bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessing evolutionary history and species boundaries in a polymorphic tropical lizard, the Aspidoscelis lineattissimus species complex (Squamata, Teiidae)
Authors: Raya‐García Ernesto , Suazo‐Ortuño Ireri , García‐Andrade Ana Berenice , Solís‐Guzmán María Gloria , Pérez‐Rodríguez Rodolfo 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIdentification of species boundaries within the genus Aspidoscelis is one of the most complex tasks in herpetological systematics due to the extensive morphological variation and complex evolutionary history involved. The whiptail lizard Aspidoscelis lineattissimus is a polymorphic species that inhabits tropical ecosystems over a wide region of western Mexico and is currently classified into four subspecies, A. l. exoristus, A. l. lineattissimus, A. l. lividus and A. l. duodecemlineatus. In this study, we used phylogenetic and coalescent‐based approaches to disentangle the phylogenetic relationships among the subspecies of A. lineattissimus and to assess the level of differentiation between these subspecific taxa. We also inferred the divergence times and historical biogeography to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the A. lineattissimus complex. Three mitochondrial genes (ND4, 12S and 16S) and one nuclear exon (BACH1) were used, along with comprehensive sampling that included individuals representing the four subspecies. Coalescence analyses supported three well‐differentiated lineages as independent evolutionary units, corresponding to A. l. exoristus, A. l. lineattissimus + A. l. lividus and A. l. duodecemlineatus, partially recovering the previous classification. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses support three additional discrete lineages within A. l. duodecemlineatus. Finally, divergence time estimates and reconstructions of ancestral areas indicated that the origin and diversification of the five differentiated lineages within the A. lineattissimus complex was strongly associated with oscillations in sea level due to glacial/interglacial climatic fluctuations beginning in the Mid‐Pliocene. Our research highlights the importance of phylogenetic studies within the genus Aspidoscelis to disentangle their evolutionary history and reveal hitherto underestimated diversity.
Ni-ZIF-8@ZIF-67-Derived Bimetallic Doped Pt-Based Carbon Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Liu Feng , Gao Yong , Yu Dehe , Li Yuanming , Xi Jinyan , Chen Hui , Li Xuejiao , Zhang Zihan , Zhang Yantong , Leung Michael K. H. , Zhang Chengxu , Zhang Yingjie 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
The development of highly active and stable electrocatalysts is a major challenge for water electrolysis. In this work, we designed bimetallic nitrogen-doped carbon (NiCo-NC) materials with excellent performance, which were pyrolyzed by the core-shell structure of Ni-ZIF-8@ZIF-67. Then, the low-Pt supported Pt@NiCo-NC catalyst was prepared by the impregnation liquid-phase reduction method. During the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the catalyst exhibited an overpotential of 31.1 mV and stability in an acidic medium at a current density of 10 mA/cm2. It is worth noting that the overpotential and Tafel slope of the catalyst are both smaller than commercial Pt/C, indicating high catalytic activity. The loading of commercial Pt/C (TKK, 46 wt%) on the electrode was 100 µg/cm2, while the loading of Pt@NiCo-NC-2 wt% was only 6.58 µg/cm2. The presence of bimetals and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) not only improve the hydrogen evolution activity of the catalyst, but also enhance the electrochemical stability. It can be expected that this work will provide important insights for studies based on catalyst supports and improving performance.
Computational Fluid Dynamics-Based Numerical Analysis for Studying the Effect of Mini-Channel Cooling Plate, Flow Characteristics, and Battery Arrangement for Cylindrical Lithium-Ion Battery Pack
Authors: Li Wei , Garg Akhil , Wang Ningbo , Gao Liang , Le Phung My Loan , Tran Van Man 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS) is crucial to maintain peak temperature and temperature difference of lithium-ion battery pack in appropriate range, thus ensuring best performance, extended cycle life and safety. Liquid cooling BTMS is extensively researched for prismatic cells, but only a few studies are present on application of liquid cooling BTMS for cylindrical cells. Further, existing studies on liquid cooling for cylindrical cells majorly focus on effect of flowrate, flow direction, and number of channels. In this study, a novel mini-channel cooling plate-based liquid cooling BTMS is proposed for a battery pack of 20 cells. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based numerical analysis was performed on three-dimensional model of battery pack to investigate effects of parameters associated with cooling plate and mini-channel design, flow characteristics, and battery arrangement on temperature uniformity, heat removal rate, parasitic power consumption and weight of the battery pack. The study concluded that installation of aluminum cylindrical enclosure on cells could drastically enhance heat removal and temperature uniformity. Altering flow directions in mini-channel could enhance thermal performance. The research demonstrated that for case 2d (inlet and outlet are staggered in each cooling plate), the temperature difference can be reduced by 16.5% when compared to unidirectional flow. Mini-channel with square cross section offers better heat removal and fewer flow resistance compared to circular and elliptical. Although converging mini-channels offer better thermal performance, it drastically increases the pumping power. The battery pack was successful in limiting peak temperature and temperature difference to 303.26 K and 1.98 K, respectively, for 4 C discharge rate.
Bias-Learning-Based Model Predictive Controller Design for Reliable Path Tracking of Autonomous Vehicles Under Model and Environmental Uncertainty
Authors: Ren Lichuan , Xi Zhimin 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Path tracking error control is an essential functionality in the development of autonomous vehicles to follow a planned trajectory. Significant path tracking errors could lead to a collision or even out of the control of the vehicle. Model-based control strategies have been developed to minimize the vehicle’s path tracking errors. However, the vehicle model may not truly represent the actual vehicle dynamics. Furthermore, the parameters employed in the vehicle dynamic model may not represent the actual operating conditions of the vehicle under environmental uncertainty. This paper proposes a real-time bias-learning method coupling with the model predictive control (MPC) to improve the fidelity of a baseline vehicle model with the aid of a few experiments (or virtual experiments) so that the path tracking error can be reduced in real-time operation. Gaussian process (GP) regression and recurrent neural network (RNN) are employed for bias-learning and their effectiveness are compared under different scenarios. GP regression learns non-linearity of the model bias through its nonlinear kernel function, whereas the RNN model formulates the bias as a linear combination of hidden nodes which capture the non-linearity of the model bias with a recurrent form. Results reveal that RNN is more effective for real-time learning of the nonlinear model bias than the classical GP regression and the proposed bias-learning model is able to improve the fidelity of a baseline vehicle dynamic model. Consequently, path tracking performance can be greatly improved under environmental uncertainty using the bias-learning-based MPC.
Explosive-effusive-explosive: The role of magma ascent rates and paths in modulating caldera eruptions
Authors: Bernard Olivier , Li Weiran , Costa Fidel , Saunders Steve , Itikarai Ima , Sindang Mikhail , Bouvet de Maisonneuve Caroline 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
One of the biggest challenges in volcanology is assessing the role of magma properties (volatile budgets, storage depths, and ascent rates) in controlling eruption explosivity. We use a new approach based on apatite to estimate volatile contents and magma ascent rates from a sequence of sub-Plinian, effusive, and Vulcanian eruption deposits at Rabaul caldera (Papua New Guinea) emplaced in 2006 CE to probe the mechanisms responsible for the sudden transitions in eruption styles. Our findings show that all magmas were originally stored at similar conditions (2–4 km depth and 1.8–2.5 wt% H2O in the melt); only the magma that formed the lava flow stalled and degassed at a shallower level (0.2–1.5 km) for several months. A more energetic batch of magma rose from depth, bypassed the transient reservoir, and ascended within ≤8 h to Earth's surface (mean velocity ≥0.2 m/s), yielding the initial sub-Plinian phase of the eruption. The shallowly degassed magma was then able to reach the surface as a lava flow, likely through the path opened by the sub-Plinian magma. The magma of the last Vulcanian phase ascended without storage at a shallow depth, albeit more slowly (ascent rate 0.03–0.1 m/s) than the sub-Plinian magma. Our study illustrates how the complexity of plumbing systems may affect eruption styles, including at other volcanic systems, and have implications for interpreting volcano monitoring data.
Mayflies as resource pulses in Jurassic lacustrine ecosystems
Authors: Zhang Qianqi , Wang Bo , Zheng Daran , Li Jiahao , Wang Xueheng , Jarzembowski Edmund A. , Xu Chunpeng , Li Ting , Zhang Haichun , Engel Michael S. 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Resource pulses, occasional events of ephemeral resource superabundance, represent a fundamental mechanism by which energy, nutrients, and biomass are transported across ecotones. They are widespread in extant ecosystems; however, little is known about their deep-time record. We report the earliest-known mayfly swarm from the Early Jurassic Xiwan biota of southern China. Our taphonomic and sedimentological analyses show that these mayflies were buried on the bottom of a calm lake after post-mating death. Our suite of analyses suggests that the complex mating-swarm behavior was already well established in mayflies by the Early Jurassic. More importantly, our find represents the earliest-known resource pulse of insects, a mechanism that can play a substantial role in nutrient transport from aquatic ecosystems to surrounding terrestrial ecosystems. Such an aquatic-terrestrial ecosystem linkage may be a key novelty in Mesozoic lacustrine ecosystems. Our results high-light the underappreciated ecological significance of insects in deep-time terrestrial ecology.
Knowledge and practices related to COVID-19 among mothers of under-2 children and adult males: a cross-sectional study in Bangladesh
Authors: Talukder Animesh , Islam Muhammed Nazmul , Sarker Malabika , Goswami Indranil , Siddiqua Rubaiya Riya , Akter Fahmida , Chowdhury Srizan , Chowdhury Imran Ahmed , Rahman Albaab-Ur , Latif Mahbub 
Published: May 2022

ObjectivesTo assess the knowledge and practices related to COVID-19 among Bangladeshi mothers with children aged 2 years or less and adult males.DesignWe conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the knowledge and practices using a multistage cluster sampling technique.SettingsSix districts with high COVID-19 infection rates in Bangladesh.Participants2185 mothers of under-2 children and 657 adult males were surveyed in December 2020.Main outcome measuresWe constructed weighted composite knowledge and practice scores and examined associations between composite scores and background characteristics using linear regression models.ResultsKnowledge on possible routes of transmission of the novel coronavirus and the critical handwashing and mask-wearing etiquettes was poor. On a scale of 100, the mean composite knowledge scores of mothers and adult males were respectively 33.5 (SD=15; 95% CI 32.9 to 34.1) and 38.2 (SD=14.8; 95% CI 37.1 to 39.4). In contrast to knowledge, adult males obtained lower practice scores than mothers, primarily due to poor physical distancing practices. The mean practice scores of mothers and adult males were 63.0 (SD=18.1; 95% CI 62.3 to 63.8) and 53.4 (SD=17.5; 95% CI 52.0 to 54.7). Moreover, education, household income and access to television and the internet are significantly associated with knowledge. People residing proximal to a city revealed higher knowledge than the relatively distant ones. This was also the case for practice scores; however, the other factors associated with knowledge did not have a significant association with practices.ConclusionsIn general, both mothers and adult males presented with poor knowledge and practices related to COVID-19. While local, national and international institutions should design and implement educational interventions to help improve knowledge, our research shows that mere knowledge may not be enough to ensure practice. Hence, authorities could reinforce positive social norms by setting benchmarks and introducing rewards or sanctions to improve practices.
Intratumoral administration of STING-activating nanovaccine enhances T cell immunotherapy
Authors: Jiang Xiaoyi , Wang Jian , Zheng Xichen , Liu Zhida , Zhang Xinyu , Li Yuwei , Wilhelm Jonathan , Cao Jun , Huang Gang , Zhang Jinlan , Sumer Baran , Lea Jayanthi , Lu Zhigang , Gao Jinming , Luo Min 
Published: May 2022

BackgroundCancer vaccines are able to achieve tumor-specific immune editing in early-phase clinical trials. However, the infiltration of cytotoxic T cells into immune-deserted tumors is still a major limiting factor. An optimized vaccine approach to induce antigen-specific T cells that can perform robust tumor infiltration is important to accelerate their clinical translation. We previously developed a STING-activating PC7A nanovaccine that produces a strong anti-tumor T cell response on subcutaneous injection. This study systematically investigated the impact of administration methods on the performance of nanovaccines.MethodsTumor growth inhibition by intratumoral delivery and subcutaneous delivery of nanovaccine was investigated in TC-1 human papillomavirus-induced cancer model and B16-OVA melanoma model. Nanovaccine distribution in vivo was detected by clinical camera imaging, systemic T cell activation and tumor infiltration were tested by in vivo cytotoxicity killing assay and flow cytometry. For mechanism analysis, T cell recruitment was investigated by in vivo migration blocking assay, multiplex chemokine array, flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, chemotaxis assay and gene knockout mice.ResultsNanovaccine administration was found to alter T cell production and infiltration in tumors. Intratumoral delivery of nanovaccines displayed superior antitumor effects in multiple tumor models compared with subcutaneous delivery. Mechanistic investigation revealed that intratumoral administration of the nanovaccine significantly increased the infiltration of antigen-specific T cells in TC-1 tumors, despite the lower systemic levels of T cells compared with subcutaneous injection. The inhibition of tumor growth by nanovaccines is primarily dependent on CD8+cytotoxic T cells. Nanovaccine accumulation in tumors upregulates CXCL9 expression in myeloid cells in a STING dependent manner, leading to increased recruitment of IFNγ-expressing CD8+T cells from the periphery, and IFNγ reciprocally stimulates CXCL9 expression in myeloid cells, resulting in positive feedback between myeloid-CXCL9 and T cell-IFNγ to promote T cell recruitment. However, the STING agonist alone could not sustain this effect in the presence of a systemic deficiency in antigen-specific T cells.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that intratumoral administration of PC7A nanovaccine achieved stronger antitumor immunity and efficacy over subcutaneous injection. These data suggest intratumoral administration should be included in the therapeutic design in the clinical use of nanovaccine.
Variation at the LRRK2 locus determines the rate of disease progression in pro- gressive supranuclear palsy
Authors: Jabbari Edwin , Tan Manuela , Jaunmuktane Zane , Holton Janice , Revesz Tamas , Warner Thomas , Lees Andrew , Ryten Mina , Hardy John , Morris Huw ,   et al
Published: May 2022

BackgroundThe genetic basis of variation in the rate of disease progression in primary tauopathies is poorly understood. Here, we have conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy cases using survival as a marker of disease progression.MethodsTwo independent, deeply-phenotyped, PSP cohorts of European ancestry underwent genotyp- ing and SNP imputation. Standard data quality control steps were used, including a MAF threshold of 1%. We used a cox-proportional hazards survival model GWAS that adjusted for sex, age at motor symptom onset, PSP phenotype and ethnicity (first three principal components).Results1,001 PSP cases (2011 case-control GWAS, n=424; UCL PSP cohort, n=577) and 4,817,946 SNPs passed quality control steps and were available for analysis. We found a genome-wide significant signal on chromosome 12 with the lead SNP identified as rs2242367 (hazard ratio = 2.24, p-value = 7.5x10-10). This signal replicated when each independent cohort was analysed separately. The risk allele at this SNP was associated with a 1 year reduction in survival. eQTL analyses revealed that rs2242367 and its tagging SNPs are eQTLs for LRRK2 expression in whole blood and brain.ConclusionsWe hypothesise that the whole blood eQTL signal may impact on monocyte-derived micro- glia-like cells and that increased LRRK2 expression may result in a reactive microglia-induced pro-inflam- matory state which drives ongoing accumulation of misfolded tau protein and clinical disease progression.e.jabbari@ucl.ac.uk
Pure tone audiometry and cerebral pathology in healthy older adults
Authors: Parker Thomas , Keshavan Ashvini , Buchannan Sarah , Keuss Sarah , Bamiou Doris-Eva , Warren Jason , Fox Nick , Richards Marcus , Schott Jonathan ,   et al
Published: May 2022

BackgroundHearing impairment may be a modifiable risk factor for dementia. However, it is unclear how hearing associates with pathologies relevant to dementia in preclinical populations.MethodsData from 368 cognitively healthy individuals born during 1 week in 1946 (age range 69.2–71.9 years), who underwent structural MRI, 18F-florbetapir positron emission tomography, pure tone audiom- etry and cognitive testing as part of a neuroscience substudy the MRC National Survey of Health and Development were analysed. The aim of the analysis was to investigate whether pure tone audiometry performance predicted a range of cognitive and imaging outcomes relevant to dementia in older adults.ResultsThere was some evidence that poorer pure tone audiometry performance was associated with lower primary auditory cortex thickness, but no evidence that it predicted in vivo β-amyloid deposition, white matter hyperintensity volume, hippocampal volume or Alzheimer’s disease-pattern cortical thickness. A negative association between pure tone audiometry and mini-mental state examination score was observed, but this was no longer evident after excluding a test item assessing repetition of a single phrase.ConclusionPure tone audiometry performance did not predict concurrent β-amyloid deposition, small vessel disease or Alzheimer’s disease-pattern neurodegeneration, and had limited impact on cognitive function, in healthy adults aged approximately 70 years.thomasparker@nhs.net
253  Economic burden of care and treatment options for Rett syndrome: two systematic literature reviews
Authors: Dabbous Omar , Taieb Vanessa , Abdennadher Emna , Bouchemi Meryem , Chorąży Justyna , Borkowska Katarzyna , Georgieva Veneta , Loukes Jonathan , Maru Benit , Arjunji Ramesh ,   et al
Published: May 2022

Rett syndrome, a rare disorder caused by MECP2 mutation, causes severe developmental impairment in afflicted girls. We performed two literature reviews in June 2018 to assess Rett syndrome clinical trials (MEDLINE/Embase/ClinicalTrials.gov/Cochrane Library) and the economic burden of care (Medline/Embase/Cochrane Library/Database of Abstracts of Reviews and Effects). The economic burden search yielded 133 articles; intervention type/costs were extracted from 9, representing 4 studies. Enteral feeding/assisted walking increased the risk of respiratory-related hospital admissions, while length-of-stay was lower in younger patients. Mean recovery-stay after scoliosis-correcting surgery was 18.2/12.3 days in each of two studies. Care integration improved outcomes and reduced costs. The clinical trials search yielded 652 articles; efficacy/safety were extracted from 28, representing 20 studies (15 randomized controlled trials, 5 single-arm; N=8–82; follow-up 1–26 months). Nineteen focused on pharmacological symptom treatment; 1 examined environmental enrichment effects; most common primary endpoints: Rett syndrome Gross Motor Scale, Clinical Severity Score, Motor and Behavioral Assessment, and the Anxiety Depression and Mood Scale. Naltrexone, trofinetide, and mecasermin demonstrated clinical benefits, but most treat- ments yielded no significant improvement. Clinical practice guidelines and treatment patterns data were limited. There is demand for treatments targeting the underlying cause, such as gene therapy. Previously presented after 08/2019.jloukes879@avexis.com158
Population-based blood screening for pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease: a British birth cohort at age 70
Authors: Keshavan Ashvini , Pannee Josef , Karikari Thomas K , Rodriguez Juan Lantero , Ashton Nicholas J , Nicholas Jennifer M , Cash David M , Coath William , Lane Christopher A ,   et al
Published: May 2022

In pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition precedes symptoms; Aβ-targeted therapies may have maximum benefits at this stage. Existing Aβ status measurement techniques, including amyloid PET and CSF testing, are difficult to upscale. We therefore compared the concordance of three different blood-based techniques (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC¬-MS) measures of plasma Aβ, and single molecule array (Simoa) measures of plasma Aβ and phospho-tau181 (p-tau181)) with amyloid PET-positivity in dementia-free members of Insight 46, a sub-study of the British 1946 birth cohort.Of 441 dementia-free individuals with complete data, 82 (18.6%) were amyloid PET-positive. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for amyloid PET status using a base model comprising age, sex and APOE ε4 carrier status was 0.695 (95% confidence interval: 0.628–0.762). The best perform- ing Simoa biomarker was p-tau181 (0.707; 0.646–0.768). LC-MS Aβ1–42/1–40 performed significantly better (0.817; 0.770–0.864), with a Youden’s index cut-point of 0.095 detecting amyloid PET-positivity with 86.6% sensitivity and 71.9% specificity. Without screening, 543 individuals would need PET scans, to obtain 100 PET-positive individuals. Screening using the base model would require 940 individuals, with 266 proceeding to scan. Using LC-MS Aβ1–42/1–40 alone would reduce these numbers to 623 and 243 respectively. Across a theoretical range of amyloid PET-positivity prevalence of 10–50%, LC-MS Aβ1–42/1–40 would consistently reduce scan numbers, with greater cost savings at lower prevalence.ashvini.keshavan@nhs.net