bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of atmospheric coherent structures and their impact on a utility-scale wind turbine
Authors: Abraham Aliza , Hong Jiarong
Published: February 2022

Atmospheric turbulent velocity fluctuations are known to increase wind turbine structural loading and accelerate wake recovery, but the impact of vortical coherent structures in the atmosphere on wind turbines has not yet been evaluated. The current study uses flow imaging with natural snowfall with a field of view spanning the inflow and near wake. Vortical coherent structures with diameters of the order of 1 m are identified and characterized in the flow approaching a 2.5 MW wind turbine in the region spanning the bottom blade tip elevation to hub height. Their impact on turbine structural loading, power generation and wake behaviour are evaluated. Long coherent structure packets

$(\mathrm{\ \mathbin{\lower.3ex\hbox{$\buildrel> \over {\smash{\scriptstyle\sim}\vphantom{_x}}$}}\ }200\;\textrm{m)}$

are shown to increase fluctuating stresses on the turbine support tower. Large inflow vortices interact with the turbine blades, leading to deviations from the expected power generation. The sign of these deviations is related to the rotation direction of the vortices, with rotation in the same direction as the circulation on the blades leading to periods of power surplus, and the opposite rotation causing power deficit. Periods of power deficit coincide with wake contraction events. These findings highlight the importance of considering coherent structure properties when making turbine design and siting decisions.
An efficient high-power femtosecond laser based on periodic-layered-Kerr media nonlinear compression and a Yb:YAG regenerative amplifier
Authors: Guo Jie , Gao Zichen , Sun Di , Du Xiao , Gao Yongxi , Liang Xiaoyan
Published: February 2022

We demonstrate an efficient ultrafast source with 195 fs pulse duration, 54 W average power at 200 kHz repetition rate and near diffraction-limited beam quality. The compact setup incorporates a thin-disk Yb:YAG regenerative amplifier (RA) and a subsequent nonlinear pulse compression stage with periodic-layered Kerr media (PLKM), which is one of the multiple-thin-solid-plate schemes based on nonlinear resonator theory. In virtue of the formation of quasi-stationary spatial soliton in PLKM, the near diffraction-limited beam quality of the RA remained almost undisturbed after post-compression. The nonlinear pulse compression module is simple and efficient with a transmission of 96%. To the best our knowledge, for pulse energy over 200 μJ, this is the highest output power reported for the multiple-thin-solid-plate scheme. This source manifests an economical combination to mitigate the bandwidth limitations of Yb-based high-power chirped pulse amplifiers.
Evidence-based mechanistic role of chrysin towards protection of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in rats
Authors: Meshram Sonali , Verma Vipin Kumar , Mutneja Ekta , Sahu Anil Kumar , Malik Salma , Mishra Prashant , Bhatia Jagriti , Arya Dharamvir S.
Published: February 2022

Cardiac hypertrophy is the enlargement of cardiomyocytes in response to persistent release of catecholamine which further leads to cardiac fibrosis. Chrysin, flavonoid from honey, is well known for its multifarious properties like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and anti-apoptotic. To investigate the cardioprotective potential of chrysin against isoproterenol (ISO), cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis are induced in rats. Acclimatised male albino Wistar rats were divided into seven groups (n 6): normal (carboxymethyl cellulose at 0·5 % p.o.; as vehicle), hypertrophy control (ISO 3 mg/kg, s.c.), CHY15 + H, CHY30 + H & CHY60 + H (chrysin; p.o.15, 30 and 60 mg/kg respectively + ISO at 3 mg/kg, s.c.), CHY60 (chrysin 60 mg/kg in per se) and LST + H (losartan 10 mg/kg p.o. + ISO 3 mg/kg, s.c.) were treated for 28 d. After the dosing schedule on day 29, haemodynamic parameters were recorded, after that blood and heart were excised for biochemical, histological, ultra-structural and molecular evaluations. ISO administration significantly increases heart weight:body weight ratio, pro-oxidants, inflammatory and cardiac injury markers. Further, histopathological, ultra-structural and molecular studies confirmed deteriorative changes due to ISO administration. Pre-treatment with chrysin of 60 mg/kg reversed the ISO-induced damage to myocardium and prevent cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through various anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, antioxidant and anti-fibrotic pathways. Data demonstrated that chrysin attenuated myocardial hypertrophy and prevented fibrosis via activation of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)/Smad signalling pathway.
Trademarks as “Global Merchants of Skill”: The Dynamics of the Japanese Match Industry, 1860s–1930s
Authors: Lopes Teresa da Silva , Tomita Shin
Published: February 2022

The Japanese match industry is an early case of an industry that changed global market dynamics by building international competitiveness through combining low-cost and low-price strategies with product differentiation. This differentiation was achieved through the registration of trademarks for all matches exported, total quality control, and strong investments in graphic design to adapt brands and their imagery to different host markets and cultures. This study shows how trademark data provides alternative and complementary angles on particular economic phenomena—in this case, on how industries and countries build global competitiveness despite being technologically less developed.
THE DEATH OF LAW: ANOTHER OBITUARY
Authors: Lucy William
Published: February 2022

This essay argues that a defining characteristic of modern law – the distinctive way in which it judges its addressees – will disappear. After sketching the distinctive nature of modern law's judgment, I show that it is part of a broader regulatory paradigm (rule or East Coast regulation) which is itself being superseded. Technological management is the alternative regulatory paradigm and I examine its rise and salience, showing how it might, in combination with the advent of ubiquitous computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence, cure a range of alleged pathologies that mark contemporary legal systems. The essay also demonstrates why technological management is now our regulatory default, its salience flowing from changes in the nature of our thinking about, and deployment of, power. The essay combines the work of Roger Brownsword, a leading contemporary jurist of technological management, with that of the world-renowned social theorist Michel Foucault.
An asynchronous inertial algorithm for solving convex feasibility problems with strict pseudo-contractions in Hilbert spaces
Authors: Bello A.U. , Nnakwe M.O.
Published: February 2022

Finding a common point in a finite intersection of sets, say, $C=\cap _{i=1}^{n} F(T_i)$, where each $T_i$ is a non-expansive-type mapping, is a central task in mathematics as it cuts across different areas of application, such as road design and medical image reconstruction. There are many algorithms for approximating solutions of such problems. Of particular interest in the implementation of these algorithms are cost and speed. This is due to the large computations to be performed at each step of the iterative process. One of the most efficient methods that optimizes the time of computation and cost of implementation is the asynchronous-parallel algorithm method. In this paper, we prove a weak convergence theorem for the asynchronous sequential inertial (ASI) algorithm (introduced by Heaton and Censor in [H. Heaton and Y. Censor, Asynchronous sequential inertial iterations for common fixed points problems with an application to linear systems, J. Glob. Optim. 74 (2019), 95–119.] ) for strictly pseudo-contractive mappings in Hilbert spaces. Under additional mild conditions, we also obtain a strong convergence theorem. Finally, we apply the ASI algorithm to solving convex minimization problems and Hammerstein integral equations.
Introduction: Regulation and Domestic Service in Colonial Histories
Authors: Haskins Victoria , Sen Samita
Published: February 2022

This essay introduces the Special Theme on regulation and domestic service in colonial societies. It provides a brief overview of the key themes of domestic service and regulation in the history of colonial states, and reflects upon the ways in which the colonial past is deployed in contemporary calls for the regulation of domestic work by the state, to secure the rights and protections of present-day workers as modern, free subjects. We note that, while much more work needs to done on this subject, current scholarship suggests that the status of the domestic worker and the extent of regulation in colonial contexts was historically unclear and often ambivalent. The three articles that constitute the Special Theme are then discussed in turn, to highlight the important insights, both empirical and theoretical, they offer to our deeper understanding of this complex history.
Cognitive function in early-phase schizophrenia-spectrum disorder: IQ subtypes, brain volume and immune markers
Authors: Watson Andrew J. , Giordano Annalisa , Suckling John , Barnes Thomas R. E. , Husain Nusrat , Jones Peter B. , Krynicki Carl R. , Lawrie Stephen M. , Lewis Shôn , Nikkheslat Naghmeh , Pariante Carmine M. , Upthegrove Rachel , Deakin Bill , Dazzan Paola , Joyce Eileen M.
Published: February 2022

Background

Evidence suggests that cognitive subtypes exist in schizophrenia that may reflect different neurobiological trajectories. We aimed to identify whether IQ-derived cognitive subtypes are present in early-phase schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and examine their relationship with brain structure and markers of neuroinflammation.

Method

161 patients with recent-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorder (<5 years) were recruited. Estimated premorbid and current IQ were calculated using the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading and a 4-subtest WAIS-III. Cognitive subtypes were identified with k-means clustering. Freesurfer was used to analyse 3.0 T MRI. Blood samples were analysed for hs-CRP, IL-1RA, IL-6 and TNF-α.

Results

Three subtypes were identified indicating preserved (PIQ), deteriorated (DIQ) and compromised (CIQ) IQ. Absolute total brain volume was significantly smaller in CIQ compared to PIQ and DIQ, and intracranial volume was smaller in CIQ than PIQ (F(2, 124)= 6.407,p= 0.002) indicative of premorbid smaller brain size in the CIQ group. CIQ had higher levels of hs-CRP than PIQ (F(2, 131)= 5.01,p= 0.008). PIQ showed differentially impaired processing speed and verbal learning compared to IQ-matched healthy controls.

Conclusions

The findings add validity of a neurodevelopmental subtype of schizophrenia identified by comparing estimated premorbid and current IQ and characterised by smaller premorbid brain volume and higher measures of low-grade inflammation (CRP).
For Whom Hesperus Shines: An Astronomical Allusion in Roman Epithalamic Poetry
Authors: Guidetti Fabio
Published: February 2022

This paper reconstructs the history and meaning of a hitherto unexplained astronomical allusion recurring several times in Roman epithalamic poetry: the association of the evening star with Mount Oeta. By examining the iterations of this motif in surviving Latin literature (especially Catullus 62, Vergil's Eclogue 8 and the pseudo-Vergilian Ciris), I propose to explain the original meaning of this association as a mythological reference to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, offering a reconstruction of the Hellenistic epithalamic context where it was probably invented, and an interpretation of its function in each of the poems under consideration. The results of this analysis shed new light on some of the most well-known texts of Latin literature, allowing us to understand how this allusion was used to explore the relations between the genres of epithalamic poetry, bucolic and epyllion.
Introducing the Historical Corpus of English in Nigeria (HiCE–Nig)
Authors: Unuabonah Foluke Olayinka , Adebileje Adebola , Oladipupo Rotimi Olanrele , Fyanka Bernard , Odim Mba , Kupolati Oluwateniola
Published: February 2022

Nigerian English (NigE) is a second language (L2) variety of English that has been domesticated, acculturated and indigenised within the Nigerian socio-cultural and linguistic contexts (Adegbija, 2004). Based on Schneider's (2007) Dynamic Model of the Development of New Englishes, scholars have shown that NigE is currently at the late stage of nativisation (stage 3) and is on the verge of entering the stage of endornormative stabilisation (stage 4) (see Gut, 2012; Collins, 2020). Nativisation, which typically begins with the declaration of independence, is a very active and important stage in which there are large-scale linguistic changes, especially during a time when English is usually the only official language (see Schneider, 2007). Although previous studies have investigated the historical development of English in Nigeria (see Taiwo, 2009), there are limited studies on the particular linguistic features that have changed over time, especially from the time Nigeria gained independence. It is very likely that the rapid increase in the number of universities and other educational institutions managed by Nigerians from independence, as opposed to previous management by Britons, would have affected the variety of English spoken in Nigeria and culminated in the development of NigE today.
Conceptualising childhood as a relational status: parenting adult children in sixteenth-century England
Authors: Cannon Maria
Published: February 2022

This article explores the status of child as a relational one, defined by the power dynamics between parents and children rather than the young age of the individual. This approach complicates historiographical perspectives on the transition between childhood and adulthood, usually defined by historians as independence from parental regulation. Analysis of family correspondence from early modern England is used as a case study to explore conflicting patriarchal ideals that encouraged individuals to become independent householders, but also venerated filial obedience. It shows the broader application of this research to historians considering age as a category of analysis.
Persecuted or permitted? Fraternal Polyandry in a Calvinist colony, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
Authors: Kok Jan , Bulten Luc , de Leede Bente M.
Published: February 2022

Several studies assume that Calvinist Christianity severely undermined or even persecuted the practice of polyandry in the Sri Lankan areas under Dutch control. We analyze Dutch colonial policy and Church activities toward polyandry by combining ecclesiastical and legal sources. Moreover, we use the Dutch colonial administration of the Sinhalese population to estimate the prevalence of polyandry. We conclude that polyandry was far from extinct by the end of the Dutch period and we argue that the colonial government was simply not knowledgeable, interested and effective enough to persecute the practice in the rural areas under its control.
Caught in the Anthropocene: Theatres of Trees, Place and Politics
Authors: VARNEY DENISE
Published: February 2022

This article investigates live performance in the broad geo-historical context of the Anthropocene, a contested term in recent scholarship, but one that offers a breadth of focus on human relations with its coexistent non-human other. These interrelations are examined through a range of theatrical and non-theatrical genres and sites from the Australian parliament's coal theatrics to exemplary performances by Indigenous companies Bangarra Dance Theatre and Marrugeku. It sets the scene with a visit to the Curtain Tree in the rainforests of north Queensland, Australia, arguing that the vitality and display of its root system models a special kind of reciprocity between the performative elements of the environment and the environmental elements of theatre and performance. This is traced through recent short-run immersive works, Hanna Cormick's Mermaid (2020) and Melinda Hetzel and Company's Conservatory (2020), and a rereading of a canonical Australian drama, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll.
Forensic Performances: Searching for Justice in NAKA Dance Theater's BUSCARTE: Duet
Authors: ALDAPE MUÑOZ JUAN MANUEL
Published: February 2022

This article uncovers the connections between the legal and scientific art of searching for human remains and theatrical performances. NAKA Dance Theater, a performance group based in Mexico City and Oakland, California, is at the centre of this intersection of art and forensics. Founded by José Navarrete and Debby Kajiyama, NAKA creates theatrical events to configure a claim for social justice where the official legal–scientific terrain has failed to protect victims of state repression. These artists advance a commitment to what I call forensic performances, and their investigative practices revitalize theatrical experience in a time of debilitated democracies. Forensic performances give theatre a role in violent societies where mass graves are woven into life: they carry out some of the work of investigative journalism, without its dangers. Theatre opens up a space to do a forensics that is orthogonal to a state forensics claiming a certain kind of reality and truth that is dangerous for democratic politics.
“This Crisis of Our History”: The Colored Conventions Movement and the Temporal Construction of Southern Politics
Authors: Herron Paul E.
Published: February 2022

After defeat in the Civil War, the white South used time as a tool of political oppression. Myths of the “Old South” and the “Lost Cause” distorted history and public memory; vagrancy laws and labor regulations controlled the time of the newly free; grandfather clauses distributed rights based on past conditions; and attacks on education, labor, and democratic rights undermined progress in the “New South.” In this article, I show that Black southerners also recognized the political value of time. My source for their sentiments is the Colored Conventions Movement. From 1865 to 1900, dozens of conventions gathered in the South, at a significantly higher rate than in other regions. Delegates deployed temporal rhetoric of the past, present, and future in pursuit of equality and justice by (1) publicly recounting African American history and national contributions to counter white narratives, (2) arguing that emancipation was a new founding moment and the present a time of ongoing crisis, and (3) demanding labor and education rights to secure the future. Scholars of American political development often consider time in studies of institutional change; we should also explore the use of time as a political tool and how temporality illuminates American racial dynamics.
Different Characteristics of Social Networks for COVID-19 in Europe
Authors: Yum Seungil
Published: February 2022

This study sheds new light on the different characteristics of social networks for COVID-19 in European regions. This study explores six countries (the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and Sweden) by employing social network analysis for Twitter. First, this study finds that European countries show different characteristics for social networks with regard to COVID-19. For example, the UK has only national key players, France shows a majority of national key players, and other countries have all global key players. Donald Trump played an important role in the social networks of Italy, Germany and Sweden while he was the US president. Second, European countries demonstrate different social networks for groups. For example, the UK shows the most active communications across groups, whereas Germany shows the least communication networks across groups. Lastly, European countries reveal highly different interests regarding COVID-19. For example, the UK is more interested in the epidemic and vaccines, Germany focuses on schools and studies, and Sweden cares more about herd immunity and lockdown.
The Advocates Library, Edinburgh
Authors: Berry Sara
Published: February 2022

In this article Sara Berry provides an account of some of the history relating to the Advocates Library in Edinburgh. She explains how the Advocates Library played a key role in the Scottish Enlightenment and acted as Scotland's national library up to the foundation of the National Library of Scotland in 1925. The article also looks at the library's integral role in supporting Faculty Members and the Scottish justice system through history to modern day. The last section looks at some of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Members, library staff and working practices.
Too Many Cards on the Table? Practical Ways of Improving Your Current Awareness
Authors: Brown Clare
Published: February 2022

This article by Clare Brown is based on a presentation given at the BIALL Online Annual Conference in June 2021. It takes the form of a case study that illustrates how library and information professionals can control the flow of information so as to avoid users being overwhelmed by news.
ON THE GEOMETRY OF THE PAPPAS–RAPOPORT MODELS FOR PEL SHIMURA VARIETIES
Authors: Bijakowski Stéphane , Hernandez Valentin
Published: February 2022

In this article we study integral models of Shimura varieties, called Pappas–Rapoport splitting model, for ramified P.E.L. Shimira data. We study the special fiber and some stratification of these models, in particular we show that these are smooth and the Rapoport locus and the
$\mu $
-ordinary locus are dense, under some condition on the ramification.
Stakeholder-driven adaptive research (SDAR): better research products
Authors: DeLong Alia N. , Swisher Marilyn E. , Chase Carlene A. , Zhao Xin , Liburd Oscar E. , Gao Zhifeng , Bolques Alejandro , Gu Sanjun
Published: February 2022

Rapid changes in economic, environmental and social conditions generate both problems and opportunities in agriculture. The cycle from problem identification through discovery of potential solutions is lengthy. The objective of this study was to use collaborative methods to speed the cycle of discovery in sustainable organic strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) production systems in the southeastern USA. This method, stakeholder-driven adaptive research (SDAR), combines farmers' experiential knowledge with scientists' experimental knowledge to develop rigorous research design collectively. Farmers evaluated our biological research and co-designed research experiments with scientists. Farmers and other stakeholders (1) evaluated on-station experiments individually and then made recommendations as a group, (2) served as advisory council members to direct our goals and objectives, and (3) conducted farmer field trials where they implemented aspects of our on-station experiments under their management regimes. The results eliminated potential solutions that were not feasible, ineffective or too costly for farmers to adopt. Key results included eliminating treatments using high tunnel systems altogether on one field trial on a University of Florida (UF) research facility, adding a leguminous cover crop mix treatment, adding companion planting, and eliminating strawberry cultivars Strawberry Festival and Florida Beauty from our research trials. Our proposed methodology allows farmers and other stakeholders to inform the biological research from design through dissemination to reduce the time needed to create research products in an era of rapid bio-physical, social and economic change. Accelerating the discovery cycle could significantly improve our ability to identify and address threats to the USA and global food and fiber production system.
Towards a Methodology for Specifying States’ Mitigation Obligations in Line with the Equity Principle and Best Available Science
Authors: Ritz Violetta
Published: February 2022

This article argues that an improved legal methodology is needed to ensure that states’ greenhouse gas emissions mitigation obligations are specified in line with best available science and the equity principle. In this vein, the article explores the extent to which the ‘meta-equity assessment’ of states’ emissions by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) can contribute to this aim. The article finds that the CAT's PRIMAP Equity tool, embedded in the Potsdam Real-time Integrated Model for the probabilistic Assessment of emission Paths, offers the best available approach to distributing a global carbon budget among states in line with equity criteria recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The emissions data and global pathways used in the PRIMAP Equity tool can be updated. The major challenge ahead lies in understanding which of the emissions and temperature pathways can be applied in the legal context, and how.
Causal Impacts of El Niño–Southern Oscillation on Global Soil Moisture Over the Period 2015–2100
Authors: Le Thanh , Bae Deg‐Hyo
Published: February 2022

Soil moisture is an important element of the Earth system that influences both mean and extreme climate, hydrological cycle, vegetation growth and agricultural production. Therefore, it is essential to understand the factors that drive soil moisture variability. Soil moisture variations have been shown to be affected by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in several regions. However, the causal impacts of ENSO on global soil moisture remain elusive, particularly regarding the future periods under warming environment. Here we assessed the causal effects of ENSO on soil moisture at the global scale over the 2015–2100 period using data from Coupled Modeling Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models. We find that ENSO is likely to have causal impacts on soil moisture over areas of northern Australia, parts of eastern and southern Africa, Southeast Asia, large parts of South America, middle and western Asia, and parts of southern North America. The results show low consistency between CMIP6 models for the causal impacts of ENSO over Southeast Asia while the models' consensus is higher over eastern Africa, western Asia, Australia, south central North America, and South America. In addition, our results suggested an expansion in the spatial influences of ENSO on regional soil moisture for the future period 2015–2100 compared to the historical period 1915–2000. As soil moisture is an essential part of the water cycle and prediction of ENSO events is achievable, these results might have implications for regional water resources management in the future.
A Simple Monte Carlo Approach to Estimate the Uncertainties of SST and δ18Osw Inferred From Coral Proxies
Authors: Watanabe Takaaki K. , Pfeiffer Miriam
Published: February 2022

The skeletons of massive corals inhabiting tropical and subtropical oceans grow over centuries. The chemical and isotopic compositions of their skeletons reflect changes in the marine environment and provide an archive of sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity at a high temporal resolution spanning decades to centuries. Stable oxygen isotope ratios in coral skeletons (δ18Oc) are an excellent proxy for SST and the stable oxygen isotopic composition in seawater (δ18Osw). Variations in δ18Osw serve as a hydrological proxy and are routinely estimated by subtracting the SST component from δ18Oc. The SST component of δ18Oc is inferred from coral Sr/Ca (SST proxy). Both Sr/Ca and δ18Oc are converted to SST units based on Sr/Ca‐ and (δ18Oc–δ18Osw)‐SST calibrations. However, the exact slope values of the Sr/Ca‐SST and (δ18Oc–δ18Osw)‐SST calibrations are challenging to assess, which hampers the reliable estimation of SST, δ18Osw, and their uncertainties. Here, we present a simple Monte Carlo approach to estimate variations in SST and δ18Osw together with their confidence intervals. Our approach improves on previous error propagation methods by including intercolonial differences of calibration slopes in addition to analytical errors. In addition, Monte Carlo experiments using adjusted errors suggest that uncertainties in the calibration slopes have a minor influence on estimates of SST and δ18Osw.
Tracking Shallow Convective Mixing and Its Influence on Low‐Level Clouds With Stable Water Isotopes in Vapor
Authors: Hu Jun , Bailey Adriana , Nusbaumer Jesse , Dee Sylvia , Sasser Christiana , Worden John
Published: February 2022

Low‐cloud feedbacks contribute large uncertainties to climate projections and estimated climate sensitivity. A key physical process modulating low‐cloud feedbacks is shallow convective mixing between the boundary layer and the free troposphere. However, there are challenges in acquiring observational constraints of shallow convective mixing with global coverage. To this end, we propose a novel approach to constraining convective mixing using stable water vapor isotope profiles from satellite retrievals. We demonstrate that the vertical gradient of water vapor δD between the boundary layer and free troposphere can be used to track shallow convective mixing. Analyzing isotopes in water vapor alongside low‐cloud properties from satellite retrievals, we find that low‐cloud fraction appears largely insensitive to convective mixing in shallow cumulus regions. Our results also suggest that strong shallow convective mixing is associated with the moistening of the free troposphere. The new estimate of shallow convective mixing and its relationship with low‐cloud properties offers a potential constraint on simulations of low‐cloud feedbacks and estimates of climate sensitivity.
Study of Suspended Sediment Diffusion Coefficients in Submerged Vegetation Flow
Authors: Li Da , Yang Zhonghua , Guo Man
Published: February 2022

The traditional profile model of the sediment diffusion coefficient (), which is parabolic along the water depth, cannot precisely predict the vertical distribution of in vegetated flow. Therefore, in this study, a series of flume experiments were conducted to clarify the influence of submerged vegetation on the diffusion characteristics of suspended load particles. First, the submerged canopy increases the efficiency of momentum exchange but restrains the vertical diffusion of suspended sediment, indicating that the presence of submerged plants promotes the siltation of solid particles. Second, the depth‐averaged sediment diffusion coefficient () monotonically decreases with increasing relative water depth, while the depth‐averaged momentum exchange coefficient () presents two opposite trends, likely owing to the dominant turbulence event changing from ejections to sweeps and the different variation tendencies of the velocity gradient and Reynolds shear stress with increasing vegetation density. Compared with the ratio () of to the momentum exchange coefficient in nonvegetated flow, in submerged canopy flow is significantly less than 1, which means that the solid particles diffuse less readily than liquid particles because of the stem‐scale vortices generated by the vegetation. In addition, vertical profile models of and suspended sediment concentration were proposed and validated by experimental data. The models exhibit a high accuracy, correlation and applicability and can provide critical information to promote research on riverbed deformation and nutrient dynamics in vegetated rivers, wetlands and estuaries.
Lifespan extension with preservation of hippocampal function in aged system xc−-deficient male mice
Authors: Verbruggen Lise , Ates Gamze , Lara Olaya , De Munck Jolien , Villers Agnès , De Pauw Laura , Ottestad-Hansen Sigrid , Kobayashi Sho , Beckers Pauline , Janssen Pauline , Sato Hideyo , Zhou Yun , Hermans Emmanuel , Njemini Rose , Arckens Lutgarde , Danbolt Niels C. , De Bundel Dimitri , Aerts Joeri L. , Barbé Kurt , Guillaume Benoit , Ris Laurence , Bentea Eduard , Massie Ann
Published: February 2022

The cystine/glutamate antiporter system xc− has been identified as the major source of extracellular glutamate in several brain regions as well as a modulator of neuroinflammation, and genetic deletion of its specific subunit xCT (xCT−/−) is protective in mouse models for age-related neurological disorders. However, the previously observed oxidative shift in the plasma cystine/cysteine ratio of adult xCT−/− mice led to the hypothesis that system xc− deletion would negatively affect life- and healthspan. Still, till now the role of system xc− in physiological aging remains unexplored. We therefore studied the effect of xCT deletion on the aging process of mice, with a particular focus on the immune system, hippocampal function, and cognitive aging. We observed that male xCT−/− mice have an extended lifespan, despite an even more increased plasma cystine/cysteine ratio in aged compared to adult mice. This oxidative shift does not negatively impact the general health status of the mice. On the contrary, the age-related priming of the innate immune system, that manifested as increased LPS-induced cytokine levels and hypothermia in xCT+/+ mice, was attenuated in xCT−/− mice. While this was associated with only a very moderate shift towards a more anti-inflammatory state of the aged hippocampus, we observed changes in the hippocampal metabolome that were associated with a preserved hippocampal function and the retention of hippocampus-dependent memory in male aged xCT−/− mice. Targeting system xc− is thus not only a promising strategy to prevent cognitive decline, but also to promote healthy aging.
Mechanical regulation of bone remodeling
Authors: Wang Lijun , You Xiuling , Zhang Lingli , Zhang Changqing , Zou Weiguo
Published: February 2022

Bone remodeling is a lifelong process that gives rise to a mature, dynamic bone structure via a balance between bone formation by osteoblasts and resorption by osteoclasts. These opposite processes allow the accommodation of bones to dynamic mechanical forces, altering bone mass in response to changing conditions. Mechanical forces are indispensable for bone homeostasis; skeletal formation, resorption, and adaptation are dependent on mechanical signals, and loss of mechanical stimulation can therefore significantly weaken the bone structure, causing disuse osteoporosis and increasing the risk of fracture. The exact mechanisms by which the body senses and transduces mechanical forces to regulate bone remodeling have long been an active area of study among researchers and clinicians. Such research will lead to a deeper understanding of bone disorders and identify new strategies for skeletal rejuvenation. Here, we will discuss the mechanical properties, mechanosensitive cell populations, and mechanotransducive signaling pathways of the skeletal system.
Functional hydrogels for the treatment of myocardial infarction
Authors: Wu Tengling , Liu Wenguang
Published: February 2022

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major disease posing a significant threat to human health, as it leads to necrosis of numerous cardiomyocytes (CMs), left ventricle dilation, and cardiac dysfunction, ultimately resulting in heart failure. Owing to the shortage of heart donors and the shortcomings of current clinical treatment methods, significant resources have been dedicated to developing platforms for cardiac tissue engineering, including functional hydrogels. Herein, we review variations in the myocardial microenvironment and the effects of functional hydrogel systems that are designed to support and mimic this microenvironment during cardiac repair following MI. Specifically, we provide an overview of recent functional hydrogels designed for cardiac tissue engineering. These include matrix metalloproteinase-responsive hydrogels, reactive oxygen species-scavenging hydrogels and immunomodulatory hydrogels, which can reverse the adverse myocardial microenvironment. Additionally, we describe conductive hydrogels that can reconstruct electrical signal conduction within infarct areas, vascularized hydrogels that promote the repair of cardiac function, and 3D-printed hydrogels, which can achieve personal customized cardiac tissue via printing of intact cardiac structures, thus addressing the current shortage of heart donors.
Self-healing ionic gelatin/glycerol hydrogels for strain sensing applications
Authors: Hardman David , George Thuruthel Thomas , Iida Fumiya
Published: February 2022

Soft sensing technologies have the potential to revolutionize wearable devices, haptic interfaces and robotic systems. However, there are numerous challenges in the deployment of these devices due to their poor resilience, high energy consumption, and omnidirectional strain responsivity. This work reports the development of a versatile ionic gelatin-glycerol hydrogel for soft sensing applications. The resulting sensing device is inexpensive and easy to manufacture, is self-healable at room temperature, can undergo strains of up to 454%, presents stability over long periods of time, and is biocompatible and biodegradable. This material is ideal for strain sensing applications, with a linear correlation coefficient R2 = 0.9971 and a pressure-insensitive conduction mechanism. The experimental results show the applicability of ionic hydrogels for wearable devices and soft robotic technologies for strain, humidity, and temperature sensing while being able to partially self-heal at room temperature.
Timing of emergence of modern rates of sea-level rise by 1863
Authors: Walker Jennifer S. , Kopp Robert E. , Little Christopher M. , Horton Benjamin P.
Published: February 2022

Sea-level rise is a significant indicator of broader climate changes, and the time of emergence concept can be used to identify when modern rates of sea-level rise emerged above background variability. Yet a range of estimates of the timing persists both globally and regionally. Here, we use a global database of proxy sea-level records of the Common Era (0–2000 CE) and show that globally, it is very likely that rates of sea-level rise emerged above pre-industrial rates by 1863 CE (P = 0.9; range of 1825 [P = 0.66] to 1873 CE [P = 0.95]), which is similar in timing to evidence for early ocean warming and glacier melt. The time of emergence in the North Atlantic reveals a distinct spatial pattern, appearing earliest in the mid-Atlantic region (1872–1894 CE) and later in Canada and Europe (1930–1964 CE). Regional and local sea-level changes occurring over different time periods drive the spatial pattern in emergence, suggesting regional processes underlie centennial-timescale sea-level variability over the Common Era.
Immunotherapy for early triple negative breast cancer: research agenda for the next decade
Authors: Tarantino Paolo , Corti Chiara , Schmid Peter , Cortes Javier , Mittendorf Elizabeth A. , Rugo Hope , Tolaney Sara M. , Bianchini Giampaolo , Andrè Fabrice , Curigliano Giuseppe
Published: February 2022

For decades, the systemic treatment of localized triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has exclusively relied on chemotherapy. Recent advancements, however, are rapidly reshaping the treatment algorithms for this disease. The addition of pembrolizumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy has indeed shown to significantly improve event-free survival for stage II–III TNBC, leading to its establishment as new standard of care in this setting. This landmark advancement has however raised several important scientific questions. Indeed, we desperately need strategies to identify upfront patients deriving benefit from the addition of immunotherapy. Moreover, the best integration of pembrolizumab with further recent advancements (capecitabine, olaparib) is yet to be defined. Lastly, extensive efforts are needed to minimize the impact on patients of immune-related adverse events and financial toxicity. The next decade of clinical research will be key to overcome these challenges, and ultimately learn how to optimally integrate immunotherapy in the treatment landscape of TNBC.
Clinical pharmacogenetic analysis in 5,001 individuals with diagnostic Exome Sequencing data
Authors: Lanillos Javier , Carcajona Marta , Maietta Paolo , Alvarez Sara , Rodriguez-Antona Cristina
Published: February 2022

Exome sequencing is utilized in routine clinical genetic diagnosis. The technical robustness of repurposing large-scale next-generation sequencing data for pharmacogenetics has been demonstrated, supporting the implementation of preemptive pharmacogenetic strategies based on adding clinical pharmacogenetic interpretation to exomes. However, a comprehensive study analyzing all actionable pharmacogenetic alleles contained in international guidelines and applied to diagnostic exome data has not been performed. Here, we carried out a systematic analysis based on 5001 Spanish or Latin American individuals with diagnostic exome data, either Whole Exome Sequencing (80%), or the so-called Clinical Exome Sequencing (20%) (60 Mb and 17 Mb, respectively), to provide with global and gene-specific clinical pharmacogenetic utility data. 788 pharmacogenetic alleles, distributed through 19 genes included in Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium guidelines were analyzed. We established that Whole Exome and Clinical Exome Sequencing performed similarly, and 280 alleles in 11 genes (CACNA1S, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP4F2, DPYD, G6PD, NUDT15, RYR1, SLCO1B1, TPMT, and UGT1A1) could be used to inform of pharmacogenetic phenotypes that change drug prescription. Each individual carried in average 2.2 alleles and overall 95% (n = 4646) of the cohort could be informed of at least one actionable pharmacogenetic phenotype. Differences in variant allele frequency were observed among the populations studied and the corresponding gnomAD population for 7.9% of the variants. In addition, in the 11 selected genes we uncovered 197 novel variants, among which 27 were loss-of-function. In conclusion, we provide with the landscape of actionable pharmacogenetic information contained in diagnostic exomes, that can be used preemptively in the clinics.
Unsupervised clustering for identifying spatial inhomogeneity on local electronic structures
Authors: Iwasawa Hideaki , Ueno Tetsuro , Masui Takahiko , Tajima Setsuko
Published: February 2022

Spatial inhomogeneity on the electronic structure is one of the vital keys to provide a better understanding of the emergent quantum phenomenon. Given the recent developments on spatially resolved ARPES (ARPES: angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy), the information on the spatial inhomogeneity on the local electronic structure is now accessible. However, the next challenge becomes apparent as the conventional analysis encounters difficulty handling a large volume of a spatial mapping dataset, typically generated in the spatially resolved ARPES experiments. Here, we propose a machine-learning-based approach using unsupervised clustering algorithms (K-means and fuzzy-c-means) to examine the spatial mapping dataset. Our analysis methods enable automated categorization of the spatial mapping dataset with a much-reduced human intervention and workload, thereby allowing quick identification and visualization of the spatial inhomogeneity on the local electronic structures.
Olfactory receptors contribute to progression of kidney fibrosis
Authors: Motahharynia Ali , Moein Shiva , Kiyanpour Farnoush , Moradzadeh Kobra , Yaqubi Moein , Gheisari Yousof
Published: February 2022

Olfactory receptors (ORs) which are mainly known as odor-sensors in the olfactory epithelium are shown to be expressed in several non-sensory tissues. Despite the specified role of some of these receptors in normal physiology of the kidney, little is known about their potential effect in renal disorders. In this study, using the holistic view of systems biology, it was determined that ORs are significantly changed during the progression of kidney fibrosis. For further validation, common differentially expressed ORs resulted from reanalysis of two time-course microarray datasets were selected for experimental evaluation in a validated murine model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Transcriptional analysis by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction demonstrated considerable changes in the expression pattern of Olfr433, Olfr129, Olfr1393, Olfr161, and Olfr622 during the progression of kidney fibrosis. For localization of these ORs, single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets of normal and UUO mice were reanalyzed. Results showed that Olfr433 is highly expressed in macrophages in day-2 and 7 post-injury in UUO mice and not in normal subgroups. Besides, like previous findings, Olfr1393 was shown to be expressed prominently in the proximal tubular cells of the kidney. In conclusion, our combinatorial temporal approach to the underlying mechanisms of chronic kidney disease highlighted the potential role of ORs in progression of fibrosis. The expression of Olfr433 in the macrophages provides some clue about its relation to molecular mechanisms promoted in the fibrotic kidney. The proposed ORs in this study could be the subject of further functional assessments in the future.
Calibrated comparison of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody levels in response to protein-, mRNA-, and vector-based COVID-19 vaccines
Authors: Karbiener Michael , Farcet Maria R. , Zollner Andreas , Masuda Taisei , Mori Mitsuhiro , Moschen Alexander R. , Kreil Thomas R.
Published: February 2022

SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies have been suggested to reflect the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. This study reports the direct comparison of the SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody response elicited by a protein- (NVX-CoV2373), an mRNA- (Comirnaty), and a vector-based (Vaxzevria) COVID-19 vaccine, calibrated against the WHO international SARS-CoV-2 antibody standard, and further supports the use of neutralizing antibody levels as a correlate of protection.
Sleep improvements on days with later school starts persist after 1 year in a flexible start system
Authors: Biller Anna M. , Molenda Carmen , Zerbini Giulia , Roenneberg Till , Winnebeck Eva C.
Published: February 2022

Early school times fundamentally clash with the late sleep of teenagers. This mismatch results in chronic sleep deprivation posing acute and long-term health risks and impairing students' learning. Despite immediate short-term benefits for sleep, the long-term effects of later starts remain unresolved. In a pre-post design over 1 year, we studied a unique flexible school start system, in which 10–12th grade students chose daily between an 8:00 or 8:50AM-start. Missed study time (8:00–8:50) was compensated for during gap periods or after classes. Based on 2 waves (6–9 weeks of sleep diary each), we found that students maintained their ~ 1-h-sleep gain on later days, longitudinally (n = 28) and cross-sectionally (n = 79). This gain was independent of chronotype and frequency of later starts but attenuated for boys after 1 year. Students showed persistently better sleep quality and reduced alarm-driven waking and reported psychological benefits (n = 93) like improved motivation, concentration, and study quality on later days. Nonetheless, students chose later starts only infrequently (median 2 days/week), precluding detectable sleep extensions in the flexible system overall. Reasons for not choosing late starts were the need to make up lost study time, preference for extra study time and transport issues. Whether flexible systems constitute an appealing alternative to fixed delays given possible circadian and psychological advantages warrants further investigation.