bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Peridynamic modeling of damage and non-shock ignition behavior of confined polymer bonded explosives under impact loading
Authors: Deng Xiaoliang , Zhao Jibo , Huang Yafei 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
A mechanical-thermal-chemical coupled peridynamic (PD) modeling for analyzing the damage and non-shock ignition behavior of polymer bonded explosives (PBXs) subject to impact loading has been presented. The friction and heat conduction and Arrenhenius law are embedded into the PD theory, ensuring that the simulation model is capable of capturing major features of dynamic damage response of PBX. A PD material model considering plasticity and the asymmetric behaviors of PBX under tensile and compressive loadings is proposed in this study. For a ring-shaped PBX 9501 sample confined by the steel structures, the simulation results indicate that the PBX 9501 in the regions towards the impact face and support face suffers from the serious damage. Meanwhile, the corresponding average temperatures in these two regions are also higher than their counterparts in other regions due to the more intense interaction between PBX 9501 and the steel confinement structures. The ignition time decreases with the increasing impact velocity within the range of 40-120 m/s. The internal steel shell response is analyzed according to its velocity history within a representative box. It is found that the deformation process of internal steel shell is closely related to the complicated flow behaviors of PBX 9501.
RMF accessibility percolation on oriented graphs
Authors: Duque Frank , Ramirez-Gomez Daniel , Roldán-Correa Alejandro , Valencia Leon A 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Accessibility percolation is a new type of percolation problem inspired by evolutionary biology: a random number, called its fitness, is assigned to each vertex of a graph, then a path in the graph is accessible if fitnesses are strictly increasing through it. In the rough Mount Fuji (RMF) model, the fitness function is defined on the graph as

ω
(
v
)
=
η
(
v
)
+
θ
⋅
d
(
v
)

, where θ is a positive number called the drift, d is the distance to the source of the graph and

η
(
v
)

are i.i.d. random variables. In this paper, we determine values of θ for having RMF accessibility percolation on the hypercube and the two-dimensional lattices

L

2

and

L

a
l
t

2

.
Quantum chaos and circuit parameter optimization
Authors: Kim Joonho , Oz Yaron , Rosa Dario 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
We consider quantum chaos diagnostics of the variational circuit states at random parameters and explore their connection to the circuit expressibility and optimizability. By measuring the operator spreading coefficient and the eigenvalue spectrum of the modular Hamiltonian of the reduced density matrix, we identify the emergence of universal random matrix ensembles in high-depth circuit states. The diagnostics that use the eigenvalue spectrum, e.g. operator spreading and entanglement entropy, turn out to be more accurate measures of the variational quantum algorithm optimization efficiency than those that use the level spacing distribution of the entanglement spectrum, such as r-statistics or spectral form factors.
Selective isolation of actinomycetes for inhibition activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus SK1
Authors: Sangkanu S , Puangsiri W , Sukhoom A 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
205 isolates of actinomycetes bacteria were isolated from soil samples collected from Satun province, Thailand. To have more chances to get diverse groups of actinomycetes bacteria, soil samples were treated using three different methods before inoculated on two selective media, humic acid-vitamin agar and coal vitamin agar. After two months of incubation at 30°C, all typically characteristic colonies of actinomycetes were picked and purified then tested for inhibition activity against a virulent pathogen, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus SK1 (MRSA SK 1) using double-layer agar plate method. There were 49 isolates (23.90%) showed inhibition zone against MRSA SK 1.
The Effects of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles on the Growth and Yield of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) from Seedling to Tillering Stage
Authors: Chong W X , Kiew W Y , Low Y C , Lim T H , Tan H Y 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is one of the economically important crops in the domestic and global markets due to its versatile properties as a spice, flavoring agent and traditional medicine. Conventional ginger cultivation required a longer time frame to harvest and for soil restoration, which limited the productivity of ginger. Hydroponic systems represent a valuable solution for the problem of land availability with the benefits of shortened time frame, increased production yield and thereby increase the productivity of ginger farming. Besides that, many synthetic fertilizers have low nutrient use efficiency (NUE). Nanofertilizers with the characteristic of delivering nutrients in a controlled manner showed the potential to overcome this problem. The study aims to determine the effects of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HANP) on the growth and yield of ginger. In this study, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized. Experiments were conducted to study the effect of different concentrations of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles on the growth, yield, chlorophyll contents and photosynthetic rate of hydroponically cultivated ginger. Cocopeat was selected as the planting medium and the Hoagland solution with modified formula was used for regular fertigation. The results showed that the increment (P<0.05) in number of leaves and chlorophyll content in HANP-treated plants (200 ppm HANP) from week 9 to week 13 and the higher percentage increment in photosynthetic rate from week 11 to week 13 (20-54%) in HANP-treated plants (200-1000 ppm) as compared to the control (10%). This showed the potential use of the HANP treatments for the next developmental stage of ginger.
Development of the lignin extraction method from para rubber wood sawdust with choline chloride-lactic acid deep eutectic solvent
Authors: Phinitphutchaphong J , Yodsri K , Oncharoen N , Srijan K , Wudtipan J , Kaewsara S , Puttarak P , Watcharin W , Chuenchom L 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
This work investigated the extraction of lignin from para rubber wood sawdust by deep eutectic solvent extraction (DES) using choline chloride-lactic acid (ChCl-LA). The DES extraction was operated using ChCl/LA with molar ratio of 1:10, and the lignin was extracted with good yields. To determine the optimal conditions for lignin extraction by this technique, various factors were studied, including extraction temperature (90-150 °C), extraction time (6-24 h), the amount of water required for lignin precipitation (150-300 mL), and precipitation time (24-48 h). The optimized conditions were achieved at 150 °C, 24 h, 300 mL of DI water and 48 h of precipitation time, and the highest extracted lignin content was 17.54%. Moreover, excessive water in the extracted solution can be recovered with evaporation, and it was discovered that similar extracted lignin content could be obtained (16.85%) by only using 150 mL of DI water during lignin precipitation but extending the precipitation time to 48 h. This study provides a simple, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly lignin extraction technique.
Topological phenomena at the oxide interfaces
Authors: Ravindran Kavya , Dey Jayjit Kumar , Keshri Aryan , Roul Basanta , Krupanidhi Saluru Baba , Das Sujit 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Topological phenomena at the oxide interfaces attract the scientific community for the fertile ground of exotic physical properties and highly favorable applications in the area of high-density low-energy nonvolatile memory and spintronic devices. Synthesis of atomically controlled ultrathin high-quality films with superior interfaces and their characterization by high resolution experimental set up along with high output theoretical calculations matching with the experimental results make this field possible to explain some of the promising quantum phenomena and exotic phases. In this review, we highlight some of the interesting interface aspects in ferroic thin films and heterostructures including the topological Hall effect in magnetic skyrmions, strain dependent interlayer magnetic interactions, interlayer coupling mediated electron conduction, switching of noncollinear spin texture etc. Finally, a brief overview followed by the relevant aspects and future direction for understanding, improving, and optimizing the topological phenomena for next generation applications are discussed.
Trajectories of self-reported hearing and their associations with cognition: evidence from the United Kingdom and United States of America
Authors: Matthews Katey , Dawes Piers , Elliot Rebecca , Pendleton Neil , Tampubolon Gindo , Maharani Asri 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Objective
This study aimed to investigate the relationships between trajectories of change in self-reported hearing over eight years with subsequent effects on cognition, measured using episodic memory.

Methods
Data were drawn from 5 waves (2008–2016) of the English Longitudinal Study of England (ELSA) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), involving 4,875 individuals aged 50+ at the baseline in ELSA and 6,365 in HRS. The latent growth curve modelling was used to identify trajectories of hearing over eight years, and linear regression models were performed to investigate the relationship between hearing trajectory memberships and episodic memory scores, controlling for confounding factors.

Results
Five trajectories of hearing (stable very good, stable fair, poor to fair/good, good to fair, and very good to good) were retained in each study. Individuals whose hearing remains suboptimal and those whose hearing deteriorates within suboptimal levels throughout eight years have significantly poorer episodic memory scores at follow-up than those with stable very good hearing. Conversely, individuals whose hearing declines but is within an optimal category at baseline do not see significantly poorer episodic memory scores than those with consistently optimal hearing. There was no significant relationship between individuals whose hearing improved from suboptimal baseline levels to optimal by follow-up and memory in ELSA. However, analysis using HRS data shows a significant improvement for this trajectory group (−1.260, P &lt; 0.001).

Conclusions
Either stable fair or deterioration in hearing is associated with worse cognitive function, both stable good or improving hearing is associated with better cognitive function specifically episodic memory.
Making a greener planet: nature documentaries promote plant awareness
Authors: Kacprzyk Joanna , Clune Stephanie , Clark Clare , Kane Adam 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Background and Aims
Plants underpin life on Earth and are essential to human existence. Alarmingly, almost 40% of plant species are under threat of extinction, with plants that are not directly useful to humans being particularly vulnerable. Plant diversity and its untapped resources require urgent protection to safeguard our future, but conservation initiatives are biased towards mammals and birds. Plant awareness disparity, formerly known as plant blindness, describes our tendency to ignore plant life and has been suggested to play a crucial role in the bias against funding and support for plant conservation programmes. Previous studies indicate that nature documentaries can generate shifts in audience awareness of animal species by providing vicarious connections to nature. Here, we investigated whether the plant-focused popular BBC show Green Planet had a similar effect for plants and stimulated audience engagement for information after the broadcast.

Methods
Online searches for further information were considered a form of engagement for evaluation of the interest of the audience in plants portrayed in Green Planet episodes. The big data activities (Google search engine and Wikipedia pageviews trends) related to the plants mentioned in Green Planet episodes were examined over the period covering the broadcast of the show in UK.

Key Results
Analyses indicate that Green Planet generated increased awareness and stimulated audience engagement for further information about plants featured in the show, with audience reaction driven by the screen time.

Conclusions
Natural history films can promote plant awareness, and culturomic tools can be used to assess their impact on the general public, potentially also to inform plant conservation strategies. These are promising findings as we strive to increase public awareness of the value of plant life.
Relative growth rate (RGR) and other confounded variables: mathematical problems and biological solutions
Authors: Lamont Byron B , Williams Matthew R , He Tianhua 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Background
Relative growth rate (RGR) has a long history of use in biology. In its logged form, RGR = ln[(M + ΔM)/M], where M is size of the organism at the commencement of the study, and ΔM is new growth over time interval Δt. It illustrates the general problem of comparing non-independent (confounded) variables, e.g. (X + Y) vs. X. Thus, RGR depends on what starting M(X) is used even within the same growth phase. Equally, RGR lacks independence from its derived components, net assimilation rate (NAR) and leaf mass ratio (LMR), as RGR = NAR × LMR, so that they cannot legitimately be compared by standard regression or correlation analysis.

Findings
The mathematical properties of RGR exemplify the general problem of ‘spurious’ correlations that compare expressions derived from various combinations of the same component terms X and Y. This is particularly acute when X &gt;&gt; Y, the variance of X or Y is large, or there is little range overlap of X and Y values among datasets being compared. Relationships (direction, curvilinearity) between such confounded variables are essentially predetermined and so should not be reported as if they are a finding of the study. Standardizing by M rather than time does not solve the problem. We propose the inherent growth rate (IGR), lnΔM/lnM, as a simple, robust alternative to RGR that is independent of M within the same growth phase.

Conclusions
Although the preferred alternative is to avoid the practice altogether, we discuss cases where comparing expressions with components in common may still have utility. These may provide insights if (1) the regression slope between pairs yields a new variable of biological interest, (2) the statistical significance of the relationship remains supported using suitable methods, such as our specially devised randomization test, or (3) multiple datasets are compared and found to be statistically different. Distinguishing true biological relationships from spurious ones, which arise from comparing non-independent expressions, is essential when dealing with derived variables associated with plant growth analyses.
LDmat: efficiently queryable compression of linkage disequilibrium matrices
Authors: Weiner Rockwell J , Lakhani Chirag , Knowles David A , Gürsoy Gamze 
Published: February 2023

AbstractMotivationLinkage disequilibrium (LD) matrices derived from large populations are widely used in population genetics in fine-mapping, LD score regression, and linear mixed models for Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS). However, these matrices can reach large sizes when they are derived from millions of individuals; hence, moving, sharing and extracting granular information from this large amount of data can be cumbersome.ResultsWe sought to address the need for compressing and easily querying large LD matrices by developing LDmat. LDmat is a standalone tool to compress large LD matrices in an HDF5 file format and query these compressed matrices. It can extract submatrices corresponding to a sub-region of the genome, a list of select loci, and loci within a minor allele frequency range. LDmat can also rebuild the original file formats from the compressed files.Availability and implementationLDmat is implemented in python, and can be installed on Unix systems with the command ‘pip install ldmat’. It can also be accessed through https://github.com/G2Lab/ldmat and https://pypi.org/project/ldmat/.Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Local synchronicity in dopamine-rich caudate nucleus influences Huntington’s disease motor phenotype
Authors: Kasper Jan , Eickhoff Simon B , Caspers Svenja , Peter Jessica , Dogan Imis , Wolf Robert Christian , Reetz Kathrin , Dukart Juergen , Orth Michael 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Structural grey and white matter changes precede the manifestation of clinical signs of Huntington’s disease by many years. Conversion to clinically manifest disease therefore likely reflects not merely atrophy but a more widespread breakdown of brain function. Here, we investigated the structure–function relationship close to and after clinical onset, in important regional brain hubs, particularly caudate nucleus and putamen, which are central to maintaining normal motor behaviour. In two independent cohorts of patients with premanifest Huntington’s disease close to onset and very early manifest Huntington’s disease (total n = 84; n = 88 matched controls), we used structural and resting state functional MRI.
We show that measures of functional activity and local synchronicity within cortical and subcortical regions remain normal in the premanifest Huntington’s disease phase despite clear evidence of brain atrophy. In manifest Huntington’s disease, homeostasis of synchronicity was disrupted in subcortical hub regions such as caudate nucleus and putamen, but also in cortical hub regions, for instance the parietal lobe. Cross-modal spatial correlations of functional MRI data with receptor/neurotransmitter distribution maps showed that Huntington’s disease-specific alterations co-localize with dopamine receptors D1 and D2, as well as dopamine and serotonin transporters. Caudate nucleus synchronicity significantly improved models predicting the severity of the motor phenotype or predicting the classification into premanifest Huntington’s disease or motor manifest Huntington’s disease.
Our data suggest that the functional integrity of the dopamine receptor-rich caudate nucleus is key to maintaining network function. The loss of caudate nucleus functional integrity affects network function to a degree that causes a clinical phenotype. These insights into what happens in Huntington’s disease could serve as a model for what might be a more general relationship between brain structure and function in neurodegenerative diseases in which other brain regions are vulnerable.
Features of BAFF and APRIL receptors on circulating B cells in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis
Authors: Shimojima Yasuhiro , Kishida Dai , Ichikawa Takanori , Takamatsu Ryota , Nomura Shun , Sekijima Yoshiki 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
To investigate the features of circulating B cells, their expressing receptors, serum levels of B-cell activation factor of the TNF family (BAFF), and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV). Blood samples from 24 patients with active AAV (a-AAV), 13 with inactive AAV (i-AAV), and 19 healthy controls (HC) were included in this study. The proportion of B cells and their expressing BAFF receptor (BAFF-R), transmembrane activator and calcium modulator and cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI), and B-cell maturation antigen were analyzed via flow cytometry. Serum levels of BAFF, APRIL, and interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13 were also evaluated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The proportion of plasmablasts (PB)/plasma cells (PC) and serum levels of BAFF, APRIL, IL-4, and IL-6 were significantly higher in a-AAV than in HC. Higher serum levels of BAFF, APRIL, and IL-4 were observed in i-AAV than in HC. Lower expression of BAFF-R on memory B cells and higher expression of TACI on CD19+ cells, immature B cells, and PB/PC were demonstrated in a-AAV and i-AAV than in HC. The population of memory B cells was positively associated with serum APRIL levels and BAFF-R expression in a-AAV. In conclusion, decreased expression of BAFF-R on memory B cells and increased expression of TACI on CD19+ cells, immature B cells, and PB/PC, as well as increased serum levels of BAFF and APRIL, were sustained even in the remission phase of AAV. Persistent aberrant signaling of BAFF/APRIL may contribute to disease relapse.
Physician Financial Incentives for Use of Outpatient Intravenous Antimicrobial Therapy: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis
Authors: Staples John A , Ho Meghan , Ferris Dwight , Liu Guiping , Brubacher Jeffrey R , Khan Mayesha , Daly-Grafstein Daniel , Tran Karen C , Sutherland Jason M 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Background
In 2011, policymakers in British Columbia introduced a fee-for-service payment to incentivize infectious diseases physicians to supervise outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT). Whether this policy increased use of OPAT remains uncertain.

Methods
We conducted a retrospective cohort study using population-based administrative data over a 14-year period (2004–2018). We focused on infections that required intravenous antimicrobials for ≥10 days (eg, osteomyelitis, joint infection, endocarditis) and used the monthly proportion of index hospitalizations with a length of stay shorter than the guideline-recommended “usual duration of intravenous antimicrobials” (LOS &lt; UDIVA) as a surrogate for population-level OPAT use. We used interrupted time series analysis to determine whether policy introduction increased the proportion of hospitalizations with LOS &lt; UDIVA.

Results
We identified 18 513 eligible hospitalizations. In the pre-policy period, 82.3% of hospitalizations exhibited LOS &lt; UDIVA. Introduction of the incentive was not associated with a change in the proportion of hospitalizations with LOS &lt; UDIVA, suggesting that the policy intervention did not increase OPAT use (step change, −0.06%; 95% confidence interval [CI], −2.69% to 2.58%; P = .97 and slope change, −0.001% per month; 95% CI, −.056% to .055%; P = .98).

Conclusions
The introduction of a financial incentive for physicians did not appear to increase OPAT use. Policymakers should consider modifying the incentive design or addressing organizational barriers to expanded OPAT use.
Against Normative Damages
Authors: Descheemaeker Eric 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
This paper examines an idea which has made some headway into legal scholarship and case law, namely, that the violation of a right ought to sound in substantial (compensatory) damages in and by itself, independently of any factual loss caused to the claimant. This doctrine of ‘normative damages’ was rejected, rightly, by the High Court of Australia in the wrongful imprisonment case of Lewis v. ACT in 2020. However, although the rejection was unanimous, its clarity was undermined by the fact that the issue of normative damages was intertwined with considerations of causal counterfactuals and the definition of false imprisonment. This article considers the doctrine in a broader perspective, examining where it has come from and arguing that normative damages are wrong as a matter of principle: not only do they contradict foundational principles of the Anglo-Commonwealth law of damages, they effectively amount to considering the same injury twice.