finally, for a quantum state learning problem, we prove that is exponentially weaker than classical computers with access to noiseless constant-depth quantum circuits.
Social memory deficit caused by dysregulation of the cerebellar vermis
Authors: Chao Owen Y. , Pathak Salil Saurav , Zhang Hao , Augustine George J. , Christie Jason M. , Kikuchi Chikako , Taniguchi Hiroki , Yang Yi-Mei
Published: September 2023

Social recognition memory (SRM) is a key determinant of social interactions. While the cerebellum emerges as an important region for social behavior, how cerebellar activity affects social functions remains unclear. We selectively increased the excitability of molecular layer interneurons (MLIs) to suppress Purkinje cell firing in the mouse cerebellar vermis. Chemogenetic perturbation of MLIs impaired SRM without affecting sociability, anxiety levels, motor coordination or object recognition. Optogenetic interference of MLIs during distinct phases of a social recognition test revealed the cerebellar engagement in the retrieval, but not encoding, of social information. c-Fos mapping after the social recognition test showed that cerebellar manipulation decreased brain-wide interregional correlations and altered network structure from medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus-centered to amygdala-centered modules. Anatomical tracing demonstrated hierarchical projections from the central cerebellum to the social brain network integrating amygdalar connections. Our findings suggest that the cerebellum organizes the neural matrix necessary for SRM.
A chromosome-level reference genome of the Antarctic blackfin icefish Chaenocephalus aceratus
Authors: Lee Seung Jae , Kim Jinmu , Choi Eun Kyung , Jo Euna , Cho Minjoo , Kim Jeong-Hoon , Park Hyun
Published: September 2023

The blackfin Icefish (Chaenocephalus aceratus) belongs to the family Channichthyidae and the suborder Notothenioidei which lives in the Antarctic. We corrected the mis-scaffolds in the previous linkage map results by Hi-C analysis to obtain improved results for chromosome-level genome assembly. The final assembly analysis resulted in a total of 3,135 scaffolds, a genome size of 1,065.72 Mb, and an N50 of 33.46 Mb. 820.24 Mb, representing 88.88% of the total genome, is anchored to 24 chromosomes. The final gene set of 38,024 genes, including AFGPs, was annotated using RNA evidence, proteins, and ab-initio predictions. The complete percentage of BUSCO analysis is 92.7%. In this study, we aim to contribute to the study of polar fishes by improving the genome sequences of the blackfin icefish with the AFGP genes belonging to the Notothenoidei.
Upper limb modeling and motion extraction based on multi-space-fusion
Authors: Wang Honggang , Guo Junlong , Pei Shuo , Wang Jiajia , Yao Yufeng
Published: September 2023

Modeling and motion extraction of human upper limbs are essential for interpreting the natural behavior of upper limb. Owing to the high degrees of freedom (DOF) and highly dynamic nature, existing upper limb modeling methods have limited applications. This study proposes a generic modeling and motion extraction method, named Primitive-Based triangular body segment method (P-BTBS), which follows the physiology of upper limbs, allows high accuracy of motion angles, and describes upper-limb motions with high accuracy. For utilizing the upper-limb modular motion model, the motion angles and bones can be selected as per the research topics (The generic nature of the study targets). Additionally, P-BTBS is suitable in most scenarios for estimating spatial coordinates (The generic nature of equipment and technology). Experiments in continuous motions with seven DOFs and upper-limb motion description validated the excellent performance and robustness of P-BTBS in extracting motion information and describing upper-limb motions, respectively. P-BTBS provides a new perspective and mathematical tool for human understanding and exploration of upper-limb motions, which theoretically supports upper-limb research.
Similar effects on exercise performance following different respiratory muscle training programs in healthy young men
Authors: Notter Dominic A. , Verges Samuel , Renggli Andrea S. , Beltrami Fernando G. , Spengler Christina M.
Published: September 2023

Both respiratory muscle endurance training (RMET) and inspiratory resistive training (IMT) seem to increase whole-body exercise performance, but direct comparisons between the two are scarce. We hypothesized that the similarity of RMET to exercise-induced ventilation would induce larger improvements compared to IMT. Twenty-six moderately-trained men performed either 4 weeks of RMET, IMT or SHAM training. Before and after the interventions, respiratory muscle endurance, 3-km running time-trial performance and leg muscle fatigue after intense constant-load cycling (assessed with femoral nerve magnetic stimulation) were measured. Both RMET (+ 59%) and IMT (+ 38%) increased respiratory muscle endurance (both p < 0.01 vs. SHAM) but only IMT increased inspiratory strength (+ 32%, p < 0.001 vs. SHAM). 3-km time improved showing a main effect of training (p = 0.026), however with no differences between groups. Leg fatigue after cycling was not attenuated with training (p = 0.088 for group-training interaction). All groups showed a significant (~ 0.3 l) increase in average tidal volume during cycling exercise combined with a concomitant reduction in respiratory exertion. While RMET and IMT improved specific aspects of respiratory muscles performance, no benefits beyond SHAM were seen during whole-body exercise. Changes in respiratory sensations might be a result of altered breathing pattern.
A model-driven approach for fast modeling of three-dimensional laser point cloud in large substation
Authors: Li Ruiheng , Gan Lu , Liu Yang , Di Yi , Wang Chao
Published: September 2023

Using point cloud to reconstruct the 3D model of a substation is crucial for smart grid operation. Its main objective is to swiftly capture equipment point cloud data and align each device’s model within the large and noisy point cloud scene of the substation. However, substation reconstruction needs improvement due to the low efficiency of traditional noise-resistant clustering methods and challenges in accurately classifying similar-looking electrical equipment. This paper proposes an automatic modeling framework for large-scale substation point cloud scenes. Firstly, we reduce the substation scene’s dimensionality to improve clustering efficiency and establish relationships between data dimensions using a re-clustering algorithm. Next, a neural network is developed to identify various device types within clusters, even with limited subdivisions. Finally, a model library is employed to register standard models onto the target device’s point cloud, obtaining device types and orientations. Real substation data processing demonstrates the ability to rapidly extract devices from complex and noisy point cloud scenes, effectively avoiding missegmentation issues. The automatic modeling approach achieves a precise substation calculation rate of 92.86%.
Role of microRNAs and their downstream target transcription factors in zebrafish thrombopoiesis
Authors: Al Qaryoute Ayah , Fallatah Weam , Dhinoja Sanchi , Raman Revathi , Jagadeeswaran Pudur
Published: September 2023

Previous studies have shown that human platelets and megakaryocytes carry microRNAs suggesting their role in platelet function and megakaryocyte development, respectively. However, a comprehensive study on the microRNAs and their targets has not been undertaken. Zebrafish thrombocytes could be used as a model to study their role in megakaryocyte maturation and platelet function because thrombocytes have both megakaryocyte features and platelet properties. In our laboratory, we identified 15 microRNAs in thrombocytes using single-cell RNA sequencing. We knocked down each of these 15 microRNAs by the piggyback method and found knockdown of three microRNAs, mir-7148, let-7b, and mir-223 in adult zebrafish led to an increase in the percentage of thrombocytes. Functional thrombocyte analysis using plate tilt assay showed no modulatory effect of the three microRNAs on thrombocyte aggregation/agglutination. We also found enhanced thrombosis using arterial laser thrombosis assay in a group of zebrafish larvae after mir-7148, let-7b, and mir-223 knockdowns. These results suggested mir-7148, let-7b, and mir-223 are repressors for thrombocyte production. We then explored miRWalk database for let-7b downstream targets and then selected those that are expressed in thrombocytes, and from this list based on their role in differentiation selected 14 genes, rorca, tgif1, rfx1a, deaf1, zbtb18, mafba, cebpa, spi1a, spi1b, fhl3b, ikzf1, irf5, irf8, and lbx1b that encode transcriptional regulators. The qRT-PCR analysis of expression levels of the above genes following let-7b knockdown showed changes in the expression of 13 targets. We then studied the effect of the 13 targets on thrombocyte production and identified 5 genes, irf5, tgif1, irf8, cebpa, and rorca that showed thrombocytosis and one gene, ikzf1 that showed thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, we tested whether mir-223 regulates any of the above 13 transcription factors after mir-223 knockdown using qRT-PCR. Six of the 13 genes showed similar gene expression as observed with let-7b knockdown and 7 genes showed opposing results. Thus, our results suggested a possible regulatory network in common with both let-7b and mir-223. We also identified that tgif1, cebpa, ikzf1, irf5, irf8, and ikzf1 play a role in thrombopoiesis. Since the ikzf1 gene showed a differential expression profile in let-7b and mir-223 knockdowns but resulted in thrombocytopenia in ikzf1 knockdown in both adults and larvae we also studied an ikzf1 mutant and showed the mutant had thrombocytopenia. Taken together, these studies showed that thrombopoiesis is controlled by a network of transcription regulators that are regulated by multiple microRNAs in both positive and negative manner resulting in overall inhibition of thrombopoiesis.
Full stage networks with auxiliary focal loss and multi-attention module for submarine garbage object detection
Authors: Zheng Hui , Guo Xinwei , Guo Guihai , Cao Yizhi , Hu Xinglei , Yue Pujie
Published: September 2023

Submarine garbage is constantly destroying the marine ecological environment and polluting the ocean. It is critical to use detection methods to quickly locate and identify submarine garbage. The background of submarine garbage images is much more complex than that of natural scene images, with object deformation and missing contours putting higher demands on the detection network. To solve the problem of low accuracy under complex backgrounds, full stage networks with auxiliary focal loss and multi-attention module are proposed for submarine garbage object detection based on YOLO. To maximize the gradient combination, a hierarchical fusion feature mechanism and a segmentation and merging strategy are used in this paper to optimize the difference in gradient combination to obtain full-stage features. Then the criss-cross attention module is used to precisely extract multi-scale features of small object dense regions while removing noise information from complex backgrounds. Finally, the auxiliary focal loss function addresses the issue of unbalanced positive and negative samples, focusing on the learning of difficult samples while improving overall detection precision. Based on comparative experiments and ablation experiments, the FSA networks achieved state-of-the-art performance, and is applicable to the real-time object detection of submarine garbage in complex backgrounds.