bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implications of preclinical Alzheimer's disease biomarker disclosure for US policy and society
Authors: Erickson Claire M. , Clark Lindsay R. , Ketchum Fred B. , Chin Nathaniel A. , Gleason Carey E. , Largent Emily A.
Published: August 2022

Disclosure of Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers to cognitively unimpaired adults are currently conducted only in research settings. Yet, US Food and Drug Administration approval of a disease‐modifying treatment for symptomatic individuals, improved understanding of the “preclinical” phase of disease, and advancements toward more accessible biomarker tests suggest such disclosure will increase in frequency, eventually becoming routine in clinical practice. The changing landscape in AD research to focus on biomarkers has generated debate on the validity and clinical utility of disclosure to cognitively unimpaired adults. This article explores the broader social implications of more widespread AD biomarker disclosure—that is, of individuals learning their risk for developing dementia caused by AD. We identify 10 challenges and offer preliminary solutions. As the field continues to evolve, it is essential to anticipate and address these broader ethical, legal, and social implications of disclosure.
Temporal stability of productivity is associated with complementarity and competitive intensities in intercropping
Authors: Wu Jinpu , Bao Xingguo , Zhang Jiudong , Lu Binglin , Zhang Weiping , Callaway Ragan M. , Li Long
Published: August 2022

Year‐to‐year stability in crop production is a crucial aspect of feeding a growing global population. Evidence from natural ecosystems shows that increasing plant diversity generally increases the temporal stability of productivity; however, we have little knowledge of the mechanisms by which diversity affects stability. In fact, understanding the drivers of stability is a major knowledge gap in our understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem function in general. We varied resource inputs into crop monocultures and intercropping of maize/pea and maize/rapeseed for 3 years in field experiments to create a wide range of values for temporal stability, complementarity effects, selection effects, competition, and facilitation. We correlated whole‐system temporal stability in productivity with these values and the stability of competitively subordinate species and competitively dominant species in the intercrops. We then used structural equation modeling (SEM), which combines complex path models with latent variables, to estimate how interspecific interactions for water, nitrogen, and phosphorus affected the relationships between stability and these values. Intercropping treatments did not increase stability, but the wide range of stability created by our experiments allowed us to explore the relationship of many factors with stability. Complementarity correlated positively with the temporal stability of grain yield and aboveground biomass, suggesting that either facilitative interactions or niche partitioning shifted over time in ways that promoted stability. Furthermore, the temporal stability of total productivity of intercropping relied most on the stability of more productive species. However, facilitation tested by relative interaction index independently did not correlate with stability, but the temporal stability of the whole system increased as the competitive effects of competitively dominant species (pea and rapeseed) on competitively subordinate species (maize) decreased and was highest when these competitive effects were virtually zero. SEM indicated that as competition for soil nitrogen from competitively dominant species on competitively subordinate species decreased, the overall temporal stability of whole‐system aboveground biomass increased. This stability then led to greater stability in grain production. Our findings indicate that complex shifts in complementarity and competitive intensities are likely to be key mechanisms that maintain temporal stability in species‐diverse agriculture and, potentially, in natural systems.
Cobalt Catalysts Bearingortho‐(4,4′‐Dichlorobenzhydryl) Substituents and Their Use in Generating Narrowly Dispersed Polyethylene of High Linearity
Authors: Liu Tian , Liu Ming , Ma Yanping , Solan Gregory A. , Liang Tongling , Sun Wen‐Hua
Published: August 2022

Six well‐defined examples ofortho‐(4,4′‐dichlorobenzhydryl)‐substituted 2,6‐diaryliminopyridine‐cobalt dichloride complex,Co1−Co6, have been prepared in reasonable yield by treatment of the corresponding free ligand (L1−L6) with cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate. The molecular structures ofCo2andCo3highlight theirpseudo‐square pyramidal geometry, the nonsymmetrical properties of theN,N,N′‐chelating ligand and the steric shielding conferred by theortho‐(4,4′‐dichlorobenzhydryl) groups. On treatment with the aluminoxanes, MAO or MMAO, all cobalt complexes exhibited good to high productivities for ethylene polymerization (up to 8.96×106 g (PE) mol−1(Co) h−1at 60 °C) affording linear polyethylene with molecular weights in the range 28.8–250.2 kg mol−1. The steric properties of theortho‐substituents were found to exhibit significant effects on the activity and molecular weight of the resulting polymers. For example,Co1/MAO proved the most active and thermally stable, while the more sterically encumberedCo3in combination with either MAO or MMAO afforded the highest molecular weight polymer. All polymerizations were well‐controlled as is evidenced by the narrow dispersities displayed by the polymers, a feature that is characteristic of single‐site behavior. By comparison with theirortho‐benzhydryl‐substituted cobalt counterparts, the effect of thepara‐chloride substitution was to increase thermal stability, raise activity and depress polymer molecular weight.
Structural and predictive analyses with a mixed copula‐based vector autoregression model
Authors: Yamaka Woraphon , Gupta Rangan , Thongkairat Sukrit , Maneejuk Paravee
Published: August 2022

In this study, we introduce a mixed copula‐based vector autoregressive (VAR) model for investigating the relationship between random variables. The one‐step maximum likelihood estimation is used to obtain point estimates of the autoregressive parameters and mixed copula parameters. More specifically, we combine the likelihoods of the marginal and mixed copula to construct the full likelihood function. The simulation study is used to confirm the accuracy of the estimation as well as the reliability of the proposed model. Various mixed copula forms from a combination of Gaussian, Student's t, Clayton, Frank, Gumbel, and Joe copulas are introduced. The proposed model is compared to the traditional VAR model and single copula‐based VAR models to assess its performance. Furthermore, the real data study is also conducted to validate our proposed method. As a result, it is found that the one‐step maximum likelihood provides accurate and reliable results. Also, we show that if we ignore the complex and nonlinear correlation between the errors, it causes significant efficiency loss in the parameter estimation in terms of |Bias| and MSE. In the application study, the mixed copula‐based VAR is the best fitting copula for our application study.
Interrogating the chemical mechanism for carbon dioxide (CO2) reactivity in aqueous tertiary amine solutions: Can a simple parallel hydration reaction mechanism work?
Authors: Li Lichun , Chen Xiangcan , Zhang Geshan , Xu Meng
Published: August 2022

In this study, the kinetics of CO2 absorption into tertiary amine methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) was studied intensively using both experimental and theoretical approaches. The experimental work measured the kinetics of CO2(aq) react with MDEA over a range of concentrations including dilute (0.5–10.0 mM) and concentrated (0.5–2.5 M) solutions via stopped‐flow spectrophotometric at 25.0°C. The resulting kinetic data has been theoretically evaluated using three chemical reaction mechanism variants including the complete base catalysis mechanism, the simplified base catalysis mechanism, and the parallel CO2 hydration mechanism. Results showed that the simplified base catalysis mechanism in the absence of the kinetic pathways for CO2 via hydroxide and water is insufficient to predict the measured kinetic data while the complete base catalysis mechanism and parallel hydration mechanisms can accurately predict the kinetics of CO2 absorption into MDEA solutions. In particular, the experimental data of reversibility of the hydration reactions at low pH was in poor agreement with the simplified model predicted results. Given the simplicity of the parallel hydration mechanism with no requirement for determination of rate constants of the base catalysis reaction unlike the complete base catalysis mechanism, the parallel hydration mechanism can be considered the simplest and preferred mechanism describing the reaction between tertiary amine MDEA and CO2. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Petrogenesis and geodynamic implications of the Baimashan granitic complex in central Hunan, South China
Authors: Tang Yao , Wang Qiang , Yang Yu‐long , Zhou Yong‐ling , Cui Xiang‐die , Zou Hao
Published: August 2022

The Baimashan granitic complex in central Hunan is a giant multiphase complex pluton within the South China Plate, which contains three phases (the Shuiche, Longtan‐Xiaoshajiang, and Longcangwan superunits). It is located in the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt and is of great significance for the study of the regional tectonic magmatic evolution. Herein, we utilized zircon U–Pb dating, major and trace element geochemistry, and zircon Hf isotope geochemistry for three of the Baimashan granitic complexes; data for the Longcangwan superunit were obtained from previous studies. The new zircon U–Pb ages of 418 ± 3.2 Ma and 223 ± 2.6 Ma for the Shuiche and Longtan‐Xiaoshajiang superunits, respectively, suggest the existence of Late Silurian and Late Triassic magmatism. Both superunits exhibited weak peraluminosity and high‐K calc‐alkaline and weak negative Eu anomalies, which are similar to those of I‐type granites. The Longcangwan superunit showed strong peraluminosity and high‐K calc‐alkaline and stronger negative Eu anomalies; Hf isotope and mineralogical evidence suggest that it is a fractionated I‐type granite. The zircon Hf(t) values and two‐stage depleted mantle Hf model ages revealed that the magma of the Baimashan granitic complex originates from the partial melting of metamorphic igneous rocks; the crust–mantle differentiation age in the source area was 1.5–1.7 Ga for Longtan‐Xiaoshajiang and Longcangwan and 1.7–1.9 Ga for Shuiche. The superunits formed in a post‐collisional extensional tectonic setting. In the case of the Shuiche supersuit this is related to the remote effect of the interaction of the South China Plate with the Australian‐Indian margin of Eastern Gondwana. The formation of the Longtan‐Xiaoshajiang and Longcangwan superunits is linked to the remote effect of the Indosinian and South China Plate collision and the superimposition of the subduction of the Palaeo‐Pacific Plate. The weakly fractionated I‐type granite that formed during the Caledonian in South China is closely related to scheelite mineralisation.
DetritalU–Pbzircon and40Ar/39Armuscovite geochronology of Triassic and Jurassic strata in the southern East Kunlun, northern Tibet Plateau and their geological implications
Authors: Zhou Bo , Dong Yun Peng , Yang Zhao , Genser Johann , Neubauer Franz , He Deng Feng , Hui Bo , Shi Xiao Hui
Published: August 2022

Geochronological dating of detrital minerals from sedimentary rocks can provide invaluable records of the erosional and unroofing history of orogenic systems and link specific sources with their sinks in sedimentary basins. Aiming to establish a better understanding of the thermal and erosional evolution of the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt (E‐KOB), northern Tibet Plateau during the Mesozoic, integrated detrital U–Pb zircon, and40Ar/39Ar muscovite dating was applied to Triassic and Jurassic strata in the southern E‐KOB in this study. Detrital U–Pb zircon ages of clastic rocks from Triassic and Jurassic formations show major age populations at 2,600–2,200 Ma, 2,000–1,700 Ma, 1,000–600 Ma, 530–340 Ma, and 320–220 Ma, while the40Ar/39Ar dating of detrital muscovite yield dominantly Devonian ages with uniform early‐middle Devonian peak ages (380–405 Ma). Our new detrital U–Pb zircon and40Ar/39Ar muscovite ages, combined with the previous palaeocurrent data and comparison with published U–Pb zircon, and40Ar/39Ar muscovite ages of potential source areas, suggest that the E‐KOB was the major source for Triassic and Jurassic strata in the southern East Kunlun. Devonian detrital muscovite40Ar/39Ar ages of the Triassic and Lower Jurassic strata are consistent with the age of syn‐ and post‐collisional magmatic activity in E‐KOB related with the post‐collisional thermal relaxation after closure of the Qimantagh back‐arc basin. The Lower Triassic sedimentary deposits were associated with the subduction of the Kunlun Ocean, which is part of the Palaeo‐Tethys Ocean. The E‐KOB‐derived material in Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic formations implies that significant surface uplift, unroofing and erosion occurred during the Late Triassic and continued into the Early Jurassic in the East Kunlun region.
Practice approaches and future trends in the personal bankruptcy system in China
Authors: Yin Huifen
Published: August 2022

In recent years, the need to enact a personal bankruptcy system has become progressively urgent in China. With increased social acceptance, the practice of personal debt solutions in local courts has been booming. The promulgation of the Personal Bankruptcy Ordinance of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in 2021 is an important event of epoch‐making significance in China's bankruptcy legislative history. The revision of the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law 2006 has been included in the legislator's working plan. Whether a personal bankruptcy system could be introduced during the revision has become a major focus. The challenges to personal bankruptcy legislation in China include the public concern that debtors abuse the system to evade debts; the judicial pressure caused by too many cases; and the lack of an out‐of‐court mediation mechanism. The personal bankruptcy system is one of the most inconsistent legal fields in the world. China's future personal bankruptcy law will confine its discussion to the subjects of law, bankruptcy discharge period, and regulation of debtors' debt evasion. Legislators should refer to the advanced legislative experience and set up the personal bankruptcy system by combining it with China's national situation.
Reevaluating the evidence on seasonality in housing market match quality: Replication of Ngai and Tenreyro (2014)
Authors: Scrimgeour Dean
Published: August 2022

I revisit Ngai and Tenreyro (2014)'s empirical analysis of seasonal match quality in American Housing Survey (AHS) data. Using 1999 data only, Ngai and Tenreyro show that homes purchased in the summer season are occupied longer and have fewer and less costly renovations soon after purchase, pointing to superior match quality for households who move house during the thicker summer market. However, applying the same methods to other years of the AHS substantially weakens these results. In addition, I document heaping in a key variable, the prior move month, and implement a multiple imputation correction. Ngai and Tenreyro's use of a coarsened measure of duration seems to largely overcome the biases that heaping introduces.
Factors that influenced students to matriculate at a northeastern dental school: A comparative study
Authors: Burton Jenna E. , McManus Joseph M.
Published: August 2022

Purpose/objectives

There is a robust body of research on which factors dental schools consider when selecting students for acceptance, but there is considerably less research regarding what factors dental applicants consider when selecting a particular program. The aim of this investigation was to better understand which factors most influenced students to matriculate at a particular dental school and how the value of these factors has changed over time.

Methods

To answer this research question, an online survey was utilized to determine why students chose to attend Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CUCDM). This survey was administered to students in the Class of 2023 and was compared to the responses of an identical survey that was administered to the Class of 2013. The response rate for the classes of 2013 and 2023 were 70.0% and 42.2%, respectively. Results from the Classes of 2013 and 2023 were analyzed using independent sample T‐tests.

Results

The Class of 2013 ranked academic reputation, location, and admissions into specialty programs as the three most important factors in their selection of a dental school. The Class of 2023 ranked tuition cost, perceived patient pool, and financial aid as their three most important factors.

Conclusion(s)

For dental schools to continue to successfully attract and enroll students, they must understand what motivates a student to matriculate in a specific dental program. One way to accomplish this is through the use of a survey.
Peripheral vision in matching‐to‐sample procedures
Authors: Braaten Live Fay , Arntzen Erik
Published: August 2022

Eye‐tracking has been used to investigate observing responses in matching‐to‐sample procedures. However, in visual search, peripheral vision plays an important role. Therefore, three experiments were conducted to investigate the extent to which adult participants can discriminate stimuli that vary in size and position in the periphery. Experiment 1 used arbitrary matching with abstract stimuli, Experiment 2 used identity matching with abstract stimuli, and Experiment 3 used identity matching with simple (familiar) shapes. In all three experiments, participants were taught eight conditional discriminations establishing four 3‐member classes of stimuli. Four different stimulus sizes and three different stimulus positions were manipulated in the 12 peripheral test phases. In these test trials, participants had to fixate their gaze on the sample stimulus in the middle of the screen while selecting a comparison stimulus. Eye movements were measured with a head‐mounted eye‐tracker during both training and testing. Experiment 1 shows that participants can discriminate small abstract stimuli that are arbitrarily related in the periphery. Experiment 2 shows that matching identical stimuli does not affect discrimination in the periphery compared to arbitrarily related stimuli. However, Experiment 3 shows that discrimination increases when stimuli are well‐known simple shapes.
An evaluation of the effect of hydrofluoric acid (HF) treatment on keratins
Authors: Zhao Tao , Pan Yanhong
Published: August 2022

Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is commonly used in geological and paleontological research to extract organic fossils for morphological and chemical studies. However, during HF treatment, organic matter can also be altered, which raises concerns that HF‐treated organic matter may not be representative of the original organic matter. To provide reference data for protein studies on fossils, herein, we use Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to investigate the effect of HF (21.3 M) treatment on keratins, with treatment durations ranging from 2 to 48 h. Results show that the FTIR spectra of HF‐treated samples are overall similar to that of the untreated sample, while curve fitting shows that HF treatment has led to alteration of the secondary structure in all the HF‐treated samples and the effect is time‐dependent. The 2‐ and 4‐h treatment mainly reduced the content of the random coils, α‐helix, and intermolecular β‐sheet. From 8h onwards, the content of random coils greatly increased at the expense of other structures. Our results imply that for protein detection in fossils using FTIR spectroscopy, the negative effect of HF treatment is not substantial, as the bands characteristic of proteins, that is, amide A, amide B, amide I, amide II, and amide III, are still present after the 48‐h treatment. If the target is a secondary structure, the effect of HF treatment should be considered. When HF treatment is necessary, limiting the treatment duration to less than 4h may be a choice.
Brokers betrayed: The afterlife of Afghan interpreters employed by western armies
Authors: de Jong Sara
Published: August 2022

Brokers have long been scrutinised for their purported disloyalty, but brokers' own attachments and expectations remain largely neglected. This article contributes to scholarship by shifting from the much‐discussed betrayal by brokers, to betrayal of brokers. It maps three forms of betrayal—interpersonal, institutional and ideological—drawing on unique empirical material, including interviews with Afghan interpreters who worked for western armies. It argues that the betrayal of brokers is facilitated by conditions of reduced demand and weak social ties in an unequal global order. When brokers' remit is largely dictated by their patron, brokers stand more to lose than to gain.
Modeling the spatial and temporal dynamics of land‐based polar bear denning in Alaska
Authors: Patil Vijay P. , Durner George M. , Douglas David C. , Atwood Todd C.
Published: August 2022

Although polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the Southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) subpopulation have commonly created maternal dens on sea ice in the past, maternal dens on land have become increasingly prevalent as sea ice declines. This trend creates conditions for increased human–bear interactions associated with local communities and industrial activity. Maternal denning is a vulnerable period in the polar bear life cycle, and den disturbance could lead to den abandonment, cub mortality, and negative population impacts. We used published long‐term data to parameterize a Bayesian hierarchical model of annual land den abundance during 2000–2015, in 4 regions of northern Alaska, USA, with current or potential future oil and gas activity. We also estimated long‐term (1982–2015) shifts in the spatial distribution of land dens within and among regions using kernel density estimation and assessed the influence of local and regional sea ice and snow conditions on den site selection using a random forest resource selection function. Our objectives were to quantify current den distribution and abundance, test for distributional shifts over time, and investigate if those shifts could be attributed to environmental variables related to den habitat. We estimated that between 2000 and 2015, the SBS contained a median 123 dens in a typical year, of which 68 occurred on land. The region between the Colville and Canning rivers, where most current oil and gas activity occurred, also contained the largest fraction of land dens. Overall, land dens were disproportionately concentrated on barrier islands and on land within 30 km of the coast. The probability of dens occurring on land varied from 1982–1999 to 2000–2015 in all regions, and the overall distribution of land dens shifted west between those periods. This regional‐scale change in den distribution was predictable based on spatial and temporal heterogeneity in snow and sea ice conditions within 50 km of individual den locations. Land denning is likely to become increasingly common with continued sea ice loss, and our results and modeling framework could be used to design additional mitigation strategies for reducing the risk of incidental take due to den disturbance.
Intranasal Corticosteroid Treatment on Recovery of Long‐Term Olfactory Dysfunction Due to COVID‐19
Authors: Hosseinpoor Masoumeh , Kabiri Mona , Rajati Haghi Mohsen , Ghadam Soltani Toktam , Rezaei Alireza , Faghfouri Atiyeh , Poustchian Gholkhatmi Zahra , Bakhshaee Mehdi
Published: August 2022

Background and Aims

Olfactory dysfunction is a recognized manifestation in patients infected with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19). This investigation aimed to assess the effect of mometasone furoate intranasal spray on the improvement of smell dysfunction in post‐COVID‐19 patients.

Materials and Methods

This randomized placebo‐controlled trial included 80 non‐hospitalized adult patients who had persistent anosmia or severe microsmia for more than 4 weeks due to COVID‐19 infection. The participants were randomly allocated to the intervention or placebo group to receive mometasone furoate nasal spray or sodium chloride intranasal spray during 4 weeks of follow‐up, respectively. The patients' olfactory dysfunction was assessed in terms of visual analog scale (VAS), and smell test score according to the modified version of the University of Pennsylvania smell identification test for the Iranian population.

Results

A total of 70 participants completed the follow‐up period and were analyzed in this study. By comparing the olfactory scores including smell test and VAS scores, no significant differences were found between case and control groups at baseline, 2, and 4 weeks intervals. However, the change of both olfactory scores at pre to post‐treatment intervals and 2–4 weeks was significantly higher in the mometasone group relative to the placebo group. At post‐treatment, the frequency of anosmia was 22.9% reduced in the case group compared to the control group.

Conclusion

Overall, there was no significant difference in olfactory dysfunction between the two groups during follow‐up. However, based on the significant between‐group difference in terms of olfactory scores changes, it seems that the nasal corticosteroids may be a positive effect on the recovery process of patients who received more than 2 weeks.

Level of Evidence

2 Laryngoscope, 132:2209–2216, 2022
Who is more aggressive under vertical product differentiation?
Authors: Wang Xingtang
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we introduce quality differences in vertical market and compare the managerial delegation contracts of downstream firms. We find that the owner of a downstream firm that produces low‐quality products induces the manager to behave more aggressively when the marginal cost coefficient is low. While when marginal cost coefficient is high, the owner of a downstream firm that produces high‐quality products induces the manager to behave more aggressively. It is further found that managerial delegation can improve the profits of downstream firms but reduce the consumer surplus and social welfare.
Clinical characteristics of 10 Chinese patients with melorheostosis and identification of a somatic MAP2K1 variant in one case
Authors: Han Xiaojun , Xu Yang , Wei Zhanying , Wang Chun , Yue Hua , Zhang Zhenlin
Published: August 2022

Background

Melorheostosis (MEL) is an exceptionally rare sclerosing bone dysplasia with asymmetrically exuberant bone formation and soft tissue lesions in a segmental distribution. We aimed to summarize the clinical characteristics of Chinese MEL patients and identify their pathogenic cause.

Methods

In total, 10 Chinese MEL patients were recruited, and clinical manifestations and radiological characteristics were recorded. Sanger sequencing of the LEMD3 gene was performed on peripheral blood samples of all patients, while the exome sequencing of matched peripheral blood, melorheostotic bone, and skin lesion samples was conducted on one patient who provided affected bone and skin tissues. Micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT) was also used to scan the melorheostotic bone tissue.

Results

We found the average age of the 10 MEL patients was 29.5 years (range 11–40 years), and the major symptoms were bone pain, restricted movement, and bone deformity. The lesions sites were mainly located in femur (8/10), tibia (8/10), fibula (6/10), and foot (7/10), the next was pelvis (4/10), and the last were patella (1/10), hand (1/10) and spine (1/10). Radiological examinations showed a mixture of hyperostosis consisting of classic “dripping candle wax,” “osteoma‐like,” or “myositis ossificans‐like” patterns in most patients. No germline pathogenic variants in the LEMD3 gene were found in all patients, but a disease‐causing somatic variant of MAP2K1 (c.167A > C, p.Gln56Pro) was detected in melorheostotic bone from one patient. Moreover, the micro‐CT analysis showed increased porosity in the melorheostotic bone with somatic MAP2K1 variant.

Conclusion

This is a summary of the clinical characteristics of Chinese MEL patients and we first identify the somatic MAP2K1 variant in Chinese patients. Our findings validate the molecular genetic mechanism of MEL and broaden its phenotype spectrum in the Chinese population.
Critical exponent of Fujita type for semilinear wave equations in Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker spacetime
Authors: Ebert Marcelo Rempel , Marques Jorge
Published: August 2022

We consider the nonlinear massless wave equation belonging to some family of the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) spacetime. We prove the global in time small data solutions for supercritical powers in the case of decelerating expansion universe.
Revisiting the stabilization of a three‐dimensional hybrid magnetoelastic structure
Authors: Grobbelaar‐Van Dalsen Marié
Published: August 2022

In this article, we are concerned with the stabilization of a three‐dimensional–two‐dimensional hybrid magnetoelastic structure for a reference configuration of rectangular type. We use energy methods to establish the polynomial stability of the energy associated with the interactive system of partial differential equations that govern the motions of the structure. The coupled nature of the model presents some intricacies in the construction of a Lyapunov functional.
Identification of l‐Tryptophan by down‐field 1H MRS: A precursor for brain NAD+ and serotonin syntheses
Authors: Nanga Ravi Prakash Reddy , Elliott Mark A. , Swain Anshuman , Wilson Neil , Swago Sophia , Soni Narayan Datt , Witschey Walter R. , Reddy Ravinder
Published: August 2022

Purpose

To explore the presence of new resonances beyond 9.4 ppm from the human brain, down‐field proton MRS was performed in vivo in the human brain on 6 healthy volunteers at 7 T.

Methods

To maximize the SNR, a large voxel was placed within the brain to cover the maximal area in such a way that sinus cavities were avoided. A spectrally selective 90° E‐BURP pulse with an excitation bandwidth of 2 ppm was used to probe the spectral chemical shift range between 9.1 and 10.5 ppm. The E‐BURP pulse was integrated with PRESS spatial localization to obtain non‐water‐suppressed proton MR spectra from the desired spectral region.

Results

In the down‐field proton MRS obtained from all of the volunteers scanned, we identified a new peak consistently resonating at 10.1 ppm. Protons associated with this resonance are in cross‐relaxation with the bulk water, as demonstrated by the water saturation and deuterium exchange experiments.

Conclusion

Based on the chemical shift, this new peak was identified as the indole (–NH) proton of l‐tryptophan (l‐TRP) and was further confirmed from phantom experiments on l‐TRP. These promising preliminary results potentially pave the way to investigate the role of cerebral metabolism of l‐TRP in healthy and disease conditions.
Spectral Chebyshev method coupled with a high order continuation for nonlinear bending and buckling analysis of functionally graded sandwich beams
Authors: Mesmoudi Said , Askour Omar , Rammane Mohammed , Bourihane Oussama , Tri Abdeljalil , Braikat Bouazza
Published: August 2022

The main objective of the present work is to couple the spectral Chebyshev differential quadrature method (SCDQM) to the high order continuation method (HOCM) which was proposed in previous works with several discretization techniques. This new approach (SCDQM‐HOCM) is proposed to analyze the nonlinear bending and buckling analysis of functionally graded sandwich beams. The originality of this work consists also to use a beam model which taken into account the nonlinear term neglected in several works of the literature. This term makes it possible to have the buckling and bending problems by using the classical Timoshenko model and to handle the boundary conditions that several works could not to take into account. A strong form of nonlinear equations is established based on the first order shear deformation theory of beams with the von‐Kármán kinematic hypothesis. Regarding functionally graded materials (FGM), two typical types are investigated: sandwich beam with FGM faces and ceramic core (Type‐A), and sandwich beam with FGM core and uniform faces (Type‐B). The accuracy and efficiency of the SCDQM‐HOCM compared with finite element method coupled with high order continuation method (FEM‐HOCM) are illustrated on numerical examples of the FGM beams and then the FG sandwich beams. Furthermore, a parametric study is led to carry out the influence of different skin‐core‐skin thickness ratios, span‐to‐height ratio, and volume fraction on the bending and buckling behavior of FG sandwich beams subjected to different loadings and various boundary conditions.
A novel nanofibrous film with antibacterial, antioxidant, and thermoregulatory functions fabricated by coaxial electrospinning
Authors: Dai Tianliang , Qin Zhuofan , Wang Shuoshuo , Wang Lina , Yao Juming , Zhu Guocheng , Guo Baochun , Militky Jiri , Venkataraman Mohanapriya , Zhang Ming
Published: August 2022

Ordinary packaging film only has the functions of storing food and transporting food, while the external environment can affect the storage period of food. In this study, a common degradable material, polylactic acid (PLA), was chosen as the base material, and the material was endowed with antibacterial function by adding curcumin (Cur). Coaxial electrostatic spinning technology has a unique advantage in the preparation of core‐sheath structured fibers, and a PLA/Cur/n‐octadecane (OD) phase change thermoregulation fiber was prepared by selecting OD as the core material, which gives the fiber film thermoregulation function. The fiber structure, mechanical properties, and thermal properties were characterized. The antibacterial activity of the composite films against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. The temperature regulation function of the composite film was evaluated, and the unique core‐sheath structure endowed the fiber film with a temperature regulation function. The storage of bananas was studied in which to explore the effect on food preservation. The composite films showed excellent bactericidal as well as antioxidant properties and successfully delayed the warming phenomenon.
Intercropping maize with brachiaria can be a double‐edged sword strategy
Authors: Flausino Bruno F. , Machado Carolina F.M. , Silva José Hiago C. , Ronchi Cláudio P. , Pimentel Marco Aurélio G. , Gontijo Lessando M.
Published: August 2022

BACKGROUND

Intercropping is commonly implemented as a way of promoting sustainable agriculture. Some of the benefits of intercropping include improving resource‐use efficiency and soil quality as well as promoting pest control. As for pest control, intercropping can often engender pest repellency/confusion and promote natural biological control. Nevertheless, intercropping is not always a win–win strategy for pest management, with chances of sometimes either favoring or hampering pests and their natural enemies. Brazilian farmers commonly row‐intercrop maize with brachiaria with the intent of forming a grass pasture for the feeding of livestock after maize harvest. However, very little is known about whether this intercropping can influence key pests and natural enemies in the maize agroecosystem. The overall aim of this study was to investigate how multiple groups of maize pests and natural enemies respond in terms of temporal abundance to this intercropping.

RESULTS

Defoliation caused by caterpillars was higher in the intercropping treatment. Intercropping appeared to promote Dalbulus maidis while hampering aphids and Diabrotica speciosa. In general, the abundance of natural enemies was favored by intercropping. There was a reduction in maize productivity (i.e. fresh weight) in the intercropping treatment. Most results were season dependent.

CONCLUSION

We believe that by considering together the pros and cons of intercropping maize and brachiaria in terms of pest management and soil conservation/fertility, the benefits of implementing this intercropping shall still outweigh its potential challenges. Nevertheless, the results and ensuing recommendations should be considered under the context of time and arthropod species. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Implicit ensemble tangent linear models (IETLMs) for model differentiation
Authors: Bishop Craig H. , Eizenberg Nathan W.
Published: August 2022

Ideally, tangent linear models (TLMs) predict the difference between perturbed and unperturbed non‐linear forecasts of interest. The adjoint of a TLM gives the gradient of the non‐linear model and is used in 4DVar data assimilation and in adjoint‐based Forecast Sensitivity to Observation Impact (FSOI). The accuracy of the local ensemble TLM (LETLM) has been shown to be limited by its inability to account for implicit time stepping. Here we derive implicit ensemble TLMs (IETLMs) that, at most, require the number of independent ensemble members to be equal to the number of variables in the implicit computational stencil. The accuracy of the IETLM in the linear regime is confirmed using an implicitly time‐stepped Lorenz 96 model and a nine‐member ensemble. IETLMs feature two sparse matrices: matrix N that operates on an initially unknown future time perturbation, and matrix L that operates on the current time perturbation. For ensemble perturbations in the non‐linear regime, we develop a diagonally robust (DR) IETLM that reduces the chances of N becoming ill‐conditioned. The performance of the DR IETLM was compared with traditional TLM performance using IETLM ensemble perturbations whose ‘Gilmour et al., 2001’ measure of non‐linearity ranged up to the non‐linearity of operational 32‐hr ensemble forecast perturbations. Over a wide range of non‐linearity, the DR IETLM performance was found to match that of the traditional TLM provided the initial standard deviation of the ensemble perturbations was times the standard deviation of the test perturbations. Ideal FSOI requires the adjoint of a TLM that accurately predicts the known difference between corrected and uncorrected non‐linear forecasts. The DR IETLM was found to meet this FSOI accuracy requirement much more closely than the traditional TLM when the ensemble perturbations were created by subtracting the corrected forecast from ensemble members that were centred on the uncorrected forecast.
Quantum Dot Molecule Devices with Optical Control of Charge Status and Electronic Control of Coupling
Authors: Bopp Frederik , Rojas Jonathan , Revenga Natalia , Riedl Hubert , Sbresny Friedrich , Boos Katarina , Simmet Tobias , Ahmadi Arash , Gershoni David , Kasprzak Jacek , Ludwig Arne , Reitzenstein Stephan , Wieck Andreas , Reuter Dirk , Müller Kai , Finley Jonathan J.
Published: August 2022

Tunnel‐coupled pairs of optically active quantum dots—quantum dot molecules (QDMs)—offer the possibility to combine excellent optical properties such as strong light‐matter coupling with two‐spin singlet–triplet () qubits having extended coherence times. The basis formed using two spins is inherently protected against electric and magnetic field noise. However, since a single gate voltage is typically used to stabilize the charge occupancy of the dots and control the inter‐dot orbital couplings, operation of the qubits under optimal conditions remains challenging. Here, an electric field tunable QDM that can be optically charged with one (1h) or two holes (2h) on demand is presented. A four‐phase optical and electric field control sequence facilitates the sequential preparation of the 2h charge state and subsequently allows flexible control of the inter‐dot coupling. Charges are loaded via optical pumping and electron tunnel ionization. One‐ and two‐hole charging efficiencies of (93.5 ± 0.8)% and (80.5 ± 1.3)% are achieved, respectively. Combining efficient charge state preparation and precise setting of inter‐dot coupling allows for the control of few‐spin qubits, as would be required for the on‐demand generation of 2D photonic cluster states or quantum transduction between microwaves and photons.
Large‐area open air plasma sources for roll‐to‐roll manufacture
Authors: Homola Tomáš , Kelar Jakub , Černák Mirko , Kováčik Dušan
Published: August 2022

The aim of the current paper is to introduce technology for the generation of high‐power density surface plasma by a diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) plasma unit. The diffuse and uniform plasma generated in low‐cost gases such as open air enables easy integration into novel or existing roll‐to‐roll (R2R) lines. We briefly discuss the history of the development of dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) toward the most advanced plasma sources based on the coplanar arrangement of electrodes. Moreover, we present and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the effect of volume and coplanar DBD treatments performed in R2R mode on the surface of polyamide. The paper also discusses the potential of R2R plasma treatments for next‐generation applications of novel flexible and printed electronics.
Polymeric substrate properties tailored by irradiation
Authors: Günther Steffen , Kutschke Elisa , Bork Andreas
Published: August 2022

Roll‐to‐roll processes are well‐known for its high throughput, low cost, high quality and high yield potentials. They are commonly used if flexible substrates like paper, metal foils or polymer films have to be processed. Focusing on the latter, it is common to tailor their surface properties to certain needs. Therefore, technologies like chemical (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes are used. Such processing is very often combined with stress like thermal load or mechanical strain. This stress is limiting the productivity due to physical limitations of the material itself, like low thermal stability or very small elastic modulus and especially in its combination. The treatment of such polymers by electron beam at atmospheric pressure may alter the mentioned properties. Respective investigations of polyester, polyethylene and different kinds of bio‐based polymers with respect to elastic modulus, puncture resistance and thermal stability will be shown.
Standardization in forensic toxicology—The United States experience
Authors: Jones Sabra , Stypa Michael
Published: August 2022

Consensus based standards are created by subject matter experts in conjunction with stakeholders and include requirements for a specific field such as forensic toxicology. Standards for forensic science provide requirements and guidance in areas such as quality management, validation, testing, reporting, traceability, and testimony. The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science was formed to assist in the development of forensic standards. In coordination with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Standards Board, developed documents are taken through an American National Standards Institute accredited process that includes public notification, a public comment period, and comment adjudication. Documents published by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Standards Board are freely accessible to the public. This article presents an overview of the standards development process and the standards, best practices and guidelines currently published in the field of forensic toxicology in the United States.

This article is categorized under:

Toxicology > Analytical
Partisan polarization, historical heritage, and public health: Exploring COVID‐19 outcomes
Authors: Curtis Craig , Stillman John , Remmel Megan , Pierce John C. , Lovrich Nicholas P. , Adams‐Curtis Leah E.
Published: August 2022

When the COVID‐19 virus first arrived in the United States in early 2020, many epidemiologists and public health officers counseled for shutdowns and advised policymakers to prepare for a major pandemic. In 2020, though, US society was rife with major political and cultural divides. Some elected leaders promoted policies at odds with the experts, and many people refused to heed the public health‐based communications about the coming pandemic. Additionally, the capacity to respond to a pandemic was distributed in the country in a highly unequal fashion. This paper analyzes the noteworthy geopolitical patterns of COVID‐19 illnesses, subsequent demands on hospitals, and resulting deaths. This description is based on a snapshot of archival data gathered in the midst of the pandemic during late January and early February of 2021. Demographic data, indicators of political party support, indicators of citizen attitudes, and public health compliance behaviors are combined in a multivariate analysis to explain COVID‐19 outcomes at the local government (county) level. The analysis suggests strongly that regional political culture and local demographics played a substantial role in determining the severity of the public health impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic.
A Project to Promote English Learning in Primary School: “An English Island®” E-learning Platform
Authors: Palladino Paola , Muzzì Robert , Niccolai Elena , Cottini Milvia , Peconio Guendalina , Doronzo Federica , Toto Giusi Antonia , Limone Pierpaolo
Published: August 2022

The present study was aimed to investigate English learning as second language, in school, in first, second and third graders of twelve classes randomly assigned to a control or an experimental group. Children in the latter are exposed during English school teaching to the method “An English Island®” and to its platform activities. The method “An English Island®” offers a variety of strategies for teaching English in primary school, an innovative digital tool that promotes teaching/learning English language’s communicative approach, lead students to become familiar with the language in a sort of continuous, inclusive workout, in which everyone participates and talks.

English skills as well as cognitive abilities are tested in both groups at the beginning and at the end of the school year with the aim to compare control and experimental classes in both a longitudinal and a cross-sectional design.
Chemotaxis–Fluid System
Authors: Ke Yuanyuan , Li Jing , Wang Yifu
Published: August 2022

In the early 1970s, Keller and Segel proposed the cross-diffusion system to describe the phenomenon of spatial structures in biological system through chemical induced processes ([93, 94]).
Chemotaxis–Haptotaxis System
Authors: Ke Yuanyuan , Li Jing , Wang Yifu
Published: August 2022

Cancer invasion and metastasis are influenced by a plethora of biochemical processes and involve many biochemical mechanisms, among which chemotaxis and haptotaxis are two of the main mechanisms directing the migration of cancer cells Chaplain and Lolas (2005). Evidence has been found that cancer cells release complex enzymes such as the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), which degrade the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM), and thereby allow the migration of cells following the concentration gradient of such diffusive enzymes. This process is referred to as chemotaxis Chaplain and Lolas (2006).