bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feeling, Orientation and Agency in Kant: A Response to Merritt and Eran
Authors: Cohen Alix
Published: July 2021

On my interpretation of Kant, feeling plays a central role in the mind: it has the distinct function of tracking and evaluating our activity in relation to ourselves and the world so as to orient us. In this article, I set out to defend this view against a number of objections raised by Melissa Merritt and Uri Eran. I conclude with some reflections on the fact that, despite being very different, Merritt and Eran’s respective views of Kantian feelings turn out to have something potentially problematic in common: they blur the boundary between feelings and other kinds of mental states.
“A Superior Kind of Working Woman”: The Contested Meaning of Vocational Education for Girls in Progressive Era Chicago
Authors: Oram Ruby
Published: July 2021

Progressive Era school officials transformed public education in American cities by teaching male students trades like foundry, carpentry, and mechanics in classrooms outfitted like factories. Historians have demonstrated how this “vocational education movement” was championed by male administrators and business leaders anxious to train the next generation of expert tradesmen. But women also hoped vocational education could prepare female students for industrial careers. In the early twentieth century, members of the National Women’s Trade Union League demanded that public schools open trade programs to female students and teach future working women the history of capitalism and the philosophy of collective bargaining. Their ambitious goals were tempered by some middle-class reformers and club women who argued vocational programs should also prepare female students for homemaking and motherhood. This article uses Chicago as a case study to explore how Progressive Era women competed and collaborated to reform vocational education for girls, and how female students responded to new school programs designed to prepare them for work both in and outside the home.
A compact omnidirectional to directional frequency reconfigurable antenna for wireless sensor network applications
Authors: Jose Melvin Chamakalayil , Sankararajan Radha , Sreeja Balakrishnapillai Suseela , Alsath Mohammed Gulam Nabi , Kumar Pratap
Published: July 2021

In the proposed research paper, a novel compact, ultra-wideband electronically switchable dual-band omnidirectional to directional radiation pattern microstrip planar printed rectangular monopole antenna (PRMA) has been presented. The proposed antenna system has an optimum size of 0.26 λ0 × 0.28 λ0. A combination of radiators, reflectors, and two symmetrical grounds does place on the same layer of the rectangular microstrip PRMA. The frequency agility and the radiation pattern from omnidirectional to directional are achieved using two SMD PIN diodes (SMP1340-04LF). The directional radiation patterns with 180° phase shifts are achieved at the C-band frequency spectrum. The parametric study of the proposed antenna system was performed for different design parameters, and the antenna characteristics were analyzed. An antenna prototype is fabricated using the printed circuit board etching method by using RMI UV laser etching and cutting tools. The measurements of the proposed antenna are conducted in an anechoic chamber to validate the simulations. There are three states of operations due to two SMD PIN diodes being used in switching circuits. In state-I, the proposed antenna radiates at 6.185 GHz (5.275–6.6 75 GHz) in the Ф = 270° direction with a gain of 2.1 dBi, whereas in state-II, it radiates at 5.715 GHz (5.05–6.8 GHz) in the Ф = 90° direction with a gain of 2.1 dBi. In state-III, the antenna exhibits the X-band frequency with center frequency at 9.93 GHz (8.845–10.49 GHz), and the omnidirectional pattern offers a gain of 4.1 dBi. The features of the proposed antenna are suitable for high-speed wireless sensor network communication in industries such as chemical reactors in oil and gas and pharmaceuticals. It is also well suited for IoT and 5G-sub-6-GHz applications.
Inheritance of evolved thiocarbamate resistance in rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) populations from Australia
Authors: Brunton David J. , Boutsalis Peter , Gill Gurjeet , Preston Christopher
Published: July 2021

Populations of rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin) from southern Australia have evolved resistance to the thiocarbamate herbicide prosulfocarb. The inheritance of prosulfocarb resistance was explored by crossing resistant (R) and susceptible (S) individuals. In all families within each cross, except 16.2, the response of the F1 was intermediate between the parents, suggesting that resistance is inherited as a single, partially dominant trait. For 16.2, the response of the F1 was more similar to the S parent, suggesting resistance may be a recessive trait in this population. Segregation at the discriminating dose of 1,200 g ai ha−1 prosulfocarb in population 375-14 fit the ratio (15:1) consistent with two independent dominant alleles; in population 198-15, it fit a ratio (13:3) for two independent alleles, one dominant and one recessive; and in population EP162, it fit a ratio (9:7) for two additive dominant alleles. In contrast, segregation of population 16.2 fit a ratio (7:9) consistent with two independent recessive alleles contributing to prosulfocarb resistance. Four different patterns of resistance to prosulfocarb were identified in different R populations, with inheritance as a dominant allele, dominant and recessive, additive dominant and as an independent recessive allele. This suggests there are several different mechanisms of prosulfocarb resistance present in L. rigidum.
Lava Flow Eruption Conditions in the Tharsis Volcanic Province on Mars
Authors: Peters S. I. , Christensen P. R. , Clarke A. B.
Published: July 2021

Volcanism has played a major role in modifying the Martian surface. The Tharsis volcanic province dominates the western hemisphere of the planet with numerous effusive volcanic constructs and deposits. Here, we present the results of an in‐depth study aimed at characterizing and modeling the emplacement conditions of 40 lava flows in the Tharsis volcanic province. These lava flows display a range of lengths (∼15–310 km), widths (∼0.5–29 km), and thicknesses (∼11–91 m). The volumes and flow masses range from ∼1 to 440 km3 and ∼1011 to 1014 kg, respectively. Using three different models, we calculated a range of eruption rates (0.3–3.5 × 104 m3/s), viscosities (104–107 Pa s), yield strengths (800–104 Pa), and emplacement times (8 h–11 years). While the flow lengths and volumes are typically larger than terrestrial lava flows by an order of magnitude, rheologies and eruption rates are similar based on our findings. Emplacement times suggest that eruptions were active for long periods of time, which implies the presence and persistence of open subsurface pathways. Differences in flow morphology and emplacement conditions across localities within Tharsis highlight different pathways and volumes of available material between the central volcanoes and the plains. The scale of the eruptions suggests there could have been eruption‐driven local, regional, and perhaps, global impacts on the Martian climate. The relatively recent age of the eruptions implies that Mars has retained the capability of producing significant localized volcanism.
Southern Ocean Ecosystem Response to Last Glacial Maximum Boundary Conditions
Authors: Saini Himadri , Kvale Karin , Chase Zanna , Kohfeld Karen E. , Meissner Katrin J. , Menviel Laurie
Published: July 2021

Phytoplankton exert a significant control on the marine carbon cycle and can thus impact atmospheric CO2 concentration. Here we use a new ecosystem model to analyze the response of diatoms and coccolithophores in the Southern Ocean to Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climate conditions, and changes in aeolian iron (Fe) input in the Southern Ocean. We find that LGM climate conditions without changes in Fe input lead to a large increase in diatoms north of the winter sea ice edge in the South Atlantic (19%) and the South Pacific (26%), and a 31% and 9% increase within the seasonal sea‐ice zone in the South Atlantic and Indian oceans, respectively, while diatoms decrease in the Ross and Weddell Seas, and in the South Pacific (62%) south of the winter sea ice edge. Coccolithophores increase by 11% in the South West Atlantic near 45°S but are outcompeted by diatoms within the seasonal sea‐ice zone, where they decrease by 21%. Overall, this results in a 11% decrease in Southern Ocean net primary productivity (NPP) and a 2.4% decrease in export production (EP). A series of sensitivity experiments with different aeolian Fe input are compared to available paleo‐proxy records. The best fit is obtained for a simulation forced with dust fluxes from Lambert et al. (2015), https://doi.org/10.1002/2015gl064250 and reduced Antarctic Bottom Water formation in the Weddell Sea. The 78% increase in aeolian Fe input in the Southern Ocean in this simulation increases the Southern Ocean EP by 4.4%, while NPP remains 8.7% weaker compared to preindustrial.
Causes of Jets in the Quasi‐Perpendicular Magnetosheath
Authors: Kajdič Primož , Raptis Savvas , Blanco‐Cano Xóchitl , Karlsson Tomas
Published: July 2021

Magnetosheath jets are currently an important topic in the field of magnetosheath physics. It is thought that 97% of the jets are produced by the shock rippling at quasi‐parallel shocks. Recently, large statistical studies of magnetosheath jets have been performed, however, it is not clear whether rippling also produces jets found downstream of quasi‐perpendicular shocks. We analyze four types of events in the quasi‐perpendicular magnetosheath with signatures characteristic of magnetosheath jets, namely increased density and/or dynamic pressure that were not produced by the shock rippling: (a) magnetic flux tubes connected to the quasi‐parallel bow‐shock, (b) nonreconnecting current sheets, (c) reconnection exhausts, and (d) mirror‐mode waves. The flux tubes are downstream equivalents of the upstream traveling foreshocks. Magnetosheath jets can impact the magnetopause, so knowing the conditions under which they form may enable us to understand their signatures in the magnetosphere.
Growth of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau Driven by Crustal Channel Flow: Evidence From High‐Resolution Ambient Noise Imaging
Authors: Zhao Panpan , Chen Jiuhui , Li Yu , Liu Qiyuan , Chen Yifang , Guo Biao , Yin Xinzhong
Published: July 2021

We present high‐resolution 3D images of the crustal S‐wave velocity structure beneath northeastern Tibet, via ambient noise imaging techniques. The data come from continuous recordings taken in one year by a seismic array consisting of 366 broadband stations in the study region. The results show a substantial and pervasive middle crust low‐velocity structure (<3.4 km/s) beneath the plateau region, which partially protrudes northeastward across the West Qinling fault, reflecting channel flow from inside the plateau and material extrusion in the periphery. The growth of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau in the study region is manifested in its northeastward expansion and thickening driven by crustal channel flow, accompanied with upper crust shortening.
Drought Cascade in the Terrestrial Water Cycle: Evidence From Remote Sensing
Authors: Farahmand Alireza , Reager J. T. , Madani Nima
Published: July 2021

Droughts are complex phenomena that typically evolve slowly over time. They originate through interactions between the atmosphere and the land surface, but show delayed evolution as they cascade through soil moisture, surface, and groundwater supplies, sometimes resulting in prolonged and insidious impacts on regional hydrological systems. While previous studies have observed this cascade phenomenon at select in situ locations, the temporal characteristics of drought cascades have never been quantitatively estimated at large scales using primarily remote sensing techniques. Here, we use satellite observations of vapor pressure deficit, Precipitation, and terrestrial water storage, and reanalysis‐based estimates of column soil moisture to characterize cascade phenomena for four major US drought case studies. By mapping the time evolution through this suite of variables, we observe large‐scale behavior generally consistent with theory and are able to quantify emergent patterns in the evolution of drought signals that may support improved future predictability.
Drainage Capillary Pressure Distribution and Fluid Displacement in a Heterogeneous Laminated Sandstone
Authors: Lin Qingyang , Bijeljic Branko , Raeini Ali Q. , Rieke Holger , Blunt Martin J.
Published: July 2021

We applied three‐dimensional X‐ray microtomography to image a capillary drainage process (0–1,000 kPa) in a cm‐scale heterogeneous laminated sandstone containing three distinct regions with different pore sizes to study the capillary pressure. We used differential imaging to distinguish solid, macropore, and five levels of subresolution pore phases associated with each region. The brine saturation distribution was computed based on average CT values. The nonwetting phase displaced the wetting phase in order of pore size and connectivity. The drainage capillary pressure in the highly heterogeneous rock was dependent on the capillary pressures in the individual regions as well as distance to the boundary between regions. The complex capillary pressure distribution has important implications for accurate water saturation estimation, gas and/or oil migration and the capillary rise of water in heterogeneous aquifers.
The Link Between Wedge‐Like and Nose‐Like Ion Spectral Structures in the Inner Magnetosphere
Authors: Ren Jie , Zhou Xu‐Zhi , Zong Qiu‐Gang , Yue Chao , Fu Sui‐Yan , Miyoshi Yoshizumi , Zhang Xiao‐Xin , Asamura Kazushi , Shinohara Iku
Published: July 2021

The wedge‐like and nose‐like ion spectral structures, named after their characteristic shapes in the energy‐time spectrograms, appear to be distinctively different structures in the Earth's inner magnetosphere. Here. we present a case study with conjugate observations from the Arase spacecraft and the twin Van Allen Probes on July 1 and 2, 2017, which displayed the characteristic signatures of the wedge‐like and nose‐like ion structures, respectively. When the spacecraft nearly intersected at L = 2.8, the two structures overlapped with enhanced ion fluxes in the energy range of 1–10 keV. These observations suggest that the wedge‐like and nose‐like spectral signatures are merely the manifestations of one single structure along different spacecraft trajectories. This finding is further validated by the reproduction of both structures from a particle‐tracing model, which also indicates their formation processes associated with the intermittent substorm injections in the nightside magnetosphere.
Shear Alfvén Waves Driven by Magnetic Reconnection as an Energy Source for the Aurora Borealis
Authors: Gurram H. , Egedal J. , Daughton W.
Published: July 2021

Previous studies have concluded that the Hall magnetic field structures generated during magnetic reconnection are carried away by kinetic Alfvén waves. Here, we apply a kinetic simulation with an ion/electron mass ratio closer to its natural value and find that open boundary conditions and much reduced damping rates permit the shear Alfvén waves (SAWs) to become the main carrier of wave energy. For magnetotail reconnection, these SAWs provide efficient transport of wave energy, enhancing the energy input for the Aurora Borealis by orders of magnitude above previous estimates.
Accelerating Ice Mass Loss Across Arctic Russia in Response to Atmospheric Warming, Sea Ice Decline, and Atlantification of the Eurasian Arctic Shelf Seas
Authors: Tepes Paul , Nienow Peter , Gourmelen Noel
Published: July 2021

Glaciers and ice caps of the Russian Arctic are currently experiencing accelerating mass loss as a result of strong atmospheric and oceanic warming in the Barents and Kara Sea (BKS) region. Since 2010, this loss has been driven by both increased surface ablation, and dramatic shifts in ice dynamics at individual drainage basins across the entire Eurasian High Arctic. Here, we provide a high‐resolution spatial and temporal overview of ice surface elevation change and mass imbalance across both Novaya Zemlya and Severnaya Zemlya using CryoSat‐2 interferometric swath altimetry from 2010 to 2018. We find a total mass imbalance of −300 kg m−2 a−1, marked by a strong east‐to‐west gradient, with higher rates of loss over Novaya Zemlya (9.7 ± 0.5 Gt a−1 at 431 ± 22 kg m−2 a−1) in the west compared to Severnaya Zemlya (1.7 ± 0.1 Gt a−1 at 97 ± 8 kg m−2 a−1) in the east. Correlation between time series of surface elevation change and climate forcing reveals a quasi‐linear relationship between coupled ocean‐atmospheric forcing and glacier change over Novaya Zemlya, in agreement with similar findings from east Greenland. We further discern the likely role of ocean warming as the key factor driving dynamic ice loss in Severnaya Zemlya, owing to increasingly warm Atlantic Waters circulating along the Eurasian continental margin. We conclude that simple, linear relationships between environmental forcing and glacier change may be sufficiently accurate to parametrize ice loss in regions where synchronous, coupled ocean‐atmosphere forcing prevails.
Transcriptional profiling reveals multiple defense responses in downy mildew-resistant transgenic grapevine expressing a TIR-NBS-LRR gene located at the MrRUN1/MrRPV1 locus
Authors: Qu Junjie , Dry Ian , Liu Lulu , Guo Zexi , Yin Ling
Published: July 2021

Grapevine downy mildew (DM) is a destructive oomycete disease of viticulture worldwide.MrRPV1is a typical TIR-NBS-LRR type DM disease resistance gene cloned from the wild North American grapevine speciesMuscadinia rotundifolia. However, the molecular basis of resistance mediated byMrRPV1remains poorly understood. Downy mildew-susceptibleVitis viniferacv. Shiraz was transformed with a genomic fragment containingMrRPV1to produce DM-resistant transgenic Shiraz lines. Comparative transcriptome analysis was used to compare the transcriptome profiles of the resistant and susceptible genotypes after DM infection. Transcriptome modulation during the response toP. viticolainfection was more rapid, and more genes were induced inMrRPV1-transgenic Shiraz than in wild-type plants. In DM-infectedMrRPV1-transgenic plants, activation of genes associated with Ca2+release and ROS production was the earliest transcriptional response. Functional analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed that key genes related to multiple phytohormone signaling pathways and secondary metabolism were highly induced during infection. Coexpression network and motif enrichment analysis showed that WRKY and MYB transcription factors strongly coexpress with stilbene synthase (VvSTS) genes during defense againstP. viticolainMrRPV1-transgenic plants. Taken together, these findings indicate that multiple pathways play important roles inMrRPV1-mediated resistance to downy mildew.
The antiandrogen enzalutamide downregulates TMPRSS2 and reduces cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 in human lung cells
Authors: Leach D. A. , Mohr A. , Giotis E. S. , Cil E. , Isac A. M. , Yates L. L. , Barclay W. S. , Zwacka R. M. , Bevan C. L. , Brooke G. N.
Published: July 2021

SARS-CoV-2 attacks various organs, most destructively the lung, and cellular entry requires two host cell surface proteins: ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Downregulation of one or both of these is thus a potential therapeutic approach for COVID-19. TMPRSS2 is a known target of the androgen receptor, a ligand-activated transcription factor; androgen receptor activation increases TMPRSS2 levels in various tissues, most notably prostate. We show here that treatment with the antiandrogen enzalutamide—a well-tolerated drug widely used in advanced prostate cancer—reduces TMPRSS2 levels in human lung cells and in mouse lung. Importantly, antiandrogens significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 entry and infection in lung cells. In support of this experimental data, analysis of existing datasets shows striking co-expression of AR and TMPRSS2, including in specific lung cell types targeted by SARS-CoV-2. Together, the data presented provides strong evidence to support clinical trials to assess the efficacy of antiandrogens as a treatment option for COVID-19.
Spin-valley locking and bulk quantum Hall effect in a noncentrosymmetric Dirac semimetal BaMnSb2
Authors: Liu J. Y. , Yu J. , Ning J. L. , Yi H. M. , Miao L. , Min L. J. , Zhao Y. F. , Ning W. , Lopez K. A. , Zhu Y. L. , Pillsbury T. , Zhang Y. B. , Wang Y. , Hu J. , Cao H. B. , Chakoumakos B. C. , Balakirev F. , Weickert F. , Jaime M. , Lai Y. , Yang Kun , Sun J. W. , Alem N. , Gopalan V. , Chang C. Z. , Samarth N. , Liu C. X. , McDonald R. D. , Mao Z. Q.
Published: July 2021

Spin-valley locking in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides has attracted enormous interest, since it offers potential for valleytronic and optoelectronic applications. Such an exotic electronic state has sparsely been seen in bulk materials. Here, we report spin-valley locking in a Dirac semimetal BaMnSb2. This is revealed by comprehensive studies using first principles calculations, tight-binding and effective model analyses, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements. Moreover, this material also exhibits a stacked quantum Hall effect (QHE). The spin-valley degeneracy extracted from the QHE is close to 2. This result, together with the Landau level spin splitting, further confirms the spin-valley locking picture. In the extreme quantum limit, we also observed a plateau in the z-axis resistance, suggestive of a two-dimensional chiral surface state present in the quantum Hall state. These findings establish BaMnSb2 as a rare platform for exploring coupled spin and valley physics in bulk single crystals and accessing 3D interacting topological states.
GlobSnow v3.0 Northern Hemisphere snow water equivalent dataset
Authors: Luojus Kari , Pulliainen Jouni , Takala Matias , Lemmetyinen Juha , Mortimer Colleen , Derksen Chris , Mudryk Lawrence , Moisander Mikko , Hiltunen Mwaba , Smolander Tuomo , Ikonen Jaakko , Cohen Juval , Salminen Miia , Norberg Johannes , Veijola Katriina , Venäläinen Pinja
Published: July 2021

We describe the Northern Hemisphere terrestrial snow water equivalent (SWE) time series covering 1979–2018, containing daily, monthly and monthly bias-corrected SWE estimates. The GlobSnow v3.0 SWE dataset combines satellite-based passive microwave radiometer data (Nimbus-7 SMMR, DMSP SSM/I and DMSP SSMIS) with ground based synoptic snow depth observations using bayesian data assimilation, incorporating the HUT Snow Emission model. The original GlobSnow SWE retrieval methodology has been further developed and is presented in its current form in this publication. The described GlobSnow v3.0 monthly bias-corrected dataset was applied to provide continental scale estimates on the annual maximum snow mass and its trend during the period 1980 to 2018.
A sample cell for the study of enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation at the grain-scale and its implications for biocementation
Authors: Zehner Jennifer , Røyne Anja , Sikorski Pawel
Published: July 2021

Biocementation is commonly based on microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) or enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP), where biomineralization of $$\text {CaCO}_{3}$$

CaCO
3

in a granular medium is used to produce a sustainable, consolidated porous material. The successful implementation of biocementation in large-scale applications requires detailed knowledge about the micro-scale processes of $$\text {CaCO}_{3}$$

CaCO
3

precipitation and grain consolidation. For this purpose, we present a microscopy sample cell that enables real time and in situ observations of the precipitation of $$\text {CaCO}_{3}$$

CaCO
3

in the presence of sand grains and calcite seeds. In this study, the sample cell is used in combination with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) which allows the monitoring in situ of local pH during the reaction. The sample cell can be disassembled at the end of the experiment, so that the precipitated crystals can be characterized with Raman microspectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) without disturbing the sample. The combination of the real time and in situ monitoring of the precipitation process with the possibility to characterize the precipitated crystals without further sample processing, offers a powerful tool for knowledge-based improvements of biocementation.
High expression of DNA damage-inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4) is associated with advanced pathological features in the patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Fattahi Fahimeh , Saeednejad Zanjani Leili , Habibi Shams Zohreh , Kiani Jafar , Mehrazma Mitra , Najafi Mohammad , Madjd Zahra
Published: July 2021

DNA damage-inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4) is induced in various cellular stress conditions. This study was conducted to investigate expression and prognostic significance of DDIT4 protein as a biomarker in the patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). PPI network and KEGG pathway analysis were applied to identify hub genes among obtained differentially expressed genes in CRC tissues from three GEO Series. In clinical, expression of DDIT4 as one of hub genes in three subcellular locations was evaluated in 198 CRC tissues using immunohistochemistry method on tissue microarrays. The association between DDIT4 expression and clinicopathological features as well as survival outcomes were analyzed. Results of bioinformatics analysis indicated 14 hub genes enriched in significant pathways according to KEGG pathways analysis among which DDIT4 was selected to evaluate CRC tissues. Overexpression of nuclear DDIT4 protein was found in CRC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues (P = 0.003). Furthermore, higher nuclear expression of DDIT4 was found to be significantly associated with the reduced tumor differentiation and advanced TNM stages (all, P = 0.009). No significant association was observed between survival outcomes and nuclear expression of DDIT4 in CRC cases. Our findings indicated higher nuclear expression of DDIT4 was significantly associated with more aggressive tumor behavior and more advanced stage of disease in the patients with CRC.
The RNA sensor MDA5 detects SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Sampaio Natalia G. , Chauveau Lise , Hertzog Jonny , Bridgeman Anne , Fowler Gerissa , Moonen Jurgen P. , Dupont Maeva , Russell Rebecca A. , Noerenberg Marko , Rehwinkel Jan
Published: July 2021

Human cells respond to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by producing cytokines including type I and III interferons (IFNs) and proinflammatory factors such as IL6 and TNF. IFNs can limit SARS-CoV-2 replication but cytokine imbalance contributes to severe COVID-19. We studied how cells detect SARS-CoV-2 infection. We report that the cytosolic RNA sensor MDA5 was required for type I and III IFN induction in the lung cancer cell line Calu-3 upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. Type I and III IFN induction further required MAVS and IRF3. In contrast, induction of IL6 and TNF was independent of the MDA5-MAVS-IRF3 axis in this setting. We further found that SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibited the ability of cells to respond to IFNs. In sum, we identified MDA5 as a cellular sensor for SARS-CoV-2 infection that induced type I and III IFNs.
Sediment and morphological changes along Yangtze River’s 500 km between Datong and Xuliujing before and after Three Gorges Dam commissioning
Authors: Xie Qiancheng , Yang James , Lundström T. Staffan
Published: July 2021

The impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River begins in 2003 and a full pool level is first attained in 2010. This process leads to reciprocal adjustments in flow discharge, sediment transport and morphology downstream of the dam. Based on 26-year recorded hydrologic data 1990–2015 and surveyed bathymetries 1998, 2010 and 2015, this study elucidates, before and after the commissioning of the dam, the alterations along the 500-km reach of the river. Two-dimensional numerical simulations are performed to predict future morphological changes by 2025. The analyses demonstrate that the impoundment modulates the seasonal flow discharges and traps an appreciable amount of sediment, resulting in enhanced erosion potential and coarsening of sediment. On a multi-year basis, the maximum discharge varies by a factor of 1.3 and the corresponding suspended load concentration and transport rate differ by a factor of 3.0 and 3.8, respectively. Combinations of surveyed and simulated bathymetries reveal its morphological responses to the changes. A general pattern of erosion is observed along the reach. In its upper 120 km, the process slows down towards 2025. In the middle 200 km, the erosion shifts, following the gradual impounding, to slight deposition, which then shifts back to erosion around September 2018. In the final 180 km, erosion continues without any sign of de-escalation, which is presumedly ascribed to tidal actions. The reach has not yet achieved a hydro-morphological equilibrium; the riverbed down-cutting is supposed to continue for a while. The combination of the field and numerical investigations provides, with the elapse of time, insight into the morpho-dynamics in the 500 km river reach.
Electroacupuncture prevents cocaine-induced conditioned place preference reinstatement and attenuates ΔFosB and GluR2 expression
Authors: Nguyen Ai T. M. , Quach Tran V. B. , Kotha Peddanna , Chien Szu-Yu , MacDonald Iona J. , Lane Hsien-Yuan , Tu Cheng-Hao , Lin Jaung-Geng , Chen Yi-Hung
Published: July 2021

Acupuncture has been used for treating drug addiction since the 1970s, but little is known about the mechanisms by which acupuncture affects drug cue-induced relapse. The transcription factor delta-FosB (ΔFosB) plays a critical role in behavior and pathology after chronic use of cocaine. ΔFosB regulates glutamate receptor signaling and dendritic spine morphology in animal models. This experimental study compared the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints LI4 and LI11 with those of another potentially beneficial intervention, gabapentin (GBP), alone or in combination, on reinstatement of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and levels of ΔFosB and glutamate receptor subunit 2 (GluR2) expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). EA at LI4 and LI11 significantly prevented cue-induced cocaine CPP reinstatement, whereas needle insertion without electrical stimulation at these acupoints had no such effect. EA also significantly attenuated cocaine-induced increases in ΔFosB and GluR2 expression in the NAc. Unexpectedly, these effects were reversed when GBP was combined with EA. Treatment with EA at LI4 and LI11 prevented cocaine-induced increases in dendritic spine density in the NAc core and shell. Our results suggest that EA at LI4 and LI11 may prevent cocaine relapse by modulating ΔFosB and GluR2 expression, as well as dendritic spine density.
Wisdom of crowds detects COVID-19 severity ahead of officially available data
Authors: Turiel Jeremy , Fernandez-Reyes Delmiro , Aste Tomaso
Published: July 2021

During the unfolding of a crisis, it is crucial to forecast its severity at an early stage , yet access to reliable data is often challenging early on. The wisdom of crowds has been effective at forecasting in similar scenarios. We investigated whether the initial regional social media reaction to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic in three critically affected countries has significant relations with their observed mortality a month later. We obtained COVID-19 related regionally geolocated tweets from Italian, Spanish, and United States regions. We quantified the predictive power of the wisdom of the crowds using correlations and regressions of geolocated Tweet Intensity (TI) during the initial social media attention peak versus the cumulative number of deaths a month ahead. We found that the intensity of initial COVID-19 related tweet attention at the beginning of the pandemic across Italian, Spanish, and United States regions is significantly related (p < 0.001) to the extent to which these regions had been affected by the pandemic a month later. This association is most striking in Italy as when at its peak of TI in late February 2020 only two of its regions had reported mortality. The collective wisdom of the crowds at early stages of the pandemic, when information on the number of infections was not broadly available, strikingly predicted the extent of mortality reflecting the regional severity of the pandemic almost a month later. Our findings could underpin the creation of real-time novelty detection systems aimed at early reporting of the severity of crises impacting a territory leading to early activation of control measures at a stage when available data is extremely limited.
Relevance of circulating hybrid cells as a non-invasive biomarker for myriad solid tumors
Authors: Dietz Matthew S. , Sutton Thomas L. , Walker Brett S. , Gast Charles E. , Zarour Luai , Sengupta Sidharth K. , Swain John R. , Eng Jennifer , Parappilly Michael , Limbach Kristen , Sattler Ariana , Burlingame Erik , Chin Yuki , Gower Austin , Mira Jose L. Montoya , Sapre Ajay , Chiu Yu-Jui , Clayburgh Daniel R. , Pommier SuEllen J. , Cetnar Jeremy P. , Fischer Jared M. , Jaboin Jerry J. , Pommier Rodney F. , Sheppard Brett C. , Tsikitis V. Liana , Skalet Alison H. , Mayo Skye C. , Lopez Charles D. , Gray Joe W. , Mills Gordon B. , Mitri Zahi , Chang Young Hwan , Chin Koei , Wong Melissa H.
Published: July 2021

Metastatic progression defines the final stages of tumor evolution and underlies the majority of cancer-related deaths. The heterogeneity in disseminated tumor cell populations capable of seeding and growing in distant organ sites contributes to the development of treatment resistant disease. We recently reported the identification of a novel tumor-derived cell population, circulating hybrid cells (CHCs), harboring attributes from both macrophages and neoplastic cells, including functional characteristics important to metastatic spread. These disseminated hybrids outnumber conventionally defined circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in cancer patients. It is unknown if CHCs represent a generalized cancer mechanism for cell dissemination, or if this population is relevant to the metastatic cascade. Herein, we detect CHCs in the peripheral blood of patients with cancer in myriad disease sites encompassing epithelial and non-epithelial malignancies. Further, we demonstrate that in vivo-derived hybrid cells harbor tumor-initiating capacity in murine cancer models and that CHCs from human breast cancer patients express stem cell antigens, features consistent with the potential to seed and grow at metastatic sites. Finally, we reveal heterogeneity of CHC phenotypes reflect key tumor features, including oncogenic mutations and functional protein expression. Importantly, this novel population of disseminated neoplastic cells opens a new area in cancer biology and renewed opportunity for battling metastatic disease.
Multi-country evaluation of RISK6, a 6-gene blood transcriptomic signature, for tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment monitoring
Authors: Bayaa Rim , Ndiaye Mame Diarra Bousso , Chedid Carole , Kokhreidze Eka , Tukvadze Nestani , Banu Sayera , Uddin Mohammad Khaja Mafij , Biswas Samanta , Nasrin Rumana , Ranaivomanana Paulo , Raherinandrasana Antso Hasina , Rakotonirina Julio , Rasolofo Voahangy , Delogu Giovanni , De Maio Flavio , Goletti Delia , Endtz Hubert , Ader Florence , Hamze Monzer , Ismail Mohamad Bachar , Pouzol Stéphane , Rakotosamimanana Niaina , Hoffmann Jonathan ,   The HINTT working group within the GABRIEL network, Russomando Graciela , Acosta Chyntia Carolina Díaz , Arenas Rossana
Published: July 2021

There is a crucial need for non-sputum-based TB tests. Here, we evaluate the performance of RISK6, a human-blood transcriptomic signature, for TB screening, triage and treatment monitoring. RISK6 performance was also compared to that of two IGRAs: one based on RD1 antigens (QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, QFT-P, Qiagen) and one on recombinant M. tuberculosis HBHA expressed in Mycobacterium smegmatis (IGRA-rmsHBHA). In this multicenter prospective nested case–control study conducted in Bangladesh, Georgia, Lebanon and Madagascar, adult non-immunocompromised patients with bacteriologically confirmed active pulmonary TB (ATB), latent TB infection (LTBI) and healthy donors (HD) were enrolled. ATB patients were followed-up during and after treatment. Blood RISK6 scores were assessed using quantitative real-time PCR and evaluated by area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC). RISK6 performance to discriminate ATB from HD reached an AUC of 0.94 (95% CI 0.89–0.99), with 90.9% sensitivity and 87.8% specificity, thus achieving the minimal WHO target product profile for a non-sputum-based TB screening test. Besides, RISK6 yielded an AUC of 0.93 (95% CI 0.85–1) with 90.9% sensitivity and 88.5% specificity for discriminating ATB from LTBI. Moreover, RISK6 showed higher performance (AUC 0.90, 95% CI 0.85–0.94) than IGRA-rmsHBHA (AUC 0.75, 95% CI 0.69–0.82) to differentiate TB infection stages. Finally, RISK6 signature scores significantly decreased after 2 months of TB treatment and continued to decrease gradually until the end of treatment reaching scores obtained in HD. We confirmed the performance of RISK6 signature as a triage TB test and its utility for treatment monitoring.
Joint DNA-based disaster victim identification
Authors: Vigeland Magnus D. , Egeland Thore
Published: July 2021

We address computational and statistical aspects of DNA-based identification of victims in the aftermath of disasters. Current methods and software for such identification typically consider each victim individually, leading to suboptimal power of identification and potential inconsistencies in the statistical summary of the evidence. We resolve these problems by performing joint identification of all victims, using the complete genetic data set. Individual identification probabilities, conditional on all available information, are derived from the joint solution in the form of posterior pairing probabilities. A closed formula is obtained for the a priori number of possible joint solutions to a given DVI problem. This number increases quickly with the number of victims and missing persons, posing computational challenges for brute force approaches. We address this complexity with a preparatory sequential step aiming to reduce the search space. The examples show that realistic cases are handled efficiently. User-friendly implementations of all methods are provided in the R package dvir, freely available on all platforms.
Machine learning compensates fold-change method and highlights oxidative phosphorylation in the brain transcriptome of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Cheng Jack , Liu Hsin-Ping , Lin Wei-Yong , Tsai Fuu-Jen
Published: July 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder causing 70% of dementia cases. However, the mechanism of disease development is still elusive. Despite the availability of a wide range of biological data, a comprehensive understanding of AD's mechanism from machine learning (ML) is so far unrealized, majorly due to the lack of needed data density. To harness the AD mechanism's knowledge from the expression profiles of postmortem prefrontal cortex samples of 310 AD and 157 controls, we used seven predictive operators or combinations of RapidMiner Studio operators to establish predictive models from the input matrix and to assign a weight to each attribute. Besides, conventional fold-change methods were also applied as controls. The identified genes were further submitted to enrichment analysis for KEGG pathways. The average accuracy of ML models ranges from 86.30% to 91.22%. The overlap ratio of the identified genes between ML and conventional methods ranges from 19.7% to 21.3%. ML exclusively identified oxidative phosphorylation genes in the AD pathway. Our results highlighted the deficiency of oxidative phosphorylation in AD and suggest that ML should be considered as complementary to the conventional fold-change methods in transcriptome studies.
Development and validation of resource-driven risk prediction models for incident chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Gurudas Sarega , Nugawela Manjula , Prevost A. Toby , Sathish Thirunavukkarasu , Mathur Rohini , Rafferty J. M. , Blighe Kevin , Rajalakshmi Ramachandran , Mohan Anjana R. , Saravanan Jebarani , Majeed Azeem , Mohan Viswanthan , Owens David R. , Robson John , Sivaprasad Sobha ,   the ORNATE India Study Group
Published: July 2021

Prediction models for population-based screening need, for global usage, to be resource-driven, involving predictors that are affordably resourced. Here, we report the development and validation of three resource-driven risk models to identify people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) at risk of stage 3 CKD defined by a decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to below 60 mL/min/1.73m2. The observational study cohort used for model development consisted of data from a primary care dataset of 20,510 multi-ethnic individuals with T2DM from London, UK (2007–2018). Discrimination and calibration of the resulting prediction models developed using cox regression were assessed using the c-statistic and calibration slope, respectively. Models were internally validated using tenfold cross-validation and externally validated on 13,346 primary care individuals from Wales, UK. The simplest model was simplified into a risk score to enable implementation in community-based medicine. The derived full model included demographic, laboratory parameters, medication-use, cardiovascular disease history (CVD) and sight threatening retinopathy status (STDR). Two less resource-intense models were developed by excluding CVD and STDR in the second model and HbA1c and HDL in the third model. All three 5-year risk models had good internal discrimination and calibration (optimism adjusted C-statistics were each 0.85 and calibration slopes 0.999–1.002). In Wales, models achieved excellent discrimination(c-statistics ranged 0.82–0.83). Calibration slopes at 5-years suggested models over-predicted risks, however were successfully updated to accommodate reduced incidence of stage 3 CKD in Wales, which improved their alignment with the observed rates in Wales (E/O ratios near to 1). The risk score demonstrated similar model performance compared to direct evaluation of the cox model. These resource-driven risk prediction models may enable universal screening for Stage 3 CKD to enable targeted early optimisation of risk factors for CKD.
Complex effects of macrolide venturicidins on bacterial F-ATPases likely contribute to their action as antibiotic adjuvants
Authors: Milgrom Yakov M. , Duncan Thomas M.
Published: July 2021

Bacterial energy metabolism is now recognized as a critical factor for the efficacy of antibiotics. The F-type ATPase/ATP synthase (FOF1) is a central player in cellular bioenergetics of bacteria and eukaryotes, and its potential as a selective antibiotic target has been confirmed by the success of bedaquiline in combatting multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Venturicidin macrolides were initially identified for their antifungal properties and were found to specifically inhibit FOF1 of eukaryotes and bacteria. Venturicidins alone are not effective antibacterials but recently were found to have adjuvant activity, potentiating the efficacy of aminoglycoside antibiotics against several species of resistant bacteria. Here we discovered more complex effects of venturicidins on the ATPase activity of FOF1 in bacterial membranes from Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our major finding is that higher concentrations of venturicidin induce time– and ATP–dependent decoupling of F1-ATPase activity from the venturicidin-inhibited, proton-transporting FO complex. This dysregulated ATPase activity is likely to be a key factor in the depletion of cellular ATP induced by venturicidins in prior studies with P. aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Further studies of how this functional decoupling occurs could guide development of new antibiotics and/or adjuvants that target the F-type ATPase/ATP synthase.
Neural network-crow search model for the prediction of functional properties of nano TiO2 coated cotton composites
Authors: Amor Nesrine , Noman Muhammad Tayyab , Petru Michal , Mahmood Aamir , Ismail Adla
Published: July 2021

This paper presents a new hybrid approach for the prediction of functional properties i.e., self-cleaning efficiency, antimicrobial efficiency and ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) coated cotton fabric. The proposed approach is based on feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) model called a multilayer perceptron (MLP), trained by an optimized algorithm known as crow search algorithm (CSA). ANN is an effective and widely used approach for the prediction of extremely complex problems. Various studies have been proposed to improve the weight training of ANN using metaheuristic algorithms. CSA is a latest and an effective metaheuristic method relies on the intelligent behavior of crows. CSA has been never proposed to improve the weight training of ANN. Therefore, CSA is adopted to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of the ANN model, in order to improve the training accuracy and prediction performance of functional properties of TiO2 NPs coated cotton composites. Furthermore, our proposed algorithm i.e., multilayer perceptron with crow search algorithm (MLP-CSA) was applied to map out the complex input–output conditions to predict the optimal results. The amount of chemicals and reaction time were selected as input variables and the amount of titanium dioxide coated on cotton, self-cleaning efficiency, antimicrobial efficiency and UPF were evaluated as output results. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to assess the performance of CSA in prediction process. MLP-CSA provided excellent result that were statistically significant and highly accurate as compared to standard MLP model and other metaheuristic algorithms used in the training of ANN reported in the literature.
In search of a Goldilocks zone for credible AI
Authors: Allan Kevin , Oren Nir , Hutchison Jacqui , Martin Douglas
Published: July 2021

If artificial intelligence (AI) is to help solve individual, societal and global problems, humans should neither underestimate nor overestimate its trustworthiness. Situated in-between these two extremes is an ideal ‘Goldilocks’ zone of credibility. But what will keep trust in this zone? We hypothesise that this role ultimately falls to the social cognition mechanisms which adaptively regulate conformity between humans. This novel hypothesis predicts that human-like functional biases in conformity should occur during interactions with AI. We examined multiple tests of this prediction using a collaborative remembering paradigm, where participants viewed household scenes for 30 s vs. 2 min, then saw 2-alternative forced-choice decisions about scene content originating either from AI- or human-sources. We manipulated the credibility of different sources (Experiment 1) and, from a single source, the estimated-likelihood (Experiment 2) and objective accuracy (Experiment 3) of specific decisions. As predicted, each manipulation produced functional biases for AI-sources mirroring those found for human-sources. Participants conformed more to higher credibility sources, and higher-likelihood or more objectively accurate decisions, becoming increasingly sensitive to source accuracy when their own capability was reduced. These findings support the hypothesised role of social cognition in regulating AI’s influence, raising important implications and new directions for research on human–AI interaction.