bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Feedback Effects of Sediment Suspensions on Transport Mechanisms in an Estuarine Turbidity Maximum
Authors: Zhu Chunyan , van Maren D. S. , Guo Leicheng , Lin Jianliang , He Qing , Wang Zheng Bing 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe mechanisms controlling the formation of an estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) in estuaries have been extensively investigated, but one aspect that has received much less scientific attention is the role of high suspended sediment concentrations in combination with tidal asymmetry in ETM formation. Particularly in highly turbid estuaries, sediment suspensions influence ETM development through a combination of horizontal sediment‐induced density currents, a reduction in turbulent mixing, and water‐bed exchange processes. In this study, we developed a schematic model resembling the Yangtze Estuary where the ETM is controlled by tidal pumping, estuarine circulation, and advection operating simultaneously. Model results suggest that high water slack tide asymmetry with Sediment‐induced density effects (SedDE) favors landward migration of the ETM. In addition, without SedDE, stronger flood tidal dominance leads to more pronounced sediment trapping through tidal pumping. Depending on the type of tidal asymmetry, SedDE strengthen ETM growth by increasing estuarine circulation but may also lead to increased or reduced sediment concentration in the ETM due to enhanced or weakened landward tidal pumping, respectively. Higher near‐bed sediment concentrations as a result of water‐bed exchange processes, in turn, strengthen the effect of estuarine circulation but simultaneously strengthen the divergence of sediment by tidal pumping. Overall, the SedDE and higher near‐bed sediment concentration, in combination with tidal asymmetry, play an important role in ETM formation and should be properly accounted for in studies on ETM dynamics in turbid estuaries.
Temporal Hierarchical Reconciliation for Consistent Water Resources Forecasting Across Multiple Timescales: An Application to Precipitation Forecasting
Authors: Jahangir Mohammad Sina , Quilty John 
Published: May 2022

AbstractObtaining consistent forecasts at different timescales is important for reliable decision‐making. This study introduces and evaluates the benefits of utilizing temporal hierarchical reconciliation methods for water resources forecasting, with an application to precipitation. Original (precipitation) Forecasts (ORFs) were produced using “automatic” Exponential Time‐Series Smoothing (ETS), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Seasonal Auto‐Regressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models at six timescales, namely, monthly, 2‐monthly, quarterly, 4‐monthly, bi‐annual, and annual, for 84 basins extracted from the Canadian model parameter experiment. Temporal hierarchical reconciliation methods, including structural scaling‐based Weighted Least Squares (WLS), series variance scaling‐based WLS, and Ordinary Least Squares, along with the simple Bottom‐Up (BU) method, were applied to reconcile the forecasts. In general, ETS (direct forecasting) demonstrated better performance compared to ANN and SARIMA (recursive forecasting). The results confirmed that improvements in accuracy due to reconciliation is dependent on the basin, timescale, and the ORFs' accuracy. For different forecast models, the reconciliation methods showed different levels of performance. For ETS, BU was able to improve forecast accuracy to a greater extent than the temporal hierarchical reconciliation methods, while for ANN and SARIMA, forecast accuracy was improved through all temporal hierarchical reconciliation methods but not BU. The reconciled forecasts' accuracy was affected more by the ORFs' accuracy than by the reconciliation method. Different timescales showed dissimilar sensitivity to reconciliation. The presented results are anticipated to serve as a valuable benchmark for evaluating future developments in the promising area of temporal hierarchical reconciliation for water resources forecasting.
The emerging roles of N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-modified long non-coding RNAs in human cancers
Authors: Liu Jingwen , Zhao Wei , Zhang Leyu , Wang Xi 
Published: May 2022

AbstractN6-methyladenosine (m6A) epitranscriptional modifications widely exist in RNA, which play critical roles in RNA metabolism and biogenesis processes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are class of non-coding RNAs longer than 200 nucleotides without protein-coding ability. LncRNAs participate in a large number of vital biological progressions. With the great improvement of molecular biology, m6A and lncRNAs are attracting more attention from researchers and scholars. In this review, we overview the current status of m6A and lncRNAs based on the latest research, and propose some viewpoints for future research perspectives.
Accurate and efficient molecular dynamics based on machine learning and non von Neumann architecture
Authors: Mo Pinghui , Li Chang , Zhao Dan , Zhang Yujia , Shi Mengchao , Li Junhua , Liu Jie 
Published: May 2022

AbstractForce field-based classical molecular dynamics (CMD) is efficient but its potential energy surface (PES) prediction error can be very large. Density functional theory (DFT)-based ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) is accurate but computational cost limits its applications to small systems. Here, we propose a molecular dynamics (MD) methodology which can simultaneously achieve both AIMD-level high accuracy and CMD-level high efficiency. The high accuracy is achieved by exploiting deep neural network (DNN)’s arbitrarily-high precision to fit PES. The high efficiency is achieved by deploying multiplication-less DNN on a carefully-optimized special-purpose non von Neumann (NvN) computer to mitigate the performance-limiting data shuttling (i.e., ‘memory wall bottleneck’). By testing on different molecules and bulk systems, we show that the proposed MD methodology is generally-applicable to various MD tasks. The proposed MD methodology has been deployed on an in-house computing server based on reconfigurable field programmable gate array (FPGA), which is freely available athttp://nvnmd.picp.vip.
Clustering of cognitive subtypes in schizophrenia patients and their siblings: relationship with regional brain volumes
Authors: Alkan Erkan , Evans Simon L. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractSchizophrenia patients (SZH) often show impaired cognition and reduced brain structural volumes; these deficits are also detectable in healthy relatives of SZH. However, there is considerable heterogeneity: a sizable percentage of SZH are relatively cognitively intact; clustering strategies have proved useful for categorising into cognitive subgroups. We used a clustering strategy to investigate relationships between subgroup assignment and brain volumes, in 102 SZH (N = 102) and 32 siblings of SZH (SZH-SIB), alongside 92 controls (CON) and 48 of their siblings. SZH had poorer performance in all cognitive domains, and smaller brain volumes within prefrontal and temporal regions compared to controls. We identified three distinct cognitive clusters (‘neuropsychologically normal’, ‘intermediate’, ‘cognitively impaired’) based on age- and gender-adjusted cognitive domain scores. The majority of SZH (60.8%) were assigned to the cognitively impaired cluster, while the majority of SZH-SIB (65.6%) were placed in the intermediate cluster. Greater right middle temporal volume distinguished the normal cluster from the more impaired clusters. Importantly, the observed brain volume differences between SZH and controls disappeared after adjustment for cluster assignment. This suggests an intimate link between cognitive performance levels and regional brain volume differences in SZH. This highlights the importance of accounting for heterogeneity in cognitive performance within SZH populations when attempting to characterise the brain structural abnormalities associated with the disease.
Differences in phenology, daily timing of activity, and associations of temperature utilization with survival in three threatened butterflies
Authors: Franzén Markus , Francioli Yannick , Askling John , Kindvall Oskar , Johansson Victor , Forsman Anders 
Published: May 2022

AbstractWe used observational data collected during a mark-recapture study that generated a total of 7503 captures of 6108 unique individuals representing three endangered butterfly species to quantify inter-and intraindividual variation in temperature utilization and examine how activity patterns vary according to season, time of day, and ambient temperature. The Marsh Fritillary, the Apollo, and the Large Blue differed in utilized temperatures and phenology. Their daily activity patterns responded differently to temperature, in part depending on whether they were active in the beginning, middle or end of the season, in part reflecting interindividual variation and intraindividual flexibility, and in part owing to differences in ecology, morphology, and colouration. Activity temperatures varied over the season, and the Apollo and the Large Blue were primarily active at the highest available ambient temperatures (on the warmest days and during the warmest part of the day). The Marsh Fritillary was active early in the season and decreased activity during the highest temperatures. The relationship between individual lifespan and the average temperature was qualitatively different in the three species pointing to species-specific selection. Lifespan increased with an increasing range of utilized temperatures in all species, possibly reflecting that intra-individual flexibility comes with a general survival benefit.
Investigation of ultra-precision planing process to fabricate high luminance retroreflector based on cutting force and tool vibration analysis
Authors: Jeong Ji-Young , Han Jun Sae , Kang Chung-Mo , Gwak Eun-Ji , Choi Doo-Sun , Je Tae-Jin 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn ultra-precision planing process, the analysis of the critical depth of cut (DOC) is required to reduce the edge blunt and micro burrs produced by size effect which decreases of the effective area for high luminance retroreflector. However, since the machining characteristics are different according to cutting tool shape, machining material, and cutting condition, determine of the critical DOC is difficult without a comparison of machined surfaces under various DOC measured by ultra-high resolution measuring instrument. In this study, the critical DOC was analyzed using cutting force and tool vibration signals. The specific cutting energy was calculated by cutting force and cross-sectional area to analyze the stress variation according to DOC. Also, acceleration signals were converted to frequency spectrum that analyze dominant vibrating direction of the cutting tool by variation of cutting characteristic. It was confirmed that the method of using tool vibration more effective and accurate than specific cutting energy through validation of the comparison between results from analyze of the vibration signals and direction measuring surfaces. The master mold with area of 250 mm2 was manufactured by applying analyzed critical DOC. In addition, the high luminance characteristic of a retroreflection film press formed by the master mold was confirmed.
Tracing the structural evolution of quasi-freestanding germanene on Ag(111)
Authors: Kesper Lukas , Hochhaus Julian A. , Schmitz Marie , Schulte Malte G. H. , Berges Ulf , Westphal Carsten 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn the last decade, research on 2D materials has expanded massively due to the popularity of graphene. Although the chemical engineering of two-dimensional elemental materials as well as heterostructures has been extensively pursued, the fundamental understanding of the synthesis of 2D materials is not yet complete. Structural parameters, such as buckling or the interface structure of a 2D material to the substrate directly affect its electronic characteristics. In order to proceed the understanding of the element-specific growth and the associated ability of tuning material properties of two-dimensional materials, we performed a study on the structural evolution of the promising 2D material germanene on Ag(111). This study provides a survey of germanium formations at different layer thicknesses right up to the arising of quasi-freestanding germanene. Using powerful surface analysis tools like low-energy electron diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron diffraction with synchrotron radiation, we will reveal the internal and interfacial structure of all discovered germanium phases. Moreover, we will present models of the atomic and chemical structure of a $$\hbox {Ag}_2\hbox {Ge}$$

Ag
2

Ge

surface alloy and the quasi-freestanding germanene with special focus on the structural parameters and electronic interaction at the interface.
Production, statistical optimization, and functional characterization of alkali stable pectate lyase of Paenibacillus lactis PKC5 for use in juice clarification
Authors: Sheladiya Priyanka , Kapadia Chintan , Prajapati Vimal , Ali El Enshasy Hesham , Abd Malek Roslinda , Marraiki Najat , Zaghloul Nouf S. S. , Sayyed R. Z. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPectate lyase is a hydrolytic enzyme used by diverse industries to clarify food. The enzyme occupies a 25% share of the total enzyme used in food industries, and their demand is increasing gradually. Most of the enzymes in the market belong to the fungal origin and take more time to produce with high viscosity in the fermentation medium, limiting its use. The bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus have vast potential to produce diverse metabolites of industrial importance. The present experiment aimed to isolate pectate lyase-producing bacteria that can tolerate an alkaline environment at moderate temperatures. Bacillus subtilis PKC2, Bacillus licheniformis PKC4, Paenibacillus lactis PKC5, and Bacillus sonorensis ADCN produced pectate lyase. The Paenibacillus lactis PKC5 gave the highest protein at 48 h of incubation that was partially purified using 80% acetone and ammonium sulphate. Purification with 80% acetone resulted in a good enzyme yield with higher activity. SDS-PAGE revealed the presence of 44 kDa molecular weight of purified enzyme. The purified enzyme exhibits stability at diverse temperature and pH ranges, the maximum at 50 °C and 8.0 pH. The metal ions such as Mg2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, and Co2+ significantly positively affect enzyme activity, while increasing the metal ion concentration to 5 mM showed detrimental effects on the enzyme activity. The organic solvents such as methanol and chloroform at 25% final concentration improved the enzyme activity. On the other hand, detergent showed inhibitory effects at 0.05% and 1% concentration. Pectate lyase from Paenibacillus lactis PKC5 had Km and Vmax values as 8.90 mg/ml and 4.578 μmol/ml/min. The Plackett–Burman and CCD designs were used to identify the significant process parameters, and optimum concentrations were found to be pectin (5 gm%) and ammonium sulphate (0.3 gm%). During incubation with pectate lyase, the clarity percentage of the grape juice, apple juice, and orange juice was 60.37%, 59.36%, and 49.91%, respectively.
Springback effect and structural features during the drying of silica aerogels tracked by in-situ synchrotron X-ray scattering
Authors: Zemke Fabian , Scoppola Ernesto , Simon Ulla , Bekheet Maged F. , Wagermaier Wolfgang , Gurlo Aleksander 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe springback effect during ambient pressure drying of aerogels is an interesting structural phenomenon, consisting of a severe shrinkage followed by almost complete re-expansion. The drying of gels causes shrinkage, whereas re-expansion is believed to be linked to repelling forces on the nanoscale. A multi-scale structural characterization of this significant volume change is key in controlling aerogel processing and properties. In this work, hydrophobic, monolithic silica aerogels with high specific surface areas were synthesized by modification with trimethylchlorosilane and ambient pressure drying. Here, we report a multi-method approach focusing on in-situ X-ray scattering to observe alterations of the nanostructured material during the drying of surface-modified and unmodified silica gels. Both show a porous fractal nanostructure, which partially collapses during drying and only recovers in surface-modified samples during the springback effect. Distinct changes of the X-ray scattering data were reproducibly associated with the shrinkage, re-expansion and drying of the gel network. Our findings may contribute to tailor aerogels with specific functionality, as the springback effect has a direct influence on properties (e.g., porosity, pore size distribution), which is directly affected by the degree of re-expansion.
Activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Markelić Ivona , Hlapčić Iva , Čeri Andrea , Radić Antolic Margareta , Samaržija Miroslav , Popović-Grle Sanja , Vukić Dugac Andrea , Rumora Lada 
Published: May 2022

AbstractNucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation plays an important role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathogenesis and might be involved in ongoing chronic inflammation. This study aimed to determine interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) plasma concentration as well as IL1B, NLRP3 and caspase-1 (CASP1) gene expression in the Croatian COPD patients. 109 patients with stable COPD and age- and sex-matched 95 controls were included in the study. Plasma IL-1β concentration was measured by Luminex technology, and gene expression analysis was performed using TaqMan assays. It was shown that COPD patients had increased concentration of IL-1β and enhanced gene expression of IL1B, NLRP3 and CASP1 compared to controls. There was no difference in IL-1β or IL1B, NLRP3 and CASP1 in patients with COPD regarding airflow obstruction severity and smoking history. Finally, the diagnostic potential of the determined parameters was evaluated, and it was found that IL-1β correctly classified 89% of cases in the combination with common inflammatory biomarkers, white blood cell count and fibrinogen, showing a potential in COPD prediction. In conclusion, up-regulation of IL1B, NLRP3, CASP1 and increased IL-1β concentration suggest the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in the systemic compartment of patients with stable COPD.
The effect of climate variability in the efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum against the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria
Authors: Kamga Samuel F. , Ndjomatchoua Frank T. , Guimapi Ritter A. , Klingen Ingeborg , Tchawoua Clément , Hjelkrem Anne-Grete Roer , Thunes Karl H. , Kakmeni Francois M. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractDespite substantial efforts to control locusts they remain periodically a major burden in Africa, causing severe yield loss and hence loss of food and income. Distribution maps indicating the value of the basic reproduction number R0 was used to identify areas where an insect pest can be controlled by a natural enemy. A dynamic process-based mathematical model integrating essential features of a natural enemy and its interaction with the pest is used to generate R0 risk maps for insect pest outbreaks, using desert locust and the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum (Synn. Metarhizium anisoliae var. acridum) as a case study. This approach provides a tool for evaluating the impact of climatic variables such as temperature and relative humidity and mapping spatial variability on the efficacy of M. acridum as a biocontrol agent against desert locust invasion in Africa. Applications of M. acridum against desert locust in a few selected African countries including Morocco, Kenya, Mali, and Mauritania through monthly spatial projection of R0 maps for the prevailing climatic condition are illustrated. By combining mathematical modeling with a geographic information system in a spatiotemporal projection as we do in this study, the field implementation of microbial control against locust in an integrated pest management system may be improved. Finally, the practical utility of this model provides insights that may improve the timing of pesticide application in a selected area where efficacy is highly expected.
Differences in dynamic perception of salty taste intensity between young and older adults
Authors: Sato Hitomi , Wada Hirotaka , Matsumoto Hideki , Takagiwa Mutsumi , Goto Tazuko K. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn super-aged societies, high salt intake substantially increases the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. Perceived low salty taste often prompts the addition of table salt to food. However, it remains unclear how older adults perceive the nature and intensity of salty taste in the mouth and brain. We compared the perceptions of salty taste intensities of older adults with those of young adults. Participants were 74 healthy adults: 31 older (age, 60–81 years [65.0 ± 5.5 SD]) and 43 young (age, 21–39 years [25.0 ± 3.6 SD]). Our research project comprises three sequential experiments. This article reports on the first two, which were (1) static and (2) dynamic sensory evaluations of taste perceptions in the mouth. Participants assessed the taste of 0.3 M and 0.5 M sodium chloride solutions in two types of sensory evaluations: (1) a cup tasting test, in which they sipped the solution from cups, spat it out, and rated static salty taste intensity, and (2) a time-intensity sensory evaluation, in which the solutions were delivered to participants’ tongues through a custom-made delivery system while they recorded dynamic taste intensities on a hand-held meter. Older adults perceived significantly lower taste intensities than young adults (p = 0.004 and p < 0.001 for 0.3 M and 0.5 M, respectively). Reaction timings for both solutions did not differ, but the slopes for both concentrations were significantly lower for older adults than for young adults (p < 0.001). Using a standardized system allowed us to evaluate and directly compare real-time feedback on taste intensities according to age. This study is the first to characterize the time-intensity profiles of salty taste intensity in older adults. Our findings show that older adults do not take longer to recognize a salty taste, but their perception of taste intensity slowly increases, and yet remains lower than that of young adults. This suggests that older adults should be aware of the tendency to add more salt to their food to compensate for their low perceptions of salty taste. We would like to suggest them to savor and chew sufficiently during eating to optimize the perceived salty taste. Furthermore, our results offer a reference for ordinary citizens’ taste-intensity perceptions; our standardized system could be usefully integrated into clinical follow-up examinations and treatments.
Experimental investigation of binder based on rice husk ash and eggshell lime on soil stabilization under acidic attack
Authors: Reis Joice Batista , Pelisser Giovana , Levandoski William Mateus Kubiaki , Ferrazzo Suéllen Tonatto , Mota Jonas Duarte , Silveira Adriana Augustin , Korf Eduardo Pavan 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThis study evaluates the use of rice husk ash (RHA)-eggshell lime (ESL) and RHA-commercial lime (CL) as alternative binders for clayey soil stabilization, as well as the performance of soil-binder mixtures under acidic attack. A central composite design was carried out to analyze the reactivity by batch tests with a sulfuric acid solution. Physical and mechanical behavior was evaluated by compaction test and unconfined compressive strength (UCS). Reactivity tests demonstrated better neutralization of contaminant acidity for mixtures with ESL. The highest compressive strength, reactivity and partial encapsulation of toxic elements are associated with application of 30% RHA and 6% ESL in the soil. A C–S–H gel is observed in poorly crystalline phases through the XRD pattern. The application of RHA-ESL in soils exposed to acidic attack has environmental feasibility. Analysis of RHA grinding processes combined with the mixture strength over time, and its application tests in impermeable barriers, in landfills, are recommended.