bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of Upper Limb Movements in Patients with Hereditary or Idiopathic Ataxia
Authors: Lipponen Joonas , Tiulpin Aleksei , Majamaa Kari , Rusanen Harri
Published: October 2022

Assessment of ataxic movements is usually based on clinical judgment. Technical devices can be employed in the quantification of ataxic movements in addition to clinical evaluation. The effect of maximal speed in upper limb movements in ataxia patients has not been quantified. The aim was to quantify upper limb movements in patients with hereditary or idiopathic ataxia and to find features of movement that are characteristic for ataxia. We examined 19 patients with degenerative ataxia and 21 healthy controls. An ad hoc system comprising a touch screen, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope was used to measure speed, angular acceleration, consistency, and accuracy of upper limb movements. The movements were quantified during finger-to-nose test that the patients were asked to perform at their own pace and as fast as possible. Disease severity was estimated by using the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA). The mean SARA score of the patients was 13.5. Compared to the controls the performance of the patients was slow (p < 0.001) and arrhythmic (p < 0.001), but end-point accuracy on the touch screen was intact. The SARA score correlated with the standard deviation of amplitude of angular acceleration in Z-axis (F(1,17) = 15.00, p < 0.001 with R2 = 0.47). Upper limb movements of the patients with degenerative ataxia were slower and more arrhythmic than those in the controls. The patients retained spatial end-point accuracy.
Stable isotope analysis in food web research: Systematic review and a vision for the future for the Baltic Sea macro-region
Authors: Eglite Elvita , Mohm Clarissa , Dierking Jan
Published: October 2022

Food web research provides essential insights into ecosystem functioning, but practical applications in ecosystem-based management are hampered by a current lack of knowledge synthesis. To address this gap, we provide the first systematic review of ecological studies applying stable isotope analysis, a pivotal method in food web research, in the heavily anthropogenically impacted Baltic Sea macro-region. We identified a thriving research field, with 164 publications advancing a broad range of fundamental and applied research topics, but also found structural shortcomings limiting ecosystem-level understanding. We argue that enhanced collaboration and integration, including the systematic submission of Baltic Sea primary datasets to stable isotope databases, would help to overcome many of the current shortcomings, unify the scattered knowledge base, and promote future food web research and science-based resource management. The effort undertaken here demonstrates the value of macro-regional synthesis, in enhancing access to existing data and supporting strategic planning of research agendas.
Effectiveness of Fan Anchors in Preventing Debonding in FRP-Strengthened Steel Members
Authors: Esmaeeli Esmaeel , Shadan Parisa
Published: October 2022

Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRPs) are extensively employed to strengthen existing structures because of their several advantages over other strengthening techniques. On the other hand, the premature debonding of FRP reduces its effectiveness in strengthening steel structures. Anchoring FRP composites is an effective solution to delay or even prevent their debonding. Very limited anchorage methods, however, have been introduced for FRP-strengthened steel structures and the need for an effective anchorage system remains. Fan anchor has been validated as one of the remedies against debonding failure in FRP-strengthened concrete structures. Considering the advantages that fan anchors offer, the use of fan anchors for FRP-strengthened steel structures is proposed and evaluated in this paper. Since FRP-steel joints have a different bond-slip law than FRP-concrete joints and the strengthened steel members are prone to buckling-debonding interactions, this study focuses on the efficiency of fan anchors in delaying FRP debonding by assuming that an adequate mechanical connection between the dowel and the steel substrate is provided. Three experimental studies involving shear, flexural and buckling strengthening of steel components were simulated through finite element modelling, and fan anchors were added to the models after validation. The effect of fan anchors on strength, failure mode and FRP's strain distribution of the models was examined. The study showed that the fan anchor was successfully able to delay debonding mode, which increased the strength and ductility and exploited a higher strain capacity of FRP plates.
Recent Developments in Additive-Manufactured Intermetallic Compounds for Bio-Implant Applications
Authors: Yeh Po-Yuan , Huang Jacob C. , Jang Jason S. C. , Pan Cheng-Tang , Chen Chung-Hwan , Lin Che-Hsin
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This paper reviews the recent developments of two newly developed intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of metallic glasses (MGs) and high-entropy alloys (HEAs) as potential implantable biomaterials.

Methods

The paper commences by summarizing the fundamental properties of recently developed MGs and high-entropy alloys (HEAs). A systematic review is presented of the recent literature about the use of AM technology in fabricating MG and HEA components for biological implant applications.

Results

The high strength, low Young’s modulus, and excellent corrosion resistance make these IMCs good candidates as bio-implantable materials. Recent studies have shown that additive manufacturing (AM) techniques provide an advantageous route for the preparation of glassy metallic components due to their intrinsically rapid cooling rates and ability to fabricate parts with virtually no size or complexity constraints. A practical example is conducted by AM producing a porous gradient Ti-based MG spinal cage. The produced MG powders and the in vivo test results on an 18 M-old Lanyu pig confirm the feasibility of the AM technique for producing implantable IMC-based prosthesis.

Conclusion

The non-crystalline structure of MGs alloy and the random crystalline composition of HEAs provide unique material properties that will substantially impact the development of future implantable prostheses.
A Retrospective Analysis of Applications for Registration of Generic Medicines Processed by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe
Authors: Samunda Brilliant Tinashe , Sithole Tariro , Khoza Star
Published: October 2022

Background

Many applications for registration of medicines are rejected because applicants fail to submit or resolve critical deficiencies in the quality, efficacy, and safety of the medicines. The study aimed to establish approval rates, processing timelines, and common deficiencies of generic medicines applications processed by the Medicines Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ).

Method

A retrospective study of applications finalized by MCAZ between 2018 and 2020 was conducted. Data were collected from the assessment reports and verified with copies of letters sent to the applicants. Deficiencies were classified as administrative, quality, efficacy, and safety. Other characteristics collated included time to finalization, dosage form, region of origin, and therapeutic class.

Results

Of the 579 finalized applications, 74.1% were approved while 25.9% were refused. Approved applications had more review cycles (median = 3 cycles) compared to refused applications (median = 2 cycles). However, refused applications had longer review times (median = 25 months) compared to approved applications (median = 18 months). The majority of applications (83.0%) were from Asian manufacturers and intended for oral administration (66.1%). Medicines for the endocrine system (50.0%) and rheumatism/gout (53.3%) had lower approval rates compared to other therapeutical classes (p < 0.001). The most common reasons for refusal of applications included failure to respond to review queries (52.6%), deficiencies in the API information (54.7%), FPP specifications (42.7%), FPP stability data (36.0%), and pharmaceutical development (31.3%).

Conclusion

To improve the quality of applications and evaluation outcomes, there may be a need for the regulatory authority to engage applicants through training and pre-submission meetings.
Does Central Monitoring Lead to Higher Quality? An Analysis of Key Risk Indicator Outcomes
Authors: de Viron Sylviane , Trotta Laura , Steijn William , Young Steve , Buyse Marc
Published: October 2022

Background

Central monitoring, which typically includes the use of key risk indicators (KRIs), aims at improving the quality of clinical research by pro-actively identifying and remediating emerging issues in the conduct of a clinical trial that may have an adverse impact on patient safety and/or the reliability of trial results. However, there has to-date been a relative lack of direct quantitative evidence published supporting the claim that central monitoring actually leads to improved quality.

Material and Methods

Nine commonly used KRIs were analyzed for evidence of quality improvement using data retrieved from a large central monitoring platform. A total of 212 studies comprising 1676 sites with KRI signals were used in the analysis, representing central monitoring activity from 23 different sponsor organizations. Two quality improvement metrics were assessed for each KRI, one based on a statistical score (p-value) and the other based on a KRI’s observed value.

Results

Both KRI quality metrics showed improvement in a vast majority of sites (82.9% for statistical score, 81.1% for observed KRI value). Additionally, the statistical score and the observed KRI values improved, respectively by 66.1% and 72.4% on average towards the study average for those sites showing improvement.

Conclusion

The results of this analysis provide clear quantitative evidence supporting the hypothesis that use of KRIs in central monitoring is leading to improved quality in clinical trial conduct and associated data across participating sites.
A study of summable QTAG-modules
Authors: Sikander Fahad , Begam Firdhousi , Fatima Tanveer
Published: October 2022

This manuscript deals with the quasi-isomorphic invariants for QTAG modules; specially the cases when the module is summable, $$\sigma $$
σ
-summable, $$(\omega +n)$$

(
ω
+
n
)

-projective or HT -module. We show that if for a QTAG module M with a submodule N such that M/N is bounded, then M is weakly $$\omega _1$$

ω
1

-separable if and only if N is weakly $$\omega _1$$

ω
1

-separable.
Measure Identification for the Choquet Integral: A Python Module
Authors: Türkarslan Ezgi , Torra Vicenç
Published: October 2022

Fuzzy integrals are common concepts which are used to aggregate input values in practical applications. Aggregation of inputs using fuzzy integrals opens up numerous possibilities for modeling interaction, redundancy, and synergy of inputs. However, fuzzy integrals need a fuzzy measure to start this aggregation process. This situation pushes us into the fuzzy measure identification process. This process becomes difficult due to the monotony condition of the fuzzy measure and the exponential increase on the number of measure parameters. There are in the literature many ways to determine fuzzy measures. One of them is learning from data. In this paper, our aim is to introduce a new fuzzy measure identification tool to learn measures from empirical data. It is a Python module which finds the measure that minimizes the difference between the computed and expected outputs of the Choquet integral. In addition, we study some properties of the learning process. In particular, we consider k-additive fuzzy measures and belief functions as well as arbitrary fuzzy measures. Using these variety of measures we examine the effect of k and noisy data on the learning process.
COVID-19 Death Rates in Iran and Iraq: Possible Relations Between Iraq’s Pre-COVID-19 Mass Gatherings and Its Low Death Rate
Authors: Amani Amir , Namdar Ahmadabad Hasan , Nikravesh Abbas , Zarei Javad , Haghbin Ali
Published: October 2022

In recent years, COVD-19 has made millions of death worldwide. When reviewing the death rate, we encountered a very notable difference in death rate of Iran and Iraq, which are two neighboring countries. Investigating the COVID-19 risk factors, parameters, such as ethnicity and vaccination, do not appear not to be affecting our observation. We also could not find important differences in mortality rate being under-reported in the two countries. In this letter, we tried to discuss the possible effect of Iraq pre-COVID-19 mass gatherings on the death rate. The authors would like to highlight the effect of immune system on COVID-19.
Reconstructing historical 3D city models
Authors: Morlighem Camille , Labetski Anna , Ledoux Hugo
Published: October 2022

Historical maps are increasingly used for studying how cities have evolved over time, and their applications are multiple: understanding past outbreaks, urban morphology, economy, etc. However, these maps are usually scans of older paper maps, and they are therefore restricted to two dimensions. We investigate in this paper how historical maps can be ‘augmented’ with the third dimension so that buildings have heights, volumes, and roof shapes. The resulting 3D city models, also known as digital twins, have several benefits in practice since it is known that some spatial analyses are only possible in 3D: visibility studies, wind flow analyses, population estimation, etc. At this moment, reconstructing historical models is (mostly) a manual and very time-consuming operation, and it is plagued by inaccuracies in the 2D maps. In this paper, we present a new methodology to reconstruct 3D buildings from historical maps, we developed it with the aim of automating the process as much as possible, and we discuss the engineering decisions we made when implementing it. Our methodology uses extra datasets for height extraction, reuses the 3D models of buildings that still exist, and infers other buildings with procedural modelling. We have implemented and tested our methodology with real-world historical maps of European cities for different times between 1700 and 2000.
Understanding Turkey Management in the Mimbres Valley of Southwestern New Mexico Using Ancient Mitochondrial DNA and Stable Isotopes
Authors: Dolan Sean G. , Ozga Andrew T. , Laumbach Karl W. , Krigbaum John , Manin Aurélie , Schwartz Christopher W. , Stone Anne C. , Knudson Kelly J.
Published: October 2022

In the US Southwest and Northwest Mexico, people and turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) have had a reciprocal relationship for millennia; turkeys supplied feathers, meat, and other resources, whereas people provided food, shelter, and care. To investigate how turkeys fit within subsistence, economic production, sociopolitical organization, and religious and ritual practice in the Mimbres Valley of southwestern New Mexico, we report on genetic (mtDNA) and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) data from turkeys recovered from Mimbres Classic period (AD 1000–1130) sites. Results indicate that Mimbres aviculturists had haplogroup H1 and H2 turkeys, and most ate maize-based diets similar to humans, but some ate nonmaize and mixed diets. We contextualize these data to other turkey studies from the northern Southwest and discuss how the human-turkey relationship began, the evidence for pens and restricting turkey movement, and the socioecological factors related to turkey management during the Classic period, particularly the challenges associated with providing maize to turkeys during times of environmental stress. This study has broad relevance to places where people managed wild, tame, and domestic animals, and we offer new insights into how prehispanic, small-scale, middle-range agricultural societies managed turkeys for ritual and utilitarian purposes.
Making and taking theriac: an experimental and sensory approach to the history of medicine
Authors: Ahnfelt Nils-Otto , Fors Hjalmar , Wendin Karin
Published: October 2022

This paper explores historically used medicaments by making them, or rather reworking them, in a modern laboratory and assessing them for taste, flavour and odour using sensory analysis and a trained panel of sensory assessors. Our test subject is the famous panacea theriac andromachalis, which is subjected to the methods of experimental history of science to create experimental data. We emphasize the importance of the sensory experience, in both the making and the taking of theriac. From antiquity and well into the nineteenth century, medical practitioners and patients held that the sensory qualities of medicaments were of significance. But sensory information is notoriously difficult to transmit textually, and today we know very little about the sensory characteristics of theriac, and other medicines of the past. This is a problematic lacuna in our knowledge of how actors perceived and used them. By choosing the reworking and sensory framework, we can approach early modern pharmacy both as a craft and as a creative process. Thus our study emphasizes the artisanal, or craft, aspect of medicine making. It indicates how the art of medicine making was integrated with and connected to a medical practice which relied heavily on direct sensory assessments of medicaments, disease and patients. Our purpose is, however, not to try to find out how historical medicine makers and patients ‘really felt’ when they experienced the act of smelling and tasting medicines. Our aim is rather to discuss what the sensory experience of making and tasting adds to the investigation of textual sources. Thus, by attempting to access information about the experience of medicine through experimental means, we aim to enrich and complement historical understanding of the medicines and medical theories of the past.
On the shape and size of granular roll waves
Authors: Kanellopoulos Giorgos , Razis Dimitrios , van der Weele Ko
Published: October 2022

This paper describes, from a theoretical point of view, the appearance and characteristics of granular roll waves in chute flow, and the maximal size these waves can attain for a given influx of material into the system. Granular roll waves are steady travelling wave solutions of the generalized Saint-Venant equations for flowing granular matter, appearing when the Froude number

$Fr$

of the incoming flow exceeds a critical value,

$Fr>Fr_{cr}$

. We focus upon the phase space of the corresponding dynamical system, where the roll waves take the form of a stable limit cycle around an unstable fixed point; this limit cycle gives precise information on the size and periodicity of the roll wave. It is found that, for any given value of

$Fr$

, the limit cycle cannot become arbitrarily large because it is constrained by a homoclinic loop in phase space. Roll waves of larger amplitude can be generated by increasing the Froude number

$Fr$

.
International Clientelistic Networks: The Case of Venezuela at the United Nations General Assembly, 1999–2015
Authors: Carvalho Thales , Belém Lopes Dawisson
Published: October 2022

This article introduces the concept of international clientelism and discusses how this diplomatic tool was employed by Venezuela under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro as a means to get political support from several Latin American and Caribbean countries. We operationalize the concept and apply it to assess Venezuelan practices put forth in the region. We argue that the reach of Caracas’s diplomatic strategy is broader and deeper than that of simple vote-buying tactics, as it implies the promotion of structural rather than contingent ties, shielding the country against unfavorable moves in international fora. An empirical test using data for all LAC countries for the years 1999–2015 confirms that clientelistic linkages produced political support for Venezuela at the United Nations General Assembly while also moving its partners away from the United States in that institution.
The vicarious liability of sports governing bodies and competition organisers
Authors: Brown James
Published: October 2022

This is the first work to explore the possibility of holding sports governing bodies and competition organisers vicariously liable for the tortious behaviour of athletes that compete under their auspices. In contrast to other scholarly contributions on vicarious liability in sport, this paper examines the scope of responsibility for athletes in individual sports (as opposed to team sports). It begins by drawing upon the recent tribunal proceedings between professional cyclist Jess Varnish and British Cycling to analyse the employment status of government-funded individual athletes. In calling for a contextual and policy-sensitive approach to the definition of an ‘employee’, this paper argues that certain normative and theoretical considerations ought to be granted more or less weight depending on the particular legal issue animating the dispute. Thereafter, and with one eye on the overly intrusive regulatory provisions found in sports such as tennis and golf, this paper also demonstrates that the vicarious liability of governing bodies and competition organisers could equally be extended to cover the tortious conduct of non-funded individual athletes. In making these claims, it is demonstrated how a sport-specific application of the doctrine may help to teach us a few broader lessons about vicarious liability more generally.
Multiple solutions for a class of quasilinear problems with double criticality
Authors: Ait-Mahiout Karima , Alves Claudianor O. , Garain Prashanta
Published: October 2022

We establish multiplicity results for the following class of quasilinear problems
P\begin{equation*} \left\{ \begin{array}{@{}l} -\Delta_{\Phi}u=f(x,u) \quad \mbox{in} \quad \Omega, \\ u=0 \quad \mbox{on} \quad \partial \Omega, \end{array} \right. \end{equation*}where $\Delta _{\Phi }u=\text {div}(\varphi (x,|\nabla u|)\nabla u)$ for a generalized N-function $\Phi (x,t)=\int _{0}^{|t|}\varphi (x,s)s\,ds$. We consider $\Omega \subset \mathbb {R}^{N}$ to be a smooth bounded domain that contains two disjoint open regions $\Omega _N$ and $\Omega _p$ such that $\overline {\Omega _N}\cap \overline {\Omega _p}=\emptyset$. The main feature of the problem $(P)$ is that the operator $-\Delta _{\Phi }$ behaves like $-\Delta _N$ on $\Omega _N$ and $-\Delta _p$ on $\Omega _p$. We assume the nonlinearity $f:\Omega \times \mathbb {R}\to \mathbb {R}$ of two different types, but both behave like $e^{\alpha |t|^{\frac {N}{N-1}}}$ on $\Omega _N$ and $|t|^{p^{*}-2}t$ on $\Omega _p$ as $|t|$ is large enough, for some $\alpha >0$ and $p^{*}=\frac {Np}{N-p}$ being the critical Sobolev exponent for $1< p< N$. In this context, for one type of nonlinearity $f$, we provide a multiplicity of solutions in a general smooth bounded domain and for another type of nonlinearity $f$, in an annular domain $\Omega$, we establish existence of multiple solutions for the problem $(P)$ that are non-radial and rotationally non-equivalent.
Data-driven model for divertor plasma detachment prediction
Authors: Zhu Ben , Zhao Menglong , Bhatia Harsh , Xu Xue-qiao , Bremer Peer-Timo , Meyer William , Li Nami , Rognlien Thomas
Published: October 2022

We present a fast and accurate data-driven surrogate model for divertor plasma detachment prediction leveraging the latent feature space concept in machine learning research. Our approach involves constructing and training two neural networks: an autoencoder that finds a proper latent space representation (LSR) of plasma state by compressing the multi-modal diagnostic measurements and a forward model using multi-layer perception (MLP) that projects a set of plasma control parameters to its corresponding LSR. By combining the forward model and the decoder network from autoencoder, this new data-driven surrogate model is able to predict a consistent set of diagnostic measurements based on a few plasma control parameters. In order to ensure that the crucial detachment physics is correctly captured, highly efficient 1D UEDGE model is used to generate training and validation data in this study. The benchmark between the data-driven surrogate model and UEDGE simulations shows that our surrogate model is capable of providing accurate detachment prediction (usually within a few per cent relative error margin) but with at least four orders of magnitude speed-up, indicating that performance-wise, it has the potential to facilitate integrated tokamak design and plasma control. Comparing with the widely used two-point model and/or two-point model formatting, the new data-driven model features additional detachment front prediction and can be easily extended to incorporate richer physics. This study demonstrates that the complicated divertor and scrape-off-layer plasma state has a low-dimensional representation in latent space. Understanding plasma dynamics in latent space and utilising this knowledge could open a new path for plasma control in magnetic fusion energy research.
The hidden homeownership welfare state: an international long-term perspective on the tax treatment of homeowners
Authors: Kholodilin Konstantin A. , Kohl Sebastian , Korzhenevych Artem , Pfeiffer Linus
Published: October 2022

Welfare is traditionally understood as social security decommodifying labour markets or as social investment policies. In the domain of housing, however, welfare for homeowners is largely hidden in the tax codes’ fiscal exemptions. Based on a content analysis of legislation, this article introduces a novel yearly database of 37 countries between 1901 and 2020 to uncover the “hidden welfare state” of taxes on imputed rent, deductibility of mortgage payments, housing capital gains tax, and value-added tax on newly built dwellings. Summary indices of homeownership attractiveness and neutrality of the tax code show that fiscal homeownership policies have been in decline until the 1980s and risen ever since. They are in place where finance is liberally and labour restrictively regulated. Contrary to the classical welfare state, they are not associated with an economic logic of industrialism or left-wing governments. They rather are an alternative to rent regulation used by Common-law jurisdictions or smaller countries. As welfare for property owners, the logic of fiscal homeownership welfare diverges from the classical welfare for the labouring classes.
Touching while listening: Does infants’ haptic word processing speed predict vocabulary development?
Authors: BEAUDIN Kayla , POULIN-DUBOIS Diane , ZESIGER Pascal
Published: October 2022

The present study examined the links between haptic word processing speed, vocabulary, and inhibitory control among bilingual children. Three main hypotheses were tested: faster haptic processing speed, measured by the Computerized Comprehension Task at age 1;11, would be associated with larger concurrent vocabulary and greater longitudinal vocabulary growth. Second, early vocabulary size would be associated with greater vocabulary growth at 3;0 and 5;0. Finally, faster haptic processing speed would be associated with greater concurrent inhibitory control, as measured by the Shape Stroop Task. The results revealed that haptic processing speed was associated with concurrent vocabulary, but not predictive of later language skills. Also, early decontextualized vocabulary was predictive of vocabulary at 3;0. Finally, haptic processing speed measured in the non-dominant language was associated with inhibitory control. These results provide insight on the mechanisms of lexical retrieval in young bilinguals and expand previous research on haptic word processing and vocabulary development.
Micro-TESE surgery combined with ICSI regimen in the treatment of non-obstructive azoospermia patients and its effect analysis
Authors: Wang Kaijuan , Tang Dondong , Zhu Qi , Yang Dandan , Yang Han , Peng Jing , Ding Ding , Wang Jing , Wang Qiushuang , Cao Yunxia , Chen Beili , Zhang Zhiguo
Published: October 2022

This study aimed to analyze the clinical effects of microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) surgery combined with an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) regimen in the treatment of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients with different etiologies. In total, 128 NOA patients participated in this study, in which they received infertility treatment by micro-TESE surgery combined with an ICSI regimen, and all patients were divided into three groups [the Klinefelter syndrome (KS), the idiopathic and the secondary NOA groups]. In addition, the sperm retrieval rate (SRR), fertilization rate, embryo development status and clinical treatment effects were analyzed. Among the 128 NOA patients, the SRR of KS NOA patients was 48.65%, those of idiopathic and the secondary patients were 33.82% and 73.91%, respectively. Regardless of etiologies, there was no correlation with age, hormone value or testicular volume. Further analysis showed that the SRR of the KS group was positively related with testosterone (T) values, and the SRR of the secondary group had a positive relationship with follicle-stimulating hormone or luteinizing hormone values. In the subsequent clinical treatment, the retrieved sperm was subjected to ICSI and achieved good treatment effects, especially in the secondary group, and the implantation rate (55.56%) and clinical pregnancy rate (68.42%) were both higher than those of the idiopathic group (28.75% and 40.00%) and KS group (22.05% and 30.77%). Micro-TESE surgery combined with ICSI insemination is the most effective treatment regimen for NOA patients. The SRR of NOA patients with different etiologies are related to certain specific factors, and micro-TESE surgery seems to be the ideal and only way to have biological children.
Accuracy of Local Polarization Measurements by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
Authors: Calderon Sebastian , Funni Stephen D , Dickey Elizabeth C
Published: October 2022

Accurately determining local polarization at atomic resolution can unveil the mechanisms by which static and dynamical behaviors of the polarization occur, including domain wall motion, defect interaction, and switching mechanisms, advancing us toward the better control of polarized states in materials. In this work, we explore the potential of atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy to measure the projected local polarization at the unit cell length scale. ZnO and PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 are selected as case studies, to identify microscope parameters that can significantly affect the accuracy of the measured projected polarization vector. Different STEM imaging modalities are used to determine the location of the atomic columns, which, when combined with the Born effective charges, allows for the calculation of local polarization. Our results indicate that differentiated differential phase contrast (dDPC) imaging enhances the accuracy of measuring local polarization relative to other imaging modalities, such as annular bright-field or integrated-DPC imaging. For instance, under certain experimental conditions, the projected spontaneous polarization for ZnO can be calculated with 1.4% error from the theoretical value. Furthermore, we quantify the influence of sample thickness, probe defocus, and crystal mis-tilt on the relative errors of the calculated polarization.
Gigantoproductid shell spiral and microstructure of tertiary layer: evaluation as taxonomical characters
Authors: MATEOS-CARRALAFUENTE J. Ricardo , CORONADO Ismael , CÓZAR Pedro , RODRÍGUEZ Sergio
Published: October 2022

Brachiopod taxonomy is based on descriptions of shell morphology and key characters, but diagenesis generally modifies or erases some of them, hindering brachiopod identification. Brachiopods that are taxonomically related usually present shells with similar appearance but can differ in size (i.e., Rhynchonellata). Some aspects of morphology – for example the angular measurement of the curvature of the shell or details of shell microstructure – could aid taxonomic identification. Gigantoproductids, which lack a robust taxonomy, have the largest shells among brachiopods and are ideal for this kind of study because of their gigantic size and morphological variability. Furthermore, they have a great abundance and worldwide distribution during the mid-Carboniferous. More than 700 samples have been collected from Sierra Morena (Spain), Montagne Noire (France) and Adarouch (Morocco) identifying up to six gigantoproductid genera: Globosoproductus, Semiplanus, Kansuella?, Latiproductus, Gigantoproductus and Datangia. Microstructural features from 170 thin sections belonging to gigantoproductid ventral valves have been studied, and six crystal morphologies have been distinguished within the tertiary layer: subhorizontal, imbricated, crenulated, acicular, short and long columnar morphologies. Moreover, 23 complete shells from all genera have been selected to investigate shell size and curvature. Results from this study emphasise that shell size, curvature and crystal shape are taxa-related. Finally, a remarkable morphological change in the gigantoproductid populations from the western Palaeo-Tethys occurred during the Viséan–Serpukhovian, from thin-shelled genera with subhorizontal morphology (Viséan) to thick-shelled genera with a tertiary layer consisting of long columnar crystals (Serpukhovian). This study proves that microstructure, maximum thickness and shell spiral characterisation are robust characters when applied to gigantoproductid taxonomy, but also have great potential in other brachiopod groups.
Was Tolstoi a Colonial Landlord? The Dilemmas of Private Property and Settler Colonialism on the Bashkir Steppe
Authors: Bojanowska Edyta M.
Published: October 2022

Using new archival research, this article establishes key facts about the most understudied aspect of Lev Tolstoi's biography—his Samara estate—assessing its role in the Tolstoi family economy and property structure. Integrating imperial history with the theoretical perspective of settler colonial studies, the article argues that the estate functioned within the context of Russia's settler colonialism in Bashkiria. While this experience contributed to Tolstoi's rejection of private property, it never erased his enthusiasm for Russia's manifest destiny as a settler civilization. Sympathizing with the plight of Russian settlers, Tolstoi remained perplexingly indifferent to the suffering of the semi-nomadic Bashkirs they displaced. These findings complicate Tolstoi's status as Russia's premier anti-colonial writer, urging a more capacious framing of the problem of empire in Tolstoi's art and thought, one that balances his critiques of the military conquest of the Caucasus against his embrace of settler colonialism.
Critical period of weed control in an interseeded system of corn and alfalfa
Authors: Chu Sarah Ann Drumm , Cassida Kim A. , Singh Maninder P. , Burns Erin E.
Published: October 2022

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hectares in Michigan are declining partly due to reliance on corn (Zea mays L.) silage as a continuous feed source. By interseeding corn and alfalfa, farmers can replace the low alfalfa yield in the establishment year with corn silage while simultaneously establishing alfalfa. A randomized split-block field study was conducted in East Lansing, MI, over 3 yr (2019 to 2021) to determine the critical period of weed control (CPWC) in the interseeded corn and alfalfa system using two corn hybrids with differing leaf architecture (pendulum vs. upright). Whole plots were assigned to corn hybrids interseeded with alfalfa, and subplots were assigned to a surrogate weed, Japanese millet [Echinochloa esculenta (A. Braun) H. Scholz], for the duration of competition treatments. Weed-free and weedy plots were included as controls. At the end of the interseeding year, corn was harvested, while alfalfa was harvested the following year. The CPWC is made up of two components: the critical timing of weed removal (CTWR) and the critical weed-free period (CWFP). Corn hybrid had no impact on the CTWR or CWFP for interseeded corn or alfalfa. Averaged across hybrids, the CTWR was 303 growing degree days (GDD), and CWFP was estimated to be greater than the study duration. The CTWR in the first cutting of alfalfa was estimated to be 369 GDD. The CWFP was estimated to be 394 GDD for a 5% acceptable yield loss for the first alfalfa cutting. Identification of the CPWC in the interseeded system will increase adoption and interest in other interseeded systems that can mitigate potential negative environmental and economic impacts of monoculture agriculture.
Disentangling Aerosol and Cloud Effects on Dimming and Brightening in Observations and CMIP6
Authors: Julsrud I. R. , Storelvmo T. , Schulz M. , Moseid K. O. , Wild M.
Published: October 2022

Periods of dimming and brightening have been recorded in observational datasets of surface solar radiation (SSR) between the mid‐20th century and present day. Atmospheric components affect SSR, including aerosols and clouds, though studies disagree somewhat about the relative effect of each component in different regions. Current Earth system models (ESMs) are unable to simulate observed trends in SSR. This study includes an investigation into observed SSR variations between 1961 and 2014 and an evaluation of the effects of cloud cover variations and impacts of aerosol extinction, using timeseries of SSR and cloud cover from in‐situ measurements. Historical simulations by 42 ESMs participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) have also been studied and compared to observations. The observational study indicates that cloud cover has had a dampening effect on the variations of SSR and that emissions of aerosol and aerosol precursors are the main cause of the general trends in observed SSR in four regions—China, Japan, Europe, and the United States—during 1961–2014. The study of simulated SSR in CMIP6 yields the conclusion that current ESMs remain unable to simulate the magnitude of observed dimming and brightening in China, Japan, and the United States, but that the European SSR trends between 1961 and 2014 are fairly well reproduced in the ESMs. A rough quantification of the regional surface radiation extinction efficiency of aerosol and precursor emissions in the simulations is found to agree with observed values in Europe, but not in the other three regions.
SASSIER22: Full‐Waveform Tomography of the Eastern Indonesian Region That Includes Topography, Bathymetry, and the Fluid Ocean
Authors: Wehner Deborah , Rawlinson Nicholas , Greenfield Tim , Daryono  , Miller Meghan S. , Supendi Pepen , Lü ChuanChuan , Widiyantoro Sri
Published: October 2022

We present a new 3‐D seismic structural model of the eastern Indonesian region and its surroundings from full‐waveform inversion (FWI) that exploits seismic data filtered at periods between 15–150 s. SASSY21—a recent 3‐D FWI tomographic model of Southeast Asia—is used as a starting model, and our study region is characterized by particularly good data coverage, which facilitates a more refined image. We use the spectral‐element solver Salvus to determine the full 3‐D wavefield, accounting for the fluid ocean explicitly by solving a coupled system of acoustic and elastic wave equations. This is computationally more expensive but allows seismic waves within the water layer to be simulated, which becomes important for periods ≤20 s. We investigate path‐dependent effects of surface elevation (topography and bathymetry) and the fluid ocean on synthetic waveforms, and compare our final model to the tomographic result obtained with the frequently used ocean loading approximation. Furthermore, we highlight some of the key features of our final model—SASSIER22—after 34 L‐BFGS iterations, which reveals detailed anomalies down to the mantle transition zone, including a convergent double‐subduction zone along the southern segment of the Philippine Trench, which was not evident in the starting model. A more detailed illumination of the slab beneath the North Sulawesi Trench reveals a pronounced positive wavespeed anomaly down to 200 km depth, consistent with the maximum depth of seismicity, and a more diffuse but aseismic positive wavespeed anomaly that continues to the 410 km discontinuity.
Seismic Induced Ground Deformation and Ionospheric Perturbations of the 29 July 2021, Mw 8.2 Chignik Earthquake, Alaska
Authors: Sunil A. S. , Sunil P. S. , Shrivastava M. N. , Maurya A. K. , Thomas D. , Gonzalez G.
Published: October 2022

The subsurface, surface, and ionospheric characteristics associated with the 29 July 2021 Mw 8.2 Chignik Earthquake are studied in detail using continuous Global Positioning System (cGPS) data over Alaska. The cGPS‐inverted coseismic displacements demonstrate that the slip is distributed along the rupture area northeast of the epicenter with a maximum coseismic slip of ∼3.85 m occurring at a depth of ∼24.25 km. The vertical surface displacement estimated from the coseismic slip exhibits a similar deformation pattern with a maximum uplift of ∼1.0 m over the highly slip area. The ionospheric electron density perturbations associated with the Chignik earthquake were investigated using cGPS‐derived Total Electron Content (TEC) data. Unlike the northeast‐directed coseismic rupture and surface uplift, the ionospheric imprints of this event are more dominant southwest of the epicenter. This study reveals that the Earth's magnetic field and the ionospheric background electron density significantly controlled the TEC perturbation orientation and amplitudes rather than the rupture propagation and coseismic uplift pattern.
Histone methyltransferase Smyd2 drives adipogenesis via regulating STAT3 phosphorylation
Authors: Su Haibi , Meng Chen , Xu Jie , Su Zhenghua , Xiao Chenxi , Yang Di
Published: October 2022

Adipogenesis is a complex cascade involved with the preadipocytes differentiation towards mature adipocytes, accelerating the onset of obesity. Histone methyltransferase SET and MYND domain-containing protein 2 (Smyd2), is involved in a variety of cellular biological functions but the epigenetic regulation of Smyd2 in adipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation remains unclear. BothSmyd2siRNA and LLY-507, an inhibitor of Smyd2, were used to examine the effect of Smyd2 on adipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation in vitro. Smyd2 heterozygous knockout (Smyd2+/−) mice were also constructed to validate the relationship between Smyd2 and adipogenesis in vivo. We found that Smyd2 is abundant in white adipose tissue and closely correlated with adipocyte differentiation. Knockdown or inhibition of Smyd2 restrained adipocyte differentiation in vitro, which requires the phosphorylation of STAT3. In vivo functional validation,Smyd2+/−mice exert significant fat loss but not susceptible to HFD-induced obesity. Taken together, our findings revealed that Smyd2 is a novel regulator of adipocyte differentiation by regulating the phosphorylation of STAT3, which provides insights into the effects of epigenetic regulation in adipogenesis. Inhibition of Smyd2 might represent a viable strategy for anti-adipogenesis and maybe further alleviate obesity-related diseases in humans.
Long-term whole blood DNA preservation by cost-efficient cryosilicification
Authors: Zhou Liang , Lei Qi , Guo Jimin , Gao Yuanyuan , Shi Jianjun , Yu Hong , Yin Wenxiang , Cao Jiangfan , Xiao Botao , Andreo Jacopo , Ettlinger Romy , Jeffrey Brinker C. , Wuttke Stefan , Zhu Wei
Published: October 2022

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the blueprint of life, and cost-effective methods for its long-term storage could have many potential benefits to society. Here we present the method of in situ cryosilicification of whole blood cells, which allows long-term preservation of DNA. Importantly, our straightforward approach is inexpensive, reliable, and yields cryosilicified samples that fulfill the essential criteria for safe, long-term DNA preservation, namely robustness against external stressors, such as radical oxygen species or ultraviolet radiation, and long-term stability in humid conditions at elevated temperatures. Our approach could enable the room temperature storage of genomic information in book-size format for more than one thousand years (thermally equivalent), costing only 0.5 $/person. Additionally, our demonstration of 3D-printed DNA banking artefacts, could potentially allow ‘artificial fossilization’.
Wnt4 is heterogeneously activated in maturing β-cells to control calcium signaling, metabolism and function
Authors: Katsumoto Keiichi , Yennek Siham , Chen Chunguang , Silva Luis Fernando Delgadillo , Traikov Sofia , Sever Dror , Azad Ajuna , Shan Jingdong , Vainio Seppo , Ninov Nikolay , Speier Stephan , Grapin-Botton Anne
Published: October 2022

Diabetes is a multifactorial disorder characterized by loss or dysfunction of pancreatic β-cells. β-cells are heterogeneous, exhibiting different glucose sensing, insulin secretion and gene expression. They communicate with other endocrine cell types via paracrine signals and between β-cells via gap junctions. Here, we identify the importance of signaling between β-cells via the extracellular signal WNT4. We show heterogeneity in Wnt4 expression, most strikingly in the postnatal maturation period, Wnt4-positive cells, being more mature while Wnt4-negative cells are more proliferative. Knock-out in adult β-cells shows that WNT4 controls the activation of calcium signaling in response to a glucose challenge, as well as metabolic pathways converging to lower ATP/ADP ratios, thereby reducing insulin secretion. These results reveal that paracrine signaling between β-cells is important in addition to gap junctions in controling insulin secretion. Together with previous reports of WNT4 up-regulation in obesity our observations suggest an adaptive insulin response coordinating β-cells.
Single-shot quantum error correction with the three-dimensional subsystem toric code
Authors: Kubica Aleksander , Vasmer Michael
Published: October 2022

Fault-tolerant protocols and quantum error correction (QEC) are essential to building reliable quantum computers from imperfect components that are vulnerable to errors. Optimizing the resource and time overheads needed to implement QEC is one of the most pressing challenges. Here, we introduce a new topological quantum error-correcting code, the three-dimensional subsystem toric code (3D STC). The 3D STC can be realized with geometrically-local parity checks of weight at most three on the cubic lattice with open boundary conditions. We prove that one round of parity-check measurements suffices to perform reliable QEC with the 3D STC even in the presence of measurement errors. We also propose an efficient single-shot QEC decoding strategy for the 3D STC and numerically estimate the resulting storage threshold against independent bit-flip, phase-flip and measurement errors to bepSTC ≈ 1.045%. Such a high threshold together with local parity-check measurements make the 3D STC particularly appealing for realizing fault-tolerant quantum computing.
Investigating lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase-assisted wood cell wall degradation with microsensors
Authors: Chang Hucheng , Gacias Amengual Neus , Botz Alexander , Schwaiger Lorenz , Kracher Daniel , Scheiblbrandner Stefan , Csarman Florian , Ludwig Roland
Published: October 2022

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) supports biomass hydrolysis by increasing saccharification efficiency and rate. Recent studies demonstrate that H2O2 rather than O2 is the cosubstrate of the LPMO-catalyzed depolymerization of polysaccharides. Some studies have questioned the physiological relevance of the H2O2-based mechanism for plant cell wall degradation. This study reports the localized and time-resolved determination of LPMO activity on poplar wood cell walls by measuring the H2O2 concentration in their vicinity with a piezo-controlled H2O2 microsensor. The investigated Neurospora crassa LPMO binds to the inner cell wall layer and consumes enzymatically generated H2O2. The results point towards a high catalytic efficiency of LPMO at a low H2O2 concentration that auxiliary oxidoreductases in fungal secretomes can easily generate. Measurements with a glucose microbiosensor additionally demonstrate that LPMO promotes cellobiohydrolase activity on wood cell walls and plays a synergistic role in the fungal extracellular catabolism and in industrial biomass degradation.