bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Unexpected Was the 2022 Summertime Heat Extremes in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River?
Authors: Hua Wenjian , Dai Aiguo , Qin Minhua , Hu Yuhan , Cui Yazhu
Published: August 2023

The 2022 heatwave in China featured record‐shattering high temperatures, raising questions about its origin and possible link to global warming. Here we show that the maximum temperature anomalies over Central China reached 13.1°C in the summer of 2022, which is ∼4.2σ above the 1981–2010 mean with a return period of tens of thousands of years. Our results suggested that the persistent high‐pressure anomaly and associated extreme heatwave likely resulted mainly from internal variability, although anthropogenic warming has increased the probability of such extreme heatwaves. We also estimate that the 2022‐like heatwave becomes six to seven times more likely under persistent high‐pressure conditions when compared to stochastic circulation states. Due to a shift toward warmer mean temperatures and a flattening of the probability distribution function, such rare extreme heatwaves are projected to become much more common at a global warming level of 4°C, occurring once about every 8.5 years.
Coastal Polynyas Enable Transitions Between High and Low West Antarctic Ice Shelf Melt Rates
Authors: Moorman Ruth , Thompson Andrew F. , Wilson Earle A.
Published: August 2023

Melt rates of West Antarctic ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea track large decadal variations in the volume of warm water at their outlets. This variability is generally attributed to wind‐driven variations in warm water transport toward ice shelves. Inspired by conceptual representations of the global overturning circulation, we introduce a simple model for the evolution of the thermocline, which caps the warm water layer at the ice‐shelf front. This model demonstrates that interannual variations in coastal polynya buoyancy forcing can generate large decadal‐scale thermocline depth variations, even when the supply of warm water from the shelf‐break is fixed. The modeled variability involves transitions between bistable high and low melt regimes, enabled by feedbacks between basal melt rates and ice front stratification strength. Our simple model captures observed variations in near‐coast thermocline depth and stratification strength, and poses an alternative mechanism for warm water volume changes to wind‐driven theories.
Plasma Distribution Solver: A Model for Field‐Aligned Plasma Profiles Based on Spatial Variation of Velocity Distribution Functions
Authors: Saito K. , Katoh Y. , Kawazura Y. , Kitahara M. , Kimura T. , Kumamoto A.
Published: August 2023

This paper describes the plasma distribution solver (PDS), a theoretical model that determines plasma number density and pressure profiles along a magnetic field line of magnetized planets. The PDS computes velocity distribution functions of each particle species at an arbitrary point along a field line to meet the force balance and the accessibility. The number density, mean flow velocity, and pressure calculated by taking the zero‐th, first‐, second‐order moments of the velocity distribution functions enable us to obtain field‐aligned profiles of the quantities strictly consistent with the assumed ionospheric/magnetospheric boundary conditions. The spatial distribution of physical quantities, such as Alfvén speed and plasma β, was also obtained from the PDS results. We applied the PDS to the Jupiter‐Io system. When the temperature anisotropy is presented for the ion species originated from Io, the ion species other than protons, especially O+, can hardly reach mid‐to‐high latitudes. The number density of electrons which satisfy the charge neutrality with ions is also reduced compared to the case when the temperature is assumed to be isotropic. From these differences in the number density profile, we found the change of the boundary position, which characterizes dispersive Alfvén waves from the relation between the plasma β and the mass ratio between electrons and ions.
Upper Limit on Outer Radiation Belt Electron Flux Based on Dynamical Equilibrium
Authors: Mourenas D. , Artemyev A. V. , Zhang X.‐J. , Angelopoulos V.
Published: August 2023

In the Earth's radiation belts, an upper limit on the electron flux is expected to be imposed by the Kennel‐Petschek mechanism, through the generation of exponentially more intense whistler‐mode waves as the trapped flux increases above this upper limit, leading to fast electron pitch‐angle diffusion and precipitation into the atmosphere. Here, we examine a different upper limit, corresponding to a dynamical equilibrium in the presence of energetic electron injections and both pitch‐angle and energy diffusion by whistler‐mode chorus waves. We first show that during sustained injections, the electron flux energy spectrum tends toward a steady‐state attractor resulting from combined chorus wave‐driven energy and pitch‐angle diffusion. We derive simple analytical expressions for this steady‐state energy spectrum in a wide parameter range, in agreement with simulations. Approximate analytical expressions for the corresponding equilibrium upper limit on the electron flux are provided as a function of the strength of energetic electron injections from the plasma sheet. The analytical steady‐state energy spectrum is also compared with maximum electron fluxes measured in the outer radiation belt during several geomagnetic storms with strong injections, showing a good agreement at 100–600 keV.
Forecast Global Ionospheric TEC: Apply Modified U‐Net on VISTA TEC Data Set
Authors: Wang Zihan , Zou Shasha , Sun Hu , Chen Yang
Published: August 2023

This work developed a modified U‐Net model (a convolutional network architecture) to predict global Total Electron Content (TEC) maps. The input includes the current global TEC map, the current F10.7, the time history of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field Bz and SYM‐H in the previous 4 days, the Hour of Day, and the Day of Year. The output is the global TEC map several hours or several days ahead. The modified U‐Net was trained and validated on a brand new TEC database, the VISTA (Video Imputation with SoftImpute, Temporal smoothing and Auxiliary data) TEC database. The VISTA TEC maps can reveal important large‐scale TEC structures and preserve mesoscale structures simultaneously. Taking advantage of the new neural network and the new database, our model achieves an root of the mean squared error from 1.2 TECU to 2.4 TECU as the prediction horizon increases from 1 hr to 7 days. In addition, the model could reveal multiscale structures in the predicted TEC maps.
A New Method for Predicting Non‐Recurrent Geomagnetic Storms
Authors: Wang Cong , Ye Qian , He Fei , Chen Bo , Zhang Xiaoxin
Published: August 2023

Predicting non‐recurrent geomagnetic storms caused by Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is important and necessary for space weather forecasting. Previous studies have shown that it is feasible to predict non‐recurrent geomagnetic storms by reconstructing precursors from cosmic ray intensity (CRI) in the frequency domain. However, the difficulty lies in predicting the minor storms, the moderate storms, and the storms accompanying ground level enhancement (GLE). This study proposes a new method that includes the spectral whitening method and CEEMDAN‐CWT for predicting non‐recurrent geomagnetic storms. The method was applied to 229 CME‐driven events, including 166 events with Kp ≥ 5 and 63 events with Kp < 5, during the solar cycles 23 and 24. This study analyzed 166 geomagnetic storm events and found that 129 of them were accurately predicted, resulting in a recall rate of 77.7%. Additionally, the study found that as the Kp index increased, the amplitude of the precursor detected by this method also increased, while the time interval between the onset of CME and the maximum amplitude of the precursor decreased.
Real-world experience with ponatinib therapy in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia: impact of depth of response on survival and prior exposure to nilotinib on arterial occlusive events
Authors: Abdelmagid Maymona G. , Al-Kali Aref , Litzow Mark R. , Begna Kebede H. , Hogan William J. , Patnaik Mirinal S. , Hashmi Shahrukh K. , Elliott Michelle A. , Alkhateeb Hassan , Karrar Omer S. , Fleti Farah , Elnayir Mohammed H. , Rivera Candido E. , Murthy Hemant S. , Foran James M. , Kharfan-Dabaja Mohamed A. , Badar Talha , Viswanatha David S. , Reichard Kaaren K. , Gangat Naseema , Tefferi Ayalew
Published: August 2023

We surveyed the performance of ponatinib, as salvage therapy, in a real-world setting of chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP). Among 55 consecutive patients (median age 49 years) with relapsed/refractory CML-CP, 35 (64%) had failed ≥3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), 35 (64%) were pre-treated with nilotinib, and 14 (28%) harbored ABL1T315I. At start of ponatinib (median dose 30 mg/day), 40 patients were already in complete hematologic (CHR), 4 in complete cytogenetic (CCyR), 3 in major molecular (MMR) remission, while 8 had not achieved CHR (NR). Ponatinib improved the depth of response in 13 (33%), 3 (75%), 2 (66%), and 4 (50%) patients with CHR, CCyR, MMR, and NR, respectively (p = 0.02). At a median follow-up of 42 months, 13 (23%) deaths, 5 (9%) blast transformations, and 25 (45%) allogeneic transplants were recorded. Five/10-year post-ponatinib survival was 77%/58% with no significant difference when patients were stratified by allogeneic transplant (p = 0.94), ponatinib-induced deeper response (p = 0.28), or a post-ponatinib ≥CCyR vs CHR remission state (p = 0.25). ABL1T315I was detrimental to survival (p = 0.04) but did not appear to affect response. Prior exposure to nilotinib was associated with higher risk of arterial occlusive events (AOEs; 11% vs 0%; age-adjusted p = 0.04). Ponatinib starting/maintenance dose (45 vs 15 mg/day) did not influence either treatment response or AOEs. Our observations support the use of a lower starting/maintenance dose for ponatinib in relapsed/refractory CML-CP but a survival advantage for deeper responses was not apparent and treatment might not overcome the detrimental impact of ABL1T315I on survival. The association between prior exposure to nilotinib and a higher risk of post-ponatinib AOEs requires further validation.
Viscoelastic, ductile and repairable carbon nanotube films formed with CNT/PEI double networks containing branched polyethylenimine
Authors: Zhang Xiaohua , Wang Xin , Zhang Xin , Zou Jingyun , Zhang Yongyi , Zhao Jingna , Li Qingwen
Published: August 2023

Manipulating nanostructure assemblies is important in using them as structural and functional materials. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) lack the ability to reconstruct their entangled network. In this work, we report a strategy with which to realize efficient manipulation of CNT networks by forming double networks with branched polyethylenimine (PEI). The double network was highly viscoelastic and ductile and enabled efficient film stretching or creeping for CNT alignment, which dramatically improved the mechanical strength of the CNT films. Due to the viscous drag from the polymer network, the CNTs showed enhanced movability in reconstructing new networks, which made the film repairable. The repairability resulted from the branched polymeric structure. This double-networking strategy provides a new way to manipulate CNT assemblies for high-performance applications.
Heterogeneous effects of battery storage deployment strategies on decarbonization of provincial power systems in China
Authors: Peng Liqun , Mauzerall Denise L. , Zhong Yaofeng D. , He Gang
Published: August 2023

Battery storage is critical for integrating variable renewable generation, yet how the location, scale, and timing of storage deployment affect system costs and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is uncertain. We improve a power system model, SWITCH-China, to examine three nationally uniform battery deployment strategies (Renewable-connected, Grid-connected, and Demand-side) and a heterogeneous battery deployment strategy where each province is allowed to utilize any of the three battery strategies. Here, we find that the heterogeneous strategy always provides the lowest system costs among all four strategies, where provinces with abundant renewable resources dominantly adopt Renewable-connected batteries while those with limited renewables dominantly adopt Demand-side batteries. However, which strategy achieves the lowest CO2 emissions depends on carbon prices. The Renewable-connected strategy achieves the lowest CO2 emissions when carbon prices are relatively low, and the heterogeneous strategy results in the lowest CO2 emissions only at extremely high carbon prices.
Hyperthermia-triggered biomimetic bubble nanomachines
Authors: Gao Junbin , Qin Hanfeng , Wang Fei , Liu Lu , Tian Hao , Wang Hong , Wang Shuanghu , Ou Juanfeng , Ye Yicheng , Peng Fei , Tu Yingfeng
Published: August 2023

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems have gained much attention in the treatment of various malignant tumors during the past decades. However, limited tumor penetration of nanodrugs remains a significant hurdle for effective tumor therapy due to the existing biological barriers of tumoral microenvironment. Inspired by bubble machines, here we report the successful fabrication of biomimetic nanodevices capable of in-situ secreting cell-membrane-derived nanovesicles with smaller sizes under near infrared (NIR) laser irradiation for synergistic photothermal/photodynamic therapy. Porous Au nanocages (AuNC) are loaded with phase transitable perfluorohexane (PFO) and hemoglobin (Hb), followed by oxygen pre-saturation and indocyanine green (ICG) anchored 4T1 tumor cell membrane camouflage. Upon slight laser treatment, the loaded PFO undergoes phase transition due to surface plasmon resonance effect produced by AuNC framework, thus inducing the budding of outer cell membrane coating into small-scale nanovesicles based on the pore size of AuNC. Therefore, the hyperthermia-triggered generation of nanovesicles with smaller size, sufficient oxygen supply and anchored ICG results in enhanced tumor penetration for further self-sufficient oxygen-augmented photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy. The as-developed biomimetic bubble nanomachines with temperature responsiveness show great promise as a potential nanoplatform for cancer treatment.
Spinal cord repair is modulated by the neurogenic factor Hb-egf under direction of a regeneration-associated enhancer
Authors: Cigliola Valentina , Shoffner Adam , Lee Nutishia , Ou Jianhong , Gonzalez Trevor J. , Hoque Jiaul , Becker Clayton J. , Han Yanchao , Shen Grace , Faw Timothy D. , Abd-El-Barr Muhammad M. , Varghese Shyni , Asokan Aravind , Poss Kenneth D.
Published: August 2023

Unlike adult mammals, zebrafish regenerate spinal cord tissue and recover locomotor ability after a paralyzing injury. Here, we find that ependymal cells in zebrafish spinal cords produce the neurogenic factor Hb-egfa upon transection injury. Animals withhb-egfamutations display defective swim capacity, axon crossing, and tissue bridging after spinal cord transection, associated with disrupted indicators of neuron production. Local recombinant human HB-EGF delivery alters ependymal cell cycling and tissue bridging, enhancing functional regeneration. Epigenetic profiling reveals a tissue regeneration enhancer element (TREE) linked tohb-egfathat directs gene expression in spinal cord injuries. Systemically delivered recombinant AAVs containing this zebrafish TREE target gene expression to crush injuries of neonatal, but not adult, murine spinal cords. Moreover, enhancer-based HB-EGF delivery by AAV administration improves axon densities after crush injury in neonatal cords. Our results identify Hb-egf as a neurogenic factor necessary for innate spinal cord regeneration and suggest strategies to improve spinal cord repair in mammals.
A lignin-derived material improves plant nutrient bioavailability and growth through its metal chelating capacity
Authors: Liu Qiang , Kawai Tsubasa , Inukai Yoshiaki , Aoki Dan , Feng Zhihang , Xiao Yihui , Fukushima Kazuhiko , Lin Xianyong , Shi Weiming , Busch Wolfgang , Matsushita Yasuyuki , Li Baohai
Published: August 2023

The lignocellulosic biorefinery industry can be an important contributor to achieving global carbon net zero goals. However, low valorization of the waste lignin severely limits the sustainability of biorefineries. Using a hydrothermal reaction, we have converted sulfuric acid lignin (SAL) into a water-soluble hydrothermal SAL (HSAL). Here, we show the improvement of HSAL on plant nutrient bioavailability and growth through its metal chelating capacity. We characterize HSAL’s high ratio of phenolic hydroxyl groups to methoxy groups and its capacity to chelate metal ions. Application of HSAL significantly promotes root length and plant growth of both monocot and dicot plant species due to improving nutrient bioavailability. The HSAL-mediated increase in iron bioavailability is comparable to the well-known metal chelator ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Therefore, HSAL promises to be a sustainable nutrient chelator to provide an attractive avenue for sustainable utilization of the waste lignin from the biorefinery industry.
Domain loss enabled evolution of novel functions in the snake three-finger toxin gene superfamily
Authors: Koludarov Ivan , Senoner Tobias , Jackson Timothy N. W. , Dashevsky Daniel , Heinzinger Michael , Aird Steven D. , Rost Burkhard
Published: August 2023

Three-finger toxins (3FTXs) are a functionally diverse family of toxins, apparently unique to venoms of caenophidian snakes. Although the ancestral function of 3FTXs is antagonism of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, redundancy conferred by the accumulation of duplicate genes has facilitated extensive neofunctionalization, such that derived members of the family interact with a range of targets. 3FTXs are members of the LY6/UPAR family, but their non-toxin ancestor remains unknown. Combining traditional phylogenetic approaches, manual synteny analysis, and machine learning techniques (including AlphaFold2 and ProtT5), we have reconstructed a detailed evolutionary history of 3FTXs. We identify their immediate ancestor as a non-secretory LY6, unique to squamate reptiles, and propose that changes in molecular ecology resulting from loss of a membrane-anchoring domain and changes in gene expression, paved the way for the evolution of one of the most important families of snake toxins.
Radiomic predicts early response to CDK4/6 inhibitors in hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Khorrami Mohammadhadi , Viswanathan Vidya Sakar , Reddy Priyanka , Braman Nathaniel , Kunte Siddharth , Gupta Amit , Abraham Jame , Montero Alberto J. , Madabhushi Anant
Published: August 2023

The combination of Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) and endocrine therapy (ET) is the standard of care for hormone receptor-positive (HR + ), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Currently, there are no robust biomarkers that can predict response to CDK4/6i, and it is not clear which patients benefit from this therapy. Since MBC patients with liver metastases have a poorer prognosis, developing predictive biomarkers that could identify patients likely to respond to CDK4/6i is clinically important. Here we show the ability of imaging texture biomarkers before and a few cycles after CDK4/6i therapy, to predict early response and overall survival (OS) on 73 MBC patients with known liver metastases who received palbociclib plus ET from two sites. The delta radiomic model was associated with OS in validation set (HR: 2.4; 95% CI, 1.06–5.6; P = 0.035; C-index = 0.77). Compared to RECIST response, delta radiomic features predicted response with area under the curve (AUC) = 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67–0.88. Our study revealed that radiomics features can predict a lack of response earlier than standard anatomic/RECIST 1.1 assessment and warrants further study and clinical validation.
A structure translation model for crystal compounds
Authors: Kim Sungwon , Noh Juhwan , Jin Taewon , Lee Jaewan , Jung Yousung
Published: August 2023

High-throughput virtual screening for crystals aims to discover new materials by evaluating the property of every virtual candidate in the database exhaustively. During this process, the major computational bottleneck is the costly structural relaxation of each hypothetical material on the large-scale dataset using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Here, we present a generative domain translation framework that maps the unrelaxed structural domains to the relaxed domains, enabling data-driven structural translations. The model predicts the materials formation energy with a small mean absolute error without DFT relaxations, and furthermore can produce the atomic coordinates consistent with the DFT relaxed structures. The utility of the proposed concept is not restricted to the structural domains, and we expect that it can be extended to translate the domain of easy-to-compute properties into the domain of more difficult properties.
Understanding the phenotypic variability in Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC): a need for precision medicine
Authors: Las Heras Macarena , Szenfeld Benjamín , Ballout Rami A. , Buratti Emanuele , Zanlungo Silvana , Dardis Andrea , Klein Andrés D.
Published: August 2023

Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease is a lysosomal storage disease (LSD) characterized by the buildup of endo-lysosomal cholesterol and glycosphingolipids due to loss of function mutations in theNPC1andNPC2genes. NPC patients can present with a broad phenotypic spectrum, with differences at the age of onset, rate of progression, severity, organs involved, effects on the central nervous system, and even response to pharmacological treatments. This article reviews the phenotypic variation of NPC and discusses its possible causes, such as the remaining function of the defective protein, modifier genes, sex, environmental cues, and splicing factors, among others. We propose that these factors should be considered when designing or repurposing treatments for this disease. Despite its seeming complexity, this proposition is not far-fetched, considering the expanding interest in precision medicine and easier access to multi-omics technologies.
Customized small-sized clinostat using 3D printing and gas-permeable polydimethylsiloxane culture dish
Authors: Kim Daehan , Nguyen Que Thanh Thanh , Lee Seungjin , Choi Kyung-Mi , Lee Eun-Ju , Park Joong Yull
Published: August 2023

Over the past few decades, research on life in space has increased. Owing to the expensive nature of and the challenges associated with conducting experiments in real space, clinostats, which continuously randomize the gravity vector by using motors, have been used to generate simulated microgravity (SMG) on Earth. Herein, by using a 3D printing method, we develop a customized small-sized clinostat (CS clinostat) that is easy to manufacture, inexpensive, and robust. Moreover, we develop and fabricate a gas-permeable polydimethylsiloxane culture dish that fits inside the CS clinostat. To validate SMG generation, ovarian cancer cells (OV- 90, TOV-21G, and Caov-3) were applied to demonstrate a significant reduction in caveolin-1 expression, a biomarker of SMG, indicating SMG generation. The proposed CS clinostat system has good accessibility for SMG research, which makes it useful as a tool for biologists, who are unfamiliar with conventional clinostat equipment, to conduct preliminary studies in the space environment.
270 nm ultra-thin self-adhesive conformable and long-term air-stable complimentary organic transistors and amplifiers
Authors: Mirshojaeian Hosseini Mohammad Javad , Yang Yi , Kruger Walter , Yokota Tomoyuki , Lee Sunghoon , Someya Takao , Nawrocki Robert A.
Published: August 2023

Lightweight, flexible, and conformal bioelectronics are essential for wearable technologies. This paper introduces 270 nm thin organic electronics amplifying circuits that are self-adhesive, skin conformal, and long-term air-stable. This report studies the effect of total device thickness, namely 3 μm and 270 nm devices, on the characterization of organic devices before and after buckling, the longevity of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) over 5 years, and the lamination of OFETs on the human skin. A single-stage organic complementary inverter and a pseudo-complementary amplifier are fabricated to compare their electrical characteristics, with amplification gains of 10 and 64, respectively. Finally, the study demonstrates a five-stage organic complementary inverter can successfully amplify artificial electromyogram and electrocardiogram signals with gains of 1000 and 1088, respectively.
Transient exposure to rotenone causes degeneration and progressive parkinsonian motor deficits, neuroinflammation, and synucleinopathy
Authors: Van Laar Amber D. , Webb Katherine R. , Keeney Matthew T. , Van Laar Victor S. , Zharikov Alevtina , Burton Edward A. , Hastings Teresa G. , Glajch Kelly E. , Hirst Warren D. , Greenamyre J. Timothy , Rocha Emily M.
Published: August 2023

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) typically receive a diagnosis once they have developed motor symptoms, at which point there is already significant loss of substantia nigra dopamine neurons, α-synuclein accumulation in surviving neurons, and neuroinflammation. Consequently, the point of clinical presentation may be too late to initiate disease-modifying therapy. In contrast to this clinical reality, animal models often involve acute neurodegeneration and potential therapies are tested concurrently or shortly after the pathogenic insult has begun rather than later when diagnostic clinical symptoms emerge. Therefore, we sought to develop a model that reflects the clinical situation more accurately. Middle-aged rats (7–9 months-old) received a single daily intraperitoneal injection of rotenone for 5 consecutive days and were observed over the next 8–9 months. Rotenone-treated rats showed transient motor slowing and postural instability during exposure but recovered within 9 days of rotenone cessation. Rats remained without behavioral deficits for 3–4 months, then developed progressive motor abnormalities over the ensuing months. As motor abnormalities began to emerge 3 months after rotenone exposure, there was significant loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons and significant microglial activation. There was delayed accumulation of α-synuclein in neurons of the substantia nigra and frontal cortex, which was maximal at 9 months post-rotenone. In summary, a brief temporally-remote exposure to rotenone causes delayed and progressive behavioral and neuropathological changes similar to Parkinson’s disease. This model mimics the human clinical situation, in which pathogenesis is well-established by the time diagnostic motor deficits appear. As such, this model may provide a more relevant experimental system in which to test disease-modifying therapeutics.
Surpassing spectator qubits with photonic modes and continuous measurement for Heisenberg-limited noise mitigation
Authors: Lingenfelter Andrew , Clerk Aashish A.
Published: August 2023

Noise is an ever-present challenge to the creation and preservation of fragile quantum states. Recent work suggests that spatial noise correlations can be harnessed as a resource for noise mitigation via the use of spectator qubits to measure environmental noise. In this work we generalize this concept from spectator qubits to a spectator mode: a photonic mode which continuously measures spatially correlated classical dephasing noise and applies a continuous correction drive to frequency-tunable data qubits. Our analysis shows that by using many photon states, spectator modes can surpass many of the quantum measurement constraints that limit spectator qubit approaches. We also find that long-time data qubit dephasing can be arbitrarily suppressed, even for white noise dephasing. Further, using a squeezing (parametric) drive, the error in the spectator mode approach can exhibit Heisenberg-limited scaling in the number of photons used. We also show that spectator mode noise mitigation can be implemented completely autonomously using engineered dissipation. In this case no explicit measurement or processing of a classical measurement record is needed. Our work establishes spectator modes as a potentially powerful alternative to spectator qubits for noise mitigation.
Mnemonic-trained brain tuning to a regular odd-even pattern subserves digit memory in children
Authors: Pan Yafeng , Hao Ning , Liu Ning , Zhao Yijie , Cheng Xiaojun , Ku Yixuan , Hu Yi
Published: August 2023

It is said that our species use mnemonics – that “magic of memorization” – to engrave an enormous amount of information in the brain. Yet, it is unclear how mnemonics affect memory and what the neural underpinnings are. In this electroencephalography study, we examined the hypotheses whether mnemonic training improved processing-efficiency and/or altered encoding-pattern to support memory enhancement. By 22-day training of a digit-image mnemonic (a custom memory technique used by world-class mnemonists), a group of children showed increased short-term memory after training, but with limited gain generalization. This training resulted in regular odd-even neural patterns (i.e., enhanced P200 and theta power during the encoding of digits at even- versus odd- positions in a sequence). Critically, the P200 and theta power effects predicted the training-induced memory improvement. These findings provide evidence of how mnemonics alter encoding pattern, as reflected in functional brain organization, to support memory enhancement.
Outside-in signaling through the major histocompatibility complex class-I cytoplasmic tail modulates glutamate receptor expression in neurons
Authors: Eyford Brett A. , Lazarczyk Maciej J. , Choi Kyung Bok , Varghese Merina , Arora Hitesh , Kari Suresh , Munro Lonna , Pfeifer Cheryl G. , Sowa Allison , Dickstein Daniel R. , Dickstein Dara L. , Jefferies Wilfred A.
Published: August 2023

The interplay between AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) and major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) proteins in regulating synaptic signaling is a crucial aspect of central nervous system (CNS) function. In this study, we investigate the significance of the cytoplasmic tail of MHC-I in synaptic signaling within the CNS and its impact on the modulation of synaptic glutamate receptor expression. Specifically, we focus on the Y321 to F substitution (Y321F) within the conserved cytoplasmic tyrosine YXXΦ motif, known for its dual role in endocytosis and cellular signaling of MHC-I. Our findings reveal that the Y321F substitution influences the expression of AMPAR subunits GluA2/3 and leads to alterations in the phosphorylation of key kinases, including Fyn, Lyn, p38, ERK1/2, JNK1/2/3, and p70 S6 kinase. These data illuminate the crucial role of MHC-I in AMPAR function and present a novel mechanism by which MHC-I integrates extracellular cues to modulate synaptic plasticity in neurons, which ultimately underpins learning and memory.
Variation in the stringency of COVID-19 public health measures on self-reported health, stress, and overall wellbeing in Canada
Authors: Cameron-Blake Emily , Annan Henry , Marro Leonora , Michaud David , Sawatzky Julia , Tatlow Helen
Published: August 2023

Evidence is building regarding the association between government implemented public health measures aimed at combating COVID-19 and their impacts on health. This study investigated the relationship between the stringency of public health measures implemented in Canada and self-reported mental health, physical health, stress, and wellbeing among a random sample of 6647 Canadians 18 years of age and older. The analysis was based on self-reported health data from the Canadian Perspectives on Environmental Noise Survey. This data was combined with the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker database, which included overall stringency index (SI), and four of its sub-components, i.e., school and business closures, restrictions on gatherings, and stay at home policies. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression models indicated that the magnitude of the overall SI was associated with higher or lower odds of reporting worse physical health, mental health, stress and/or overall wellbeing, depending on the measure evaluated. Similarly, policy directed at the four sub-components had varying impacts on the odds of reporting worse health, depending on the sub-component, the strength of the policy restriction, and the health outcome evaluated. The association between the strength of the public health measures and self-reported health, and how this may inform future policy, is discussed.
Comparative analysis of soybean transcriptional profiles reveals defense mechanisms involved in resistance against Diaporthe caulivora
Authors: Mena Eilyn , Reboledo Guillermo , Stewart Silvina , Montesano Marcos , Ponce de León Inés
Published: August 2023

Soybean stem canker (SSC) caused by the fungal pathogen Diaporthe caulivora is an important disease affecting soybean production worldwide. However, limited information related to the molecular mechanisms underlying soybean resistance to Diaporthe species is available. In the present work, we analyzed the defense responses to D. caulivora in the soybean genotypes Williams and Génesis 5601. The results showed that compared to Williams, Génesis 5601 is more resistant to fungal infection evidenced by significantly smaller lesion length, reduced disease severity and pathogen biomass. Transcriptional profiling was performed in untreated plants and in D. caulivora-inoculated and control-treated tissues at 8 and 48 h post inoculation (hpi). In total, 2.322 and 1.855 genes were differentially expressed in Génesis 5601 and Williams, respectively. Interestingly, Génesis 5601 exhibited a significantly higher number of upregulated genes compared to Williams at 8 hpi, 1.028 versus 434 genes. Resistance to D. caulivora was associated with defense activation through transcriptional reprogramming mediating perception of the pathogen by receptors, biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids, hormone signaling, small heat shock proteins and pathogenesis related (PR) genes. These findings provide novel insights into soybean defense mechanisms leading to host resistance against D. caulivora, and generate a foundation for the development of resistant SSC varieties within soybean breeding programs.
Integrative genetic and genomic networks identify microRNA associated with COPD and ILD
Authors: Pavel Ana B. , Garrison Carly , Luo Lingqi , Liu Gang , Taub Daniel , Xiao Ji , Juan-Guardela Brenda , Tedrow John , Alekseyev Yuriy O. , Yang Ivana V. , Geraci Mark W. , Sciurba Frank , Schwartz David A. , Kaminski Naftali , Beane Jennifer , Spira Avrum , Lenburg Marc E. , Campbell Joshua D.
Published: August 2023

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) are clinically and molecularly heterogeneous diseases. We utilized clustering and integrative network analyses to elucidate roles for microRNAs (miRNAs) and miRNA isoforms (isomiRs) in COPD and ILD pathogenesis. Short RNA sequencing was performed on 351 lung tissue samples of COPD (n = 145), ILD (n = 144) and controls (n = 64). Five distinct subclusters of samples were identified including 1 COPD-predominant cluster and 2 ILD-predominant clusters which associated with different clinical measurements of disease severity. Utilizing 262 samples with gene expression and SNP microarrays, we built disease-specific genetic and expression networks to predict key miRNA regulators of gene expression. Members of miR-449/34 family, known to promote airway differentiation by repressing the Notch pathway, were among the top connected miRNAs in both COPD and ILD networks. Genes associated with miR-449/34 members in the disease networks were enriched among genes that increase in expression with airway differentiation at an air–liquid interface. A highly expressed isomiR containing a novel seed sequence was identified at the miR-34c-5p locus. 47% of the anticorrelated predicted targets for this isomiR were distinct from the canonical seed sequence for miR-34c-5p. Overexpression of the canonical miR-34c-5p and the miR-34c-5p isomiR with an alternative seed sequence down-regulated NOTCH1 and NOTCH4. However, only overexpression of the isomiR down-regulated genes involved in Ras signaling such as CRKL and GRB2. Overall, these findings elucidate molecular heterogeneity inherent across COPD and ILD patients and further suggest roles for miR-34c in regulating disease-associated gene-expression.
Magnetohydrodynamic double-diffusive peristaltic flow of radiating fourth-grade nanofluid through a porous medium with viscous dissipation and heat generation/absorption
Authors: Mohamed R. A. , Abo-Dahab S. M. , Abd-Alla A. M. , Soliman M. S.
Published: August 2023

This article focuses on determining how to double diffusion affects the non-Newtonian fourth-grade nanofluids peristaltic motion within a symmetrical vertical elastic channel supported by a suitable porous medium as well as, concentrating on the impact of a few significant actual peculiarities on the development of the peristaltic liquid, such as rotation, initial pressure, non-linear thermal radiation, heat generation/absorption in the presence of viscous dissipation and joule heating with noting that the fluid inside the channel is subject to an externally induced magnetic field, giving it electromagnetic properties. Moreover, the constraints of the long-wavelength approximation and neglecting the wave number along with the low Reynolds number have been used to transform the nonlinear partial differential equations in two dimensions into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations in one dimension, which serve as the basic governing equations for fluid motion. The suitable numerical method for solving the new system of ordinary differential equations is the Runge–Kutta fourth-order numerical method with the shooting technique using the code MATLAB program. Using this code, a 2D and 3D graphical analysis was done to show how each physical parameter affected the distributions of axial velocity, temperature, nanoparticle volume fraction, solutal concentration, pressure gradients, induced magnetic field, magnetic forces, and finally the trapping phenomenon. Under the influence of rotation $$\Omega$$
Ω
, heat Grashof number $${Gr}_{t}$$

Gr

t

, solutal Grashof number $${Gr}_{t}$$

Gr

t

, and initial stress $${P}^{*}$$

P

∗

, the axial velocity distribution $$u$$
u
changes from increasing to decreasing, according to some of the study’s findings. On the other hand, increasing values of nonlinear thermal radiation $$R$$
R
and temperature ratio $${\theta }_{w}$$

θ
w

have a negative impact on the temperature distribution $$\theta$$
θ
but a positive impact on the distributions of nanoparticle volume fraction $$\Phi$$
Φ
and solutal concentration $$\gamma$$
γ
. Darcy number $$Da$$

Da

and mean fluid rate $$F$$
F
also had a positive effect on the distribution of pressure gradients, making it an increasing function.
Comparison of the flavor qualities between two varieties of Mercenaria mercenaria
Authors: Zhang Zhidong , Chen Suhua , Chen Aihua , Xu Yanshun , Zhang Yu , Yu Wenwen , Cao Yi , Jia Chaofeng , Wu Yangping
Published: August 2023

The saltwater hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria (M. mercenaria) as a representative of low-value shellfish, enhancing its flavor quality, is the key to enter the high-end market. Nevertheless, there has not been reported research on the flavor quality of M. mercenaria. This study compared the flavor quality of selective and non-selective saltwater hard clams of M. mercenaria by using various indicators: proximate component, free amino acids, nucleotides, and metabolomic analysis. The results indicated that selective breeding contributed to the significant improvement contents of crude protein, flavor-associated free amino acids (glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, etc.), and nucleotides (AMP) (P < 0.05). Then, the metabolome was utilized to assess the metabolite changes in the pre/post-selective breeding of M. mercenaria and further understand the flavor characteristics and metabolic status. In the metabolomics assay, among the 3143 quantified metabolites, a total of 102 peaks were identified as significantly different metabolites (SDMs) between the selective and non-selective varieties of M. mercenaria (VIP > 1 and P < 0.05). These results can provide new insights for future research on improving the quality of saltwater bivalves through selective breeding.
Synthesis and insecticide evaluation of some new oxopropylthiourea compounds as insect growth regulators against the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis
Authors: El-Saghier Ahmed M. , Abosella Laila , Aborahma Gamal A. , Elakesh Esmail O. , Abdelhamid Antar A. , Gad Mohamed A.
Published: August 2023

In this project we aim to share in increasing the production of the most important non-food agricultural product i.e. cotton via protection of it is plant. The usage of safe alternatives to the pesticides has become crucial due to several serious issues associated with the use of insecticides. Therefore, the families of new eco-friendly organic compounds that contain manly oxopropylthiourea scaffold will synthesis in their pure state by using green procedures. This compounds includes (i) poly functional substituted oxopropylthiourea, (ii) dihydroquinoline carboxylic acid, In second category, the structure of this compounds which may be related to the most famous insect growth regulators insecticides, will confirmed by elemental and modern spectroscopic analyses (such as IR, UV, 1HNMR and 13CNMR). In the final category, the synthesized compounds was checked toward the second & forth instar larvae of cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis. The present data proved that values of LC50 of the most effected synthesized compound 8 was 2.412 ppm in which LC50 for commercial lufenuron was 2.295 ppm. Component 8 may be particularly effective due to the presence of fluorophenyl, cyanoacetamide, and carboxalic acid groups in their chemical makeup. In an additional effort to slightly improve insecticidal compounds, evaluation of the latent effects of the examined components on a number of biological parameters, such as adult longevity, pupal weight, proportion of normal, deformed pupae, & adult emergency, fecundity, & egg hatchability, was carried out.
Functional network of contextual and temporal memory has increased amygdala centrality and connectivity with the retrosplenial cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus
Authors: Santos Thays Brenner , Kramer-Soares Juliana Carlota , de Oliveira Coelho Cesar Augusto , Oliveira Maria Gabriela Menezes
Published: August 2023

In fear conditioning with time intervals between the conditioned (CS) and unconditioned (US) stimuli, a neural representation of the CS must be maintained over time to be associated with the later US. Usually, temporal associations are studied by investigating individual brain regions. It remains unknown, however, the effect of the interval at the network level, uncovering functional connections cooperating for the CS transient memory and its fear association. We investigated the functional network supporting temporal associations using a task in which a 5-s interval separates the contextual CS from the US (CFC-5s). We quantified c-Fos expression in forty-nine brain regions of male rats following the CFC-5s training, used c-Fos correlations to generate functional networks, and analyzed them by graph theory. Control groups were trained in contextual fear conditioning, in which CS and US overlap. The CFC-5s training additionally activated subdivisions of the basolateral, lateral, and medial amygdala; prelimbic, infralimbic, perirhinal, postrhinal, and intermediate entorhinal cortices; ventral CA1 and subiculum. The CFC-5s network had increased amygdala centrality and higher amygdala internal and external connectivity with the retrosplenial cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus. Amygdala and thalamic nuclei were network hubs. Functional connectivity among these brain regions could support CS transient memories and their association.
Transport and localization on dendrite-inspired flat band linear photonic lattices
Authors: Cubillos Cornejo Javier , Guzmán-Silva Diego , Cornejo Víctor Hugo , Bordeu Ignacio , Vicencio Rodrigo A.
Published: August 2023

The capacity of a physical system to transport and localize energy or information is usually linked to its spatial configuration. This is relevant for integration and transmission of signals as performed, for example, by the dendrites of neuronal cells. Inspired by recent works on the organization of spines on the surface of dendrites and how they promote localization or propagation of electrical impulses in neurons, here we propose a linear photonic lattice configuration to study how the geometric features of a dendrite-inspired lattice allows for the localization or propagation of light on a completely linear structure. We show that by increasing the compression of the photonic analogue of spines and thus, by increasing the coupling strength of the spines with the main chain (the “photonic dendrite”), flat band modes become prevalent in the system, allowing spatial localization in the linear – low energy – regime. Furthermore, we study the inclusion of disorder in the distribution of spines and show that the main features of ordered systems persist due to the robustness of the flat band states. Finally, we discuss if the photonic analog, having evanescent interactions, may provide insight into linear morphological mechanisms at work occurring in some biological systems, where interactions are of electric and biochemical origin.
Neural network based corrosion modeling of Stainless Steel 316L elbow using electric field mapping data
Authors: Memon Azhar M. , Imran Imil Hamda , Alhems Luai M.
Published: August 2023

Stainless steel (SS) is widely employed in industrial applications that demand superior corrosion resistance. Modeling its corrosion behavior in common structural and various operational scenarios is beneficial to provide wall-thickness (WT) information, thus leading to a predictive asset integrity regime. In this spirit, an approach to model the corrosion behavior of SS 316L using artificial neural networks (ANNs) is developed, whereby saline water at different concentrations is flown through an elbow structure at different flow rates and salt concentrations. Voltage, current, and temperature data are recorded hourly using electric field mapping (EFM) pins installed on the elbow surface, which serve as training data for the ANNs. The performance of corrosion modeling is verified by comparing the predicted WT with actual measurements obtained from experimental tests. The results show the exceptional performance of the proposed single ANN model to predict WT. The error is calculated by comparing the estimated WT and actual measurement recorded, where the maximum error for each setting is range from 0.5363 to $$0.7535\%$$

0.7535
%

. RMSE and MAE values of each pin in every setting are also computed such that the maximum values of RMSE and MAE are 0.0271 and 0.0266, respectively. Moreover, a concise account of the observed scale formation is also reported. This comprehensive study contributes to a better understanding of SS 316L corrosion and offers valuable insights for developing efficient strategies to prevent corrosion in industrial environments. By accurately predicting WT loss using ANNs, this approach enables proactive maintenance planning, minimizing the risk of structural failures and ensuring the extended sustainability of industrial assets.