bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Caesarean delivery and its association with educational attainment, wealth index, and place of residence in Sub-Saharan Africa: a meta-analysis
Authors: Islam Md.Akhtarul , Sathi Nusrat Jahan , Hossain Md. Tanvir , Jabbar Abdul , Renzaho Andre M. N. , Islam Sheikh Mohammed Shariful
Published: April 2022

Caesarean delivery (C-section) has been increasing worldwide; however, many women from developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are deprived of these lifesaving services. This study aimed to explore the impact of certain socioeconomic factors, including respondent’s education, husband’s education, place of residence, and wealth index, on C-section delivery for women in Sub-Saharan Africa. We used pooled data from 36 demographic and health surveys (DHS) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Married women aged 15–49 years who have at least one child in the last five years were considered in this survey. After inclusion and excluding criteria, 234,660 participants were eligible for final analysis. Binary logistic regression was executed to determine the effects of selected socioeconomic factors. The countries were assembled into four sub-regions (Southern Africa, West Africa, East Africa, and Central Africa), and a meta-analysis was conducted. We performed random-effects model estimation for meta-analysis to assess the overall effects and consistency between covariates and utilization of C-section delivery as substantial heterogeneity was identified (I2 > 50%). Furthermore, the meta-regression was carried out to explain the additional amount of heterogeneity by country levels. We performed a sensitivity analysis to examine the effects of outliers in this study. Findings suggest that less than 15% of women in many Sub-Saharan African countries had C-section delivery. Maternal education (OR 4.12; CI 3.75, 4.51), wealth index (OR 2.05; CI 1.94, 2.17), paternal education (OR 1.71; CI 1.57, 1.86), and place of residence (OR 1.51; CI 1.44, 1.58) were significantly associated with the utilization of C-section delivery. These results were also consistent in sub-regional meta-analyses. The meta-regression suggests that the total percentage of births attended by skilled health staff (TPBASHS) has a significant inverse association with C-section utilization regarding educational attainment (respondent & husband), place of residence, and wealth index. The data structure was restricted to define the distinction between elective and emergency c-sections. It is essential to provide an appropriate lifesaving mechanism, such as C-section delivery opportunities, through proper facilities for rural, uneducated, impoverished Sub-Saharan African women to minimize both maternal and infant mortality.
Control theory illustrates the energy efficiency in the dynamic reconfiguration of functional connectivity
Authors: Deng Shikuang , Li Jingwei , Thomas Yeo B. T. , Gu Shi
Published: April 2022

The brain’s functional connectivity fluctuates over time instead of remaining steady in a stationary mode even during the resting state. This fluctuation establishes the dynamical functional connectivity that transitions in a non-random order between multiple modes. Yet it remains unexplored how the transition facilitates the entire brain network as a dynamical system and what utility this mechanism for dynamic reconfiguration can bring over the widely used graph theoretical measurements. To address these questions, we propose to conduct an energetic analysis of functional brain networks using resting-state fMRI and behavioral measurements from the Human Connectome Project. Through comparing the state transition energy under distinct adjacent matrices, we justify that dynamic functional connectivity leads to 60% less energy cost to support the resting state dynamics than static connectivity when driving the transition through default mode network. Moreover, we demonstrate that combining graph theoretical measurements and our energy-based control measurements as the feature vector can provide complementary prediction power for the behavioral scores (Combination vs. Control: t = 9.41, p = 1.64e−13; Combination vs. Graph: t = 4.92, p = 3.81e−6). Our approach integrates statistical inference and dynamical system inspection towards understanding brain networks.
Growing prevalence of heat over cold extremes with overall milder extremes and multiple successive events
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Li Qiangzi , Ge Yong , Du Xin , Wang Hongyan
Published: April 2022

Temperature extremes with altered characteristics are one of the most threatening impacts of global warming. How their characteristics have changed is uncertain, and varies by region. Here we analyse ERA5 reanalysis data for the period 1980 to 2018 to illuminate the spatio-temporal characteristics of single and multiple successive temperature extreme events at the global scale. We show that in the global average, the magnitude of heat extremes significantly increased while that of cold extremes decreased at a faster rate. As a result, the prevailing climate shifted from a prevalence of cold extremes to one of heat extremes, and the overall magnitude of extremes decreased. Globally, the magnitude of multiple successive temperature extreme events constituted about a quarter of all identified events. These trends were not globally uniform. The most noteworthy trends were observed in the Tropical and Polar zones; the Middle East and North Africa, including the Mediterranean region, were identified as hotspots of climate shifts.
Microbial iron cycling during palsa hillslope collapse promotes greenhouse gas emissions before complete permafrost thaw
Authors: Patzner Monique S. , Logan Merritt , McKenna Amy M. , Young Robert B. , Zhou Zhe , Joss Hanna , Mueller Carsten W. , Hoeschen Carmen , Scholten Thomas , Straub Daniel , Kleindienst Sara , Borch Thomas , Kappler Andreas , Bryce Casey
Published: April 2022

Reductive dissolution during permafrost thaw releases iron-bound organic carbon to porewaters, rendering previously stable carbon vulnerable to microbial decomposition and subsequent release to the atmosphere. How mineral iron stability and the microbial processes influencing mineral dissolution vary during transitional permafrost thaw are poorly understood, yet have important implications for carbon cycling and emissions. Here we determine the reactive mineral iron and associated organic carbon content of core extracts and porewaters along thaw gradients in a permafrost peatland in Abisko, Sweden. We find that iron mineral dissolution by fermentative and dissimilatory iron(III) reduction releases aqueous Fe2+and aliphatic organic compounds along collapsing palsa hillslopes. Microbial community analysis and carbon emission measurements indicate that this release is accompanied by an increase in hydrogenotrophic methanogen abundance and methane emissions at the collapsing front. Our findings suggest that dissolution of reactive iron minerals contributes to carbon dioxide and methane production and emission, even before complete permafrost thaw.
Rapid prediction of protein natural frequencies using graph neural networks
Authors: Guo Kai , Buehler Markus J.
Published: April 2022

We present a computational framework based on graph neural networks (GNNs) to predict the natural frequencies of proteins from primary amino acid sequences and contact/distance maps.
Including snowmelt in influent generation for cold climate WRRFs: comparison of data-driven and phenomenological approaches
Authors: Li Feiyi , Vanrolleghem Peter A.
Published: April 2022

A data-driven model was proposed for generating the influent flow and water temperature dynamics including the impact of snowmelt under cold climate conditions. The performance was compared with a phenomenological model.
Occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water: a review
Authors: Wang Yifei , Kim Juhee , Huang Ching-Hua , Hawkins Gary L. , Li Ke , Chen Yongsheng , Huang Qingguo
Published: April 2022

The environmental occurrence of PFAS in different water systems and their likely sources and fate is discussed.
Folic acid intervention changes liver Foxp3 methylation and ameliorates the damage caused by Th17/Treg imbalance after long-term alcohol exposure
Authors: Zhao Huichao , Guo Peiyu , Zuo Yuwei , Wang Yanhui , Zhao Hui , Lan Tongtong , Xue Meilan , Zhang Huaqi , Liang Hui
Published: April 2022

Folic acid prevented ethanol-induced skewed hepatic Th17/Treg balance and inflammation by inhibiting DNMT3a expression and reducing the methylation rate of Foxp3 DNA, which in turn upregulated the Treg frequency. Figure created with BioRender.com.
Synthesis and structure–activity relationships of pirfenidone derivatives as anti-fibrosis agents in vitro
Authors: Shi Xiufang , Yu Zhenqiang , Zhu Chaoran , Jiang Linlin , Geng Nanqi , Fan Xingting , Guan Zhanghui , Lu Xiang
Published: April 2022

Total 18 PFD derivatives with the amide group replacing 5-methyl were synthesized and evaluated. YZQ17 possessed considerable antifibrosis activity in vitro via TGF-β/Smad2/3 pathway and was regarded as a lead compound for further optimization.
Slow excitonic carrier cooling in Sr-doped PbS nanocrystals for hot carrier devices: an integrated experimental and first-principles approach
Authors: Mariappan Sivalingam Muthu , Hong Sung Jun , Han Byungchan , Shkir Mohd , Vinoth Elangovan , Mary Stella , Archana K. Janani , Karthikeyan Balasubramanian , Algarni Hamed , AlFaify Salem
Published: April 2022

Minimizing the carrier–phonon interactions in polar semiconductors is of great importance for designing hot carrier optoelectronic devices, as it is directly related to the excitonic energy dissipation.
Towards identification of protein–protein interaction stabilizers via inhibitory peptide-fragment hybrids using templated fragment ligation
Authors: Srdanović Sonja , Hegedüs Zsofia , Warriner Stuart L. , Wilson Andrew J.
Published: April 2022

Ligand-directed dynamic-ligation is used to identify fragments that can augment the inhibitory potency of a peptide ligand and simultaneously serve as starting points for future development of PPI stabilizers.
Correction: Tunable deep-blue luminescence from ball-milled chlorine-rich Csx(NH4)1−xPbCl2Br nanocrystals by ammonium modulation
Authors: Xiao Hongfei , Xiong Hao , Li Ping , Jiang Linqin , Yang Aijun , Lin Lingyan , Kang Zhenjing , Yan Qiong , Qiu Yu
Published: April 2022

Correction for ‘Tunable deep-blue luminescence from ball-milled chlorine-rich Csx(NH4)1−xPbCl2Br nanocrystals by ammonium modulation’ by Hongfei Xiao et al., Chem. Commun., 2022, 58, 3827–3830, DOI: 10.1039/D1CC07125D.
Direct Z-scheme WTe2/InSe van der Waals heterostructure for overall water splitting
Authors: Xiong Rui , Shu Yu , Yang Xuhui , Zhang Yinggan , Wen Cuilian , Anpo Masakazu , Wu Bo , Sa Baisheng
Published: April 2022

WTe2/InSe is a direct Z-scheme vdW heterostructure for water splitting. The Te-vacancy can effectively lower the energy of the HER, and the overall water splitting can proceed spontaneously on the surface of the WTe2/InSe heterostructure when pH > 7.
A dual-function Cd-MOF with high proton conduction and excellent fluorescence detection of pyridine
Authors: Wu Guo-Mei , Zhang Ming-Yue , Wang Feng-Dong , Zhang Chen-Xi , Wang Qing-Lun
Published: April 2022

A dual-functional Cd-MOF with high proton conductivity (2.97 × 10−3S cm−1) and selective recognition of pyridine (LOD = 1.0 × 10−6M) was obtained. Its composite membrane Cd-MOF@CS-5 has an ultra-high proton conductivity of 3.55 × 10−1S cm−1.
1,2-Dialkynyldiboranes(4): B–B versus CC bond reactivity
Authors: Schorr Fabian , Arrowsmith Merle , Fantuzzi Felipe , Rempel Anna , Braunschweig Holger
Published: April 2022

The B–B and CC bonds of 1,2-dialkynyl-1,2-diaminodiboranes(4) can be functionalised either on their own or successively using organic azides, hydroboranes, hydrogen and heavier halogens.
Nanomaterial-induced modulation of hormonal pathways enhances plant cell growth
Authors: Wang Zhenyu , Tang Junfeng , Zhu Liqi , Feng Yan , Yue Le , Wang Chuanxi , Xiao Zhenggao , Chen Feiran
Published: April 2022

Plant cell growth promoted by nMnFe2O4 and N-CDs is associated with nano-specific hormonal signaling pathways.
Ion transport in composite polymer electrolytes
Authors: Fu Jialong , Li Zhuo , Zhou Xiaoyan , Guo Xin
Published: April 2022

Composite polymer electrolytes have excellent comprehensive properties among all electrolytes; the detailed ion-transport mechanisms in composite polymer electrolytes are reviewed.
Effect of electronic doping and traps on carrier dynamics in tin halide perovskites
Authors: Treglia Antonella , Ambrosio Francesco , Martani Samuele , Folpini Giulia , Barker Alex J. , Albaqami Munirah D. , De Angelis Filippo , Poli Isabella , Petrozza Annamaria
Published: April 2022

Interplay of radiative and non-radiative recombination processes in tin halide perovskites as a result of doping, oxidation and defects.
Synthesis of novel S- and O-disaccharide analogs of heparan sulfate for heparanase inhibition
Authors: Koffi Teki D. S.-E. , Coulibaly B. , Bil A. , Vallin A. , Lesur D. , Fanté B. , Chagnault V. , Kovensky J.
Published: April 2022

Design and synthesis of the first sulfated thiodisaccharide, analog of a heparane sulfate sequence, which is able to inhibit heparanase with an IC50 in the micromolar range.
Electrochemical thiocyanation of barbituric acids
Authors: Bityukov Oleg V. , Kirillov Andrey S. , Serdyuchenko Pavel Yu. , Kuznetsova Maria A. , Demidova Valentina N. , Vil’ Vera A. , Terent'ev Alexander O.
Published: April 2022

The electrochemical thiocyanation of barbituric acids with NH4SCN in an undivided cell at a record high current density was disclosed.
Electrospray ionization of native membrane proteins proceeds via a charge equilibration step
Authors: Yen Hsin-Yung , Abramsson Mia L. , Agasid Mark T. , Lama Dilraj , Gault Joseph , Liko Idlir , Kaldmäe Margit , Saluri Mihkel , Qureshi Abdul Aziz , Suades Albert , Drew David , Degiacomi Matteo T. , Marklund Erik G. , Allison Timothy M. , Robinson Carol V. , Landreh Michael
Published: April 2022

The electrospray ionization mechanism contributes to preserving the structures and interactions of membrane protein complexes in native mass spectrometry.
Correction: X-ray wavefunction refinement and comprehensive structural studies on bromo-substituted analogues of 2-deoxy-d-glucose in solid state and solution
Authors: Ziemniak Marcin , Pawlędzio Sylwia , Zawadzka-Kazimierczuk Anna , Dominiak Paulina M. , Trzybiński Damian , Koźmiński Wiktor , Zieliński Rafał , Fokt Izabela , Priebe Waldemar , Woźniak Krzysztof , Pająk Beata
Published: April 2022

Correction for ‘X-ray wavefunction refinement and comprehensive structural studies on bromo-substituted analogues of 2-deoxy-d-glucose in solid state and solution’ by Marcin Ziemniak et al., RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 8345–8360. DOI: 10.1039/D1RA08312K
Fabrication of high-efficiency PET polymer-based flexible dye-sensitized solar cells and tapes via heat sink-supported thermal sintering of bilayer TiO2 photoanodes
Authors: Murali B. , Gireesh Baiju K. , Krishna Prasad R. , Jayanarayanan K. , Kumaresan Duraisamy
Published: April 2022

This work introduces a new type of high temperature material processing technique for the preparation of a bilayer TiO2-coated ITO PET polymer photoanode of flexible dye-sensitized solar cells producing a maximum power conversion efficiency of 6.33%.
Amphiphilic shell nanomagnetic adsorbents for selective and highly efficient capture of low-density lipoprotein from hyperlipidaemia serum
Authors: Yu Yameng , Ma Boya , Jiang Xinbang , Guo Chen , Liu Zhuang , Li Nan , Chai Yamin , Wang Lichun , Du Yunzheng , Wang Biao , Li Wenzhong , Ou Lailiang
Published: April 2022

Based on the LDL structural characteristics and intermolecular interactions, a tailored nano-adsorbent (Fe3O4@SiO2@PAA-PE) was prepared aimed at the removal of LDL from hyperlipemia serum with high selectivity.
Improving the water-resistance of MgO-based metal–insulator–metal capacitors by inserting a BeO thin film grown via atomic layer deposition
Authors: Wang Bo Wen , Kim Seungsoo , Song Haewon , Seo Haengha , Li Xiangyuan , Choi Jin Myung , Choi Jinwoo , Shin Jonghoon , Hwang Cheol Seong
Published: April 2022

To improve the water-resistance of MgO-based metal–insulator–metal capacitors, BeO/MgO/BeO/MgO/BeO stacked layers were deposited by atomic layer deposition using bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium and diethyl beryllium and O3 as an oxygen source.
High performance of a broadband room-temperature Si detector beyond the cut-off wavelength
Authors: Qiu Qinxi , Li Jingbo , Wu Tuntan , Jiang Lin , Li Yongzhen , Ma Wanli , Yao Niangjuan , Huang Zhiming
Published: April 2022

The 3D MSM structured Si detector achieves a high-performance broadband response of 1550 nm and 0.22–0.33 THz at room temperature based on the bolometric effect and EIW mechanisms beyond the cut-off wavelength of Si.
Construction of the rat brain spatial cell firing model on a quadruped robot
Authors: Yu Naigong , Liao Yishen , Yu Hejie , Sie Ouattara
Published: April 2022

Physiological studies have shown that rats in a dark environment rely on the limbs and vestibule for their self‐motion information, which can maintain the specific firing patterns of grid cells and hippocampal CA3 place cells. In the development stage of rats, grid cells are considered to come from place cells, and place cells can be encoded by hippocampal theta cells. Based on these, the quadruped robot is used as a platform in this paper. Firstly, the sensing information of the robot's limbs and inertial measurement unit is obtained to solve its position in the environment. Then the position information is encoded by theta cells and mapped to place cells through a neural network. After obtaining the place cells with single‐peak firing fields, Hebb learning is used to adjust the connection weight of the neural network between place cells and grid cells. In order to verify the model, 3‐D simulation experiments are designed in this paper. The experiment results show that with the robot exploring in space, the spatial cells firing effects obtained by the model are consistent with the physiological research facts, which lay the foundation for the bionic environmental cognition model.
Structure learning‐based unsupervised root cause diagnosis for radio access networks
Authors: Li Qi , Zhang Yong , Hua Xiaolei , Zhu Lin , Lei Zhe
Published: April 2022

The next generation radio access networks (RAN) put forward higher requirements for the reliability of base stations. Telecom operators are facing a series of challenges such as network complexity and diversified user needs, which puts forward higher requirements for the performance of RAN. In order to provide users with high‐quality experience, causes of performance problems must be quickly identified. Previous work on unsupervised RAN performance diagnosis mainly used correlation information of the data. This work introduces causality into performance diagnosis of RAN. A score‐based directed acyclic graph (DAG) structure learning network is used to extract causal relations between key performance indicators (KPIs). In this study, an unsupervised root cause analysis (RCA) scheme, DAG‐RCA, is proposed to achieve rapid diagnosis of abnormal performance on the edge nodes of the RAN. DAG‐RCA decomposes the work into four phases: abnormal ranking, DAG generation, propagation graph construction and random walk diagnosis. Using the KPI data collected from China Mobile's RAN, DAG‐RCA achieves top‐1 precision on the RCA task.
The 2175 Å bump features in FeLoBAL quasars: One indicator of MW-like dust in the nuclear region of quasars
Authors: Zhang Shaohua , Ge Jian , Ji Tuo , Jiang Peng , Luo Zhijian , Pan Xiang , Shi Xiheng , Shu Chenggang , Wang Jianguo , Xiao Hubing , Zhou Hongyan
Published: April 2022

To investigate the properties of dust in the nuclear region of quasars, we explored the extinction curves of the iron low-ionisation broad absorption line (FeLoBAL) quasar SDSS J163004.29+311957.6 and its two analogues. The parametrised extinction curves indicated the Milky Way-like 2175 Å bump features in underlying extinction, which are similar to those seen in the Local Group and in a subset of high-redshift star-forming galaxies. Compared to the bump features in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), the detections in this work are much closer to those in the Milky Way (MW). These bump features, as well as those in the high- and low-ionisation broad absorption line (BAL) quasars with 2175 Å bumps, are probably the counterpart of the 2175 Å bump features in the quasar environment. This type of dust grain is generally small, easily disrupted by high-energy photons, and has difficulty surviving in the radiation field of the active galactic nucleus. However, due to the presence of absorption-line outflows, the 2175 Å bump feature in quasars, which should be rare, is seen many times in BAL quasars. The shielding effect of outflow clouds allows the MW-like dust grains to be assembled or extends the survival period in the quasar nuclear region. The process and physical and chemical conditions deserve further observational study and investigation.
Key informants’ perspectives about sexual victimisation of learners with intellectual disability in South Africa
Authors: Phasha Tlakale Nareadi
Published: April 2022

Sexual victimisation of children with intellectual disability is a serious problem that requires urgent attention if South Africa is to attain Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5 by 2030. This paper provides the perspectives of key informants on the sexual victimisation of children with intellectual disabilities in South Africa. Data were obtained from 32 key informants by means of focus group discussions and individual interviews conducted by the researcher at six schools catering specifically for learners with intellectual disability in Gauteng Province. Findings indicate that sexual victimisation of children with intellectual disabilities is pervasive. It occurs in the home, at school and within community spaces. Most incidents occur at home where they tend to be more frequent and of a longer duration than when occurring in other spaces. Gang-rape, sodomy, and abduction for the purposes of sexual exploitation are commonly reported at schools, whereas, in the wider community spaces, there are reports of boys with intellectual disabilities forming relationships with female adults or finding themselves at the centre of sex rings. Downplaying the sexual victimisation of children with intellectual disabilities is to deny their rights to safety and proper development. A robust, coherent and consistent response to the problem is therefore required, especially for the home.
K-means find density peaks in molecular conformation clustering
Authors: Wang Guiyan , Fu Ting , Ren Hong , Xu Peijun , Guo Qiuhan , Mou Xiaohong , Li Yan , Li Guohui
Published: April 2022

Performing cluster analysis on molecular conformation is an important way to find the representative conformation in the molecular dynamics trajectories. Usually, it is a critical step for interpreting complex conformational changes or interaction mechanisms. As one of the density-based clustering algorithms, find density peaks (FDP) is an accurate and reasonable candidate for the molecular conformation clustering. However, facing the rapidly increasing simulation length due to the increase in computing power, the low computing efficiency of FDP limits its application potential. Here we propose a marginal extension to FDP named K-means find density peaks (KFDP) to solve the mass source consuming problem. In KFDP, the points are initially clustered by a high efficiency clustering algorithm, such as K-means. Cluster centers are defined as typical points with a weight which represents the cluster size. Then, the weighted typical points are clustered again by FDP, and then are refined as core, boundary, and redefined halo points. In this way, KFDP has comparable accuracy as FDP but its computational complexity is reduced from O(n2) to O(n). We apply and test our KFDP method to the trajectory data of multiple small proteins in terms of torsion angle, secondary structure or contact map. The comparing results with K-means and density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise show the validation of the proposed KFDP.
Change point detection and trend analysis for time series
Authors: Zhang Hong , Jeffrey Stephen , Carter John
Published: April 2022

Trend analysis and change point detection in a time series are frequent analysis tools. Change point detection is the identification of abrupt variation in the process behaviour due to natural or artificial changes, whereas trend can be defined as estimation of gradual departure from past norms. We analyze the time series data in the presence of trend, using Cox-Stuart methods together with the change point algorithms. We applied the methods to the near-surface wind speed time series for Australia as an example. The trends in near-surface wind speeds for Australia have been investigated based upon our newly developed wind speed datasets, which were constructed by blending observational data collected at various heights using local surface roughness information. The trend in wind speed at 10 m is generally increasing while at 2 m it tends to be decreasing. Significance testing, change point analysis and manual inspection of records indicate several factors may be contributing to the discrepancy, such as systematic biases accompanying instrument changes, random data errors (e.g. accumulation day error) and data sampling issues. Homogenization technique and multiple-period trend analysis based upon change point detections have thus been employed to clarify the source of the inconsistencies in wind speed trends.
Photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations of binary Vn C3/− (n = 1 − 6) clusters
Authors: Yuan Jinyun , Wang Peng , Xu Xiling , Zhang Yonghui , He Linghao , Xu Hong-Guang , Hou Gao-Lei , Zheng Wei-Jun
Published: April 2022

Transition metal carbides have been shown to exhibit good catalytic performance that depends on their compositions and morphologies, and understanding such catalytic properties requires knowledge of their precise geometry, determination of which is challenging, particularly for clusters formed by multiple elements. In this study, we investigate the geometries and electronic structures of binary VnC3− (n=1−6) clusters and their neutrals using photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical calculations based on density functional theory. The adiabatic detachment energies of VnC3−, or equally, the electron affinities of VnC3, have been determined from the measured photoelectron spectra. Theoretical calculations reveal that the carbon atoms become separate when the number of V atoms increases in the clusters, i.e., the C−C interactions present in small clusters are replaced by V−C and/or V−V interactions in larger ones. We further explore the composition dependent formation of cubic or cube-like structures in 8-atom VnCm(n+m=8) clusters.
The yellow brick road to nuclear membrane mechanotransduction
Authors: Shen Zhouyang , Lengyel Miklós , Niethammer Philipp
Published: April 2022

The nuclear membrane may function as a mechanosensory surface alongside the plasma membrane. In this Review, we discuss how this idea emerged, where it currently stands, and point out possible implications, without any claim of comprehensiveness.
The angular speed distribution of randomly moving-particle group
Authors: Yang Ting , Guo Tao
Published: April 2022

Rotation is a common phenomenon in nature, although the detailed statistical principle behind it is seldom discussed. This article aims to inspire people to think about such problems. In this article, probability theory and the corresponding modules of Mathematica software are used to study the distribution of angular speeds generated by a population of equal-speed particles moving randomly in space. The probability density expression of this distribution is derived successfully, and its accuracy is then verified using simulation data. Finally, it is confirmed that the angular speed follows a Maxwell distribution with a specified scale parameter. This research may be helpful for understanding why most celestial bodies or microparticles in the universe are in rotation.
Attosecond light field synthesis
Authors: Alqattan Husain , Hui Dandan , Pervak Vladimir , Hassan Mohammed Th.
Published: April 2022

The advancement of the ultrafast pulse shaping and waveform synthesis allowed to coherently control the atomic and electronic motions in matter. The temporal resolution of the waveform synthesis is inversely proportional to the broadening of its spectrum. Here, we demonstrate the light field synthesis of high-power waveforms spanning two optical octaves, from near-infrared to deep-ultraviolet with attosecond resolution. Moreover, we utilized the all-optical field sampling metrology for on-demand tailoring of light field waveforms to control the electron motion in matter. The demonstrated synthesis of the light field and the electron motion control pave the way for switching the photo-induced current signal in dielectric nanocircuit and establishing ultrafast photonics operating beyond the petahertz speed.
Comparative Raman spectroscopy of magnetic topological material EuCd2X2 (X = P, As)
Authors: Du Yuhan , Chen Ju , Wu Wenbin , Shi Zeping , Meng Xianghao , Zhang Cheng , Gong Shijing , Chu Junhao , Yuan Xiang
Published: April 2022

EuCd2X2 (X = P, As) is a new class of magnetic topological materials discovered recently. The electronic structure and the band topology are intimately coupled with its magnetism, giving rise to interesting properties such as spin fluctuation and colossal magnetoresistance. Phonon excitation can contribute to the quasi-particle response of the topological matters through spin-lattice and electron–phonon coupling. However, the phonon properties of this material family remain unexplored. Here we report a comparative study of Raman-active vibration modes in EuCd2X2 (X = P, As) by means of angle-resolved, temperature-resolved, and magnetic-field-resolved Raman spectroscopy together with the first-principle calculations and Raman tensor analysis. The phonon properties can be tuned by chemical potential and temperature within the material family. All the phonon modes are softened with increased chemical pressure by replacing P with As. Angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy reveals the configuration-sensitive Raman activity and the isotropic intensity response. In addition, the magneto-Raman spectrum indicates the stability of Raman-active vibration modes against the magnetic field at room temperature. Our work sheds light on the phonon dynamics of magnetic topological matters, which are potentially coupled with the topological charge and spin excitation.
What if the positron never existed ? What if the antielectron is a negative mass electron ?
Authors: Dubois Daniel M , Nibart Gilles L
Published: April 2022

Although the question of negative energy solutions of the Dirac equation did not receive any relevant answer, it has been incorrectly said that the Dirac Sea Hole theory predicted the existence of the positron. Now several authors have considered the possible existence of negative mass particles. us We show that the concept and the definition of the antielectron should be re-examined, and should be understand in a way which is fully compatible with Dirac negative energy states of electrons, i.e. with negative masses. The symmetry between positive and negative energy states in the Dirac equation leads to add the mass inversion M as a new symmetry to the CPT group, giving the MCPT group. We discuss the completeness of the Wigner theorem and the definitions of time reversal. Furthermore negative masses have been recently applied to Cosmology.
Relativistic superluminal quantum-vortex electron model internally crosses lightspeed
Authors: Gauthier Richard
Published: April 2022

This article continues the development of the relativistic quantum-vortex electron and positron models composed of a helically-circulating electrically-charged superluminal energy quantum (SEQ). Parametric equations similar to that of a coiled slinky toy are proposed and analyzed for the relativistic electron and positron models, which can each have either spin-up or spin-down. The point-like electric charge of the SEQ moves along a positively or negatively-turning helical trajectory, depending on the sign of the electric charge, to form the electron/positron model. At low electron-model speeds, the SEQ moves along the surface of a mathematical horn torus that moves forward at the electron/positron model’s speed. At highly relativistic electron-positron speeds this horn-torus surface, along which the SEQ moves, transforms into a spherical surface whose radius decreases with increasing electron/positron speed. There is a range of speeds of the superluminal energy quantum for the relativistic electron/positron model. The maximum and minimum speeds range from superluminal to subluminal, passing easily through the speed of light. These speed ranges depend on the electron/positron speed and the combination of electric charge and spin direction of the electron/positron model.
Observers in a SMPP+GR model of reality: Are concepts fundamental or just artefacts of the modelling?
Authors: James Arthur N
Published: April 2022

A description is given of how the motion of particles within Nature’s Space-Time (NST) can be understood by observers using General Relativity (GR) and the Standard Model of Particle Physics (SMPP). In this SMPP+GR scheme there will be a transformation matrix from NST to the flat space-time which an observer chooses to use, this transformation matrix will contain all the incomprehensibly intricate detail about NST. The observer can only comprehend a few useful simplifying concepts which will approximately describe the properties of the matrix. The approximations involved and those allied to simplifying the randomness due to multiple particles being involved in any observation make all these simplifying concepts artefacts of the modelling. Many of these artefacts are constructed in a way similar to the thermodynamic concepts temperature and pressure based on choosing most probable values from the random distributions to smooth out fluctuations but others are introduced as terms in a perturbation expansion around some approximate mathematical representation, examples here are the Coriolis, centrifugal and gravity forces. None of these artefacts are fundamental, at the fundamental level particles of the SMPP move freely between events in NST whatever charges they carry so no force fields exist in NST. Observers should avoid the practice common within mathematical physics of making conjectures to represent these artefacts which are then used to extend the discussion to invent new “fundamental” concepts. The description given supports the idea that the SMPP+GR model is not only necessary to describe observed natural phenomena but is also sufficient. Concepts outside the model such as Dark Energy and Inflation are artefacts which are not required.
Does quantum entanglement turn Rowlands’ ‘principle of duality’ into a ‘law’?
Authors: Karam Sabah E
Published: April 2022

Physical laws are permanently observed. They are universal but not proven. Newton’s universal law of gravitation and three laws of motion, derived from the observations and theories of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and others, were used to take astronauts to the moon and return them safely to earth. Theories about the origin of gravity and whether gravitational forces are fundamental, quantum, entropic, induced, emergent, curved spacetime or fields like electromagnetism are still being probed. General relativity is a geometric theory, not a law, about gravity. In a book called Zero to Infinity: The Foundations of Physics Peter Rowlands asserts that physics is “founded entirely on the principle of duality.” Wave-particle duality is one of the most fundamental representations of quantum objects. Photons, electrons, neutrinos and even molecules have been shown to be in superposition and entangled. This paper will examine the role that quantum entanglement plays in the fermion/boson relationship of Rowlands’ nilpotent Dirac equation. Many other entangled physical dualities, identified as being foundational to physics, strongly suggest that his ‘principle of duality’ should be promoted into a physical law.
Adaptation of some holistic conceptions of quantum mechanics to biophysical processes
Authors: Kazansky Alexander B
Published: April 2022

The paper attempts to critically consider the transfer of some inspiring concepts taken from holistic interpretations of quantum mechanics to the field of biophysics. This mainly concerns the concepts of “holonomy”, “implicate order” and “explicate order”, as well as “becoming” by physicist David Bohm. The deep historicity of all biological events, their processual, or more specific, evolutionary, and constructive character compels to reformulate concepts in the framework of biophysics.
A universal rewrite system adapted for formal language theory, classical and quantum computing
Authors: Rowlands Sydney , Rowlands Peter
Published: April 2022

The meta-pattern of the universe, first formulated by Rowlands and Diaz [2002], is a universal rewrite system (URS). This universal pattern finds a formulation in formal language theory centred around the fundamental semantic unit of the zero word or the zero string: 0 = XoX#
0. This is realized successively in the computational procedures of Turing machines, Post machines and Finite machines with two pushdown stores.
A bottom-up ‘Game of Lie’ cellular automaton evolution in SO(3) root space both nucleating, crystallizing and space-filling the complete atomic realm
Authors: Trell Erik
Published: April 2022

Re-examining Marius Sophus Lie’s Ph.D. thesis Over en Classe geometriske Transformationer from 1871 I found that its bearings on the “nature of Cartesian geometry” are that it “translates any geometric theorem into an algebraic one and thus…of the geometry of space a representation of the algebra of three variable quantities” with both the algebraic and “geometrical transformation…consisting of a transition from a point to a straight line as element…through a particularly remarkable transformation” in which “the Plücker line geometry can be transformed into a sphere geometry”, by its “straight lines of length equal to zero” partial derivative elements “turning…into the sphere’s rectilinear generatrices” both as “partial differential equations of the first order” and physical “geodetic curves” under the “general equation system f(x, y, z, dx, dy, dz) = 0” and its “spatial reciprocity” that “relative to the given line complex” in x, y, z “corresponds a certain curve-net” in the simultaneous “line element (dx, dy, dz)”. This is a revolutionary geometric algebra discovery of the constitution of our Universe as a stru ctural phase transition between Straight and Round, transcending Hermann Grassmann’s Ausdehnungslehre (1844/1862) and William Kingdom Clifford’s Space-theory of Matter (1876) by the infinitesimal transformations opening up spherical geometry in its real form identity state later assigned as SO(3). The continuous groups, whose vast field occupied the rest of his all too short life were not mentioned in the thesis but implied both in the term Classe (class) geometriske transformationer and the coverage of their principles in an “unlimited manifold of possible systems”; e.g. “turning rounded curves into rounded curves” and “straight lines into straight lines”, where “one can choose any space-curve which depends upon three parameters as the element of the geometry of the space”, and it “is possible to create a representation of an algebra that embraces an arbitrary number of variables.” Important examples were given, except of course of the still dormant elementary particles. Now, as the prime of matter’s appearance they step forth as the most natural to examine by the true Lie algebras in their original form. When over a long series of years I have scientifically carried out this, the result as here so far concluded is a concrete cellular automaton building kit of the Standard Model and all its features, and their mechanisms and dealings in a structural R3×SO(3) wave-packet organization, both inwards from the elementary particles and outwards via the periodic table of the atoms over the further hierarchical growth of this in molecular and crystal stages to an isotropic space-filling of the whole classical Euclidean Universe in harmonic exchange with its relativistic spherical moiety, and the dark mass and energy collectively worked out in the differential interstice between them.
Confirmation of the physic unification by the ether elasticity theory
Authors: Zareski David
Published: April 2022

We precise the concept of ether by proving that its points can only rotate elastically on themselves, the ether volumetric density remains then constant, and an ether wave is the propagation of elastic ether point rotations. We prove that: a particle is constituted by ether point rotations, i.e., when a particle moves, only elastic ether rotations change their emplacements, but not those of the ether points; a particle is generally constituted by a sum of monochromatic ether waves that becomes only one of them when it is confined to move around a nucleus; the changes in the ether created by a particle but out of it, is the field that it created; two ether waves associated each to an electron moving in opposite sense around the nuclei can form by interference a stationary wave of very small energy. An atom of which all the electron ether waves are coupled, is said “noble”. A single electron ether wave can also propagate around the nucleus without falling on the nucleus, this happens when this ether wave superpose itself adequately at each round, this case is an “oxidation”. We prove that there is a “strong gravitation” between two protons even in a repulsive electromagnetic field when they are sufficiently close one to the other, this is explained by the General Relativity and the ether concept. We present then the ether elasticity interpretation of the “chemical” reaction and of the “nuclear” reaction and prove that two very close protons are submitted to a very strong gravitation that overcome their electrical repulsion as for example: two H nuclei form a He nucleus, on the contrary to the fact that in heavy nuclei, there are protons that cannot get close and therefore are submitted to repulsive forces that can cause their disintegration.
An integral second fundamental theorem of invariant theory for partition algebras
Authors: Bowman Chris , Doty Stephen , Martin Stuart
Published: April 2022

We prove that the kernel of the action of the group algebra of the Weyl group acting on tensor space (via restriction of the action from the general linear group) is a cell ideal with respect to the alternating Murphy basis. This provides an analogue of the second fundamental theory of invariant theory for the partition algebra over an arbitrary commutative ring and proves that the centraliser algebras of the partition algebra are cellular. We also prove similar results for the half partition algebras.
A Simplified Approach to Breast Reduction Using the Medial Pedicle
Authors: Hunt Sarah C , Sun Yue , Azad Sanjay
Published: April 2022

Background

Breast reduction is a common procedure for plastic surgery. The authors have adopted a modified technique using the medial pedicle, with markings using a 15-9-9 framework and a methodical step-wise approach.

Objectives

This study introduces the 15-9-9 framework as a design for medial pedicle breast reductions that is easy to perform and teach, with favorable outcomes.

Methods

Markings using the 15-9-9 framework were used, describing the mosque dome and medial pedicle length and width. The technique was performed in day surgery under general anesthesia. Patients were followed up for 1 year, with photographs taken at each visit and complications recorded. A retrospective review of 80 patients between November 2013 and July 2019 was completed in a single-surgeon’s practice.

Results

Patients were an average of 49 years (18-72 years) with a BMI of 28 kg/m2 (23-32). The average planned postoperative sternal notch to areola distance was 22 cm (19-26 cm) and sternal notch to nipple distance was 24 cm (21-28 cm). The average duration of the surgical procedure was 3.4 hours. An average of 464 g (90-1210 g) was removed from each breast. Complication rates were low with minor fat necrosis (14%), T-junction breakdown (10%), hematoma (3.8%), dog ear formation (3.8%), junctional necrosis (2.5%), and partial nipple loss (1.3%). One patient had a cerebrovascular accident in the late postoperative period. Aesthetically pleasing results were achieved postoperatively.

Conclusions

This technique using the 15-9-9 framework is simple to learn, perform, and teach with overall aesthetically pleasing outcomes.

Level of Evidence: 4
Negative and Positive Psychosocial Factors in Relation to Cognitive Health in Older African Americans
Authors: Wagner Maude , Guimond Anne-Josée , Kubzansky Laura D , Zhang Yingzhe , Bennett David A , Barnes Lisa L , Grodstein Francine
Published: April 2022

Background and Objectives

Identifying potential intervention strategies to reduce cognitive decline, particularly among older African Americans at high risk for Alzheimer’s dementia, is critical. This study aimed to investigate whether depressive symptoms, purpose in life, and their interrelations are associated with cognitive decline in older African Americans.

Research Design and Methods

We included older African Americans from the Minority Aging Research Study (n = 748) and Rush Memory and Aging Project (n = 109), without dementia at baseline. We assessed associations of depressive symptoms, purpose in life, and their interrelations, with baseline levels and change in global cognition using linear mixed-effects models.

Results

At baseline, each unit increment in depressive symptoms was related to worse initial global cognition (mean difference = −0.03 standard unit; p = .003), while higher purpose in life was related to better cognition (mean difference = 0.12; p = .002). Further, participants with ≥1 depressive symptom who had a purpose in life score above the median appeared to have better global cognition (mean difference = 0.10; p = .01), compared to those with depressive symptoms but lower levels of purpose in life. However, we did not find relations of depressive symptoms or purpose in life with rates of cognitive decline over time, likely due to the modest follow-up.

Discussion and Implications

In older African Americans, we found that lower depressive symptoms and greater purpose in life were independently related to higher initial levels of global cognition, but not cognitive decline. Preliminary findings of higher global cognition in individuals with depressive symptoms but greater purpose in life merit further investigation if purpose may eventually be considered as an intervention.