bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why Do We Speak to Experts? Reviving the Strength of the Expert Interview Method
Authors: von Soest Christian
Published: June 2022

In political scientists’ drive to examine causal mechanisms, qualitative expert interviews have an important role to play. This is particularly true for the analysis of complex decision-making processes, where there is a dearth of data, and for linking macro and micro levels of analysis. The paper offers suggestions for making the most effective and reflective use of qualitative expert interviews. It advocates an encompassing, knowledge-based understanding of experts and argues for the incorporation of both “inside” and “outside” experts, meaning those that make and those that analyze political decisions, into an integrated analytical framework. It puts forward concrete advice addressing this technique’s inherent challenges of selecting experts, experts’ personal biases, and the systematic capturing of evidence. Finally, the article suggests that the combination of expert interviews, experimental methods, and online interviewing can meaningfully strengthen the evidentiary value of this important data collection technique.
Estimating the difference in prevalence of common mental disorder diagnoses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples compared to the general Australian population
Authors: Page I. S. , Ferrari A. J. , Slade T. , Anderson M. , Santomauro D. , Diminic S.
Published: June 2022

Aims

There is currently little nationally representative diagnostic data available to quantify how many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may need a mental health service in any given year. Without such information, health service planners must rely on less direct indicators of need such as service utilisation. The aim of this paper is to provide a starting point by estimating the prevalence ratio of 12-month common mental disorders (i.e. mood and anxiety disorders) for Indigenous peoples compared to the general Australian population.

Methods

Analysis of the four most recent Australian Indigenous and corresponding general population surveys was undertaken. Kessler-5 summary scores by 10-year age group were computed as weighted percentages with corresponding 95% confidence intervals. A series of meta-analyses were conducted to pool prevalence ratios of Indigenous to general population significant psychological distress by 10-year age groups. The proportion of respondents with self-reported clinician diagnoses of mental disorders was also extracted from the most recent survey iterations.

Results

Indigenous Australians are estimated to have between 1.6 and 3.3 times the national prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders. Sensitivity analyses found that the prevalence ratios did not vary across age group or survey wave.

Conclusions

To combat the current landscape of inequitable mental health in Australia, priority should be given to populations in need, such as Indigenous Australians. Having a clear idea of the current level of need for mental health services will allow planners to make informed decisions to ensure adequate services are available.
A Coarse‐To‐Fine Approach to Detect Shadows in the Chang’E−4 VNIS Hyperspectral Images
Authors: Wang Chao , Li Zhiyuan , Xu Xiong , Xie Huan , Tong Xiaohua , Liu Sicong , Li Jia , Zeng Xiangsui
Published: June 2022

The low value of shadow pixels in the images sensed by the Visible and Near‐infrared Imaging Spectrometers (VNIS) aboard Chang’E−4 Yutu‐2 rover leads to an unrealistic representation of lunar surface reflectance. Due to the shadow features and lack of additional information (e.g., topography and shadow labels), it is challenging to apply existing methods to detect shadows for VNIS data. Therefore, it is necessary to propose an effective way to detect and correct the shadows in the VNIS data. In this paper, a coarse‐to‐fine approach to detect shadows in the VNIS images is developed. First, to better resolve the shadows, they are enhanced based on principal component analysis and band combination. Second, in the coarse detection stage, two shadow indices, SId and SIs, based on the features extracted in shadow enhancement are constructed. Subsequently, they are segmented into shadow and nonshadow pixels individually using the Otsu method. Third, in the fine detection stage, by analyzing the performance of the two indices, the shadow and nonshadow pixels are further distinguished through the absolute z‐score to obtain the final results. The experimental results show that the average overall accuracy is 93.94%. The average F1‐score is 85.51%. By comparing with visual inspection and other detection methods, our approach yields a good precision and is expected to be applicable for other VNIS hyperspectral data. After detection, the shadow effect is corrected in the spectral dimension by estimating the loss of radiometric information. Our study can provide a reference for shadow detection of analogous lunar in‐situ observations.
Wavelength Measurements of Electron Cyclotron Harmonic Waves in Earth's Magnetotail
Authors: Zhang Xu , Angelopoulos Vassilis , Artemyev Anton V. , Zhang Xiao‐Jia , An Xin , Liu Jiang
Published: June 2022

Electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves, potential drivers for diffuse aurora precipitation, have been extensively investigated for decades. The generation mechanism of ECH waves, however, remains an open question. Theoretical work in 1970s has demonstrated that ECH waves can be excited by loss cone distributions of hot plasma sheet electrons. Recent THEMIS spacecraft observations, however, indicate that the waves can also be excited by low energy electron beams. Utilizing interferometry techniques to analyze the phase difference between electric potentials measured by individual probes on Electric Field Instrument antenna pairs on THEMIS spacecraft, we compute the wavenumber of both beam‐driven ECH waves and loss‐cone‐driven ECH waves. These wavenumber measurements as well as other wave properties obtained from spacecraft measurements prove to be consistent with expectation from linear instability analysis. This provides us with independent verification of the generation mechanism and linear dispersion relation of beam‐driven and loss‐cone‐driven ECH waves. Our statistical results demonstrate that the median value of the wave vectors of beam‐driven ECH waves, characterized by wave normal angles () less than 80°, is 0.011 m−1; and that of loss‐cone‐driven ECH waves, characterized by wave normal angles larger than 85°, is 0.00765 m−1. Direct wavenumber measurements of ECH waves allow us to better understand the interaction between ECH waves and electrons in Earth's magnetosphere.
Episodes of Early Pleistocene West Antarctic Ice Sheet Retreat Recorded by Iceberg Alley Sediments
Authors: Bailey Ian , Hemming Sidney , Reilly Brendan T. , Rollinson Gavyn , Williams Trevor , Weber Michael E. , Raymo Maureen E. , Peck Victoria L. , Ronge Thomas A. , Brachfeld Stefanie , O'Connell Suzanne , Tauxe Lisa , Warnock Jonathan P. , Armbrecht Linda , Cardillo Fabricio G. , Du Zhiheng , Fauth Gerson , Garcia Marga , Glueder Anna , Guitard Michelle , Gutjahr Marcus , Hernández‐Almeida Iván , Hoem Frida S. , Hwang Ji‐Hwan , Iizuka Mutsumi , Kato Yuji , Kenlee Bridget , Martos Yasmina M. , Pérez Lara F. , Seki Osamu , Tripathi Shubham , Zheng Xufeng
Published: June 2022

Ice loss in the Southern Hemisphere has been greatest over the past 30 years in West Antarctica. The high sensitivity of this region to climate change has motivated geologists to examine marine sedimentary records for evidence of past episodes of West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) instability. Sediments accumulating in the Scotia Sea are useful to examine for this purpose because they receive iceberg‐rafted debris (IBRD) sourced from the Pacific‐ and Atlantic‐facing sectors of West Antarctica. Here we report on the sedimentology and provenance of the oldest of three cm‐scale coarse‐grained layers recovered from this sea at International Ocean Discovery Program Site U1538. These layers are preserved in opal‐rich sediments deposited ∼1.2 Ma during a relatively warm regional climate. Our microCT‐based analysis of the layer's in‐situ fabric confirms its ice‐rafted origin. We further infer that it is the product of an intense but short‐lived episode of IBRD deposition. Based on the petrography of its sand fraction and the Phanerozoic 40Ar/39Ar ages of hornblende and mica it contains, we conclude that the IBRD it contains was likely sourced from the Weddell Sea and/or Amundsen Sea embayment(s) of West Antarctica. We attribute the high concentrations of IBRD in these layers to “dirty” icebergs calved from the WAIS following its retreat inland from its modern grounding line. These layers also sit at the top of a ∼366‐m thick Pliocene and early Pleistocene sequence that is much more dropstone‐rich than its overlying sediments. We speculate this fact may reflect that WAIS mass‐balance was highly dynamic during the ∼41‐kyr (inter)glacial world.
circ_0003204 regulates the osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells via miR-370-3p/HDAC4 axis
Authors: Yu Liyuan , Xia Kai , Zhou Jing , Hu Zhiai , Yin Xing , Zhou Chenchen , Zou Shujuan , Liu Jun
Published: June 2022

Human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) are a promising cell type for bone tissue regeneration. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to play a critical role in regulating various cell differentiation and involve in mesenchymal stem cell osteogenesis. However, how circRNAs regulate hASCs in osteogenesis is still unclear. Herein, we found circ_0003204 was significantly downregulated during osteogenic differentiation of hASCs. Knockdown of circ_0003204 by siRNA or overexpression by lentivirus confirmed circ_0003204 could negatively regulate the osteogenic differentiation of hASCs. We performed dual-luciferase reporting assay and rescue experiments to verify circ_0003204 regulated osteogenic differentiation via sponging miR-370-3p. We predicted and confirmed that miR-370-3p had targets in the 3′-UTR of HDAC4 mRNA. The following rescue experiments indicated that circ_0003204 regulated the osteogenic differentiation of hASCs via miR-370-3p/HDAC4 axis. Subsequent in vivo experiments showed the silencing of circ_0003204 increased the bone formation and promoted the expression of osteogenic-related proteins in a mouse bone defect model, while overexpression of circ_0003204 inhibited bone defect repair. Our findings indicated that circ_0003204 might be a promising target to promote the efficacy of hASCs in repairing bone defects.
Presence of Blastocystis in gut microbiota is associated with cognitive traits and decreased executive function
Authors: Mayneris-Perxachs Jordi , Arnoriaga-Rodríguez María , Garre-Olmo Josep , Puig Josep , Ramos Rafael , Trelis Maria , Burokas Aurelijus , Coll Clàudia , Zapata-Tona Cristina , Pedraza Salvador , Pérez-Brocal Vicente , Ramió Lluís , Ricart Wifredo , Moya Andrés , Jové Mariona , Sol Joaquim , Portero-Otin Manuel , Pamplona Reinald , Maldonado Rafael , Fernández-Real José Manuel
Published: June 2022

Growing evidence implicates the gut microbiome in cognition. Blastocystis is a common gut single-cell eukaryote parasite frequently detected in humans but its potential involvement in human pathophysiology has been poorly characterized. Here we describe how the presence of Blastocystis in the gut microbiome was associated with deficits in executive function and altered gut bacterial composition in a discovery (n = 114) and replication cohorts (n = 942). We also found that Blastocystis was linked to bacterial functions related to aromatic amino acids metabolism and folate-mediated pyrimidine and one-carbon metabolism. Blastocystis-associated shifts in bacterial functionality translated into the circulating metabolome. Finally, we evaluated the effects of microbiota transplantation. Donor’s Blastocystis subtypes led to altered recipient’s mice cognitive function and prefrontal cortex gene expression. In summary, Blastocystis warrant further consideration as a novel actor in the gut microbiome-brain axis.
Single-cell RNA sequencing of subcutaneous adipose tissues identifies therapeutic targets for cancer-associated lymphedema
Authors: Liu Xuanyu , Yuan Meng , Xiang Qinqin , Li Zhujun , Xu Fen , Chen Wen , Chen Jie , Huang Jiuzuo , Yu Nanze , Zhou Zhou , Long Xiao
Published: June 2022

Cancer-associated lymphedema frequently occurs following lymph node resection for cancer treatment. However, we still lack effective targeted medical therapies for the treatment or prevention of this complication. An in-depth elucidation of the cellular alterations in subcutaneous adipose tissues of lymphedema is essential for medical development. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of 70,209 cells of the stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissues from lymphedema patients and healthy donors. Four subpopulations of adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) were identified. Among them, the PRG4+/CLEC3B+ ASC subpopulation c3 was significantly expanded in lymphedema and related to adipose tissue fibrosis. Knockdown of CLEC3B in vitro could significantly attenuate the fibrogenesis of ASCs from patients. Adipose tissues of lymphedema displayed a striking depletion of LYVE+ anti-inflammatory macrophages and exhibited a pro-inflammatory microenvironment. Pharmacological blockage of Trem1, an immune receptor predominantly expressed by the pro-inflammatory macrophages, using murine LR12, a dodecapeptide, could significantly alleviate lymphedema in a mouse tail model. Cell–cell communication analysis uncovered a perivascular ligand-receptor interaction module among ASCs, macrophages, and vascular endothelial cells. We provided a comprehensive analysis of the lineage–specific changes in the adipose tissues from lymphedema patients at a single-cell resolution. CLEC3B was found to be a potential target for alleviating adipose tissue fibrosis. Pharmacological blockage of TREM1 using LR12 could serve as a promising medical therapy for treating lymphedema.
Stability of high-temperature salty ice suggests electrolyte permeability in water-rich exoplanet icy mantles
Authors: Hernandez Jean-Alexis , Caracas Razvan , Labrosse Stéphane
Published: June 2022

Electrolytes play an important role in the internal structure and dynamics of water-rich satellites and potentially water-rich exoplanets. However, in planets, the presence of a large high-pressure ice mantle is thought to hinder the exchange and transport of electrolytes between various liquid and solid deep layers. Here we show, using first-principles simulations, that up to 2.5 wt% NaCl can be dissolved in dense water ice at interior conditions of water-rich super-Earths and mini-Neptunes. The salt impurities enhance the diffusion of H atoms, extending the stability field of recently discovered superionic ice, and push towards higher pressures the transition to the stiffer ice X phase. Scaling laws for thermo-compositional convection show that salts entering the high pressure ice layer can be readily transported across. These findings suggest that the high-pressure ice mantle of water-rich exoplanets is permeable to the convective transport of electrolytes between the inner rocky core and the outer liquid layer.
A scalable, open-source implementation of a large-scale mechanistic model for single cell proliferation and death signaling
Authors: Erdem Cemal , Mutsuddy Arnab , Bensman Ethan M. , Dodd William B. , Saint-Antoine Michael M. , Bouhaddou Mehdi , Blake Robert C. , Gross Sean M. , Heiser Laura M. , Feltus F. Alex , Birtwistle Marc R.
Published: June 2022

Mechanistic models of how single cells respond to different perturbations can help integrate disparate big data sets or predict response to varied drug combinations. However, the construction and simulation of such models have proved challenging. Here, we developed a python-based model creation and simulation pipeline that converts a few structured text files into an SBML standard and is high-performance- and cloud-computing ready. We applied this pipeline to our large-scale, mechanistic pan-cancer signaling model (named SPARCED) and demonstrate it by adding an IFNγ pathway submodel. We then investigated whether a putative crosstalk mechanism could be consistent with experimental observations from the LINCS MCF10A Data Cube that IFNγ acts as an anti-proliferative factor. The analyses suggested this observation can be explained by IFNγ-induced SOCS1 sequestering activated EGF receptors. This work forms a foundational recipe for increased mechanistic model-based data integration on a single-cell level, an important building block for clinically-predictive mechanistic models.
Decoupling the electronic and geometric effects of Pt catalysts in selective hydrogenation reaction
Authors: Wang Zhe , Wang Chunpeng , Mao Shanjun , Lu Bing , Chen Yuzhuo , Zhang Xie , Chen Zhirong , Wang Yong
Published: June 2022

Decoupling the electronic and geometric effects has been a long cherished goal for heterogeneous catalysis due to their tangled relationship. Here, a novel orthogonal decomposition method is firstly proposed to settle this issue in p-chloronitrobenzene hydrogenation reaction on size- and shape-controlled Pt nanoparticles (NPs) carried on various supports. Results suggest Fermi levels of catalysts can be modulated by supports with varied work function (Wf). And the selectivity on Pt NPs of similar size and shape is linearly related with the Wf of support. Optimized Fermi levels of the catalysts with large Wf weaken the ability of Pt NPs to fill valence electrons into the antibonding orbital of C–Cl bond, finally suppressing the hydrodehalogenation side reaction. Foremost, the geometric effect is firstly spun off through orthogonal relation based on series of linear relationships over various sizes of Pt NPs reflecting the electronic effect. Moreover, separable nested double coordinate system is established to quantitatively evaluate the two effects.
Analysis of genetic diversity and population structure among cultivated potato clones from Korea and global breeding programs
Authors: Jo Kwang Ryong , Cho Seungho , Cho Ji-Hong , Park Hyun-Jin , Choi Jang-Gyu , Park Young-Eun , Cho Kwang-Soo
Published: June 2022

Characterizing the genetic diversity and population structure of breeding materials is essential for breeding to improve crop plants. The potato is an important non-cereal food crop worldwide, but breeding potatoes remains challenging owing to their auto-tetraploidy and highly heterozygous genome. We evaluated the genetic structure of a 110-line Korean potato germplasm using the SolCAP 8303 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Infinium array and compared it with potato clones from other countries to understand the genetic landscape of cultivated potatoes. Following the tetraploid model, we conducted population structure analysis, revealing three subpopulations represented by two Korean potato groups and one separate foreign potato group within 110 lines. When analyzing 393 global potato clones, country/region-specific genetic patterns were revealed. The Korean potato clones exhibited higher heterozygosity than those from Japan, the United States, and other potato landraces. We also employed integrated extended haplotype homozygosity (iHS) and cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) to identify selection signatures spanning candidate genes associated with biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Based on the informativeness of SNPs for dosage genotyping calls, 10 highly informative SNPs discriminating all 393 potatoes were identified. Our results could help understanding a potato breeding history that reflects regional adaptations and distinct market demands.
Unravelling the non-classicality role in Gaussian heat engines
Authors: de Oliveira Junior A. , de Oliveira Marcos César
Published: June 2022

At the heart of quantum thermodynamics lies a fundamental question about what is genuine “quantum” in quantum heat engines and how to seek this quantumness, so that thermodynamical tasks could be performed more efficiently compared with classical protocols. Here, using the concept of P-representability, we define a function called classicality, which quantifies the degree of non-classicality of bosonic modes. This function allows us to explore the role of non-classicality in quantum heat engines and design optimal protocols for work extraction. For two specific cycles, a quantum Otto and a generalised one, we show that non-classicality is a fundamental resource for performing thermodynamic tasks more efficiently.
Earth's anomalous middle-age magmatism driven by plate slowdown
Authors: O’Neill C. , Brown M. , Schaefer B. , Gazi J. A.
Published: June 2022

The mid-Proterozoic or "boring billion" exhibited extremely stable environmental conditions, with little change in atmospheric oxygen levels, and mildly oxygenated shallow oceans. A limited number of passive margins with extremely long lifespans are observed from this time, suggesting that subdued tectonic activity—a plate slowdown—was the underlying reason for the environmental stability. However, the Proterozoic also has a unique magmatic and metamorphic record; massif-type anorthosites and anorogenic Rapakivi granites are largely confined to this period and the temperature/pressure (thermobaric ratio) of granulite facies metamorphism peaked at over 1500 °C/GPa during the Mesoproterozoic. Here, we develop a method of calculating plate velocities from the passive margin record, benchmarked against Phanerozoic tectonic velocities. We then extend this approach to geological observations from the Proterozoic, and provide the first quantitative constraints on Proterozoic plate velocities that substantiate the postulated slowdown. Using mantle evolution models, we calculate the consequences of this slowdown for mantle temperatures, magmatic regimes and metamorphic conditions in the crust. We show that higher mantle temperatures in the Proterozoic would have resulted in a larger proportion of intrusive magmatism, with mantle-derived melts emplaced at the Moho or into the lower crust, enabling the production of anorthosites and Rapakivi granites, and giving rise to extreme thermobaric ratios of crustal metamorphism when plate velocities were slowest.
Studies on the antiviral activity of chebulinic acid against dengue and chikungunya viruses and in silico investigation of its mechanism of inhibition
Authors: Thomas Naiju , Patil Poonam , Sharma Anjana , Kumar Sandeep , Singh Vikas Kumar , Alagarasu Kalichamy , Parashar Deepti , Tapryal Suman
Published: June 2022

Chebulinic acid (CA), originally isolated from the flower extract of the plantTerminalia chebula, has been shown to inhibit infection of herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), suggestively by inhibiting the host entry step of viral infection. Like HSV-2, the dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) also use receptor glycosaminoglycans (GAG) to gain host entry, therefore, the activity of CA was tested against these viruses. Co-treatment of 8 µM CA with DENV-2 caused 2 log decrease in the virus titer (4.0 log10FFU/mL) at 120 h post infection, compared to virus control (5.95 log10FFU/mL). In contrast, no inhibitory effect of CA was observed against CHIKV infection under any condition. The mechanism of action of CA was investigated in silico by employing DENV-2 and CHIKV envelope glycoproteins. During docking, CA demonstrated equivalent binding at multiple sites on DENV-2 envelope protein, including GAG binding site, which have previously been reported to play a crucial role in host attachment and fusion, indicating blocking of these sites. However, CA did not show binding to the GAG binding site on envelope protein-2 of CHIKV. The in vitro and in silico findings suggest that CA possesses the ability to inhibit DENV-2 infection at the entry stage of its infection cycle and may be developed as a potential therapeutic agent against it.
Utility of SIFT-MS to evaluate volatile organic compounds in nephropathic patients’ breath
Authors: Romani Annalisa , Marrone Giulia , Celotto Roberto , Campo Margherita , Vita Chiara , Chiaramonte Carlo , Carretta Andrea , Di Daniele Nicola , Noce Annalisa
Published: June 2022

Several studies highlighted a correlation between exhaled air volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and some pathological conditions, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), chronic liver disease, etc. In fact, in literature has been reported that CKD is characterized by an increased concentration of ammonia, trimethylamine (TMA) and isoprene compared to healthy subjects. Currently, there is not a validate and standardized method to detect VOCs. For this purpose, we examined the utility of selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) to measure VOCs in CKD patients and we evaluated the possible correlation between VOCs and the presence of CKD and its stage. We enrolled 68 CKD patients under conservative therapy and 54 healthy subjects. The analysis of the VOCs of the exhaled air of the enrolled subjects was performed by SIFT-MS. Among all the VOCs analyzed, the most relevant results by ROC curves were observed for TMA, acetone, ammonia and dimethyl sulfide. We found that a breath TMA concentration superior to 26 ppbv characterizes a 6.11 times greater risk of CKD, compared to subjects with lower levels. Moreover, we detected an increased concentration of acetone and ammonia in CKD patients compared to healthy subjects. We highlight the potential utility of SIFT-MS in CKD clinical management.

Clinical trial registry: R.S. 15.19 of 6 February 2019.
Effect of polyvinyl alcohol and carboxymethylcellulose on the technological properties of fish gelatin films
Authors: Fernandes Gleyca de Jesus Costa , Campelo Pedro Henrique , de Abreu Figueiredo Jayne , Barbosa de Souza Hugo Junior , Peixoto Joele Maria Regina Sarkis , Yoshida Maria Irene , Henriques Lourenço Lúcia de Fátima
Published: June 2022

The objective of this work was to develop biodegradable films by mixing gelatin/carboxymethylcellulose (FG/CMC) and gelatin/polyvinyl alcohol (FG/PVOH) and to evaluate the effect of adding these polymers on the properties of fish gelatin films. The films FG/CMC and FG/PVOH were produced in the proportions 90/10, 80/20 and 70/30 and characterized their physical, chemical and functional properties. The addition of CMC and PVOH improved the mechanical strength, barrier property and water solubility of gelatin films. FG/CMC films showed greater tensile strength and greater solubility than FG/PVOH. The maximum concentration of CMC promoted the highest mechanical resistance, while the highest PVOH content produced the film with the lowest solubility. The proposed mixing systems proved to be adequate to improve the properties of fish gelatin films, with potential for application in the packaging sector.
QTL-mapping in the obese Berlin Fat Mouse identifies additional candidate genes for obesity and fatty liver disease
Authors: Delpero Manuel , Arends Danny , Freiberg Aimée , Brockmann Gudrun A. , Hesse Deike
Published: June 2022

The Berlin Fat Mouse Inbred line (BFMI) is a model for obesity and the metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to identify genetic variants associated with liver weight, liver triglycerides, and body weight using the obese BFMI sub-line BFMI861-S1. BFMI861-S1 mice are insulin resistant and store ectopic fat in the liver. In generation 10, 58 males and 65 females of the advanced intercross line (AIL) BFMI861-S1xB6N were phenotyped under a standard diet over 20 weeks. QTL analysis was performed after genotyping with theMiniMUGAGenotyping Array. Whole-genome sequencing and gene expression data of the parental lines was used for the prioritization of positional candidate genes. Three QTLs associated with liver weight, body weight, and subcutaneous adipose tissue (scAT) weight were identified. A highly significant QTL on chromosome (Chr) 1 (157–168 Mb) showed an association with liver weight. A QTL for body weight at 20 weeks was found on Chr 3 (34.1–40 Mb) overlapping with a QTL for scAT weight. In a multiple QTL mapping approach, an additional QTL affecting body weight at 16 weeks was identified on Chr 6 (9.5–26.1 Mb). Considering sequence variants and expression differences,Sec16bandAstn1were prioritized as top positional candidate genes for the liver weight QTL on Chr 1;MetandIca1for the body weight QTL on Chr 6. Interestingly, all top candidate genes have previously been linked with metabolic traits. This study shows once more the power of an advanced intercross line for fine mapping. QTL mapping combined with a detailed prioritization approach allowed us to identify additional and plausible candidate genes linked to metabolic traits in the BFMI861-S1xB6N AIL. By reidentifying known candidate genes in a different crossing population the causal link with specific traits is underlined and additional evidence is given for further investigations.
Effects of tongue strengthening exercises on tongue muscle strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Lin Chien-Ju , Lee Yu-Shan , Hsu Ching-Fang , Liu Shu-Jung , Li Jyun-Ying , Ho Yin-Lan , Chen Hsin-Hao
Published: June 2022

Tongue strengthening exercise (TSE) has been proposed as an intervention to increase tongue strength and improve swallowing. However, clinical evidence of its effectiveness is lacking. In this review, seven databases were searched from inception to September 30, 2021 for randomized controlled trials that compared tongue strengths between the TSE intervention and control groups, obtained from maximal tongue elevation peak force in kilopascals (kPa). The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used for quality assessment. In total, 12 studies with 388 participants were included. The pooled meta-analysis demonstrated that the anterior tongue strength (ATS) (MD = 5.34 kPa; 95% CI 3.28–7.40; I2 = 71%) and posterior tongue strength (MD = 8.12; 95% CI 3.45–12.79; I2 = 90%) were significantly higher in the TSE intervention than that in the control group. Among healthy participants, subgroup analysis showed that TSE had improvements on ATS in all age groups, with the greatest improvement in old people (≥ 65 years) (MD = 8.01; 95% CI 4.39–11.64; I2 = 30%). Meta-regression analysis revealed a nonsignificant trend toward greater improvement on tongue strength with increasing TSE duration. This study provides positive evidence that TSE may be beneficial in improving tongue strength and could be applied for adults, especially healthy older adults.
An effective detection method for wheat mold based on ultra weak luminescence
Authors: Yue-hong Gong , Tie-jun Yang , Yi-tao Liang , Hong-yi Ge , Liang Chen , Hui Gao , Er-bo Shen
Published: June 2022

It is widely known that mold is one of important indices in assessing the quality of stored wheat. First, mold will decrease the quality of wheat kernels; the wheat kernels infected by mold can produce secondary metabolites, such as aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, fumonisins and so on. Second, the mycotoxins metabolized by mycetes are extremely harmful to humans; once the food or feed is made of by those wheat kernels infected by mold, it will cause serious health problems on human beings as well as animals. Therefore, the effective and accurate detection of wheat mold is vitally important to evaluate the storage and subsequent processing quality of wheat kernels. However, traditional methods for detecting wheat mold mainly rely on biochemical methods, which always involve complex and long pretreatment processes, and waste part of wheat samples for each detection. In view of this, this paper proposes a type of eco-friendly and nondestructive wheat mold detection method based on ultra weak luminescence. The specific implementation process is as follows: firstly, ultra weak luminescence signals of the healthy and the moldy wheat subsamples are measured by a photon analyzer; secondly, the approximate entropy and multiscale approximate entropy are introduced as the main classification features separately; finally, the detection model has been established based on the support vector machine in order to classify two types of wheat subsamples. The receiver operating characteristic curve of the newly established detection model shows that the highest classification accuracy rate can reach 93.1%, which illustrates that our proposed detection model is feasible and promising for detecting wheat mold.
Encryption technique based on chaotic neural network space shift and color-theory-induced distortion
Authors: Al-Muhammed Muhammed J. , Abu Zitar Raed
Published: June 2022

Protecting information privacy is likely to promote trust in the digital world and increase its use. This trust may go a long way toward motivating a wider use of networks and the internet, making the vision of the semantic web and Internet of Things a reality. Many encryption techniques that purport to protect information against known attacks are available. However, since the security challenges are ever-growing, devising effective techniques that counter the emerging challenges seems a rational response to these challenges. This paper proffers an encryption technique with a unique computational model that inspires ideas from color theory and chaotic systems. This mix offers a novel computation model with effective operations that (1) highly confuse plaintext and (2) generate key-based enormously complicated codes to hide the resulting ciphertext. Experiments with the prototype implementation showed that the proposed technique is effective (passed rigorous NIST/ENT security tests) and fast.
Cooperative stability renders protein complex formation more robust and controllable
Authors: Hsu Kuan-Lun , Yen Hsueh-Chi S. , Yeang Chen-Hsiang
Published: June 2022

Protein complexes are the fundamental units of many biological functions. Despite their many advantages, one major adverse impact of protein complexes is accumulations of unassembled subunits that may disrupt other processes or exert cytotoxic effects. Synthesis of excess subunits can be inhibited via negative feedback control or they can be degraded more efficiently than assembled subunits, with this latter being termed cooperative stability. Whereas controlled synthesis of complex subunits has been investigated extensively, how cooperative stability acts in complex formation remains largely unexplored. To fill this knowledge gap, we have built quantitative models of heteromeric complexes with or without cooperative stability and compared their behaviours in the presence of synthesis rate variations. A system displaying cooperative stability is robust against synthesis rate variations as it retains high dimer/monomer ratios across a broad range of parameter configurations. Moreover, cooperative stability can alleviate the constraint of limited supply of a given subunit and makes complex abundance more responsive to unilateral upregulation of another subunit. We also conducted an in silico experiment to comprehensively characterize and compare four types of circuits that incorporate combinations of negative feedback control and cooperative stability in terms of eight systems characteristics pertaining to optimality, robustness and controllability. Intriguingly, though individual circuits prevailed for distinct characteristics, the system with cooperative stability alone achieved the most balanced performance across all characteristics. Our study provides theoretical justification for the contribution of cooperative stability to natural biological systems and represents a guideline for designing synthetic complex formation systems with desirable characteristics.
A security-aware service function chain deployment method for load balance and delay optimization
Authors: Zhai Dong , Meng Xiangru , Yu Zhenhua , Hu Hang , Huang Tao
Published: June 2022

Network function virtualization (NFV) decouples network functions from hardware devices. However, it introduces security challenges due to its reliance on software, which facilitates attacks. This security problem has a significant negative impact on the interests of users. Existing deployment methods are not suitable for SFC requests with a security demand, causing the use of substrate resources unreasonable and lower acceptance ratio. Moreover, a strict delay requirement is another challenge for NFV. To make the use of the substrate resources more reasonable and reduce the transmission delay, this paper proposes a security-constraint and function-mutex-constraint consolidation (SFMC) method for virtual network function (VNF) to reduce resource consumption and transmission delay. In addition, a security-aware service function chain (SASFC) deployment method for load balance and delay optimization is presented, which deploys service function chains according to the consolidated results of the SFMC method. The SASFC method first obtains a candidate server node set using resource, hosting capacity, security and node load constraints. It then obtains candidate paths according to the metric of the minimum transmission delay and link load constraint using the Viterbi algorithm. Finally, the path with the highest VNF security level match degree among the candidate paths is adopted to deploy virtual links, and the corresponding server nodes are employed to deploy VNFs. As a result, the SASFC method makes the use of substrate resources more reasonable. It improves the acceptance ratio and long-term average revenue to cost ratio, reduces transmission delay, and achieves load balancing. Experiment results show that when the number of VNFs is five, the acceptance ratio and long-term average revenue to cost ratio of the SASFC method are close to 0.75 and 0.88, which are higher than those of the compared methods. Its transmission delay and proportion of bottleneck nodes are 7.71 and 0.024, which are lower than those of the compared methods. The simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the SASFC method.
Single trait versus principal component based association analysis for flowering related traits in pigeonpea
Authors: Kumar Kuldeep , Anjoy Priyanka , Sahu Sarika , Durgesh Kumar , Das Antara , Tribhuvan Kishor U. , Sevanthi Amitha Mithra , Joshi Rekha , Jain Pradeep Kumar , Singh Nagendra Kumar , Rao Atmakuri Ramakrishna , Gaikwad Kishor
Published: June 2022

Pigeonpea, a tropical photosensitive crop, harbors significant diversity for days to flowering, but little is known about the genes that govern these differences. Our goal in the current study was to use genome wide association strategy to discover the loci that regulate days to flowering in pigeonpea. A single trait as well as a principal component based association study was conducted on a diverse collection of 142 pigeonpea lines for days to first and fifty percent of flowering over 3 years, besides plant height and number of seeds per pod. The analysis used seven association mapping models (GLM, MLM, MLMM, CMLM, EMLM, FarmCPU and SUPER) and further comparison revealed that FarmCPU is more robust in controlling both false positives and negatives as it incorporates multiple markers as covariates to eliminate confounding between testing marker and kinship. Cumulatively, a set of 22 SNPs were found to be associated with either days to first flowering (DOF), days to fifty percent flowering (DFF) or both, of which 15 were unique to trait based, 4 to PC based GWAS while 3 were shared by both. Because PC1 represents DOF, DFF and plant height (PH), four SNPs found associated to PC1 can be inferred as pleiotropic. A window of ± 2 kb of associated SNPs was aligned with available transcriptome data generated for transition from vegetative to reproductive phase in pigeonpea. Annotation analysis of these regions revealed presence of genes which might be involved in floral induction like Cytochrome p450 like Tata box binding protein, Auxin response factors, Pin like genes, F box protein, U box domain protein, chromatin remodelling complex protein, RNA methyltransferase. In summary, it appears that auxin responsive genes could be involved in regulating DOF and DFF as majority of the associated loci contained genes which are component of auxin signaling pathways in their vicinity. Overall, our findings indicates that the use of principal component analysis in GWAS is statistically more robust in terms of identifying genes and FarmCPU is a better choice compared to the other aforementioned models in dealing with both false positive and negative associations and thus can be used for traits with complex inheritance.
RNAi-induced knockdown of white gene in the southern green stink bug (Nezara viridula L.)
Authors: Souza Dariane , Christensen Shawn A. , Wu Ke , Buss Lyle , Kleckner Kaylin , Darrisaw Constance , Shirk Paul D. , Siegfried Blair D.
Published: June 2022

The southern green stink bug (SGSB) Nezara viridula L. is one of the most common stink bug species in the United States and can cause significant yield loss in a variety of crops. A suitable marker for the assessment of gene-editing tools in SGSB has yet to be characterized. The white gene, first documented in Drosophila, has been a useful target to assess the efficiency of introduced mutations in many species as it controls pigmentation processes and mutants display readily identifiable phenotypes. In this study we used the RNAi technique to investigate functions and phenotypes associated with the white ortholog in the SGSB and to validate white as a marker for genetic transformation in this species. This study revealed that white may be a suitable marker for germline transformation in the SGSB as white transcript knockdown was not lethal, did not impair embryo development and provided a distinguishable phenotype. Our results demonstrated that the white ortholog in SGSB is involved in the pathway for ommochrome synthesis and suggested additional functions of this gene such as in the integument composition, management of hemolymph compounds and riboflavin mobilization.
Using fluorescent promoter-reporters to study sugar utilization control in Bifidobacterium longum NCC 2705
Authors: Duboux S. , Muller J. A. , De Franceschi F. , Mercenier A. , Kleerebezem M.
Published: June 2022

Bifidobacteria are amongst the first bacteria to colonize the human gastro-intestinal system and have been proposed to play a crucial role in the development of the infant gut since their absence is correlated to the development of diseases later in life. Bifidobacteria have the capacity to metabolize a diverse range of (complex) carbohydrates, reflecting their adaptation to the lower gastro-intestinal tract. Detailed understanding of carbohydrate metabolism regulation in this genus is of prime importance and availability of additional genetic tools easing such studies would be beneficial. To develop a fluorescent protein-based reporter system that can be used in B. longum NCC 2705, we first selected the most promising fluorescent protein out of the seven we tested (i.e., mCherry). This reporter protein was then used to study the carbohydrate mediated activation of PBl1518 and PBl1694, two promoters respectively predicted to be controlled by the transcriptional factors AraQ and AraU, previously suggested to regulate arabinose utilization and proposed to also act as global transcriptional regulators in bifidobacteria. We confirmed that in B. longum NCC 2705 the AraQ controlled promoter (PBl1518) is induced strongly by arabinose and established that the AraU controlled promoter (PBl1694) was mostly induced by the hexoses galactose and fructose. Combining the mCherry reporter system with flow cytometry, we established that NCC 2705 is able to co-metabolize arabinose and glucose while galactose was only consumed after glucose exhaustion, thus illustrating the complexity of different carbohydrate consumption patterns and their specific regulation in this strain.
ESA-ECMWF Report on recent progress and research directions in machine learning for Earth System observation and prediction
Authors: Schneider Rochelle , Bonavita Massimo , Geer Alan , Arcucci Rossella , Dueben Peter , Vitolo Claudia , Le Saux Bertrand , Demir Begüm , Mathieu Pierre-Philippe
Published: June 2022

This paper provides a short summary of the outcomes of the workshop on Machine Learning (ML) for Earth System Observation and Prediction (ESOP / ML4ESOP) organised by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) between 15 and 18 November 2021. The 4-days workshop had more than 30 speakers and 30 poster-presenters, attracting over 1100 registrations from 85 countries around the world. The workshop aimed to demonstrate where and how the fusion between traditional ESOP applications and ML methods has shown limitations, outstanding opportunities, and challenges based on the participant’s feedback. Future directions were also highlighted from all thematic areas that comprise the ML4ESOP domain.
Dynamics and characteristics of dry and moist heatwaves over East Asia
Authors: Ha Kyung-Ja , Seo Ye-Won , Yeo Ji-Hye , Timmermann Axel , Chung Eui-Seok , Franzke Christian L. E. , Chan Johnny C. L. , Yeh Sang-Wook , Ting Mingfang
Published: June 2022

The increasing frequency of heatwaves over East Asia (EA) is impacting agriculture, water management, and people’s livelihood. However, the effect of humidity on high-temperature events has not yet been fully explored. Using observations and future climate change projections conducted with the latest generation of Earth System models, we examine the mechanisms of dry and moist heatwaves over EA. In the dry heatwave region, anticyclonic circulation has been amplified after the onset of heatwaves under the influence of the convergence of anomalous wave activity flux over northern EA, resulting in surface warming via adiabatic processes. In contrast, the moist heatwaves are triggered by the locally generated anticyclonic anomalies, with the surface warming amplified by cloud and water vapor feedback. Model simulations from phase six of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project projected display intensification of dry heatwaves and increased moist heatwave days in response to projected increases in greenhouse gas concentrations.
Tracking the evolution of materials and interfaces in perovskite solar cells under an electric field
Authors: Hu Juntao , Chen Peng , Luo Deying , Wang Dengke , Chen Nan , Yang Shiyu , Fu Zewei , Yu Maotao , Li Lei , Zhu Rui , Lu Zheng-Hong
Published: June 2022

What causes the instability of perovskite solar cells has been a puzzling problem impeding the development of commercial panels. So far there is limited evidence on the link between device instability and the various materials in each of the stacked layers. Here, we study the chemistry and distribution of various species and the integrity of the functional layers in high-performance inverted perovskite solar cells, with and without an electric field. The distribution of the diffusion species and its impact on the chemical and electronic structures through the transporting layers are measured by photoemission spectroscopy combined with damage-free ion beam sputtering. We find that various species, such as I2 and PbI2, are distributed throughout the organic transporting layers toward the electrode interface. These species are found to be charge neutral, have no impact on the Fermi level, and react little with copper. An electric field, however, can catalyze the electro-decomposition of the perovskite, causing chemical heterogeneity and degradation in device performance.
Indium-modified copper nanocubes for syngas production by aqueous CO2 electroreduction
Authors: Niorettini Alessandro , Mazzaro Raffaello , Liscio Fabiola , Kovtun Alessandro , Pasquini Luca , Caramori Stefano , Berardi Serena
Published: June 2022

Straightforward electrochemical procedures yielded indium-modified copper cathodes with high activity towards syngas formation via CO2 electroreduction in aqueous electrolytes.
A vertically oriented two-dimensional Ruddlesden–Popper phase perovskite passivation layer for efficient and stable inverted perovskite solar cells
Authors: Choi Yunseong , Koo Donghwan , Jeong Gyujeong , Kim Ungsoo , Kim Hyungmin , Huang Fuzhi , Park Hyesung
Published: June 2022

A vacuum-deposited highly ordered butylammonium-based Ruddlesden–Popper phase perovskite is introduced as a passivation layer for highly efficient and stable inverted perovskite solar cells.