bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Presenting Three Case Reports of Congenital Vaginal and Complete Uterine Septum with Double Cervix (U2bC2V1) with Different Reproductive Outcomes: Is There a Need for Surgical Treatment?
Authors: Triantafyllidou Olga , Papageorgiou Maria , Christopoulos Panagiotis , Kastora Stavroula , Kalampokas Emmanouil , Kalampokas Theodoros , Vlahos Nikos
Published: January 2023

Congenital uterine anomalies (CUAs) consist of structural disorders of the female genital tract arising as a result of abnormal fusion or resorption of the Müllerian ducts. The prevalence of CUAs is 5.5% in the general population, 8.0% in infertile women, and 13.3% in women with a history of miscarriage. Here, we present three cases of women with complex genital tract anomalies, including cervical duplication and vaginal septum with different reproductive outcomes. A complete uterine septum with double functional cervix may have a wide spectrum of reproductive outcomes: from completely normal conception and pregnancy to infertility and recurrent pregnancy losses. In these cases, we advised patients to complete their evaluation by undergoing hysteroscopy, to provide reliable information for the anatomical status of the cervix, tubal ostia, and, especially, the uterine cavity. In cases of infertility or recurrent miscarriages, the dilemma is whether to proceed with the resection of the uterine septum in combination with the resection of vaginal one. We suggest that among women with this type of CUAs, surgical treatment should be offered. Further evidence from larger population studies is needed as the risks of surgical treatment cannot be disregarded.
Ultrawide-bandgap semiconductor of carbon-based materials for meta-photonics-heterostructure, lasers, and holographic displays
Authors: Abbas Arwa Saud
Published: January 2023

Carbon-based materials (CM) growth techniques include common growth factors for meta-photonics-heterostructure, holographic displays, and lasers. In this article, a review of basic growth using several sources is presented. The solid and gas sources of CVD and PLD techniques are discussed. Additionally, doping types and the fabrication of the CM devices are covered to satisfy the requirements of the light emitters’ functionality in the physics of materials as follows: (a) direct bandgap, (b) UV range of 0.1 μm < λG< 0.4 μm, 12.40 eV < EG> 3.10 eV, and (c) p-n junction formation. Additionally, conversion of injected electrical current into light in the semiconductor materials using the anti-electrons process for creating light emitters is proposed. Therefore, this review study explores the potential of the selected CM sources as an inexpensive and abundantly available renewable natural source for highly crystalline nanolayers. The CM status of epitaxial thin-film growth is introduced as well as device-processing technologies for prediction. Finally, the positron process in direct light conversion is discussed.
Urban modification of heavy rainfall: a model case study for Bhubaneswar urban region
Authors: Swain Madhusmita , Nadimpalli Raghu , Das Ananda K. , Mohanty U. C. , Niyogi Dev
Published: January 2023

An increase in urbanization has been witnessed from 1980 to 2019 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The impact of this increase in urban areas on rainfall pattern and intensity has been assessed in this study. To evaluate these changes, four heavy rainfall events, such as 06thMarch 2017, 23rdMay 2018, 20 – 22 July 2018, and 04 – 08 August 2018, have been simulated with 1980, 2000, and 2019 land use land cover (LULC) obtained from United States Geological Survey imageries. With these two LULC sensitivities, urban canopy model (UCM) experiments have also been carried out. These experiments suggest that incorporating corrected LULC is necessary for simulating heavy rainfall events using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Urbanization increases the rainfall intensity, and the spatial shift was more pronounced along the peripheral region of the city. The vertically integrated moisture flux analysis suggests that more moisture present over the area received intense rainfall. An increase in urbanization increases the temperature at the lower level of the atmosphere, which increases [planetary boundary layer height, local convection, and rainfall over the region. Contiguous Rain Area method analysis suggests that the 2019 LULC with single layer UCM predicts a better spatial representation of rainfall. This combination works well for all the four cases simulated.
The Prevalence of Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in a Sample of the Saudi Population
Authors: Wali Siraj O. , AlQassas Ibrahim , Qanash Sultan , Mufti Hani , Alamoudi Malak , Alnowaiser Maha , Bakraa Reem , Alharbi Abdullah , Ossra Wejdan , Alhejaili Faris , Alshumrani Ranya , Batawi Ghadah A.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Positional obstructive sleep apnoea (POSA) is of important clinical significance, as positional treatment can augment or obviate continuous positive airway pressure. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of POSA and its characteristics using different definitions.

Methods

We retrospectively examined a cohort of patients who underwent polysomnography (PSG) between 2013 and 2019 at two sleep centres. Demographic data and PSG data were collected from 624 patients with an apnoea–hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5. POSA was defined using different criteria as follows: (1) AHI of at least twice as high in the supine position as in the lateral position (Cartwright’ s definition). (2) A supine AHI ≥ 10 and a lateral AHI < 10 (Marklun’s definition). (3) AHI of at least twice as high in the supine position than in the lateral position, with the lateral AHI not exceeding 5 (Mador’s definition or Exclusive POSA; e-POSA). (4) AHI ≥ 15/h; a supine AHI ≥ twice that of the nonsupine AHI ≥ 20 min of sleep in the supine and nonsupine positions; and a nonsupine AHI < 15 (Bignold’s definition).

Results

The prevalence of POSA was 54% (Cartwright), 38.6% (Mador), 33.8% (Marklund) and 8.3% (Bignold). Multivariate regression analysis showed a body mass index (BMI) < 35 kg/m2 was the only significant predictor of POSA. Mador’s definition had the highest diagnostic yield (sensitivity 63%; specificity 100%; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 90.2%).

Conclusion

POSA is common, but its prevalence depends on the definition used. Low BMI was identified as a significant predictor.
The evaluation of urban spatial quality and utility trade-offs for Post-COVID working preferences: a case study of Hong Kong
Authors: Song Qiwei , Dou Zhiyi , Qiu Waishan , Li Wenjing , Wang Jingsong , van Ameijde Jeroen , Luo Dan
Published: January 2023

The formation of urban districts and the appeal of densely populated areas reflect a spatial equilibrium in which workers migrate to locations with greater urban vitality but diminished environmental qualities. However, the pandemic and associated health concerns have accelerated remote and hybrid work modes, altered people's sense of place and appreciation of urban density, and transformed perceptions of desirable places to live and work. This study presents a systematic method for evaluating the trade-offs between perceived urban environmental qualities and urban amenities by analysing post-pandemic urban residence preferences. By evaluating neighbourhood Street View Imagery (SVI) and urban amenity data, such as park sizes, the study collects subjective opinions from surveys on two working conditions (work-from-office or from-home). On this basis, several Machine Learning (ML) models were trained to predict the preference scores for both work modes. In light of the complexity of work-from-home preferences, the results demonstrate that the method predicts work-from-office scores with greater precision. In the post-pandemic era, the research aims to shed light on the development of a valuable instrument for driving and evaluating urban design strategies based on the potential self-organisation of work-life patterns and social profiles in designated neighbourhoods.
Human Nature in Early Franciscan Thought
Authors: Schumacher Lydia
Published: January 2023

In this book, Lydia Schumacher challenges the common assumption that early Franciscan thought simply reiterates the longstanding tradition of Augustine. She demonstrates how scholars from this tradition incorporated the work of Islamic and Jewish philosophers, whose works had recently been translated from Arabic, with a view to developing a unique approach to questions of human nature. These questions pertain to perennial philosophical concerns about the relationship between the body and the soul, the work of human cognition and sensation, and the power of free will. By highlighting the Arabic sources of early Franciscan views on these matters, Schumacher illustrates how scholars working in the early thirteenth century anticipated later developments in Franciscan thought which have often been described as novel or unprecedented. Above all, her study demonstrates that the early Franciscan philosophy of human nature was formulated with a view to bolstering the order's specific theological and religious ideals.
Evangelicals and Electoral Politics in Latin America
Authors: Boas Taylor C.
Published: January 2023

Why are religious minorities well represented and politically influential in some democracies but not others? Focusing on evangelical Christians in Latin America, this book argues that religious minorities seek and gain electoral representation when they face significant threats to their material interests and worldview, and when their community is not internally divided by cross-cutting cleavages. Differences in Latin American evangelicals' political ambitions emerged as a result of two critical junctures: episodes of secular reform in the early twentieth century and the rise of sexuality politics at the turn of the twenty-first. In Brazil, significant threats at both junctures prompted extensive electoral mobilization; in Chile, minimal threats meant that mobilization lagged. In Peru, where major cleavages divide both evangelicals and broader society, threats prompt less electoral mobilization than otherwise expected. The multi-method argument leverages interviews, content analysis, survey experiments, ecological analysis, and secondary case studies of Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala.
Using focus groups with dairy cattle veterinarians to explore learning about calf welfare
Authors: Sumner Christine L , Bolduc Naseeb , von Keyserlingk Marina AG
Published: January 2023

Dairy calf welfare is a growing interest within the veterinary field. However, a limited understanding of the conception of calf welfare by dairy cattle veterinarians can hinder efforts to promote welfare improvements on farms. The aim of this study was to explore how focus groups can promote learning about dairy calf welfare issues among cattle veterinarians. Focus groups (n = 5), that collectively had 33 participants representing five Canadian provinces and different geographical regions, were conducted as part of a continuing education workshop for Canadian cattle veterinarians. Two trained individuals undertook exploratory data analyses using applied thematic analysis and adult learning theory to develop a codebook of the data and identify the main themes. There were three main themes about learning that emerged from guided peer-discussion: (i) defining a shared concept of animal welfare from the veterinary perspective to diagnose the problem; (ii) understanding the problems of calf welfare by self-examination and group reflection; and (iii) negotiating the best approach to address the problems through sharing of ideas on improving calf welfare, including strategies for addressing welfare problems. In conclusion, focus groups can facilitate animal welfare learning within the veterinary profession.
Engineers & Corporate Management, ca 1870–1930: The Invisible HandRedux
Authors: G. Solares Israel , Beatty Edward
Published: January 2023

Who managed large corporations during the first half century of their emergence? How did modernizing firms navigate periods of rapid technological change such as those that swept the U.S. economy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries? What role did engineers play in the management of large corporations? This paper draws on an original database of tens of thousands of mining and metallurgical engineers who graduated from universities during this period, examining patterns in their employment records, job descriptions, and career trajectories, matching our data on individual engineers with a linked database of mining and metallurgical corporations. We trace two distinct phases in engineers’ managerial role that corresponded to periods of rapid technological change and technological quiescence in the industry. We argue that explaining the rise of the modern corporation and the historical dynamics of corporate management requires a better understanding of technical expertise in management.
Beyond Visualization: Remote Sensing Applications in Prehispanic Settlements to Understand Ancient Anthropogenic Land Use and Occupation in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia
Authors: Rodríguez Osorio Daniel , Giraldo Santiago , Mazuera Eduardo , Burbano Andrés , Figueredo Estefanía
Published: January 2023

Archaeology is increasingly employing remote sensing techniques such as airborne lidar (light detection and ranging), terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and photogrammetry in tropical environments where dense vegetation hinders to a great extent the ability to understand the scope of ancient landscape modification. These technologies have enabled archaeologists to develop sophisticated analyses that overturn traditional misconceptions of tropical ecologies and the human groups that have inhabited them in the long term. This article presents new data on the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia that reveals the extent to which its ancient societies transformed this landscape, which is frequently thought of as pristine. By recursively integrating remote sensing and archaeology, this study contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship examining ancient land use and occupation in densely forested contexts.
Bedrock geological map predictions for Phanerozoic fossil occurrences
Authors: Ye Shan , Peters Shanan E.
Published: January 2023

Geographically explicit, taxonomically resolved fossil occurrences are necessary for reconstructing macroevolutionary patterns and for testing a wide range of hypotheses in the Earth and life sciences. Heterogeneity in the spatial and temporal distribution of fossil occurrences in the Paleobiology Database (PBDB) is attributable to several different factors, including turnover among biological communities, socioeconomic disparities in the intensity of paleontological research, and geological controls on the distribution and fossil yield of sedimentary deposits. Here we use the intersection of global geological map data from Macrostrat and fossil collections in the PBDB to assess the extent to which the potentially fossil-bearing, surface-expressed sedimentary record has yielded fossil occurrences. We find a significant and moderately strong positive correlation between geological map area and the number of fossil occurrences. This correlation is consistent regardless of map unit age and binning protocol, except at period level; the Neogene and Quaternary have non-marine map units covering large areas and yielding fewer occurrences than expected. The sedimentary record of North America and Europe yields significantly more fossil occurrences per sedimentary area than similarly aged deposits in most of the rest of the world. However, geographic differences in area and age of sedimentary deposits lead to regionally different expectations for fossil occurrences. Using the sampling of surface-expressed sedimentary units in North America and Europe as a predictor for what might be recoverable from the surface-expressed sedimentary deposits of other regions, we find that the rest of the globe is approximately 45% as well sampled in the PBDB. Using age and area of bedrock and sampling in North America and Europe as a basis for prediction, we estimate that more than 639,000 occurrences from outside these regions would need to be added to the PBDB to achieve global geological parity in sampling. In general, new terrestrial fossil occurrences are expected to have the greatest impact on our understanding of macroevolutionary patterns.
How Do Politicians Bargain? Evidence from Ultimatum Games with Legislators in Five Countries
Authors: SHEFFER LIOR , LOEWEN PETER JOHN , WALGRAVE STEFAAN , BAILER STEFANIE , BREUNIG CHRISTIAN , HELFER LUZIA , PILET JEAN-BENOIT , VARONE FRÉDÉRIC , VLIEGENTHART RENS
Published: January 2023

Politicians regularly bargain with colleagues and other actors. Bargaining dynamics are central to theories of legislative politics and representative democracy, bearing directly on the substance and success of legislation, policy, and on politicians’ careers. Yet, controlled evidence on how legislators bargain is scarce. Do they apply different strategies when engaging different actors? If so, what are they, and why? To study these questions, we field an ultimatum game bargaining experiment to 1,100 sitting politicians in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States. We find that politicians exhibit a strong partisan bias when bargaining, a pattern that we document across all of our cases. The size of the partisan bias in bargaining is about double the size when politicians engage citizens than when they face colleagues. We discuss implications for existing models of bargaining and outline future research directions.
Genotype–environment interaction and sexual dimorphism in the genetic evaluation of yearling weight in Simmental cattle raised in Brazil
Authors: Moura G. F. , Arce C.D.S. , Santos J. C. G. , Santos D.J.A. , Aspilcueta-Borquis R. R. , Pegolo N. T. , Gomide A. P. C. , Marques L. F. A. , Oliveira H. N. , Araujo Neto F. R.
Published: January 2023

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of genotype–environment interaction (GEI) on the yearling weight of Simmental cattle raised in Brazil, including the sex dimorphism in reaction norm models. The environmental gradient (EG) was formed using the average weight at 365 days of the contemporary groups. Two approaches were adopted in this study to evaluate reaction norms for weight at 365 days: a single-trait model and a multitrait model in which the data for males and females were separated and considered different traits for the analysis of sexual dimorphism. The genetic parameters were estimated using the Bayesian inference and Gibbs sampling. Analysis of the trend of the heritability estimates obtained with the single-trait model along the EG revealed a value of about 0.33 (EG: −21) in the worst environments, which decreased in the intermediate environments and reached a value of 0.24 in EG: −8, with a subsequent increase of the estimates up to 0.51 in EG: +23. Using the multitrait model, similar trends were observed for the heritability estimates, which ranged from 0.25 to 0.54 for males and from 0.23 to 0.50 for females. The results show that the weight of Simmental cattle raised in the tropics is influenced by GEI and greater genetic progress could be obtained by selecting better environments. However, no significant differences in the response to most environmental changes were observed between sexes and there is only evidence of genetic heteroscedasticity in environments with lower production levels.
Nuclear weapons, existentialism, and International Relations: Anders, Ballard, and the human condition in the age of extinction
Authors: van Munster Rens
Published: January 2023

IR scholars increasingly turn to the writings of Existentialists to make sense of the multiple and entangled planetary crises that characterise the twenty-first century. In this article, I argue that two postwar intellectuals, Günther Anders (1902–1992) and J. G. Ballard (1930–2009), offer a rich intellectual ancestry and inspiration to such scholarship. Both authors critically and creatively reworked central Existentialist ideas in the context of postwar technological acceleration and the development of nuclear weapons. To Anders and Ballard, nuclear weapons symbolised, and were the most extreme manifestation of, the pathologies they associated with technological modernity: mass consumption, spectacular violence, a deadening of affect, and an increased inability of humans to psychologically process and grasp the destructive capacities of science and technology. To counter these trends, they both firmly relied on Surrealism to bolster the human imagination as a catalysator for personal and social transformation. I argue that their work offers an opportunity to reconnect the study of nuclear weapons in IR to broader existentialist questions and suggest that their respective attempts to foreground human being in the nuclear age as ‘being-towards-extinction’ holds important lessons for recent attempts to recentre the study of IR around planetary imaginaries of extinction.
Crystal structure of besifloxacin hydrochloride, C19H22ClFN3O3Cl
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Gates-Rector Stacy , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: January 2023

The crystal structure of besifloxacin hydrochloride has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional theory techniques. Besifloxacin hydrochloride crystallizes in space group P1 (#1) with a = 5.36596(8), b = 10.3234(4), c = 17.9673(14) Å, α = 98.122(5), β = 92.9395(9), γ = 96.1135(3)°, V = 977.483(13) Å3, and Z = 2. The crystal structure is approximately centrosymmetric. Strong N–H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds form a corrugated ladder-like chain along the a-axis. The carboxylic acid group in each independent cation acts as the donor in a strong intramolecular O–H⋯O hydrogen bond to an adjacent carbonyl group. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).
A phase-locked loop with a jitter of 50 fs for astronomy applications
Authors: Braun Tobias T. , van Delden Marcel , Bredendiek Christian , Schoepfel Jan , Hauptmeier Stephan , Shillue William , Musch Thomas , Pohl Nils
Published: January 2023

Radio telescopes are among the applications with the highest demands on a local oscillator (LO), which is used to receive and process the signals coming from the sky. Therefore the modules providing the required LO signal have traditionally been big and complicated. To overcome this disadvantage, we implement our own integrated frequency synthesizer inside a small LO module in this article. With this synthesizer we are able to achieve a jitter of only 50 fs integrated from 10 Hz to 2.5 GHz offset at a carrier frequency of 75 GHz. This is in part achieved by a very low in-band phase noise of −111.8 dBc at 10 kHz offset. The stabilizable frequency range is 62–88 GHz. Thus achieving promising results to fulfill this very demanding task with integrated frequency synthesizers in the future.
Representations of Diagonal Timelines in English and Mandarin Speakers
Authors: Sun Ying , Zhang Yan , Fang Ying , Yang Wenxing
Published: January 2023

Abstract. Background: Much experimental work has established that the passage of time is represented along a horizontal or a vertical mental timeline (MTL). Recent research ( Hartmann et al., 2014 ) discovered an additional diagonal MTL that develops from bottom left to top right. This study sought to extend Hartmann et al.’s (2014) work by exploring if the particular representations of diagonal timelines vary across linguistic communities. Methods: We conducted an experiment that recruited English and Mandarin speakers as participants. The experimental setups measured the participants’ space-time mappings along the bottom-left/top-right, top-left/bottom-right, bottom-right/top-left, and top-right/bottom-left axes. Results: There are cross-linguistic/cultural differences in the mental representations of diagonal timelines. While the English speakers displayed a salient propensity to conceive of time as oriented from bottom left to top right, the Mandarin speakers favored a timeline unfolding from top left to bottom right. Discussion: We assume that cultural artifacts such as writing direction may play an important role in affecting the horizontal dimension of people’s MTLs. The current findings refine the existing literature and demonstrate that distinct types of linguistic metaphors may respectively explain the vertical dimension of the MTLs for speakers of different native languages.
Generation of Field‐Aligned Currents During Substorm Expansion: An Update
Authors: Ebihara Yusuke , Tanaka Takashi
Published: January 2023

We investigated generation processes of field‐aligned currents (FACs) that are abruptly intensified at the beginning of the substorm expansion phase by tracing a packet of the Alfvén wave backward in time from the onset position in the ionosphere in the global magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulation. The generation region is found in the near‐Earth plasma sheet, in which (a) azimuthally moving plasma pulls the magnetic field line, and performs negative work against the magnetic tension force to excite the Alfvén waves, (b) FACs are generated from the requirement of Ampère and Faraday laws, and (c) field‐perpendicular current is converted to FACs. We call this near‐Earth FAC dynamo. The plasma involved originates in the tail lobe region. When near‐Earth reconnection occurs in the plasma sheet, the plasma is accelerated earthward by the Lorentz force, and decelerated by the plasma pressure gradient force, followed by the Lorentz force. The flow is deflected to the west and east directions by the plasma pressure gradient force and the Lorentz force, resulting in the excitation of Alfvén waves and FACs. The Alfvén waves propagate along the magnetic field in the rest frame of the moving plasma. When it arrives at the ionosphere, the auroral electrojet starts developing and the substorm expansion phase begins. The near‐Earth FAC dynamo can be distinguished from the near‐Earth dynamo (J · E < 0, where J is the current density and E is the electric field). We suggest that the evolution of the substorm can be understood in terms of the development of FACs.
Management of children and adolescents with chronic myeloid leukemia in blast phase: International pediatric CML expert panel recommendations
Authors: Sembill Stephanie , Ampatzidou Maria , Chaudhury Sonali , Dworzak Michael , Kalwak Krzysztof , Karow Axel , Kiani Alexander , Krumbholz Manuela , Luesink Maaike , Naumann-Bartsch Nora , De Moerloose Barbara , Osborn Michael , Schultz Kirk R. , Sedlacek Petr , Giona Fiorina , Zwaan Christian Michel , Shimada Hiroyuki , Versluijs Birgitta , Millot Frederic , Hijiya Nobuko , Suttorp Meinolf , Metzler Markus
Published: January 2023

Treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia has improved significantly with the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and treatment guidelines based on numerous clinical trials are available for chronic phase disease. However for CML in the blast phase (CML-BP), prognosis remains poor and treatment options are much more limited. The spectrum of treatment strategies for children and adolescents with CML-BP has largely evolved empirically and includes treatment principles derived from adult CML-BP and pediatric acute leukemia. Given this heterogeneity of treatment approaches, we formed an international panel of pediatric CML experts to develop recommendations for consistent therapy in children and adolescents with this high-risk disease based on the current literature and national standards. Recommendations include detailed information on initial diagnosis and treatment monitoring, differentiation from Philadelphia-positive acute leukemia, subtype-specific selection of induction therapy, and combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Given that allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation currently remains the primary curative intervention for CML-BP, we also provide recommendations for the timing of transplantation, donor and graft selection, selection of a conditioning regimen and prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease, post-transplant TKI therapy, and management of molecular relapse. Management according to the treatment recommendations presented here is intended to provide the basis for the design of future prospective clinical trials to improve outcomes for this challenging disease.
Mycelial nutrient transfer promotes bacterial co-metabolic organochlorine pesticide degradation in nutrient-deprived environments
Authors: Khan Nelson , Muge Edward , Mulaa Francis J , Wamalwa Benson , von Bergen Martin , Jehmlich Nico , Wick Lukas Y
Published: January 2023

Biotransformation of soil organochlorine pesticides (OCP) is often impeded by a lack of nutrients relevant for bacterial growth and/or co-metabolic OCP biotransformation. By providing space-filling mycelia, fungi promote contaminant biodegradation by facilitating bacterial dispersal and the mobilization and release of nutrients in the mycosphere. We here tested whether mycelial nutrient transfer from nutrient-rich to nutrient-deprived areas facilitates bacterial OCP degradation in a nutrient-deficient habitat. The legacy pesticide hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), a non-HCH-degrading fungus (Fusarium equiseti K3), and a co-metabolically HCH-degrading bacterium (Sphingobium sp. S8) isolated from the same HCH-contaminated soil were used in spatially structured model ecosystems. Using 13C-labeled fungal biomass and protein-based stable isotope probing (protein-SIP), we traced the incorporation of 13C fungal metabolites into bacterial proteins while simultaneously determining the biotransformation of the HCH isomers. The relative isotope abundance (RIA, 7.1–14.2%), labeling ratio (LR, 0.13–0.35), and the shape of isotopic mass distribution profiles of bacterial peptides indicated the transfer of 13C-labeled fungal metabolites into bacterial proteins. Distinct 13C incorporation into the haloalkane dehalogenase (linB) and 2,5-dichloro-2,5-cyclohexadiene-1,4-diol dehydrogenase (LinC), as key enzymes in metabolic HCH degradation, underpin the role of mycelial nutrient transport and fungal-bacterial interactions for co-metabolic bacterial HCH degradation in heterogeneous habitats. Nutrient uptake from mycelia increased HCH removal by twofold as compared to bacterial monocultures. Fungal-bacterial interactions hence may play an important role in the co-metabolic biotransformation of OCP or recalcitrant micropollutants (MPs).
Interface engineering for substantial performance enhancement in epitaxial all-perovskite oxide capacitors
Authors: Bang Jeongil , Lee Jaeho , Do Eun Cheol , Kim Hyungjun , Na Byunghoon , Kim Haeryong , Park Bo-Eun , Lee Jooho , Kim Che-Heung , Jang Ho Won , Kim Yongsung
Published: January 2023

Capacitors based on ABO3-type perovskite oxides show considerable promise for overcoming the limitations of nanoscale integration with dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices. Among the thermodynamically stable perovskite oxides, titanates (ATiO3) exhibit high dielectric permittivity in metal–insulator–metal (MIM) configurations. However, their performance in mitigating the large leakage current caused by their narrow bandgap (3 eV) remain under scrutiny. Herein, substantially enhanced dielectric properties of an epitaxial SrRuO3/Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3/SrRuO3 MIM capacitor with a thin dielectric layer (10 nm) are reported. The dielectric/electrode heterointerface was engineered to realize a capacitor with a low leakage current and high dielectric permittivity. A pit-free and stoichiometric SrRuO3 bottom electrode with an atomically smooth surface was exploited to suppress defect formation at the heterointerface. The critical roles of oxygen vacancies and substituted transition-metal atoms in determining the leakage current were assessed, and a strategy for reducing the leakage current via interface engineering was established. Consequently, a dielectric permittivity of 861 and a leakage current density of 5.15 × 10−6 A/cm2 at 1 V were obtained with the thinnest dielectric layer ever reported. Our work paves the way for the development of perovskite-oxide-based capacitors in next-generation DRAM memories.
Diffuse auroral precipitation driven by lower-band chorus second harmonics
Authors: Yu Xiongdong , Yuan Zhigang , Yu Jiang , Wang Dedong , Deng Dan , Funsten H. O.
Published: January 2023

Diffuse aurora at the Earth’s high latitude regions is mainly caused by the low-energy (0.1–30 keV) electron precipitation which carries the major energy flux into the nightside upper atmosphere. Previous studies have demonstrated that combined scattering by the upper- and lower- band chorus waves acts as the dominant cause of diffuse auroral precipitation, but that is not necessarily the case as these two types of waves do not always occur simultaneously, with the lower-band more often. Here we report that the lower-band chorus satisfying the preferred condition can generate their second harmonics so as to trigger the diffuse auroral electron precipitation. We find that the lower-band chorus alone can only cause the precipitation of electrons greater than 4 keV, while the self-consistently generated second harmonic is weak but still able to result in the electron precipitation below 4 keV. The combined effect of those modes results in the observed pancake electron distributions and the diffuse aurora. Our results clearly demonstrate an alternative but universal mechanism of chorus-driven diffuse aurora in the Earth, which may also apply to the auroral formation in other planetary magnetospheres.
Towards sustainable human space exploration—priorities for radiation research to quantify and mitigate radiation risks
Authors: Fogtman Anna , Baatout Sarah , Baselet Bjorn , Berger Thomas , Hellweg Christine E. , Jiggens Piers , La Tessa Chiara , Narici Livio , Nieminen Petteri , Sabatier Laure , Santin Giovanni , Schneider Uwe , Straube Ulrich , Tabury Kevin , Tinganelli Walter , Walsh Linda , Durante Marco
Published: January 2023

Human spaceflight is entering a new era of sustainable human space exploration. By 2030 humans will regularly fly to the Moon’s orbit, return to the Moon’s surface and preparations for crewed Mars missions will intensify. In planning these undertakings, several challenges will need to be addressed in order to ensure the safety of astronauts during their space travels. One of the important challenges to overcome, that could be a major showstopper of the space endeavor, is the exposure to the space radiation environment. There is an urgent need for quantifying, managing and limiting the detrimental health risks and electronics damage induced by space radiation exposure. Such risks raise key priority topics for space research programs. Risk limitation involves obtaining a better understanding of space weather phenomena and the complex radiation environment in spaceflight, as well as developing and applying accurate dosimetric instruments, understanding related short- and long-term health risks, and strategies for effective countermeasures to minimize both exposure to space radiation and the remaining effects post exposure. The ESA/SciSpacE Space Radiation White Paper identifies those topics and underlines priorities for future research and development, to enable safe human and robotic exploration of space beyond Low Earth Orbit.
A nationwide cohort study on diabetes severity and risk of Parkinson disease
Authors: Han Kyungdo , Kim Bongsung , Lee Seung Hwan , Kim Mee Kyoung
Published: January 2023

There is growing evidence that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) and share similar dysregulated pathways. We aimed to determine whether the risk of PD increases as diabetes progresses among patients with type 2 DM. Using a nationally representative database from the Korean National Health Insurance System, 2,362,072 individuals (≥40 years of age) with type 2 DM who underwent regular health checkups during 2009–2012 were followed up until the end of 2018. The diabetes severity score parameters included the number of oral hypoglycemic agents, diabetes duration, insulin use, or presence of chronic kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy, or cardiovascular disease. Each of these characteristics was scored as one unit of diabetes severity and their sum was defined as a diabetes severity score from 0–6. We identified 17,046 incident PD cases during the follow-up. Each component of the diabetes severity score showed a similar intensity for the risk of PD. Compared with subjects with no parameters, HR values (95% confidence intervals) of PD were 1.09 (1.04–1.15) in subjects with one diabetes severity score parameter, 1.28 (1.22–1.35) in subjects with two parameters, 1.55 (1.46–1.65) in subjects with three parameters, 1.96 (1.82–2.11) in subjects with four parameters, 2.08 (1.83–2.36) in subjects with five parameters, and 2.78 (2.05–3.79) in subjects with six parameters. Diabetes severity was associated with an increased risk of developing PD. Severe diabetes may be a risk factor for the development of PD.
Relapse prediction in schizophrenia with smartphone digital phenotyping during COVID-19: a prospective, three-site, two-country, longitudinal study
Authors: Cohen Asher , Naslund John A. , Chang Sarah , Nagendra Srilakshmi , Bhan Anant , Rozatkar Abhijit , Thirthalli Jagadisha , Bondre Ameya , Tugnawat Deepak , Reddy Preethi V. , Dutt Siddharth , Choudhary Soumya , Chand Prabhat Kumar , Patel Vikram , Keshavan Matcheri , Joshi Devayani , Mehta Urvakhsh Meherwan , Torous John
Published: January 2023

Smartphone technology provides us with a more convenient and less intrusive method of detecting changes in behavior and symptoms that typically precede schizophrenia relapse. To take advantage of the aforementioned, this study examines the feasibility of predicting schizophrenia relapse by identifying statistically significant anomalies in patient data gathered through mindLAMP, an open-source smartphone app. Participants, recruited in Boston, MA in the United States, and Bangalore and Bhopal in India, were invited to use mindLAMP for up to a year. The passive data (geolocation, accelerometer, and screen state), active data (surveys), and data quality metrics collected by the app were then retroactively fed into a relapse prediction model that utilizes anomaly detection. Overall, anomalies were 2.12 times more frequent in the month preceding a relapse and 2.78 times more frequent in the month preceding and following a relapse compared to intervals without relapses. The anomaly detection model incorporating passive data proved a better predictor of relapse than a naive model utilizing only survey data. These results demonstrate that relapse prediction models utilizing patient data gathered by a smartphone app can warn the clinician and patient of a potential schizophrenia relapse.
Central venous pressure estimation with force-coupled ultrasound of the internal jugular vein
Authors: Jaffe Alex , Goryachev Ivan , Sodini Charles , Anthony Brian W.
Published: January 2023

We estimate central venous pressure (CVP) with force-coupled ultrasound imaging of the internal jugular vein (IJV). We acquire ultrasound images while measuring force applied over the IJV by the ultrasound probe imaging surface. We record collapse force, the force required to completely occlude the vein, in 27 healthy subjects. We find supine collapse force and jugular venous pulsation height (JVP), the clinical noninvasive standard, have a linear correlation coefficient of r2 = 0.89 and an average absolute difference of 0.23 mmHg when estimating CVP. We perturb our estimate negatively by tilting 16 degrees above supine and observe decreases in collapse force for every subject which are predictable from our CVP estimates. We perturb venous pressure positively to values experienced in decompensated heart failure by having subjects perform the Valsalva maneuver while the IJV is being collapsed and observe an increase in collapse force for every subject. Finally, we derive a CVP waveform with an inverse three-dimensional finite element optimization that uses supine collapse force and segmented force-coupled ultrasound data at approximately constant force.
Development of the high angular resolution 360° LiDAR based on scanning MEMS mirror
Authors: Yang Donghai , Liu Yifan , Chen Qingjiu , Chen Meng , Zhan Shaodong , Cheung Nim-kwan , Chan Ho-Yin , Wang Zhidong , Li Wen Jung
Published: January 2023

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) using various operational principles has been applied in many fields, e.g., robotics navigation, autonomous vehicles, unmanned aerial flyers, land surveying, etc. The multichannel LiDAR system is of great importance in the field of autonomous driving due to its larger field of view (FoV). However, the number of transceivers limits the vertical angular resolution of multichannel LiDAR systems and makes them costly. On the other hand, the emergence of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) mirrors may provide a highly promising solution to a low-cost, high angular resolution LiDAR system. We have demonstrated a MEMS mirror-based 360° LiDAR system with high angular resolution and will present the detailed design process and obtained experimental results in this paper. With the combination of the MEMS mirror and a rotation platform for the LiDAR system, a 360° × 8.6° (horizontal × vertical) FoV was achieved. Compared with existing commercial multichannel 360° LiDAR systems, our system has 13.8 times better angular resolution than the Velodyne HDL-64 LiDAR sensor. The experimental results verified an excellent performance of 0.07° × 0.027° (horizontal × vertical) angular resolution, which enhances the panoramic scanning and imaging capability of the LiDAR system, potentially providing more accurate 3D scanning applications in areas such as autonomous vehicles, indoor surveying, indoor robotics navigation, etc.
Improved selection of zebrafish CRISPR editing by early next-generation sequencing based genotyping
Authors: Sieliwonczyk Ewa , Vandendriessche Bert , Claes Charlotte , Mayeur Evy , Alaerts Maaike , Holmgren Philip , Canter Cremers Tycho , Snyders Dirk , Loeys Bart , Schepers Dorien
Published: January 2023

Despite numerous prior attempts to improve knock-in (KI) efficiency, the introduction of precise base pair substitutions by the CRISPR-Cas9 technique in zebrafish remains challenging. In our efforts to generate KI zebrafish models of human CACNA1C mutations, we have tested the effect of several CRISPR determinants on KI efficiency across two sites in a single gene and developed a novel method for early selection to ameliorate KI efficiency. We identified optimal KI conditions for Cas9 protein and non-target asymmetric PAM-distal single stranded deoxynucleotide repair templates at both cacna1c sites. An effect of distance to the cut site on the KI efficiency was only observed for a single repair template conformation at one of the two sites. By combining minimally invasive early genotyping with the zebrafish embryo genotyper (ZEG) device and next-generation sequencing, we were able to obtain an almost 17-fold increase in somatic editing efficiency. The added benefit of the early selection procedure was particularly evident for alleles with lower somatic editing efficiencies. We further explored the potential of the ZEG selection procedure for the improvement of germline transmission by demonstrating germline transmission events in three groups of pre-selected embryos.
A comparison of mental health of student and not student emerging adults living in Ecuador
Authors: Paz Clara , Evans Chris
Published: January 2023

Most of the studies about mental health and quality of life of emerging adults have been conducted in developed countries and non-students’ population has been neglected, limiting the generalisation of the results to other socioeconomic realities. This paper reports the results of an observational study on differences between the two cohorts (students vs non-students) both on mental health and quality of life measures but also on demographic, lifestyle and mental health variables in emerging adults living in a middle-income country. Associations between variables and interactions in the prediction of both outcomes scores were explored to understand how much other variables may contribute to differences between the two groups. We found poorer mental health and worse health-related quality of life in the students than the non-students, although effect sizes were small. Differences between the groups on some sociodemographic predictor variables were statistically significant, showing fairly strong effects, for social status, sleeping hours and parenting, however, none of the predictor variables showed confounding with group effects on both outcomes. Developing countries are growing and work forces are changing, creating a huge global need to understand these changes and the effects on the mental health and quality of life of this evolving population.

Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04596345).
Beneficial metabolic transformations and prebiotic potential of hemp bran and its alcalase hydrolysate, after colonic fermentation in a gut model
Authors: Nissen Lorenzo , Casciano Flavia , Babini Elena , Gianotti Andrea
Published: January 2023

Hemp seed bran (HB) is an industrial food byproduct that is generally discarded. Knowledge on the functional capabilities of HB is limited and it is not known the impact of HB on human colon microbiota, where vegetable fibers are metabolized. In this work, we investigated in depth the prebiotic potential of HB and HB protein extract hydrolyzed by alcalase (HBPA) in comparison to fructooligosaccharides (FOS) after human distal colonic fermentation using MICODE (multi-unit in vitro colon gut model). During the 24 h of fermentation, metabolomics (SPME GC/MS) and microbiomics (MiSeq and qPCR) analyses were performed. The results indicated that HBPA on a colonic fermentation had a higher prebiotic index than HB (p < 0.05), and slightly lower to that of FOS (p > 0.05). This feature was described and explained as HBPA colonic fermentation produces beneficial organic fatty acids (e.g. Pentanoic and Hexanoic acids); reduces detrimental phenol derivates (e.g. p-Cresol); produces bioactives VOCs (e.g. Acetophenone or 4-Terpineol); increases beneficial bacteria (e.g. 1.76 fold and 2.07 fold more of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bacteroides fragilis, respectively) and limits opportunistic bacteria (e.g. 3.04 fold and 2.07 fold less of Bilophila wadsworthia and Desulfovibrio, respectively). Our study evidenced the prebiotic role of HB and HBPA, and within the principles of OneHealth it valorizes a byproduct from the queen plant of sustainable crops as a food supplement.
Investigation of genetic variants and causal biomarkers associated with brain aging
Authors: Kim Jangho , Lee Junhyeong , Nam Kisung , Lee Seunggeun
Published: January 2023

Delta age is a biomarker of brain aging that captures differences between the chronological age and the predicted biological brain age. Using multimodal data of brain MRI, genomics, and blood-based biomarkers and metabolomics in UK Biobank, this study investigates an explainable and causal basis of high delta age. A visual saliency map of brain regions showed that lower volumes in the fornix and the lower part of the thalamus are key predictors of high delta age. Genome-wide association analysis of the delta age using the SNP array data identified associated variants in gene regions such as KLF3-AS1 and STX1. GWAS was also performed on the volumes in the fornix and the lower part of the thalamus, showing a high genetic correlation with delta age, indicating that they share a genetic basis. Mendelian randomization (MR) for all metabolomic biomarkers and blood-related phenotypes showed that immune-related phenotypes have a causal impact on increasing delta age. Our analysis revealed regions in the brain that are susceptible to the aging process and provided evidence of the causal and genetic connections between immune responses and brain aging.