bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Laughter in early China: The Zhuangzi and beyond
Authors: Yuan Ai 
Published: September 2021

AbstractTraditionally, in both East and West, laughter, and in particular its causes, have been studied under the category of humour. However, ideas on and practices of laughter itself have been largely ignored. This paper intends to lead readers beyond the topic of humour and focus on the act of laughter in the Zhuangzi as a starting point for the study of laughter in early China. It examines frequently ignored areas, such as how laughter draws readers into the text; how it functions to exclude people with different social value judgements; how it is used as a tool to challenge political power; how it serves rhetorical functions as a means to construct a conversation among people of different social or political status; and how it is used as an important signal and marker for a change of perspective. By examining questions such as: “What are the types of laughter?”, “What are the functions of laughter?”, and “How does laughter operate in different situations, and between different persons?” we can see a new idea of laughter in the Zhuangzi with multi-layered philosophical significance. Using the Zhuangzi as a case study, we can envision a series of well-crafted, intentional practices of laughter for various purposes throughout early Chinese texts.
On-board cable attitude measurement and controller for outdoor aerial transportation
Authors: Prajapati Pratik , Parekh Sagar , Vashista Vineet 
Published: September 2021

AbstractDeploying quadcopters for aerial transportation can be cost effective in impromptu material handling applications. However, such applications are limited mainly due to the requirement of onboard localization sensors and associated computation. The current work presents a human-controlled modality to successfully execute spontaneous outdoor flight of a quadcopter with a cable-suspended payload. Stable and smooth flights are achieved through an onboard integration of a custom-built sensor system and a controller to minimize payload oscillations. The feasibility of the proposed modality is demonstrated by conducting outdoor experiments and a case study in an unstructured environment.
The characteristics of and responses to the two COVID-19 outbreak waves in Hebei Province of China, January 2020 to February 2021
Authors: Cheng Xiaomin , Li Yifan , Zhang Yali , Lu Jiahai 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Hebei Province was affected by two coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak waves during the period 22 January 2020 through 27 February 2020 (wave 1) and 2 January 2021 through 14 February 2021 (wave 2). To evaluate and compare the epidemiological characteristics, containment delay, cluster events and social activity, as well as non-pharmaceutical interventions of the two COVID-19 outbreak waves, we examined real-time update information on all COVID-19-confirmed cases from a publicly available database. Wave 1 was closely linked with the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, whereas wave 2 was triggered, to a certain extent, by the increasing social activities such as weddings, multi-household gatherings and church events during the slack agricultural period. In wave 2, the epidemic spread undetected in the rural areas, and people living in the rural areas had a higher incidence rate than those living in the urban areas (5.3 vs. 22.0 per 1 000 000). Furthermore, Rt was greater than 1 in the early stage of the two outbreak waves, and decreased substantially after massive non-pharmaceutical interventions were implemented. In China's ‘new-normal’ situation, development of targeted and effective intervention remains key for COVID-19 control in consideration of the potential threat of new coronavirus strains.
Evaluating animal models comprising direct and maternal effects associated with growth rates and the Kleiber ratio in Harnali sheep
Authors: Chauhan Ashish , Dahiya S.P. , Magotra Ankit , Bangar Yogesh C. 
Published: September 2021

SummaryThe present work evaluated animal models comprising direct and maternal effects to estimate (co)variance components and genetic parameters of growth rates and Kleiber ratio in Harnali sheep. The information on pedigree and targeted traits of 1862 lambs born to 144 sires and 591 dams was collected for the period from 1998 to 2018. The traits studied were average daily gain from birth to 3 months of age (ADG1), 3 months to 6 months of age (ADG2), and 6 months to 12 months of age (ADG3) and their corresponding Kleiber ratios as KR1, KR2 and KR3, respectively. The statistical methods included the general linear model for analyzing the effects of fixed factors and animal models for deriving variance components for targeted traits. According to best model evaluated on the basis of likelihood ratio test, the estimated direct heritability was low in magnitude and ranged from 0.04 to 0.14. Direct heritability estimates for ADG1, ADG2, ADG3, KR1, KR2 and KR3 were 0.06, 0.14, 0.05, 0.04, 0.11 and 0.05, respectively. The maternal genetic effects contributed (4–7%) significantly for ADG1, KR1 and KR2 traits. The genetic correlations ranged from −0.35 ± 0.11 (ADG1-KR2) to 0.98 ± 0.01 (ADG2-KR2 and ADG3-KR3) and phenotypic correlations ranged from −0.36 ± 0.02 to 0.98 ± 0.01 for ADG1-KR2 and ADG2-KR2, respectively. The significant maternal effects along with low levels of direct effects for average daily gain and Kleiber ratio at different age group should be considered while setting selection and managerial strategies to achieve anticipated growth rates in Harnali sheep.
Estimation of genetic parameters for early reproduction traits in Beetal goat
Authors: Bangar Yogesh C. , Magotra Ankit , Yadav A.S. , Chauhan Ashish 
Published: September 2021

SummaryThe evaluation of early reproduction traits in Beetal goat was performed for possible effects of genetic and non-genetic factors on litter size at birth (LSB), litter size at weaning (LSW), litter weight at birth (LWB), litter weight at weaning (LWW) and age at first kidding (AFK). The data records consisted of information of pedigree and targeted traits pertained to 223 does born to 25 sires and 122 dams between the years 2004 to 2019. A general linear model was used for assessment of non-genetic factors such as period of birth, type of birth and dam’s weight at kidding on studied traits. Genetic evaluation of targeted traits was done to estimate variance components and genetic parameters under dyadic mixed modelling. The estimates of least-square means for LSB, LSW, LWB, LWW and AFK were observed as 1.27 ± 0.03, 1.25 ± 0.03, 3.24 ± 0.07 kg, 13.08 ± 0.30 kg and 27.56 ± 0.58 months, respectively. Only the period of birth showed significant (P < 0.05) effects for targeted traits in this study. The estimates of direct heritability for LSB, LSW, LWB, LWW and AFK were low in magnitude as 0.08, 0.03, 0.10, 0.03 and 0.06, respectively. The moderate to high genetic and phenotypic correlations among litter traits indicate simultaneous improvement for these traits. It was concluded that low ranged direct heritability estimates for targeted traits indicated modest scope for genetic improvement of reproductive efficiency in Beetal goat through selection and, therefore, adoption of improved managerial practices is necessary to improve reproductive efficiency of Beetal goat.
Alpha-blockade during congenital heart surgery admissions: analysis from national database
Authors: Lee Brian , Villarreal Enrique G. , Mossad Emad B. , Rausa Jacqueline , Bronicki Ronald A. , Flores Saul , Loomba Rohit S. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIntroduction:The effects of alpha-blockade on haemodynamics during and following congenital heart surgery are well documented, but data on patient outcomes, mortality, and hospital charges are limited. The purpose of this study was to characterise the use of alpha-blockade during congenital heart surgery admissions and to determine its association with common clinical outcomes.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Pediatric Health Information System database. De-identified data for patients under 18 years of age with a cardiac diagnosis who underwent congenital heart surgery were obtained from 2004 to 2015. Patients were subdivided on the basis of receiving alpha-blockade with either phenoxybenzamine or phentolamine during admission or not. Continuous and categorical variables were analysed using Mann−Whitney U-tests and Fisher exact tests, respectively. Characteristics between subgroups were compared using univariate analysis. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the impact of alpha-blockade on ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, billed charges, and mortality.Results:Of the 81,313 admissions, 4309 (5.3%) utilised alpha-blockade. Phentolamine was utilised in 4290 admissions. In univariate analysis, ICU length of stay, total length of stay, inpatient mortality, and billed charges were all significantly higher in the alpha-blockade admissions. However, regression analyses demonstrated that other factors were behind these increased. Alpha-blockade was significantly, independently associated with a 1.5 days reduction in ICU length of stay (p < 0.01) and a 3.5 days reduction in total length of stay (p < 0.01). Alpha-blockade was significantly, independently associated with a reduction in mortality (odds ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.7−0.9). Alpha-blockade was not independently associated with any significant change in billed charges.Conclusions:Alpha-blockade is used in a subset of paediatric cardiac surgeries and is independently associated with significant reductions in ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, and mortality without significantly altering billed charges.
Ambient Measurements of Heterogeneous Ozone Oxidation Rates of Oleic, Elaidic, and Linoleic Acid Using a Relative Rate Constant Approach in an Urban Environment
Authors: Wang Qiongqiong , Yu Jian Zhen 
Published: September 2021

AbstractLong‐chain unsaturated fatty acids (uFAs), such as oleic acid, undergo rapid degradation via heterogeneous reactions with atmospheric oxidants upon emission. The oxidation mechanism and kinetics have been extensively studied in laboratory experiments. However, quantitative knowledge of degradation rates under real‐world atmospheric conditions is scarce. We obtained the nighttime decay rates of three cooking‐related uFAs using a relative rate approach applied to bihourly measured data in urban Shanghai. The estimated lifetime of oleic acid was 6 h under conditions of ∼12 ppb ozone and 60%–100% relative humidity encountered at our urban location or an inferred ∼2 h at a higher ozone level of ∼40 ppb. The decay rates of elaidic and linoleic acid are determined to be 0.62 and 1.37 that of oleic acid, respectively. This work provides the first kinetic data pertaining to real‐world conditions. They are valuable for constraining the modeling of heterogeneous aging of ambient organic aerosols.
From Interseismic Deformation With Near‐Repeating Earthquakes to Co‐Seismic Rupture: A Unified View of the 2020 Mw6.8 Sivrice (Elazığ) Eastern Turkey Earthquake
Authors: Konca A. Özgün , Karabulut Hayrullah , Güvercin Sezim Ezgi , Eskiköy Figen , Özarpacı Seda , Özdemir Alpay , Floyd Michael , Ergintav Semih , Doğan Uğur 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe East Anatolian Fault (EAF) is a left‐lateral transform fault accommodating the relative motion between the Anatolian and Arabian plates. On January 24, 2020, Mw6.8 Sivrice (Elazığ) earthquake is the largest event that occurred along the EAF since the nineteenth century. The earthquake provides a unique opportunity to capture a critical stage of the seismic cycle from the interseismic deformation to co‐seismic rupture. In this study, we examine the relationship between the interseismic fault activity and co‐seismic behavior of the earthquake. A kinematic model of the earthquake obtained from strong‐motion, GNSS and teleseismic waveforms along with static displacements from GNSS and InSAR data shows that the mainshock ruptured only 45 km of the 95 km long Sivrice‐Pütürge segment. Rupture initiated adjacent to the interseismically weakly coupled northeastern section and propagated unilaterally toward southwest with a rupture velocity of ∼2.5 km/s, stopping ∼30 km before the southwestern segment boundary. The earthquake did not generate any surface offsets. We identified 4 long‐term near‐repeating earthquake clusters beneath the highest co‐seismic slip zone adjacent to the northeastern creeping section. The mainshock was dynamically triggered by a M ∼ 5.4 foreshock located within the zone of near‐repeating earthquakes. We suggest that creep along the weakly coupled section of the fault loaded the neighboring locked section leading to the repeating earthquakes below the locked zone. The earthquake partially ruptured a fault segment characterized by high rate of diffuse seismicity, structural complexities and heterogeneous coupling, leading to a source characterized by a complex source time function with relatively slow rupture velocity.
Low‐Frequency Seismic Properties of Olivine‐Orthopyroxene Mixtures
Authors: Qu Tongzhang , Jackson Ian , Faul Ulrich H. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAlthough the seismic properties of polycrystalline olivine have been the subject of systematic and comprehensive study at seismic frequencies, the role of orthopyroxene as the major secondary phase in the shallow parts of the Earth's upper mantle has so far received little attention. Accordingly, we have newly prepared three synthetic melt‐free polycrystalline specimens containing different proportions of olivine (Ol, Fo90) and orthopyroxene (Px, En90) by hot pressing precursor powders produced with the solution‐gelation method at 1,200°C and 300 MPa. The resulting specimens (of Ol95Px5, Ol70Px30, and Ol5Px95 phase proportions) were mechanically tested by torsional forced‐oscillation from 1,300 or 1,200–400°C during staged cooling under a confining pressure of 200 MPa. Within the observational window (1–1,000 s), the shear modulus and dissipation vary monotonically with period and temperature for each of the tested specimens. There is no evidence of the superimposed high‐temperature dissipation peak reported by Sundberg and Cooper (2010, https://doi.org/10.1080/14786431003746656) for an Ol60Px40 specimen derived from natural precursor material and containing ∼1.5% melt. The forced‐oscillation data for each specimen are well‐described by a model based on an extended Burgers‐type creep function. The findings suggest that an olivine‐based model for high‐temperature viscoelasticity in upper mantle olivine requires only modest adjustment of the unrelaxed shear modulus to accommodate the role of orthopyroxene.
Solar Origins of August 26, 2018 Geomagnetic Storm: Responses of the Interplanetary Medium and Equatorial/Low‐Latitude Ionosphere to the Storm
Authors: Akala A. O. , Oyedokun O. J. , Amaechi P. O. , Simi K. G. , Ogwala A. , Arowolo O. A. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis study investigates the solar origins of August 26, 2018 geomagnetic storm and the responses of the interplanetary medium and equatorial/low‐latitude ionosphere to it. We used a multiinstrument approach, with observations right from the solar surface to the Earth. Our results showed that the G3 geomagnetic storm of August 26, 2018 was initiated by a solar filament eruption of August 20, 2018. The storm was driven by an aggregation of weak Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) transients and Corotating Interaction Regions/High Speed Streams (CIR/HSSs). The solar wind energy which got transferred into the magnetosphere drove electrical currents, that penetrated down into the ionosphere to produce weak Prompt Penetration Electric Field (PPEF) (0.3 mV/m). For this reason, during the storm, at daytime, plasma densities of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) crests were localized within the inner flank of ±15° magnetic latitude strip. We attributed this to the extreme quietness of year 2018. There was a clear hemispherical asymmetry, with higher Total Electron Content (TEC) in the northern hemisphere. The major determining factors of the ionospheric responses during the various phases of this storm were the local time of the storm's onset, local time of storm's minimum SYM‐H, and changes in thermospheric O/N2.
Aseismic Multifissure Modeling in Unfaulted Heavily Pumped Basins: Mechanisms and Applications
Authors: Li Yueting , Teatini Pietro , Yu Jun , Franceschini Andrea , Frigo Matteo , Zoccarato Claudia , Ye Shujun 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAseismic earth fissures are among the most dangerous by‐products of excessive groundwater exploitation in many subsiding sedimentary basins. Improving our understanding of the mechanisms of earth fissuring is important for land planning and risk management. We employ an advanced finite‐element interface‐element modeling approach to understand the generation and propagation of multiple fissures in unfaulted basins. Almost parallel earth fissures at a relative short distance (on the order of tens of meters) generally develop above impermeable and/or incompressible ridges buried by the compacting sedimentary units. Initially, we investigate the effect of the ridge slope on a simplified geological setting sketched from the Luke salt dome, Arizona. Then, we apply the model to the hydrogeologic setting at Guangming village, Wuxi, China. In both analyses, the model simulates the formation of multifissures above the ridge, as observed at the sites. The earth fissures initiate at land surface and propagate downward. They are caused by the combination of tensile stress (bending condition) and shear stress (shearing conditions) accumulation around and above the tip and the slopes of the ridge, respectively. The steeper the ridge, the more concentrated stress zone develops above the ridge tip, favoring the formation of fissures with significant opening and small or null offset. The opposite facilitates a widening of the stress accumulation area, with less‐deep fissures characterized by larger sliding and smaller opening. At Guangming, the model suggests that fissures propagate down to 20–50‐m depth, with maximum opening and sliding of ∼50 cm.
Potent pro-apoptotic combination therapy is highly effective in a broad range of cancers
Authors: Montinaro Antonella , Areso Zubiaur Itziar , Saggau Julia , Kretz Anna-Laura , Ferreira Rute M. M. , Hassan Omar , Kitzig Ella , Müller Ines , El-Bahrawy Mona A. , von Karstedt Silvia , Kulms Dagmar , Liccardi Gianmaria , Lemke Johannes , Walczak Henning 
Published: September 2021

AbstractPrimary or acquired therapy resistance is a major obstacle to the effective treatment of cancer. Resistance to apoptosis has long been thought to contribute to therapy resistance. We show here that recombinant TRAIL and CDK9 inhibition cooperate in killing cells derived from a broad range of cancers, importantly without inducing detectable adverse events. Remarkably, the combination of TRAIL with CDK9 inhibition was also highly effective on cancers resistant to both, standard-of-care chemotherapy and various targeted therapeutic approaches. Dynamic BH3 profiling revealed that, mechanistically, combining TRAIL with CDK9 inhibition induced a drastic increase in the mitochondrial priming of cancer cells. Intriguingly, this increase occurred irrespective of whether the cancer cells were sensitive or resistant to chemo- or targeted therapy. We conclude that this pro-apoptotic combination therapy has the potential to serve as a highly effective new treatment option for a variety of different cancers. Notably, this includes cancers that are resistant to currently available treatment modalities.
Axonal degeneration induces distinct patterns of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine externalization
Authors: Faris Hannah , Almasieh Mohammadali , Levin Leonard A. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAxonal degeneration is a common feature of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, yet the mechanisms underlying its various manifestations are incompletely understood. We previously demonstrated that axonal degeneration is associated with externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS), which precedes morphological evidence of degeneration, is redox-sensitive, and is delayed in Wallerian degeneration slow (WldS) mutant animals. Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is the other major membrane phospholipid in the inner leaflet of the cell membrane, and given that PS signals apoptosis, phagocytosis, and degeneration, we hypothesized that PS and PE membrane dynamics play distinct roles in axonal degeneration. To test this hypothesis, axonal degeneration was induced with calcium ionophores in postnatal rat retinal ganglion cells, and PS- and PE-specific fluorescent probes used to measure their externalization over time. In untreated cells, cell-surface PS was prominent in the cell body alone. Elevation of intracellular calcium with calcium ionophores resulted in significantly increased levels of PS externalization in the cell body, axon, and axon growth cone. Unlike PS, cell-surface PE was diffusely distributed in untreated cells, with comparable levels across the soma, axons, and axon terminals. After exposure to calcium ionophores, PE externalization significantly increased in the cell body and axon. Elevated intracellular calcium also resulted in the formation of axonal blebs which exclusively contained externalized PS, but not PE. Together, these results indicated distinct patterns of externalized PS and PE in normal and degenerating neurons, suggesting a differential role for these phospholipids in transducing neuronal injury.
Estimating the activation energy of bond hydrolysis by time-resolved weighing of dissolving crystals
Authors: Ackerer Philippe , Bouissonnié Arnaud , di Chiara Roupert Raphael , Daval Damien 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBond-breaking activation energy EB is nowadays a key parameter for understanding and modeling crystal dissolution processes. However, a methodology to estimate EB based on classical dissolution experiments still does not exist. We developed a new method based on the calibration of a Kossel type dissolution model on measured dissolution rates obtained by mass (or volume) variations over time. The dissolution model does not depend on the geometry of the crystal surface but only on the density of the different types of sites (kink, step, terrace, bulk). The calibration method was applied to different experimental setups (flow through and batch) with different ways of estimating the dissolution rates (solute concentration in the fluid, surface topography) for calcite crystals. Despite the variety of experimental conditions, the estimated bond-breaking activation energies were very close to each other (between 31 and 35 kJ/mol) and in good agreement with ab initio calculations.