bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Numerical and experimental performance estimation for a ExoFing - 2 DOFs finger exoskeleton
Authors: Carbone G , Ceccarelli M , Capalbo C. E. , Caroleo G , Morales-Cruz C 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThis paper presents a numerical and experimental validation of ExoFing, a two-degrees-of-freedom finger mechanism exoskeleton. The main functionalities of this device are investigated by focusing on its kinematic model and by computing its main operation characteristics via numerical simulations. Experimental tests are designed and carried out for validating both the engineering feasibility and effectiveness of the ExoFing system aiming at achieving a human index finger motion assistance with cost-oriented and user-friendly features.
Cell and Tissue Imaging by TOF-SIMS and MALDI-TOF: An Overview for Biological and Pharmaceutical Analysis
Authors: Noun Manale , Akoumeh Rayane , Abbas Imane 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe potential of mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has been demonstrated in cell and tissue research since 1970. MSI can reveal the spatial distribution of a wide range of atomic and molecular ions detected from biological sample surfaces, it is a powerful and valuable technique used to monitor and detect diverse chemical and biological compounds, such as drugs, lipids, proteins, and DNA. MSI techniques, notably matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), witnessed a dramatic upsurge in studying and investigating biological samples especially, cells and tissue sections. This advancement is attributed to the submicron lateral resolution, the high sensitivity, the good precision, and the accurate chemical specificity, which make these techniques suitable for decoding and understanding complex mechanisms of certain diseases, as well as monitoring the spatial distribution of specific elements, and compounds. While the application of both techniques for the analysis of cells and tissues is thoroughly discussed, a briefing of MALDI-TOF and TOF-SIMS basis and the adequate sampling before analysis are briefly covered. The importance of MALDI-TOF and TOF-SIMS as diagnostic tools and robust analytical techniques in the medicinal, pharmaceutical, and toxicology fields is highlighted through representative published studies.
Who is a civilian in Afghanistan?
Authors: Voudouri Ioanna 
Published: November 2021

AbstractDespite the existence of a definition of civilian status in international humanitarian law (IHL), differences in the application of this definition – both in theory and in practice – continue to be observed. One of the contexts where these differences remain palpable (and do so for various fighting parties) is Afghanistan, a country where civilian harm has remained high for several years. This article explores the legal concepts of civilian and civilian population, including how they have been formed and interpreted and, ultimately, what protection they afford to persons who belong in these categories. The second part of the article brings these questions into the Afghan context, one that is complex and where cultural and religious implications should not be overlooked. Public statements, reports and codes of fighting parties in the country which touch upon civilian status are presented, followed by the civilian experience in Afghanistan, particularly focusing on the reported harm. Ultimately, it is proposed that despite the factual and contextual confusion, the existing legal rules and interpretations, when applied in good faith, suffice to ensure both that those who are civilians under IHL are protected and that the threats which some civilians’ behaviour might pose can be effectively addressed without a status change.
A comparative review of artificial muscles for microsystem applications
Authors: Shi Mayue , Yeatman Eric M. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractArtificial muscles are capable of generating actuation in microsystems with outstanding compliance. Recent years have witnessed a growing academic interest in artificial muscles and their application in many areas, such as soft robotics and biomedical devices. This paper aims to provide a comparative review of recent advances in artificial muscle based on various operating mechanisms. The advantages and limitations of each operating mechanism are analyzed and compared. According to the unique application requirements and electrical and mechanical properties of the muscle types, we suggest suitable artificial muscle mechanisms for specific microsystem applications. Finally, we discuss potential strategies for energy delivery, conversion, and storage to promote the energy autonomy of microrobotic systems at a system level.
Cortical complexity in world trade center responders with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder
Authors: Kritikos Minos , Clouston Sean A. P. , Huang Chuan , Pellecchia Alison C. , Mejia-Santiago Stephanie , Carr Melissa A. , Kotov Roman , Lucchini Roberto G. , Gandy Samuel E. , Bromet Evelyn J. , Luft Benjamin J. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractApproximately 23% of World Trade Center (WTC) responders are experiencing chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with their exposures at the WTC following the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001, which has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for cognitive impairment raising concerns regarding their brain health. Cortical complexity, as measured by analyzing Fractal Dimension (FD) from T1MRI brain images, has been reported to be reduced in a variety of psychiatric and neurological conditions. In this report, we hypothesized that FD would be also reduced in a case-control sample of 99 WTC responders as a result of WTC-related PTSD. The results of our surface-based morphometry cluster analysis found alterations in vertex clusters of complexity in WTC responders with PTSD, with marked reductions in regions within the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices, in addition to whole-brain absolute bilateral and unilateral complexity. Furthermore, region of interest analysis identified that the magnitude of changes in regional FD severity was associated with increased PTSD symptoms (reexperiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal, negative affect) severity. This study confirms prior findings on FD and psychiatric disorders and extends our understanding of FD associations with posttraumatic symptom severity. The complex and traumatic experiences that led to WTC-related PTSD were associated with reductions in cortical complexity. Future work is needed to determine whether reduced cortical complexity arose prior to, or concurrently with, onset of PTSD.
Lightwave-driven scanning tunnelling spectroscopy of atomically precise graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Ammerman S. E. , Jelic V. , Wei Y. , Breslin V. N. , Hassan M. , Everett N. , Lee S. , Sun Q. , Pignedoli C. A. , Ruffieux P. , Fasel R. , Cocker T. L. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractAtomically precise electronics operating at optical frequencies require tools that can characterize them on their intrinsic length and time scales to guide device design. Lightwave-driven scanning tunnelling microscopy is a promising technique towards this purpose. It achieves simultaneous sub-ångström and sub-picosecond spatio-temporal resolution through ultrafast coherent control by single-cycle field transients that are coupled to the scanning probe tip from free space. Here, we utilize lightwave-driven terahertz scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy to investigate atomically precise seven-atom-wide armchair graphene nanoribbons on a gold surface at ultralow tip heights, unveiling highly localized wavefunctions that are inaccessible by conventional scanning tunnelling microscopy. Tomographic imaging of their electron densities reveals vertical decays that depend sensitively on wavefunction and lateral position. Lightwave-driven scanning tunnelling spectroscopy on the ångström scale paves the way for ultrafast measurements of wavefunction dynamics in atomically precise nanostructures and future optoelectronic devices based on locally tailored electronic properties.
The role of urban trees in reducing land surface temperatures in European cities
Authors: Schwaab Jonas , Meier Ronny , Mussetti Gianluca , Seneviratne Sonia , Bürgi Christine , Davin Edouard L. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractUrban trees influence temperatures in cities. However, their effectiveness at mitigating urban heat in different climatic contexts and in comparison to treeless urban green spaces has not yet been sufficiently explored. Here, we use high-resolution satellite land surface temperatures (LSTs) and land-cover data from 293 European cities to infer the potential of urban trees to reduce LSTs. We show that urban trees exhibit lower temperatures than urban fabric across most European cities in summer and during hot extremes. Compared to continuous urban fabric, LSTs observed for urban trees are on average 0-4 K lower in Southern European regions and 8-12 K lower in Central Europe. Treeless urban green spaces are overall less effective in reducing LSTs, and their cooling effect is approximately 2-4 times lower than the cooling induced by urban trees. By revealing continental-scale patterns in the effect of trees and treeless green spaces on urban LST our results highlight the importance of considering and further investigating the climate-dependent effectiveness of heat mitigation measures in cities.
Desmoplakin and periplakin genetically and functionally contribute to eosinophilic esophagitis
Authors: Shoda Tetsuo , Kaufman Kenneth M. , Wen Ting , Caldwell Julie M. , Osswald Garrett A. , Purnima Pathre , Zimmermann Nives , Collins Margaret H. , Rehn Kira , Foote Heather , Eby Michael D. , Zhang Wenying , Ben-Baruch Morgenstern Netali , Ballaban Adina Y. , Habel Jeff E. , Kottyan Leah C. , Abonia J. Pablo , Mukkada Vincent A. , Putnam Philip E. , Martin Lisa J. , Rothenberg Marc E. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractEosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic allergic inflammatory disease with a complex underlying genetic etiology. Herein, we conduct whole-exome sequencing of a multigeneration EoE pedigree (discovery set) and 61 additional multiplex families with EoE (replication set). A series of rare, heterozygous, missense variants are identified in the genes encoding the desmosome-associated proteins DSP and PPL in 21% of the multiplex families. Esophageal biopsies from patients with these variants retain dilated intercellular spaces and decrease DSP and PPL expression even during disease remission. These variants affect barrier integrity, cell motility and RhoGTPase activity in esophageal epithelial cells and have increased susceptibility to calpain-14–mediated degradation. An acquired loss of esophageal DSP and PPL is present in non-familial EoE. Taken together, herein, we uncover a pathogenic role for desmosomal dysfunction in EoE, providing a deeper mechanistic understanding of tissue-specific allergic responses.
The shallow structure of Mars at the InSight landing site from inversion of ambient vibrations
Authors: Hobiger M. , Hallo M. , Schmelzbach C. , Stähler S. C. , Fäh D. , Giardini D. , Golombek M. , Clinton J. , Dahmen N. , Zenhäusern G. , Knapmeyer-Endrun B. , Carrasco S. , Charalambous C. , Hurst K. , Kedar S. , Banerdt W. B. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractOrbital and surface observations can shed light on the internal structure of Mars. NASA’s InSight mission allows mapping the shallow subsurface of Elysium Planitia using seismic data. In this work, we apply a classical seismological technique of inverting Rayleigh wave ellipticity curves extracted from ambient seismic vibrations to resolve, for the first time on Mars, the shallow subsurface to around 200 m depth. While our seismic velocity model is largely consistent with the expected layered subsurface consisting of a thin regolith layer above stacks of lava flows, we find a seismic low-velocity zone at about 30 to 75 m depth that we interpret as a sedimentary layer sandwiched somewhere within the underlying Hesperian and Amazonian aged basalt layers. A prominent amplitude peak observed in the seismic data at 2.4 Hz is interpreted as an Airy phase related to surface wave energy trapped in this local low-velocity channel.
Adaptation, spread and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in farmed minks and associated humans in the Netherlands
Authors: Lu Lu , Sikkema Reina S. , Velkers Francisca C. , Nieuwenhuijse David F. , Fischer Egil A. J. , Meijer Paola A. , Bouwmeester-Vincken Noortje , Rietveld Ariene , Wegdam-Blans Marjolijn C. A. , Tolsma Paulien , Koppelman Marco , Smit Lidwien A. M. , Hakze-van der Honing Renate W. , van der Poel Wim H. M. , van der Spek Arco N. , Spierenburg Marcel A. H. , Molenaar Robert Jan , Rond Jan de , Augustijn Marieke , Woolhouse Mark , Stegeman J. Arjan , Lycett Samantha , Oude Munnink Bas B. , Koopmans Marion P. G. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIn the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020), SARS-CoV-2 was detected in farmed minks and genomic sequencing was performed on mink farms and farm personnel. Here, we describe the outbreak and use sequence data with Bayesian phylodynamic methods to explore SARS-CoV-2 transmission in minks and humans on farms. High number of farm infections (68/126) in minks and farm workers (>50% of farms) were detected, with limited community spread. Three of five initial introductions of SARS-CoV-2 led to subsequent spread between mink farms until November 2020. Viruses belonging to the largest cluster acquired an amino acid substitution in the receptor binding domain of the Spike protein (position 486), evolved faster and spread longer and more widely. Movement of people and distance between farms were statistically significant predictors of virus dispersal between farms. Our study provides novel insights into SARS-CoV-2 transmission between mink farms and highlights the importance of combining genetic information with epidemiological information when investigating outbreaks at the animal-human interface.
Identification of disease-linked hyperactivating mutations in UBE3A through large-scale functional variant analysis
Authors: Weston Kellan P. , Gao Xiaoyi , Zhao Jinghan , Kim Kwang-Soo , Maloney Susan E. , Gotoff Jill , Parikh Sumit , Leu Yen-Chen , Wu Kuen-Phon , Shinawi Marwan , Steimel Joshua P. , Harrison Joseph S. , Yi Jason J. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe mechanisms that underlie the extensive phenotypic diversity in genetic disorders are poorly understood. Here, we develop a large-scale assay to characterize the functional valence (gain or loss-of-function) of missense variants identified in UBE3A, the gene whose loss-of-function causes the neurodevelopmental disorder Angelman syndrome. We identify numerous gain-of-function variants including a hyperactivating Q588E mutation that strikingly increases UBE3A activity above wild-type UBE3A levels. Mice carrying the Q588E mutation exhibit aberrant early-life motor and communication deficits, and individuals possessing hyperactivating UBE3A variants exhibit affected phenotypes that are distinguishable from Angelman syndrome. Additional structure-function analysis reveals that Q588 forms a regulatory site in UBE3A that is conserved among HECT domain ubiquitin ligases and perturbed in various neurodevelopmental disorders. Together, our study indicates that excessive UBE3A activity increases the risk for neurodevelopmental pathology and suggests that functional variant analysis can help delineate mechanistic subtypes in monogenic disorders.
Discrete regulatory modules instruct hematopoietic lineage commitment and differentiation
Authors: Georgolopoulos Grigorios , Psatha Nikoletta , Iwata Mineo , Nishida Andrew , Som Tannishtha , Yiangou Minas , Stamatoyannopoulos John A. , Vierstra Jeff 
Published: November 2021

AbstractLineage commitment and differentiation is driven by the concerted action of master transcriptional regulators at their target chromatin sites. Multiple efforts have characterized the key transcription factors (TFs) that determine the various hematopoietic lineages. However, the temporal interactions between individual TFs and their chromatin targets during differentiation and how these interactions dictate lineage commitment remains poorly understood. Here we perform dense, daily, temporal profiling of chromatin accessibility (DNase I-seq) and gene expression changes (total RNA-seq) along ex vivo human erythropoiesis to comprehensively define developmentally regulated DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) and transcripts. We link both distal DHSs to their target gene promoters and individual TFs to their target DHSs, revealing that the regulatory landscape is organized in distinct sequential regulatory modules that regulate lineage restriction and maturation. Finally, direct comparison of transcriptional dynamics (bulk and single-cell) and lineage potential between erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis uncovers differential fate commitment dynamics between the two lineages as they exit the stem and progenitor stage. Collectively, these data provide insights into the temporally regulated synergy of thecis- and thetrans-regulatory components underlying hematopoietic lineage commitment and differentiation.
Mapping enzyme catalysis with metabolic biosensing
Authors: Xu Linfeng , Chang Kai-Chun , Payne Emory M. , Modavi Cyrus , Liu Leqian , Palmer Claire M. , Tao Nannan , Alper Hal S. , Kennedy Robert T. , Cornett Dale S. , Abate Adam R. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractEnzymes are represented across a vast space of protein sequences and structural forms and have activities that far exceed the best chemical catalysts; however, engineering them to have novel or enhanced activity is limited by technologies for sensing product formation. Here, we describe a general and scalable approach for characterizing enzyme activity that uses the metabolism of the host cell as a biosensor by which to infer product formation. Since different products consume different molecules in their synthesis, they perturb host metabolism in unique ways that can be measured by mass spectrometry. This provides a general way by which to sense product formation, to discover unexpected products and map the effects of mutagenesis.
Long-term repair of porcine articular cartilage using cryopreservable, clinically compatible human embryonic stem cell-derived chondrocytes
Authors: Petrigliano Frank A. , Liu Nancy Q. , Lee Siyoung , Tassey Jade , Sarkar Arijita , Lin Yucheng , Li Liangliang , Yu Yifan , Geng Dawei , Zhang Jiankang , Shkhyan Ruzanna , Bogdanov Jacob , Van Handel Ben , Ferguson Gabriel B. , Lee Youngjoo , Hinderer Svenja , Tseng Kuo-Chang , Kavanaugh Aaron , Crump J. Gage , Pyle April D. , Schenke-Layland Katja , Billi Fabrizio , Wang Liming , Lieberman Jay , Hurtig Mark , Evseenko Denis 
Published: November 2021

AbstractOsteoarthritis (OA) impacts hundreds of millions of people worldwide, with those affected incurring significant physical and financial burdens. Injuries such as focal defects to the articular surface are a major contributing risk factor for the development of OA. Current cartilage repair strategies are moderately effective at reducing pain but often replace damaged tissue with biomechanically inferior fibrocartilage. Here we describe the development, transcriptomic ontogenetic characterization and quality assessment at the single cell level, as well as the scaled manufacturing of an allogeneic human pluripotent stem cell-derived articular chondrocyte formulation that exhibits long-term functional repair of porcine articular cartilage. These results define a new potential clinical paradigm for articular cartilage repair and mitigation of the associated risk of OA.
Table to text generation with accurate content copying
Authors: Yang Yang , Cao Juan , Wen Yujun , Zhang Pengzhou 
Published: November 2021

AbstractGenerating fluent, coherent, and informative text from structured data is called table-to-text generation. Copying words from the table is a common method to solve the “out-of-vocabulary” problem, but it’s difficult to achieve accurate copying. In order to overcome this problem, we invent an auto-regressive framework based on the transformer that combines a copying mechanism and language modeling to generate target texts. Firstly, to make the model better learn the semantic relevance between table and text, we apply a word transformation method, which incorporates the field and position information into the target text to acquire the position of where to copy. Then we propose two auxiliary learning objectives, namely table-text constraint loss and copy loss. Table-text constraint loss is used to effectively model table inputs, whereas copy loss is exploited to precisely copy word fragments from a table. Furthermore, we improve the text search strategy to reduce the probability of generating incoherent and repetitive sentences. The model is verified by experiments on two datasets and better results are obtained than the baseline model. On WIKIBIO, the result is improved from 45.47 to 46.87 on BLEU and from 41.54 to 42.28 on ROUGE. On ROTOWIRE, the result is increased by 4.29% on CO metric, and 1.93 points higher on BLEU.
Psychedelics alter metaphysical beliefs
Authors: Timmermann Christopher , Kettner Hannes , Letheby Chris , Roseman Leor , Rosas Fernando E. , Carhart-Harris Robin L. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractCan the use of psychedelic drugs induce lasting changes in metaphysical beliefs? While it is popularly believed that they can, this question has never been formally tested. Here we exploited a large sample derived from prospective online surveying to determine whether and how beliefs concerning the nature of reality, consciousness, and free-will, change after psychedelic use. Results revealed significant shifts away from ‘physicalist’ or ‘materialist’ views, and towards panpsychism and fatalism, post use. With the exception of fatalism, these changes endured for at least 6 months, and were positively correlated with the extent of past psychedelic-use and improved mental-health outcomes. Path modelling suggested that the belief-shifts were moderated by impressionability at baseline and mediated by perceived emotional synchrony with others during the psychedelic experience. The observed belief-shifts post-psychedelic-use were consolidated by data from an independent controlled clinical trial. Together, these findings imply that psychedelic-use may causally influence metaphysical beliefs—shifting them away from ‘hard materialism’. We discuss whether these apparent effects are contextually independent.