bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A tropical stratopause precursor for sudden stratospheric warmings
Authors: Koushik N. , Kumar K. Kishore , Pramitha M. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractDramatic meteorological phenomena in the winter polar stratosphere known as Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) events are well recognized for their impacts felt across the whole atmosphere. Apart from the influence of tropospheric forcing and stratospheric control, many studies have addressed the possible role of external factors on the occurrence of SSW events. Here, with the help of reanalysis datasets, we present a hitherto unexplored connection between the tropical upper stratosphere and the polar vortex. We identify enhanced planetary wave driving around the tropical stratopause and poleward progression of the zero-wind line as early indicators for the occurrence of SSW events. We demonstrate that the poleward progression of the zero wind line results in efficient focusing of planetary waves into the polar vortex which culminates in its disruption. Statistically, nearly 70% of the SSW events that took place so far have been preceded by enhanced tropical stratopause wave driving which points towards identifying this as a potential precursor for the occurrence of SSW events. After the year 2000, significantly a greater number of SSW events have been found to be preceded by enhanced tropical stratopause wave driving.
Effects of symmetry breaking of the structurally-disordered Hamiltonian ensembles on the anisotropic decoherence of qubits
Authors: Chen Hong-Bin 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIt is commonly known that the dephasing in open quantum systems is due to the establishment of bipartite correlations with ambient environments, which are typically difficult to be fully characterized. Recently, a new approach of average over disordered Hamiltonian ensemble is developed and shown to be capable of describing the nonclassicality of incoherent dynamics based on inferring the nonclassical nature of the correlations. Here we further extend the approach of Hamiltonian ensemble in the canonical form to the realm of structural disorder. Under the variable separation of the probability distribution within the Hamiltonian ensemble, the geometrical structure is easily visualized and can be characterized according to the degree of symmetry. We demonstrate four degrees and investigate the effects of different types of symmetry breaking on the incoherent dynamics. We show that these effects are easily understood from the emergences of additional terms in the master equations, leading to rather general master equations and, consequently, going beyond the previous frameworks of pure dephasing or isotropic depolarization.
LPS-induced lipid alterations in microglia revealed by MALDI mass spectrometry-based cell fingerprinting in neuroinflammation studies
Authors: Blank Martina , Enzlein Thomas , Hopf Carsten 
Published: February 2022

AbstractPathological microglia activation can promote neuroinflammation in many neurodegenerative diseases, and it has therefore emerged as a potential therapeutic target. Increasing evidence suggests alterations in lipid metabolism as modulators and indicators in microglia activation and its effector functions. Yet, how lipid dynamics in activated microglia is affected by inflammatory stimuli demands additional investigation to allow development of more effective therapies. Here, we report an extensive matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) whole cell fingerprinting workflow to investigate inflammation-associated lipid patterns in SIM-A9 microglial cells. By combining a platform of three synergistic MALDI MS technologies we could detect substantial differences in lipid profiles of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- stimulated and unstimulated microglia-like cells leading to the identification of 21 potential inflammation-associated lipid markers. LPS-induced lipids in SIM-A9 microglial cells include phosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPC), sphingolipids, diacylglycerols and triacylglycerols. Moreover, MALDI MS-based cell lipid fingerprinting of LPS-stimulated SIM-A9 microglial cells pre-treated with the non-selective histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid revealed specific modulation of LPS-induced-glycerolipids and LysoPC(18:0) with a significant reduction of microglial inflammation response. Our study introduces MALDI MS as a complementary technology for fast and label-free investigation of stimulus-dependent changes in lipid patterns and their modulation by pharmaceutical agents.
Longitudinal analysis of 5-year refractive changes in a large Japanese population
Authors: Takeuchi Masaki , Meguro Akira , Yoshida Masao , Yamane Takahiro , Yatsu Keisuke , Okada Eiichi , Mizuki Nobuhisa 
Published: February 2022

AbstractRefractive changes are reportedly affected by age, sex, and current refractive error. To clarify the pattern of refractive changes in a Japanese population, we conducted a 5-year follow-up longitudinal analysis of spherical equivalent (SE) refractive changes with stratification by sex, age, and SE in 593,273 eyes from Japanese individuals ages 3–91 years. The 5-year SE change with myopic shift dramatically increased over time after age 4 years, and the largest change was observed in both males and females who were age 8 years at baseline [males: − 2.654 ± 0.048 diopters (D); females: − 3.110 ± 0.038 D]. During school age, the 5-year myopic change was greater in females than in males, and emmetropic and low-to-moderate myopic eyes underwent larger myopic changes than hyperopic and high-to-severe myopic eyes. After the peak at age 8 years, the 5-year myopic change gradually declined with age and fell below − 0.25 D at age 27 in males and age 26 years in females. The 5-year SE changes transitioned from a myopic to a hyperopic shift at age 51 in both sexes, and hyperopization advanced more quickly in hyperopic eyes. Our findings highlight the importance of myopia prevention in school-aged children.
Supragingival microbiome alternations as a consequence of smoking different tobacco types and its relation to dental caries
Authors: Al-Marzooq Farah , Al Kawas Sausan , Rahman Betul , Shearston Jenni A. , Saad Hiba , Benzina Dalenda , Weitzman Michael 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThis study aimed to assess the effect of smoking different tobacco types on the supragingival microbiome and its relation to dental caries. Forty supragingival plaque samples were collected from smokers of a single tobacco type and non-smokers seeking treatment at the University Dental Hospital Sharjah, UAE. DMFT (decayed, missing and filled teeth) was determined for all participants who were divided into two groups: no-low caries (NC-LC: DMFT = 0–4; n = 18) and moderate-high caries (MC-HC: DMFT = 5–20; n = 22). 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using third-generation sequencing with Nanopore technology. Microbiome composition and diversity were compared. Caries was most common among cigarette smokers. Supragingival microbiota were significantly altered among smokers of different tobacco types. In cigarette smokers, cariogenic bacteria from genus Streptococcus (including S. mutans) were significantly more among subjects with NC-LC, while Lactobacilli (including L. fermentum) were more among subjects with MC-HC. In medwakh smokers, several periodontopathogens were significantly elevated in subjects with NC-LC, while other pathogenic bacteria (as Klebsiella pneumoniae) were more in those with MC-HC. Cigarette and alternative tobacco smoking had a significant impact on the supragingival microbiome. Indeed, further studies are required to unravel the consequences of oral dysbiosis triggered by smoking. This could pave the way for microbiota-based interventional measures for restoring a healthy oral microbiome which could be a promising strategy to prevent dental caries.
Van der Pol model in two-delay differential equation representation
Authors: Elfouly M. A. , Sohaly M. A. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe Van der Pol equation is the mathematical model of a second-order ordinary differential equation with cubic nonlinearity. Several studies have been adding time delay to the Van der Pol model. In this paper, the differential equation of the Van der Pol model and the RLC (resistor–inductor–capacitor) circuit are deduced as a delay differential equation. The Van der Pol delay model contains two delays, which allows the re-use of its applications in the suggested equation. The Taylor series was used to deduce ordinary differential equations from the delay differential equations in the case of small delays. Also, the model for Parkinson's disease modification is described as the Van der Pol model. A numerical simulation of the delay differential equations has been done to show the different cases that the delay differential equations can express using the MATLAB program.
Drivers of migrant passerine composition at stopover islands in the western Mediterranean
Authors: López-Iborra Germán M. , Bañuls Antonio , Castany Joan , Escandell Raül , Sallent Ángel , Suárez Manuel 
Published: February 2022

AbstractClues used by migrant birds to select sites for stopover are much less known than their reasons for leaving. Habitat characteristics and geographical location may affect the decision to use an island as a stopover site in different ways for different species. Thus, abundance and composition of migrants may be expected to differ between islands. Using standardized ringing from 9 western Mediterranean islands we evaluate drivers of abundance of trans-Saharan migrant passerines, specifically the role of species continental abundance, island characteristics and geographical location. Although continental abundance is a main driver of migrant composition on all islands migrant composition differs between them. Redundancy analysis and species response models revealed that the main drivers were distance to the nearest land toward the south, which has a positive effect on the number of migrants of most species, and island area, which appears as an important cue used for selecting a stopover island. Species whose abundance is positively related to island area have more pointed wings while species affected by distance to land toward the south have relatively more rounded wings. This suggests a hypothesis on the mechanism that may generate differences in passerine migrant composition between islands based on better efficiency of more pointed wings for long-distance flight.
The seismicity of Campi Flegrei in the contest of an evolving long term unrest
Authors: Tramelli Anna , Giudicepietro Flora , Ricciolino Patrizia , Chiodini Giovanni 
Published: February 2022

AbstractOne of the most effective approaches to identifying possible precursors of eruptions is the analysis of seismicity patterns recorded at volcanoes. Accurate locations of the seismicity and the estimate of source mechanisms can resolve fault systems and track fluid migrations through volcanoes. We analysed the six main swarms recorded at Campi Flegrei since 2000, using them as a proxy of the processes involved in the long-term-unrest of this densely populated caldera. We re-located the earthquakes comprised in these swarms and estimated the focal mechanisms, which appear in agreement with the fault systems of the caldera and with tomographic images. The focal mechanisms are in agreement with the tensional stress induced by the caldera uplift. Most of the swarms and remaining seismicity delineate a highly fractured volume extending vertically below the Solfatara/Pisciarelli vents, where gases find preferential paths to the surface triggering earthquakes. The main swarms are located below this volume where the presence of a rigid caprock is still debated. We interpreted the current unrest in term of a gradual increment in the activity of a wide hydrothermal system whose most evident manifestation is the enlargement of the fumarolic-field of Pisciarelli and the increment of the earthquakes occurrence rate.
Control method of stepping motor for spaceborne solar irradiance spectrometer
Authors: Wang Yan , Wang Jianing , Li Zhanfeng , Huang Yu 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe encoder is not included in the hardware design of the Spaceborne Solar Irradiance Spectrometer, so in this paper, a high precision control method of stepping motor is proposed, which can position accurately without encoder. When the wavelength scanning mechanism is controlled, the validity of the hall signal is judged by controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the motor and the fixed steps of the motor. When the hall signal is valid, the operation of returning to the starting position is performed normally. The motor drive is subdivided into 16 substeps, and each substep is only 0.1125°. The control method of turntable mechanism is to quickly return to the starting position, after overshoot, one-step reverse rotation with appropriate delay to move out of hall effective area, and then identify the starting position. The experimental results show that the method can meet the requirements of wavelength repeatability less than 0.01 nm, wavelength calibration accuracy less than 0.05 nm, and calibration accuracy stability less than 0.2%. At the same time, the volume and weight of the system are reduced, and the miniaturization of the system is realized.
Artificial intelligence outperforms standard blood-based scores in identifying liver fibrosis patients in primary care
Authors: Blanes-Vidal Victoria , Lindvig Katrine P. , Thiele Maja , Nadimi Esmaeil S. , Krag Aleksander 
Published: February 2022

AbstractFor years, hepatologists have been seeking non-invasive methods able to detect significant liver fibrosis. However, no previous algorithm using routine blood markers has proven to be clinically appropriate in primary care. We present a novel approach based on artificial intelligence, able to predict significant liver fibrosis in low-prevalence populations using routinely available patient data. We built six ensemble learning models (LiverAID) with different complexities using a prospective screening cohort of 3352 asymptomatic subjects. 463 patients were at a significant risk that justified performing a liver biopsy. Using an unseen hold-out dataset, we conducted a head-to-head comparison with conventional methods: standard blood-based indices (FIB-4, Forns and APRI) and transient elastography (TE). LiverAID models appropriately identified patients with significant liver stiffness (> 8 kPa) (AUC of 0.86, 0.89, 0.91, 0.92, 0.92 and 0.94, and NPV ≥ 0.98), and had a significantly superior discriminative ability (p < 0.01) than conventional blood-based indices (AUC = 0.60–0.76). Compared to TE, LiverAID models showed a good ability to rule out significant biopsy-assessed fibrosis stages. Given the ready availability of the required data and the relatively high performance, our artificial intelligence-based models are valuable screening tools that could be used clinically for early identification of patients with asymptomatic chronic liver diseases in primary care.
Physiological and transcriptome analysis reveals the differences in nitrate content between lamina and midrib of flue-cured tobacco
Authors: Feng Yuqing , Zhao Yuanyuan , Li Yafei , Zhou Jun , Li Yujing , Shi Hongzhi 
Published: February 2022

AbstractNitrate is an important precursor of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) and a remarkable difference in nitrate accumulation between lamina and midrib of flue-cured tobacco has long been observed. However, the physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning this difference remain poorly understood. In this study, physiological and genetic factors impacting nitrate accumulation were identified in pot experiments using flue-cured tobacco K326 with contrasting nitrate content between lamina and midrib. The results showed that three times higher NO3-N content was observed in midrib than that in the lamina, along with lower pigment, NH4-N content, nitrate reductase activity (NRA), sucrose synthetase activity (SSA), and glutamine synthetase activity (GSA) in midrib. Transcriptome analysis revealed that expression of genes involved in porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, carotenoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis-antenna proteins, photosynthesis, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, starch and sucrose metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and biosynthesis of amino acids were significantly lower in midrib than in lamina. qRT-PCR results showed that the expression level of nitrate transporter genes LOC107782967, LOC107806749, LOC107775674, LOC107829632, LOC107799198, LOC107768465 decreased by 2.74, 1.81, 49.5, 3.5, 2.64 and 2.96-folds while LOC107789301 increased by 8.23-folds in midrib but not in lamina. Reduced chlorophyll content might result in low carbohydrate formation which is the source of energy and carbon skeleton supply, then the low capacity of nitrogen reduction, assimilation and transportation, and the poor ability of nitrate reallocation but the high capacity of accumulation might lead to nitrate accumulation in midrib. The results laid the foundation for reducing nitrate content and TSNA formation in tobacco midribs and their products.
Time to lost to follow-up and its predictors among adult patients receiving antiretroviral therapy retrospective follow-up study Amhara Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Telayneh Animut Takele , Tesfa Mulugeta , Woyraw Wubetu , Temesgen Habtamu , Alamirew Nakachew Mekonnen , Haile Dessalegn , Tafere Yilkal , Petrucka Pammla 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAntiretroviral therapy lowers viral load only when people living with HIV maintain their treatment retention. Lost to follow-up is the persistent major challenge to the success of ART program in low-resource settings including Ethiopia. The purpose of this study is to estimate time to lost to follow-up and its predictors in antiretroviral therapies amongst adult patients. Among registered HIV patients, 542 samples were included. Data cleaning and analysis were done using Stata/SE version 14 software. In multivariable Cox regression, a p-value < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval with corresponding adjusted hazards ratio (AHR) were statistically significant predictors. In this study, the median time to lost to follow-up is 77 months. The incidence density of lost to follow-up was 13.45 (95% CI: 11.78, 15.34) per 100 person-years. Antiretroviral therapy drug adherence [AHR: 3.04 (95% CI: 2.18, 4.24)], last functional status [AHR: 2.74 (95% CI: 2.04, 3.67)], and INH prophylaxis [AHR: 1.65 (95% CI: 1.07, 2.56) were significant predictors for time to lost to follow-up. The median time to lost was 77 months and incidence of lost to follow-up was high. Health care providers should be focused on HIV counseling and proper case management focused on identified risks.
Investigation of physicochemical characteristics of selected lignocellulose biomass
Authors: Fajobi M. O. , Lasode O. A. , Adeleke A. A. , Ikubanni P. P. , Balogun A. O. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe beneficial effects of biofuels as components of the worldwide energy supply are unquantifiable because they have versatile applications. However, an adequate understanding of the chemical properties of typical biomass is an integral aspect of maximizing the energy potentials because it is susceptible to biomass behavior during the conversion process, especially anaerobic digestion. Therefore, this study investigated the physicochemical characteristics of selected lignocellulose biomass, namely; cow dung, mango pulp, andChromolaena odorataof Nigerian origin. The raw biomasses were characterized by proximate, calorific, ultimate, compositional, and microbial (for cow dung only) analyses using ASTM standards and equipment. Raw biomass characterization showed that cow dung, mango pulp, andChromolaena odorata leavesrecorded percentages; fixed carbon, volatile matter, and ash contents in addition to calorific values in the ranges of 6.22–7.25%, 5.02–7.79%, 1.14–1.91,% and 13.77–16.16 MJ/kg, respectively. The ultimate analysis of cow dung, mango pulp and Chromolaena odorata recorded carbon (43.08, 39.98, 41.69%); hydrogen (7.87, 6.74, 9.86%); nitrogen (1.53, 1.34, 1.51%); sulphur (0.46, 0.12, 0.25%) and oxygen (47.06, 51.82, 46.69%), respectively. Compositional analysis of the biomass gave percentages in the range of 7.47–11.37 for hemicellulose, 0.22–6.33 for lignin, and 3.71–12.03 for cellulose, while the microbial analysis of cow dung gave total bacteria counts of 5.78 × 108and 3.93 × 105 cfu/g on wet and dry bases, respectively, which implied that it was rich in microbial colonies, evidently from the various species found, such asEscherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aureginosa, Proteus morganii, and Micrococcusspp. In this regard, the physicochemical properties of selected biomass of Nigerian origin were established to conform with those of the literature and thus can be regarded as suitable feedstock for anaerobic digestion resulting in methane-rich biogas products.
Association of lipid rafts cholesterol with clinical profile in fragile X syndrome
Authors: Toupin Amanda , Benachenhou Sérine , Abolghasemi Armita , Laroui Asma , Galarneau Luc , Fülöp Thamàs , Corbin François , Çaku Artuela 
Published: February 2022

AbstractFragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most prevalent monogenic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Affected individuals have a high prevalence of hypocholesterolemia, however, the underlying mechanisms and the clinical significance remains unknown. We hypothesized that decrease in the plasma cholesterol levels is associated with an alteration of cholesterol content within the lipid rafts (LRs) which ultimately affects the clinical profile of FXS individuals. The platelets LRs were isolated by ultracentrifugation on sucrose gradient from 27 FXS and 25 healthy controls, followed by measurements of proteins, cholesterol, and gangliosides content. Autistic and adaptive behaviour of affected individuals were respectively assessed by the Social Communication Questionnaire and Adaptive Behavior Assessment System. Our results suggest a decrease in the cholesterol content of LRs in FXS individuals as compared to controls. As opposed to controls, LR cholesterol was significantly associated with plasma total cholesterol (r = 0.47; p = 0.042) in the FXS group. Furthermore, the correlation between LRs cholesterol and the clinical profile showed a significant association with autistic traits (r = − 0.67; p < 0.001) and adaptative behavior (r = 0.70; p < 0.001). These results support the clinical significance of LR cholesterol alterations in FXS. Further studies are warranted to investigate the implication of LRs in FXS pathophysiology and ASD.