bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Moraxella catarrhalis AdhC–FghA system is important for formaldehyde detoxification and protection against pulmonary clearance
Authors: Othman Dina , Elhosseiny Noha M. , Eltayeb Wafaa N. , Attia Ahmed S.
Published: March 2024

Multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis have emerged, increasing the demand for the identification of new treatment and prevention strategies. A thorough understanding of how M. catarrhalis can establish an infection and respond to different stressors encountered in the host is crucial for new drug-target identification. Formaldehyde is a highly cytotoxic compound that can be produced endogenously as a by-product of metabolism and exogenously from environmental sources. Pathways responsible for formaldehyde detoxification are thus essential and are found in all domains of life. The current work investigated the role of the system consisting of the S-hydroxymethyl alcohol dehydrogenase (AdhC), a Zn-dependent class III alcohol dehydrogenase, and the S-formyl glutathione hydrolase (FghA) in the formaldehyde detoxification process in M. catarrhalis. Bioinformatics showed that the components of the system are conserved across the species and are highly similar to those of Streptococcus pneumoniae, which share the same biological niche. Isogenic mutants were constructed to study the function of the system in M. catarrhalis. A single fghA knockout mutant did not confer sensitivity to formaldehyde, while the adhC–fghA double mutant is formaldehyde-sensitive. In addition, both mutants were significantly cleared in a murine pulmonary model of infection as compared to the wild type, demonstrating the system’s importance for this pathogen’s virulence. The respective phenotypes were reversed upon the genetic complementation of the mutants. To date, this is the first study investigating the role of the AdhC–FghA system in formaldehyde detoxification and pathogenesis of M. catarrhalis.
Kann Robotisierung den Untertage-Strecken-Sprengvortrieb wesentlich beschleunigen?
Authors: Sifferlinger Nikolaus August , Berner Michael , Fimbinger Eric
Published: March 2024

Im konventionellen Sprengvortrieb in der Streckenauffahrung im Untertagebergbau begrenzt die Notwendigkeit zum Auswettern der Sprenggase die Anzahl der Vortriebszyklen pro Tag.

Wenn es gelingt, den gesamten Vorgang mittels Roboter und Teleoperation auszuführen, kann dies geändert werden. Roboter benötigen keine Atemluft und können auch in Sprengschwaden ihre Arbeit verrichten. Die Sprengschwaden müssen dafür durch ein entsprechendes mobiles Wetterschottsystem bis zur nächsten Auswetterungsmöglichkeit in der Vortriebsstrecke gehalten werden. Das Wetterschottsystem muss dem Gasdruck der Sprengungen wiederstehen können.

Ein entsprechender mobiler Zwischenspeicher nimmt das gelöste Vortriebsmaterial auf und wird während der Auswetterungsphase entleert. Wenn der Zwischenspeicher das Material von zwei Abschlägen aufnehmen kann, wären bis zu drei Abschlägen zwischen den Auswetterungsphasen möglich, im konventionellen Sprengvortrieb bisher nur ein Abschlag.

Eine Verdoppelung der Vortriebsgeschwindigkeit ist also erreichbar.

Im Detail ist noch einiges zu lösen, aber die Voraussetzungen für Robotisierung und Teleoperation sind bereits vorhanden.
A reinforcement learning (RL)-based hybrid method for ground penetrating radar (GPR)-driven buried object detection
Authors: Alpdemir Mahmut Nedim , Sezgin Mehmet
Published: March 2024

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) systems are effective sensors for discovering various types of objects buried underground, such as military mines, metal objects, and pieces of underground infrastructures. A GPR system can be manually operated by a human or can be an integral part of a host platform. The host platform may be semi- or fully autonomous and may operate in different environments such as land vehicles or more recently air-borne drones. One challenge for the fully or semi-autonomous host platforms in particular is to find an efficient search procedure that would reduce the operation time and optimize resource utilization. Most of the current approaches are based on pre-defined search patterns which, for large and sparse areas, could mean unnecessary waste of time and resources. In this paper, we introduce a method that combines a coarse and therefore relatively low cost initial search pattern with a Reinforcement Learning (RL) driven efficient navigation path for eventual target detection, by exploiting the signal processing pipeline of the onboard GPR. We illustrate the applicability of the method using a well-known, high fidelity GPR simulation environment and a novel RL framework. Our results suggest that combination of a coarse navigation scheme and an RL-based training procedure based on GPR scan returns can lead to a more efficient target discovery procedure for host platforms.
Children age group detection based on human–computer interaction and time series analysis
Authors: Ruiz-Garcia Juan Carlos , Hojas Carlos , Tolosana Ruben , Vera-Rodriguez Ruben , Morales Aythami , Fierrez Julian , Ortega-Garcia Javier , Herreros-Rodriguez Jaime
Published: March 2024

This article proposes a novel children–computer interaction (CCI) approach for the task of age group detection. This approach focuses on the automatic analysis of the time series generated from the interaction of the children with mobile devices. In particular, we extract a set of 25 time series related to spatial, pressure, and kinematic information of the children interaction while colouring a tree through a pen stylus tablet, a specific test from the large-scale public ChildCIdb database. A complete analysis of the proposed approach is carried out using different time series selection techniques to choose the most discriminative ones for the age group detection task: (i) a statistical analysis and (ii) an automatic algorithm called sequential forward search (SFS). In addition, different classification algorithms such as dynamic time warping barycenter averaging (DBA) and hidden Markov models (HMM) are studied. Accuracy results over 85% are achieved, outperforming previous approaches in the literature and in more challenging age group conditions. Finally, the approach presented in this study can benefit many children-related applications, for example, towards an age-appropriate environment with the technology.
Maze runners: monkeys show restricted Arabic numeral summation during computerized two-arm maze performance
Authors: Haseltine Elizabeth L. , Beran Michael J.
Published: March 2024

Mazes have been used in many forms to provide compelling results showcasing nonhuman animals’ capacities for spatial navigation, planning, and numerical competence. The current study presented computerized two-arm mazes to four rhesus macaques. Using these mazes, we assessed whether the monkeys could maximize rewards by overcoming mild delays in gratification and sum the values of Arabic numerals. Across four test phases, monkeys used a joystick controller to choose one of two maze arms on the screen. Each maze arm contained zero, one or two Arabic numerals, and any numerals in the chosen maze arm provided the monkeys with rewards equivalent to the value of those numerals. When deciding which arm to enter, monkeys had to consider distance to numerals and numeral value. In some tests, gaining the maximum reward required summing the value of two numerals within a given arm. All four monkeys successfully maximized reward when comparing single numerals and when comparing arms that each contained two numerals. However, some biases occurred that were suboptimal: the largest single numeral and the delay of reward (by placing numerals farther into an arm from the start location) sometimes interfered with the monkeys’ abilities to optimize. These results indicate that monkeys experience difficulties with inhibition toward single, high valence stimuli in tasks where those stimuli must be considered in relation to overall value when represented by symbolic stimuli such as numerals.
Matroid-based TSP rounding for half-integral solutions
Authors: Gupta Anupam , Lee Euiwoong , Li Jason , Mucha Marcin , Newman Heather , Sarkar Sherry
Published: March 2024

We show how to round any half-integral solution to the subtour-elimination relaxation for the TSP, while losing a less-than$$-$$- 1.5 factor. Such a rounding algorithm was recently given by Karlin, Klein, and Oveis Gharan based on sampling from max-entropy distributions. We build on an approach of Haddadan and Newman to show how sampling from the matroid intersection polytope, combined with a novel use of max-entropy sampling, can give better guarantees.
Investigation of the effect of graphene oxide nanoparticles on the structural and dielectric parameters in zinc oxide semiconductors
Authors: Horlu Merve , Macit Cevher Kursat , Aksakal Bunyamin , Tanyeri Burak , Biryan Fatih
Published: March 2024

In this study, pure and 1%, 3% and 5% doped graphene oxide (GO) reinforced zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel method. The aim was to improve the electrical and dielectric properties of ZnO semiconductor metal oxide used in many electronic, optoelectronic and electrochemical technologies. FE-SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), were used to show the structural and morphological properties of the synthesized ZnO and GO doped ZnO nanoparticles. Impedance analysis was used to study the dielectric properties of the produced nanoparticles. XRD analysis revealed typical peaks of nGO and ZnO nanoparticles. Through the FE-SEM and XRD analysis, it was shown that the ZnO and GO nanopowders were successfully synthesized. The results revealed that ZnO-GO nanoparticles, having good dielectric constant with loss and AC conductivity values, such materials can be a good candidate for solar cells and photovoltaic devices.

Graphical Abstract
Insights into the localisation of outlets: The franchising chains
Authors: Caro-Vela María D. , Ramírez-Hurtado José M. , Calderón-Monge Esther
Published: March 2024

The geographical location of an establishment is a strategic decision of major importance for companies. In the case of franchising, the peculiarities of the system render this decision of vital importance. The objectives of this work are threefold: a) to identify hotspots of franchise establishments; b) to perform an analysis of the distance between establishments; and c) to specify a weighted geographical regression model to estimate the influence of income, population density, and percentage of commercial area of the municipalities on the number of establishments of the franchises located in the chosen municipalities. To this end, 1,508 establishments belonging to seven franchising chains operating in Spain have been selected. The results show that there is an agglomeration of establishments in various geographical areas. Geographically weighted regression also confirms that the variables analysed constitute good predictors of the number of establishments in each municipality.
A minimal and non-alternative realisation of the Cayley plane
Authors: Corradetti Daniele , Marrani Alessio , Zucconi Francesco
Published: March 2024

The compact 16-dimensional Moufang plane, also known as the Cayley plane, has traditionally been defined through the lens of octonionic geometry. In this study, we present a novel approach, demonstrating that the Cayley plane can be defined in an equally clean, straightforward and more economic way using two different division and composition algebras: the paraoctonions and the Okubo algebra. The result is quite surprising since paraoctonions and Okubo algebra possess a weaker algebraic structure than the octonions, since they are non-alternative and do not satisfy the Moufang identities. Intriguingly, the real Okubo algebra has $$\text {SU}\left( 3\right) $$

SU

3

as automorphism group, which is a classical Lie group, while octonions and paraoctonions have an exceptional Lie group of type $$\text {G}_{2}$$

G
2

. This is remarkable, given that the projective plane defined over the real Okubo algebra is nevertheless isomorphic and isometric to the octonionic projective plane which is at the very heart of the geometric realisations of all types of exceptional Lie groups. Despite its historical ties with octonionic geometry, our research underscores the real Okubo algebra as the weakest algebraic structure allowing the definition of the compact 16-dimensional Moufang plane.
Psychosocial correlates of physical activity in cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Rodrigues Bruno , Encantado Jorge , Franco Sofia , Silva Marlene N. , Carraça Eliana V.
Published: March 2024

Background

Physical activity (PA) is a non-pharmacological approach to optimize health benefits in cancer survivors and is recommended as part of care. However, most cancer survivors fail to meet PA recommendations. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify psychosocial correlates of free-living PA in cancer survivors.

Methods

Three electronic databases were searched (PubMed, PsycINFO, and SportDiscus). Meta-analyses were conducted for psychosocial correlates tested ≥ 3 times.

Results

Sixty-four articles were included. Eighty-eight different free-living PA correlates were identified. Meta-analyses (n = 32 studies) tested 23 PA correlates, of which 16 were significant (p < 0.05). Larger effect sizes (0.30 < ES > 0.45) were found for exercise self-efficacy, perceived behavioral control, intention, lower perceived barriers for exercise, enjoyment, perceived PA benefits, and attitudes. Small-to-moderate effects (0.18 < ES < 0.22) were found for subjective norms, physical functioning, quality of life, depression, and mental health. These findings were generally in line with narrative results.

Conclusions

This systematic review highlights important psychosocial correlates of free-living PA that can be targeted in future PA promotion interventions for cancer survivors. Constructs mainly from SCT and TPB were the most studied and appear to be associated with free-living PA in this population. However, we cannot currently assert which frameworks might be more effective. Further studies of better methodological quality, per correlate and theory, exploring longer-term associations and across different types of cancer, are needed.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

Having higher exercise self-efficacy, perceived behavioral control, intention, enjoyment and perceived PA benefits, more positive attitudes towards PA, and lower perceived barriers for exercise, can help increase PA in cancer survivors.
The Pathology of the Brain Eating Amoeba Naegleria fowleri
Authors: Borkens Yannick
Published: March 2024

The genus Naegleria is a taxonomic subfamily consisting of 47 free-living amoebae. The genus can be found in warm aqueous or soil habitats worldwide. The species Naegleria fowleri is probably the best-known species of this genus. As a facultative parasite, the protist is not dependent on hosts to complete its life cycle. However, it can infect humans by entering the nose during water contact, such as swimming, and travel along the olfactory nerve to the brain. There it causes a purulent meningitis (primary amoebic meningoencephalitis or PAME). Symptoms are severe and death usually occurs within the first week. PAME is a frightening infectious disease for which there is neither a proven cure nor a vaccine. In order to contain the disease and give patients any chance to survival, action must be taken quickly. A rapid diagnosis is therefore crucial. PAME is diagnosed by the detection of amoebae in the liquor and later in the cerebrospinal fluid. For this purpose, CSF samples are cultured and stained and finally examined microscopically. Molecular techniques such as PCR or ELISA support the microscopic analysis and secure the diagnosis.
Feeling at Home? A Dynamic Analysis of the Impact of Discrimination, Refugee-Specific, and Participation Characteristics on Recently Arrived Refugees’ Belonging
Authors: Damen Roxy , Dagevos Jaco , Huijnk Willem
Published: March 2024

Belonging has regularly been related to discrimination, most studies originally focusing on the contrasting effect of education (and later also employment, language proficiency and social contacts) in explaining belonging through discrimination (e.g. the integration paradox). Yet, few studies focus on ‘feeling at home’ as indicator of belonging among recently arrived refugees nor do they investigate dynamics or include refugee-specific (reception period and mental health) characteristics as determinants. Employing longitudinal survey data on 2484 recently arrived Syrian refugees in the Netherlands to explain their ‘feeling at home’ during the initial period after arrival, results showed the positive impact of changes in mental health, being active during reception and changes in social contacts on changes in Syrians’ feeling at home in the Netherlands. Like in previous studies, higher education was negatively related to Syrians’ feeling at home. Indicating indirect effect for the refugee-specific characteristics we found that those with a better mental health generally perceived discrimination less, resulting in feeling at home in the Netherlands more strongly. Also, among this relatively new group of refugees, perceived discrimination directly and indirectly explains the dynamics in feeling at home. As such, policies targeted at newcomers’ integration can ultimately be effective if being allowed to belong by receiving society members is an integral part of this.
Optical solitons for the dispersive concatenation model with power law of self-phase modulation: undetermined coefficients
Authors: Vega-Guzmán José , Biswas Anjan , Yıldırım Yakup , Alshomrani Ali Saleh
Published: March 2024

This paper recovers 1-soliton solutions to the dispersive concatenation model that comes with power law of self-phase modulation. The method of undetermined coefficients has made this retrieval possible. The parameter constraints are listed for the existence of the solitons. While a full spectrum of solitons is enumerated and exhibited, it is proved that dark 1-solitons exist only for Kerr law of nonlinear refractive index change.
Lithiated Nafion membrane as a single-ion conducting polymer electrolyte in lithium batteries
Authors: Mazzapioda Lucia , Piccolo Francesco , Del Giudice Alessandra , Silvestri Laura , Navarra Maria Assunta
Published: March 2024

Single lithium-ion conducting polymer electrolytes are promising candidates for next generation safer lithium batteries. In this work, Li+-conducting Nafion membranes have been synthesized by using a novel single-step procedure. The Li-Nafion membranes were characterized by means of small-wide angle X-ray scattering, infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis, for validating the proposed lithiation method. The obtained membranes were swollen in different organic aprotic solvent mixtures and characterized in terms of ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability window, lithium stripping-deposition ability and their interface properties versus lithium metal. The membrane swollen in ethylene carbonate:propylene carbonate (EC:PC, 1:1 w/w) displays good temperature-activated ionic conductivities (σ ≈ 5.5 × 10–4 S cm−1 at 60 °C) and a more stable Li-electrolyte interface with respect to the other samples. This Li-Nafion membrane was tested in a lithium-metal cell adopting LiFePO4 as cathode material. A specific capacity of 140 mAhg−1, after 50 cycles, was achieved at 30 °C, demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed Li-Nafion membrane.
Trade Secrets and the Data Act
Authors: Mylly Ulla-Maija
Published: March 2024

Automated systems collect vast amounts of data, which could be utilized across various business sectors. The EU has recognized their potential for the data economy. To exploit such potential, there is a need to provide access to data. For example, the objective of the EU’s Data Act is to provide new possibilities for accessing and reusing information. Some information exchanged may be subject to trade secret protection. However, specific characteristics of trade secret protection create difficulties for information sharing. In essence, trade secret protection requires that information should be kept secret, or at least relatively secret. This requirement contributes to the reluctance of trade secret holders to share their information. They would rather lock it down. That is because, if the information becomes generally known in industry circles, it will lose its trade secret status along with any related competitive advantage. At the same time, trade secret protection leaves considerable room for competition, which arguably makes it suited to the data economy. A trade secret is not an exclusive right, which means that competitors may independently create similar information. Access to information through reverse engineering is also allowed. All these specific characteristics make trade secret protection an uncertain means of protection. This article will elaborate on how the uncertainties and specifics related to trade secret protection create a conflict between demand for access to information and the protection of trade secrets. It will analyze how the provisions of the Data Act aim to accommodate the protection of trade secrets while simultaneously mandating access.
Implementing a Picture Prompt and Proximity Intervention in a Classroom with an Adult Learner: A Case Study
Authors: Haydon Todd , Carnahan Christina
Published: March 2024

The current case study investigated the use of a picture prompt and teacher proximity with an adult learner with significant disabilities during a postsecondary classroom management class and generalization setting. Results indicated that the learner had a higher percentage of intervals of on-task behavior during intervention than baseline. Teacher and learner satisfaction ratings suggested that the intervention was an acceptable strategy. A discussion of study limitations, implications, and future research directions are included.

• A simple low tech instructional strategy can improve student on-task behavior.

• Teachers can use an antecedent strategy to improve student behavior.

• Strategies used in K–12 environments may work in higher education settings.

• Successful applied behavior analysis strategies help include students in group participation.
Law, Mobilization, and Social Movements
Authors: Taylor Whitney K. , Tarrow Sidney
Published: March 2024

Legal and social movement scholars have long puzzled over the role of movements in moving, being moved by, and changing the meanings of the law. But for decades, these two strands of scholarship only dovetailed at their edges, in the work of a few far-seeing scholars. The fields began to more productively merge before and after the turn of the century. In this Element, the authors take an interactive approach to this problem and sketch four mechanisms that seem promising in effecting a true fusion: legal mobilization, legal-political opportunity structure, social construction, and movement-countermovement interaction. The Element also illustrates the workings and interactions of these four mechanisms from two examples of the authors' work: the campaign for same-sex marriage in the United States and social constitutionalism in South Africa.
Provider-ordered viral testing and antibiotic administration practices among children with acute respiratory infections across healthcare settings in Nashville, Tennessee
Authors: Rankin Danielle A. , Katz Sophie E. , Amarin Justin Z. , Hayek Haya , Stewart Laura S. , Slaughter James C. , Deppen Stephen , Yanis Ahmad , Romero Yesenia Herazo , Chappell James D. , Khankari Nikhil K. , Halasa Natasha B.
Published: March 2024

Objective:

Evaluate the association between provider-ordered viral testing and antibiotic treatment practices among children discharged from an ED or hospitalized with an acute respiratory infection (ARI).

Design:

Active, prospective ARI surveillance study from November 2017 to February 2020.

Setting:

Pediatric hospital and emergency department in Nashville, Tennessee.

Participants:

Children 30 days to 17 years old seeking medical care for fever and/or respiratory symptoms.

Methods:

Antibiotics prescribed during the child’s ED visit or administered during hospitalization were categorized into (1) None administered; (2) Narrow-spectrum; and (3) Broad-spectrum. Setting-specific models were built using unconditional polytomous logistic regression with robust sandwich estimators to estimate the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals between provider-ordered viral testing (ie, tested versus not tested) and viral test result (ie, positive test versus not tested and negative test versus not tested) and three-level antibiotic administration.

Results:

4,107 children were enrolled and tested, of which 2,616 (64%) were seen in the ED and 1,491 (36%) were hospitalized. In the ED, children who received a provider-ordered viral test had 25% decreased odds (aOR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.98) of receiving a narrow-spectrum antibiotic during their visit than those without testing. In the inpatient setting, children with a negative provider-ordered viral test had 57% increased odds (aOR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.44) of being administered a broad-spectrum antibiotic compared to children without testing.

Conclusions:

In our study, the impact of provider-ordered viral testing on antibiotic practices differed by setting. Additional studies evaluating the influence of viral testing on antibiotic stewardship and antibiotic prescribing practices are needed.
Does the freelance economy promote creative freedom?
Authors: Öberg Christina
Published: March 2024

This paper builds on the creation of new ways of organizing work, where the freelance economy specifically targets the increasing number of skilled self-employed individuals collaborating for shared output. Through describing and discussing creativity within the freelance economy, this paper seeks to understand creativity in collaborations among these self-employed individuals. Drawing from a case study conducted in the advertising sector, the paper concludes that creativity within the freelance economy occurs between equal and inherently creative freelancers rather than being the product of individual traits, despite their respective skills. Creativity between individuals arises when processes are appropriately formalized, while the creative output is constrained by individual decisions and styles. The paper contributes to existing research by shedding light on the distinctive characteristics of the freelance economy and its paradoxical organizational nature. By doing so, it offers insights that contrast with prior studies on artistic creativity.
ON THE DIOPHANTINE EQUATION
Authors: HASANALIZADE ELCHIN
Published: March 2024

A generalisation of the well-known Pell sequence
$\{P_n\}_{n\ge 0}$
given by
$P_0=0$
,
$P_1=1$
and
$P_{n+2}=2P_{n+1}+P_n$
for all
$n\ge 0$
is the k-generalised Pell sequence
$\{P^{(k)}_n\}_{n\ge -(k-2)}$
whose first k terms are
$0,\ldots ,0,1$
and each term afterwards is given by the linear recurrence
$P^{(k)}_n=2P^{(k)}_{n-1}+P^{(k)}_{n-2}+\cdots +P^{(k)}_{n-k}$
. For the Pell sequence, the formula
$P^2_n+P^2_{n+1}=P_{2n+1}$
holds for all
$n\ge 0$
. In this paper, we prove that the Diophantine equation
$$ \begin{align*} (P^{(k)}_n)^2+(P^{(k)}_{n+1})^2=P^{(k)}_m \end{align*} $$

has no solution in positive integers
$k, m$
and n with
$n>1$
and
$k\ge 3$
.
Transcriptomic response of citrus psyllid salivary glands to the infection of citrus Huanglongbing pathogen
Authors: Zhao San-Tao , Ran Xiao-Tong , Huang Yu-Yang , Sang Wen , Derrick Bugenimana Eric , Qiu Bao-Li
Published: March 2024

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is the key vector insect transmitting the Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) bacterium that causes the devastating citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing, HLB) worldwide. The D. citri salivary glands (SG) exhibit an important barrier against the transmission of HLB pathogen. However, knowledge on the molecular mechanism of SG defence against CLas infection is still limited. In the present study, we compared the SG transcriptomic response of CLas-free and CLas-infected D. citri using an illumine paired-end RNA sequencing. In total of 861 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the SG upon CLas infection, including 202 upregulated DEGs and 659 downregulated DEGs were identified. Functional annotation analysis showed that most of the DEGs were associated with cellular processes, metabolic processes, and the immune response. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses revealed that these DEGs were enriched in pathways involving carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, the immune system, the digestive system, the lysosome, and endocytosis. A total of 16 DEGs were randomly selected to further validate the accuracy of RNA-Seq dataset by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. This study provides substantial transcriptomic information regarding the SG of D. citri in response to CLas infection, which may shed light on the molecular interaction between D. citri and CLas, and provides new ideas for the prevention and control of citrus psyllid.
A FINANCIAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN ARTEMIS AND MNESIMACHOS: THE MAN WHO BAMBOOZLED THE GODDESS
Authors: Yegül Fikret
Published: March 2024

An inscription carved on the interior corner of the north-west anta of the Temple of Artemis at Sardis records the obligations of a certain Mnesimachos in return for a loan of money he received from the temple funds. Unable or unwilling to pay his loan, Mnesimachos declared his decision to convey his estate to Artemis and accept the conditions of the contract. This estate, including villages, dwellings, and peasant-serfs, had been given to him by King Antigonos Monophthalmos around 300 bce. The present work attempts to focus on the sequence of events in Mnesimachos’ life and their relation to the history and architecture of this important temple. The new reading of these events as a result of the last two decades or excavations at Sardis offers us a synthetic understanding of the Hellenistic history of the city and an insight into Mnesimachos’ willingness to forgo his estate in a financial deal that ultimately tricks the goddess.
Reckoning with the Past, Imagining the Future
Authors: Hooker Juliet
Published: March 2024

In the wake of the Trump presidency—with its endemic corruption, norm-breaking, and open subversion of the rule of law culminating in an attempted insurrection and ongoing false claims of election fraud—an overdue national conversation about the health of US democracy is taking place. For many, this was their first conscious experience of US democracy as imperiled or in crisis, and it raised pressing questions about whether there was cause to hope rather than despair, and of what the sources of such democratic faith might be. Black political thought has long grappled with the foundational deficits of US democracy; even as Black activists have worked tirelessly to bring about such alternative futures the persistence of white supremacy has made it difficult to hope in the possibility of radical transformation. Reckoning provides rigorous, complex answers to the question of how to practice democratic hope and refuse despair without trafficking in easy answers or simple prescriptions. According to Woodly, social movements:

help members of the polity recover from the cynicism wrought by insufficiently responsive governance. . . . [They] remind us of the power of the public sphere. . . . [They force] governing officials to be responsive to new or neglected constituencies and attentive to their causes. . . . [They] help us to feel that our opinions and political actions matter—that “we the people” have power. . . . [They] make a citizenry both believe and act on behalf of the belief that “another world is possible.” (10)
Pseudo‐Prospective Forecasting of Induced and Natural Seismicity in the Hengill Geothermal Field
Authors: Ritz V. A. , Mizrahi L. , Clasen Repollés V. , Rinaldi A. P. , Hjörleifsdóttir V. , Wiemer S.
Published: March 2024

The Hengill geothermal field, located in southwest Iceland, is host to the Hellisheiði power plant, with its 40+ production wells and 17 reinjection wells. Located in a tectonically active area, the field experiences both natural and induced seismicity linked to the power plant operations. To better manage the risk posed by this seismicity, the development of robust and informative forecasting models is paramount. In this study, we compare the forecasting performance of a model developed for fluid‐induced seismicity (the Seismogenic Index model) and a class of well‐established statistical models (Epidemic‐Type Aftershock Sequence). The pseudo‐prospective experiment is set up with 14 months of initial calibration and daily forecasts for a year. In the timeframe of this experiment, a dense broadband network was in place in Hengill, allowing us to rely on a high quality relocated seismic catalog. The seismicity in the geothermal field is characterized by four main clusters, associated with the two reinjection areas, one production area, and an area with surface geothermal manifestations but where no operations are taking place. We show that the models are generally well suited to forecast induced seismicity, despite some limitations, and that a hybrid ETAS model accounting for fluid forcing has some potential in complex regions with natural and fluid‐induced seismicity.
The potential role of hydrogen sulfide in cancer cell apoptosis
Authors: Gao Wei , Liu Ya-Fang , Zhang Yan-Xia , Wang Yan , Jin Yu-Qing , Yuan Hang , Liang Xiao-Yi , Ji Xin-Ying , Jiang Qi-Ying , Wu Dong-Dong
Published: March 2024

For a long time, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been considered a toxic compound, but recent studies have found that H2S is the third gaseous signaling molecule which plays a vital role in physiological and pathological conditions. Currently, a large number of studies have shown that H2S mediates apoptosis through multiple signaling pathways to participate in cancer occurrence and development, for example, PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways. Therefore, the regulation of the production and metabolism of H2S to mediate the apoptotic process of cancer cells may improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment. In this review, the role and mechanism of H2S in cancer cell apoptosis in mammals are summarized.
Non-symmetric Pauli spin blockade in a silicon double quantum dot
Authors: Lundberg Theodor , Ibberson David J. , Li Jing , Hutin Louis , Abadillo-Uriel José C. , Filippone Michele , Bertrand Benoit , Nunnenkamp Andreas , Lee Chang-Min , Stelmashenko Nadia , Robinson Jason W. A. , Vinet Maud , Ibberson Lisa , Niquet Yann-Michel , Gonzalez-Zalba M. Fernando
Published: March 2024

Spin qubits in gate-defined silicon quantum dots are receiving increased attention thanks to their potential for large-scale quantum computing. Readout of such spin qubits is done most accurately and scalably via Pauli spin blockade (PSB), however, various mechanisms may lift PSB and complicate readout. In this work, we present an experimental study of PSB in a multi-electron low-symmetry double quantum dot (DQD) in silicon nanowires. We report on the observation of non-symmetric PSB, manifesting as blockaded tunneling when the spin is projected to one QD of the pair but as allowed tunneling when the projection is done into the other. By analyzing the interaction of the DQD with a readout resonator, we find that PSB lifting is caused by a large coupling between the different electron spin manifolds of 7.90 μeV and that tunneling is incoherent. Further, magnetospectroscopy of the DQD in 16 charge configurations, enables reconstructing the energy spectrum of the DQD and reveals the lifting mechanism is energy-level selective. Our results indicate enhanced spin-orbit coupling which may enable all-electrical qubit control of electron spins in silicon nanowires.
Purification and use of crude green glycerol from the transesterification of triglycerides in the formulation of an alcohol gel hand sanitizer
Authors: Trindade Mazala Tassio , Costa Viana Mateus , Carneiro Guilherme , Lee Nelson David , de Freitas-Marques Maria B. , De Martinis Bruno Spinosa , Florêncio Jacques , Mazzé Fernanda Marur , da Silva Severino G. Domingos , Barbosa Sandro L.
Published: March 2024

The aim of this study was to produce an alcohol gel hand sanitizer containing green glycerol. Crude glycerol was purified using chemical and physical treatments. The sanitizer was prepared using 71.100 g of 99.3° GL ethanol, 28.0 g H2O, 0.5 g of Carboxypolymethylene [Carbopol 940® or Carbomer], 5 drops of triethanolamine (pH 5–7), and glycerol (1.5% w/w). The thermal behavior of the ethanol, carbopol, triethanolamine, glycerol, and alcohol gels were evaluated using Thermogravimetry and Differential Thermal Analysis. The apparent viscosity was obtained using a rotary viscometer. The determination of in vitro spreadability was achieved by an adaptation of the Knorst method. The ethanol content was measured by headspace gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector. The thermal behavior of the gels was influenced by the presence of glycerol, which confirms the possible network interactions formed. The relative densities of the samples were between 0.887 and 0.890 g/cm3. No alteration of the pH of the formulation resulted from the incorporation of glycerol. The apparent viscosities of the alcohol gels were greater than 20,000 cP. No alteration in the in vitro spreadability of the gel alcohol (530.6 mm2) resulted from the addition of glycerol. Hand sanitizer was produced using glycerol from a transesterification reaction. It represents an alternative use for the glycerol being produced in biodiesel processes. The product satisfied the requirements of WHO that preconize a formulation containing 1.45% glycerol as an humectant to protect skin against dryness and dermatitis.
Dietary E. coli promotes age-dependent chemotaxis decline in C. elegans
Authors: Suryawinata Nadia , Yokosawa Rikuou , Tan Ke Hui Cassandra , Lai Alison Lok , Sone Ryusei , Mori Ikue , Noma Kentaro
Published: March 2024

An animal’s ability to sense odors declines during aging, and its olfactory drive is tuned by internal states such as satiety. However, whether internal states modulate an age-dependent decline in odor sensation is unknown. To address this issue, we utilized the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and compared their chemotaxis abilities toward attractive odorants when aged under different dietary conditions. Feeding with the standard laboratory diet, Escherichia coli attenuated the chemotaxis ability toward diacetyl, isoamyl alcohol, and benzaldehyde when aged. On the other hand, feeding with either the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus reuteri or food deprivation selectively maintained the chemotaxis ability toward diacetyl. Our results suggest that ingestion of E. coli causes age-dependent chemotaxis decline. The changes in the chemotaxis behavior are attributed to the different expressions of diacetyl receptor odr-10, and the chemotaxis behavior of aged animals under food deprivation is shown to be dependent on daf-16. Our study demonstrates the molecular mechanism of how diet shapes the trajectory of age-dependent decline in chemosensory behaviors.
Subjective social integration and its spatially varying determinants of rural-to-urban migrants among Chinese cities
Authors: Chen Qilong , Wang Chengxiang , He Pinrong , Cai Anning
Published: March 2024

Social integration, a huge issue triggered by migration, leads to potential social fragmentation and confrontation. Focusing on the precise enhancement of "inner" subjective social integration is the ultimate urbanization solution to enhance people-centered well-being and promote full social integration. This article used data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey 2017 (CMDS 2017) to reveal the spatial patterns and mechanisms of subjective social integration in Chinese cities. We make an innovative attempt to introduce multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to address the appropriateness of policy formulation by addressing the spatial variation in the factors. The results demonstrate that the influences on subjective social integration have a strong spatial heterogeneity in China, a vast and unevenly developed country. Expanding on the typical factors, household registration and political participation affect North China more than other regions; and housing and marriage have a greater impact in South China, especially in the Pearl River Delta and the Eastern Seaboard. Income, welfare, and healthcare are indiscriminately sweeping through most of China. Such a conclusion reminds the Chinese government that it needs to consider not only addressing some of the national constraints to subjective social integration but also imposing precise, site-specific changes for different regions.
StayGold photostability under different illumination modes
Authors: Hirano Masahiko , Yonemaru Yasuo , Shimozono Satoshi , Sugiyama Mayu , Ando Ryoko , Okada Yasushi , Fujiwara Takahiro , Miyawaki Atsushi
Published: March 2024

StayGold is a bright fluorescent protein (FP) that is over one order of magnitude more photostable than any of the currently available FPs across the full range of illumination intensities used in widefield microscopy and structured illumination microscopy, the latter of which is a widefield illumination-based technique. To compare the photostability of StayGold under other illumination modes with that of three other green-emitting FPs, namely EGFP, mClover3, and mNeonGreen, we expressed all four FPs as fusions to histone 2B in HeLa cells. Unlike the case of widefield microscopy, the photobleaching behavior of these FPs in laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) is complicated. The outstanding photostability of StayGold observed in multi-beam LSCM was variably attenuated in single-beam LSCM, which produces intermittent and instantaneously strong illumination. We systematically examined the effects of different single-beam LSCM beam-scanning patterns on the photostability of the FPs in living HeLa cells. This study offers relevant guidelines for researchers who aim to achieve sustainable live cell imaging by resolving problems related to FP photostability. We also provide evidence for measurable sensitivity of the photostability of StayGold to chemical fixation.
Acoustic and prosodic speech features reflect physiological stress but not isolated negative affect: a multi-paradigm study on psychosocial stressors
Authors: Kappen Mitchel , Vanhollebeke Gert , Van Der Donckt Jonas , Van Hoecke Sofie , Vanderhasselt Marie-Anne
Published: March 2024

Heterogeneity in speech under stress has been a recurring issue in stress research, potentially due to varied stress induction paradigms. This study investigated speech features in semi-guided speech following two distinct psychosocial stress paradigms (Cyberball and MIST) and their respective control conditions. Only negative affect increased during Cyberball, while self-reported stress, skin conductance response rate, and negative affect increased during MIST. Fundamental frequency (F0), speech rate, and jitter significantly changed during MIST, but not Cyberball; HNR and shimmer showed no expected changes. The results indicate that observed speech features are robust in semi-guided speech and sensitive to stressors eliciting additional physiological stress responses, not solely decreases in negative affect. These differences between stressors may explain literature heterogeneity. Our findings support the potential of speech as a stress level biomarker, especially when stress elicits physiological reactions, similar to other biomarkers. This highlights its promise as a tool for measuring stress in everyday settings, considering its affordability, non-intrusiveness, and ease of collection. Future research should test these results' robustness and specificity in naturalistic settings, such as freely spoken speech and noisy environments while exploring and validating a broader range of informative speech features in the context of stress.
Parasitic mixing in photomixers as continuous wave terahertz sources
Authors: Kocybik Michael , Bauer Maris , Friederich Fabian
Published: March 2024

We present observations of parasitic frequency components in the emission spectrum of typical photomixer sources for continuous wave (CW) terahertz generation. Broadband tunable photomixer systems are often used in combination with direct power detectors, e.g., for source and/or detector characterization. Here, spectral components besides the intended terahertz emission at the difference frequency of the two excitation lasers can significantly distort the measurement results. In this work, the appearance of parasitic mixing signals is observed in broadband measurements with a broadband antenna-coupled field-effect transistor as terahertz detector (TeraFET). The measurements reveal weaker spectral absorption features than expected and also a signal plateau towards higher frequencies, both strongly indicating a background in the detection signals. The photomixer emission is investigated in detail with a terahertz Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). We relate the observed parasitic frequency components with good quantitative agreement with the mode spectra of the semiconductor lasers. We also present one possible approach to overcome some of the issues, and we emphasize the importance of our findings to avoid distorted measurement results. To our knowledge, the essential aspect of parasitic mixing has so far been largely ignored in the literature where terahertz CW photomixer emitters are widely used for spectrally resolved measurements.
Effect of very long-term storage and multiple freeze and thaw cycles on 11-dehydro-thromboxane-B2 and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, levels in human urine samples by validated enzyme immunoassays
Authors: Petrucci Giovanna , Hatem Duaa , Langley Ruth , Cleary Siobhan , Gentry-Maharaj Aleksandra , Pitocco Dario , Rizzi Alessandro , Ranalli Paola , Zaccardi Francesco , Habib Aida , Rocca Bianca
Published: March 2024

Biological samples are often frozen and stored for years and/or thawed multiple times, thus assessing their stability on long-term storage and repeated freeze–thaw cycles is crucial. The study aims were to assess:—the long-term stability of two major enzymatic and non-enzymatic metabolites of arachidonic acid, i.e. urinary 11-dehydro-thromboxane-(Tx) B2, 8-iso-prostaglandin (PG)F2α, and creatinine in frozen urine samples;—the effect of multiple freeze–thaw cycles. Seven-hundred and three urine samples measured in previously-published studies, stored at −40 °C, and measured for a second time for 11-dehydro-TxB2 (n = 677) and/or 8-iso-PGF2α (n = 114) and/or creatinine (n = 610) were stable over 10 years and the 2 measurements were highly correlated (all rho = 0.99, P < 0.0001). Urine samples underwent 10 sequential freeze–thaw cycles, with and without the antioxidant 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (10 mM); urinary 11-dehydro-TxB2 and creatinine were stable across all cycles (11-dehydro-TxB2: 100.4 ± 21%; creatinine: 101 ± 7% of baseline at cycle ten; n = 17), while 8-iso-PGF2α significantly increased by cycle 6 (151 ± 22% of baseline at cycle ten, n = 17, P < 0.05) together with hydrogen peroxide only in the absence of antioxidant. Arachidonic acid metabolites and creatinine appear stable in human urines stored at −40 °C over 10 years. Multiple freeze–thaw cycles increase urinary 8-iso-PGF2α in urine samples without antioxidants. These data are relevant for studies using urine samples stored over long-term and/or undergoing multiple freezing–thawing.