bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Totalitarian Encounters: The Reception of Stalinism and the USSR in Fascist Italy, 1928–1936
Authors: Dagnino Jorge
Published: March 2022

Few scholars have ventured into the realm of the reception and representations of the USSR among Italian Fascists during the years 1928–36; that is, between Stalin's consolidation of power and the Spanish Civil War. This article contends that far from being absolute antagonists from the very beginnings, many Fascists found aspects of Stalinism and the USSR instructive and impressive. While for some the USSR represented a genuine attempt to revolutionize the social, economic, and cultural structures of everyday life, for others the revolutionary credentials of the Soviets were a sham. It was precisely the complex nature of these interpretations that gave Fascist visions of the USSR their nuance and open-mindedness. Finally, this article argues that the representations that emerged during these pivotal years convinced many Fascists that theirs was the “correct” and “superior” form of interpreting and enacting the totalitarian aspirations embedded in the modern revolutionary tradition.
Greenland Ice Sheet Daily Surface Melt Flux Observed From Space
Authors: Zheng Lei , Cheng Xiao , Shang Xinyi , Chen Zhuoqi , Liang Qi , Wang Kang
Published: March 2022

Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface melt has contributed to the global sea‐level rise and the ongoing warming is expected to promote this process. This study provides a new strategy for the quantitative estimate of GrIS daily surface melt at enhanced resolution (3.125 km) from a remote sensing perspective beyond traditional regional climate models (RCMs). Daily melt flux is estimated from spaceborne radiometer observations with a back‐propagation neural network model. The network is trained with melt fluxes that are calculated using detailed in‐situ atmospheric and snow observations and a surface energy balance model. Our results provide details about the extreme melt in mid‐July 2012 when surface melt occurred at Summit and the meltwater volume exceeded 20 Gt as a result of anomalous warming. Meltwater volume from the satellite is very close to that from RCMs.
Opposite Changes in Tropical Cyclone Rain Rate During the Recent El Niño and La Niña Years
Authors: Tu Shifei , Chan Johnny C. L. , Xu Jianjun , Zhou Wen
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we investigate whether the relationship between the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation and tropical cyclone (TC) rain rate over the western North Pacific (WNP) changes between the global warming slowdown (2001–2012) and resumption (2013–2020) periods. Using high‐resolution satellite rainfall data, we show that the average TC rain rate increases by 9% but decreases by 14% during the recent El Niño and La Niña years (since 2013), respectively. During the El Niño years, the increase is related to higher TC track density at lower latitudes, where more water vapor and stronger convergence are present. On the other hand, the decrease in TC rain rate during the recent La Niña years is mainly related to an increase in track density at higher latitudes and a decrease in TC intensity. These changes in TC track density and intensity are both associated with the strengthening of the subtropical high since 2013.
Characteristics of the Impact Pressure of Debris Flows
Authors: Zheng Hongchao , Shi Zhenming , de Haas Tjalling , Shen Danyi , Hanley Kevin J. , Li Bo
Published: March 2022

Debris flows are common geological hazards in mountainous regions worldwide. Predicting the impact pressure of debris flows is of major importance for hazard mitigation. Here, we experimentally investigate the impact characteristics of debris flows by varying the concentrations of debris grains and slurry. The measured impact pressure signal is decomposed into a stationary mean pressure (SMP) and a fluctuating pressure (FP) through empirical mode decomposition. The SMP of low frequency is caused by the thrusting of bulk flow while the FP of high frequency is induced by the collision of coarse debris grains, revealed by comparing the features of impact pressure spectra of pure slurries and debris flows. The peak SMP and the peak FP first increase and then decrease with the slurry density. The basal frictional resistance is reduced by the nonequilibrium pore‐fluid pressure for debris flows with low‐density slurry, which can increase the flow velocity and impact pressures. In contrast, the viscous flow of high‐density slurry tends to reduce the flow velocity. The peak SMPs are well predicted by the Bernoulli equation and are related to the hydrostatic pressure and Froude number of the incident flow. The peak FPs depend on the kinetic energy and degree of segregation of coarse grains. The maximum degree of segregation occurs at an intermediate value of slurry density due to the transition of flow regime and fluid drag stresses. Our results facilitate predicting the impact pressures of debris flows based on their physical properties.
Impacts of Peak‐Flow Events on Hyporheic Denitrification Potential
Authors: Singh Tanu , Gupta Shubhangi , Chiogna Gabriele , Krause Stefan , Wohlmuth Barbara
Published: March 2022

Subsurface flows, particularly hyporheic exchange fluxes, driven by streambed topography, permeability, channel gradient and dynamic flow conditions provide prominent ecological services such as nitrate removal from streams and aquifers. Stream flow dynamics cause strongly nonlinear and often episodic contributions of nutrient concentrations in river‐aquifer systems. Using a fully coupled transient flow and reactive transport model, we investigated the denitrification potential of hyporheic zones during peak‐flow events. The effects of streambed permeability, channel gradient and bedform amplitude on the spatio‐temporal distribution of nitrate and dissolved organic carbon in streambeds and the associated denitrification potential were explored. Distinct peak‐flow events with different intensity, duration and hydrograph shape were selected to represent a wide range of peak‐flow scenarios. Our results indicated that the specific hydrodynamic characteristics of individual flow events largely determine the average positive or negative nitrate removal capacity of hyporheic zones, however the magnitude of this capacity is controlled by geomorphological settings (i.e., channel slope, streambed permeability and bedform amplitude). Specifically, events with longer duration and higher intensity were shown to promote higher nitrate removal efficiency with higher magnitude of removal efficiency in the scenarios with higher slope and permeability values. These results are essential for better assessment of the subsurface nitrate removal capacity under the influence of flow dynamics and particularly peak‐flow events in order to provide tailored solutions for effective restoration of interconnected river‐aquifer systems.
Finding Moons’ Hidden Oceans with Induced Magnetic Fields
Authors: Rehnberg Morgan
Published: March 2022

A principal component analysis of speculative models can more confidently predict the presence of a planetary object’s subsurface ocean than previous techniques.
Hybrid Dirac semimetal-based photodetector with efficient low-energy photon harvesting
Authors: Wang Lin , Han Li , Guo Wanlong , Zhang Libo , Yao Chenyu , Chen Zhiqingzi , Chen Yulu , Guo Cheng , Zhang Kaixuan , Kuo Chia-Nung , Lue Chin Shan , Politano Antonio , Xing Huaizhong , Jiang Mengjie , Yu Xianbin , Chen Xiaoshuang , Lu Wei
Published: March 2022

Despite the considerable effort, fast and highly sensitive photodetection is not widely available at the low-photon-energy range (~meV) of the electromagnetic spectrum, owing to the challenging light funneling into small active areas with efficient conversion into an electrical signal. Here, we provide an alternative strategy by efficiently integrating and manipulating at the nanoscale the optoelectronic properties of topological Dirac semimetal PtSe2and its van der Waals heterostructures. Explicitly, we realize strong plasmonic antenna coupling to semimetal states near the skin-depth regime (λ/104), featuring colossal photoresponse by in-plane symmetry breaking. The observed spontaneous and polarization-sensitive photocurrent are correlated to strong coupling with the nonequilibrium states in PtSe2Dirac semimetal, yielding efficient light absorption in the photon range below 1.24 meV with responsivity exceeding ∼0.2 A/W and noise-equivalent power (NEP) less than ~38 pW/Hz0.5, as well as superb ambient stability. Present results pave the way to efficient engineering of a topological semimetal for high-speed and low-energy photon harvesting in areas such as biomedical imaging, remote sensing or security applications.
Holo-imprinting polarization optics with a reflective liquid crystal hologram template
Authors: Xiong Jianghao , Yang Qian , Li Yannanqi , Wu Shin-Tson
Published: March 2022

Liquid crystal polarization optics based on photoalignment technique has found pervasive applications in next-generation display platforms like virtual reality and augmented reality. Its large-scale fabrication, however, remains a big challenge due to the high demands in small feature size, fast processing speed, and defects-free alignment quality during the photoalignment process, especially for large-angle reflective devices. Here we propose a new concept of holo-imprinting based on non-contact replication of polarization pattern with a reflective liquid crystal hologram as a template. Our theoretical analysis and experimental results validate the possibility of generating a high-quality polarization pattern exploiting the self-interfering beams of reflective holograms. The method can be extended to numerous devices, from transmissive to reflective, from small angle to large angle, and from grating, lens, to freeform optics. Its widespread impact on the fabrication of liquid crystal polarization optics for advanced display and imaging systems is foreseeable.
Non-destructive OAM measurement via light–matter interaction
Authors: Ruffato Gianluca
Published: March 2022

The detection of orbital angular momentum usually relies on optical techniques, which modify the original beam to convert the information carried on its phase into a specific intensity distribution in output. Moreover, the exploitation of high-intensity beams can result destructive for standard optical elements and setups. A recent publication suggests a solution to overcome all those limitations, by probing highly-intense vortex pulses with a structured reference beam in a strong-field photoionization process.
Whole-genome sequencing reveals novel ethnicity-specific rare variants associated with Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Shigemizu Daichi , Asanomi Yuya , Akiyama Shintaro , Mitsumori Risa , Niida Shumpei , Ozaki Kouichi
Published: March 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common multifactorial neurodegenerative disease among elderly people. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been highly successful in identifying genetic risk factors. However, GWAS investigate common variants, which tend to have small effect sizes, and rare variants with potentially larger phenotypic effects have not been sufficiently investigated. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) enables us to detect those rare variants. Here, we performed rare-variant association studies by using WGS data from 140 individuals with probable AD and 798 cognitively normal elder controls (CN), as well as single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping data from an independent large Japanese AD cohort of 1604 AD and 1235 CN subjects. We identified two rare variants as candidates for AD association: a missense variant inOR51G1(rs146006146, c.815 G > A, p.R272H) and a stop-gain variant inMLKL(rs763812068, c.142 C > T, p.Q48X). Subsequent in vitro functional analysis revealed that theMLKLstop-gain variant can contribute to increases not only in abnormal cells that should die by programmed cell death but do not, but also in the ratio of Aβ42 to Aβ40. We further detected AD candidate genes through gene-based association tests of rare variants; a network-based meta-analysis using these candidates identified four functionally important hub genes (NCOR2,PLEC,DMD, andNEDD4). Our findings will contribute to the understanding of AD and provide novel insights into its pathogenic mechanisms that can be used in future studies.
Genome-wide screening for deubiquitinase subfamily identifies ubiquitin-specific protease 49 as a novel regulator of odontogenesis
Authors: Kaushal Kamini , Kim Eun-Jung , Tyagi Apoorvi , Karapurkar Janardhan Keshav , Haq Saba , Jung Han-Sung , Kim Kye-Seong , Ramakrishna Suresh
Published: March 2022

Proteins expressed by the paired box gene 9 (PAX9) and Msh Homeobox 1 (MSX1) are intimately involved in tooth development (odontogenesis). The regulation of PAX9 and MSX1 protein turnover by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) plausibly maintain the required levels of PAX9 and MSX1 during odontogenesis. Herein, we used a loss-of-function CRISPR-Cas9-mediated DUB KO library kit to screen for DUBs that regulate PAX9 and MSX1 protein levels. We identify and demonstrate that USP49 interacts with and deubiquitinates PAX9 and MSX1, thereby extending their protein half-lives. On the other hand, the loss of USP49 reduces the levels of PAX9 and MSX1 proteins, which causes transient retardation of odontogenic differentiation in human dental pulp stem cells and delays the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into the neural crest cell lineage. USP49 depletion produced several morphological defects during tooth development, such as reduced dentin growth with shrunken enamel space, and abnormal enamel formation including irregular mineralization. In sum, our results suggest that deubiquitination of PAX9 and MSX1 by USP49 stabilizes their protein levels to facilitate successful odontogenesis.
Clinical and genomic features of Chinese lung cancer patients with germline mutations
Authors: Peng Wenying , Li Bin , Li Jin , Chang Lianpeng , Bai Jing , Yi Yuting , Chen Rongrong , Zhang Yanyan , Chen Chen , Pu Xingxiang , Jiang Meilin , Li Jia , Zhong Rui , Xu Fang , Chen Bolin , Xu Li , Wang Ning , Huan Jiaojiao , Dai Pingping , Guan Yanfang , Yang Ling , Xia Xuefeng , Yi Xin , Wang Jiayin , Yu Fenglei , Wu Lin
Published: March 2022

The germline mutation landscape in Chinese lung cancer patients has not been well defined. In this study, sequencing data of 1,021 cancer genes of 1,794 Chinese lung cancer patients was analyzed. A total of 111 pathogenic or likely pathogenic germline mutations were identified, significantly higher than non-cancer individuals (111/1794 vs. 84/10,588, p < 2.2e-16). BRCA1/2 germline mutations are associated with earlier onset age (median 52.5 vs 60 years-old, p = 0.008). Among 29 cancer disposition genes with germline mutations detected in Chinese cohort and/or TCGA lung cancer cohort, Only 11 from 29 genes are identified in both cohorts and BRCA2 mutations are significantly more common in Chinese cohort (p = 0.015). Chinese patients with germline mutations have different prevalence of somatic KRAS, MET exon 14 skipping and TP53 mutations compared to those without. Our findings suggest potential ethnic and etiologic differences between Western and Asian lung cancer patients.
Divergent trajectories of antiviral memory after SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Tomic Adriana , Skelly Donal T. , Ogbe Ane , O’Connor Daniel , Pace Matthew , Adland Emily , Alexander Frances , Ali Mohammad , Allott Kirk , Azim Ansari M. , Belij-Rammerstorfer Sandra , Bibi Sagida , Blackwell Luke , Brown Anthony , Brown Helen , Cavell Breeze , Clutterbuck Elizabeth A. , de Silva Thushan , Eyre David , Lumley Sheila , Flaxman Amy , Grist James , Hackstein Carl-Philipp , Halkerston Rachel , Harding Adam C. , Hill Jennifer , James Tim , Jay Cecilia , Johnson Síle A. , Kronsteiner Barbara , Lie Yolanda , Linder Aline , Longet Stephanie , Marinou Spyridoula , Matthews Philippa C. , Mellors Jack , Petropoulos Christos , Rongkard Patpong , Sedik Cynthia , Silva-Reyes Laura , Smith Holly , Stockdale Lisa , Taylor Stephen , Thomas Stephen , Tipoe Timothy , Turtle Lance , Vieira Vinicius Adriano , Wrin Terri ,   OPTIC Clinical Group, Stafford Lizzie , Abuelgasim Hibatullah , Alhussni Ahmed , Arancibia-Cárcamo Carolina V. , Borak Martyna , Cutteridge Joseph , Deeks Alexandra , Denly Lucy , Dimitriadis Stavros , Fassih Shayan , Foord Thomas , Fordwoh Thomas , Holmes Jennifer , Horsington Bryn , Kerneis Sven , Kim David , Lillie Katy , Morrow Jordan , O’Donnell Denise , Ritter Thomas G. , Simmons Beatrice , Taylor Adan , Thomas Sarah R. , Warren Yolanda , Watson Adam J. R. , Weeks Esme , Wilson Robert , Young Rebecca ,   PITCH Study Group, Duncan Christopher J. A. , Moore Shona C. , Payne Rebecca , Richter Alex , Rowland-Jones Sarah ,   C-MORE Group, Mentzer Alexander J. , Cassar Mark Philip , Dong Tao , Fries Anastasia , Gilbert-Jaramillo Javier , Ho Ling-Pei , Knight Julian C. , Neubauer Stefan , Peng Yanchun , Petousi Nayia , Raman Betty , Talbot Nick P. , Pollard Andrew J. , Lambe Teresa , Conlon Chris P. , Jeffery Katie , Travis Simon , Goulder Philip , Frater John , Mentzer Alex J. , Stafford Lizzie , Carroll Miles W. , James William S. , Klenerman Paul , Barnes Eleanor , Dold Christina , Dunachie Susanna J.
Published: March 2022

The trajectories of acquired immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection are not fully understood. We present a detailed longitudinal cohort study of UK healthcare workers prior to vaccination, presenting April-June 2020 with asymptomatic or symptomatic infection. Here we show a highly variable range of responses, some of which (T cell interferon-gamma ELISpot, N-specific antibody) wane over time, while others (spike-specific antibody, B cell memory ELISpot) are stable. We use integrative analysis and a machine-learning approach (SIMON - Sequential Iterative Modeling OverNight) to explore this heterogeneity. We identify a subgroup of participants with higher antibody responses and interferon-gamma ELISpot T cell responses, and a robust trajectory for longer term immunity associates with higher levels of neutralising antibodies against the infecting (Victoria) strain and also against variants B.1.1.7 (alpha) and B.1.351 (beta). These variable trajectories following early priming may define subsequent protection from severe disease from novel variants.
Integrated metagenomics identifies a crucial role for trimethylamine-producing Lachnoclostridium in promoting atherosclerosis
Authors: Cai Yuan-Yuan , Huang Feng-Qing , Lao Xingzhen , Lu Yawen , Gao Xuejiao , Alolga Raphael N. , Yin Kunpeng , Zhou Xingchen , Wang Yun , Liu Baolin , Shang Jing , Qi Lian-Wen , Li Jing
Published: March 2022

Microbial trimethylamine (TMA)-lyase activity promotes the development of atherosclerosis by generating of TMA, the precursor of TMA N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO is well documented, but same can not be said of TMA-producing bacteria. This work aimed to identify TMA-producing genera in human intestinal microbiota. We retrieved the genomes of human-associated microorganisms from the Human Microbiome Project database comprising 1751 genomes, Unified Human Gastrointestinal Genome collection consisting 4644 gut prokaryotes, recapitulated 4930 species-level genome bins and public gut metagenomic data of 2134 individuals from 11 populations. By sequence searching, 216 TMA-lyase-containing species from 102 genera were found to contain the homologous sequences of cntA/B, yeaW/X, and/or cutC/D. We identified 13 strains from 5 genera with cntA sequences, and 30 strains from 14 genera with cutC showing detectable relative abundance in healthy individuals. Lachnoclostridium (p = 2.9e−05) and Clostridium (p = 5.8e−04), the two most abundant cutC-containing genera, were found to be much higher in atherosclerotic patients compared with healthy persons. Upon incubation with choline (substrate), L. saccharolyticum effectively transformed it to TMA at a rate higher than 98.7% while that for C. sporogenes was 63.8–67.5% as detected by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. In vivo studies further showed that treatment of L. saccharolyticum and choline promoted a significant increase in TMAO level in the serum of ApoE−/− mice with obvious accumulation of aortic plaque in same. This study discloses the significance and efficiency of the gut bacterium L. saccharolyticum in transforming choline to TMA and consequently promoting the development of atherosclerosis.
Plant stem tissue modeling and parameter identification using metaheuristic optimization algorithms
Authors: Ghoneim Mohamed S. , Gadallah Samar I. , Said Lobna A. , Eltawil Ahmed M. , Radwan Ahmed G. , Madian Ahmed H.
Published: March 2022

Bio-impedance non-invasive measurement techniques usage is rapidly increasing in the agriculture industry. These measured impedance variations reflect tacit biochemical and biophysical changes of living and non-living tissues. Bio-impedance circuit modeling is an effective solution used in biology and medicine to fit the measured impedance. This paper proposes two new fractional-order bio-impedance plant stem models. These new models are compared with three commonly used bio-impedance fractional-order circuit models in plant modeling (Cole, Double Cole, and Fractional-order Double-shell). The two proposed models represent the characterization of the biological cellular morphology of the plant stem. Experiments are conducted on two samples of three different medical plant species from the family Lamiaceae, and each sample is measured at two inter-electrode spacing distances. Bio-impedance measurements are done using an electrochemical station (SP150) in the range of 100 Hz to 100 kHz. All employed models are compared by fitting the measured data to verify the efficiency of the proposed models in modeling the plant stem tissue. The proposed models give the best results in all inter-electrode spacing distances. Four different metaheuristic optimization algorithms are used in the fitting process to extract all models parameter and find the best optimization algorithm in the bio-impedance problems.
Physiological acclimatization in Hawaiian corals following a 22-month shift in baseline seawater temperature and pH
Authors: McLachlan Rowan H. , Price James T. , Muñoz-Garcia Agustí , Weisleder Noah L. , Levas Stephen J. , Jury Christopher P. , Toonen Robert J. , Grottoli Andréa G.
Published: March 2022

Climate change poses a major threat to coral reefs. We conducted an outdoor 22-month experiment to investigate if coral could not just survive, but also physiologically cope, with chronic ocean warming and acidification conditions expected later this century under the Paris Climate Agreement. We recorded survivorship and measured eleven phenotypic traits to evaluate the holobiont responses of Hawaiian coral: color, Symbiodiniaceae density, calcification, photosynthesis, respiration, total organic carbon flux, carbon budget, biomass, lipids, protein, and maximum Artemia capture rate. Survivorship was lowest in Montipora capitata and only some survivors were able to meet metabolic demand and physiologically cope with future ocean conditions. Most M. capitata survivors bleached through loss of chlorophyll pigments and simultaneously experienced increased respiration rates and negative carbon budgets due to a 236% increase in total organic carbon losses under combined future ocean conditions. Porites compressa and Porites lobata had the highest survivorship and coped well under future ocean conditions with positive calcification and increased biomass, maintenance of lipids, and the capacity to exceed their metabolic demand through photosynthesis and heterotrophy. Thus, our findings show that significant biological diversity within resilient corals like Porites, and some genotypes of sensitive species, will persist this century provided atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are controlled. Since Porites corals are ubiquitous throughout the world’s oceans and often major reef builders, the persistence of this resilient genus provides hope for future reef ecosystem function globally.
Systematic understanding of anti-tumor mechanisms of Tamarixetin through network and experimental analyses
Authors: Shaji Sanu K. , Drishya G. , Sunilkumar Damu , Suravajhala Prashanth , Kumar Geetha B. , Nair Bipin G.
Published: March 2022

Tamarixetin, a flavonoid derived from Quercetin, was shown to possess anti-cancer properties in various types of cancer. However, the mechanism of action of this compound is not well understood. Observations from reverse docking and network pharmacology analysis, were validated by cell based studies to analyse the chemotherapeutic potential and elucidate the molecular mechanism of action of Tamarixetin in breast cancer. In silico analysis using reverse docking and PPI analysis clearly indicated that out of 35 proteins targeted by Tamarixetin, the top 3 hub genes, namely, AKT1, ESR1 and HSP90AA1, were upregulated in breast tumor tissues and more importantly showed strong negative correlation to breast cancer patient survival. Furthermore, the KEGG pathway analysis showed enrichment of target proteins of Tamarixetin in 33 pathways which are mainly involved in neoplastic signalling. In vitro cell-based studies demonstrated that Tamarixetin could inhibit cell proliferation, induce ROS and reduce mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to cell death. Tamarixetin induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and inhibited the migration as well as the invasion of breast cancer cells. Taken together, the combination of in silico and in vitro approaches used in the present study clearly provides evidence for the chemotherapeutic potential of Tamarixetin in breast cancer.
On chip random lasing performance of the acceptor dye in a specially designed linear and zig zag array of microdroplets with intrinsic disorder
Authors: Sundaresan Aswathy , Nuchikkat Soniya , Alee K. Shadak
Published: March 2022

We demonstrate high-quality on chip random lasing of the acceptor dye using a specially designed dynamic linear array of microdroplets with unconventional shapes that do not support the whispering gallery modes. The intrinsic disorder in the droplet array consequent to its dynamic nature is utilized in achieving the randomness in the lasing emission without deliberately adding the disorder as in ordinary random laser systems. The novelty of the generated structure is illustrated by comparing its emission characteristics with two other arrays made of microspheres and microtriangular droplets arranged in a zig zag fashion. We show that only the linear array of microdroplets supports lasing in the acceptor emission. The design of the array structure allows to further reduce the lasing threshold drastically either by incorporating the radiative energy transfer or by tuning the number of acceptor dye molecules. The highly directional, well-controlled, and intense emission of weakly emitting dye generated on chip without the aid of conventional methods opens up a new scheme of random lasing generation mediated by microdroplets.
Evaluation of macro- and meso-mechanical properties of concrete under the aggressiveness of landfill leachate
Authors: Feng Wei
Published: March 2022

Current researches on the mechanical properties of concrete are mainly concentrated on the aggressiveness of sulfate, chloride ion, acid and freeze–thaw cycles. However, the evolution of concrete mechanical properties aggressived by landfill leachate remains to be revealed. As the micro-nano indentation test is a new method to measure the fine/micro mechanical behavior of materials, it is used in this research to evaluate the micro-mechanics of the landfill leachate of the concrete sample surface and different aggressived depths. In addition, the evolution of the macro-mechanical properties of concrete aggressived by the landfill leachate was studied through uniaxial compression tests. The results show that the hydration products with high elastic modulus are consumed by the aggressiveness of landfill leachate, which results in a large number of microscopic cracks on the surface of the concrete. Moreover, the longer the aggressive time, the shallower the aggressive depth, and the more severe the deterioration of the micromechanical properties of the sample surface. It is also notable that the uniaxial compressive strength of the concrete samples aggressived by landfill leachate showed a linear increase and then gradually decrease. Comparing with the sodium chloride and sodium sulfate solutions, the landfill leachate has the most significant weakening effect on the elastic modulus of concrete.
Predicting the possibility of African horse sickness (AHS) introduction into China using spatial risk analysis and habitat connectivity of Culicoides
Authors: Gao Shan , Zeng Zan , Wang HaoNing , Chen FangYuan , Huang LiYa , Wang XiaoLong
Published: March 2022

African horse sickness (AHS) is a devastating equine infectious disease. On 17 March 2020, it first appeared in Thailand and threatened all the South-East Asia equine industry security. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out risk warnings of the AHS in China. The maximum entropy algorithm was used to model AHS and Culicoides separately by using climate and non-climate variables. The least cost path (LCP) method was used to analyze the habitat connectivity of Culicoides with the reclassified land cover and altitude as cost factors. The models showed the mean area under the curve as 0.918 and 0.964 for AHS and Culicoides. The prediction result map shows that there is a high risk area in the southern part of China while the habitats of the Culicoides are connected to each other. Therefore, the risk of introducing AHS into China is high and control of the border area should be strengthened immediately.
Event topology and global observables in heavy-ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider
Authors: Prasad Suraj , Mallick Neelkamal , Behera Debadatta , Sahoo Raghunath , Tripathy Sushanta
Published: March 2022

Particle production and event topology are very strongly correlated in high-energy hadronic and nuclear collisions. Event topology is decided by the underlying particle production dynamics and medium effects. Transverse spherocity is an event shape observable, which has been used in pp and heavy-ion collisions to separate the events based on their geometrical shapes. It has the unique capability to distinguish between jetty and isotropic events. In this work, we have implemented transverse spherocity in Pb–Pb collisions at $$\sqrt{s_\text{NN}}$$

s
NN

= 5.02 TeV using A Multi-Phase Transport Model (AMPT). While awaiting for experimental explorations, we perform a feasibility study of transverse spherocity  dependence of some of the global observables in heavy-ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider energies. These global observables include the Bjorken energy density ($$\varepsilon _\text{Bj}$$

ε
Bj

), squared speed of sound ($$c_\text{s}^2$$

c
s
2

) in the medium and the kinetic freeze-out properties for different collision centralities. The present study reveals about the usefulness of event topology dependent measurements in heavy-ion collisions.
A SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan spike virosome vaccine induces superior neutralization breadth compared to one using the Beta spike
Authors: van der Velden Yme U. , Grobben Marloes , Caniels Tom G. , Burger Judith A. , Poniman Meliawati , Oomen Melissa , Rijnstra Esther Siteur-van , Tejjani Khadija , Guerra Denise , Kempers Ronald , Stegmann Toon , van Gils Marit J. , Sanders Rogier W.
Published: March 2022

Current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are effective, but long-term protection is threatened by the emergence of virus variants. We generated a virosome vaccine containing the Beta spike protein and compared its immunogenicity in mice to a virosome vaccine containing the original Wuhan spike. Two administrations of the virosomes induced potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in both vaccine groups. The level of autologous neutralization in Beta-vaccinated mice was similar to the level of autologous neutralization in Wuhan-vaccinated mice. However, heterologous neutralization to the Wuhan strain in Beta-vaccinated mice was 4.7-fold lower than autologous neutralization, whereas heterologous neutralization to the Beta strain in Wuhan-vaccinated mice was reduced by only 1.9-fold compared to autologous neutralization levels. In addition, neutralizing activity against the D614G, Alpha and Delta variants was also significantly lower after Beta spike vaccination than after Wuhan spike vaccination. Our results show that Beta spike vaccination induces inferior neutralization breadth. These results are informative for programs aimed to develop broadly active SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
A survey of train driver schedules, sleep, wellbeing, and driving performance in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Dorrian Jillian , Chapman Janine , Bowditch Lorelle , Balfe Nora , Naweed Anjum
Published: March 2022

Train drivers work long hours on 24 h schedules and many factors impact their fatigue risk at work, creating a clear imperative for good rostering practice. Adopting a systems approach, this study investigated the relationship between multiple interrelated factors (train drivers’ schedule, sleep, wellbeing, and fatigue) and the perceived influence of these factors on train driving performance and safety using an online survey distributed in Australia and New Zealand. In addition to demographics and work schedule, passenger and freight train drivers (n = 751) answered questions about: (1) Sleep duration; (2) wellbeing, including physical and mental health, the extent to which shiftwork causes sleep, social, domestic, and work problems, and (3) the extent to which ten fatigue, health and wellbeing factors in the work and home environment negatively impact their driving performance. The key factor that emerged from analyses, with the largest and most consistent negative effects (and controlling for other factors) was schedule irregularity. Approved rosters were ranked as having the most important impact on day-to-day driving performance, followed by physical and mental health, and outside work factors. Results also suggested that schedule irregularity may amplify the negative impacts of the roster, impaired physical and mental health, and outside work factors on driving performance. As shift variability and schedule irregularity are often poorly represented in existing industry guidance, these results provide evidence for increased reflection on current fatigue management guidelines for train drivers and suggest a need for greater focus on schedule irregularity through the lens of a systems approach.
Establishment of a reliable in-vivo model of implant-associated infection to investigate innovative treatment options
Authors: Kreis C. , Aschenbrenner F. K. , Günther D. , Tholema-Hans N. , Koeppe J. , Rosslenbroich S. B. , Raschke M. J. , Fuchs T.
Published: March 2022

The increasing number of implant-associated infections and of multiresistant pathogens is a major problem in the daily routine. In the field of osteomyelitis, it is difficult to manage a valid clinical study because of multiple influencing factors. Therefore, models of osteomyelitis with a simulation of the pathophysiology to evaluate treatment options for implant-associated infections are necessary. The aim of this study is to develop a standardized and reproducible osteomyelitis model in-vivo to improve treatment options. This study analyses the influence of a post-infectious implant exchange one week after infection and the infection progress afterward in combination with a systemic versus a local antibiotic treatment in-vivo. Therefore, the implant exchange, the exchange to a local drug-delivery system with gentamicin, and the implant removal are examined. Furthermore, the influence of an additional systemic antibiotic therapy is evaluated. An in-vivo model concerning the implant exchange is established that analyzes clinic, radiologic, microbiologic, histologic, and immunohistochemical diagnostics to obtain detailed evaluation and clinical reproducibility. Our study shows a clear advantage of the combined local and systemic antibiotic treatment in contrast to the implant removal and to a non-combined antibiotic therapy. Group genta/syst. showed the lowest infection rate with a percentage of 62.5% concerning microbiologic analysis, which is in accordance with the immunohistochemical, cytochemical, histologic, and radiologic analysis. Our in-vivo rat model has shown valid and reproducible results, which will lead to further investigations regarding treatment options and influencing factors concerning the therapy of osteomyelitis and implant-associated infections.
Pd on thermo-responsive composite of silica-coated carbon nanotube and 1-vinyl-3-butylimidazolium-based ionic liquid copolymers as an efficient catalyst for hydrogenation of nitro compounds
Authors: Sadjadi Samahe , Abedian-Dehaghani Neda , Heravi Majid M.
Published: March 2022

In this work, an ionic liquid-containing thermo-responsive heterogeneous catalyst with utility for promoting hydrogenation of nitro-compounds in aqueous media is developed. To prepare the catalyst, silica-coated carbon nanotubes were synthesized and vinyl-functionalized. The resulted compound was then polymerized with 1-viny-3-butylimidazolium bromide and N-isopropylacrylamide. The obtained ionic liquid-containing thermo-responsive composite was palladated via wet-impregnation method to give the final catalyst. Study of the performance of the catalyst confirmed high catalytic activity of the catalyst at temperature above the lower critical solution temperature. Furthermore, the catalyst was highly recyclable and showed negligible Pd leaching upon recycling. Broad substrate scope and selectivity of the catalyst towards reduction of nitro functionality were also confirmed. Furthermore, hot filtration test implied the heterogeneous nature of the catalysis. The comparison of the activity of Pd/CNT-P with some control catalysts approved the importance of hybridization of P and CNT and the presence of ionic liquid for the catalytic activity.
Long-term and daily use of molecular hydrogen induces reprogramming of liver metabolism in rats by modulating NADP/NADPH redox pathways
Authors: Adzavon Yao Mawulikplimi , Xie Fei , Yi Yang , Jiang Xue , Zhang Xiaokang , He Jin , Zhao Pengxiang , Liu Mengyu , Ma Shiwen , Ma Xuemei
Published: March 2022

Molecular hydrogen (H2) has emerged as a new therapeutic option in several diseases and is widely adopted by healthy people. However, molecular data to support therapeutic functions attributed to the biological activities of H2 remain elusive. Here, using transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches coupled with biochemistry and micro-CT technics, we evaluated the effect of long-term (6 months) and daily use of H2 on liver function. Rats exposed 2 h daily to H2 either by drinking HRW (H2 dissolved in H2O) or by breathing 4% H2 gas showed reduced lipogenesis and enhanced lipolysis in the liver, which was associated with apparent loss of visceral fat and brown adipose tissue together with a reduced level of serum lipids. Both transcripts and metabolites enriched in H2-treated rats revealed alteration of amino acid metabolism pathways and activation of purine nucleotides and carbohydrate biosynthesis pathways. Analysis of the interaction network of genes and metabolites and correlation tests revealed that NADP is the central regulator of H2 induced metabolic alterations in the liver, which was further confirmed by an increase in the level of components of metabolic pathways that require NADP as substrate. Evidence of immune response regulation activity was also observed in response to exposure to H2. This work is the first to provide metabolomic and transcriptomic data to uncover molecular targets for the effect of prolonged molecular hydrogen treatment on liver metabolism.
Visual guidance can help with the use of a robotic exoskeleton during human walking
Authors: Kim Myunghee , Jeong Hyeongkeun , Kantharaju Prakyath , Yoo Dongyual , Jacobson Michael , Shin Dongbin , Han Changsoo , Patton James L.
Published: March 2022

Walking is an important activity that supports the health-related quality of life, and for those who need assistance, robotic devices are available to help. Recent progress in wearable robots has identified the importance of customizing the assistance provided by the robot to the individual, resulting in robot adaptation to the human. However, current implementations minimize the role of human adaptation to the robot, for example, by the users modifying their movements based on the provided robot assistance. This study investigated the effect of visual feedback to guide the users in adapting their movements in response to wearable robot assistance. The visual feedback helped the users reduce their metabolic cost of walking without any changes in robot assistance in a given time. In a case with the initially metabolic expensive (IMExp) exoskeleton condition, both training methods helped reduce the metabolic cost of walking. The results suggest that visual feedback training is helpful to use the exoskeleton for various conditions. Without feedback, the training is helpful only for the IMExp exoskeleton condition. This result suggests visual feedback training can be useful to facilitate the use of non-personalized, generic assistance, where the assistance is not tuned for each user, in a relatively short time.
Application of texture analysis methods for the characterization of cultured meat
Authors: Paredes Jacobo , Cortizo-Lacalle Diego , Imaz Ane Miren , Aldazabal Javier , Vila Mercedes
Published: March 2022

Mechanical characterization supposes a key step in the development of cultured meat to help mimicking the sensorial properties of already existing commercial products based on traditional meat. This work presents two well stablished methods that can help studying cultured meat mechanical characteristics: texture profile analysis (double compression test) and rheology. These techniques provide data about the elastic and viscous behaviour of the samples but also values about other texture characteristics such as springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness and resilience. In this work, we present a comparison of cultured meat-based samples with commercial of the shelf common meat products (sausage, turkey and chicken breast). Results show that both Young’s and Shear modulus in the cultured meat samples can be compared to commercial products in order to understand its properties. The texture characteristics for the cultured meat studied, show values within the range of commercial products. These results demonstrate the applicability of this methodology for the adjustment of mechanical properties of cultured meat products.
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 equine F (Ab′)2 immunoglobulin as a possible therapy for COVID-19
Authors: Botosso Viviane Fongaro , Jorge Soraia Attie Calil , Astray Renato Mancini , de Sá Guimarães Ana Marcia , Mathor Monica Beatriz , de Carneiro Patrícia dos Santos , Durigon Edison Luiz , Covas Dimas , de Oliveira Danielle Bruna Leal , das Neves Oliveira Ricardo , Maria Durvanei Augusto , Eto Silas Fernandes , Gallina Neuza Maria Frazatti , Pidde Giselle , Squaiella-Baptistão Carla Cristina , Silva Dilza Trevisan , Villas-Boas Isadora Maria , Fernandes Dayanne Carla , Auada Aline Vivian Vatti , Banari Alexandre Campos , de Souza Filho Antônio Francisco , Bianconi Camila , de Agostini Utescher Carla Lilian , Oliveira Denise Cristina André , Mariano Douglas Oscar Ceolin , Barbosa Flávia Ferreira , Rondon Giuliana , Kapronezai Josana , da Silva Juliana Galvão , Goldfeder Mauricio Barbugiani , Comone Priscila , Junior Regis Edgar Castilho , Pereira Taiana Tainá Silva , Wen Fan Hui , Tambourgi Denise V. , Chudzinski-Tavassi Ana Marisa
Published: March 2022

The new outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected and caused the death of millions of people worldwide. Intensive efforts are underway around the world to establish effective treatments. Immunoglobulin from immunized animals or plasma from convalescent patients might constitute a specific treatment to guarantee the neutralization of the virus in the early stages of infection, especially in patients with risk factors and a high probability of progressing to severe disease. Worldwide, a few clinical trials using anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins from horses immunized with the entire spike protein or fragments of it in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 are underway. Here, we describe the development of an anti-SARS-CoV-2 equine F(ab′)2 immunoglobulin using a newly developed SARS-CoV-2 viral antigen that was purified and inactivated by radiation. Cell-based and preclinical assays showed that the F(ab′)2 immunoglobulin successfully neutralizes the virus, is safe in animal models, and reduces the severity of the disease in a hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease.
Patterns in schizomid flagellum shape from elliptical Fourier analysis
Authors: Kallal Robert J. , de Miranda Gustavo Silva , Garcia Erika L. , Wood Hannah M.
Published: March 2022

The arachnid order Schizomida is a relatively understudied group of soil-dwelling predators found on all continents except Antarctica. While efforts to understand their biology are growing, there is still much to know about them. A curious aspect of their morphology is the male flagellum, a sexually dimorphic, tail-like structure which differs in shape across the order and functions in their courtship rituals. The flagellar shape is important for taxonomic classification, yet few efforts have been made to examine shape diversity across the group. Using elliptical Fourier analysis, a type of geometric morphometrics based on shape outline, we quantified shape differences across a combined nearly 550 outlines in the dorsal and lateral views, categorizing them based on genus, family, biogeographic realm, and habitat, with special emphasis on Caribbean and Cuban fauna. We tested for allometric relationships, differences in disparity based on locations and sizes in morphospace among these categories, and for clusters of shapes in morphospace. We found multiple differences in all categories despite apparent overlaps in morphospace, evolutionary allometry, and evidence for discrete clusters in some flagellum shapes. This study can serve as a foundation for further study on the evolution, diversification, and taxonomic utility of the male flagellum.
Silent speech command word recognition using stepped frequency continuous wave radar
Authors: Wagner Christoph , Schaffer Petr , Amini Digehsara Pouriya , Bärhold Michael , Plettemeier Dirk , Birkholz Peter
Published: March 2022

Recovering speech in the absence of the acoustic speech signal itself, i.e., silent speech, holds great potential for restoring or enhancing oral communication in those who lost it. Radar is a relatively unexplored silent speech sensing modality, even though it has the advantage of being fully non-invasive. We therefore built a custom stepped frequency continuous wave radar hardware to measure the changes in the transmission spectra during speech between three antennas, located on both cheeks and the chin with a measurement update rate of 100 Hz. We then recorded a command word corpus of 40 phonetically balanced, two-syllable German words and the German digits zero to nine for two individual speakers and evaluated both the speaker-dependent multi-session and inter-session recognition accuracies on this 50-word corpus using a bidirectional long-short term memory network. We obtained recognition accuracies of 99.17% and 88.87% for the speaker-dependent multi-session and inter-session accuracy, respectively. These results show that the transmission spectra are very well suited to discriminate individual words from one another, even across different sessions, which is one of the key challenges for fully non-invasive silent speech interfaces.