bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microstructure evaluation of dissimilar AA2024 and AA7050 aluminum joints made by corner stationary-shoulder friction stir welding
Authors: Mertinger V. , Varbai B. , Adonyi Y. , DeBacker J. , Nagy E. , Leskó M. , Kárpáti V.
Published: May 2022

Fillet welds made by the corner stationary-shoulder friction stir welding process between AA7050-T7451 and AA2024-T4 sheets were characterized using different metallographic techniques and mechanical testing. Robotic welds of an aircraft’s skin-to-internal stiffeners were examined using Barker’s electrolytic and Keller’s etching techniques and correlated with electron backscattered diffraction results and energy-dispersive microprobe analysis. The composition and grain orientation maps and material flow lines demonstrated excellent weld quality in spite of the apparent inhomogeneities in the stir zone where mechanical mixing was complete. Welded joint efficiencies were in the 85–92% of the base metals and were acceptable in terms of resistance to crack initiation and propagation and corrosion resistance, even with softening of the heat-affected zones. It was concluded that several optical and electron microscopy techniques are needed to characterize these dissimilar aluminum welds fully and that post-weld mechanical and thermal treatments could even further improve their quality.
Recruitment, Retention, and Future Direction for a Heart Health Education and Risk Reduction Intervention Led by Community Health Workers in an African American Majority City
Authors: Gleason-Comstock Julie , Calhoun Cindy Bolden , Mozeb Ghadir , Louis Cardell , Hill Alex , Locke Barbara J. , Harrell Victor , Yasmin Sadia , Zhang Liying , Flack John M. , Artinian Nancy T. , Xu Jinping
Published: May 2022

Heart disease is a leading cause of death for African Americans. A community-academic partnership cross-trained community health workers to engage African American adults in a 6-month heart health education and risk reduction intervention. We conducted a one-group feasibility study using a one group (pre-posttest) design. A total of 100 adults were recruited from 27 zip codes in an African American majority city through community-based organizations (46%), churches (36%), and home visits (12%). Ninety-six percent were African American; 55% were female, 39% were male, and 6% were transgender. Their mean age was 44.6 years (SD = 15.9). Ninety-two percent had health insurance. Seventy-six percent of participants averaged blood pressure (BP) readings > 130/80 mmHg. Eleven percent of participants had a 30% or higher probability of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. Six-month follow-up was completed with 96% of participants. There were statistically significant increases in knowledge and in perception of personal risk for heart disease. However, slightly more participants (n = 77, 80.2%) had BP > 130/80 mmHg. The Community Advisory Group recommended expanding the intervention to 12 months and incorporating telehealth with home BP monitoring. Limited intervention duration did not meet longer term objectives such as better control of high BP and sharing risk reduction planning with primary care providers.
A survey on COVID-19 impact in the healthcare domain: worldwide market implementation, applications, security and privacy issues, challenges and future prospects
Authors: Shakeel Tanzeela , Habib Shaista , Boulila Wadii , Koubaa Anis , Javed Abdul Rehman , Rizwan Muhammad , Gadekallu Thippa Reddy , Sufiyan Mahmood
Published: May 2022

Extensive research has been conducted on healthcare technology and service advancements during the last decade. The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has demonstrated the ability to connect various medical apparatus, sensors, and healthcare specialists to ensure the best medical treatment in a distant location. Patient safety has improved, healthcare prices have decreased dramatically, healthcare services have become more approachable, and the operational efficiency of the healthcare industry has increased. This research paper offers a recent review of current and future healthcare applications, security, market trends, and IoMT-based technology implementation. This research paper analyses the advancement of IoMT implementation in addressing various healthcare concerns from the perspectives of enabling technologies, healthcare applications, and services. The potential obstacles and issues of the IoMT system are also discussed. Finally, the survey includes a comprehensive overview of different disciplines of IoMT to empower future researchers who are eager to work on and make advances in the field to obtain a better understanding of the domain.
Zero-Waste Approach: Assessment of Aluminum-Based Waste as a Photocatalyst for Industrial Wastewater Treatment Ecology
Authors: Thabet Rahma Hussien , Fouad Mai Kamal , Sherbiny Shakinaz Aly El , Tony Maha Abdelbaset
Published: May 2022

Alum sludge (AS) is produced in inevitable amounts from drinking water treatment plants. Also, dye-contaminating wastewater is usually discharged from textile industries that must be treated to meet the environmental authorities; thus, Fenton’s reagent is a suitable candidate. However, reducing the quantity of chemicals used in Fenton reactions can be partly achieved by an industrial ecology approach. This paper is introducing alum sludge waste as a photocatalyst, (termed as AS-Fenton), that is prepared under mild experimental conditions. Thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analyses were conducted to attain full illustrations of the thermal treatment steps. Its chemical composition and morphology is revealed using X-Ray Diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscope. Thus, this research is of great significance for the application of a waste by-product for being a Fenton source for photocatalytic removal of Levafix Blue dye effluent. A new modified Fenton reagent was applied with the addition of 1.0 g/L and 800 mg/L of catalyst and H2O2, respectively, at pH 3.0 shows high potential for the dye removal. The starting concentration of the Levafix Blue CA was halved during the first 5 min under the UV illumination. The most effective operating variables are optimized through Response Surface Methodology. The kinetics of the dye removal was investigated and the reaction following the pseudo-first-order regime with the kinetic constant (KF), ranged in 0.04–0.57 min−1. Thermodynamic parameters reveal that the reaction is a non-spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Hence, toxicity of the dye is significantly reduced via Fenton reaction to non-toxic end products.
Transfer of Learned Opponent Models in Zero Sum Games
Authors: Guennouni Ismail , Speekenbrink Maarten
Published: May 2022

Human learning transfer abilities take advantage of important cognitive building blocks such as an abstract representation of concepts underlying tasks and causal models of the environment. One way to build abstract representations of the environment when the task involves interactions with others is to build a model of the opponent that may inform what actions they are likely to take next. In this study, we explore opponent modelling and its transfer in games where human agents play against computer agents with human-like limited degrees of iterated reasoning. In two experiments, we find that participants deviate from Nash equilibrium play and learn to adapt to their opponent’s strategy to exploit it. Moreover, we show that participants transfer their learning to new games. Computational modelling shows that players start each game with a model-based learning strategy that facilitates between-game transfer of their opponent’s strategy, but then switch to behaviour that is consistent with a model-free learning strategy in the latter stages of the interaction.
Multiprofessionelle Kooperation an Ganztags(grund)schulen
Authors: Hochfeld Lasse , Rothland Martin
Published: May 2022

Der systematische Forschungsüberblick verfolgt das Ziel, eine Synthese der Befunde deutschsprachiger Studien aus den Jahren 2005 bis 2019 zur multiprofessionellen Kooperation an Ganztags(grund)schulen bereitzustellen und studienübergreifende Einsichten aus den Einzelbefunden abzuleiten. Abschließend werden ausgewählte Herausforderungen, die Kooperations- und Forschungspraxis betreffen, diskutiert.
Impact of Sulfur on Biofortification and Speciation of Selenium in Wheat Grain Grown in Selenium-Deficient Soils
Authors: Yeasmin Marjana , Lamb Dane , Choppala Girish , Rahman Mohammad Mahmudur
Published: May 2022

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient in humans that is required for both physical and mental well-being. Low Se content in food crops is linked to Se-deficient soils globally. The aim of this study was examined the influence of sulfur (S) on the speciation and accumulation of selenium (Se) in three wheat cultivars grown in Se-deficient soils. Plants were grown in soil under glasshouse conditions with two doses of S (0 and 14 mg kg−1) as sulfate and three doses of selenium (0, 1, and 2 mg kg−1) as selenate (SeVI) in a randomized factorial design. Selenium speciation was determined using liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy after enzymatic hydrolysis. Selenocysteine (SeCys), seleno-methyl-cysteine (SeMeCys), selenomethionine (SeMet), selenite (SeIV), and selenate (SeVI) were determined. The addition of SeVI increased the Se content in grain in all wheat cultivars compared to the control treatment. Selenium accumulated to the highest extent in leaf tissue while stem accumulated low amounts of Se. Speciation analysis in grain showed that most of the Se accumulated in wheat grain in the organic forms, SeCys and SeMeCys. Inorganic Se was below 10%, primarily as SeVI. Longsword, a multi-tillering variety, accumulated the highest proportion of SeMeCys (67%). Fertilization with S concurrently with Se resulted in decreased production of SeCys and SeMeCys in grain. The findings from this study provide new insights into the Se biofortification and speciation transformation processes in wheat as impacted by S supplementation in Se-deficient soils.
A Better Decision Tree: The Max-Cut Decision Tree with Modified PCA Improves Accuracy and Running Time
Authors: Bodine Jonathan , Hochbaum Dorit S.
Published: May 2022

Decision trees are a widely used method for classification, both alone and as the building blocks of multiple different ensemble learning methods. The Max Cut decision tree introduced here involves novel modifications to a standard, baseline variant of a classification decision tree, CART Gini. One modification involves an alternative splitting metric, Max Cut, based on maximizing the distance between all pairs of observations that belong to separate classes and separate sides of the threshold value. The other modification, Node Means PCA, selects the decision feature from a linear combination of the input features constructed using an adjustment to principal component analysis (PCA) locally at each node. Our experiments show that this node-based, localized PCA with the Max Cut splitting metric can dramatically improve classification accuracy while also significantly decreasing computational time compared to the CART Gini decision tree. These improvements are most significant for higher-dimensional datasets. For the example dataset CIFAR-100, the modifications enabled a 49% improvement in accuracy, relative to CART Gini, while providing a $$6.8 \times$$

6.8
×

speed up compared to the Scikit-Learn implementation of CART Gini. These introduced modifications are expected to dramatically advance the capabilities of decision trees for difficult classification tasks.
Laboratory-Based Surveillance of COVID-19 in South Batinah, Oman, March–July 2020
Authors: Almayahi Zayid K. , Al Kindi Nawal , Al Shaqsi Nasser , Al Hattali Noaman , Al Hattali Azza , Al Dhuhli Khalid , Beatty Mark E.
Published: May 2022

Objective

The successful response to COVID-19 would require an effective public health surveillance and management, technical expertise, and smart mobilization of many resources. This study aimed to analyze COVID-19 epidemiological profile with respect to the changing case definitions and testing performance.

Methods

Data were extracted from the electronic notification system (Tarassud) from 1 January to 13 July 2020. The information used was primarily composed of details regarding samples, age, sex, nationality, residence and hospital admission. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to determine the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

A total of 20,377 COVID-19 tests were performed from 15 March to 13 July 2020. Most (4885; 87.2%) positive tests were among Omanis, and 3602 (64.3%) were in males. The median age of people tested was 30 (standard deviation 16.5) years (interquartile range 22, 38). The odds of acquiring infection increased with age. The ORs of infection for groups of 30–39, 40–49 and over 50 years of age were 2.75 (95% CI 2.42–3.13), 3.29 (95% CI 2.85–3.79) and 3.34 (95% CI 2.89–3.87), respectively. Likewise, admission rates increased with age; the ORs for the groups 40–49 and ≥ 50 years of age were 4.45 (95% CI1.35–14.67) and 16.53 (95% CI 5.18–52.75), respectively. Multivariate analysis identified Barka 1.4 (95% CI 1.33–2.27) and Al Musanaah 1.4 (95% CI 1.07–1.84) as having the highest risk of transmission. Of 5604 people with positive results, 160 (2.9%) required hospital admission, and males had higher odds of admission, with an OR of 1.5 (95% CI 1.05–2.13). The average delay in the release of test results further increased after the fourth and fifth case definitions were adopted (2.04 and 2.56 days, respectively).

Conclusion

Age was a significant factor associated with infection and hospital admission. Transmission occurred mainly among Omanis, and Barka and Al Musanaah reported the highest rates of transmission. Prioritization of testing accessibility should continually be assessed for high-risk groups, particularly when resources become limited.
Evaluation of Rapid Antigen Detection Kits for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529
Authors: Mak Gannon C. K. , Lau Stephen S. Y. , Wong Kitty K. Y. , Lau C. S. , Lam Edman T. K. , Ng Ken H. L. , Chan Rickjason C. W.
Published: May 2022

Background

Currently, there is a lack of studies evaluating rapid antigen detection (RAD) kits to detect SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529.

Objective

To evaluate the analytical sensitivity of seven RAD kits to detect SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529.

Study design

The analytical sensitivity was determined by means of limit of detection (LOD). A dilution set using a respiratory specimen collected from a COVID-19 patient infected with SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 was prepared. RT-PCR was used as a reference method.

Results

The LOD results showed that all seven RAD kits had comparable analytical sensitivity for detection of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529.

Conclusions

The RAD kits selected in the current study may be used for first-line screening of the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529.
Quality of Life, Self-Esteem, and Depression Among Thai Transgender Women Before and After Male-to-Female Gender Confirmation Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Observational Study
Authors: Chaovanalikit Thiti , Wirairat Kantapon , Sriswadpong Papat
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Previous studies have reported low quality of life scores and a high prevalence of depression among transgender women in Thailand; however, there is still little research on the effects of gender confirmation surgery among this population.

Aim

This study aims to prospectively evaluate the overall quality of life, self-esteem, and depression status among male-to-female transgender individuals in Thailand.

Methods

This prospective observational cohort study was conducted between January 2018 and December 2020 and included 41 participants who underwent gender confirmation surgery. All participants underwent a psychiatric evaluation and received 3 sets of questionnaires preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively to evaluate quality of life, self-esteem, and depression: the Thai abbreviated version of the World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. We examined scores from each questionnaire and depression status before and after gender confirmation surgery, with P < .05 considered significant.

Main Outcome Measure

This study's primary outcomes measured quality of life, depression, and self-esteem before and after gender confirmation surgery.

Results

Thirty-seven participants completed all sets of questionnaires (response rate 90.2%). The mean age of the participants was 26.2 ± 4.7 years at the time of surgery. Five (13.5%) participants met the criteria for mild depression preoperatively, but none did postoperatively. There were no signs of major depressive disorder, suicidal ideation, or suicidal attempts in any of the participants. There was a significant improvement in quality of life (P < .001) and self-esteem (P < .001), as well as lower depression (P < .001) after gender confirmation surgery. The greatest quality of life improvement was related to participants’ sexual relationships.

Conclusion

Male-to-female gender confirmation surgery significantly contributes to improving quality of life, self-esteem, and depression in Thai transgender women. Persons diagnosed with gender dysphoria who intend to undergo gender confirmation surgery should be supported by healthcare providers in accessing the medical facilities and treatment needed to improve their quality of life.
Geometric robustness and dynamic response management by structural topometry optimisation to reduce the risk for squeak and rattle
Authors: Bayani Mohsen , Lindkvist Karl , Tang Minh , Lindkvist Lars , Wickman Casper , Söderberg Rikard
Published: May 2022

Historically, squeak and rattle (S&R) sounds have been among the top quality problems and a major contributor to the warranty costs in passenger cars. Geometric variation is among the main causes of S&R. Though, geometric variation analysis and robust design techniques have been passively involved in the open-loop design activities in the predesign-freeze phases of car development. Despite the successful application of topometry optimisation to enhance attributes such as weight, durability, noise and vibration and crashworthiness in passenger cars, the implementation of closed-loop structural optimisation in the robust design context to reduce the risk for S&R has been limited. In this respect, the main obstacles have been the demanding computational resources and the absence of quantified S&R risk evaluation methods. In this work, a topometry optimisation approach is proposed to involve the geometric variation analysis in an attribute balancing problem together with the dynamic response of the system. The proposed method was used to identify the potential areas of a door component that needed structural reinforcement. The main objective was to enhance the design robustness to minimise the risk for S&R by improving the system response to static geometrical uncertainties and dynamic excitation.
Flow-induced coupled vibrations of an elastically mounted cylinder and a detached flexible plate
Authors: Mittal Charu , Sharma Atul
Published: May 2022

A fluid multi-structure interaction (FMSI) study on flow-induced coupled vibrations of an elastically mounted cylinder and a detached flexible plate is carried out numerically at a constant

$Re=100$

. The effect of a non-dimensional gap

$G^{*}$

between the two structures, and reduced velocity

$U_{c}^{*}$

, on the proximity-induced coupled flow physics and vibration characteristics of the system is presented. The FMSI system shows a two-state response: state 1 at larger gaps

$G^{*}\geqslant 1$

, and state 2 at smaller gaps

$G^{*}\leqslant 0.5$

. At larger

$U_{c}^{*}$

, the plate encounters an oscillating wake flow in state 1, while it encounters onset of gap flow in state 2. Each state relates to distinct vibration characteristics of both the structures, with the cylinder showing a vortex-induced vibration response in state 1 and a galloping response in state 2. The amplitude response of the cylinder is governed by gap flow dynamics while that of the plate is governed by the cylinder–plate vortex-interaction dynamics. In addition to the constructive and destructive vortex interactions reported earlier, a partial vortex interaction is observed here. The vortex interactions in the near wake lead to distinct vortex-shedding patterns – 2S, C(2S), 2P and a novel C(2P) – in the far wake. Separate regime maps are presented for the various types of cylinder–plate vortex interactions and vortex-shedding patterns, correlated with the amplitude, frequency and phase difference of the coupled vibrations of the cylinder and plate. The vortex dynamics shows a strong correlation with the quantitative vibration parameters, indicating the strongly coupled multi-physics characteristics of the present FMSI system.
Building dynamic capability through sequential ambidexterity: a case study of the transformation of a latecomer firm in China
Authors: Peng Xinmin , Lockett Martin , Liu Dianguang , Qi Baoxin
Published: May 2022

Sequential ambidexterity is a specific dynamic capability which can play an important role in the technological catch-up of latecomer firms with limited knowledge and resources. Through a longitudinal case study, the trajectory of a latecomer firm's transformation from a generic technology manufacturer to a world-class innovator is analysed. This paper finds that sequential ambidexterity can be the basis of building dynamic capability, which enabled a latecomer to become a market leader through three major transitions. It shows how the building of dynamic capability through sequential ambidexterity is dependent on four mechanisms: senior manager cognition of the environment; organization learning orientation; organization structure design; and process reconfiguration. Building dynamic capability is also dependent on alignment between these mechanisms within the firm. Theoretically, the paper enhances understanding of the micro-foundations of developing dynamic capability through sequential ambidexterity. It also suggests that three contingent dimensions in determining the optimal approach to ambidexterity are: (i) industry leading versus catch-up firms, (ii) the scale of the firm, and (iii) the diversity of the downstream market. Furthermore, the paper provides practical insights for latecomer firms seeking to catch-up with industry leaders.
INTRODUCTION: POPULISM IN QUESTION
Authors: Ghosal Sayantan , Pabst Adrian
Published: May 2022

Much of the media coverage in relation to populism has focused either on populist moments like the Brexit vote or on populist leaders such as Donald Trump or Boris Johnson. Meanwhile, the academic literature on populism is divided between two broad approaches. First, an emphasis in economics on policy (e.g. Dornbusch and Edwards, 1992) and, second, an accentuation in political science on ideology (e.g. Mudde and Rovira Kaltwasser, 2017). Both approaches capture important aspects, including the rejection of orthodox monetary and fiscal policy positions and a repudiation not only of established elites but also of pluralism and some of the key institutions on which the rule of law and democracy depend.
COMMENTARY: THE GREAT DIVIDES
Authors: Chadha Jagjit S.
Published: May 2022

Democracy is unstable as a political system as long as it remains a political system and nothing more, instead of being, as it should be, not only a form of government but a type of society, and a manner of life which is in harmony with that type. To make it a type of society requires an advance along two lines. It involves, in the first place, the resolute elimination of all forms of special privilege which favour some groups and depress others, whether their source be differences of environment, of education, or of pecuniary income. It involves, in the second place, the conversion of economic power, now often an irresponsible tyrant, into a servant of society, working within clearly defined limits and accountable for its actions to a public authority.

R. H. Tawney, Equality, 1931.
THINKING ABOUT SOCIAL NORMS
Authors: Binmore Ken
Published: May 2022

This article argues that it is a waste of time seeking to treat populists as examples of homo economicus when seeking to persuade them that the conspiracy theories to which they subscribe are big lies. But it does not follow that homo economicus is worthless in this context. He has a role in explaining the evolution of the social norms whose violation is the root cause of the rise of populist movements. Such an approach requires a willingness to entertain both proximate and ultimate explanations of human behaviour simultaneously.
The motherhood wage penalty in Turkey
Authors: Özkan Değirmenci Hayriye Özgül
Published: May 2022

Women with children, on average, earn lower wages than those who do not have children. This is called the “motherhood wage penalty”. This study provides estimates of the wage penalty for working mothers in Turkey using the Turkish Household Labor Force Survey (HLFS), 2014–2018. The gross wage penalty is 21.3 percent, but it is entirely explained by human capital variables: education, marital status, and potential experience in the pooled cross-section. The bulk of the gross penalty is attributable to the higher educational attainment of the subsample of non-mothers compared to mothers. When the wage-setting mechanisms in the public versus private sectors, and differences in fertility exposure by age cohort conditional on education are accounted for, a clearer picture emerges. Empirical findings indicate that the wage penalty does not exist for mothers employed in the public sector but that there is a 3 percent penalty for mothers working in the private sector, with the highest value being 6.1 percent for university-educated young mothers. In addition, wage losses are higher for the younger age cohort, presumably due to leaves of absence from work for time spent caring for young children, which lead to skill erosion.
On the image of the Hurricane Katrina and the rebuilding of New Orleans
Authors: Rodeš Sanja
Published: May 2022

The article examines the neighbourhood of Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans following the Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It focuses on the rebuilding project initiated by Make it Right Foundation (2007-ongoing), founded by actor Brad Pitt. The article looks into media images of the rebuilding of Lower Ninth, and notes that the rebuilt architecture cannot be analysed outside of its relationship with media and images. The rebuilt architecture in Lower Ninth relates to image in multiple levels - it represents image of social justice and resilience, and aims to assign a new (image) value to the suburb. The article analyses the rebuilding within the framework of the relationships between contemporary architecture and media image and argues that these relationships are more complex than perceived by current architectural literature. It sees these relationships as productive in the case of this rebuilding, and aims to expand the space of their analysis.
Jupiter's X‐Ray and UV Dark Polar Region
Authors: Dunn W. R. , Weigt D. M. , Grodent D. , Yao Z. H. , May D. , Feigelman K. , Sipos B. , Fleming D. , McEntee S. , Bonfond B. , Gladstone G. R. , Johnson R. E. , Jackman C. M. , Guo R. L. , Branduardi‐Raymont G. , Wibisono A. D. , Kraft R. P. , Nichols J. D. , Ray L. C.
Published: May 2022

We present 14 simultaneous Chandra X‐ray Observatory (CXO)‐Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of Jupiter's Northern X‐ray and ultraviolet (UV) aurorae from 2016 to 2019. Despite the variety of dynamic UV and X‐ray auroral structures, one region is conspicuous by its persistent absence of emission: the dark polar region (DPR). Previous HST observations have shown that very little UV emission is produced by the DPR. We find that the DPR also produces very few X‐ray photons. For all 14 observations, the low level of X‐ray emission from the DPR is consistent (within 2‐standard deviations) with scattered solar emission and/or photons spread by Chandra's Point Spread Function from known X‐ray‐bright regions. We therefore conclude that for these 14 observations the DPR produced no statistically significant detectable X‐ray signature.
Slab Induced Mantle Upwelling Beneath the Anatolian Plateau
Authors: Lynner Colton , Delph Jonathan R. , Portner Daniel E. , Beck Susan L. , Sandvol Eric , Özacar A. Arda
Published: May 2022

The subducting African Plate in the easternmost Mediterranean is actively tearing and deforming beneath the Anatolian Plate as the margin transitions from long‐lived subduction to collision. In central Anatolia, the subducting slab is characterized by both lateral and vertical slab tears. We investigate patterns of mantle flow around the edges of a contorting and fragmenting African slab segment, called the Cyprean slab, using measurements of shear wave splitting. We observe three distinct regions of coherent shear wave splitting that correlate with the segmentation boundaries of the Cyprean slab. Regionally coherent mantle flow occurs near both the eastern and western the edges of the slab. These regions of coherent splitting are separated by an area of null splitting that encompasses the Central Anatolian Volcanic Province near the easternmost edge of the slab. The null measurements likely result from mantle upwelling due to the displacement of asthenosphere from the vertical Cyprean slab.
PAHs in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean: Spatial Distribution and Water Mass Transport
Authors: Liu Mengyang , Cai Minggang , Duan Mengshan , Chen Meng , Lohmann Rainer , Lin Yan , Liang Junhua , Ke Hongwei , Zhang Kai
Published: May 2022

In the Arctic Ocean, it is still unclear what role oceanic transport plays in the fate of semivolatile organic compounds. The strong‐stratified Arctic Ocean undergoes complex inputs and outputs of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the neighboring oceans and continents. To better understand PAHs’ transport processes and their contribution to high‐latitude oceans, surface seawater, and water column, samples were collected from the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean in 2012. The spatial distribution of dissolved PAHs (∑9PAH) in surface seawater showed an “Arctic Shelf > Atlantic Ocean > Arctic Basin” pattern, with a range of 0.3–10.2 ng L−1. Positive matrix factorization modeling results suggested that vehicle emissions and biomass combustion were the major PAHs sources in the surface seawater. According to principal component analysis, PAHs in different water masses showed unique profiles indicating their different origins. Carried by the Norwegian Atlantic Current (0–800 m) and East Greenland Current (0–300 m), PAH individuals’ net transport mass fluxes ranged from −4.4 ± 1.7 to 53 ± 39 tons year−1 to the Arctic Ocean. We suggested the limited contribution of ocean currents on PAHs’ delivery to the Arctic Ocean, but their role in modulating PAHs’ air–sea interactions and other biogeochemical processes needs further studies.
Knowledge‐Informed Deep Neural Networks for Solar Flare Forecasting
Authors: Li Ming , Cui Yanmei , Luo Bingxian , Ao Xianzhi , Liu Siqing , Wang Jingjing , Li Shuxin , Du Chenxi , Sun Xiaojing , Wang Xin
Published: May 2022

Recently, although various deep learning techniques have been applied to building space weather prediction models, a large amount of relevant prior knowledge of solar eruptions and magnetic properties is ignored during the model development. By integrating prior knowledge in flare production into the convolutional neural network (CNN) structures, we have developed a knowledge‐informed deep neural network model aiming at forecasting solar flares. The line‐of‐sight magnetograms of Space‐weather HMI Active Region Patches (SHARP) from May 2010 to December 2018 are selected. We have surveyed the relationships between solar flares and both the active region (AR) area and magnetic type. When integrating prior knowledge into the CNNs, three aspects are considered: (a) keeping the magnetic structure unchanged (data preprocessing) while filling SHARP magnetograms into squares, (b) grouping the data samples into two subsets according to different flare productivities (sample grouping), and (c) adding AR area as an extra input parameter to the CNN (extra input parameter implementation). Pure CNN model, Fusion model 1, and Fusion model 2 are built to forecast M‐class or above flares in the next 48 hr, which involve data preprocessing, data preprocessing and sample grouping, and all the three aspects, respectively. Fusion model 2 that augments the most prior knowledge has the best performance. Our results imply that prior knowledge can play an important role in building deep learning flare forecasting models. In the future, adopting knowledge‐informed deep neural networks will be an effective way to further improve the forecasting performance for other space weather events.
Implicit and Explicit Biases for Recycled Water and Tap Water
Authors: Bass D. A. , McFadden B. R. , Costanigro M. , Messer K. D.
Published: May 2022

Increasing use of recycled water to irrigate agricultural products and decreasing consumption of bottled water are important components of sustainable water management practices and consumer‐driven efforts to improve water security and quality. However, consumers frequently discount agricultural products irrigated with recycled water relative to products irrigated with conventional water and place a premium on bottled water relative to tap water. This study measures consumer attitudes regarding recycled water and bottled water to understand more fully the reasons behind these preferences. We conduct two studies involving 2,616 adult consumers in the United States designed to measure consumer attitudes and preferences: the use of recycled water versus conventional water to irrigate food products and tap water versus bottled water for drinking. In each study, implicit attitudes are measured using an Implicit Association Test as well as explicit attitudes. We find that respondents have negative implicit attitudes regarding recycled water compared to conventional water and tap water compared to bottled water, and a negative explicit attitude toward recycled water. Tap water and food grown with recycled water were believed to be less healthy to consume and less tasty, although these are believed to be more sustainable options. Beliefs about water attributes (i.e., healthfulness, taste, and sustainability) are associated with attitudes, and both beliefs about attributes and attitudes are associated with preferences for products. Further, we find that respondents' stated preferences are consistent with their implicit and explicit attitudes.
Electron‐Only Reconnection as a Transition From Quiet Current Sheet to Standard Reconnection in Earth's Magnetotail: Particle‐In‐Cell Simulation and Application to MMS Data
Authors: Lu San , Lu Quanming , Wang Rongsheng , Pritchett Philip L. , Hubbert Mark , Qi Yi , Huang Kai , Li Xinmin , Russell C. T.
Published: May 2022

Standard magnetic reconnection couples with both electron‐ and ion dynamics. Recently, a new type of magnetic reconnection, electron‐only reconnection without the coupling of ion dynamics, has been observed in space. Using a two‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell simulation, we show that in the externally‐driven magnetotail, electron‐only reconnection is a transition from quiet current sheet to standard reconnection. We find that (a) energy conversion j ⋅ E′ is around zero in quiet current sheet but nonzero in electron‐only reconnection, and (b) ion temperature does not change across electron‐only reconnection but peaks at the center of standard reconnection. These two differences can be used as criteria to distinguish magnetotail electron‐only reconnection from quiet current sheet and standard reconnection, respectively. Based on the two criteria, we justify that the MMS 17 June 2017 event is a magnetotail electron‐only reconnection event.
New Insights Into Subsurface Stratigraphy Northwest of Ascraeus Mons, Mars, Using the SHARAD and MARSIS Radar Sounders
Authors: Shoemaker E. S. , Carter L. M. , Garry W. B. , Morgan G. A. , Plaut J. J.
Published: May 2022

The Tharsis Montes volcanoes on Mars are the source of laterally extensive lava flows and other volcanic deposits generating a complex stratigraphy throughout the Tharsis Volcanic Province. We use SHAllow RADar (SHARAD) and Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) observations in a region northwest of Ascraeus Mons to determine the composition, density, thickness, and spatial distribution of these emplaced volcanic materials. We identified subsurface reflectors along 43 SHARAD and five MARSIS observations. Reflectors in the volcanic plains are interpreted to be sequences of basaltic lava flows with interspersed pyroclastic material, dust, or regolith during a hiatus in activity. Others correspond to the base of three major flow fields. Several plain reflectors were detected by both MARSIS and SHARAD. Other notable reflectors were identified near Ascraeus' flank where lava buried glacially derived sediment. We derived thickness and other material properties for flows using their distinct topographic boundary visible in the radar images. Permittivity ranged from 7.0 to 11.2 corresponding to lava flow densities of 3.20–3.52 g/cm3. Flow thicknesses ranged from 19.8 to 60.2 m. Loss tangents were low for the flow fields ranging from 0.024 to 0.043. Loss tangents in the plains ranged from 0.010 to 0.076. Higher loss tangents correspond to lossier regions that may have higher concentrations of radar absorbing minerals like hematite. Surface roughness controls where reflectors are detected. SHARAD detects the base of three out of the four flow fields in this region with muted surface roughness from dust mantling and erosion.
A miniaturized mechanical antenna based on FEP/THV unipolar electrets for extremely low frequency transmission
Authors: Cui Yong , Wu Ming , Li Zhaoyang , Song Xiao , Wang Chen , Yuan Haiwen , Yang Zhi-Xin , Zhong Junwen
Published: May 2022

An electret-based mechanical antenna (EBMA), which can transmit extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic signals, has the advantages of miniaturization and high transmitting efficiency, with great potential applications in air, underwater, and underground communications. To improve the charge density of the electret, which is a key factor in determining the radiation performance of an EBMA, this work proposes a fluorinated ethylene propylene/terpolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride (FEP/THV) unipolar electret exhibiting negative polarity, reaching a total charge density up to −0.46 mC/m2 for each layer of electret. Long transmission distances can be achieved in sea water, soil, and air using a 3-layer-FEP/THV-based EBMA with a compact volume of 5 × 10−4 m3. As an application demonstration, binary ASCII-coded ELF information of “BUAA” is successfully transmitted with a power consumption < 5 W.
Ribosomal RNA regulates chromosome clustering during mitosis
Authors: Ma Kai , Luo Man , Xie Guanglei , Wang Xi , Li Qilin , Gao Lei , Yu Hongtao , Yu Xiaochun
Published: May 2022

Noncoding RNAs are known to associate with mitotic chromosomes, but the identities and functions of chromosome-associated RNAs in mitosis remain elusive. Here, we show that rRNA species associate with condensed chromosomes during mitosis. In particular, pre-rRNAs such as 45S, 32S, and 30S are highly enriched on mitotic chromosomes. Immediately following nucleolus disassembly in mitotic prophase, rRNAs are released and associate with and coat each condensed chromosome at prometaphase. Using unbiased mass spectrometry analysis, we further demonstrate that chromosome-bound rRNAs are associated with Ki-67. Moreover, the FHA domain and the repeat region of Ki-67 recognize and anchor rRNAs to chromosomes. Finally, suppression of chromosome-bound rRNAs by RNA polymerase I inhibition or by using rRNA-binding-deficient Ki-67 mutants impair mitotic chromosome dispersion during prometaphase. Our study thus reveals an important role of rRNAs in preventing chromosome clustering during mitosis.
PFKP alleviates glucose starvation-induced metabolic stress in lung cancer cells via AMPK-ACC2 dependent fatty acid oxidation
Authors: Chen Jiaqing , Zou Li , Lu Guang , Grinchuk Oleg , Fang Lei , Ong Derrick Sek Tong , Taneja Reshma , Ong Choon-Nam , Shen Han-Ming
Published: May 2022

Cancer cells adopt metabolic reprogramming to promote cell survival under metabolic stress. A key regulator of cell metabolism is AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) which promotes catabolism while suppresses anabolism. However, the underlying mechanism of AMPK in handling metabolic stress in cancer remains to be fully understood. In this study, by performing a proteomics screening of AMPK-interacting proteins in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, we discovered the platelet isoform of phosphofructokinase 1 (PFKP), a rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis. Moreover, PFKP was found to be highly expressed in NSCLC patients associated with poor survival. We demonstrated that the interaction of PFKP and AMPK was greatly enhanced upon glucose starvation, a process regulated by PFKP-associated metabolites. Notably, the PFKP–AMPK interaction promoted mitochondrial recruitment of AMPK which subsequently phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 (ACC2) to enhance long-chain fatty acid oxidation, a process helping maintenance of the energy and redox homeostasis and eventually promoting cancer cell survival under glucose starvation. Collectively, we revealed a critical non-glycolysis-related function of PFKP in regulating long-chain fatty acid oxidation via AMPK to alleviate glucose starvation-induced metabolic stress in NSCLC cells.
The Ube2m-Rbx1 neddylation-Cullin-RING-Ligase proteins are essential for the maintenance of Regulatory T cell fitness
Authors: Wu Di , Li Haomin , Liu Mingwei , Qin Jun , Sun Yi
Published: May 2022

Neddylation-mediated activation of Cullin-RING E3 Ligases (CRLs) are necessary for the degradation of specific immune regulatory proteins. However, little is known about how these processes govern the function of regulatory T (Treg) cells. Here we show that mice with Treg cell-specific deletion of Rbx1, a dual E3 for both neddylation and ubiquitylation by CRLs, develop an early-onset fatal inflammatory disorder, characterized by disrupted Treg cell homeostasis and suppressive functions. Specifically, Rbx1 is essential for the maintenance of an effector Treg cell subpopulation, and regulates several inflammatory pathways. Similar but less severe phenotypes are observed in mice having Ube2m, a neddylation E2 conjugation enzyme, deleted in their Treg cells. Interestingly, Treg-specific deletion of Rbx2/Sag or Ube2f, components of a similar but distinct neddylation-CRL complex, yields no obvious phenotype. Thus, our work demonstrates that the Ube2m-Rbx1 axis is specifically required for intrinsic regulatory processes in Treg cells; and that Rbx1 might also play Ube2m-independent roles in maintaining the fitness of Treg cells, suggesting a layer of complexity in neddylation-dependent activation of CRLs.
Disaggregated data on age and sex for the first 250 days of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bucharest, Romania
Authors: Hâncean Marian-Gabriel , Ghiță Maria Cristina , Perc Matjaž , Lerner Jürgen , Oană Iulian , Mihăilă Bianca-Elena , Stoica Adelina Alexandra , Bunaciu David-Andrei
Published: May 2022

Experts worldwide have constantly been calling for high-quality open-access epidemiological data, given the fast-evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. Disaggregated high-level granularity records are still scant despite being essential to corroborate the effectiveness of virus containment measures and even vaccination strategies. We provide a complete dataset containing disaggregated epidemiological information about all the COVID-19 patients officially reported during the first 250 days of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bucharest (Romania). We give the sex, age, and the COVID-19 infection confirmation date for 46,440 individual cases, between March 7thand November 11th, 2020. Additionally, we provide context-wise information such as the stringency levels of the measures taken by the Romanian authorities. We procured the data from the local public health authorities and systemized it to respond to the urgent international need of comparing observational data collected from various populations. Our dataset may help understand COVID-19 transmission in highly dense urban communities, perform virus spreading simulations, ascertain the effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions, and craft better vaccination strategies.
Purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency induces p53-mediated intrinsic apoptosis in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons
Authors: Tsui Michael , Biro Jeremy , Chan Jonathan , Min Weixian , Dobbs Kerry , Notarangelo Luigi D. , Grunebaum Eyal
Published: May 2022

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) is an important enzyme in the purine degradation and salvage pathway. PNP deficiency results in marked T lineage lymphopenia and severe immunodeficiency. Additionally, PNP-deficient patients and mice suffer from diverse non-infectious neurological abnormalities of unknown etiology. To further investigate the cause for these neurologic abnormalities, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from two PNP-deficient patients were differentiated into neurons. The iPSC-derived PNP-deficient neurons had significantly reduced soma and nuclei volumes. The PNP-deficient neurons demonstrated increased spontaneous and staurosporine-induced apoptosis, measured by cleaved caspase-3 expression, together with decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased cleaved caspase-9 expression, indicative of enhanced intrinsic apoptosis. Greater expression of tumor protein p53 was also observed in these neurons, and inhibition of p53 using pifithrin-α prevented the apoptosis. Importantly, treatment of the iPSC-derived PNP-deficient neurons with exogenous PNP enzyme alleviated the apoptosis. Inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) in iPSC derived from PNP-proficient neurons with hydroxyurea or with nicotinamide and trichostatin A increased the intrinsic neuronal apoptosis, implicating RNR dysfunction as the potential mechanism for the damage caused by PNP deficiency. The findings presented here establish a potential mechanism for the neurological defects observed in PNP-deficient patients and reinforce the critical role that PNP has for neuronal viability.
An automated auroral detection system using deep learning: real-time operation in Tromsø, Norway
Authors: Nanjo Sota , Nozawa Satonori , Yamamoto Masaki , Kawabata Tetsuya , Johnsen Magnar G. , Tsuda Takuo T. , Hosokawa Keisuke
Published: May 2022

The activity of citizen scientists who capture images of aurora borealis using digital cameras has recently been contributing to research regarding space physics by professional scientists. Auroral images captured using digital cameras not only fascinate us, but may also provide information about the energy of precipitating auroral electrons from space; this ability makes the use of digital cameras more meaningful. To support the application of digital cameras, we have developed artificial intelligence that monitors the auroral appearance in Tromsø, Norway, instead of relying on the human eye, and implemented a web application, “Tromsø AI”, which notifies the scientists of the appearance of auroras in real-time. This “AI” has a double meaning: artificial intelligence and eyes (instead of human eyes). Utilizing the Tromsø AI, we also classified large-scale optical data to derive annual, monthly, and UT variations of the auroral occurrence rate for the first time. The derived occurrence characteristics are fairly consistent with the results obtained using the naked eye, and the evaluation using the validation data also showed a high F1 score of over 93%, indicating that the classifier has a performance comparable to that of the human eye classifying observed images.