bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reassessing the alternative ecosystem states proposition in the African savanna‐forest domain
Authors: Higgins Steven I. , Banerjee Swarnendu , Baudena Mara , Bowman David M. J. S. , Conradi Timo , Couteron Pierre , Kruger Laurence M. , O'Hara Robert B. , Williamson Grant J.
Published: July 2024

Ecologists are being challenged to predict how ecosystems will respond to climate changes. According to the Multi‐Colored World (MCW) hypothesis, climate impacts may not manifest because consumers such as fire and herbivory can override the influence of climate on ecosystem state. One MCW interpretation is that climate determinism fails because alternative ecosystem states (AES) are possible at some locations in climate space. We evaluated theoretical and empirical evidence for the proposition that forest and savanna are AES in Africa. We found that maps which infer where AES zones are located were contradictory. Moreover, data from longitudinal and experimental studies provide inconclusive evidence for AES. That is, although the forest‐savanna AES proposition is theoretically sound, the existing evidence is not yet convincing. We conclude by making the case that the AES proposition has such fundamental consequences for designing management actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change in the savanna‐forest domain that it needs a more robust evidence base before it is used to prescribe management actions.
Cell wall‐mediated maternal control of apical–basal patterning of the kelp Undaria pinnatifida
Authors: Dries Eloise , Meyers Yannick , Liesner Daniel , Gonzaga Floriele M. , Becker Jakob F. M. , Zakka Eliane E. , Beeckman Tom , Coelho Susana M. , De Clerck Olivier , Bogaert Kenny A.
Published: July 2024

The role of maternal tissue in embryogenesis remains enigmatic in many complex organisms. Here, we investigate the contribution of maternal tissue to apical–basal patterning in the kelp embryo.

Focussing on Undaria pinnatifida, we studied the effects of detachment from the maternal tissue using microsurgery, staining of cell wall modifications, morphometric measurements, flow cytometry, genotyping and a modified kelp fertilisation protocol synchronising kelp embryogenesis.

Detached embryos are rounder and often show aberrant morphologies. When a part of the oogonial cell wall remains attached to the zygote, the apical–basal patterning is rescued. Furthermore, the absence of contact with maternal tissue increases parthenogenesis, highlighting the critical role of maternal signals in the initial stages of development.

These results show a key role for the connection to the maternal oogonial cell wall in apical–basal patterning in kelps. This observation is reminiscent of another brown alga, Fucus, where the cell wall directs the cell fate. Our findings suggest a conserved mechanism across phylogenetically distant oogamous lineages, where localised secretion of sulphated F2 fucans mediates the establishment of the apical–basal polarity. In this model, the maternal oogonial cell wall mediates basal cell fate determination by providing an extrinsic patterning cue to the future kelp embryo.
Application of Multi‐Rod Constructs for the Revision of Thoracolumbar Fractures
Authors: Zeng Xiangchao , Lv Yongwei , Yang Yafeng , Yin Xin , Li Li , Wang Huadong , Yu Ning , Wang Yan , Guo Jidong
Published: July 2024

Objective

The revision procedure for failure of internal fixation after thoracolumbar fracture is controversial. Combined anterior and posterior surgery is associated with higher risk more intraoperative bleeding and tissue damage. The success rate of simple anterior surgery needs further confirmation, and posterior surgery lacks stability of internal fixation. This study evaluates the feasibility and surgical effect of multi‐rod constructs in the revision of thoracolumbar fractures.

Methods

Eleven patients with thoracolumbar fractures who underwent previous construct failure and were treated with revision and internal fixation with the multi‐rod technique from March 2017 to September 2018 were analyzed. The original internal fixation was removed and replaced in the medial insertion of satellite rods and bone graft. The average follow‐up time was 15.97 months. The intraoperation blood loss, the time of the operation, activation and discharge and the rate of rod fracture were calculated. The sagittal Cobb angle before revision, after revision and at the last follow‐up were compared. The clinical effect was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index questionnaire (ODI).

Results

The average operation time was 107 min, the intraoperative blood loss was 131.81 mL, the active time was 1.59 days, and the discharge time was 10.89 days. No rod fractured again during the follow‐up period.

The paired t‐test was used to compare the Cobb angle, VAS score, and ODI before and after surgery. There was significant difference in the sagittal Cobb angle between the pre‐revision and the posterior sagittal position (p = 0.000), and no significant difference was found between post‐revision and last follow‐up (p = 0.551). VAS and ODI were greatly improved at the last follow‐up.

Conclusion

The literature on revision of thoracolumbar fractures is insufficient and comprises varying opinions. This paper proposes a new treatment option. The application of the multi‐rod constructs in the revision of thoracolumbar fractures is safe, simple, and effective and might provide guidance for future clinical work.
Radiomics Based on Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging for the Differential Diagnosis of Benign and Malignant Vertebral Compression Fractures
Authors: Geng Wei , Zhu Jingfen , Li Mao , Pi Bin , Wang Xiantao , Xing Junhui , Xu Haibo , Yang Huilin
Published: July 2024

Objectives

Recent studies have indicated that radiomics may have excellent performance and clinical application prospects in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). However, multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐based radiomics model is rarely used in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant VCFs, and is limited to lumbar. Herein, this study intends to develop and validate MRI radiomics models for differential diagnoses of benign and malignant VCFs in patients.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study involved 151 adult patients diagnosed with VCF in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in 2016–2021. The study was conducted in three steps: (i) the original MRI images were segmented, and the region of interest (ROI) was marked out; (ii) among the extracted features, those features with Pearson's correlation coefficient lower than 0.9 and the top 15 with the highest variance and Lasso regression coefficient less than and more than 0 were selected; (iii) MRI images and combined data were studied by logistic regression, decision tree, random forest and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) models in training set and the test set (ratio of 8:2), respectively; and the models were further verified and evaluated for the differential diagnosis performance. The evaluated indexes included area under receiver (AUC) of operating characteristic curve, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The AUCs were used to assess the predictive performance of different machine learning modes for benign and malignant VCFs.

Results

A total of 1144 radiomics features, and 14 clinical features were extracted. Finally, 12 radiomics features were included in the radiomics model, and 12 radiomics features with 14 clinical features were included in the combined model. In the radiomics model, the differential diagnosis performance in the logistic regression model with the AUC of 0.905 ± 0.026, accuracy of 0.817 ± 0.057, sensitivity of 0.831 ± 0.065, and negative predictive value of 0.813 ± 0.042, was superior to the other three. In the combined model, XGBoost model had the superior differential diagnosis performance with specificity (0.979 ± 0.026) and positive predictive value (0.971 ± 0.035).

Conclusion

The multimodal MRI‐based radiomics model performed well in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant VCFs, which may provide a tool for clinicians to differentially diagnose VCFs.
Thinking about the Russian war on Ukraine and the future of peace history
Authors: Peterson Christian Philip
Published: July 2024

My contribution will explore how the Russian war on Ukraine could impact the evolution of peace history as a field. Drawing on various proposals to end the conflict, it will explain why peace historians should continue to do the work that they normally do such as describing grassroots activism against the war and how Ukrainians have used nonviolent tactics to resist the Russian occupation. But it will also explain why the war reinforces the need to spend more time exploring how the diverse peoples of the world have understood legitimate civic ordering and the acceptable use of violence at specific moments in time—a task necessary to undermine the historical falsehoods that Russians have used to justify their aggression against Ukraine. Finally, my contribution will grapple with the relationship between peace and military history, explaining why peace historians need to become more comfortable addressing what a country like Ukraine needs to do on the battlefield to survive as a nation and build a more just and peaceful world.
The elusive face of peace in public spaces
Authors: Buffton Deborah D.
Published: July 2024

While war memorials and monuments are generally easily recognized, peace art and spaces dedicated to peace are not. This is often because we both define and remember “peace” in ambiguous and sometimes contradictory ways. This article discusses the International Peace Garden (Manitoba/North Dakota) and Bangor City Park (Bangor, Wisconsin). Both are dedicated to “peace,” but reveal the complicated ways our understandings of peace shape our surroundings.
Seed production determines the entrance to dormancy of the inflorescence meristem of Pisum sativum and the end of the flowering period
Authors: Burillo Eduardo , Ortega Raul , Vander Schoor Jacqueline K. , Martínez‐Fernández Irene , Weller James L. , Bombarely Aureliano , Balanzà Vicente , Ferrándiz Cristina
Published: July 2024

Flowering plants adjust their reproductive period to maximize the success of the offspring. Monocarpic plants, those with a single reproductive cycle that precedes plant senescence and death, tightly regulate both flowering initiation and flowering cessation. The end of the flowering period involves the arrest of the inflorescence meristem activity, known as proliferative arrest, in what has been interpreted as an evolutionary adaptation to maximize the allocation of resources to seed production and the viability of the progeny. Factors influencing proliferative arrest were described for several monocarpic plant species many decades ago, but only in the last few years studies performed in Arabidopsis have allowed to approach proliferative arrest regulation in a comprehensive manner by studying the physiology, hormone dynamics, and genetic factors involved in its regulation. However, these studies remain restricted to Arabidopsis and there is a need to expand our knowledge to other monocarpic species to propose general mechanisms controlling the process. In this work, we have characterized proliferative arrest in Pisum sativum, trying to parallel available studies in Arabidopsis to maximize this comparative framework. We have assessed quantitatively the role of fruits/seeds in the process, the influence of the positional effect of these fruits/seeds in the behavior of the inflorescence meristem, and the transcriptomic changes in the inflorescence associated with the arrested state of the meristem. Our results support a high conservation of the factors triggering arrest in pea and Arabidopsis, but also reveal differences reinforcing the need to perform similar studies in other species.
The effect of exogenous melatonin administration before superovulation on embryo yield in Assaf ewes
Authors: Yesilkaya Omer Faruk , Erdem Huseyin
Published: July 2024

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of exogenous melatonin administration on transferable embryos by increasing total antioxidant status before superovulation in Assaf ewes. Selected ewes were randomly divided into two equal groups: melatonin (n = 9) and control (n = 9). In the melatonin group, a melatonin implant (18 mg melatonin, Regulin®, Ceva, Turkey) was placed under the skin of the ear 7 days prior to insertion of the progesterone‐containing sponge. In the control group, a physiological saline solution was injected under the skin of the ear on the same day. The same superovulation protocol was used in both groups. In addition, blood samples for determination of Glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant status and total oxidant status concentrations were collected on five different days, including the day of melatonin implant placement (Day−7), vaginal sponge insertion (Day 0), vaginal sponge removal (Day 11), mating (Day 12–13) and uterine flushing (Day 19). Embryos were collected by laparotomy on the 7th day after mating. Uterine flushing taken into petri dishes were scanned under a stereomicroscope, and the quality and developmental stages of the embryos were recorded. In the study, total corpus luteum count and total cell count were found to be higher in the control group than in the melatonin group (p < .05). When the results were evaluated in terms of oxidative stress index, a negative correlation was found between the total number of corpus luteum, number of cells obtained, count of transferable embryos and number of Grade 1 embryos on Day 0. There was also a positive correlation oxidative stress index and the number of unfertilized oocytes on Day−7. As a result, exogenous melatonin administration prior to superovulation during the breeding season is thought to have a negative effect on embryo yield and quality. Therefore, the use of exogenous melatonin in MOET studies during the breeding season is recommended to be investigated in new studies.
An empirical comparison of stabilization funds and futures hedging for oil exporting developing countries
Authors: Lalloo Ricardo
Published: July 2024

Oil price volatility can significantly affect the growth and development of oil exporting developing countries. Given the widespread use of stabilization funds as a risk management tool by such countries and the potential of futures hedging to function in a similar vein, no study has effectively compared both mechanisms. This article hence uses the hedging effectiveness measure to examine the potential of each mechanism to smooth the volatile revenues of oil exporting developing countries. The results show that stabilization funds performed best with larger deposit rates and using benchmark prices with larger moving averages. However, the volatility reduction capabilities of optimal futures hedging were found to be far superior and should thus be adopted by oil dependent developing countries as their prime revenue smoothening mechanism.
Sociability across Eastern–Western cultures: Is it the same underlying construct?
Authors: Kong Xiaoxue , Brook Christina A. , Zhong Jiayi , Liu Junsheng , Schmidt Louis A.
Published: July 2024

In this study, we examined cross‐cultural differences in sociability, a core personality facet of the higher order extraversion trait, which has been reported at lower levels in Eastern versus Western cultures several decades ago. Up until now, however, East–West cultural comparisons on the Western‐defined construct of sociability have been limited, despite the extensive research published on extraversion indicating that this personality dimension is globally relevant across cultures. Following current practices, we first assessed for measurement invariance (MI) on the Cheek and Buss sociability scale between Chinese (n = 816, 47.2% male,M = 18.51 years,SD = 1.26 years) and Canadian (n = 995, 30.8% male,M = 19.62 years,SD = 1.25 years) young adult samples to ensure any comparisons would be valid and meaningful. Results from a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (exact invariance) showed that there was measurement non‐invariance at the scalar level in the sociability construct across country and country by sex, and the newer alignment method (approximate invariance) confirmed these results, suggesting that mean level comparisons of sociability were biased and noninformative. Our findings indicated that although a few of the higher‐level personality dimensions such as extraversion are considered universal, the facets underlying their meaning, like sociability, are not as clearly delineated between cultures. Alongside the present‐day pursuit of understanding personality across cultures through an indigenous measurement lens in tandem with the notion of universality, researchers should also consider narrowing their focus onto lower‐level facets, each of which is likely to be uniquely embedded into a cultural context.
The Effect of Duration on Performance and Perceived Fatigability During Acute High‐Intensity Interval Exercise in Young, Healthy Males and Females
Authors: Tripp Thomas R. , Caswell Allison M. , Aboodarda S. Jalal , MacInnis Martin J.
Published: July 2024

Few studies have explored the kinetics of performance and perceived fatigability during high‐intensity interval training, despite its popularity. We aimed to characterize the kinetics of fatigability and recovery during an 8 × 4‐min HIIT protocol, hypothesizing that most muscle function impairment would occur during the initial four intervals. Fifteen healthy males and females (mean ± standard deviation; age = 26 ± 5 years, V̇O2max = 46.8 ± 6.1 mL·kg−1·min−1) completed eight, 4‐min intervals at 105% of critical power with 3 min of rest. Maximal voluntary knee extension contractions (MVCs) coupled with electrical nerve stimulation were performed at baseline and after the first, fourth, and eighth intervals. MVC, potentiated twitch force (Pt), and Db10:100 ratio all declined throughout HIIT (p < 0.05). MVC sharply declined after interval 1 (−15 ± 9% relative to baseline; p < 0.05) and had only further declined after interval 8 (−26 ± 11%; p < 0.05), but not interval 4 (−19 ± 13%; p > 0.05). Pt and Db10:100 also sharply declined after interval 1 (Pt: −18 ± 13%, Db10:100: −14 ± 20%; p < 0.05) and further declined after interval 4 (Pt: −35 ± 19%, Db10:100: −30 ± 20%; p < 0.05) but not interval 8 (Pt: −41 ± 19%; Db10:100: −32 ± 18%; p > 0.05). Voluntary activation did not significantly change across the HIIT protocol (p > 0.05). Evoked force recovery was significantly blunted as more intervals were completed: after interval 1, Pt recovered by 7 ± 11% compared to −6 ± 7% recovery after interval 8 (p < 0.05). Ratings of perceived effort, fatigue, and leg pain rose throughout the session (p < 0.05 for each) and were greater (effort and fatigue) for females (p < 0.05). Otherwise, males and females exhibited similar performance fatigability kinetics, with contractile function declines blunted in response to additional intervals.
The Influence of Sports‐Related Concussion on Cognition and Landing Biomechanics in Collegiate Athletes
Authors: Avedesian Jason M. , Covassin Tracey , Baez Shelby , Nash Jennifer , Dufek Janet S.
Published: July 2024

Injury surveillance data indicate that collegiate athletes are at greater risk for lower extremity (LE) injuries following sports‐related concussion (SRC). While the association between SRC and LE injury appears to be clinically relevant up to 1‐year post‐SRC, little evidence has been provided to determine possible mechanistic rationales. Thus, we aimed to compare collegiate athletes with a history of SRC to matched controls on biomechanical and cognitive performance measures associated with LE injury risk. Athletes with a history of SRC (n = 20) and matched controls (n = 20) performed unanticipated bilateral land‐and‐cut tasks and cognitive assessments. Group‐based analyses (ANOVA) and predictive modeling (C5.0 decision tree algorithm) were used to compare group differences on biomechanical and cognitive measures. Collegiate athletes with a history of SRC demonstrated approximately six degrees less peak knee flexion on both dominant (p = 0.03,d = 0.71) and nondominant (p = 0.02,d = 0.78) limbs during the land‐and‐cut tasks compared to controls. Verbal Memory, knee flexion, and Go/No Go total score (C5.0 decision tree algorithm) were identified as the strongest indicators of previous SRC injury history. Reduced knee flexion during sport‐specific land‐and‐cut tasks may be a mechanism for increased LE injury risk in athletes with a history of SRC. There appears to be multiple biomechanical and cognitive predictors for identifying previous SRC in collegiate athletes, providing evidence to support a multifactorial SRC management strategy to reduce future injury risk.
I read banned books
Authors: Best Joel
Published: July 2024

Sociologists should encourage dissenting voices about public issues.
“I really got to think about my background, their background, and how do we come together on something?”: One emergent mathematics teacher leader's reflexive journey withSocial Justice Mathematics
Authors: Kokka Kari
Published: July 2024

This 2‐year qualitative case study focuses on one emergent mathematics teacher leader, Mr. Miller, and his conceptualization of Social Justice Mathematics (SJM). SJM is a justice‐oriented pedagogical approach where students simultaneously learn dominant mathematics and explore social injustices to take action toward justice. Using Rodriguez's (Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1998, 35, 589–622) sociotransformative constructivism framework, findings illuminate how dialogic conversation, authentic activity, and metacognition supported Mr. Miller's reflexivity about his positionality, which he described as “upper middle class, highly educated parents, white, male,” in relationship to his students' positionality. He taught in a public charter high school in an urban city in the Northeast United States, where approximately 60% of students identified as Black, 30% white, 10% mixed race, 1% Asian American, 1% Latine, and less than 1% Indigenous, with 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The article discusses of the importance of reflexivity for teachers and teacher leaders of all backgrounds, and especially when educators of dominant backgrounds work with students of historically marginalized backgrounds. The article calls for further research with more experienced mathematics teacher leaders of various backgrounds and contexts to further investigate justice‐centered mathematics teacher leadership.
Reading Paasi and Living through Bounded Spaces
Authors: Lulle Aija
Published: July 2024

This brief article dedicates a few subjective considerations to the versatility and afterlives of Paasi's conceptual thinking, enriching the way we perceive spaces and borders in highly differentiated environments and times. I will confess my uneasiness with bounded spaces and explore the origins of that unease. I draw inspiration from feminist geography, which embraces subjectivity, dispelling the myth of objectivity. Although not explicitly referenced by Paasi himself, Paasi's article implicitly poses similar feminist questions: Who gains? Who is overlooked and who loses within bounded spaces and ‘borderless’ orders? For whom are spatial and territorial borders beneficial, and whom do they oppress? I will further examine how the ideas of spaces, borders and boundaries have evolved in my specific interpretation of Paasi's writing. The text will be interspersed with insights into lived experiences of regions, products, brands and people's consciousness, or, as in my case, awkward embodied experiences.
Epigenetic regulation by hypoxia, N‐acetylcysteine and hydrogen sulphide of the fetal vasculature in growth restricted offspring: A study in humans and chicken embryos
Authors: Krause Bernardo J. , Paz Adolfo A. , Garrud Tessa A. C. , Peñaloza Estefanía , Vega‐Tapia Fabian , Ford Sage G. , Niu Youguo , Giussani Dino A.
Published: July 2024

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a common outcome in human suboptimal gestation and is related to prenatal origins of cardiovascular dysfunction in offspring. Despite this, therapy of human translational potential has not been identified. Using human umbilical and placental vessels and the chicken embryo model, we combined cellular, molecular, and functional studies to determine whether N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) protect cardiovascular function in growth‐restricted unborn offspring. In human umbilical and placental arteries from control or FGR pregnancy and in vessels from near‐term chicken embryos incubated under normoxic or hypoxic conditions, we determined the expression of the H2S gene CTH (i.e. cystathionine γ‐lyase) (via quantitative PCR), the production of H2S (enzymatic activity), the DNA methylation profile (pyrosequencing) and vasodilator reactivity (wire myography) in the presence and absence of NAC treatment. The data show that FGR and hypoxia increased CTH expression in the embryonic/fetal vasculature in both species. NAC treatment increased aortic CTH expression and H2S production and enhanced third‐order femoral artery dilator responses to the H2S donor sodium hydrosulphide in chicken embryos. NAC treatment also restored impaired endothelial relaxation in human third‐to‐fourth order chorionic arteries from FGR pregnancies and in third‐order femoral arteries from hypoxic chicken embryos. This NAC‐induced protection against endothelial dysfunction in hypoxic chicken embryos was mediated via nitric oxide independent mechanisms. Both developmental hypoxia and NAC promoted vascular changes in CTH DNA and NOS3 methylation patterns in chicken embryos. Combined, therefore, the data support that the effects of NAC and H2S offer a powerful mechanism of human translational potential against fetal cardiovascular dysfunction in complicated pregnancy.

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Key points

Gestation complicated by chronic fetal hypoxia and fetal growth restriction (FGR) increases a prenatal origin of cardiovascular disease in offspring, increasing interest in antenatal therapy to prevent against a fetal origin of cardiovascular dysfunction.

We investigated the effects between N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in the vasculature in FGR human pregnancy and in chronically hypoxic chicken embryos.

Combining cellular, molecular, epigenetic and functional studies, we show that the vascular expression and synthesis of H2S is enhanced in hypoxic and FGR unborn offspring in both species and this acts to protect their vasculature.

Therefore, the NAC/H2S pathway offers a powerful therapeutic mechanism of human translational potential against fetal cardiovascular dysfunction in complicated pregnancy.
Development of a 6-Degrees-of-Freedom Hybrid Interface Intended for Teleoperated Robotic Cervical Spine Surgery
Authors: Koszulinski Alizée , Sandoval Juan , Arsicault Marc , Laribi Med Amine
Published: July 2024

This article deals with the development of a 6-degrees-of-freedom (DoF) hybrid interface for a teleoperated robotic platform intended to assist surgeons in cervical spine surgery. The targeted task is the drilling of cervical vertebrae for the attachment of spinal implants. Given the complex anatomy of the cervical region, with the proximity of the spinal cord and vertebral arteries, high accuracy in the drilling procedure is required to avoid complications for the patient. In this context, the proposed hybrid interface has been designed to meet the requirements of the drilling task, in terms of degrees of freedom, workspace, and force feedback, which have been identified through a literature review. It consists of an association of two parallel mechanisms and a centrally located serial mechanism. Direct and inverse kinematic modeling of each mechanism and one of the complete interfaces were carried out. A study of the dexterity distribution of the parallel mechanisms was carried out to select the suitable interface working mode that would keep the singularities away from the prescribed workspace. In addition, the force feedback was implemented in static mode, neglecting in the first time the weight of the system. The interface design parameters were then optimized to avoid singularities within the prescribed workspace, to minimize motor torques, and to reduce the size of the interface. These development stages led to the design of a motorized prototype of the hybrid interface.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy surface oxidation study of remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition-grown Ge1−xSnx/Si alloys
Authors: Choe Kevin , Hunter Jeremy , Sutphin Christopher , Felker Daniel , Claflin Bruce , Grzybowski Gordon , Dugan Christina
Published: July 2024

Recent progress in the remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of Ge1−xSnx grown directly on Si substrates has improved crystal structure quality. To understand the impact of postgrowth storage, we study oxidation states of Ge1−xSnx alloys, for x values of 7.5%, 8.8%, 12.5%, and 19.3%. A surface oxidation layer formed naturally at room temperature over five months is quantified using angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The GeSn alloys exhibit a high surface oxide concentration with a minimum of 77% in Sn 3d peak analysis. Ge is less susceptible to oxidation than Sn, with oxidation percentages ranging from 25% to 86%. The Sn dopant enhances the oxidation features associated with the Ge 3p peak, aiding surface oxidation and penetrating further into the film. It is feasible that the 4+ state Sn from the precursor readily oxidizes postgrowth resulting in an oxide-rich surface layer.
Lithography mask thermal and stress effect for the machine overlay compensation
Authors: Rui Dinghai , Zhang Libin , Shen Hao , Ding Huwen , Liu Shuang , Wei Yayi , Su Yajuan
Published: July 2024

With the continuous advancement of integrated circuit technology nodes, the degree of chip integration is increasing, and the requirements for critical dimensions and overlay errors are becoming more and more stringent. In recent years, near-field lithography technologies such as nanoimprint lithography and plasmonic lithography have made rapid progress; however, the challenge of compensating for their overlay has yet to be solved or systematic reports are lacking. This work offers an overlay compensation approach based on the theory of overlay and mask stress mechanics and thermodynamics by providing stress to the mask. The overlay analysis model and correction feedback mechanism based on mask compensation technology is carried out theoretically. This work establishes the relationship between the overlay compensation parameters and the mask stress by using strict calculation methods, quantitative characterization, and combining sensitivity analysis methods. Theoretical verification of various overlay distribution patterns demonstrates the efficiency of this feedback compensation strategy as well as the quantitative analytical calculation. It is verified that, under ideal conditions, the feedback technique may minimize the overlay error caused by mask thermal effects to ∼1.5 nm. This research presents a quantitative control mechanism for reducing overlay for near-field lithography, and it has substantial guiding implications for traditional lithography quantitative research on the influence of mask stress or temperature on overlay.
Emission enhancement of GaN field emitter arrays in an N2 environment
Authors: Farsad Asadi Reza , Zheng Tao , Shih Pao-Chuan , Palacios Tomás , Akinwande Akintunde I. , Gnade Bruce
Published: July 2024

Field emitter arrays (FEAs) have the potential to operate at high frequencies and in harsh environments. However, the vacuum packaging of these devices poses a challenge due to the sensitivity of the emission phenomena to the surface properties of the cathode. Studying the effect of different residual gases on FEAs can help to understand the interaction of the emission surface with the environment and identify the feasibility and requirements for vacuum packaging. In this work, the effect of N2 exposure on 150 × 150 gallium-nitride-field emitter arrays (GaN-FEAs) was studied. The GaN-FEA was first operated at 10−9 Torr with a 1000 V DC anode voltage and a 50 V DC gate voltage, where the anode current was 6 μA. The device was then exposed to 10 000 l N2 at 10−7 Torr, and the anode current increased by 2.7 times during N2 exposure. The increase in the current was not permanent, and the current gradually decreased to its pre-exposure level after the N2 source was cut off. The results of N2 exposure were compared to Ar and O2.
Tof-SIMS spectra of historical inorganic pigments: Copper-, zinc-, arsenic-, and phosphorus-containing pigments in negative polarity
Authors: Bouvier Caroline , Van Nuffel Sebastiaan , Brunelle Alain
Published: July 2024

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is increasingly used to analyze cultural heritage materials because it can simultaneously detect organic and inorganic materials while mapping them on a surface. The precise identification of a pigment in a specific layer of a painting or of remaining color on a statue can inform about the technique used or the time of manufacture as well as expose possible forgeries when anachronistic ingredients are identified. Reference spectra are required to confidently identify a given pigment using ToF-SIMS. This paper focuses on eight pigments containing copper, zinc, arsenic, or phosphate, all manufactured following historical recipes. The negative polarity ToF-SIMS reference spectra using a Bi3+ primary ion species are presented here. Presented together, these spectra and corresponding tables of secondary ions provide a valuable help in differentiating these pigments because copper, zinc, arsenic, or phosphate, combined with oxygen, share many mass interferences.
Development of aspect ratio trapping growth of GeSn on Si for midwave infrared applications
Authors: Stanchu Hryhorii , Abernathy Grey , Grant Joshua , de Oliveira Fernando M. , Mazur Yuriy I. , Liu Jifeng , Du Wei , Li Baohua , Salamo Gregory J. , Yu Shui-Qing
Published: July 2024

The development of all-group IV GeSn materials on Si substrates is of interest for monolithic midwave infrared (MWIR) silicon photonics. Despite their great potential, the growth of high crystalline quality materials is still challenging. The conventional growth of GeSn films on Si displays high densities of dislocations and, hence, large dark currents. We have examined a state-of-the-art lithographically defined aspect ratio trapping (ART) growth approach for threading dislocations (TDs) filtering in GeSn and demonstrated the selective growth in the holes embedded in the SiO2/Si(001) template. While an exceptionally low density of TDs was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy imaging, we find that Sn incorporation is strongly suppressed in the ART-grown structures. Nonetheless, these results provide a solid basis for further efforts to enhance the Sn fraction of the GeSn ART growth.
Adversarial multi-task underwater acoustic target recognition: Toward robustness against various influential factors
Authors: Xie Yuan , Xu Ji , Ren Jiawei , Li Junfeng
Published: July 2024

Underwater acoustic target recognition based on passive sonar faces numerous challenges in practical maritime applications. One of the main challenges lies in the susceptibility of signal characteristics to diverse environmental conditions and data acquisition configurations, which can lead to instability in recognition systems. While significant efforts have been dedicated to addressing these influential factors in other domains of underwater acoustics, they are often neglected in the field of underwater acoustic target recognition. To overcome this limitation, this study designs auxiliary tasks that model influential factors (e.g., source range, water column depth, or wind speed) based on available annotations and adopts a multi-task framework to connect these factors to the recognition task. Furthermore, we integrate an adversarial learning mechanism into the multi-task framework to prompt the model to extract representations that are robust against influential factors. Through extensive experiments and analyses on the ShipsEar dataset, our proposed adversarial multi-task model demonstrates its capacity to effectively model the influential factors and achieve state-of-the-art performance on the 12-class recognition task.
Thermodynamic coupling of the tandem RRM domains of hnRNP A1 underlie its pleiotropic RNA binding functions
Authors: Levengood Jeffrey D. , Potoyan Davit , Penumutchu Srinivasa , Kumar Abhishek , Zhou Qianzi , Wang Yiqing , Hansen Alexandar L. , Kutluay Sebla , Roche Julien , Tolbert Blanton S.
Published: July 2024

The functional properties of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) require allosteric regulation through interdomain communication. Despite the importance of allostery to biological regulation, only a few studies have been conducted to describe the biophysical nature by which interdomain communication manifests in RBPs. Here, we show for hnRNP A1 that interdomain communication is vital for the unique stability of its amino-terminal domain, which consists of two RNA recognition motifs (RRMs). These RRMs exhibit drastically different stability under pressure. RRM2 unfolds as an individual domain but remains stable when appended to RRM1. Variants that disrupt interdomain communication between the tandem RRMs show a significant decrease in stability. Carrying these mutations over to the full-length protein for in vivo experiments revealed that the mutations affected the ability of the disordered carboxyl-terminal domain to engage in protein-protein interactions and influenced the protein’s RNA binding capacity. Collectively, this work reveals that thermodynamic coupling between the tandem RRMs of hnRNP A1 accounts for its allosteric regulatory functions.
Nonreciprocal magnetoacoustic waves with out-of-plane phononic angular momenta
Authors: Liao Liyang , Chen Fa , Puebla Jorge , Kishine Jun-ichiro , Kondou Kouta , Luo Wei , Zhao Degang , Zhang Yue , Ba You , Otani Yoshichika
Published: July 2024

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) can carry phononic angular momentum, showing great potential as an energy-efficient way to control magnetism. Still, out-of-plane phononic angular momentum in SAW and its interaction with magnetism remain elusive. Here, we studied the SAW-induced magnetoacoustic waves and spin pumping in Ni-based films on LiNbO3with selected SAW propagation direction. The crystal inversion asymmetry induces circularly polarized phonons with large out-of-plane angular momenta so that up to 60% of the SAW power attenuates nonreciprocally controlled by the out-of-plane magnetization component. The SAW propagation direction dependence of the nonreciprocity verifies the crystal origin of the phononic angular momentum, and a chiral spin pumping demonstrates that the circular polarization can control the spin current generation efficiency. These results provide an additional degree of freedom for the acoustic control of magnetism and open an avenue for applying circularly polarized phonons.
Physiologic medium renders human iPSC-derived macrophages permissive for
M. tuberculosis
by rewiring organelle function and metabolism
Authors: Bussi Claudio , Lai Rachel , Athanasiadi Natalia , Gutierrez Maximiliano G.
Published: July 2024

In vitro
studies are crucial for our understanding of the human macrophage immune functions. However, traditional
in vitro
culture media poorly reflect the metabolic composition of blood, potentially affecting the outcomes of these studies. Here, we analyzed the impact of a physiological medium on human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived macrophages (iPSDM) function. Macrophages cultured in a human plasma-like medium (HPLM) were more permissive to
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(Mtb) replication and showed decreased lipid metabolism with increased metabolic polarization. Functionally, we discovered that HPLM-differentiated macrophages showed different metabolic organelle content and activity. Specifically, HPLM-differentiated macrophages displayed reduced lipid droplet and peroxisome content, increased lysosomal proteolytic activity, and increased mitochondrial activity and dynamics. Inhibiting or inducing lipid droplet formation revealed that lipid droplet content is a key factor influencing macrophage permissiveness to Mtb. These findings underscore the importance of using physiologically relevant media
in vitro
for accurately studying human macrophage function.

IMPORTANCE

This work compellingly demonstrates that the choice of culture medium significantly influences
M. tuberculosis
replication outcomes, thus emphasizing the importance of employing physiologically relevant media for accurate in vitro host-pathogen interaction studies. We anticipate that our work will set a precedent for future research with clinical relevance, particularly in evaluating antibiotic efficacy and resistance
in cellulo
.
Revised geologic map and structural interpretation of the Mineral King pendant, southern Sierra Nevada, California (USA): Evidence for kilometer-scale folding and structural imbrication of a Permian to mid-Cretaceous volcanosedimentary assemblage
Authors: Greene David C. , Lackey Jade Star , Klemetti Erik W.
Published: July 2024

The Mineral King pendant is an ~15-km-long, northwest-striking assemblage of Permian to mid-Cretaceous metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks that form a steeply dipping wall-rock screen between large mid-Cretaceous plutons of the Sierra Nevada batholith (California, USA). Pendant rocks are generally well layered and characterized by northwest-striking, steeply dipping, layer-parallel cleavage and flattening foliation and steeply northwest-plunging stretching lineation. Northwest-elongate lithologic units with well-developed parallel layering and an absence of prominent faults or shear zones suggests a degree of stratigraphic continuity. However, U-Pb zircon dating of felsic metavolcanic and volcanosedimentary rocks across the pendant indicates a complex pattern of structurally interleaved units with ages ranging from 277 Ma to 101 Ma.

We utilize a compilation of 39 existing and new U-Pb zircon ages and four reported fossil localities to construct a revised geologic map of the Mineral King pendant that emphasizes age relationships rather than lithologic or stratigraphic correlations as in previous studies. We find that apparently coherent lithologic units are lensoidal and discontinuous and are cryptically interleaved at meter to kilometer scales. Along-strike facies changes and depositional unconformities combine with kilometer-scale tight folding and structural imbrication to create a complex map pattern with numerous discordant units.

Discrete faults or major shear zones are not readily apparent in the pendant, although such structures are necessary to produce the structural complications revealed by our new mapping and U-Pb dating. We interpret the Mineral King pendant to be structurally imbricated by a combination of kilometer-scale tight to isoclinal folding and cryptic faulting, accentuated by, and eventually obscured by, pervasive flattening and vertical stretching that preceded and accompanied emplacement of the bounding mid-Cretaceous plutons. Deformation in the Mineral King pendant represents a significant episode of pure-shear-dominated transpression between ca. 115 Ma and 98 Ma that adds to growing evidence for a major mid-Cretaceous transpressional orogenic event affecting the western U.S. Cordillera.
Isolated Diophantine Numbers
Authors: Argentieri Fernando , Chierchia Luigi
Published: July 2024

In this note, we discuss the topology of Diophantine numbers, giving simple explicit
examples of Diophantine isolated numbers (among those with the same Diophantine constants),
showing that Diophantine sets are not always Cantor sets.

General properties of isolated Diophantine numbers are also briefly discussed.
Cancer screening attendance rates in transgender and gender-diverse patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chan Alvina , Jamieson Charlotte , Draper Hannah , O'Callaghan Stewart , Guinn Barbara-ann
Published: July 2024

Objectives

To examine disparities in attendance rates at cancer screening services between transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people in comparison with their cisgender (CG) counterparts, and to determine whether these differences were based on the anatomical organ screened.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources

PubMed, EMBASE (via Ovid), CINAHL Complete (via EBSCO) and Cochrane Library from inception to 30 September 2023.

Methods

Studies for inclusion were case-control or cross-sectional studies with quantitative data that investigated TGD adults attending any cancer screening service. Exclusion criteria were studies with participants who were ineligible for cancer screening or without samples from TGD individuals, qualitative data and a cancer diagnosis from symptomatic presentation or incidental findings. A modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess risk of bias, during which seven reports were found incompatible with the inclusion criteria and excluded. Results were synthesised through random-effects meta-analysis and narrative synthesis.

Results

We identified 25 eligible records, of which 18 were included in the analysis. These were cross-sectional studies, including retrospective chart reviews and survey analyses, and encompassed over 14.8 million participants. The main outcomes measured were up-to-date (UTD) and lifetime (LT) attendance. Meta-analysis found differences for UTD cervical (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.60, p<0.0001) and mammography (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.87, p=0.02) but not for prostate or colorectal screening. There were no meaningful differences seen in LT attendance based on quantitative synthesis. Narrative synthesis of the seven remaining articles mostly supported the meta-analysis. Reduced rates of screening engagement in TGD participants were found for UTD cervical and mammography screening, alongside LT mammography screening.

Conclusions

Compared with their CG counterparts, TGD individuals had lower rates of using cervical and mammography screening at the recommended frequencies but displayed similar prevalences of LT attendance. The greatest disparity was seen in UTD cervical screening. Limitations of this review included high risk of bias within studies, high heterogeneity and a lack of resources for further statistical testing. Bridging gaps in healthcare to improve cancer screening experiences and outcomes will require consolidated efforts including working with the TGD community.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022368911.