bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Artificial Neuron-Like Gas Sensor Constructed from CuS Quantum Dots/Bi2S3 Nanosheets
Authors: Chen Xinwei , Wang Tao , Shi Jia , Lv Wen , Han Yutong , Zeng Min , Yang Jianhua , Hu Nantao , Su Yanjie , Wei Hao , Zhou Zhihua , Yang Zhi , Zhang Yafei
Published: December 2021

Real-time rapid detection of toxic gases at room temperature is particularly important for public health and environmental monitoring. Gas sensors based on conventional bulk materials often suffer from their poor surface-sensitive sites, leading to a very low gas adsorption ability. Moreover, the charge transportation efficiency is usually inhibited by the low defect density of surface-sensitive area than that in the interior. In this work, a gas sensing structure model based on CuS quantum dots/Bi2S3 nanosheets (CuS QDs/Bi2S3 NSs) inspired by artificial neuron network is constructed. Simulation analysis by density functional calculation revealed that CuS QDs and Bi2S3 NSs can be used as the main adsorption sites and charge transport pathways, respectively. Thus, the high-sensitivity sensing of NO2 can be realized by designing the artificial neuron-like sensor. The experimental results showed that the CuS QDs with a size of about 8 nm are highly adsorbable, which can enhance the NO2 sensitivity due to the rich sensitive sites and quantum size effect. The Bi2S3 NSs can be used as a charge transfer network channel to achieve efficient charge collection and transmission. The neuron-like sensor that simulates biological smell shows a significantly enhanced response value (3.4), excellent responsiveness (18 s) and recovery rate (338 s), low theoretical detection limit of 78 ppb, and excellent selectivity for NO2. Furthermore, the developed wearable device can also realize the visual detection of NO2 through real-time signal changes.
Islet-on-a-chip for the study of pancreatic β-cell function
Authors: Rodríguez-Comas Júlia , Ramón-Azcón Javier
Published: December 2021

Diabetes mellitus is a significant public health problem worldwide. It encompasses a group of chronic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia, resulting from pancreatic islet dysfunction or as a consequence of insulin-producing β-cell death. Organ-on-a-chip platforms have emerged as technological systems combining cell biology, engineering, and biomaterial technological advances with microfluidics to recapitulate a specific organ’s physiological or pathophysiological environment. These devices offer a novel model for the screening of pharmaceutical agents and to study a particular disease. In the field of diabetes, a variety of microfluidic devices have been introduced to recreate native islet microenvironments and to understand pancreatic β-cell kinetics in vitro. This kind of platforms has been shown fundamental for the study of the islet function and to assess the quality of these islets for subsequent in vivo transplantation. However, islet physiological systems are still limited compared to other organs and tissues, evidencing the difficulty to study this “organ” and the need for further technological advances. In this review, we summarize the current state of islet-on-a-chip platforms that have been developed so far. We recapitulate the most relevant studies involving pancreatic islets and microfluidics, focusing on the molecular and cellular-scale activities that underlie pancreatic β-cell function.
Health Policy in Asia
Authors: Ramesh M. , Bali Azad S.
Published: December 2021

The book assesses the policy actions of select Asian governments (China, India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand) to address critical health system functions from a policy design perspective. The findings show that all governments in the region have made tremendous strides in focussing their attention on the core issues and, especially, the interactions among them. However, there is still insufficient appreciation of the usefulness of public hospitals and their efficient management. Similarly, some governments have not made sufficient efforts to establish an effective regulatory framework which is especially vital in systems with a large share of private providers and payers. A well-run public hospital system and an effective framework for regulating private providers are essential tools to support the governance, financing, and payment reforms underway in the six health systems studied in this book.
21st Century Guidebook to Fungi
Authors: Moore David , Robson Geoffrey D. , Trinci Anthony P. J.
Published: December 2021

The mysterious world of fungi is once again unearthed in this expansive second edition. This textbook provides readers with an all-embracing view of the kingdom fungi, ranging in scope from ecology and evolution, diversity and taxonomy, cell biology and biochemistry, to genetics and genomics, biotechnology and bioinformatics. Adopting a unique systems biology approach - and using explanatory figures and colour illustrations - the authors emphasise the diverse interactions between fungi and other organisms. They outline how recent advances in molecular techniques and computational biology have fundamentally changed our understanding of fungal biology, and have updated chapters and references throughout the book in light of this. This is a fascinating and accessible guide, which will appeal to a broad readership - from aspiring mycologists at undergraduate and graduate level to those studying related disciplines. Online resources are hosted on a complementary website.
Advanced Topics in Quantum Mechanics
Authors: Mariño Marcos
Published: December 2021

Quantum mechanics is one of the most successful theories in science, and is relevant to nearly all modern topics of scientific research. This textbook moves beyond the introductory and intermediate principles of quantum mechanics frequently covered in undergraduate and graduate courses, presenting in-depth coverage of many more exciting and advanced topics. The author provides a clearly structured text for advanced students, graduates and researchers looking to deepen their knowledge of theoretical quantum mechanics. The book opens with a brief introduction covering key concepts and mathematical tools, followed by a detailed description of the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) method. Two alternative formulations of quantum mechanics are then presented: Wigner's phase space formulation and Feynman's path integral formulation. The text concludes with a chapter examining metastable states and resonances. Step-by-step derivations, worked examples and physical applications are included throughout.
The Shortest Path to Network Geometry
Authors: Serrano M. Ángeles , Boguñá Marián
Published: December 2021

Real networks comprise from hundreds to millions of interacting elements and permeate all contexts, from technology to biology to society. All of them display non-trivial connectivity patterns, including the small-world phenomenon, making nodes to be separated by a small number of intermediate links. As a consequence, networks present an apparent lack of metric structure and are difficult to map. Yet, many networks have a hidden geometry that enables meaningful maps in the two-dimensional hyperbolic plane. The discovery of such hidden geometry and the understanding of its role have become fundamental questions in network science giving rise to the field of network geometry. This Element reviews fundamental models and methods for the geometric description of real networks with a focus on applications of real network maps, including decentralized routing protocols, geometric community detection, and the self-similar multiscale unfolding of networks by geometric renormalization.
Asian Scientists on the Move
Authors: Paul Anju Mary
Published: December 2021

The growing scientific research output from Asia has been making headlines since the start of the twenty-first century. But behind this science story, there is a migration story. The elite scientists who are pursuing cutting-edge research in Asia are rarely 'homegrown' talent but were typically born in Asia, trained in the West, and then returned to work in Asia. Asian Scientists on the Move explores why more and more Asian scientists are choosing to return to Asia, and what happens after their return, when these scientists set up labs in Asia and start training the next generation of Asian scientists. Drawing on evocative firsthand accounts from 119 Western-trained Asian scientists about their migration decisions and experiences, and in-depth analysis of the scientific field in four country case studies - China, India, Singapore and Taiwan - the book reveals the growing complexity of the Asian scientist migration system.
The Slow Fall of Babel
Authors: Minets Yuliya
Published: December 2021

This is the story of the transformation of the ways in which the increasingly Christianized elites of the late antique Mediterranean experienced and conceptualized linguistic differences. The metaphor of Babel stands for the magnificent edifice of classical culture that was about to reach the sky, but remained self-sufficient and self-contained in its virtual monolingualism – the paradigm within which even Latin was occasionally considered just a dialect of Greek. The gradual erosion of this vision is the slow fall of Babel that took place in the hearts and minds of a good number of early Christian writers and intellectuals who represented various languages and literary traditions. This step-by-step process included the discovery and internalization of the existence of multiple other languages in the world, as well as subsequent attempts to incorporate their speakers meaningfully into the holistic and distinctly Christian picture of the universe.
Does the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rate among healthcare personnel reflect their community? An evaluation of a multistate healthcare system
Authors: Fakih Mohamad G. , Fogel Richard , Ottenbacher Allison , Miller Collin , Winegar Angela L. , Price Shanda C. , Masoudi Fredrick A. , Cacchione Joseph
Published: December 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rates of a large health system reflected their respective service areas but varied by work role. Nurse vaccination rates were higher (56.9%) and rates among nursing support personnel were lower (38.6%) than those of their communities (51.7%; P < .001). Physician vaccination rates were highest (71.6%) and were not associated with community vaccination levels.
On Being a Fan and on Fanhood and Its Implications for Defeating the Moral Sceptic
Authors: Superson Anita M.
Published: December 2021

I employ the notion of fanhood to object to David Gauthier's Dependency Thesis, according to which, if a disposition is rationally required to adopt, so too are the acts expressing it. I first establish that fanhood is a commitment relevantly similar to a moral commitment. I then argue that, because genuine fanhood characteristically issues in inherently irrational behaviours in the form of ‘luck charms,’ or, superstitious practices fans believe will help their team win, it poses a decisive objection to the Dependency Thesis, thereby eliminating a promising attempt to defeat the moral sceptic.
Evidence in favor of a strategy-based model for English pronunciation instruction
Authors: Sardegna Veronica G.
Published: December 2021

Research has increasingly demonstrated that pronunciation difficulties in English can seriously affect learners’ intelligibility and ability to comprehend spoken English. It is thus crucial that we find ways of helping learners of English become more intelligible. In this talk, I present compelling research evidence in support of a strategy-based pronunciation instruction model, and uncover individual learner, teacher, and instructional variables affecting long-term improvement. Findings from my published and ongoing studies involving different groups of learners and teachers highlight the critical role of teachers in self-regulated learning, and suggest the need for methodological refinements to the model. The results show that students’ self-regulated efforts at learning can be further enhanced and supported if combined with goal-setting and awareness-raising activities, online speech models and resources, video-recordings to assess progress, guided reflections on oral assignments, ongoing feedback, and re-assessments of goals after improvement. I conclude the talk with a discussion of these methodological refinements and possible avenues for future research.
Rigid–flexible coupling dynamics analysis with joint clearance for a 5-DOF hybrid polishing robot
Authors: Guo Feng , Cheng Gang , Wang Shilin , Li Jun
Published: December 2021

Considering the polishing requirements for high-precision aspherical optical mirrors, a hybrid polishing robot composed of a serial–parallel manipulator and a dual rotor grinding system is proposed. Firstly, based on the kinematics of serial components, the equivalent load model for the parallel manipulator is established. Then, the elastodynamic model of kinematic branched-chains of the parallel manipulator is established by using the spatial beam element, and the rigid–flexible coupling dynamic model of the polishing robot is obtained with Kineto-elasto dynamics theory. Further, considering the dynamic properties of the joint clearance, the rigid–flexible coupling dynamic model with the joint clearance for the polishing robot is established. Finally, the equivalent load distribution of the parallel manipulator is analyzed, and the effect of the branched-chain elasticity and joint clearance on the motion error of the polishing robot is studied. This article provides a theoretical basis for improving the motion accuracy and dynamic performance of the hybrid polishing robot.
Compounding and complementary carnivores: Australian bird species eaten by the introduced European red fox Vulpes vulpes and domestic cat Felis catus
Authors: WOINARSKI JOHN C.Z. , STOBO-WILSON ALYSON M. , CRAWFORD HEATHER M. , DAWSON STUART J. , DICKMAN CHRIS R. , DOHERTY TIM S. , FLEMING PATRICIA A. , GARNETT STEPHEN T. , GENTLE MATTHEW N. , LEGGE SARAH M. , NEWSOME THOMAS M. , PALMER RUSSELL , REES MATTHEW W. , RITCHIE EUAN G. , SPEED JAMES , STUART JOHN-MICHAEL , THOMPSON EILYSH , TURPIN JEFF , MURPHY BRETT P.
Published: December 2021

Two introduced carnivores, the European red fox Vulpes vulpes and domestic cat Felis catus, have had extensive impacts on Australian biodiversity. In this study, we collate information on consumption of Australian birds by the fox, paralleling a recent study reporting on birds consumed by cats. We found records of consumption by foxes on 128 native bird species (18% of the non-vagrant bird fauna and 25% of those species within the fox’s range), a smaller tally than for cats (343 species, including 297 within the fox’s Australian range, a subset of that of the cat). Most (81%) bird species eaten by foxes are also eaten by cats, suggesting that predation impacts are compounded. As with consumption by cats, birds that nest or forage on the ground are most likely to be consumed by foxes. However, there is also some partitioning, with records of consumption by foxes but not cats for 25 bird species, indicating that impacts of the two predators may also be complementary. Bird species ≥3.4 kg were more likely to be eaten by foxes, and those <3.4 kg by cats. Our compilation provides an inventory and describes characteristics of Australian bird species known to be consumed by foxes, but we acknowledge that records of predation do not imply population-level impacts. Nonetheless, there is sufficient information from other studies to demonstrate that fox predation has significant impacts on the population viability of some Australian birds, especially larger birds, and those that nest or forage on the ground.
Lobbying Beyond the Legislature: Challenges and Biases in Women's Organizations’ Participation in Rulemaking
Authors: English Ashley
Published: December 2021

This study, which is based on a survey of women's organizations’ staff members, answers two previously unexamined questions about women's groups’ participation in the rulemaking process: (1) How do women's organizations participate? (2) What are the characteristics of the women's organizations that are the most likely to participate? About one-quarter (27%) of women's organizations reported that they lobby rulemakers, often using relatively low-cost methods, such as submitting comments or signing on to comments written by coalitions or like-minded groups. Women's organizations with large staffs that are structured the most like political insiders or influential economic interest groups were the most likely to participate in the process, potentially biasing participation in favor of relatively advantaged subgroups of women. Together, these results suggest that although rulemaking presents unique opportunities to represent women, the most marginalized women may be underrepresented during rulemaking debates.
Carbon Geochemistry of the Active Serpentinization Site at the Wadi Tayin Massif: Insights From the ICDP Oman Drilling Project: Phase II
Authors: Ternieten Lotta , Früh‐Green Gretchen L. , Bernasconi Stefano M.
Published: December 2021

A large part of the hydrated oceanic lithosphere consists of serpentinites exposed in ophiolites. Serpentinites constitute reactive chemical and thermal systems and potentially represent an effective sink for CO2. Understanding carbonation mechanisms within ophiolites are almost exclusively based on studies of outcrops, which can limit the interpretation of fossil hydrothermal systems. We present stable and radiogenic carbon isotope data that provide insights into the isotopic trends and fluid evolution of peridotite carbonation in ICDP Oman Drilling Project drill holes BA1B (400‐m deep) and BA3A (300‐m deep). Geochemical investigations of the carbonates in serpentinites indicate formation in the last 50 kyr, implying a distinctly different phase of alteration than the initial oceanic hydration and serpentinization of the Samail Ophiolite. The oldest carbonates (∼31 to >50 kyr) are localized calcite, dolomite, and aragonite veins, formed between 26°C and 43°C and related to focused fluid flow. Subsequent pervasive small amounts of dispersed carbonate precipitated in the last 1,000 years. Macroscopic brecciation and veining of the peridotite indicate that carbonation is influenced by tectonic features allowing infiltration of fluids over extended periods and at different structural levels such as along fracture planes and micro‐fractures and grain boundaries, causing large‐scale hydration of the ophiolite. The formation of dispersed carbonate is related to percolating fluids with δ18O lower than modern ground and meteoric water. Our study shows that radiocarbon investigations are an essential tool to interpret the carbonation history and that stable oxygen and carbon isotopes alone can result in ambiguous interpretations.
Convection Initiation at a Coastal Rainfall Hotspot in South China: Synoptic Patterns and Orographic Effects
Authors: Bai Lanqiang , Chen Guixing , Huang Yipeng , Meng Zhiyong
Published: December 2021

This study documents the detailed features and processes of convection initiation (CI) at a coastal rainfall hotspot in South China, with emphasis on the typical meteorological conditions and effects of small‐scale orography. The CI occurrences are identified using high‐quality radar mosaics during 7‐year warm seasons. They tend to maximize in low‐lying areas adjacent to coastal small‐scale mountains rather than on the windward slopes of major mountains as previously expected. The genesis of the coastal convection exhibits a remarkable diurnal peak in the early afternoon and mostly occurs on the days of low‐level southwesterlies with a jet‐nose structure in offshore region. These onshore flows enhance the low‐level moistening and convergence on coasts. The characteristic synoptic patterns become common after the onset of summer monsoon, suggesting the key role of monsoonal flows in triggering coastal convection. Driven by the atmospheric conditions of the dominant synoptic pattern, quasi‐idealized numerical simulations demonstrate that the coastal small‐scale mountains disturb the low‐level onshore flow and produce multiple enhanced convergent zones downstream of the mountains. The induced local variations in upward motion and moisture pooling explain the CI occurrences that are located close to these small‐scale mountains. When these mountains are artificially removed in the simulation, convection preferentially initiates on the windward slopes of major mountains as expected. The findings suggest that the small‐scale orography can strongly regulate the local patterns of CI hotspot through disturbing low‐level onshore flow. An explicit resolving of the small‐scale coastal orography is warranted to improve the modeling of local severe weather.
Planetary Boundary Layer Height Modulates Aerosol—Water Vapor Interactions During Winter in the Megacity of Delhi
Authors: S. Raj Subha , Krüger Ovid O. , Sharma Amit , Panda Upasana , Pöhlker Christopher , Walter David , Förster Jan‐David , Singh Rishi Pal , S. Swetha , Klimach Thomas , Darbyshire Eoghan , Martin Scot T. , McFiggans Gordon , Coe Hugh , Allan James , R. Ravikrishna , Soni Vijay Kumar , Su Hang , Andreae Meinrat O. , Pöschl Ulrich , Pöhlker Mira L. , Gunthe Sachin S.
Published: December 2021

The Indo‐Gangetic Plain (IGP) is one of the dominant sources of air pollution worldwide. During winter, the variations in planetary boundary layer (PBL) height, driven by a strong radiative thermal inversion, affect the regional air pollution dispersion. To date, measurements of aerosol‐water vapor interactions, especially cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity, are limited in the Indian subcontinent, causing large uncertainties in radiative forcing estimates of aerosol‐cloud interactions. We present the results of a one‐month field campaign (February‐March 2018) in the megacity, Delhi, a significant polluter in the IGP. We measured the composition of fine particulate matter (PM1) and size‐resolved CCN properties over a wide range of water vapor supersaturations. The analysis includes PBL modeling, backward trajectories, receptor models and fire spots to elucidate the influence of PBL and air mass origins on aerosols. The aerosol properties depended strongly on PBL height and a simple power‐law fit could parameterize the observed correlations of PM1 mass, aerosol particle number and CCN number with PBL height, indicating PBL induced changes in aerosol accumulation. The low inorganic mass fractions, low aerosol hygroscopicity and high externally mixed weakly CCN‐active particles under low PBL height (100 m) indicated the influence of PBL on aerosol aging processes. In contrast, aerosol properties did not depend strongly on air mass origins or wind direction, implying that the observed aerosol and CCN are from local emissions. An error function could parameterize the relationship between CCN number and supersaturation throughout the campaign.
Reconciling Assumptions in Bottom‐Up and Top‐Down Approaches for Estimating Aerosol Emission Rates From Wildland Fires Using Observations From FIREX‐AQ
Authors: Wiggins E. B. , Anderson B. E. , Brown M. D. , Campuzano‐Jost P. , Chen G. , Crawford J. , Crosbie E. C. , Dibb J. , DiGangi J. P. , Diskin G. S. , Fenn M. , Gallo F. , Gargulinski E. M. , Guo H. , Hair J. W. , Halliday H. S. , Ichoku C. , Jimenez J. L. , Jordan C. E. , Katich J. M. , Nowak J. B. , Perring A. E. , Robinson C. E. , Sanchez K. J. , Schueneman M. , Schwarz J. P. , Shingler T. J. , Shook M. A. , Soja A. J. , Stockwell C. E. , Thornhill K. L. , Travis K. R. , Warneke C. , Winstead E. L. , Ziemba L. D. , Moore R. H.
Published: December 2021

Accurate fire emissions inventories are crucial to predict the impacts of wildland fires on air quality and atmospheric composition. Two traditional approaches are widely used to calculate fire emissions: a satellite‐based top‐down approach and a fuels‐based bottom‐up approach. However, these methods often considerably disagree on the amount of particulate mass emitted from fires. Previously available observational datasets tended to be sparse, and lacked the statistics needed to resolve these methodological discrepancies. Here, we leverage the extensive and comprehensive airborne in situ and remote sensing measurements of smoke plumes from the recent Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX‐AQ) campaign to statistically assess the skill of the two traditional approaches. We use detailed campaign observations to calculate and compare emission rates at an exceptionally high‐resolution using three separate approaches: top‐down, bottom‐up, and a novel approach based entirely on integrated airborne in situ measurements. We then compute the daily average of these high‐resolution estimates and compare with estimates from lower resolution, global top‐down and bottom‐up inventories. We uncover strong, linear relationships between all of the high‐resolution emission rate estimates in aggregate, however no single approach is capable of capturing the emission characteristics of every fire. Global inventory emission rate estimates exhibited weaker correlations with the high‐resolution approaches and displayed evidence of systematic bias. The disparity between the low‐resolution global inventories and the high‐resolution approaches is likely caused by high levels of uncertainty in essential variables used in bottom‐up inventories and imperfect assumptions in top‐down inventories.
Failure Probability Analysis of Levees Affected by Mammal Bioerosion
Authors: Balistrocchi Matteo , Moretti Giovanni , Ranzi Roberto , Orlandini Stefano
Published: December 2021

Mammal bioerosion is an emergent threat to the functionality of levees. In the present paper, the problem of assessing the failure probability of levees affected by mammal bioerosion is addressed. A fully bivariate description of peak flow discharge and flood duration is combined with a deterministic unsteady seepage flow model to obtain a suitable model of variably disturbed levee response to the observed natural variability of floods. Monte Carlo analysis is also implemented to evaluate the epistemic uncertainty connected to the description of the river system. The obtained model is tested with respect to a real‐world levee located along the Secchia River in northern Italy, which underwent a disastrous failure caused by mammal bioerosion in 2014. The convex linear combination of two Archimedean copulas is found to fit the empirical dependence structure between peak flow discharge and flood duration. The reliability of the unsteady seepage flow model is tested against detailed numerical simulations of the seepage occurring through the levee body. A limit state function is obtained by comparing the maximum extent of the seepage front to the distance between the den end and the riverside levee slope, and the corresponding levee safety and failure regions are delimited. Results obtained from the developed model reveal a significant impact of mammal dens located near the levee crest in terms of failure probability and related return period. This impact is consistent with failures observed in the study area.
Regulation of the EphA2 receptor intracellular region by phosphomimetic negative charges in the kinase-SAM linker
Authors: Lechtenberg Bernhard C. , Gehring Marina P. , Light Taylor P. , Horne Christopher R. , Matsumoto Mike W. , Hristova Kalina , Pasquale Elena B.
Published: December 2021

Eph receptor tyrosine kinases play a key role in cell-cell communication. Lack of structural information on the entire multi-domain intracellular region of any Eph receptor has hindered understanding of their signaling mechanisms. Here, we use integrative structural biology to investigate the structure and dynamics of the EphA2 intracellular region. EphA2 promotes cancer malignancy through a poorly understood non-canonical form of signaling involving serine/threonine phosphorylation of the linker connecting its kinase and SAM domains. We show that accumulation of multiple linker negative charges, mimicking phosphorylation, induces cooperative changes in the EphA2 intracellular region from more closed to more extended conformations and perturbs the EphA2 juxtamembrane segment and kinase domain. In cells, linker negative charges promote EphA2 oligomerization. We also identify multiple kinases catalyzing linker phosphorylation. Our findings suggest multiple effects of linker phosphorylation on EphA2 signaling and imply that coordination of different kinases is necessary to promote EphA2 non-canonical signaling.
Modulation of dopamine tone induces frequency shifts in cortico-basal ganglia beta oscillations
Authors: Iskhakova L. , Rappel P. , Deffains M. , Fonar G. , Marmor O. , Paz R. , Israel Z. , Eitan R. , Bergman H.
Published: December 2021

Βeta oscillatory activity (human: 13–35 Hz; primate: 8–24 Hz) is pervasive within the cortex and basal ganglia. Studies in Parkinson’s disease patients and animal models suggest that beta-power increases with dopamine depletion. However, the exact relationship between oscillatory power, frequency and dopamine tone remains unclear. We recorded neural activity in the cortex and basal ganglia of healthy non-human primates while acutely and chronically up- and down-modulating dopamine levels. We assessed changes in beta oscillations in patients with Parkinson’s following acute and chronic changes in dopamine tone. Here we show beta oscillation frequency is strongly coupled with dopamine tone in both monkeys and humans. Power, coherence between single-units and local field potentials (LFP), spike-LFP phase-locking, and phase-amplitude coupling are not systematically regulated by dopamine levels. These results demonstrate that beta frequency is a key property of pathological oscillations in cortical and basal ganglia networks.
Intestinal microbiota modulation and improved growth in pigs with post-weaning antibiotic and ZnO supplementation but only subtle microbiota effects with Bacillus altitudinis
Authors: Crespo-Piazuelo Daniel , Lawlor Peadar G. , Ranjitkar Samir , Cormican Paul , Villodre Carmen , Bouwhuis Meike A. , Marsh Alan , Crispie Fiona , Rattigan Ruth , Gardiner Gillian E.
Published: December 2021

The objective was to evaluate the effect of dietaryBacillus altitudinisspore supplementation during day (D)0–28 post-weaning (PW) and/or D29–56 PW compared with antibiotic and zinc oxide (AB + ZnO) supplementation on pig growth and gut microbiota. Eighty piglets were selected at weaning and randomly assigned to one of five dietary treatments: (1) negative control (Con/Con); (2) probiotic spores from D29–56 PW (Con/Pro); (3) probiotic spores from D0–28 PW (Pro/Con); (4) probiotic spores from D0–56 PW (Pro/Pro) and (5) AB + ZnO from D0–28 PW. Overall, compared with the AB + ZnO group, the Pro/Con group had lower body weight, average daily gain and feed intake and the Pro/Pro group tended to have lower daily gain and feed intake. However, none of these parameters differed between any of the probiotic-treated groups and the Con/Con group. Overall, AB + ZnO-supplemented pigs had higherBacteroidaceaeandPrevotellaceaeand lowerLactobacillaceaeandSpirochaetaceaeabundance compared to the Con/Con group, which may help to explain improvements in growth between D15–28 PW. The butyrate-producing generaAgathobacter,FaecalibacteriumandRoseburiawere more abundant in the Pro/Con group compared with the Con/Con group on D35 PW. Thus, whilst supplementation withB. altitudinisdid not enhance pig growth performance, it did have a subtle, albeit potentially beneficial, impact on the intestinal microbiota.
Temporal refinement of 3D CNN semantic segmentations on 4D time-series of undersampled tomograms using hidden Markov models
Authors: Bellos Dimitrios , Basham Mark , Pridmore Tony , French Andrew P.
Published: December 2021

Recently, several convolutional neural networks have been proposed not only for 2D images, but also for 3D and 4D volume segmentation. Nevertheless, due to the large data size of the latter, acquiring a sufficient amount of training annotations is much more strenuous than in 2D images. For 4D time-series tomograms, this is usually handled by segmenting the constituent tomograms independently through time with 3D convolutional neural networks. Inter-volume information is therefore not utilized, potentially leading to temporal incoherence. In this paper, we attempt to resolve this by proposing two hidden Markov model variants that refine 4D segmentation labels made by 3D convolutional neural networks working on each time point. Our models utilize not only inter-volume information, but also the prediction confidence generated by the 3D segmentation convolutional neural networks themselves. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to refine 4D segmentations made by 3D convolutional neural networks using hidden Markov models. During experiments we test our models, qualitatively, quantitatively and behaviourally, using prespecified segmentations. We demonstrate in the domain of time series tomograms which are typically undersampled to allow more frequent capture; a particularly challenging problem. Finally, our dataset and code is publicly available.
Structural and functional thalamocortical connectivity study in female fibromyalgia
Authors: Kim Dajung J. , Lim Manyoel , Kim June Sic , Chung Chun Kee
Published: December 2021

Dysfunctional thalamocortical interactions have been suggested as putative mechanisms of ineffective pain modulation and also suggested as possible pathophysiology of fibromyalgia (FM). However, it remains unclear which specific thalamocortical networks are altered and whether it is related to abnormal pain perception in people with FM. Here, we conducted combined vertex-wise subcortical shape, cortical thickness, structural covariance, and resting-state functional connectivity analyses to address these questions. FM group exhibited a regional shape deflation of the left posterior thalamus encompassing the ventral posterior lateral and pulvinar nuclei. The structural covariance analysis showed that the extent of regional deflation of the left posterior thalamus was negatively covaried with the left inferior parietal cortical thickness in the FM group, whereas those two regions were positively covaried in the healthy controls. In functional connectivity analysis with the left posterior thalamus as a seed, FM group had less connectivity with the periaqueductal gray compared with healthy controls, but enhanced connectivity between the posterior thalamus and bilateral inferior parietal regions, associated with a lower electrical pain threshold at the hand dorsum (pain-free point). Overall, our findings showed the structural thalamic alteration interacts with the cortical regions in a functionally maladaptive direction, leading the FM brain more responsive to external stimuli and potentially contributing to pain amplification.
Clinical effects of cervical conization with positive margins in cervical cancer
Authors: Nagao Yukari , Yokoi Akira , Yoshida Kosuke , Sumi Masanori , Yoshihara Masato , Tamauchi Satoshi , Ikeda Yoshiki , Yoshikawa Nobuhisa , Nishino Kimihiro , Niimi Kaoru , Kajiyama Hiroaki
Published: December 2021

Radical surgery after cervical conization is a common approach for the treatment of cervical cancer. In some cases, disease progression is observed after positive margins at conization, but the effect of conization on disease progression remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the clinical outcomes of positive margins at conization in cervical cancer. A total of 101 patients who underwent cervical conization before radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection were considered eligible by reviewing medical records. The association between the positive margins and patient outcomes, including subsequent lymph node metastasis, was evaluated. The rate of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) positivity at radical surgery was significantly higher in patients with positive margins (p = 0.017) than in those with negative margins, although there was no significant difference in the rate of pelvic lymph node metastasis (p = 0.155). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the overall survival or progression-free survival between the two groups (p = 0.332 and 0.200, respectively). A positive margin at conization presented no significant prognostic disadvantage; thus, diagnostic conization is one of the most suitable treatment options for early-stage cervical cancer that is difficult to accurately assess.
Routine COVID-19 testing may not be necessary for most cancer patients
Authors: Motlagh Ali , Elmi Fatemeh , Yamrali Maisa , Ranjbar Mansour , Azmin Mehrdad , Moshiri Farzaneh , Hamelmann Christoph , Slama Slim , Tavakoli Nadia , Hammerich Asmus , Pourghazian Nasim , Soleymani Nejad Marzeyeh , Mafi Ahmad , Azadeh Payam , Aghajanizadeh Maryam , Ostovar Afshin , Raeisi Alireza , Malekzadeh Reza
Published: December 2021

Cancer patients are at risk for severe complications or death from COVID-19 infection. Therefore, the need for routine COVID-19 testing in this population was evaluated. Between 1st August and 30th October 2020, 150 cancer patients were included. Symptoms of COVID-19 infection were evaluated. All eligible individuals went through RT-PCR and serological tests for COVID-19. At the same time, 920 non-cancer patients were recruited from a random sample of individuals who were subject to routine molecular and anti-body screening tests. Of 150 cancer patients, 7 (4.7%) were RT-PCR positive. Comorbidity made a significant difference in the RT-PCR positivity of cancer patients, 71.4% positive versus 25.8% negative (P-value = 0.02). The average age for negative and positive groups was 53.3 and 58.2 respectively (P-value = 0.01). No significant difference was observed between cancer and non-cancer patients regarding COVID-19 antibody tests. However, cancer patients were 3 times less likely to have a positive RT-PCR test result OR = 0.33 (CI: 0.15–0.73). The probability of cancer patients having a positive routine test was significantly lower than non-cancer patients, and the concept that all cancer patients should be routinely tested for COVID-19 may be incorrect. Nevertheless, there may be a subgroup of patients with comorbidities or older age who may benefit from routine COVID-19 testing. Importantly, these results could not be subjected to multivariate analysis.
Mathematical modeling and multivariate analysis applied earliest soybean harvest associated drying and storage conditions and influences on physicochemical grain quality
Authors: Lima Roney Eloy , Coradi Paulo Carteri , Nunes Marcela Trojahn , Bellochio Sabrina Dalla Corte , da Silva Timm Newiton , Nunes Camila Fontoura , de Oliveira Carneiro Letícia , Teodoro Paulo Eduardo , Campabadal Carlos
Published: December 2021

Anticipating the harvest period of soybean crops can impact on the post-harvest processes. This study aimed to evaluate early soybean harvest associated drying and storage conditions on the physicochemical soybean quality using of mathematical modeling and multivariate analysis. The soybeans were harvested with a moisture content of 18 and 23% (d.b.) and subjected to drying in a continuous dryer at 80, 100, and 120 °C. The drying kinetics and volumetric shrinkage modeling were evaluated. Posteriorly, the soybean was stored at different packages and temperatures for 8 months to evaluate the physicochemical properties. After standardizing the variables, the data were submitted to cluster analysis. For this, we use Euclidean distance and Ward's hierarchical method. Then defining the groups, we constructed a graph containing the dispersion of the values of the variables and their respective Pearson correlations for each group. The mathematical models proved suitable to describe the drying kinetics. Besides, the effective diffusivity obtained was 4.9 × 10–10 m2 s−1 promoting a volumetric shrinkage of the grains and influencing the reduction of physicochemical quality. It was observed that soybean harvested at 23% moisture, dried at 80 °C, and stored at a temperature below 23 °C maintained its oil content (25.89%), crude protein (35.69%), and lipid acidity (5.54 mL). In addition, it is to note that these correlations' magnitude was substantially more remarkable for the treatments allocated to the G2 group. Furthermore, the electrical conductivity was negatively correlated with all the physicochemical variables evaluated. Besides this, the correlation between crude protein and oil yield was positive and of high magnitude, regardless of the group formed. In conclusion, the early harvest of soybeans reduced losses in the field and increased the grain flow on the storage units. The low-temperature drying and the use of packaging technology close to environmental temperatures conserved the grain quality.
Replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations reveal self-association sites in M-crystallin caused by mutations provide insights of cataract
Authors: Patel Sunita , Hosur Ramakrishna V.
Published: December 2021

Crystallins are ubiquitous, however, prevalence is seen in eye lens. Eye lens crystallins are long-lived and structural intactness is required for maintaining lens transparency and protein solubility. Mutations in crystallins often lead to cataract. In this study, we performed mutations at specific sites of M-crystallin, a close homologue of eye lens crystallin and studied by using replica exchange molecular dynamics simulation with generalized Born implicit solvent model. Mutations were made on the Ca2+ binding residues (K34D and S77D) and in the hydrophobic core (W45R) which is known to cause congenital cataract in homologous γD-crystallin. The chosen mutations caused large motion of the N-terminal Greek key, concomitantly broke the interlocking Greek keys interactions and perturbed the compact core resulting in several folded and partially unfolded states. Partially unfolded states exposed large hydrophobic patches that could act as precursors for self-aggregation. Accumulation of such aggregates is the potential cause of cataract in homologous eye lens crystallins.
Geographic footprints of life expectancy inequalities in the state of Geneva, Switzerland
Authors: Ladoy Anaïs , Vallarta-Robledo Juan R. , De Ridder David , Sandoval José Luis , Stringhini Silvia , Da Costa Henrique , Guessous Idris , Joost Stéphane
Published: December 2021

Though Switzerland has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, this global indicator may mask significant disparities at a local level. The present study used a spatial cluster detection approach based on individual death records to investigate the geographical footprint of life expectancy inequalities in the state of Geneva, Switzerland. Individual-level mortality data (n = 22,751) were obtained from Geneva’s official death notices (2009–2016). We measured life expectancy inequalities using the years of potential life lost or gained (YPLLG) metric, defined as the difference between an individual’s age at death and their life expectancy at birth. We assessed the spatial dependence of YPLLG across the state of Geneva using spatial autocorrelation statistics (Local Moran’s I). To ensure the robustness of the patterns discovered, we ran the analyses for ten random subsets of 10,000 individuals taken from the 22,751 deceased. We also repeated the spatial analysis for YPLLG before and after controlling for individual-level and neighborhood-level covariates. The results showed that YPLLG was not randomly distributed across the state of Geneva. The ten random subsets revealed no significant difference with the geographic footprint of YPLLG and the population characteristics within Local Moran cluster types, suggesting robustness for the observed spatial structure. The proportion of women, the proportion of Swiss, the neighborhood median income, and the neighborhood median age were all significantly lower for populations in low YPLLG clusters when compared to populations in high YPLLG clusters. After controlling for individual-level and neighborhood-level covariates, we observed a reduction of 43% and 39% in the size of low and high YPLLG clusters, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first study in Switzerland using spatial cluster detection methods to investigate inequalities in life expectancy at a local scale and based on individual data. We identified clear geographic footprints of YPLLG, which may support further investigations and guide future public health interventions at the local level.
Infant-gut associated Bifidobacterium dentium strains utilize the galactose moiety and release lacto-N-triose from the human milk oligosaccharides lacto-N-tetraose and lacto-N-neotetraose
Authors: Moya-Gonzálvez Eva M. , Rubio-del-Campo Antonio , Rodríguez-Díaz Jesús , Yebra María J.
Published: December 2021

Much evidence suggests a role for human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in establishing the infant microbiota in the large intestine, but the response of particular bacteria to individual HMOs is not well known. Here twelve bacterial strains belonging to the genera Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Limosilactobacillus, Lactobacillus, Lacticaseibacillus, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus were isolated from infant faeces and their growth was analyzed in the presence of the major HMOs, 2′-fucosyllactose (2′FL), 3-fucosyllactose (3FL), 2′,3-difucosyllactose (DFL), lacto-N-tetraose (LNT) and lacto-N-neo-tetraose (LNnT), present in human milk. Only the isolated Bifidobacterium strains demonstrated the capability to utilize these HMOs as carbon sources. Bifidobacterium infantis Y538 efficiently consumed all tested HMOs. Contrarily, Bifidobacterium dentium strains Y510 and Y521 just metabolized LNT and LNnT. Both tetra-saccharides are hydrolyzed into galactose and lacto-N-triose (LNTII) by B. dentium. Interestingly, this species consumed only the galactose moiety during growth on LNT or LNnT, and excreted the LNTII moiety. Two β-galactosidases were characterized from B. dentium Y510, Bdg42A showed the highest activity towards LNT, hydrolyzing it into galactose and LNTII, and Bdg2A towards lactose, degrading efficiently also 6′-galactopyranosyl-N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetyl-lactosamine and LNnT. The work presented here supports the hypothesis that HMOs are mainly metabolized by Bifidobacterium species in the infant gut.
Analysis at the single-cell level indicates an important role of heterogeneous global DNA methylation status on the progression of lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Chen Quan-Fang , Gao Han , Pan Qing-Yun , Wang Ying-Ju , Zhong Xiao-Ning
Published: December 2021

Aberrant DNA modifications affect the tumorigenesis and progression of lung cancer. However, the global methylation status of tumor cells and the heterogeneous methylation status of cells within the same tumor need further study. We used publicly available single-cell RNAseq data to investigate the impact and diversity of global methylation status on lung adenocarcinoma. Clustering cells into subgroups and cell differentiation pseudotime analysis, based on expression profile, demonstrated that the global methylation status was crucial to lung adenocarcinoma function and progression. Hypermethylated tumor cells had increased activity related to the hypoxia response. Hyper- and hypomethylated cells indicated upregulation in pathways involving focal adhesion and cell junctions. Pseudotime analysis showed that cell clusters with unique methylation activities were located at the ends of the putative trajectories, suggesting that DNA methylation and demethylation activities were essential to tumor cell progression. Expression of SPP1 was associated with the global methylation status of tumor cells and with patient prognosis. Our study identified the importance and diversity of global DNA methylation status by analysis at the single-cell level. Our findings provide new information about the global DNA methylation status of tumor cells and suggest new approaches for precision medical treatments for lung adenocarcinoma.