bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Static–dynamic features and hybrid deep learning models based spoof detection system for ASV
Authors: Mittal Aakshi , Dua Mohit
Published: November 2021

Detection of spoof is essential for improving the performance of current scenario of Automatic Speaker Verification (ASV) systems. Empowerment to both frontend and backend parts can build the robust ASV systems. First, this paper discuses performance comparison of static and static–dynamic Constant Q Cepstral Coefficients (CQCC) frontend features by using Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) with Time Distributed Wrappers model at the backend. Second, it performs comparative analysis of ASV systems built using three deep learning models LSTM with Time Distributed Wrappers, LSTM and Convolutional Neural Network at backend and using static–dynamic CQCC features at frontend. Third, it discusses implementation of two spoof detection systems for ASV by using same static–dynamic CQCC features at frontend and different combination of deep learning models at backend. Out of these two, the first one is a voting protocol based two-level spoof detection system that uses CNN, LSTM model at first level and LSTM with Time Distributed Wrappers model at second level. The second one is a two-level spoof detection system with user identification and verification protocol, which uses LSTM model for user identification at first level and LSTM with Time Distributed Wrappers for verification at the second level. For implementing the proposed work, a variation in ASVspoof 2019 dataset has been used to introduce all types of spoofing attacks such as Speech Synthesis (SS), Voice Conversion (VC) and replay in single set of dataset. The results show that, at frontend, static–dynamic CQCC feature outperform static CQCC features and at the backend, hybrid combination of deep learning models increases accuracy of spoof detection systems.
The Effects of Ground and Treadmill Running on Energy Metabolism and Muscle Contractile Properties: A Randomized Cross-Over Study
Authors: Zhou Yuan , Chen Jian-gang , Li Xiao-long , Pan Xin-liang , Zhou Yi-zheng , Li Zheng-ao , Liang Zhi-cheng , Long Jia-min , Qin Ming-ze , Zhang Jing , Shi Bing , Wan Bing-jun , Chi Ai-ping , Zhu Wen-fei , Ning Ke , Sun Yu-liang
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to compare the effects of ground and treadmill running on energy metabolism and muscle contractile properties, providing a basis for the general public to choose running venues.

Methods

Ten male college students (age, 20.10 ± 1.53 years; height, 176.20 ± 5.49 cm; weight, 72.14 ± 8.25 kg; body fat percent, 12.41% ± 4.65%) were recruited in this study. Energy expenditure (EE) was measured using the accelerometer (GT9X) combined with specific estimation equations. Average heart rate (HR) was measured using a heart rate band (Polar). Muscle contractile properties were assessed by measuring muscle displacement (Dm) and contraction velocity (Vc) using tensiomyography (TMG-S1). Blood glucose (Glu) and lactate (Lac) were measured by portable devices (eB-G and Lactate Scout). The running speed was 9 km/h and the duration was 25 min. Two-way ANOVA (protocol × time) was used to analyze the effect of running protocols on energy metabolism and muscle contractile properties.

Results

EE of treadmill running was significantly higher than EE of ground running (protocol main effect, P  < 0.001), and HR of treadmill running was significantly higher than that of ground running in the first testing time (protocol simple effect, P = 0.026; protocol × time interaction P = 0.043). The decrease in Dm of the rectus femoris after treadmill running was significantly higher than that of ground running (protocol main effect, P = 0.009). The interaction of different running protocols and testing times on Lac was significant (P = 0.025), but all results of the simple effects analysis were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Our study found a difference in energy expenditure between treadmill and ground running at 9 km/h with duration of 25 min. In addition, treadmills are more likely to cause a decrease in muscle displacement distance of the rectus femoris measured after exercise than ground running. Future studies are needed to further investigate whether the differences are induced by internal metabolism or the environmental conditions of running.
Plasma bubbles: a route to sustainable chemistry
Authors: Hong Jungmi , Zhang Tianqi , Zhou Renwu , Zhou Rusen , Ostikov Kostya , Rezaeimotlagh Adel , Cullen Patrick J.
Published: November 2021

Atmospheric plasma discharges are finding increased applications in addressing environmental challenges including water purification, chemical synthesis and biotechnology. An effective means of interfacing the reactivity of plasma gas discharges with liquids is needed to enhance liquid phase chemical reactions. Plasma discharges in bubbles has been considered as an innovative solution for achieving this goal potentially offering electrically driven, sustainable chemistry with low energy consumption and the unique benefit of maintaining a large volume discharge under the liquid surface. Here we provide a concise review on the state-of-art for research on plasma-bubble interactions and a perspective for future research.
Online sexual harassment and cyberbullying in a nationally representative sample of teens: Prevalence, predictors, and consequences
Authors: Copp Jennifer E. , Mumford Elizabeth A. , Taylor Bruce G.
Published: November 2021

Introduction

There are burgeoning bodies of research on cyberbullying and online sexual harassment. Yet existing work often fails to distinguish between these two unique forms of online victimization, is largely cross sectional, and based on convenience or specialized samples. We examined the prevalence, predictors, and mental health and behavioral consequences of cyberbullying and online sexual harassment using a large, representative sample of adolescents. We also considered the potential compounding effects of multiple forms of victimization, as well as gender differences in the effects of online victimization.

Methods

We used nationally representative, longitudinal data from the National Survey on Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence (STRiV) (n = 1,152), a US‐based sample of adolescents 10‐18 years old.

Results

Approximately 37% of participants reported being victims of cyberbullying, and nearly 15% reported online sexual harassment experiences. Despite cyberbullying being relatively more common, the risk factors for these two forms of online victimization were similar. In addition, cyberbullying and online sexual harassment victimization were independently associated with the full range of mental health and behavioral problems examined in this investigation. Nevertheless, our findings also provided some evidence of conditional effects, such that female adolescents, and adolescents who experienced both forms of online victimization, suffered greater deleterious outcomes.

Conclusions

Online sexual harassment and cyberbullying victimization have similar risk profiles, and both contribute to heightened risk of mental health and behavioral problems. Yet the prevalence and gendered nature of these experiences underscore the importance of making distinctions. We provide recommendations for future research and programmatic efforts.
Critical Democratic Education in Practice: Evidence from An Experienced Teacher's Classroom
Authors: Sibbett Lisa
Published: November 2021

Ever-increasing numbers of teachers are expressing commitments to social justice education today, but few experienced critical or democratic education in their own schooling or in their teaching practicum. Thus, teachers’ critical democratic commitments can be difficult to put into practice, especially in classrooms where students with diverse and unequal positionalities are engaged in learning together – what I call “heterogeneous” classrooms. Education that is “democratic” (that includes a range of warranted perspectives) can seem to come into conflict with education that is “critical” (that elevates and centers marginalized perspectives). We have little research depicting how educators meet such challenges.

This paper depicts an experienced and committed social justice educator wrestling with difficult problems in the enactment of critical democratic education. Mr. Crane regularly engaged his racially and linguistically heterogeneous students in discussions of social issues, and during these discussions regularly encountered practical facilitation challenges posed by inequality among students. He wrestled with how to elevate students of color's views without spotlighting them, and how to challenge dominant perspectives without shaming the students who voiced them. Drawing on qualitative data from classroom observations and interviews, I depict Mr. Crane making sense of and mobilizing emergent instructional responses to these challenges – with, by his own reckoning, mixed results. One instructional routine, an impromptu version of a critical inquiry, was flagged by Mr. Crane as a promising method for navigating some of the trickiest problems of critical democratic education practice.

This paper's findings demonstrate that enacting critical democratic education is not easy. Even experienced and committed social justice educators struggle with how to put their critical values into practice. By making visible one experienced critical democratic educator's recurring problems of practice, my research acknowledges the difficulties of this work and contributes to problem-framing. Furthermore, by deconstructing a promising routine for impromptu critical inquiry during classroom discussions of social issues, this research contributes a model of effective critical democratic education in practice.
Sikh Nationalism
Authors: Singh Gurharpal , Shani Giorgio
Published: November 2021

This important volume provides a clear, concise and comprehensive guide to the history of Sikh nationalism from the late nineteenth century to the present. Drawing on A. D. Smith's ethno-symbolic approach, Gurharpal Singh and Giorgio Shani use a new integrated methodology to understanding the historical and sociological development of modern Sikh nationalism. By emphasising the importance of studying Sikh nationalism from the perspective of the nation-building projects of India and Pakistan, the recent literature on religious nationalism and the need to integrate the study of the diaspora with the Sikhs in South Asia, they provide a fresh approach to a complex subject. Singh and Shani evaluate the current condition of Sikh nationalism in a globalised world and consider the lessons the Sikh case offers for the comparative study of ethnicity, nations and nationalism.
Freedom Seekers
Authors: Pargas Damian Alan
Published: November 2021

In this fascinating book, Damian Alan Pargas introduces a new conceptualization of 'spaces of freedom' for fugitive slaves in North America between 1800 and 1860, and answers the questions: How and why did enslaved people flee to – and navigate – different destinations throughout the continent, and to what extent did they succeed in evading recapture and re-enslavement? Taking a continental approach, this study highlights the diversity of slave fight by conceptually dividing the continent into three distinct – and continuously evolving – spaces of freedom. Namely, spaces of informal freedom in the US South, where enslaved people attempted to flee by passing as free blacks; spaces of semi-formal freedom in the US North, where slavery was abolished but the precise status of fugitive slaves was contested; and spaces of formal freedom in Canada and Mexico, where slavery was abolished and runaways were considered legally free and safe from re-enslavement.
Brittle fracture in linearly elastic plates
Authors: Almi Stefano , Tasso Emanuele
Published: November 2021

In this work we derive by$\Gamma$-convergence techniques a model for brittle fracture linearly elastic plates. Precisely, we start from a brittle linearly elastic thin film with positive thickness$\rho$and study the limit as$\rho$tends to$0$. The analysis is performed with no a priori restrictions on the admissible displacements and on the geometry of the fracture set. The limit model is characterized by a Kirchhoff-Love type of structure.
Knowledge prior to belief: Is extended better than enacted?
Authors: Farina Mirko , Lavazza Andrea
Published: November 2021

In this commentary, we argue that Phillips et al.'s findings can be used to provide new important insights in the debate between externalists’ theories of cognition. In particular, we claim that the results presented in this target article may offer us the conceptual palette needed for a sustained defence of an extended account of cognition over an enactive one.
Why is knowledge faster than (true) belief?
Authors: Westra Evan
Published: November 2021

Phillips and colleagues convincingly argue that knowledge attribution is a faster, more automatic form of mindreading than belief attribution. However, they do not explain what it is about knowledge attribution that lends it this cognitive advantage. I suggest an explanation of the knowledge-attribution advantage that would also help to distinguish it from belief-based and minimalist alternatives.
Three cognitive mechanisms for knowledge tracking
Authors: Kampis Dora , Csibra Gergely
Published: November 2021

We welcome Phillips et al.'s proposal to separate the understanding of “knowledge” from that of “beliefs.” We argue that this distinction is best specified at the level of the cognitive mechanisms. Three distinct mechanisms are discussed: tagging one's own representations with those who share the same reality; representing others' representations (metarepresenting knowledge); and attributing dispositions to provide useful information.
Trapped in a Blind Spot: The Covid-19 Crisis in Nursing Homes in Italy and Spain
Authors: León Margarita , Arlotti Marco , Palomera David , Ranci Costanzo
Published: November 2021

This article investigates the delay in implementation and inadequacy of specific policy actions in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes. The analysis focuses on Lombardy and Madrid, the two wealthiest regions in Italy and Spain. These were the most severely affected by the onset of the pandemic, both country-wise and at the European level. We compare the chronology of policy decisions that affected nursing homes against the broader policy responses related to the health crisis. We look at structural factors that reveal policy legacy effects. Our analysis shows that key emergency interventions arrived late, especially when compared to similar actions taken by the national health services. Weak institutional embedding of nursing homes within the welfare state in terms of ownership, allocation of resources, regulation and coordination hindered a swift response to the onset of the crisis.
Attitude-Consistent Health Messages About Electronic Cigarettes	Increase Processing Time
Authors: Wilcox Shelby , Huskey Richard , DeAndrea David C.
Published: November 2021

Abstract. Online contexts are becoming a widely available space to disseminate health information and target specific populations for health campaigns. Limited evidence for health message engagement in these contexts exists. This study draws on the elaboration likelihood model and construal-level theory to predict processing time and recall when individuals are presented with messages for or against electronic cigarette use from socially close or distant sources. Participants ( N = 159) were shown messages about electronic cigarettes, designed to look like tweets, from socially close and socially distant message senders. Processing times were highest for pro-attitudinal messages while messages from socially close sources were more likely to be recalled, and furthering social distance increased the difference in processing times for pro- and counter-attitudinal messages. We demonstrate the applicability of behavioral measures in online studies, while finding that attitudes, social distance, and their interaction affect measures of message processing. These findings suggest further exploration may be needed to differentiate between processing time and counterarguing. From our findings, we offer applied practitioners guidance on how to develop messages that target audiences will spend more time considering and are more likely to remember.
An Unusually Large Electron Temperature Increase Over Arecibo Associated With an Intense Geomagnetic Storm
Authors: Lv Xiedong , Gong Yun , Zhang Shaodong , Zhou Qihou , Ma Zheng
Published: November 2021

We present an investigation of the F‐region electron temperature to an intense geomagnetic storm that occurred on 5 August 2011. The investigation is based on the incoherent scatter radar measurements at Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico (18.3°N, 66.7°W). The electron temperature exhibits a rapid and intensive enhancement after the commencement of the geomagnetic storm. The electron temperature increases by ∼800 K within an hour, which is seldomly reported at Arecibo. At the same time, a depletion of the electron density is also observed. The daytime perturbations of electron density and temperature are anticorrelated with the correlation coefficient, which is −0.88 and −0.91 on the day and the following day of the geomagnetic storm, respectively. According to the Global Ultraviolet Imager measurements, the ratio of atomic oxygen to molecular nitrogen concentration () decreases dramatically during the storm. Our analysis suggests that the enhancement of the electron temperature is due to the depletion of the electron density, which is likely associated with the decrease of . The reduction of maybe caused by a prompt upward plasma motion after the commencement of the geomagnetic storm.
Seismic Source Migration During Strombolian Eruptions Inferred by Very‐Near‐Field Broadband Seismic Network
Authors: Sugimura Shunsuke , Nishimura Takeshi , Lacanna Giorgio , Legrand Denis , Valade Sébastien , Ripepe Maurizio
Published: November 2021

We analyze seismic waves excited by small Strombolian explosions to understand the source process of volcanic explosions. We deployed five broadband seismometers at only 100–300 m away from the active craters of Stromboli volcano, Italy. Moment tensor inversion of the entire seismic signals in the 0.05–0.2 Hz band locates the source at a depth of 170 and 150–200 m west/southwest of the crater where acoustic waves are excited. Contrary, the sources of seismic waves in the 0.2–0.5 and 0.5–1.0 Hz bands are excited almost at the explosion onset and are located close to the crater. We show for the first time that explosions are preceded of about 10–20 s by a small amplitude seismic phase. Semblance analysis shows that this phase is radiated from a depth of 170 m beneath the western part of the crater area. Our analysis indicates that the source moves about 50 m toward the active crater 10–20 s before the explosion occurs at the surface. At the explosion onset, the source moves back to the same location of the small preceding phase. These lateral migrations of the seismic source are estimated by moment tensor inversion and semblance analysis. We suggest that migration reflects the bending of the shallow feeding system toward northeast. Seismic waves are thus reflecting the history pressure generated by the rising of a gas‐rich pocket in the very shallow portion of a magma mush and by the following restoring force occurring after the explosion.
Controls on Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Slope Deformation in an Alpine Valley
Authors: Oestreicher N. , Loew S. , Roques C. , Aaron J. , Gualandi A. , Longuevergne L. , Limpach P. , Hugentobler M.
Published: November 2021

A comprehensive surface displacement monitoring system installed in the recently deglaciated bedrock slopes of the Aletsch Valley shows systematic reversible motions at the annual scale. We explore potential drivers for this deformation signal and demonstrate that the main driver is pore pressure changes of groundwater in fractured granitic mountain slopes. The spatial pattern of these reversible annual deformations shows similar magnitudes and orientations for adjacent monitoring points, leading to the hypothesis that the annually reversible deformation is caused by slope‐scale groundwater elevation changes and rock mass properties. Conversely, we show that the ground reaction to infiltration from snowmelt and summer rainstorms can be highly heterogeneous at local scale, and that brittle‐ductile fault zones are key features for the groundwater pressure‐related rock mass deformations. We also observe irreversible long‐term trends (over the 6.5 years data set) of deformation in the Aletsch valley composed of a larger uplift than observed at our reference GNSS station in the Rhone valley, and horizontal displacements of the slopes towards the valley. These observations can be attributed respectively to the elastic bedrock rebound in response to current glacier mass downwasting of the Great Aletsch Glacier and gravitational slope deformations enabled by cyclic groundwater pressure‐related rock mass fatigue in the fractured rock slopes.
Genome-wide differentially methylated genes associated with posttraumatic stress disorder and longitudinal change in methylation in rape survivors
Authors: Nöthling Jani , Abrahams Naeemah , Toikumo Sylvanus , Suderman Matthew , Mhlongo Shibe , Lombard Carl , Seedat Soraya , Hemmings Sian Megan Joanna
Published: November 2021

Rape is associated with a high risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). DNA methylation changes may confer risk or protection for PTSD following rape by regulating the expression of genes implicated in pathways affected by PTSD. We aimed to: (1) identify epigenome-wide differences in methylation profiles between rape-exposed women with and without PTSD at 3-months post-rape, in a demographically and ethnically similar group, drawn from a low-income setting; (2) validate and replicate the findings of the epigenome-wide analysis in selected genes (BRSK2 and ADCYAP1); and (3) investigate baseline and longitudinal changes in BRSK2 and ADCYAP1 methylation over six months in relation to change in PTSD symptom scores over 6 months, in the combined discovery/validation and replication samples (n = 96). Rape-exposed women (n = 852) were recruited from rape clinics in the Rape Impact Cohort Evaluation (RICE) umbrella study. Epigenome-wide differentially methylated CpG sites between rape-exposed women with (n = 24) and without (n = 24) PTSD at 3-months post-rape were investigated using the Illumina EPIC BeadChip in a discovery cohort (n = 48). Validation (n = 47) and replication (n = 49) of BRSK2 and ADCYAP1 methylation findings were investigated using EpiTYPER technology. Longitudinal change in BRSK2 and ADCYAP1 was also investigated using EpiTYPER technology in the combined sample (n = 96). In the discovery sample, after adjustment for multiple comparisons, one differentially methylated CpG site (chr10: 61385771/ cg01700569, p = 0.049) and thirty-four differentially methylated regions were associated with PTSD status at 3-months post-rape. Decreased BRSK2 and ADCYAP1 methylation at 3-months and 6-months post-rape were associated with increased PTSD scores at the same time points, but these findings did not remain significant in adjusted models. In conclusion, decreased methylation of BRSK2 may result in abnormal neuronal polarization, synaptic development, vesicle formation, and disrupted neurotransmission in individuals with PTSD. PTSD symptoms may also be mediated by differential methylation of the ADCYAP1 gene which is involved in stress regulation. Replication of these findings is required to determine whether ADCYAP1 and BRSK2 are biomarkers of PTSD and potential therapeutic targets.
Emerging technologies and infection models in cellular microbiology
Authors: López-Jiménez Ana Teresa , Mostowy Serge
Published: November 2021

The field of cellular microbiology, rooted in the co-evolution of microbes and their hosts, studies intracellular pathogens and their manipulation of host cell machinery. In this review, we highlight emerging technologies and infection models that recently promoted opportunities in cellular microbiology. We overview the explosion of microscopy techniques and how they reveal unprecedented detail at the host-pathogen interface. We discuss the incorporation of robotics and artificial intelligence to image-based screening modalities, biochemical mapping approaches, as well as dual RNA-sequencing techniques. Finally, we describe chips, organoids and animal models used to dissect biophysical and in vivo aspects of the infection process. As our knowledge of the infected cell improves, cellular microbiology holds great promise for development of anti-infective strategies with translational applications in human health.
COVID-19 genetic risk variants are associated with expression of multiple genes in diverse immune cell types
Authors: Schmiedel Benjamin J. , Rocha Job , Gonzalez-Colin Cristian , Bhattacharyya Sourya , Madrigal Ariel , Ottensmeier Christian H. , Ay Ferhat , Chandra Vivek , Vijayanand Pandurangan
Published: November 2021

Common genetic polymorphisms associated with COVID-19 illness can be utilized for discovering molecular pathways and cell types driving disease pathogenesis. Given the importance of immune cells in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 illness, here we assessed the effects of COVID-19-risk variants on gene expression in a wide range of immune cell types. Transcriptome-wide association study and colocalization analysis revealed putative causal genes and the specific immune cell types where gene expression is most influenced by COVID-19-risk variants. Notable examples include OAS1 in non-classical monocytes, DTX1 in B cells, IL10RB in NK cells, CXCR6 in follicular helper T cells, CCR9 in regulatory T cells and ARL17A in TH2 cells. By analysis of transposase accessible chromatin and H3K27ac-based chromatin-interaction maps of immune cell types, we prioritized potentially functional COVID-19-risk variants. Our study highlights the potential of COVID-19 genetic risk variants to impact the function of diverse immune cell types and influence severe disease manifestations.
Cis-regulatory architecture of human ESC-derived hypothalamic neuron differentiation aids in variant-to-gene mapping of relevant complex traits
Authors: Pahl Matthew C. , Doege Claudia A. , Hodge Kenyaita M. , Littleton Sheridan H. , Leonard Michelle E. , Lu Sumei , Rausch Rick , Pippin James A. , De Rosa Maria Caterina , Basak Alisha , Bradfield Jonathan P. , Hammond Reza K. , Boehm Keith , Berkowitz Robert I. , Lasconi Chiara , Su Chun , Chesi Alessandra , Johnson Matthew E. , Wells Andrew D. , Voight Benjamin F. , Leibel Rudolph L. , Cousminer Diana L. , Grant Struan F. A.
Published: November 2021

The hypothalamus regulates metabolic homeostasis by influencing behavior and endocrine systems. Given its role governing key traits, such as body weight and reproductive timing, understanding the genetic regulation of hypothalamic development and function could yield insights into disease pathogenesis. However, given its inaccessibility, studying human hypothalamic gene regulation has proven challenging. To address this gap, we generate a high-resolution chromatin architecture atlas of an established embryonic stem cell derived hypothalamic-like neuron model across three stages of in vitro differentiation. We profile accessible chromatin and identify physical contacts between gene promoters and putative cis-regulatory elements to characterize global regulatory landscape changes during hypothalamic differentiation. Next, we integrate these data with GWAS loci for various complex traits, identifying multiple candidate effector genes. Our results reveal common target genes for these traits, potentially affecting core developmental pathways. Our atlas will enable future efforts to determine hypothalamic mechanisms influencing disease susceptibility.
Mechanistic and genetic basis of single-strand templated repair at Cas12a-induced DNA breaks in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Ferenczi Aron , Chew Yen Peng , Kroll Erika , von Koppenfels Charlotte , Hudson Andrew , Molnar Attila
Published: November 2021

Single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs) are widely used as DNA repair templates in CRISPR/Cas precision genome editing. However, the underlying mechanisms of single-strand templated DNA repair (SSTR) are inadequately understood, constraining rational improvements to precision editing. Here we study SSTR at CRISPR/Cas12a-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the eukaryotic model green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We demonstrate that ssODNs physically incorporate into the genome during SSTR at Cas12a-induced DSBs. This process is genetically independent of the Rad51-dependent homologous recombination and Fanconi anemia pathways, is strongly antagonized by non-homologous end-joining, and is mediated almost entirely by the alternative end-joining enzyme polymerase θ. These findings suggest differences in SSTR between C. reinhardtii and animals. Our work illustrates the promising potentially of C. reinhardtii as a model organism for studying nuclear DNA repair.
Site-controlled telecom-wavelength single-photon emitters in atomically-thin MoTe2
Authors: Zhao Huan , Pettes Michael T. , Zheng Yu , Htoon Han
Published: November 2021

Quantum emitters (QEs) in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs) have advanced to the forefront of quantum communication and transduction research. To date, QEs capable of operating in O-C telecommunication bands have not been demonstrated in TMDCs. Here we report site-controlled creation of telecom QEs emitting over the 1080 to 1550 nm telecommunication wavelength range via coupling of 2D molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) to strain inducing nano-pillar arrays. Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiments conducted at 10 K reveal clear photon antibunching with 90% single-photon purity. The photon antibunching can be observed up to liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). Polarization analysis further reveals that while some QEs display cross-linearly polarized doublets with ~1 meV splitting resulting from the strain induced anisotropic exchange interaction, valley degeneracy is preserved in other QEs. Valley Zeeman splitting as well as restoring of valley symmetry in cross-polarized doublets are observed under 8 T magnetic field.
Soft fibers with magnetoelasticity for wearable electronics
Authors: Zhao Xun , Zhou Yihao , Xu Jing , Chen Guorui , Fang Yunsheng , Tat Trinny , Xiao Xiao , Song Yang , Li Song , Chen Jun
Published: November 2021

Magnetoelastic effect characterizes the change of materials’ magnetic properties under mechanical deformation, which is conventionally observed in some rigid metals or metal alloys. Here we show magnetoelastic effect can also exist in 1D soft fibers with stronger magnetomechanical coupling than that in traditional rigid counterparts. This effect is explained by a wavy chain model based on the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction and demagnetizing factor. To facilitate practical applications, we further invented a textile magnetoelastic generator (MEG), weaving the 1D soft fibers with conductive yarns to couple the observed magnetoelastic effect with magnetic induction, which paves a new way for biomechanical-to-electrical energy conversion with short-circuit current density of 0.63 mA cm−2, internal impedance of 180 Ω, and intrinsic waterproofness. Textile MEG was demonstrated to convert the arterial pulse into electrical signals with a low detection limit of 0.05 kPa,  even with heavy perspiration or in underwater situations without encapsulations.
The genetic architecture of DNA replication timing in human pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Ding Qiliang , Edwards Matthew M. , Wang Ning , Zhu Xiang , Bracci Alexa N. , Hulke Michelle L. , Hu Ya , Tong Yao , Hsiao Joyce , Charvet Christine J. , Ghosh Sulagna , Handsaker Robert E. , Eggan Kevin , Merkle Florian T. , Gerhardt Jeannine , Egli Dieter , Clark Andrew G. , Koren Amnon
Published: November 2021

DNA replication follows a strict spatiotemporal program that intersects with chromatin structure but has a poorly understood genetic basis. To systematically identify genetic regulators of replication timing, we exploited inter-individual variation in human pluripotent stem cells from 349 individuals. We show that the human genome’s replication program is broadly encoded in DNA and identify 1,617 cis-acting replication timing quantitative trait loci (rtQTLs) – sequence determinants of replication initiation. rtQTLs function individually, or in combinations of proximal and distal regulators, and are enriched at sites of histone H3 trimethylation of lysines 4, 9, and 36 together with histone hyperacetylation. H3 trimethylation marks are individually repressive yet synergistically associate with early replication. We identify pluripotency-related transcription factors and boundary elements as positive and negative regulators of replication timing, respectively. Taken together, human replication timing is controlled by a multi-layered mechanism with dozens of effectors working combinatorially and following principles analogous to transcription regulation.
Magneto-transport evidence for strong topological insulator phase in ZrTe5
Authors: Wang Jingyue , Jiang Yuxuan , Zhao Tianhao , Dun Zhiling , Miettinen Anna L. , Wu Xiaosong , Mourigal Martin , Zhou Haidong , Pan Wei , Smirnov Dmitry , Jiang Zhigang
Published: November 2021

The identification of a non-trivial band topology usually relies on directly probing the protected surface/edge states. But, it is difficult to achieve electronically in narrow-gap topological materials due to the small (meV) energy scales. Here, we demonstrate that band inversion, a crucial ingredient of the non-trivial band topology, can serve as an alternative, experimentally accessible indicator. We show that an inverted band can lead to a four-fold splitting of the non-zero Landau levels, contrasting the two-fold splitting (spin splitting only) in the normal band. We confirm our predictions in magneto-transport experiments on a narrow-gap strong topological insulator, zirconium pentatelluride (ZrTe5), with the observation of additional splittings in the quantum oscillations and also an anomalous peak in the extreme quantum limit. Our work establishes an effective strategy for identifying the band inversion as well as the associated topological phases for future topological materials research.
Recursive evolution of spin-wave multiplets in magnonic crystals of antidot-lattice fractals
Authors: Park Gyuyoung , Yang Jaehak , Kim Sang-Koog
Published: November 2021

We explored spin-wave multiplets excited in a different type of magnonic crystal composed of ferromagnetic antidot-lattice fractals, by means of micromagnetic simulations with a periodic boundary condition. The modeling of antidot-lattice fractals was designed with a series of self-similar antidot-lattices in an integer Hausdorff dimension. As the iteration level increased, multiple splits of the edge and center modes of quantized spin-waves in the antidot-lattices were excited due to the fractals’ inhomogeneous and asymmetric internal magnetic fields. It was found that a recursive development (Fn = Fn−1 + Gn−1) of geometrical fractals gives rise to the same recursive evolution of spin-wave multiplets.
Gastrocnemius medialis contractile behavior during running differs between simulated Lunar and Martian gravities
Authors: Richter Charlotte , Braunstein Bjoern , Staeudle Benjamin , Attias Julia , Suess Alexander , Weber Tobias , Mileva Katya N. , Rittweger Joern , Green David A. , Albracht Kirsten
Published: November 2021

The international partnership of space agencies has agreed to proceed forward to the Moon sustainably. Activities on the Lunar surface (0.16 g) will allow crewmembers to advance the exploration skills needed when expanding human presence to Mars (0.38 g). Whilst data from actual hypogravity activities are limited to the Apollo missions, simulation studies have indicated that ground reaction forces, mechanical work, muscle activation, and joint angles decrease with declining gravity level. However, these alterations in locomotion biomechanics do not necessarily scale to the gravity level, the reduction in gastrocnemius medialis activation even appears to level off around 0.2 g, while muscle activation pattern remains similar. Thus, it is difficult to predict whether gastrocnemius medialis contractile behavior during running on Moon will basically be the same as on Mars. Therefore, this study investigated lower limb joint kinematics and gastrocnemius medialis behavior during running at 1 g, simulated Martian gravity, and simulated Lunar gravity on the vertical treadmill facility. The results indicate that hypogravity-induced alterations in joint kinematics and contractile behavior still persist between simulated running on the Moon and Mars. This contrasts with the concept of a ceiling effect and should be carefully considered when evaluating exercise prescriptions and the transferability of locomotion practiced in Lunar gravity to Martian gravity.
Spatial distribution of conspecific genotypes within chimeras of the branching coral Stylophora pistillata
Authors: Guerrini Gabriele , Shefy Dor , Douek Jacob , Shashar Nadav , Goulet Tamar L. , Rinkevich Baruch
Published: November 2021

Chimerism is a coalescence of conspecific genotypes. Although common in nature, fundamental knowledge, such as the spatial distribution of the genotypes within chimeras, is lacking. Hence, we investigated the spatial distribution of conspecific genotypes within the brooding coral Stylophora pistillata, a common species throughout the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea. From eight gravid colonies, we collected planula larvae that settled in aggregates, forming 2–3 partner chimeras. Coral chimeras grew in situ for up to 25 months. Nine chimeras (8 kin, 1 non-related genotypes) were sectioned into 7–17 fragments (6–26 polyps/fragment), and genotyped using eight microsatellite loci. The discrimination power of each microsatellite-locus was evaluated with 330 ‘artificial chimeras,’ made by mixing DNA from three different S. pistillata genotypes in pairwise combinations. In 68% of ‘artificial chimeras,’ the second genotype was detected if it constituted 5–30% of the chimera. Analyses of S. pistillata chimeras revealed that: (a) chimerism is a long-term state; (b) conspecifics were intermixed (not separate from one another); (c) disproportionate distribution of the conspecifics occurred; (d) cryptic chimerism (chimerism not detected via a given microsatellite) existed, alluding to the underestimation of chimerism in nature. Mixed chimerism may affect ecological/physiological outcomes for a chimera, especially in clonal organisms, and challenges the concept of individuality, affecting our understanding of the unit of selection.
Kinetics of antibody response in critically ill patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome and association with mortality and viral clearance
Authors: Arabi Yaseen M , Hajeer Ali H. , Balkhy Hanan , Al Johani Sameera , Sadat Musharaf , Al-Dawood Abdulaziz , Abu Taleb Alanoud , Jose Jesna , Al Qasim Eman , Al Ajlan Abdulaziz
Published: November 2021

The objective of this study is to examine the IgG antibody response in critically ill patients with the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and to examine the association of early antibody response with mortality and viral clearance. We collected blood samples from 40 consecutive real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) confirmed critically ill MERS patients on ICU days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28. MERS-CoV antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using wells coated with MERS-CoV S1 antigen. Patients were admitted to ICU after a median (Q1, Q3) of 9 (4, 13) days from onset of symptoms with an admission Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score of 11 (6.5, 12). Among the study cohort, 38 patients (95%) received invasive ventilation, 35 (88%) vasopressors, 21 (53%) renal replacement therapy and 17 (43%) corticosteroids. Median (Q1,Q3) ELISA optical density (OD) ratio significantly increased with time (p < 0.001) from 0.11 (0.07, 1.43) on day 1; to 0.69 (0.11, 2.08) on day 3, 2.72 (1.84, 3.54) on day 7, 2.51 (0.35, 3.35) on day 14 and 3.77 (3.70, 3.84) on day 28. Early antibody response (day 1–3) was observed in 13/39 patients (33%) and was associated with lower mortality (hazard ratio: 0.31, 95% CI 0.10, 0.96, p = 0.04) but was not associated with faster clearance of MERS-CoV RNA. In conclusion, among critically ill patients with MERS, early antibody response was associated with lower mortality but not with faster clearance of MERS-CoV RNA. These findings have important implications for understanding pathogenesis and potential immunotherapy.
Large-scale genetic investigation reveals genetic liability to multiple complex traits influencing a higher risk of ADHD
Authors: García-Marín Luis M. , Campos Adrián I. , Cuéllar-Partida Gabriel , Medland Sarah E. , Kollins Scott H. , Rentería Miguel E.
Published: November 2021

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a complex psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorder that develops during childhood and spans into adulthood. ADHD’s aetiology is complex, and evidence about its cause and risk factors is limited. We leveraged genetic data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and performed latent causal variable analyses using a hypothesis-free approach to infer causal associations between 1387 complex traits and ADHD. We identified 37 inferred potential causal associations with ADHD risk. Our results reveal that genetic variants associated with iron deficiency anemia (ICD10), obesity, type 2 diabetes, synovitis and tenosynovitis (ICD10), polyarthritis (ICD10), neck or shoulder pain, and substance use in adults display partial genetic causality on ADHD risk in children. Genetic variants associated with ADHD have a partial genetic causality increasing the risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and carpal tunnel syndrome. Protective factors for ADHD risk included genetic variants associated with the likelihood of participating in socially supportive and interactive activities. Our results show that genetic liability to multiple complex traits influences a higher risk for ADHD, highlighting the potential role of cardiometabolic phenotypes and physical pain in ADHD’s aetiology. These findings have the potential to inform future clinical studies and development of interventions.
A molecular spectroscopy approach for the investigation of early phase ochronotic pigment development in Alkaptonuria
Authors: Bernini Andrea , Petricci Elena , Atrei Andrea , Baratto Maria Camilla , Manetti Fabrizio , Santucci Annalisa
Published: November 2021

Alkaptonuria (AKU), a rare genetic disorder, is characterized by the accumulation of homogentisic acid (HGA) in organs due to a deficiency in functional levels of the enzyme homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (HGD), required for the breakdown of HGA, because of mutations in the HGD gene. Over time, HGA accumulation causes the formation of the ochronotic pigment, a dark deposit that leads to tissue degeneration and organ malfunction. Such behaviour can be observed also in vitro for HGA solutions or HGA-containing biofluids (e.g. urine from AKU patients) upon alkalinisation, although a comparison at the molecular level between the laboratory and the physiological conditions is lacking. Indeed, independently from the conditions, such process is usually explained with the formation of 1,4-benzoquinone acetic acid (BQA) as the product of HGA chemical oxidation, mostly based on structural similarity between HGA and hydroquinone that is known to be oxidized to the corresponding para-benzoquinone. To test such correlation, a comprehensive, comparative investigation on HGA and BQA chemical behaviours was carried out by a combined approach of spectroscopic techniques (UV spectrometry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, Dynamic Light Scattering) under acid/base titration both in solution and in biofluids. New insights on the process leading from HGA to ochronotic pigment have been obtained, spotting out the central role of radical species as intermediates not reported so far. Such evidence opens the way for molecular investigation of HGA fate in cells and tissue aiming to find new targets for Alkaptonuria therapy.
Effect of data leakage in brain MRI classification using 2D convolutional neural networks
Authors: Yagis Ekin , Atnafu Selamawet Workalemahu , García Seco de Herrera Alba , Marzi Chiara , Scheda Riccardo , Giannelli Marco , Tessa Carlo , Citi Luca , Diciotti Stefano
Published: November 2021

In recent years, 2D convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been extensively used to diagnose neurological diseases from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data due to their potential to discern subtle and intricate patterns. Despite the high performances reported in numerous studies, developing CNN models with good generalization abilities is still a challenging task due to possible data leakage introduced during cross-validation (CV). In this study, we quantitatively assessed the effect of a data leakage caused by 3D MRI data splitting based on a 2D slice-level using three 2D CNN models to classify patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Our experiments showed that slice-level CV erroneously boosted the average slice level accuracy on the test set by 30% on Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS), 29% on Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), 48% on Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) and 55% on a local de-novo PD Versilia dataset. Further tests on a randomly labeled OASIS-derived dataset produced about 96% of (erroneous) accuracy (slice-level split) and 50% accuracy (subject-level split), as expected from a randomized experiment. Overall, the extent of the effect of an erroneous slice-based CV is severe, especially for small datasets.
Transcriptome profiles of Anopheles gambiae harboring natural low-level Plasmodium infection reveal adaptive advantages for the mosquito
Authors: Carr Ann L. , Rinker David C. , Dong Yuemei , Dimopoulos George , Zwiebel Laurence J.
Published: November 2021

Anopheline mosquitoes are the sole vectors for the Plasmodium pathogens responsible for malaria, which is among the oldest and most devastating of human diseases. The continuing global impact of malaria reflects the evolutionary success of a complex vector-pathogen relationship that accordingly has been the long-term focus of both debate and study. An open question in the biology of malaria transmission is the impact of naturally occurring low-level Plasmodium infections of the vector on the mosquito’s health and longevity as well as critical behaviors such as host-preference/seeking. To begin to answer this, we have completed a comparative RNAseq-based transcriptome profile study examining the effect of biologically salient, salivary gland transmission-stage Plasmodium infection on the molecular physiology of Anopheles gambiae s.s. head, sensory appendages, and salivary glands. When compared with their uninfected counterparts, Plasmodium infected mosquitoes exhibit increased transcript abundance of genes associated with olfactory acuity as well as a range of synergistic processes that align with increased fitness based on both anti-aging and reproductive advantages. Taken together, these data argue against the long-held paradigm that malaria infection is pathogenic for anophelines and, instead suggests there are biological and evolutionary advantages for the mosquito that drive the preservation of its high vectorial capacity.