bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trajectory analysis of anomalous dynamics in optical lattice
Authors: Ni Zhenbo , Peng Yonggang , Zheng Yujun
Published: January 2025

We apply the trajectory formulation to analyze the anomalous dynamics of cold atoms in an optical lattice. The phase space probability density function of cold atoms, their dynamics, and the mechanism of dynamic evolution from an initial Gaussian distribution to a power-law distribution are analyzed. The results of the trajectory formulation are in good agreement with the previously reported experimental results for the exponent of position variance for a long time and the position–momentum correlation. The self-similar natures of trajectories in phase space are found for Lévy distributions. Our results unify the raw moments that can be expressed as the summation of a number of independent, identically distributed variables and the anomalous dynamics, which holds promise for an intuitive interpretation anomalous behavior and their kinetic mechanisms from initial Gaussian to anomalous distributions for a long time.
Flow separation characteristics of non-Newtonian oil and polymer solution fluids in T-junctions of offshore production platforms
Authors: Yang Lele , Zhang Ke , Chen Yaoyao , Aslam Muhammad Aqib , Jing Fengmei
Published: January 2025

Currently, offshore oil exploitation widely uses polymer flooding techniques, which result in the produced fluid exhibiting non-Newtonian characteristics. This creates an urgent need for efficient and compact separators for oil–water separation in polymer-containing produced fluids. This study establishes a numerical model for T-junctions based on the Euler–Euler multiphase flow model, Reynolds stress turbulence model, and a non-Newtonian force model. It explores the effects of various operational parameters (such as inlet oil content, inlet velocity, split ratio, and oil phase density) and structural parameters (such as branch pipe angle and number of branches) on the separation efficiency of non-Newtonian oil and polymer solution two-phase flow in T-junctions. The results indicate that reducing the inlet velocity and decreasing the branch pipe angle can significantly lower the turbulence intensity within the main pipe, promote fluid stratification, and improve separation efficiency. Particularly, at a flow split ratio of 0.5, the separation efficiency peaks. Furthermore, a comparison between heavy oil–water two-phase flow and non-Newtonian oil and polymer solution two-phase flow disclose that the former achieves a maximum separation efficiency of approximately 87% under six branch conditions, while the latter shows poorer stratification and separation efficiency in the front section of the main pipe. By investigating the key factors affecting separation performance, this study provides theoretical support for the design and development of separation devices tailored to non-Newtonian polymer-containing produced fluids.
Assessing the efficacy of synthetic compounds foliar sprays in alleviating terminal heat stress in late-sown wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Authors: Singh Tribhuwan , Singh Chandrakant , Kumar Rajiv , C. V. Nandeesha
Published: January 2025

Detrimental effects of terminal heat stress could be mitigated by exogenous application of synthetic compounds by preserving cell membrane integrity and protecting against oxidative damage. A field experiment was conducted to test the application of seven synthetic compounds on wheat growth traits: (1) thiourea (20 mM and 40 mM); (2) potassium nitrate (1% and 2%); (3) sodium nitroprusside (400 μg mL−1 and 800 μg mL−1); (4) dithiothreitol (25 ppm and 50 ppm); (5) salicylic acid (100 ppm and 200 ppm); (6) thioglycolic acid (200 ppm and 500 ppm); and (7) putrescine (4 mM and 6 mM). These compounds were applied at the anthesis and grain-filling stages to enhance physio-biochemical traits and yield attributes of wheat (Triticum aestivum) cvs GW-11 and GW-496 under terminal heat stress. The results indicated that GW-11 plants treated with 100 ppm salicylic acid exhibited significant improvements (P ≤ 0.05) in canopy temperature depression, proline content, total chlorophyll content, and the membrane stability index. Compared with the control treatment, foliar application of 100 ppm salicylic acid at both stages caused increases in grain yield (19.5%), followed by a 14% increase with 4 mM putrescine. These yield improvements were attributed to higher grains per spike, more effective tillers, and greater 1000-grain weight, reflecting enhanced sink capacity and grain development under stress. Consequently, the foliage application of 100 ppm salicylic acid at the anthesis and grain-filling stages is recommended to improve late-sown wheat productivity and reduce terminal heat stress.
Adaptive management of a remote threatened-species population on Aboriginal lands
Authors: Read J. L. , West R. , Mills Oska , Phillips B. L.
Published: January 2025

Context Adoption and refinement of monitoring and management techniques is important for improving the conservation status of threatened fauna, especially in remote areas with high logistical and financial costs. In Australia, many of these remote conservation projects are conducted by Traditional Owners and Indigenous Ranger groups, with input and support from various stakeholders including government and non-government organisations, and third-party ecologists. A collaborative approach to project development and adaptive management in response to stakeholder objectives is essential for long-term project success. Aims In the remote context of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, we collaboratively develop a sustainable and robust monitoring and management method for warru (black-flanked rock wallabies) that recognises the skills, interests, and capacity of all project members. In developing this method over 22 years, we also evaluate the influence of rainfall and predator-control strategies on warru populations to inform optimised management. Methods Practical and economic capabilities and preferences of both Traditional Owners and external scientists for monitoring and management actions were evaluated. Data from long-term cage trapping, and scat and spotlight counts of warru were compared with population trajectories, annual rainfall, and management strategies. Key results Population indices with lower resource requirements, such as scat and spotlight counts, provide trends consistent with more resource-intensive capture–mark–recapture studies. The warru scat index was negatively associated with the scat index for a competing herbivore (kanyala, euro). Warru growth rates were positively influenced by rainfall. Contrary to initial results from other regions, warru populations declined during periods when we undertook predator baiting. By contrast, targeted shooting of feral cats and foxes was associated with increased warru population growth rates. Conclusions These results suggest that a minimum of four groups of five scat quadrats in prime refuge areas and equivalent sampling in prime feeding zones (total 40 quadrats) is appropriate for rock-wallaby monitoring. Predator control via shooting appears preferable to baiting, which may have negative effects by removing dingoes, which prey on the competing kanyala. Implications Predator control via shooting is an effective way to support warru populations, and repeated scat counts are an effective monitoring approach for warru.
ATG9A facilitates the closure of mammalian autophagosomes
Authors: Javed Ruheena , Mari Muriel , Trosdal Einar , Duque Thabata , Paddar Masroor Ahmad , Allers Lee , Mudd Michal H. , Claude-Taupin Aurore , Akepati Prithvi Reddy , Hendrix Emily , He Yi , Salemi Michelle , Phinney Brett , Uchiyama Yasuo , Reggiori Fulvio , Deretic Vojo
Published: January 2025

Canonical autophagy captures within specialized double-membrane organelles, termed autophagosomes, an array of cytoplasmic components destined for lysosomal degradation. An autophagosome is completed when the growing phagophore undergoes ESCRT-dependent membrane closure, a prerequisite for its subsequent fusion with endolysosomal organelles and degradation of the sequestered cargo. ATG9A, a key integral membrane protein of the autophagy pathway, is best known for its role in the formation and expansion of phagophores. Here, we report a hitherto unappreciated function of mammalian ATG9A in directing autophagosome closure. ATG9A partners with IQGAP1 and key ESCRT-III component CHMP2A to facilitate this final stage in autophagosome formation. Thus, ATG9A is a central hub governing all major aspects of autophagosome membrane biogenesis, from phagophore formation to its closure, and is a unique ATG factor with progressive functionalities affecting the physiological outputs of autophagy.
Eumelanin & keratin sourced from waste: unraveling criss-cross functionalities for green electronic applications
Authors: Ambrico Marianna , Mattiello Sara , Mostert Albertus Bernardus , Phua Jun Wei , Aceto Domenico , Ambrico Paolo F , Guzzini Alessandro , De Stradis Angelo , Liuzzi Federico , Santulli Carlo , Lupidi Giulio , Del Giudice Alessandra , Gunnella Roberto
Published: January 2025

In the framework of the Circular Economy this study provides a detailed analysis of water-based suspensions of two biopolymers derived by sustainable processes: eumelanin from insect farming and keratin from chicken feathers. The latter material was obtained via two different extraction procedures. Colloidal-like suspensions were produced in water either as a single component system or a mixture of both in selected ratios, taking advantage of their high solubility. The suspensions were examined using a comprehensive set of chemical, structural and dielectric techniques to gather information on their properties. Small-Angle x-ray Scattering results provided insights into the elemental polymer sections within the suspension, while Transmission Electron Microscopy images indicate that keratin is the component driving the shape of the aggregation structure in a colloidal environment, and, in some cases, eumelanin internalization. Furthermore, the co-presence of both polymers in water determines the aggregation dimensions and shapes. The discussion focuses on the influence of the aggregation on the dielectric proper-ties by comparing the former to the AC dynamic response returned by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS). Within the BDS framework various items are highlighted including dielectric relaxations, screening effects, counterion condensation and ionic charge transport. The results shown in this work let to foresee the adoption of water or biofriendly aqueous BSF-EuM:Keratin suspensions in the production of devices and sensors with low environmental impact.
Feature-enhanced few-shot method for bearing fault diagnosis based on dynamic sparse attention under noise conditions
Authors: Li Yibing , Duan Qiping , Jiang Li
Published: January 2025

Recent advancements in deep learning techniques have significantly improved methods for diagnosing bearing faults. However, most of these methods have poor generalization performance when there are insufficient labeled samples and therefore cannot identify the root causes of bearing failures, especially in noisy environments. Hence, the study proposes a novel feature-enhanced few-shot method for bearing fault diagnosis based on dynamic sparse attention, which prioritizes feature extraction and noise resilience over complex model structures. The method incorporates a dynamic sparse attention mechanism to focus on critical features while suppressing noise efficiently, enabling robust performance in noisy environments and few-shot scenarios. By leveraging continuous wavelet transform, raw signals are transformed into denoised 2D time-frequency representations, enhancing the quality of input data. These representations are processed through a hybrid framework that combines the lightweight and pre-trained EfficientNetV2 with a BiFormer module powered by dynamic sparse attention, ensuring effective feature prioritization and computational efficiency. The proposed method also integrates transfer learning, improving generalization on unseen datasets with minimal labeled samples. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was evaluated on the two well-known public fault data sets in environments with high noise and data scarcity. Compared with existing studies, the proposed method shows good diagnostic accuracy and robustness. The proposed method demonstrates exceptional accuracy across varying noise in case study 1. The method still performs well in case study 2, achieving 98.15% accuracy in full-shot learning and demonstrating strong resilience in few-shot scenarios, significantly surpassing competitors, even with limited data availability.
Development of industrial soft sensor based on semi-supervised probabilistic mixture of echo state networks
Authors: Li Xu , Sun Dianhui , Han Wenxue , Shao Weiming
Published: January 2025

The echo state network (ESN) is considered to be an effective tool for soft sensor development owing to its advantages in handling process dynamics and nonlinearities. However, the representation capabilities of a single ESN model are limited for complex processes, leading the ESN-based soft sensors to a compromised performance. Furthermore, the scarcity of labeled samples in industrial processes makes it difficult to fully utilize the advantages of the ESN. In view of this, a novel semi-supervised probabilistic mixture of the ESN (the SsPMESN) is proposed in this paper. In the SsPMESN, multiple localized ESNs are established, which addresses the shortcomings of a single ESN model while avoiding employing the complex deep ESN (DESN). In addition, an efficient variational inference (VI)-based parameter learning algorithm is developed to train the SsPMESN. The performance of the SsPMESN is verified through both numerical and industrial examples. On the debutanizer column process, the SsPMESN-based soft sensor lifts the value of the generalization R
2 index to as high as over 0.9, showing the effectiveness and applicability of the SsPMESN in soft sensor modeling for dynamic industrial processes.
Fixed-time synchronization of kuramoto-oscillator networks with a simpler non-chattering controller
Authors: Cai Yuchen , Liu Xiaoting , Yin Xiangxin , Wu Jie , Sun Yongzheng
Published: January 2025

In this paper, Kuramoto-oscillator networks with identical and non-identical oscillators are studied in terms of fixed-time phase agreement and frequency synchronization. Different from traditional fixed-time controllers, we propose a simpler non-chattering controller that does not contain a sign function to overcome the chattering phenomenon. Additionally, the controller does not include a linear part, enhancing simplicity and practical convenience. The upper time bound of synchronization is estimated, and sufficient conditions for realizing fixed-time synchronization are derived using stability theory. Simulation results show the validity and correctness of our theoretical analyses. Finally, we examine the influence of control parameters on synchronization time.
Fresnel diffraction lithography for fabrication of plasmonic lenses with focal length tunability: a numerical study
Authors: Chen Jingwei , Jiang Zhongjun , He Wei , Wang Liang
Published: January 2025

A plasmonic lens (PL) has the potential to match the different length scales associated with photonics and electronics due to its subwavelength focusing ability. Most PL fabrication schemes utilize focus ion beam milling or e-beam lithography. However, PL fabrication through the aforementioned methods has a low throughput and a high operating cost, making it difficult to scale up for mass production. Here, we numerically report a PL fabrication scheme using Fresnel diffraction lithography, in which photolithography is performed using the focusing field of the radially polarized (RP) Fresnel diffraction field by an oil-immersion lens. We demonstrate the tunability of our proposed method, allowing the focal length of the PL to be adjusted from 0.4 μm to 2.5 μm by modifying the lithography process condition. We also show that our method is capable of fabricating bifocal PLs, and the relative intensity ratio between two foci is also adjustable. Our method provides a truly convenient and economical way of fabricating PLs with focal length tunability.
Consensus Tracking Control of Incommensurate Fractional Order Multiagent Systems Using Sliding Mode for Secure Communication Systems
Authors: Sharafian Amin , Ghandi Farzaneh , Ali Ahmad , Ullah Inam , Zhang Bo , Bai Xiaoshan
Published: January 2025

This paper presents a novel approach to secure communication systems leveraging the chaotic behavior of incommensurate fractional-order systems. The primary challenge addressed is the design of a secure and cost-efficient communication framework that ensures robust performance under uncertainties and disturbances. Unlike conventional methods that rely on single long-range transmitters, we propose a distributed system with multiple short-range transmitters. This innovation significantly enhances reliability by reducing the risk of single-point failure and lowers operational costs. To ensure security, we introduce a unique technique wherein the parameters and fractional orders of incommensurate chaotic systems are used as cryptographic keys for message encoding and decoding. To realize this, we develop a leader-follower consensus tracking methodology tailored for incommensurate fractional-order multi-agent systems. An adaptive Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network-based sliding mode control is designed under a Lyapunov framework to estimate system uncertainties and compensate for dynamic disturbances. The effectiveness of the proposed system is demonstrated through simulations utilizing fractional Duffing and Arneodo systems. Results highlight rapid system response, the absence of overshoot in the closed-loop system, and the successful elimination of external disturbances in control design. These findings validate the practicality and robustness of the proposed approach, establishing a secure and stable communication framework based on incommensurate fractional-order chaotic systems. These results confirm the viability of our approach to ensure a stable and secure communication based on chaotic systems.
Switching from perfect absorption to plasmon induced transparency in graphene-vanadium dioxide metamaterials with high sensitivity
Authors: Wang Jianping , Fan Chunzhen
Published: January 2025

A multifunctional metamaterial, composed of patterned graphene layer atop the dielectric and vanadium dioxide (VO2) layer has been proposed. It can switch from a perfect absorption to plasmon induced transparency (PIT) as the VO2 transits from the metallic state into the dielectric state. By adjusting graphene’s Fermi energy, the perfect absorption can be finely tuned from a single-band to a dual-band. PIT occurs when the VO2 is in the dielectric state and the transparency window blue-shifts with a higher Fermi energy. Notably, it demonstrates the sensing ability and the resonant peaks embody a linear tendency with different substrates or embedding solutions. Thus, our findings not only provide new perspectives on the innovative design of multifunctional metamaterials but also underscore their potential applications in filters, optoelectronic detectors, and environmental monitors.
Dynamical analysis and DSP implementation of discrete memristor coupled discrete bi-neuron Hopfield neural networks
Authors: Liu Deheng , Cao Yinghong , Mou Jun , Alharbi khalid H
Published: January 2025

Among the studies on neural modeling of the human brain, Hopfield neural network (HNN) is more famous and has been widely analyzed and studied. However, discrete HNN has been studied relatively less. The study of coupling into a memristor in a discrete HNN is even rarer. In this paper, a memristor model is proposed to introduce discrete HNN to simulate synapses. And there is crosstalk between the memristors. In turn, a discrete memristor coupled discrete bi-neuron HNN (DMCBHNN) model is constructed. Using various methods such as bifurcation diagrams (BD), Lyapunov exponential spectra (LEs), phase diagrams, and chaotic sequences, the extensive and complex dynamical behavior of the model is highlighted. It includes hyperchaos, chaos, cycles, attractor coexistence, complexity, firing patterns, and state transfer. In addition, the hardware implementation of DMCBHNN is completed by using DSP platform. The feasibility of the system is verified. This provides a basis for studying the complex workings of the human brain.
EMG-based wake gestures eliminate false activations during out-of-set activities of daily living: an online myoelectric control study
Authors: Eddy Ethan , Campbell Evan , Bateman Scott , Scheme Erik
Published: January 2025

Objective. While myoelectric control has been commercialized in prosthetics for decades, its adoption for more general human–machine interaction has been slow. Although high accuracies can be achieved across many gestures, current control approaches are prone to false activations in real-world conditions. This is because the same electromyogram (EMG) signals generated during the elicitation of gestures are also naturally activated when performing activities of daily living (ADLs), such as when driving to work or while typing on a keyboard. This can lead the myoelectric control system, which is trained on a closed set of gestures and thus unaware of the muscle activity associated with these ADLs, to be falsely activated, leading to erroneous inputs and user frustration. Approach. To overcome this problem, the concept of wake gestures, whereby users could switch between a dedicated control mode and a sleep mode by snapping their fingers, was explored. Using a simple dynamic time warping model, the real-world user-in-the-loop efficacy of wake gestures as a toggle for myoelectric interfaces was demonstrated through two online ubiquitous control tasks with varying levels of difficulty: (1) dismissing an alarm and (2) controlling a robot. Main results. During these online evaluations, the designed system ignored almost all (

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99.9%) non-target EMG activity generated during a set of ADLs (i.e. walking, typing, writing, phone use, and driving), ignored all control gestures (i.e. wrist flexion, wrist extension, hand open, and hand close), and enabled reliable mode switching during intentional wake gesture elicitation. Additionally, questionnaires revealed that participants responded well to the use of wake gestures and generally preferred false negatives over false positives, providing valuable insights into the future design of these systems. Significance. These results highlight the real-world viability of wake gestures for enabling the intermittent use of myoelectric control, opening up new interaction possibilities for EMG-based inputs.
Social Network Interaction Mapping and the Impact of Land Use Change in Malino Tourism Area, Gowa Regency, Indonesia
Authors: Abbas Jamilah , Baja Sumbangan , Neswati Risma , Yamin Muhammad , Rahmat Syaeful
Published: January 2025

In recent years, Malino has experienced rapid development as a tourist destination. This is characterized by the increasing number of visitors and the development of tourist infrastructure. With its development as a tourist destination, Malino has experienced significant land use changes. Forests and agricultural land are transformed into inns, restaurants, and other tourist infrastructure. The loss of flora and fauna habitat, damage to biodiversity, erosion, sedimentation, a decrease in water quality, and environmental pollution are a long list within the scope of the environmental crisis that occurs. Not only related to the environmental crisis, the impact of land use changes can also cause social conflict between communities related to access to natural resources, as well as the loss of livelihoods for people who depend on the agricultural and forestry sectors. In this study, we want to see how the dynamics of land use change that occur in the Malino tourist area affect the structure and dynamics of social networks between actors and the impact of land use change on environmental, social, and economic aspects. The method used in this research is a field survey with in-depth interviews and participatory mapping using the Arcgis Survey123 platform from Esri to visitors, local residents, and tourism managers with 130 respondents. The spatial approach was carried out to determine the extent of the dynamics of land use change identified in the scheme of village areas included in Malino tourism in Gowa Regency, including 7 villages, including Bonto Lerung Village, Bulutana Village, Kanreapia Village, Gantarang Village, Manimbahoi Village, Pattapang Village, and Malino Village. Based on the results of the field survey, 32.37 percent said that the role of the community in managing the tourist area was very important, as well as the argument that the economic impact on tourism revenue increased by about 3.62% of the usual income. However, the rate of land use changed from high-density secondary dryland forest to shrubs in the last 9 years increased to 327.01 hectares. The rate of land use changes from forested to vacant and abandoned land is 62.00 hectares, and from forested to tourist support infrastructure is about 2.72 hectares. This shows that the growth of tourism affects the loss of forest in the Malino tourism area.
The Ray–Singer torsion
Authors: Lott John
Published: January 2025

In 1971, Ray and Singer proposed an analytic equivalent of a classical topological invariant, the

R
R

-torsion. This Ray–Singer torsion has had many ramifications in mathematics and physics. I will describe the background, the Ray–Singer papers, and some subsequent work.
The call to recognition in the Canterbury Tales
Authors: Ashe Laura
Published: January 2025

This chapter begins by reviewing the modern philosophical debate about recognition, following Hegel. It then has three subsections: the first, ‘Walter and Griselda: The master and the servant’, pursues a close analysis of the Clerk’s Tale in light of Hegel’s famous description of the ‘desiring consciousness’ and the ‘struggle for recognition’; it is argued that with the narrative of his tale, Chaucer not only anticipates Hegel’s foundational structure of subjectivity, but also foreshadows many of the criticisms of Hegel’s theories that have followed in modern philosophical discussion of recognition. The second section, ‘“Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee”: The Wife of Bath’s struggle for recognition’, discusses the Wife of Bath as an exploration of the philosophy of recognition, in light of the misogyny embedded in Hegel’s theories and exposed in the critique of Judith Butler and others. The third, ‘“Who, in this plurality, comes first?” Levinasian ethics and the Franklin’s Tale’ turns to consider the Franklin’s Tale in light of Emmanuel Levinas’ adaptation and rejection of Hegel’s theory of recognition, embodied in the encounter with the Other. It is argued that where Levinas too consigned women to the status of ‘other’, Chaucer in contrast uses similar structures of subjectivity and accountability—and ‘response-ability’—to show his female protagonist, Dorigen, developing a new kind of agency and subjectivity.
The Book of the Duchess and the problem of other minds
Authors: Ashe Laura
Published: January 2025

This chapter begins with Wittgenstein’s account of our difficulty expressing subjective experience in language, and our playing of a ‘language-game’ of communication whereby signs stand in for effectively (albeit not actually) non-existent Somethings—such as pain—‘about which nothing can be said’. In light of this it offers a close reading of Chaucer’s major source for the Book of the Duchess, Guillaume de Machaut’s Jugement dou Roy de Behaingne, and moves to an analysis of Chaucer’s work as an exploration of Wittgenstein’s ideas. It is argued that while Machaut playfully simulates a world in which pain is communicable and commensurate, under a controlling subjectivity, Chaucer’s adaptation of the same themes results in an exploration of the limits of subjectivity and of empathy, in a world of human plurality in which the different ‘languages’ of subjective experience can only be combined in the language-game.
‘The Northern Separatists’
Authors: Keo Bernard Z
Published: January 2025

Following their failed attempts to stop the Federation, Peranakan political activists in Penang decided the only viable course of action was to secede and reconstitute the Straits Settlements. Through detailed analysis of the petition presented to the Colonial Office by the Penang secession committee, records produced by British colonial administrators, and newspaper reports, this chapter demonstrates that the secession movement (1948–51) was led by Peranakan putting forward an alternative cosmopolitan imagination of the nation-state from the one implicit in the Federation. In doing so, it challenges the established narrative that the movement was led by a coalition of Penang’s commercial elites seeking to restore Penang to imperial control. Conducting this re-evaluation of the secession movement and placing it within a broader trajectory of Peranakan ideas about the nation reveals a more progressive agenda than has previously been acknowledged, one centred on self-government and equal rights for all those residing in Malaya regardless of race, creed, or nationality.
Uncharted Waters
Authors: Keo Bernard Z
Published: January 2025

Having had their requests to leave the Federation rejected, Peranakan leaders changed tack and sought to reform the Federation from within. Between 1951 and 1955, they joined the myriad political parties that sprung up in response to the colonial government’s decision to introduce elections to Malaya. Focussing on Peranakan involvement in the Malayan Chinese Association, the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP), the Progressive Party, the Penang Radical Party, and Parti Negara, this chapter investigates the community’s attempts to secure a fair and equitable Malaya through the democratic process. As communal parties increasingly came to dominate the political landscape, the Peranakan community factionalized over the best course of action: committing to intercommunal parties and attempting to progressively build their bases or embracing communal politics to win power before implementing reforms. Regardless of their political beliefs, Peranakan actors maintained memberships in both intercommunal and communal political parties. This was political pragmatism on the part of the community which was willing to use any means at their disposal to secure a more inclusive Malayan nation.
‘Merdeka for All’
Authors: Keo Bernard Z
Published: January 2025

This chapter reinterprets the final lead up to merdeka (independence) through the lens of the Peranakan as a means of looking beyond dominant historical narratives that privilege the perspectives of the Alliance and the British in Malay(si)a's independence process. It focusses first on the revival of the Penang secession movement from 1953 to 1956 in response to the collapse of intercommunal political parties following the 1955 general elections and the entrenchment of communalism as the default mode of politics in the Federation. The secession movement’s ultimate collapse in the wake of opposition from the Alliance government, the British colonial government, and Whitehall resulted in the Peranakan shifting tactics. From 1956 to 1957, Peranakan leaders focussed their efforts on lobbying the Reid Constitutional Commission with the intention of securing provisions within the constitution for equal rights and the maintenance of dual citizenship. This chapter challenges existing interpretations of Peranakan efforts during this period as regressive acts designed to restore their privileged position in Malayan society, contending instead that these actions were in service of securing rights for themselves and other minority communities as protection against an ethnonationalist state.
Association of binge alcohol use with functional outcomes among individuals with COVID-19 infection
Authors: Tong Sebastian T , Gottlieb Michael , Ebna Mannan Imtiaz , Zheng Zihan , Sinha Manisha , Santangelo Michelle , Gatling Kristyn , Kean Efrat , Watts Phillip , Wang Ralph , Montoy Juan Carlos , Idris Ahamed , MacDonald Samuel , Huebinger Ryan , Hill Mandy , O’Laughlin Kelli N , Gentile Nicole L , Dorney Jocelyn , Malicki Caitlin , Elmore Joann G , Diaz Roldan Kate , Chan Gary , Lin Zhenqiu , Weinstein Robert A , Stephens Kari A
Published: January 2025

Aims

Alcohol consumption along with negative sequelae from excess alcohol intake increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the association between binge alcohol use and long-term functional outcomes among COVID-19-positive individuals.

Methods

Using a prospective, longitudinal, multisite cohort study design, we evaluated the association between binge alcohol use and mental and physical functional outcomes using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29 scores three and six months postinfection. Eligible patients were those who presented with COVID-19-like symptoms, tested positive for COVID-19, and completed a three-month survey. Binge drinking was identified at the time of infection using the Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication and other Substance use screener. Generalized estimating equation models, adjusted for demographic characteristics, social determinants of health, substance use, comorbidities, and COVID-19 vaccine status, were used to assess the association between binge alcohol use and mental and physical functional outcomes.

Results

Of 3529 individuals, 23.7% screened positive for binge drinking. At three months, prior self-reported binge drinking was associated with differences in physical function [estimate: 1.08; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44, 1.71], pain interference (estimate: −0.86; 95% CI −1.57, −0.15), and physical health (estimate: 1.09; 95% CI 0.43, 1.75). At six months, no associations were found between binge drinking and outcomes.

Conclusions

Binge alcohol use before COVID-19 infection was associated with statistically significant but clinically irrelevant improvements in function at three months, which were not sustained at six months. Postinfectious and postpandemic stressors may have played a larger impact on functional outcomes than binge alcohol use. A higher frequency of binge drinking and its association with functional outcomes, particularly among individuals with COVID-19 warrants further study.
Rates and Predictors of Performance Validity Test Failure in Adults Treated for Post-COVID-19 Condition: a Brief Report
Authors: Clark Phoebe A , Horn Samantha , Wang Natalie , Lyketsos Constantine G , Parker Ann M , Oh Esther S , Vannorsdall Tracy D
Published: January 2025

>Objective

Cognitive dysfunction is a common symptom of post-COVID-19 condition (PCC). Few studies have examined rates and predictors of cognitive performance validity test (PVT) failure in patients seeking treatment for PCC.

>Methods

We report the rates of PVT failure in 323 patients who received care in a long-COVID-19 clinic for any post-COVID-19 health concern and underwent routine telephone cognitive testing that included two embedded PVTs. Binary logistic regressions examined the demographic, illness, and psychological variables associated with PVT failure.

>Results

The prevalence of single PVT failure ranged from 4.7% to 26.1% whereas failure on both PVTs occurred in just 6.3%. Illness characteristics, subjective cognitive dysfunction, and most demographic and psychological variables were unrelated to single PVT failure. Males and those with anxiety were more likely to fail both PVTs.

>Conclusion

Failure across multiple PVTs was not common and was unrelated to COVID-19 severity or cognitive complaints.
Behavioural variation in background colour matching and the effect of social environment in rock-pool mosquitoes
Authors: Cordeschi Giulia , Porretta Daniele , Canestrelli Daniele
Published: January 2025

Several animal species conceal themselves from potential predators by actively choosing environmental patches that best match body coloration and chromatic patterns. Growing evidence shows that a variety of contexts and conditions can affect this background choice behaviour, yet the extent of this variety remains largely underexplored. Here, we explore the effect of disturbance and social environment on background colour choice behaviour in the rock-pool mosquito Aedes mariae. We exposed single individuals and groups of individuals to experimental arenas made of dark and bright patches and recorded the colour preferences of individuals when alone and within groups, and before and after a disruptive event. We found a marked prevalence of individuals favouring a dark background and an among-individual variation in choice over replicated trials. Moreover, we observed a non-significant effect of disturbance but a significant role of the social environment. In fact, being caged in groups significantly increased the proportion of mosquitoes choosing the dark background. Our results provide strong evidence of a background colour choice in Ae. mariae, a density dependence of this choice, and a non-negligible inter-individual variation in this behaviour. Overall, these findings offer intriguing insights into background choice behavioural variation and flexibility of mosquitoes.
Divergent effect of predator presence on gut morphology shows parallel patterns in congeneric species
Authors: Gorini-Pacheco Bruno , Mazzoni Rosana , Marques Piatã , Neres-Lima Vinicius , Zandonà Eugenia
Published: January 2025

Understanding the mechanisms driving parallel evolution across species and populations is fundamental to evolutionary biology. We investigated the parallel phenotypic divergence of trophic morphology in response to predation pressure in two recently described congeneric species of poeciliid fish, Phalloceros harpagos and Phalloceros anisophallos. By comparing populations from high and low predation environments with similar environmental characteristics, we aimed to isolate the effect of predation on trophic traits while controlling the effect of other sources of environmental variation. We found that populations experiencing high predation pressure had shorter guts, which is indicative of a more carnivorous diet, compared to populations in low predation environments. This parallel divergence in trophic morphology suggests that predation indirectly influences per-capita resource availability, driving convergent ecological characteristics in different species of Phalloceros. Our study highlights the importance of considering indirect effects of predation on trophic traits and provides insights into the mechanisms underlying parallel phenotypic divergence. This is one of the few field studies that has directly tested parallel phenotypic divergence, within and between species, focusing on one agent of selection and minimizing the confounding effect of other environmental sources of variation.
Spatially adaptive variable screening in presurgical functional magnetic resonance imaging data analysis
Authors: Hu Yifei , Jeng Xinge Jessie
Published: January 2025

Accurate delineation of functional brain regions adjacent to tumors is imperative for planning neurosurgery that preserves critical functions. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) plays an increasingly pivotal role in presurgical counseling and planning. In the analysis of presurgical fMRI data, the impact of false negatives on patients surpasses that of false positives because failure to identify functional regions and unintentionally resecting critical tissues can result in severe harm to patients. This paper introduces a novel metric, the Bayesian missed discovery rate (BMDR), designed for controlling false negatives within the voxel-specific mixture model. Building on the BMDR metric, we propose a new variable screening procedure that not only ensures effective control of false negatives but also capitalizes on the spatial structure of fMRI data. In comparison to existing statistical methods in fMRI data analysis, our new procedure directly regulates false negatives at a desirable level and is entirely data-driven. Moreover, it significantly differs from current false-negative control procedures by incorporating spatial information. Numerical examples demonstrate that the new method outperforms several state-of-the-art methods in retaining signal voxels, particularly the subtle ones at the boundaries of functional regions, while achieving a cleaner separation of functional regions from background noise. These findings hold promising implications for planning function-preserving neurosurgery.
Experienced-based co-design for cardiovascular and chronic disease research
Authors: Koirala Binu , Benjasirisan Chitchanok , Lim Arum , Moore Robyn , Dennison Himmelfarb Cheryl R , Davidson Patricia M
Published: January 2025

The participatory co-design method has received significant attention recently. Experience-based co-design is an approach that enables patients (service users) and healthcare providers (service delivers) to co-design services and care pathways in partnership to improve health outcomes based on their experience. Traditionally, it was used as a quality improvement technique. Yet, it is a valuable participatory research design that can help improve health outcomes and be applied in nursing research. This paper will discuss its application in research among people living with cardiovascular multimorbidity and its practicalities, usability, and impact on cardiovascular and chronic disease research and models of care.
Genome-wide association study of salicylic acid provides genetic insights for tea plant selective breeding
Authors: Deng Xiuling , Huang Dejun , Wang Yihan , An Hongwei , Bai Dingchen , Wang Xiaojing , Niu Suzhen , Song Xiaoming
Published: January 2025

Salicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic phytohormone widely believed to regulate plant growth and stress response. Despite its significance, the genetic basis of SA-mediated resistance to biotic stressors in tea plants is little understood. Our study investigated the genetic diversity, population structure, and linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns of 299 tea accessions using 79 560 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained from genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data. Our genome-wide association study identified CSS0033791.1, an essential gene encoding 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (CsNCED1), which catalyzes a vital step in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. Exogenous ABA treatment and transgenic overexpression of the CsNCED1 gene lowered SA content in the respective tea plants by inhibiting the expression of the ICS gene. Further analysis revealed that ABA could reduce the expression levels of the SA receptor gene (NPR1) and NPR1 target genes (PR1 and WRKY18), increasing the plant’s susceptibility to biotic stressors. Furthermore, the feeding behavior of Spodoptera litura (S. litura) revealed that the insect bite area on transgenic leaves was substantially more extensive than that in wild-type, implying that the CsNCED1 gene had a negative regulatory role in SA-mediated immune response. This study thus provides the foundation for future insect resistance breeding, sustainable tea plant resource usage, and molecular marker-assisted (MAS) tea plant breeding.
Flavonoids as key players in cold tolerance: molecular insights and applications in horticultural crops
Authors: Li Jiaxin , Yu Qinhan , Liu Chang , Zhang Ningbo , Xu Weirong
Published: January 2025

Cold stress profoundly affects the growth, development, and productivity of horticultural crops. Among the diverse strategies plants employ to mitigate the adverse effects of cold stress, flavonoids have emerged as pivotal components in enhancing plant resilience. This review was written to systematically highlight the critical role of flavonoids in plant cold tolerance, aiming to address the increasing need for sustainable horticultural practices under climate stress. We provide a comprehensive overview of the role of flavonoids in the cold tolerance of horticultural crops, emphasizing their biosynthesis pathways, molecular mechanisms, and regulatory aspects under cold stress conditions. We discuss how flavonoids act as antioxidants, scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during cold stress, and how they regulate gene expression by modulating stress-responsive genes and pathways. Additionally, we explore the application of flavonoids in enhancing cold tolerance through genetic engineering and breeding strategies, offering insights into practical interventions for improving crop resilience. Despite significant advances, a research gap remains in understanding the precise molecular mechanisms by which specific flavonoids confer cold resistance, especially across different crop species. By addressing current knowledge gaps, proposing future research directions, and highlighting implications for sustainable horticulture, we aim to advance strategies to enhance cold tolerance in horticultural crops.
Laughing through the Mask in Invisible Man
Authors: Paustian Megan Cole
Published: January 2025

What is the relationship among Blackness, whiteness, and laughter? For Ralph Ellison, race is at the heart of “the American joke”; his phrase suggests that humor is somehow fundamental to the American story. It is certainly fundamental to his novel, Invisible Man (1952). While much scholarship has addressed the novel’s humor—how it makes readers laugh—the laughter of characters has been underexplored. From start to finish, the narrative is punctuated with scenes of laughter, which crop up at every major turning point in the unnamed narrator’s journey. While he encounters laughter that is racist and belittling, he also reckons with its creative, communal forms. By tracing his journey through the trope of laughter and placing the novel in conversation with theories of Black humor, this essay reveals how the laugh operates as a strategy of defense and defiance, at once protective and resistant. Like the mask of meekness, exemplified by the narrator’s grandfather, Black laughter is a technique for navigating the tensions and threats of American life. It can cloak aggression and ease white fears, but it communicates more ambiguously than the mask, leaving observers in a state of uncertainty. The novel suggests that Black laughter flirts with power in a way that unsettles white consciousness and expands the mask’s terrain of resistance. Zeroing in on laughter itself reveals its role in day-to-day navigations of the color line while also adding nuance to more general theories of humor.