bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Testimonial justification under epistemic conflict of interest
Authors: Colo Philippe
Published: April 2024

Can a hearer be rationally justified to have beliefs based on testimony alone when the source of his information is known to have conflicting epistemic goals? When it comes to belief justification, existing theories either recommend avoiding epistemic conflicts of interest or ignoring them. This is an important epistemological limitation. A theory that comes in degrees, capable of explaining what beliefs we are justified to hold and why, despite epistemic conflict of interest, is still lacking. Building on a game-theoretical approach, I suggest such a theory and argue that the hearer can justify some beliefs on testimony alone. This justification relies on an equilibrium concept, which is only reached in the long run. In addition, the hearer’s justified beliefs will always be less accurate than those held by the original source. For instance, assume the speaker is a climate scientist who has good reasons to believe that a 2$$^{\circ }$$

∘

C increase in temperature will lower the current global GDP by 10 percentage points. Under epistemic conflict of interest, a hearer will typically be justified to a belief close to that value, but not equal to it. The smaller the epistemic conflict of interest, the closer, on average, the hearer’s and speaker’s belief. These results highlight the importance of scientific norms which, in practice, are the embodiment of these equilibrium mechanisms and thus of scientific credibility.
Adsorption of Oil from Industrial Wastewater with Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Bark: Optimization Study
Authors: Aboulsoud Yasmin I. E.
Published: April 2024

Oily wastewater is one of the most hazardous contaminants that can hurt the ecosystem. There is an urgent need to adopt an efficient, eco-friendly, and low-cost material to replace the old traditional treatment methods of oily wastewater that were very expensive in addition to their relatively low efficiency. Eucalyptus bark is considered one of the materials that are rarely used in this field, although it has the characteristics that qualify it to be a distinguished and promising one. The optimum conditions of using Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (Blue gum) bark in the removal of oil from prepared aqueous solutions were concluded before applying in the treatment of real oily industrial wastewater from New Borg El-Arab City, Egypt. The sequential optimization adsorption results were as follows: initial oil concentration, 500 mg/l; adsorbent dosage, 0.5 g/l; pH, 3; exposure time, 45 min; temperature, 20 °C; and shaking rate, 300 rpm. The pretreatment of biomass with H3PO4 proved it to be superior in the oil removal process where the efficacy reached 450.69 mg/g, while the unmodified form came second where the adsorption efficacy reached 395.86 mg/g, after that the NaOH-modified form came third by efficacy reached 315.85 mg/g. The results of SEM elucidated this order of efficacy according to the porosity of the bark surface. FTIR analysis indicated that OH, carboxylic C = O, and carboxylic C-O groups are the contributing groups in the oil adsorption process for the three forms of Eucalyptus bark. The reusability of Eucalyptus bark using n-hexane for one cycle reached 96.34, 97.13, and 95.83% for unmodified, H-modified, and OH-modified forms, respectively, and for five cycles reached 56.29, 58.01, and 55.81% for unmodified, H-modified, and OH-modified forms, respectively. The application of Eucalyptus bark in the H-form in the treatment of real oily wastewater was achieved by efficacy ranging between 91.46 and 96.23% which proves the excellence of Eucalyptus bark in the treatment of oily wastewater.
Upper extremity contact pressure measurement in robot-assisted pelvic surgery
Authors: Kimura Naoki , Yamada Yuta , Hakozaki Yuji , Kaneko Jun , Kamei Jun , Taguchi Satoru , Akiyama Yoshiyuki , Yamada Daisuke , Fujimura Tetsuya , Kume Haruki
Published: April 2024

Upper extremity complications are often a problem in robot-assisted pelvic surgery (RAPS) with the lithotomy-Trendelenburg position (LT-position). This study focused on upper extremity contact pressure (UEP) and examined the relationship between UEP and upper extremity complications. From May 2020 to April 2022 at the University of Tokyo Hospital, UEP was measured in 155 patients undergoing RARP and 20 patients undergoing RARC. A total of 350 sets of UEP were investigated in this study. UEP was measured using a portable interface pressure sensor (Palm Q, Cape CO., Kanagawa, Japan) in the preoperative lithotripsy position (L-position), preoperative LT-position, and postoperative L-position. UEP was increased in the preoperative LT-position than in the preoperative L-position (right side 5.2 mmHg vs. 17.1 mmHg, left side 5.3 mmHg vs. 17.1 mmHg, P < 0.001, respectively), and was decreased in the postoperative L-position than in preoperative LT-position (right side 17.1 mmHg vs. 10.8 mmHg, left side 17.1 mmHg vs. 10.6 mmHg, P < 0.001, respectively). Eleven upper extremities developed shoulder pain. UEP of the preoperative LT-position tended to be higher in the upper extremity exhibiting shoulder pain (25.6 mmHg (15.4–30.3) vs. 17.1 mmHg (12.0–24.4) P = 0.0901). UEP measurements may help prevent postoperative shoulder pain.
Strongly convergent inertial projection and contraction methods for split variational inequality problem
Authors: Mewomo O. T. , Ogwo G. N. , Alakoya T. O. , Izuchukwu C.
Published: April 2024

In the literature, several methods have been proposed for solving the split variational inequality problems and most of these methods require that the underlying operators are co-coercive while some of them require that the problem is transformed into a product space. These restrictive conditions affect the feasibility of these existing methods. In order to overcome these setbacks, we propose two new inertial projection and contraction methods for solving the split variational inequality problem in real Hilbert spaces without the co-coercive condition and without the product space formulation, which does not fully exploit the attractive splitting structure of the split variational inequality problem. The sequences generated by these methods converge strongly to the solution of the split varitional inequality problems in real Hilbert spaces under the assumptions that the operators are pseudomonotone, Lipschitz continuous and without the sequentially weakly continuity condition. Furthermore, we present several numerical experiments for the proposed methods and compare their performance with other related methods in the literature.
HBO regulates the Warburg effect of hypoxic HCC cells through miR-103a-3p/TRIM35
Authors: Ding Yuting , Luan Wenkang , Wang Zhe , Xie Bo , Sun Chengfa
Published: April 2024

Background

There are a lot of studies on the treatment of tumors with hyperbaric oxygen, while most of them are in breast cancer, prostate cancer and so on. However, there are still few studies on hyperbaric oxygen in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). According to the current data, hyperbaric oxygen is an effective means to intervene in tumors. The Warburg effect is a unique marker of glucose metabolism in tumors related to hypoxia, making it possible for hyperbaric oxygen to interfere with the tumor through the Warburg effect.

Method

We used the hypoxia/hyperbaric oxygen(HBO)-exposed HCC cells for in vitro studies. Glucose uptake, lactic acid, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assessed the Warburg effect. The expression of miR-103a-3p in HCC was detected by using qRT-PCR. The effect of miR-103a-3p/TRIM35 expression level on the cells was measured using the CCK8 method and flow cytometry. The molecular biological mechanism of miR-103a-3p in HCC was examined using the luciferase reporter, MS2-RIP assays.

Result

HBO inhibited the Warburg effect in hypoxic HCC cells. HBO suppressed the expression of miR-103a-3p in hypoxic HCC cells, and miR-103a-3p inhibited the expression of TRIM35 in hypoxic HCC cells. With HBO exposure, miR-103a-3p/TRIM35 regulated the Warburg effect of hypoxic HCC cells.

Conclusion

These findings reveal that HBO regulates the Warburg effect of hypoxic HCC cells through miR-103a-3p/TRIM35 and inhibits tumor growth.
Experimental study on an eco-friendly gemini foaming agent for enhancing foam drilling applications
Authors: Gowida Ahmed , Elkatatny Salaheldin , Kamal Muhammad Shahzad , Hussain Sayed Muhammad Shakil
Published: April 2024

Underbalanced foam drilling (UBFD) represents a pivotal technique aimed at enhancing safety and operational efficiency within drilling operations. Despite its recognized benefits, the challenge of maintaining foam stability persists, particularly in conditions characterized by elevated water salinity and alkalinity. This study endeavors to bridge this gap by introducing the eco-friendly Gemini surfactant (GS12) for drilling foams and evaluating its performance under mildly alkaline conditions. Employing a dynamic foam analyzer, diverse foam properties of GS12 foams were systematically assessed, including stability, foamability, and bubble structure. Results elucidate that the optimal surfactant concentration for maximal foam stability stands at 1.5 wt%; however, a threefold concentration increase (from 0.5 to 1.5 wt%) merely yields a 30% improvement, emphasizing the economic viability of a 0.5 wt% concentration for practical UB applications. Additionally, the study demonstrates a correlation between foam stability and water salinity, with seawater exhibiting a twofold reduction in foam half-life compared to deionized water (decreasing from 27 to 13 min), mitigated by the addition of PAC polymer, which increases foam half-life from 13 to 56 min. Moreover, GS12 + PAC foaming systems exhibit surpassing stability compared to a typical commercial blend, boasting a 78% increase in foam half-life (245 min) and a 21% increase in initial foam volume (245 mL), thereby positioning it as a promising candidate for UB drilling applications. The introduction of GS12 for UB drilling and its comprehensive evaluation under mildly alkaline conditions underscore its potential for sustainable foam drilling, advocating for the utilization of environmentally friendly surfactants and green polymers to enhance drilling sustainability and address pressing industry challenges.
Development of a novel packer fluid for high-temperature and high-pressure oil and gas wells with using design of experiments and artificial intelligence
Authors: Mahdavi Kalatehno Javad , Khamehchi Ehsan
Published: April 2024

This study introduces a novel phosphate-based packer fluid, designed for use in high-temperature and high-pressure oil and gas wells. The research aims to evaluate the performance of this innovative fluid in comparison with traditional acetate and formate-based fluids. The study highlights the enhanced performance metrics of the phosphate-based fluid, which include a higher density of 114 pcf, moderated pH levels from 13.5 to 10, and a significantly reduced corrosion rate to below 4 mpy, achieved through the addition of diammonium phosphate and potassium vanadate. Moreover, the research presents two machine learning models (an artificial neural network (ANN) and genetic programming (GP)) developed to predict the penetration depth of the phosphate-based fluid. Both models demonstrate high accuracy, with R-square values of 0.9468 and 0.9140, respectively, with the ANN model exhibiting slightly superior performance. The findings of the study indicate that the phosphate-based fluid, free of solubilizers and enhanced with innovative corrosion inhibitors, provides optimal thermal stability, minimal formation damage, and shallow penetration depth, thus representing a significant advancement in well completion technologies. The fluid’s distinctive properties and the predictive models’ high accuracy highlight its suitability for challenging environments, marking a notable progression in well completion technologies.
Expropriated Minds: On Some Practical Problems of Generative AI, Beyond Our Cognitive Illusions
Authors: Paglieri Fabio
Published: April 2024

This paper discusses some societal implications of the most recent and publicly discussed application of advanced machine learning techniques: generative AI models, such as ChatGPT (text generation) and DALL-E (text-to-image generation). The aim is to shift attention away from conceptual disputes, e.g. regarding their level of intelligence and similarities/differences with human performance, to focus instead on practical problems, pertaining the impact that these technologies might have (and already have) on human societies. After a preliminary clarification of how generative AI works (Sect. 1), the paper discusses what kind of transparency ought to be required for such technologies and for the business model behind their commercial exploitation (Sect. 2), what is the role of user-generated data in determining their performance and how it should inform the redistribution of the resulting benefits (Sect. 3), the best way of integrating generative AI systems in the creative job market and how to properly negotiate their role in it (Sect. 4), and what kind of “cognitive extension” offered by these technologies we ought to embrace, and what type we should instead resist and monitor (Sect. 5). The last part of the paper summarizes the main conclusions of this analysis, also marking its distance from other, more apocalyptic approaches to the dangers of AI for human society.
Analysis of the population density trend of the finless porpoise based on smart IoT technologies
Authors: Wang Jiaqi
Published: April 2024

With the rapid expansion of human activities, natural environmental systems are under severe threat. Yangtze River, the largest river in China, contains abundant biological resources. However, the ecosystem of the Yangtze River has been threatened by the rapid rise of human activities due to economic development in the 1990s. The Yangtze finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis is a critically endangered flagship species in the Yangtze River. Although scientists have conducted surveys studying the abundance of Yangtze finless porpoise, the length of the investigation period of these studies was restricted. Here, we reported our meta-analysis results by collecting data on the abundance of the Yangtze finless porpoise population from published papers over 33 years. We found that the pooled effect size using the random effect model across all these studies was – 0.36 (95% confident interval (CI) – 0.48,– 0.24, P < 0.05), indicating that the porpoise population has undergone a declining pattern after the year 2003. The operation of the Three Gorges Dam was one important but not the only factor resulting in the decline of the porpoise population. More actions should be taken for porpoise and habitat protection and more studies should be done to assess the impact of dams on the porpoise population in Poyang Lake. Only in this way can marine life be better protected, and the marine environment can better achieve sustainable development.
Clip-GCN: an adaptive detection model for multimodal emergent fake news domains
Authors: Zhou Yufeng , Pang Aiping , Yu Guang
Published: April 2024

Emergent news is characterized by few labels, and news detection methods that rely on a large number of labels are difficult to apply to learned features for emerging events and are ineffective in coping with less labeled emergent news detection. To address the challenge of limited labeled data, this study first establishes a scenario for detecting breaking news, ensuring that the domain of detecting events is distinct from the domain of historical events. Secondly, we propose the Clip-GCN multimodal fake news detection model. The model utilizes the Clip pre-training model to perform joint semantic feature extraction of image-text information, with text information as the supervisory signal, which solves the problem of semantic interaction between modalities. Meanwhile, considering the domain attributes of news, the model is trained to extract inter-domain invariant features through Adversarial Neural Network ideation, and intra-domain knowledge information is utilized through graph convolutional networks (GCN) to detect emergent news. Through an extensive number of experiments on Chinese and English datasets from two major social media platforms, Weibo and Twitter, it is demonstrated that the model proposed in this paper can accurately screen multimodal emergent news on social media with an average accuracy of 88.7%. The contribution of this study lies not only in the improvement of model performance but also in the proposal of a solution for the challenges posed by limited labels and multimodal breaking news. This provides robust support for research in related fields.
A novel similarity algorithm for triangular cloud models based on exponential closeness and cloud drop variance
Authors: Yang Jianjun , Han Jiahao , Wan Qilin , Xing Shanshan , Shi Hongbo
Published: April 2024

Cloud model similarity algorithm is an important part of cloud modelling theory. Most of the existing cloud model similarity algorithms suffer from poor discriminability, poor classification, unstable results, and low time efficiency. In this paper, a new similarity algorithm is proposed that considers the triangular cloud model distance and shape. First, according to the $${{D}}_{\text{T}}$$

D
T

distance formula, a new exponential closeness measure is defined, with which the distance similarity of cloud models is characterized. Then, the shape similarity is calculated according to the variance of the cloud model cloud drops. Finally, the two similarities are synthesized to define a similarity algorithm for determining the distance from the $${{D}}_{\text{T}}$$

D
T

distance formula and shape based on the triangular cloud model (DDTSTCM). In this paper, discriminability, stability, efficiency and theoretical interpretability are taken as the evaluation indices. Equipment security system capability evaluation experiment, cloud model differentiation simulation experiment and time series classification accuracy experiment are set up to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm in terms of the four above aspects. The experimental results show that DDTSTCM has good differentiation and excellent classification effects. In the classification experiment for the time series, the average classification accuracy of DDTSTCM reaches 91.78%, which is at least 2.78% higher than those of the other seven commonly used algorithms. The CPU running efficiency of DDTSTCM is also extremely high, and the average CPU running time of group training is always on the order of milliseconds, which effectively reduces the time cost. Finally, a case study is conducted to analyse a risk assessment problem for China’s island microgrid industry, and the evaluation results based on DDTSTCM are in line with human cognition and have good value for engineering applications.

Graphical abstract
Noncommunicable disease STEPs survey of Ethiopia: challenges and adaptive strategies
Authors: Gonfa Geremew , Gelibo Terefe , Getachew Theodros , Teklie Habtamu , Defar Atkure , Amenu Kassahun , Bekele Alemayehu , Taye Girum , Tadele Tefera , Getinet Misrak , Chala Feyissa , Mudie Kissi , Guta Mulugeta , Feleke Yeweyenharg , Shiferaw Fassil , Tadesse Yewondwossen , Yadeta Dejuma , G/Michael Mussie , Girma Yabetse , Kebede Tedla , Bekele Abebe
Published: April 2024

Background

Progress in public health requires focused policy attention informed by reliable evidence; hence survey is essential to guide improvements in health systems and develop new initiatives. However, there is little published evidence that guides health surveyors who have difficulties while conducting surveys in geographically and culturally diversified populations. This paper aims to describe the implementation of Ethiopia's 2015 Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) steps survey and highlight the overall operation of the survey to elucidate best practices and guide surveyors who conduct related studies in other settings.

Methods

 Field experiences and notes from debriefing sessions with senior surveyers leading the survey were systematically reviewed and interpreted. The discussion was approached by asking about the survey ‘How operated?’, ‘What went well?’, ‘What did not go well?’, ‘What alternative strategies were devised to solve the challenges?’ and ‘How might this be done differently in the future?’ Considering these questions, we have explored the best field experiences from experienced surveyers, recognizing that it is never too late to learn to replicate best field practices.

Results

The study was the first nationally representative community-based survey for non-communicable diseases. As planned, assessment results were published in national reports and summarized factsheets informing the magnitude of specific risk factors to establish baseline evidence for the planning and monitoring of policies and programs on NCD. The implementation of the survey faced methodological matters, geographic and logistical constraints, field operation challenges, and other technical concerns. No matter the extent of the challenges that arise during fieldwork, creating adaptive strategies on a timely basis will enable us to overcome them.

Conclusions

Though executing the NCD steps survey was hampered by several factors, the assessment was successful in achieving the intended objectives by addressing more than 96% of the expected households in general. Though field challenges are common in surveys, responding timely to fieldwork challenges with locally relevant solutions is essential.
Measurement in Fluid Mechanics
Authors: Tavoularis Stavros , Nedić Jovan
Published: April 2024

Thoroughly revised and expanded, the new edition of this established textbook equips readers with a robust and practical understanding of experimental fluid mechanics. Enhanced features include improved support for students with emphasis on pedagogical instruction and self-learning, end-of-chapter summaries, 127 examples, 165 problems and refined illustrations, plus new coverage of digital photography, frequency analysis of signals and force measurement. It describes comprehensively classical and modern methods for flow visualisation and measuring flow rate, pressure, velocity, temperature, concentration, forces and wall shear stress, alongside supporting material on system response, measurement uncertainty, signal analysis, data analysis, optics, laboratory apparatus and laboratory practice. Instructor resources include lecture slides, additional problems, laboratory support materials and online solutions. Ideal for senior undergraduate and graduate students studying experimental fluid mechanics, this textbook is also suitable for an introductory measurements laboratory, and is a valuable resource for practising engineers and scientists in experimental fluid mechanics.
Intangible Intangibles
Authors: Sherman Brad
Published: April 2024

This book takes as its starting point recent debates over the dematerialisation of subject matter which have arisen because of changes in information technology, molecular biology, and related fields that produced a subject matter with no obvious material form or trace. Arguing against the idea that dematerialisation is a uniquely twenty-first century problem, this book looks at three situations where US patent law has already dealt with a dematerialised subject matter: nineteenth century chemical inventions, computer-related inventions in the 1970s, and biological subject matter across the twentieth century. In looking at what we can learn from these historical accounts about how the law responded to a dematerialised subject matter and the role that science and technology played in that process, this book provides a history of patentable subject matter in the United States. This title is available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
The Ceresa class and tropical curves of hyperelliptic type
Authors: Corey Daniel , Li Wanlin
Published: April 2024

We define a new algebraic invariant of a graph G called the Ceresa–Zharkov class and show that it is trivial if and only if G is of hyperelliptic type, equivalently, G does not have as a minor the complete graph on four vertices or the loop of three loops. After choosing edge lengths, this class specializes to an algebraic invariant of a tropical curve with underlying graph G that is closely related to the Ceresa cycle for an algebraic curve defined over

$\mathbb {C}(\!(t)\!)$

.
RF circuit techniques for transition to 5G advanced
Authors: Balteanu Florinel
Published: April 2024

Worldwide adoption of 5G mobile devices has been one of the main driving engines behind semiconductor industry. Since the initial release in 2020, 5G-enabled devices have surpassed the market penetration of 3G/4G smartphones. 5G brings higher data capacity, low latency, and new applications. These are possible due to lower feature nodes such as FinFET 3 nm/5 nm but also due to improvements of the 5G radio frequency (RF)front-end circuitry. This paper presents 5G RF front-end architectures with novel circuits and measurement details which will be part of future 5G advanced and 6G mobile devices and are easier to be controlled using digital circuitry. The paper presents an envelope-controlled power amplifier (PA) principle, along with a novel simplified calibration architecture designed for 5G/5G+ operating under 6 GHz, as well as for frequency range 2 millimeter-wave PAs. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2023 53rd European Microwave Conference and was published in the Proceedings [Balteanu F, Thoomu K, Pingale A, Venimadhavan S, Sarkar S, Choi Y, Modi H, Drogi S, Lee J and Agarwal B (2023) Enabling RF circuit techniques for 5G and beyond In 53rd European Microwave Conference (EuMC), Berlin, Germany, 22–25].
Unsupervised Anomaly Detection in Sequential Process Data
Authors: Bulut Okan , Gorgun Guher , He Surina
Published: April 2024

Abstract: In this study, we present three types of unsupervised anomaly detection to identify anomalous test-takers based on their action sequences in problem-solving tasks. The first method relies on the use of the Isolation Forest algorithm to detect anomalous test-takers based on raw action sequences extracted from process data. The second method transforms raw action sequences into contextual embeddings using the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) model and then applies the Isolation Forest algorithm to detect anomalous test-takers. The third method follows the same procedure as the second method, but it includes an intermediary step of dimensionality reduction for the contextual embeddings before applying the Isolation Forest algorithm for detecting anomalous cases. To compare the outcomes of the three methods, we analyze the log files from test-takers in the US sample ( n = 2,021) who completed the problem-solving in technology-rich environments (PSTRE) section of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) 2012 assessment. The results indicated that different groups of test-takers were flagged as anomalous depending on the representation (raw action sequences vs. contextual embeddings) and dimensionality of action sequences. Also, when the contextual embeddings were used, a larger number of test-takers were flagged by the Isolation Forest algorithm, indicating the sensitivity of this algorithm to the dimensionality of input data.
Link Between Geometrical and Physical Property Changes Along Nankai Trough With Slow Earthquake Activity Revealed by Dense Reflection Survey
Authors: Flores Paul Caesar M. , Kodaira Shuichi , Kimura Gaku , Shiraishi Kazuya , Nakamura Yasuyuki , Fujie Gou , No Tetsuo , Kaiho Yuka
Published: April 2024

We examined the possible factors affecting the spatial distribution of very low frequency earthquakes and tremors in the shallow megathrust of Nankai Trough (<30 km) using a dense network of prestack depth migrated profiles at the frontal wedge. Geometrical parameters examined were decollement roughness, taper angle, and underthrust thickness. Physical properties such as effective basal friction (μb) and pore pressure ratio (λ*) were calculated from the taper angle and p‐wave velocity. Regions of low λ* (0.39 ± 0.08) and smooth decollement showed no slow earthquake activity. In contrast, high activity of slow earthquakes was observed in areas with a rough decollement due to the presence of subducted seamounts or bathymetric highs. The low taper angle (3.8°) off Muroto where slow earthquakes also occur translates to a wide zone of low μb (0.21 ± 0.06) and high λ* (0.66 ± 0.06). However, our results also show that slow earthquakes don't always occur in areas with high λ*.
The Multi‐Scale Response of the Eddy Kinetic Energy and Transport to Strengthened Westerlies in an Idealized Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Authors: Liu Ran , Wang Guihua , Balwada Dhruv
Published: April 2024

The Southern Ocean's eddy response to changing climate remains unclear, with observations suggesting non‐monotonic changes in eddy kinetic energy (EKE) across scales. Here simulations reappear that smaller‐mesoscale EKE is suppressed while larger‐mesoscale EKE increases with strengthened winds. This change was linked to scale‐wise changes in the kinetic energy cycle, where a sensitive balance between the dominant mesoscale energy sinks—inverse KE cascade, and source—baroclinic energization. Such balance induced a strong (weak) mesoscale suppression in the flat (ridge) channel. Mechanistically, this mesoscale suppression is attributed to stronger zonal jets weakening smaller mesoscale eddies and promoting larger‐scale waves. These EKE multiscale changes lead to multiscale changes in meridional and vertical eddy transport, which can be parameterized using a scale‐dependent diffusivity linked to the EKE spectrum. This multiscale eddy response may have significant implications for understanding and modeling the Southern Ocean eddy activity and transport under a changing climate.
Atlantic Warming Enhances the Influence of Atlantic Niño on ENSO
Authors: Wang Ran , He Jiaying , Luo Jing‐Jia , Chen Lin
Published: April 2024

The influence of Atlantic Niño on the following El Niño–Southern Oscillation becomes significant since mid‐1970s. However, exact mechanisms for this inter‐decadal change are still unclear. Here, we perform a set of model pacemaker experiments to probe the relative contributions of the changes in the Atlantic Niño itself and the mean‐state under global warming. The results suggest that the warmer background of the tropical Atlantic plays an essential role in enhancing local mean precipitation, inducing stronger divergence and low‐level easterlies in the Pacific. Under a favorable condition in the Pacific, even a weak Atlantic Niño‐related warming could promote the development of La Niña through cross‐basin Walker circulation and the Indian Ocean‐relayed Kelvin wave response. In contrast, the Atlantic Niño pattern change itself induces feeble convection anomalies in the western Atlantic, which cannot induce significant atmospheric response in the Pacific. These results imply an important modulation of global warming on the inter‐basin connection.
Robust Estimates of Spatiotemporal Variations in the Auroral Boundaries Derived From Global UV Imaging
Authors: Ohma A. , Laundal K. M. , Madelaire M. , Hatch S. M. , Gasparini S. , Reistad J. P. , Walker S. J. , Decotte M.
Published: April 2024

The aurora often appears as an approximately oval shape surrounding the magnetic poles, and is a visible manifestation of the intricate coupling between the Earth's upper atmosphere and the near‐Earth space environment. While the average size of the auroral oval increases with geomagnetic activity, the instantaneous shape and size of the aurora is highly dynamic. The identification of auroral boundaries holds significant value in space physics, as it serves to define and differentiate regions within the magnetosphere connected to the aurora by magnetic field lines. In this work, we demonstrate a new method to estimate the spatiotemporal variations of the poleward and equatorward boundaries in global UV images. We apply our method, which is robust against outliers and occasional bad data, to 2.5 years of UV imagery from the Imager for Magnetopause‐to‐Aurora Global Exploration satellite. The resulting data set is compared to recently published boundaries based on the same images (Chisham et al., 2022,https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JA030622), and shown to give consistent results on average. Our data set reveals a root mean square boundary normal velocity of 149 m/s for the poleward boundary and 96 m/s for the equatorward boundary and the velocities are shown to be stronger on the nightside than on the dayside. Interestingly, our findings demonstrate an absence of correlation between the amount of open magnetic flux and the amount of flux enclosed within the auroral oval.
The Role of the Curved Southern Asian Margin Between the Tarim and Tajik Cratons During the Evolution of the Pamir, Insights From Sandbox Modeling
Authors: Yang Shuang , Jia Dong , Chen Hanlin , Sun Chuang , Yin Hongwei , Fan Xiaogen , Zhang Yong , Lin Xiubin , Chen Zhuxin , Shen Li , Cui Jian , Liu Jun , Ge Jiacheng
Published: April 2024

Enhanced knowledge of the Pamir salient formation can contribute to comprehending the tectonic evolution of Himalaya‐Tibetan orogen. However, whether the Pamir salient formed along a linear or a curved southern Asian margin between the Tarim and Tajik cratons remains controversial. Likewise, the role of the two craton blocks during the evolution of the Pamir salient is unclear. Here we present three sandbox experiments exploring the effect of the geometry of the southern Asian margin, as well as the presence of Tarim and Tajik cratons. The results show that the highly curved shape of the Pamir salient, transpressional faults in its wings and strike‐slip faults within its interior only form along a curved southern Asian margin. A westward‐deflecting arcuate thrust wedge formed along the asymmetric curved southern Asian margin. Together with the Tarim craton and the Tajik craton, this wedge facilitated the westward transfer of materials in the Pamir, and resulted in the westward deflection of the velocity field in Pamir and the formation of the Tajik fold‐thrust belt. The oblique slip of arcuate thrust wedge along the western edge of the Tarim craton generated the Kongur extensional system. Moreover, the Tarim and Tajik cratons concentrated deformation mainly along the non‐cratonic continental margin and promoted the formation of transpressional faults surrounding the Pamir and the strike‐slip faults within the Pamir.
A novel engineered IL-21 receptor arms T-cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T cells) against hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhu Wei , Zhang Zhiming , Chen Jinzhang , Chen Xiaolan , Huang Lei , Zhang Xiaoyong , Huang Xuan , Ma Na , Xu Weikang , Yi Xuan , Lu Xinyu , Fu Xin , Li Siwei , Mo Guoheng , Wang Yiyue , Yuan Guosheng , Zang Mengya , Li Qi , Jiang Xiaotao , He Yajing , Wu Sha , He Yukai , Li Yongyin , Hou Jinlin
Published: April 2024

Strategies to improve T cell therapy efficacy in solid tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are urgently needed. The common cytokine receptor γ chain (γc) family cytokines such as IL-2, IL-7, IL-15 and IL-21 play fundamental roles in T cell development, differentiation and effector phases. This study aims to determine the combination effects of IL-21 in T cell therapy against HCC and investigate optimized strategies to utilize the effect of IL-21 signal in T cell therapy. The antitumor function of AFP-specific T cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T) was augmented by exogenous IL-21 in vitro and in vivo. IL-21 enhanced proliferation capacity, promoted memory differentiation, downregulated PD-1 expression and alleviated apoptosis in TCR-T after activation. A novel engineered IL-21 receptor was established, and TCR-T armed with the novel engineered IL-21 receptors (IL-21R-TCR-T) showed upregulated phosphorylated STAT3 expression without exogenous IL-21 ligand. IL-21R-TCR-T showed better proliferation upon activation and superior antitumor function in vitro and in vivo. IL-21R-TCR-T exhibited a less differentiated, exhausted and apoptotic phenotype than conventional TCR-T upon repetitive tumor antigen stimulation. The novel IL-21 receptor in our study programs powerful TCR-T and can avoid side effects induced by IL-21 systemic utilization. The novel IL-21 receptor creates new opportunities for next-generation TCR-T against HCC.
Navigating therapeutic strategies: HPV classification in head and neck cancer
Authors: Tabatabaeian Hossein , Bai Yuchen , Huang Ruihong , Chaurasia Akhilanand , Darido Charbel
Published: April 2024

The World Health Organisation recognised human papillomavirus (HPV) as the cause of multiple cancers, including head and neck cancers. HPV is a double-stranded DNA virus, and its viral gene expression can be controlled after infection by cellular and viral promoters. In cancer cells, the HPV genome is detected as either integrated into the host genome, episomal (extrachromosomal), or a mixture of integrated and episomal. Viral integration requires the breakage of both viral and host DNA, and the integration rate correlates with the level of DNA damage. Interestingly, patients with HPV-positive head and neck cancers generally have a good prognosis except for a group of patients with fully integrated HPV who show worst clinical outcomes. Those patients present with lowered expression of viral genes and limited infiltration of cytotoxic T cells. An impediment to effective therapy applications in the clinic is the sole testing for HPV positivity without considering the HPV integration status. This review will discuss HPV integration as a potential determinant of response to therapies in head and neck cancers and highlight to the field a novel therapeutic avenue that would reduce the cancer burden and improve patient survival.
Zebrafish polg2 knock-out recapitulates human POLG-disorders; implications for drug treatment
Authors: Brañas Casas Raquel , Zuppardo Alessandro , Risato Giovanni , Dinarello Alberto , Celeghin Rudy , Fontana Camilla , Grelloni Eleonora , Gilea Alexandru Ionut , Viscomi Carlo , Rasola Andrea , Dalla Valle Luisa , Lodi Tiziana , Baruffini Enrico , Facchinello Nicola , Argenton Francesco , Tiso Natascia
Published: April 2024

The human mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma is a holoenzyme, involved in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication and maintenance, composed of a catalytic subunit (POLG) and a dimeric accessory subunit (POLG2) conferring processivity. Mutations in POLG or POLG2 cause POLG-related diseases in humans, leading to a subset of Mendelian-inherited mitochondrial disorders characterized by mtDNA depletion (MDD) or accumulation of multiple deletions, presenting multi-organ defects and often leading to premature death at a young age. Considering the paucity of POLG2 models, we have generated a stable zebrafish polg2 mutant line (polg2ia304) by CRISPR/Cas9 technology, carrying a 10-nucleotide deletion with frameshift mutation and premature stop codon. Zebrafish polg2 homozygous mutants present slower development and decreased viability compared to wild type siblings, dying before the juvenile stage. Mutants display a set of POLG-related phenotypes comparable to the symptoms of human patients affected by POLG-related diseases, including remarkable MDD, altered mitochondrial network and dynamics, and reduced mitochondrial respiration. Histological analyses detected morphological alterations in high-energy demanding tissues, along with a significant disorganization of skeletal muscle fibres. Consistent with the last finding, locomotor assays highlighted a decreased larval motility. Of note, treatment with the Clofilium tosylate drug, previously shown to be effective in POLG models, could partially rescue MDD in Polg2 mutant animals. Altogether, our results point at zebrafish as an effective model to study the etiopathology of human POLG-related disorders linked to POLG2, and a suitable platform to screen the efficacy of POLG-directed drugs in POLG2-associated forms.
Electronic inhomogeneity and phase fluctuation in one-unit-cell FeSe films
Authors: Zhao Dapeng , Cui Wenqiang , Liu Yaowu , Gong Guanming , Zhang Liguo , Jia Guihao , Zang Yunyi , Hu Xiaopeng , Zhang Ding , Wang Yilin , Li Wei , Ji Shuaihua , Wang Lili , He Ke , Ma Xucun , Xue Qi-Kun
Published: April 2024

One-unit-cell FeSe films on SrTiO3 substrates are of great interest owing to significantly enlarged pairing gaps characterized by two coherence peaks at ±10 meV and ±20 meV. In-situ transport measurement is desired to reveal novel properties. Here, we performed in-situ microscale electrical transport and combined scanning tunneling microscopy measurements on continuous one-unit-cell FeSe films with twin boundaries. We observed two spatially coexisting superconducting phases in domains and on boundaries, characterized by distinct superconducting gaps ($${\Delta }_{1}$$

Δ

1

~15 meV vs. $${\Delta }_{2}$$

Δ

2

~10 meV) and pairing temperatures (Tp1~52.0 K vs. Tp2~37.3 K), and correspondingly two-step nonlinear $$V \sim {I}^{\alpha }$$
V
~

I

α

behavior but a concurrent Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless (BKT)-like transition occurring at $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{BKT}}}}}}}$$

T

BKT

~28.7 K. Moreover, the onset transition temperature $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{c}}}}}}}^{{{{{{\rm{onset}}}}}}}$$

T

c

onset

~54 K and zero-resistivity temperature $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{c}}}}}}}^{{{{{{\rm{zero}}}}}}}$$

T

c

zero

~31 K are consistent with Tp1 and $${T}_{{{{{{\rm{BKT}}}}}}}$$

T

BKT

, respectively. Our results indicate the broadened superconducting transition in FeSe/SrTiO3 is related to intrinsic electronic inhomogeneity due to distinct two-gap features and phase fluctuations of two-dimensional superconductivity.
Investigation of damping coefficients for elastic collision particles utilizing the acoustic frequency sampling method
Authors: Shi Xinlin , Zhong Wenzhen , Zhao Qingxin , Li Runzi , Sun Dengchao
Published: April 2024

The damping coefficient serves to quantify the energy dissipation in particle collisions and constitutes a crucial parameter in discrete element simulations. Nevertheless, the factors influencing the damping coefficient remain unclear, and the damping coefficients of the majority of materials have not been precisely determined. In this investigation, the damping coefficients of eight representative particles were studied using the acoustic frequency sampling method, and the correlations between these coefficients and collision velocity, material density, and elastic modulus were analyzed. The findings indicate that damping coefficients exhibit insensitivity to velocity in strongly elastic and moderately elastic material particles. Conversely, for weakly elastic material particles, damping coefficients demonstrate an increase with rising velocity. The damping coefficient of metallic particles exhibits a linear relationship with material density and elastic modulus.
TMAO enhances TNF-α mediated fibrosis and release of inflammatory mediators from renal fibroblasts
Authors: Stefania Kapetanaki , Ashok Kumawat Kumar , Geena Paramel Varghese , Katarina Persson , Isak Demirel
Published: April 2024

Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is a gut microbiota-derived metabolite and TNF-α is proinflammatory cytokine, both known to be associated with renal inflammation, fibrosis and chronic kidney disease. However, today there are no data showing the combined effect of TMAO and TNF-α on renal fibrosis-and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TMAO can enhance the inflammatory and fibrotic effects of TNF-α on renal fibroblasts. We found that the combination of TNF-α and TMAO synergistically increased fibronectin release and total collagen production from renal fibroblasts. The combination of TMAO and TNF-α also promoted increased cell proliferation. Both renal proliferation and collagen production were mediated through Akt/mTOR/ERK signaling. We also found that TMAO enhanced TNF-α mediated renal inflammation by inducing the release of several cytokines (IL-6, LAP TGF-beta-1), chemokines (CXCL-6, MCP-3), inflammatory-and growth mediators (VEGFA, CD40, HGF) from renal fibroblasts. In conclusion, we showed that TMAO can enhance TNF-α mediated renal fibrosis and release of inflammatory mediators from renal fibroblasts in vitro. Our results can promote further research evaluating the combined effect of TMAO and inflammatory mediators on the development of kidney disease.
Furosemide drug as a corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in 1.0 M hydrochloric acid
Authors: Abd El Maksoud Samir , Fouda Abd El Aziz , Badawy Haby
Published: April 2024

Furosemide (4-chloro-2-furan-2-ylmethylamino-5-sulfamoylbenzoic acid) was examined as an inhibitor for the corrosion of carbon steel (CS) in 1.0 M HCl. The investigation included mass loss (ML) and electrochemical techniques: potentiodynamic polarization (PP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrochemical frequency modulation (EFM). The efficiency of inhibition rises with increasing Furosemide concentration and temperature. This compound follows the Temkin isotherm with good fit. The presence of varying quantities influences both anodic metal dissolution and cathodic hydrogen evolution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to detect the effect of the compound on the CS surface. The molecular inhibitory effect of Furosemide was demonstrated using quantum chemical calculations, and the molecular simulation results demonstrated the adsorption on the carbon steel surface.
Epigenetic modulation through BET bromodomain inhibitors as a novel therapeutic strategy for progranulin-deficient frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Rosenthal Zachary C. , Fass Daniel M. , Payne N. Connor , She Angela , Patnaik Debasis , Hennig Krista M. , Tesla Rachel , Werthmann Gordon C. , Guhl Charlotte , Reis Surya A. , Wang Xiaoyu , Chen Yueting , Placzek Michael , Williams Noelle S. , Hooker Jacob , Herz Joachim , Mazitschek Ralph , Haggarty Stephen J.
Published: April 2024

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder with currently no disease-modifying treatment options available. Mutations in GRN are one of the most common genetic causes of FTD, near ubiquitously resulting in progranulin (PGRN) haploinsufficiency. Small molecules that can restore PGRN protein to healthy levels in individuals bearing a heterozygous GRN mutation may thus have therapeutic value. Here, we show that epigenetic modulation through bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) inhibitors (BETi) potently enhance PGRN protein levels, both intracellularly and secreted forms, in human central nervous system (CNS)-relevant cell types, including in microglia-like cells. In terms of potential for disease modification, we show BETi treatment effectively restores PGRN levels in neural cells with a GRN mutation known to cause PGRN haploinsufficiency and FTD. We demonstrate that BETi can rapidly and durably enhance PGRN in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in a manner dependent upon BET protein expression, suggesting a gain-of-function mechanism. We further describe a CNS-optimized BETi chemotype that potently engages endogenous BRD4 and enhances PGRN expression in neuronal cells. Our results reveal a new epigenetic target for treating PGRN-deficient forms of FTD and provide mechanistic insight to aid in translating this discovery into therapeutics.