bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ambulatory Care Management in Low Blood Pressure Patient with HFrEF
Authors: Panjaitan Fajar H. , Hasanah Dian Yaniarti , Yonas Emir , Soerarso Rarsari
Published: February 2023

Heart failure (HF) affects an estimated 38 million people globally, with most published research estimating a prevalence of 1 to 2% of the adult population. Low blood pressure (BP) is reported in 10 to 15% of patients with HF in clinical trials, although this proportion is much more frequent in routine clinical practice. Low BP in outpatients has a better outcome compared to inpatients. Low BP is often a restricting factor in the use and uptitration of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT).

A 57-year-old male presented himself to the HF clinic with complaints of bloating, shortness of breath, and fatigue. The patient had a history of acute coronary syndrome and cardiac arrest, but the results of coronary angiography showed nonsignificant coronary artery disease. Cardiomegaly was seen on chest X-ray. Electrocardiogram showed pathologic q wave II, III, and AvF with poor r wave progression on V1-V6. The patient was admitted due to acute decompensated HF with hypotension. After the initial decongestion patient was treated with sacubitril/valsartan, bisoprolol, and spironolactone in the outpatient clinic. Patient complaints and BP slowly improved during the outpatient phase.

Hypotension remains a challenge in implementing GDMT in HF patients. By following the steps according to algorithm and current guidelines, GDMT can be optimized in these patients.
Determination of Clinical, Electrophysiological, and Radiological Characteristics of Pediatric Autoimmune Encephalopathy
Authors: Güngör Mesut , Öztürk Merve , Deniz Adnan , Alikılıç Defne , Karaca Ömer , Anık Yonca , Kara Bülent
Published: February 2023

Autoimmune encephalopathy (AE) is a group of diseases with subacute onset, that represents a wide clinical spectrum, manifested by complex neuropsychiatric symptoms and signs. In this study, the data of 27 patients diagnosed and followed up in our clinic with the diagnosis of AE between 2011 and 2021 were evaluated retrospectively. Out of 27 patients, 6 were definite seropositive AE, 2 of them met the diagnostic criteria for limbic encephalitis, and the remaining 19 were probable AE. Nowadays, we see AEs with increasing frequency. While there is a generally established approach in the diagnosis and treatment of seropositive patients, there are still hesitations and diagnostic difficulties in seronegative AEs. In this study, clinical, radiological, and prognostic features of definite and probable AE patients diagnosed in a tertiary pediatric neurology clinic were documented. It is thought that pediatric neurologists have an important responsibility to increase awareness about AE in pediatricians. In the future, it is predicted that AE will be diagnosed more frequently with new antibodies and one has to differentiate it from viral encephalitis and neuropsychiatric syndromes and diseases.
Temperature influence on magnetic properties and magnetoimpedance effect of Fe-rich glass-coated microwires
Authors: Corte-Leon P. , Skorvanek I. , Andrejka F. , Zhukova V. , Blanco J. M. , Ipatov M. , Zhukov A.
Published: February 2023

Giant magnetoimpedance, GMI, effect and magnetic properties upon temperature influence of as-prepared and stress-annealed amorphous Fe75B9Si12C4 glass-coated microwires produced by the Taylor-Ulitovsky technique are analyzed. Remarkable change in the hysteresis loops and GMI effect is observed for both samples upon heating. Tuning of the stress-annealing conditions allows one to vary the temperature dependence. Furthermore, it is observed almost complete reversibility of the changes induced by the temperature. Observed dependences are explained by the heating effect on the internal stresses relaxation, by the modification of the thermal expansion coefficients of the metallic nucleus and the glass coating, and by the Hopkinson effect.
The microwave absorption properties of soft magnetic materials in frequency up to 40 GHz
Authors: Wang Yuankang , Zhang Pengyu , Liu Zhou , Li Kewei , Xian Cong , Yang Wenyun , Luo Zhaochu , Liu Shunquan , Han Jingzhi , Du Honglin , Wang Changsheng , Yang Jinbo
Published: February 2023

With the continuous development of communication technology, the microwave frequency used has been extended to 24∼30 GHz or even higher. Thus, for the research on microwave absorption materials, the commonly used 2∼18 GHz frequency range might no longer be enough. More studies of microwave absorption properties in a higher frequency band are necessary. In this work, we report the microwave absorption properties of several soft magnetic composites in frequency up to 40 GHz. Magnetic materials such as iron, Y2Fe16Si, Ce2Fe17N3−δ, and La2Fe4Co10B micron powders which display excellent microwave absorption properties in 2∼18 GHz, are investigated. Within 2∼40 GHz, the reflection loss (RL) of iron/paraffin, Y2Fe16Si/paraffin, Ce2Fe17N3−δ/paraffin and La2Fe4Co10B/paraffin composites could reach −46.2 dB, −71.4 dB, −49.1 dB, and −40.1 dB, respectively. Moreover, their effective absorption bandwidth (RL < −10 dB) could reach 16.9 GHz, 8.53 GHz, 10.08 GHz, and 8.03 GHz, respectively. Though the measurements are extended to 40 GHz, the absorption properties of these composites become weak when the frequency rises to around 40 GHz, which is restricted by the cutoff frequencies of the materials. The measured data shows that these soft magnetic composites are good candidates for high-frequency microwave absorption materials, while exploring magnetic materials with further higher cutoff frequencies may result in better performance.
Bauschinger effect in Gd micro-alloying metastable high-entropy alloy
Authors: Xu J. , Peng L.M.
Published: February 2023

To investigate Bauschinger effect in metastable high-entropy alloys with strain-induced FCC → HCP phase transformation, we designed a series of Gd micro-alloying non-equiatomic metastable high-entropy alloys. The results show that all tested alloys have asymmetrical tension-compression properties exhibiting the obvious Bauschinger effect, which is related to the different levels of phase transformation in compression and tension owing to different deformation textures. Excessive phase transformation suppresses the increase in pile-up density of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs), resulting in a back stress relaxation effect. The inverse phase transformation observed by quasi in-situ EBSD proves the instability of the HCP phase. The established kinetic model points out limitation of the classical back stress measurement method in metastable high-entropy alloys.
A Ferroelectric Domain-Wall Transistor
Authors: Ou Yang-Jun , Sun Jie , Li Yi-Ming , Jiang An-Quan
Published: February 2023

On the basis of novel properties of ferroelectric conducting domain walls, the domain wall nanoelectronics emerges and provides a brand-new dimension for the development of high-density, high-speed and energy-efficient nanodevices. For in-memory computing, three-terminal devices with both logic and memory functions such as transistors purely based on ferroelectric domain walls are urgently required. Here, a prototype ferroelectric domain-wall transistor with a well-designed coplanar electrode geometry is demonstrated on epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films. For the logic function, the current switching between on/off states of the transistor depends on the creation or elimination of conducting domain walls between drain and source electrodes. For the data storage, the transistor can maintain nonvolatile on/off states after the write/erase operations, providing an innovative approach for the development of the domain wall nanoelectronics.
Layer-engineered interlayer charge transfer in WSe2/WS2 heterostructures
Authors: Bian Ang , Liu Shuangyan , Zhang Xiaoxian , Liu Zeng , He Dawei , Zhao Hui , Dai Jun
Published: February 2023

The layer thickness determines the electronic structure of two-dimensional (2D) materials, leading to different band alignments, which are crucial for the transition metal dichalcogenides heterostructures. Here, we investigated the heterostructure of WSe2/WS2 with different layer thicknesses by steady-state and transient absorption spectroscopy. We observed different ultrafast charge transfer behaviors in 1L-WSe2/2L-WS2 and 2L-WSe2/2L-WS2 few-layer heterostructures. We demonstrate that the layer thickness determines the sequence of intralayer exciton relaxation and interlayer charge transfer. The valley transfer of the band edge induced by the layer thickness can effectively mediate the hot carrier transfer time and interlayer exciton lifetime. These provide us a deeper understanding of carrier dynamics in 2D indirect bandgap semiconductor heterostructures.
Cooperative diffusion in body-centered cubic iron in Earth and super-Earths’ inner core conditions
Authors: Ghosh Maitrayee , Zhang Shuai , Hu Lianming , Hu S X
Published: February 2023

The physical chemistry of iron at the inner-core conditions is key to understanding the evolution and habitability of Earth and super-Earth planets. Based on full first-principles simulations, we report cooperative diffusion along the longitudinally fast

⟨
111
⟩

directions of body-centered cubic (bcc) iron in temperature ranges of up to 2000–4000 K below melting and pressures of ∼300–4000 GPa. The diffusion is due to the low energy barrier in the corresponding direction and is accompanied by mechanical and dynamical stability, as well as strong elastic anisotropy of bcc iron. These findings provide a possible explanation for seismological signatures of the Earth’s inner core, particularly the positive correlation between P wave velocity and attenuation. The diffusion can also change the detailed mechanism of core convection by increasing the diffusivity and electrical conductivity and lowering the viscosity. The results need to be considered in future geophysical and planetary models and should motivate future studies of materials under extreme conditions.
Hybrid mixed-dimensional WTe2/CsPbI3 perovskite heterojunction for high-performance photodetectors
Authors: Song Xiufeng , Jian Yuxuan , Wang Xusheng , Chen Jiawei , Shan Qingsong , Zhang Shengli , Chen Zhanyang , Chen Xiang , Zeng Haibo
Published: February 2023

Perovskites have showed significant potential for the application in photodetectors due to their outstanding electrical and optical properties. Integrating two-dimensional (2D) materials with perovskites can make full use of the high carrier mobility of 2D materials and strong light absorption of perovskite to realize excellent optoelectrical properties. Here, we demonstrate a photodetector based on the WTe2/CsPbI3 heterostructure. The quenching and the shortened lifetime of photoluminescence (PL) for CsPbI3 perovskite confirms the efficient charge transfer at the WTe2/CsPbI3 heterojunction. After coupled with WTe2, the photoresponsivity of the CsPbI3 photodetector is improved by almost two orders of magnitude due to the high-gain photogating effect. The WTe2/CsPbI3 heterojunction photodetector reveals a large responsivity of 1157 A W−1 and a high detectivity of 2.1 × 1013 Jones. The results pave the way for the development of high-performance optoelectronic devices based on 2D materials/perovskite heterojunctions.
Ultrasound shear wave phase velocity imaging using black-box system identification (BSI): a data-driven approach
Authors: Xiao Yang , Jin Jing , Yuan Yu , Zhao Yue , Li Dandan
Published: February 2023

Objective. Shear wave elasticity imaging (SWEI) is an established approach for diagnosing lesions in human tissue. However, the shear wavelengths used by traditional SWEI are usually not short enough, leading to inferior accuracy in small-target (<10 mm) reconstruction. To exploit short shear wavelengths (high-frequency content), this study introduces a new phase velocity (PV) estimation technique as an alternative to the conventional group velocity (GV) modality. Approach. We propose using a black-box model instead of a fully physics-based model to describe the transition process of two arbitrary shear wave signals. With this representation, local PV can be obtained via black-box system identification (BSI). For validation, two PV estimation scenarios were established: (numerical) dispersion measurements in viscoelastic media, and (real) imaging targets in a CIRS elasticity phantom. BSI was compared with a state-of-the-art PV imaging method that uses local wavenumber estimation (LWE). Main results. BSI showed excellent accuracy in the dispersion estimation for all three viscoelastic media in the simulations. In the phantom study, the two PV methods exhibited good agreement in the frequency dependence of target quantification, and could both generate a higher target reconstruction accuracy than GV. LWE images were strongly affected by noise-induced faulty estimates, whereas BSI showed no notable artifacts. Significance. This study demonstrates the advantage of the PV modality over the GV modality as the former can achieve better target visualization by increasing imaging frequency. It also implies the feasibility of data-driven modeling for soft tissue characterization.
Design and performance simulation studies of a breast PET insert integrable into a clinical whole-body PET/MRI scanner
Authors: Pommranz C M , Schmidt F P , Mannheim J G , Diebold S J , Tenzer C , Santangelo A , Pichler B J
Published: February 2023

Objective. Three different breast positron emission tomography (PET) insert geometries are proposed for integration into an existing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) breast coil (Breast Biopsy Coil, NORAS MRI products) to be used inside a whole-body PET/MRI scanner (Biograph mMR, Siemens Healthineers) to enhance the sensitivity and spatial resolution of imaging inside the breast. Approach. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to predict and compare the performance characteristics of the three geometries in terms of the sensitivity, spatial resolution, scatter fraction, and noise equivalent count rate (NECR). In addition, the background single count rate due to organ uptake in a clinical scan scenario was predicted using a realistic anthropomorphic phantom. Main results. In the center of the field of view (cFOV), absolute sensitivities of 3.1%, 2.7%, and 2.2% were found for Geometry A (detectors arranged in two cylinders), Geometry B (detectors arranged in two partial cylinders), and Geometry C (detectors arranged in two half cylinders combined with two plates), respectively. The full width at half maximum spatial resolution was determined to be 1.7 mm (Geometry A), 1.8 mm (Geometry B) and 2.0 mm (Geometry C) at 5 mm from the cFOV. Designs with multiple scintillation-crystal layers capable of determining the depth of interaction (DOI) strongly improved the spatial resolution at larger distances from the transaxial cFOV. The system scatter fractions were 33.1% (Geometries A and B) and 32.3% (Geometry C). The peak NECRs occurred at source activities of 300 MBq (Geometry A), 310 MBq (Geometry B) and 340 MBq (Geometry C). The background single-event count rates were 17.1 × 106 cps (Geometry A), 15.3 × 106 cps (Geometry B) and 14.8 × 106 cps (Geometry C). Geometry A in the three-layer DOI variant exhibited the best PET performance characteristics but could be challenging to manufacture. Geometry C had the lowest impact on the spatial resolution and the lowest sensitivity among the investigated geometries. Significance. Geometry B in the two-layer DOI variant represented an effective compromise between the PET performance and manufacturing difficulty and was found to be a promising candidate for the future breast PET insert.
A novel external/internal tumor tracking approach to compensate for respiratory motion baseline drifts
Authors: Giżyńska Marta K , Seppenwoolde Yvette , Kilby Warren , Heijmen Ben JM
Published: February 2023

Objective. Real-time respiratory tumor tracking as implemented in a robotic treatment unit is based on continuous optical measurement of the position of external markers and a correlation model between them and internal target positions, which are established with X-ray imaging of the tumor, or fiducials placed in or around the tumor. Correlation models are created with fifteen simultaneously measured external/internal marker position pairs divided over the respiratory cycle. Every 45–150 s, the correlation model is updated by replacing the three first acquired data pairs with three new pairs. Tracking simulations for >120.000 computer-generated respiratory tracks demonstrated that this tracking approach resulted in relevant inaccuracies in internal target position predictions, especially in case of presence of respiratory motion baseline drifts. Approach. To better cope with drifts, we introduced a novel correlation model with an explicit time dependence, and we proposed to replace the currently applied linear-motion tracking (LMT) by mixed-model tracking (MMT). In MMT, the linear correlation model is extended with an explicit time dependence in case of a detected baseline drift. MMT prediction accuracies were then established for the same >120.000 computer-generated patients as used for LMT. Main results. For 150 s update intervals, MMT outperformed LMT in internal target position prediction accuracy for 93.7 ∣ 97.2% of patients with 0.25 ∣ 0.5 mm min−1 linear respiratory motion baseline drifts with similar numbers of X-ray images and similar treatment times. For the upper 25% of patients, mean 3D internal target position prediction errors reduced by 0.7 ∣ 1.8 mm, while near maximum reductions (upper 10% of patients) were 0.9 ∣ 2.0 mm. Significance. For equal numbers of acquired X-ray images, MMT greatly improved tracking accuracy compared to LMT, especially in the presence of baseline drifts. Even with almost 50% less acquired X-ray images, MMT still outperformed LMT in internal target position prediction accuracy.
Local enhancement of electron heating and neutral species generation in radio-frequency micro-atmospheric pressure plasma jets: the effects of structured electrode topologies
Authors: Liu Yue , Vass Máté , Hübner Gerrit , Schulenberg David , Hemke Torben , Bischoff Lena , Chur Sascha , Steuer David , Golda Judith , Böke Marc , Schulze Julian , Korolov Ihor , Mussenbrock Thomas
Published: February 2023

The effects of structured electrode topologies on He/O2 radio frequency micro-atmospheric pressure plasma jets driven at 13.56 MHz are investigated by a combination of 2D fluid simulations and experiments. Good qualitative agreement is found between the computational and experimental results for the 2D spatio-temporally resolved dynamics of energetic electrons measured by phase resolved optical emission spectroscopy, 2D spatially resolved helium metastable densities measured by tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy and 2D spatially resolved atomic oxygen densities measured by two photon absorption laser induced fluorescence. The presence of rectangular trenches of specific dimensions inside the electrodes is found to cause a local increase of the electron power absorption inside and above/below these surface structures. This method of controlling the electron energy distribution function via tailored surface topologies leads to a local increase of the metastable and atomic oxygen densities. A linear combination of trenches along the direction of the gas flow is found to result in an increase of the atomic oxygen density in the effluent, depending linearly on the number of trenches. These findings are explained by an enhanced Ohmic electric field inside each trench, originating from (a) the low electron density, and, consequently, the low plasma conductivity inside the trenches, and (b) the presence of a current focusing effect as a result of the electrode topology.
Effects of gate roughness on low voltage InGaZnO thin-film transistors with ultra-thin anodized AlxOy dielectrics
Authors: Lin Xiaoyu , Jin Jidong , Kim Jaekyun , Xin Qian , Zhang Jiawei , Song Aimin
Published: February 2023

Low-voltage oxide semiconductors thin-film transistors (TFTs) with ultra-thin dielectrics are gaining attention in wearable electronics. However, it is a challenge for oxide semiconductor TFTs to operate at a low-voltage while maintaining high performance. In this article, ultra-thin Al
x
O
y
films (∼3 nm) are grown on aluminum (Al) electrodes with different surface roughness by anodization. The morphology and electrical properties of the anodized Al
x
O
y
films are studied. Furthermore, InGaZnO (IGZO) TFTs with the anodized AlxOy dielectrics are fabricated. It is revealed that the rougher Al gate electrode deposition resulted in a higher interface trap density, which lead to the degradation of device performance. Through optimizing the surface roughness of the initial Al gate electrodes that are used for anodization, the IGZO TFTs can operate at 1 V and show desirable properties including a reasonable saturation mobility of 5.5 cm2 V−1s−1, a low threshold voltage of 0.37 V, a small subthreshold swing of 79 mV decade−1, and a high current on-off ratio of over 106. This work shows the potential of using anodization in the future for low-power wearable electronics.
Predictable and robust performance of a Bi-2223 superconducting coil for compact isochronous cyclotrons
Authors: Vermeer C H , Tolboom A H , Otten S J , G Krooshoop H J , Lubkemann R , Leferink J , Wessel W A J , Nijhuis A , Godeke A , Walpole M , Heese J , Hayashi K , Shizuya E
Published: February 2023

The development of ever smaller medical particle accelerators is motivated by a desire to make proton therapy accessible to more patients. Reducing the footprint of particle accelerators and subsequently proton therapy facilities allows for cheaper and broader usage of proton therapy. By employing superconducting technologies for field shaping, the size of particle accelerators can be reduced further below what is possible with saturated iron. This article discusses experiments on a first-of-its-kind double pancake (DP), and an assembly of six DP coils, designed to be used as a so-called ‘flutter coil’ for a compact isochronous cyclotron for proton therapy, fabricated from high-temperature superconducting (HTS) Bi

2
−
x

Pb
x
Sr2Ca2Cu3O
y
(Bi-2223) tape. The coils were mounted under pre-stress within a stainless-steel structure to maintain mechanical stability during the experiments. The critical current as a function of the temperature of both coils was measured in a conduction-cooled setup. A model describing the coils, based on tape data, was created and revealed that the measurements were in excellent agreement with the predictions. Additional experiments were performed to study the quench and thermal runaway behaviour of the HTS coils, determining whether such coils can be protected against fault scenarios, using realistic quench-detection levels and discharge extraction-rates. These experiments demonstrate that the coils are very robust and can be well protected against quenches and thermal-runaway events using common quench-protection measures with realistic parameters.
A novel capacitively coupled plasma driven by hollow cathode radio-frequency discharges
Authors: Xiao Xijian , Wu Jidun , Cao Qilu , Huang Xiaojiang
Published: February 2023

New plasma sources with high density and low energy are required to process material surfaces in nanometers. In this study, an electrode integrated with a hollow cathode (HC) and capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) was developed. With the tool, a novel capacitively coupled plasma driven by the hollow cathode radio-frequency discharges (HC-CCP) was observed experimentally, and its properties in the center of the chamber were investigated by a Langmuir probe. The results demonstrated that the HC-CCP presents wide ranges of electron density (n

e
), between 109 and 1010 cm−3, and electron energy (T

e
), 3.5–6.7 eV. And their distributions can be controlled by the modulation of radio-frequency source power and frequency, work pressure, and bias voltage. Therefore, this plasma source can be applied to a new generation of material processing.
New black hole solutions with a dynamical traceless nonmetricity tensor in Metric-Affine Gravity
Authors: Bahamonde Sebastian , Chevrier Johann , Gigante Valcarcel Jorge
Published: February 2023

In the framework of Metric-Affine Gravity, the existing correspondence between the
Einstein tensor and the energy-momentum tensor of matter provided by General Relativity is
extended towards a post-Riemannian description in terms of the torsion and nonmetricity fields,
which are sourced by the spin, dilation and shear currents of matter. In this work, we focus on
the dynamical role of the traceless part of the nonmetricity tensor and its intrinsic connection
with shears, defining a model which encloses a new black hole solution endowed with shear
charges. We show that the extension in the presence of dynamical torsion and Weyl vector leads to
the broadest family of static and spherically symmetric black hole solutions with spin, dilation
and shear charges in Metric-Affine Gravity so far.
Reaction 55Mn + 159Tb : preparation for the synthesis of new elements*
Authors: Chen Lixin , Xu Suyang , Zhang Zhiyuan , Wang Jianguo , Huang Minghui , Zhang Mingming , Ma Long , Yang Huabin , Yang Chunli , Wu Xiaolei , Zhou Houbing , Zhao Zhen , Huang Xinyuan , Zhou Hao , Zhang Xu , Sun Luchong , Li Zongchi , Gan Zaiguo
Published: February 2023

The complete fusion reaction of

Mn +

Tb was studied on the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS2. Nineteen ER - α

- α

decay chains from

Th produced from the 4n evaporation channel were observed. The α-particle energy and half-life of

Th were determined as 7922(14) keV and 14(4) ms, respectively. In addition, the decay properties of

= 7788(14) keV and

= 36

ms were obtained for

Th. The measured α decay properties of

Th and

Th were consistent with literature data. The cross sections were measured to be 0.59

nb and 0.19

nb for

Th and

Th, respectively. The equilibrium charge state of the recoiled nucleus

Th was determined experimentally. The new data were helpful for estimating the equilibrium charge states of elements 119 and 120, which could be produced via the

Pu(

Mn, 3n)

119 and

Am(

Mn, 3n)

120 reactions, respectively.
Principal Component Analysis of Ground Level Enhancement of Cosmic Ray Events
Authors: Ugwoke R. E. , Ubachukwu A. A. , Urama J. O. , Okike O. , Alhassan J. A. , Chukwude A. E.
Published: February 2023

We applied principal component analysis (PCA) to the study of five ground level enhancements (GLEs) of cosmic ray (CR) events. The nature of the multivariate data involved makes PCA a useful tool for this study. A subroutine program written and implemented in the R software environment generated interesting principal components. Analysis of the results shows that the method can distinguish between neutron monitors (NMs) that observed Forbush decreases from those that observed GLEs at the same time. The PCA equally assigned NMs with identical signal counts with the same correlation factor (r) and those with close r values equally have a close resemblance in their CR counts. The results further indicate that while NMs that have the same time of peak may not have the same r, most NMs that had the same r also had the same time of peak. Analyzing the second principal components yielded information on the differences between NMs having opposite but the same or close values of r. NMs that had the same r equally had the tendency of being close in latitude.
Tutorial: multiphoton microscopy to advance neuroscience research
Authors: Hernández Iván Coto , Yau Jenny , Rishøj Lars , Cui Nanke , Minderler Steven , Jowett Nate
Published: February 2023

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) employs ultrafast infrared lasers for high-resolution deep three-dimensional imaging of live biological samples. The goal of this tutorial is to provide a practical guide to MPM imaging for novice microscopy developers and life-science users. Principles of MPM, microscope setup, and labeling strategies are discussed. Use of MPM to achieve unprecedented imaging depth of whole mounted explants and intravital imaging via implantable glass windows of the mammalian nervous system is demonstrated.
Effect of annealing temperature on microstructures and mechanical properties of a hot-rolled Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Ni-0.5Nb alloy for offshore applications
Authors: Yao X J , Yao S Y , Qin C H , Wang Y F , Tang W , Yu Y
Published: February 2023

Titanium alloys have been increasingly used for downhole tubular and components for corrosive oil wells due to their combination of strength, density, and corrosion resistance. The present study investigated the effect of annealing temperature on microstructures and mechanical properties of a Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Ni-0.5Nb alloy developed for oil well application. The α/β- and β-rolled Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Ni-0.5Nb alloy plates were subjected to annealing at different temperatures ranging from 750 to 900 °C and held for 1 h, and the microstructure and mechanical properties were evaluated. The experimental results show that the developed alloy exhibited both high strength and ductility than that of the conventional Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The α/β- and β-rolled alloy after annealing exhibited bimodal structures and provided well-balanced strength, ductility, and impact toughness, high strength of 950−1000 MPa, elongation of 17%−18%, and impact toughness of 90−120 J cm−2. From a mechanical viewpoint, the new alloy after appropriate annealing is suitable for oil well applications.
Single-point spin Chern number in a supercell framework
Authors: Favata Roberta , Marrazzo Antimo
Published: February 2023

We present an approach for the calculation of the

Z

2

topological invariant in non-crystalline two-dimensional quantum spin Hall insulators. While topological invariants were originally mathematically introduced for crystalline periodic systems, and crucially hinge on tracking the evolution of occupied states through the Brillouin zone, the introduction of disorder or dynamical effects can break the translational symmetry and imply the use of larger simulation cells, where the k-point sampling is typically reduced to the single Γ-point. Here, we introduce a single-point formula for the spin Chern number that enables to adopt the supercell framework, where a single Hamiltonian diagonalisation is performed. Inspired by the work of Prodan (2009 Phys. Rev. B 80 125327), our single-point approach allows to calculate the spin Chern number even when the spin operator

s
ˆ

z

does not commute with the Hamiltonian, as in the presence of Rashba spin–orbit coupling. We validate our method on the Kane–Mele model, both pristine and in the presence of Anderson disorder. Finally, we investigate the disorder-driven transition from the trivial phase to the topological state known as topological Anderson insulator. Beyond disordered systems, our approach is particularly useful to investigate the role of defects, to study topological alloys and in the context of ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations at finite temperature.
Experimental and computational methods for studying the dynamics of RNA–RNA interactions in SARS-COV2 genomes
Authors: Srivastava Mansi , Dukeshire Matthew R , Mir Quoseena , Omoru Okiemute Beatrice , Manzourolajdad Amirhossein , Janga Sarath Chandra
Published: February 2023

Long-range ribonucleic acid (RNA)–RNA interactions (RRI) are prevalent in positive-strand RNA viruses, including Beta-coronaviruses, and these take part in regulatory roles, including the regulation of sub-genomic RNA production rates. Crosslinking of interacting RNAs and short read-based deep sequencing of resulting RNA–RNA hybrids have shown that these long-range structures exist in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 on both genomic and sub-genomic levels and in dynamic topologies. Furthermore, co-evolution of coronaviruses with their hosts is navigated by genetic variations made possible by its large genome, high recombination frequency and a high mutation rate. SARS-CoV-2’s mutations are known to occur spontaneously during replication, and thousands of aggregate mutations have been reported since the emergence of the virus. Although many long-range RRIs have been experimentally identified using high-throughput methods for the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 strain, evolutionary trajectory of these RRIs across variants, impact of mutations on RRIs and interaction of SARS-CoV-2 RNAs with the host have been largely open questions in the field. In this review, we summarize recent computational tools and experimental methods that have been enabling the mapping of RRIs in viral genomes, with a specific focus on SARS-CoV-2. We also present available informatics resources to navigate the RRI maps and shed light on the impact of mutations on the RRI space in viral genomes. Investigating the evolution of long-range RNA interactions and that of virus–host interactions can contribute to the understanding of new and emerging variants as well as aid in developing improved RNA therapeutics critical for combating future outbreaks.
Molecular phylogenetics of Maranta (Marantaceae: Zingiberales): non-monophyly and support for a wider circumscription
Authors: Fernandes Geysla Da Costa , Luna Naédja K , Fraga Elmary , Barros Maria Claudene , Chase Mark W , Pessoa Edlley M
Published: February 2023

Neotropical Maranta has repeatedly emerged as non-monophyletic in molecular phylogenetic studies, but no taxonomic changes have been proposed due to previous weak support for the main clades and overall sparse taxonomic sampling. Our study includes a phylogenetic hypothesis strictly based on molecular evidence, using nuclear ribosomal (nrITS) and plastid (rps16, trnL-F and rpl32-trnL) markers for Maranta and allied genera. Thirty-two species from eight genera were sampled, and maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analyses were carried out. Non-ambiguous indels were scored in both analyses to test their contribution to internal support. Our results confirm that Maranta, as previously delimited, is non-monophyletic, with species of Hylaeanthe, Myrosma and Koernickanthe nested among clades of Maranta. The combined BI analysis without indels was the best resolved, and inclusion of indels increased support only for terminal clades. The sampled species comprise two sister clades, one with Maranta + Hylaeanthe + Myrosma + Koernickanthe and the other with Ctenanthe + Saranthe + Stromanthe. The infrageneric classification proposed by Schumann for Maranta (M. subgenera Maranta and Calateastrum) is partially corroborated by our results, but the remaining subgenera need to be further studied. Based on our strongly supported phylogenetic results, we revise the taxonomy of these genera, expanding the limits of Maranta. We propose two new combinations and a new name for Hylaeanthe in Maranta.
Contribution of the stereoscopic representation of motion-in-depth during visually guided feedback control
Authors: Wang Xiaolu , Liang Haowen , Li Le , Zhou Jianying , Song Rong
Published: February 2023

Considerable studies have focused on the neural basis of visually guided tracking movement in the frontoparallel plane, whereas the neural process in real-world circumstances regarding the influence of binocular disparity and motion-in-depth (MID) perception is less understood. Although the role of stereoscopic versus monoscopic MID information has been extensively described for visual processing, its influence on top-down regulation for motor execution has not received much attention. Here, we orthogonally varied the visual representation (stereoscopic versus monoscopic) and motion direction (depth motion versus bias depth motion versus frontoparallel motion) during visually guided tracking movements, with simultaneous functional near-infrared spectroscopy recordings. Results show that the stereoscopic representation of MID could lead to more accurate movements, which was supported by specific neural activity pattern. More importantly, we extend prior evidence about the role of frontoparietal network in brain–behavior relationship, showing that occipital area, more specifically, visual area V2/V3 was also robustly involved in the association. Furthermore, by using the stereoscopic representation of MID, it is plausible to detect robust brain–behavior relationship even with small sample size at low executive task demand. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of the stereoscopic representation of MID for investigating neural correlates of visually guided feedback control.
An adaptive bounded-confidence model of opinion dynamics on networks
Authors: Kan Unchitta , Feng Michelle , Porter Mason A
Published: February 2023

Individuals who interact with each other in social networks often exchange ideas and influence each other’s opinions. A popular approach to study the spread of opinions on networks is by examining bounded-confidence models (BCMs), in which the nodes of a network have continuous-valued states that encode their opinions and are receptive to other nodes’ opinions when they lie within some confidence bound of their own opinion. In this article, we extend the Deffuant–Weisbuch (DW) model, which is a well-known BCM, by examining the spread of opinions that coevolve with network structure. We propose an adaptive variant of the DW model in which the nodes of a network can (1) alter their opinions when they interact with neighbouring nodes and (2) break connections with neighbours based on an opinion tolerance threshold and then form new connections following the principle of homophily. This opinion tolerance threshold determines whether or not the opinions of adjacent nodes are sufficiently different to be viewed as ‘discordant’. Using numerical simulations, we find that our adaptive DW model requires a larger confidence bound than a baseline DW model for the nodes of a network to achieve a consensus opinion. In one region of parameter space, we observe ‘pseudo-consensus’ steady states, in which there exist multiple subclusters of an opinion cluster with opinions that differ from each other by a small amount. In our simulations, we also examine the roles of early-time dynamics and nodes with initially moderate opinions for achieving consensus. Additionally, we explore the effects of coevolution on the convergence time of our BCM.
Invasive ant learning is not affected by seven potential neuroactive chemicals
Authors: Galante Henrique , Czaczkes Tomer J
Published: February 2023

Argentine ants Linepithema humile are one of the most damaging invasive alien species worldwide. Enhancing or disrupting cognitive abilities, such as learning, has the potential to improve management efforts, for example by increasing preference for a bait, or improving ants’ ability to learn its characteristics or location. Nectar-feeding insects are often the victims of psychoactive manipulation, with plants lacing their nectar with secondary metabolites such as alkaloids and non-protein amino acids which often alter learning, foraging, or recruitment. However, the effect of neuroactive chemicals has seldomly been explored in ants. Here, we test the effects of seven potential neuroactive chemicals—two alkaloids: caffeine and nicotine; two biogenic amines: dopamine and octopamine, and three nonprotein amino acids: β-alanine, GABA and taurine—on the cognitive abilities of invasive L. humile using bifurcation mazes. Our results confirm that these ants are strong associative learners, requiring as little as one experience to develop an association. However, we show no short-term effect of any of the chemicals tested on spatial learning, and in addition no effect of caffeine on short-term olfactory learning. This lack of effect is surprising, given the extensive reports of the tested chemicals affecting learning and foraging in bees. This mismatch could be due to the heavy bias towards bees in the literature, a positive result publication bias, or differences in methodology.
Bacterial communities of Antarctic lichens explored by gDNA and cDNA 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing
Authors: Woltyńska Aleksandra , Gawor Jan , Olech Maria A , Górniak Dorota , Grzesiak Jakub
Published: February 2023

Recently, lichens came once more into the scientific spotlight due to their unique relations with prokaryotes. Several temperate region lichen species have been thoroughly explored in this regard yet, the information on Antarctic lichens and their associated bacteriobiomes is somewhat lacking. In this paper, we assessed the phylogenetic structure of the whole and active fractions of bacterial communities housed by Antarctic lichens growing in different environmental conditions by targeted 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Bacterial communities associated with lichens procured from a nitrogen enriched site were very distinct from the communities isolated from lichens of a nitrogen depleted site. The former were characterized by substantial contributions of Bacteroidetes phylum members and the elusive Armatimonadetes. At the nutrient-poor site the lichen-associated bacteriobiome structure was unique for each lichen species, with chlorolichens being occupied largely by Proteobacteria. Lichen species with a pronounced discrepancy in diversity between the whole and active fractions of their bacterial communities had the widest ecological amplitude, hinting that the nonactive part of the community is a reservoir of latent stress coping mechanisms. This is the first investigation to make use of targeted metatranscriptomics to infer the bacterial biodiversity in Antarctic lichens.
SsrA and SmpB have multifaceted physiological roles in the black rot pathogenXanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris
Authors: Lo Hsueh-Hsia , Liao Chao-Tsai , Li Chih-En , Chang Hsiao-Ching , Hsiao Yi-Min
Published: February 2023

SsrA and SmpB are known to play important roles in translational quality control and are essential for virulence in many human and animal pathogenic bacteria. The physiological roles and contribution of SsrA and SmpB to plant pathogen are unclear. Here, we present evidence to show that ssrA and smpB are involved in pathogenesis of Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris, the cause of black rot diseases in crucifers. The ssrA and smpB mutants exhibited defects in bacterial attachment, cell motility, and extracellular enzyme activity. The mutation of ssrA and smpB also resulted in a reduction in temperature tolerance. These altered phenotypes of the ssrA and smpB mutants could be complemented to wild-type levels by the intact ssrA and smpB genes. This is the first demonstration of the roles of SsrA and SmpB in phytopathogen.
Epsilon-poly-l-lysine increases disease resistance of citrus against postharvest green mold by activating amino acid metabolism and phenolic compounds biosynthesis
Authors: Zhang Xiong , Deng Qian , Wang Wenjun , Zhang Hongyan , Chen Ou , Zeng Kaifang
Published: February 2023

As a famous fruit worldwide, citrus is susceptible to green mold caused by Penicillium digitatum, which causes large economic losses every year. ε-Poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) is a novel preservative with strong inhibitory effects on fungi, and has the capacity to induce disease resistance in fruit, but the mechanism has been reported rarely, especially in citrus. In the present study, 800 μg/mL ε-PL and P. digitatum spores were inoculated in two different wounds on the citrus pericarp at an interval of 24 h. The results revealed that ε-PL inhibited that the development of green mold without direct contact with P. digitatum, indicating that the disease resistance of citrus was activated. Transcriptome analysis revealed that ε-PL activated amino acid metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Besides, the accumulation of glutamic acid, proline, arginine, serine, lysine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine were changed during storage. In phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, ε-PL increased phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), and 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase (4CL) activities and total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Importantly, among these phenolic compounds, ε-PL promoted the accumulation of individual phenolic compounds including ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, gallic acid, catechins, epicatechin, and narirutin. In conclusion, ε-PL enhanced the resistance of citrus through amino acid metabolism and accumulation of phenolic compounds. These results improved the knowledge of the mechanism of ε-PL–induced disease resistance and provided a fresh theoretical basis for the use of ε-PL in postharvest citrus preservation.
Mitonuclear Interactions and the Origin of Macaque Societies
Authors: Zhu Jianlong , Evans Ben J
Published: February 2023

In most eukaryotes, aerobic respiration requires interactions between autosomally encoded genes (Ninteract genes) and mitochondrial DNA, RNA, and protein. In species where females are philopatric, contrasting distributions of genetic variation in mitochondrial and nuclear genomes create variation in mitonuclear interactions that may be subject to natural selection. To test this expectation, we turned to a group with extreme female philopatry: the macaque monkeys. We examined four genomic data sets from (1) wild caught and (2) captive populations of rhesus macaque, which is the most widely distributed nonhuman primate, and (3) the stump-tailed macaque and (4) a subspecies of longtail macaque, both of whose mitochondrial DNA is introgressed from a highly diverged ancestor. We identified atypically long runs of homozygosity, low polymorphism, high differentiation, and/or rapid protein evolution associated with Ninteract genes compared with non-Ninteract genes. These metrics suggest a subset of Ninteract genes were independently subject to atypically pervasive natural selection in multiple species. These findings suggest that natural selection on mitonuclear interactions could have influenced several aspects of macaque societies including species diversity, ecological breadth, female-biased adult sex ratio and demography, sexual dimorphism, and mitonuclear phylogenomics.
Development of homozygous tetraploid potato and whole genome doubling-induced the enrichment of H3K27ac and potentially enhanced resistance to cold-induced sweetening in tubers
Authors: Guo Hongwei , Zhou Min , Zhang Guoyan , He Li , Yan Caihong , Wan Min , Hu Jianjun , He Wei , Zeng Deying , Zhu Bo , Zeng Zixian
Published: February 2023

Polyploid plants typically display advantages on some agronomically important traits over their diploid counterparts. Extensive studies have shown genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic dynamics upon polyploidization in multiple plant species. However, few studies have unveiled those alternations imposed only by ploidy level, without any interference from heterozygosity. Cultivated potato is highly heterozygous. Thus, in this study, we developed two homozygous autotetraploid lines and one homozygous diploid line in parallel from a homozygous diploid potato. We confirmed their ploidy levels using chloroplast counting and karyotyping. Oligo-FISH and genome re-sequencing validated that these potato lines are nearly homozygous. We investigated variations in phenotypes, transcription, and histone modifications between two ploidies. Both autotetraploid lines produced larger but fewer tubers than the diploid line. Interestingly, each autotetraploid line displayed ploidy-related differential expression for various genes. We also discovered a genome-wide enrichment of H3K27ac in genic regions upon whole-genome doubling (WGD). However, such enrichment was not associated with the differential gene expression between two ploidies. The tetraploid lines may exhibit better resistance to cold-induced sweetening (CIS) than the diploid line in tubers, potentially regulated through the expression of CIS-related key genes, which seems to be associated with the levels of H3K4me3 in cold-stored tubers. These findings will help to understand the impacts of autotetraploidization on dynamics of phenotypes, transcription, and histone modifications, as well as on CIS-related genes in response to cold storage.