bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analytics of high average-utility patterns in the industrial internet of things
Authors: Wu Jimmy Ming-Tai , Li Zhongcui , Srivastava Gautam , Yun Unil , Lin Jerry Chun-Wei
Published: September 2021

Recently, revealing more valuable information except for quantity value for a database is an essential research field. High utility itemset mining (HAUIM) was suggested to reveal useful patterns by average-utility measure for pattern analytics and evaluations. HAUIM provides a more fair assessment than generic high utility itemset mining and ignores the influence of the length of itemsets. There are several high-performance HAUIM algorithms proposed to gain knowledge from a disorganized database. However, most existing works do not concern the uncertainty factor, which is one of the characteristics of data gathered from IoT equipment. In this work, an efficient algorithm for HAUIM to handle the uncertainty databases in IoTs is presented. Two upper-bound values are estimated to early diminish the search space for discovering meaningful patterns that greatly solve the limitations of pattern mining in IoTs. Experimental results showed several evaluations of the proposed approach compared to the existing algorithms, and the results are acceptable to state that the designed approach efficiently reveals high average utility itemsets from an uncertain situation.
3D Dense Mapping with the Graph of Keyframe-Based and View-Dependent Local Maps
Authors: Zieliński Krzysztof , Staszak Rafał , Nowaczyk Mikołaj , Belter Dominik
Published: September 2021

This article concerns the problem of a dense mapping system for a robot exploring a new environment. In this scenario, a robot equipped with an RGB-D camera uses RGB and range data to build a consistent model of the environment. Firstly, dense mapping requires the selection of the data representation. Secondly, the dense mapping system has to deal with localization drift which can be corrected when loop closure is detected. In this article, we deal with both of these problems, and we make several technical contributions. We define local maps which use the Normal Distribution Transform (NDT) stored in the 2D structures to represent the local scene with varying 3D resolution. This method directly utilizes the uncertainty model of the range sensor and provides information about the accuracy of the data in the map. We also propose an architecture that utilizes pose and covisibility graphs to correct a global model of the environment after loop closure detection. We show how to integrate the dense local mapping with the pose graph and keyframes management system in the ORB-SLAM2 localization. Finally, we show the advantages of the view-dependent model over the methods that uniformly divide the space to represent objects in the environment.
Tonsillectomy and the incidence of various types of cancer
Authors: Holló Gábor
Published: September 2021

A potential connection between tonsillectomy and the development of various cancer types has repeatedly been reported in the scientific literature, but many studies have contradicted these observations. Thus, we have no clear evidence, neither to firmly support nor to refute the above-mentioned connection. Here, I suggest that the main reason for the lack of clearer evidence is that the investigations have so far mainly used incorrect sample groups. I propose that individual differences in the tonsils’ involvement in immune reactions should be taken into account to solve this long-standing puzzle.
Comparative evaluation of contribution-value plots for machine learning understanding
Authors: Collaris Dennis , van Wijk Jarke J.
Published: September 2021

The field of explainable artificial intelligence aims to help experts understand complex machine learning models. One key approach is to show the impact of a feature on the model prediction. This helps experts to verify and validate the predictions the model provides. However, many challenges remain open. For example, due to the subjective nature of interpretability, a strict definition of concepts such as the contribution of a feature remains elusive. Different techniques have varying underlying assumptions, which can cause inconsistent and conflicting views. In this work, we introduce local and global contribution-value plots as a novel approach to visualize feature impact on predictions and the relationship with feature value. We discuss design decisions and show an exemplary visual analytics implementation that provides new insights into the model. We conducted a user study and found the visualizations aid model interpretation by increasing correctness and confidence and reducing the time taken to obtain an insight.

Graphic Abstract
DensePILAE: a feature reuse pseudoinverse learning algorithm for deep stacked autoencoder
Authors: Wang Jue , Guo Ping , Li Yanjun
Published: September 2021

Autoencoder has been widely used as a feature learning technique. In many works of autoencoder, the features of the original input are usually extracted layer by layer using multi-layer nonlinear mapping, and only the features of the last layer are used for classification or regression. Therefore, the features of the previous layer aren’t used explicitly. The loss of information and waste of computation is obvious. In addition, faster training and reasoning speed is generally required in the Internet of Things applications. But the stacked autoencoders model is usually trained by the BP algorithm, which has the problem of slow convergence. To solve the above two problems, the paper proposes a dense connection pseudoinverse learning autoencoder (DensePILAE) from reuse perspective. Pseudoinverse learning autoencoder (PILAE) can extract features in the form of analytic solution, without multiple iterations. Therefore, the time cost can be greatly reduced. At the same time, the features of all the previous layers in stacked PILAE are combined as the input of next layer. In this way, the information of all the previous layers not only has no loss, but also can be strengthened and refined, so that better features could be learned. The experimental results in 8 data sets of different domains show that the proposed DensePILAE is effective.
Distributed Energy Systems and Energy Communities Under Negotiation
Authors: Kojonsaari Anna-Riikka , Palm Jenny
Published: September 2021

New decentralized energy-generation technologies have turned economies of scale upside down while becoming more economically viable. At the same time, the increased penetration of information technologies has led to new opportunities to manage infrastructure in a less hierarchical, more flexible way. Together with citizen demands for control over energy, these two converging trends has put energy communities (ECs) on the agenda, potentially advancing the transition towards more sustainable energy systems, despite hindrances encountered on the way. This paper presents a case study of the planning process of a sustainable city district in Sweden, using participatory observations and interviews conducted with included stakeholders. We analyse how the included stakeholders has reasoned about establishing a sustainable energy system in the area, including a microgrid. The discussions on a microgrid comprised two parallel discourses, coexisting but seldomly explicitly confronted. The distribution system operator in the area promoted a distributed energy system (DES) solution, while the property developers opted for a microgrid organized more as a citizen energy community (CEC). We discuss why the CEC proponents so far has lost the battle of creating a community owned smart grid. We conclude that the different models, a DES and a CEC, comprise different values and an increased focus on energy communities could shift the transition pathway towards a more decentralized system involving other prioritise than just economical.
Montmorillonite-anchored magnetite nanocomposite for recovery of ammonium from stormwater and its reuse in adsorption of Sc3+
Authors: Song Jianzhi , Srivastava Varsha , Kohout Tomas , Sillanpää Mika , Sainio Tuomo
Published: September 2021

The treatment of stormwater to remove and recover nutrients has received increasing interest. The objective of this study was to develop a novel adsorbent that is easy to handle, has good adsorption capacity, and is economical to use. A novel nanocomposite of montmorillonite (MT)-anchored magnetite (Fe3O4) was synthesised by co-precipitation as an adsorbent for ammonium. The MT/Fe3O4 nanocomposite had pore sizes (3–13 nm) in the range of narrow mesopores. The dispersion of the anchored Fe3O4 was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The nanocomposite exhibited higher affinity towards ammonium than the original MT. The Langmuir isotherm model was found to be the most suitable model to explain the ammonium adsorption behaviour of the nanocomposite. The maximum adsorption capacity for ammonium was 10.48 mg/g. The adsorption mechanism was a combination of ion exchange and electrostatic interaction. In an authentic stormwater sample, the synthesised adsorbent removed 64.2% of ammonium and reduced the amount of heavy metal contaminants including Mn, Ni, Cu and Zn. Furthermore, the ammonium loading on MT/Fe3O4 during adsorption functionalised the adsorbent surface. Additionally, the spent nanocomposite showed potential for rare earth elements (REEs) adsorption as a secondary application, especially for the selective adsorption of Sc3+. The versatile application of montmorillonite-anchored magnetite nanocomposite makes it a promising adsorbent for water treatment.

Graphic abstract
Challenges and opportunities in accessing mobile phone data for COVID-19 response in developing countries
Authors: Milusheva Sveta , Lewin Anat , Begazo Gomez Tania , Matekenya Dunstan , Reid Kyla
Published: September 2021

Anonymous and aggregated statistics derived from mobile phone data have proven efficacy as a proxy for human mobility in international development work and as inputs to epidemiological modeling of the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Despite the widely accepted promise of such data for better development outcomes, challenges persist in their systematic use across countries. This is not only the case for steady-state development use cases such as in the transport or urban development sectors, but also for sudden-onset emergencies such as epidemics in the health sector or natural disasters in the environment sector. This article documents an effort to gain systematized access to and use of anonymized, aggregated mobile phone data across 41 countries, leading to fruitful collaborations in nine developing countries over the course of one year. The research identifies recurring roadblocks and replicable successes, offers lessons learned, and calls for a bold vision for future successes. An emerging model for a future that enables steady-state access to insights derived from mobile big data - such that they are available over time for development use cases - will require investments in coalition building across multiple stakeholders, including local researchers and organizations, awareness raising of various key players, demand generation and capacity building, creation and adoption of standards to facilitate access to data and their ethical use, an enabling regulatory environment and long-term financing schemes to fund these activities.
Connecting Reproductive Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law: Lessons from Poland in Times of COVID-19
Authors: Krajewska Atina
Published: September 2021

This article examines the relationship between reproductive rights, democracy, and the rule of law in transitional societies. As a case study, it examines the development of abortion law in Poland. The article makes three primary claims. First, it argues that the relationship between reproductive rights and the rule of law in Poland came clearly into view through the abortion judgment K 1/20, handed down by the Constitutional Tribunal in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The judgment and the context in which it was issued and published are interpreted as reflections of deep-lying processes and problems in Polish society. Consequently, second, the article argues that analysis of the history of reproductive rights in recent decades in Poland reveals weak institutionalization of the rule of law. This is manifest in the ways in which different professional groups, especially doctors and lawyers, have addressed questions regarding abortion law. Therefore, third, the article argues that any assessment of the rule of law should take into account how powerful professional actors and organizations interact with the law. The Polish case study shows that reproductive rights should be seen as important parts of a “litmus test,” which we can use to examine the efficacy of democratic transitions and the quality of the democracies in which such transitions result.
Feasibility of implementing a culturally adapted Prolonged Grief Disorder scale in the mental healthcare system in Nepal
Authors: Kim Yoona , Ghimire Asmita , Lasater Molly E. , Kohrt Brandon A. , Surkan Pamela J. , Luitel Nagendra P.
Published: September 2021

Background

Nepali widows have a high prevalence of mental disorders, including prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Despite the considerable needs that Nepali widows have for mental health services, resources for mental health in Nepal are limited, amplifying the importance of accurate screening and diagnosis. The objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of implementing a culturally adapted Prolonged Grief Scale (PG-12/17-N) and provide actionable recommendations for its implementation.

Methods

Twenty-five mental health service providers in Kathmandu and Chitwan, Nepal were interviewed using a semi-structured guide based on selected constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Qualitative data were inductively and deductively coded and analyzed to identify prominent themes.

Results

Providers reported that the main advantages of the scale were the need to identify widows at risk, cultural relevance, easy language, and inclusion of detailed and specific symptoms. Perceived weaknesses included the complexity in response options and scoring, length, item redundancy, overlap with depression symptoms, and lack of somatic symptoms. Providers discussed the need for training, supervision, and a referral and detection system required to implement the scale in Nepal. Further development of a brief version of the scale as a routine screener may facilitate detection and referral to care.

Conclusion

Based on the results showing need to address PGD in Nepali widows, further efforts are needed to increase awareness about PGD and develop evidence-supported treatments for PGD, after which screening could be made routine for widows.
Charge transport equation for bidisperse collisional granular flows with non-equipartitioned fluctuating kinetic energy
Authors: Ceresiat Lise , Kolehmainen Jari , Ozel Ali
Published: September 2021

Starting from the Boltzmann–Enskog kinetic equations, the charge transport equation for bidisperse granular flows with contact electrification is derived with separate mean velocities, total kinetic energies, charges and charge variances for each solid phase. To close locally averaged transport equations, a Maxwellian distribution is presumed for both particle velocity and charge. The hydrodynamic equations for bidisperse solid mixtures are first revisited and the resulting model consisting of the transport equations of mass, momentum, total kinetic energy, which is the sum of the granular temperature and the trace of fluctuating kinetic tensor, and charge is then presented. The charge transfer between phases and the charge build-up within a phase are modelled with local charge and effective work function differences between phases and the local electric field. The revisited hydrodynamic equations and the derived charge transport equation with constitutive relations are assessed through hard-sphere simulations of three-dimensional spatially homogeneous, quasi-one-dimensional spatially inhomogeneous bidisperse granular gases and a three-dimensional segregating bidisperse granular flow with conducting walls.
Return to classes impact on mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Seffrin Aldo , Puccinelli Paulo J. , Vivan Lavinia , Vancini Rodrigo L. , de Lira Claudio A. B. , Nikolaidis Pantelis T. , Rosemann Thomas , Knechtle Beat , Andrade Marilia S.
Published: September 2021

Background:

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the necessary social isolation and distancing measures – that were adopted to prevent spreading the virus, including the suspension of university classes – negatively impacted the mental health of young adults. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether returning to online classes, even not presential, during the social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, affected the mental health of university students.

Methods:

Forty students (10 men and 30 women) (age, 22.3 ± 3.8 years; body mass, 62.5 ± 17.8 kg; height, 165.6 ± 8.7 cm) from undergraduate health courses participated in the study. The students answered a self-administered questionnaire designed to gather personal and quarantine information as well as information about the frequency of depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms. The questionnaire was answered before and after the return to online classes.

Results:

There was a significantly lower frequency of depression symptoms after the return to online classes (Z = −2.27; p = 0.02). However, there was no difference in anxiety symptoms before and after returning to online classes (Z = −0.51; p = 0.61).

Conclusions:

Return to online classes positively impacted the mental health (decrease of frequency of depression symptoms) of university students. Future studies are needed to observe whether the changes observed after returning to school are maintained over time.
Old Cups Die Hard: The Appropriation of Athenian Pottery in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Rodríguez Pérez Diana
Published: September 2021

The Iberian archaeological record is particularly rich in asynchronous (i.e. chronologically mixed) assemblages including Athenian pots that predate the other items by a couple of decades or even a few centuries. Recent scholarship onkeimëlia, or ‘curated objects’ in modern parlance, has shown the potential of such objects to investigate questions of identity, agency and history-making among the receiving communities, but also to shed light on the role of Athenian pottery among them. This article analyses this phenomenon within the Iberian peninsula, focusing on drinking cups, both black-gloss with inset lip (Cástulo cups) and red-figure type B cups. Using case studies from necropoleis and settlements of the southeast and east of the peninsula, the article explores the reasons and meaning of this consumption practice. It is argued that the occurrence of ‘heirloom’ vases in Iberian tombs and their extraordinary survival in some settlements is the result of a conscious and deliberate choice indicating the existence of mechanisms of social distinction based on a diacritical use of material culture. It is further argued that different motivations might lie behind their delayed deposition: when the chronological gap between production and disposal dates is small, one or two human generations, curated Athenian vases worked similarly to non-curated ones, being emblematic of economic success, social affiliations and political rank. But when the interval is longer, Athenian pots became symbols of ancestry and elite status, possibly acquiring the same legitimizing role earlier bestowed upon Orientalizing artefacts. Supplementary material is available online (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0075426921000094) and comprises a catalogue of case-study objects.
Prepositional phrases and case in North American (heritage) Icelandic
Authors: Dehé Nicole , Kupisch Tanja
Published: September 2021

The paper investigates the use of PPs, specifically prepositions and the case marking on their DP arguments, in moribund North American (heritage) Icelandic (NAmIce), using data from a map task experiment. Since prepositional phrases combine semantic properties with morpho-syntactic properties, PPs allow us to investigate the relative vulnerability of both domains at once. Our results show that while the prepositional inventory of NAmIce is not reduced as compared to Modern Icelandic, the choice of prepositions is subject to crosslinguistic influence from the dominant language English. For case, we find an increase in the use of nominative and accusative case at the expense of the dative; prepositions may take over case functions too. Our results are in line with previous research on case in heritage languages as well as studies on language change, while partially contradicting the assumption that loss is reversely related to acquisition.
The development of depressogenic self-schemas: Associations with children's regional grey matter volume in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex
Authors: Liu Pan , Hayden Elizabeth P. , Dougherty Lea R. , Leung Hoi-Chung , Goldstein Brandon , Klein Daniel N.
Published: September 2021

Cognitive theories of depression contend that biased cognitive information processing plays a causal role in the development of depression. Extensive research shows that deeper processing of negative and/or shallower processing of positive self-descriptors (i.e., negative and positive self-schemas) predicts current and future depression in adults and children. However, the neural correlates of the development of self-referent encoding are poorly understood. We examined children's self-referential processing using the self-referent encoding task (SRET) collected from 74 children at ages 6, 9, and 12; around age 10, these children also contributed structural magnetic resonance imaging data. From age 6 to age 12, both positive and negative self-referential processing showed mean-level growth, with positive self-schemas increasing relatively faster than negative ones. Further, voxel-based morphometry showed that slower growth in positive self-schemas was associated with lower regional gray matter volume (GMV) in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC). Our results suggest that smaller regional GMV within vlPFC, a critical region for regulatory control in affective processing and emotion development, may have implications for the development of depressogenic self-referential processing in mid-to-late childhood.
Corpo Ranfla: Inter Rim
Authors: esparza rafa
Published: September 2021

Corpo Ranfla explored formal aspects of “body-ness” in relation to cruising: lowrider car cruising and gay cruising. Mario Ayala, Tanya Melendez, and I worked my body into a lowrider car by giving it a paint job using an airbrush machine. At the helm of this production was my interest in the history of anthropomorphism, particularly of Mexican-Azteca iconography that illustrates the relationship between humans and nature. Inter Rim is a collage composition that takes on some questions that remain boisterous even after Corpo Ranfla materialized on my body: How can a lowriding body move? What attributes of a car, a machine, might a body take on as its own? What is there to gather about my and other bodies, the street, a neighborhood, one’s city, and the spaces between destinations when becoming a lowrider car?
Engaging with Decolonisation, Tackling Antigypsyism: Lessons from Teaching Romani Studies at the Central European University in Hungary
Authors: Brooks Ethel , Clark Colin , Rostas Iulius
Published: September 2021

In discussions about ‘race’, empire, imperialism – and the decolonisation of the curriculum in European universities – the discipline of Romani Studies has, until recently, been relatively quiet. This article seeks to address this silence and offers commentary on the institutional silences, via both disciplinary historical and contemporary country-specific analysis. A case study is investigated to tease out the ontological and epistemological transitions from early 19th Century Gypsylorism to 21st Century Critical Romani Studies: the teaching and learning of Romani Studies at the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest. We argue that the legacy of Gypsylorism, as much as the political climate in which the teaching and learning of contemporary Romani Studies occurs, are important aspects to consider. In moving forwards, we suggest that the models and pedagogies adopted at CEU since 2015 offer a useful and critical template for other universities and departments to consider adopting in progressing Romani knowledge production.
The Rorschach and Violent Crime
Authors: de Ruiter Corine
Published: September 2021

Abstract. Over the years, a significant number of Rorschach studies have been conducted with forensic adult and adolescent samples, partly motivated by the use of the test in forensic psychological evaluations. Could the Rorschach, as a performance-based personality assessment tool, provide unique information that is not as vulnerable to distortion on the part of the examinee as self-report measures are? This article provides a review of Rorschach studies on relevant Rorschach variables, including those with different forensic samples. Empirical findings are mixed; there is not a one-on-one relationship between certain Rorschach variables and forensically relevant traits, such as psychopathy or hostility. This does not mean the Rorschach cannot provide useful information in answering psychological questions before the court. A case illustration of a male college student, who committed a (first) violent offense, illustrates the unique contribution of the Rorschach for understanding the psychological dynamics behind a violent act that was seemingly out of character.
Can Neuroscience Provide a New Foundation for the Rorschach Variables?
Authors: Jimura Koji , Asari Tomoki , Nakamura Noriko
Published: September 2021

Abstract. Recent progress in neuroscience has made it possible to use neurophysiological techniques to validate and deepen the interpretation of Rorschach variables. The aim of this article is to review the results from Rorschach studies using the neurophysiological approach to discuss the consistencies and inconsistencies between the different results, and then to consider the future direction of Rorschach research in this area. We also provide unpublished data to complement the picture from peer-reviewed studies. Two main approaches to neuropsychological studies on the Rorschach exist. One approach is to measure brain activities directly during the Rorschach administration; a series of studies using multiple neurophysiological methods revealed activation of the mirror neuron system with relation to human movement responses. Another possible approach is to investigate whether individual differences in Rorschach scores can be explained by neurophysiological measurements during the administration of another psychological task. This article reviews how these two approaches provide novel insights into the Rorschach Test.
Tectonic Accretion Controls Erosional Cyclicity in the Himalaya
Authors: Mandal Sanjay Kumar , Scherler Dirk , Wittmann Hella
Published: September 2021

The evolution of Earth's climate over geological timescales is linked to surface erosion via weathering of silicate minerals and burial of organic carbon. However, methodological difficulties in reconstructing erosion rates through time and feedbacks among tectonics, climate, and erosion spurred an ongoing debate on mountain erosion sensitivity to tectonic and climate forcing. At the heart of this debate is the question of whether late Cenozoic climate cooling has increased global erosion rates or not. The Himalaya plays a prominent role in this debate as its erosion produces a large fraction of global sediments delivered to ocean basins. We report a 6‐Myr‐long record of ‐derived erosion rates from the north‐western Himalaya, which indicates that erosion rates in this region varied quasi‐cyclically with a period of ∼1 Myr and increased gradually toward the present. We hypothesize that the observed pattern of erosion rates occurred in response to the tectonic growth of the Himalaya by punctuated basal and frontal accretion of rocks from the underthrusting Indian plate and concomitant changes in topography. In this scenario, basal accretion episodically changes rock‐uplift patterns, which brings landscapes out of equilibrium and results in quasi‐cyclic variations in erosion rates. We used numerical landscape evolution simulations to demonstrate that this hypothesis is physically plausible. We attribute the long‐term increase in erosion rates to the erosional response of topography due to frequent basal accretion relative to frontal accretion. Because tectonic accretion processes are inherent to collisional orogenesis, they likely confound climatic interpretations of erosion rate histories.
When Rivers Are Contaminated, Floods Are Only the First Problem
Authors: Besl J.
Published: September 2021

As floods increase in frequency and intensity, chemicals buried in river sediments become “ticking time bombs” waiting to activate.
2021 AGU Section Awardees and Named Lecturers
Authors: Lozier Susan , Myles LaToya
Published: September 2021

Congratulations to the 2021 section award recipients and named lecturers!
Dehydration of plant cells shoves nuclei rotation allowing for 3D phase-contrast tomography
Authors: Wang Zhe , Bianco Vittorio , Pirone Daniele , Memmolo Pasquale , Villone Massimiliano Maria , Maffettone Pier Luca , Ferraro Pietro
Published: September 2021

Single-cell phase-contrast tomography promises to become decisive for studying 3D intracellular structures in biology. It involves probing cells with light at wide angles, which unfortunately requires complex systems. Here we show an intriguing concept based on an inherent natural process for plants biology, i.e., dehydration, allowing us to easily obtain 3D-tomography of onion-epidermal cells’ nuclei. In fact, the loss of water reduces the turgor pressure and we recognize it induces significant rotation of cells’ nuclei. Thanks to the holographic focusing flexibility and an ad-hoc angles’ tracking algorithm, we combine different phase-contrast views of the nuclei to retrieve their 3D refractive index distribution. Nucleolus identification capability and a strategy for measuring morphology, dry mass, biovolume, and refractive index statistics are reported and discussed. This new concept could revolutionize the investigation in plant biology by enabling dynamic 3D quantitative and label-free analysis at sub-nuclear level using a conventional holographic setup.
Who benefits most from expectancy effects? A combined neuroimaging and antidepressant trial in depressed older adults
Authors: Zilcha-Mano Sigal , Wallace Meredith L. , Brown Patrick J. , Sneed Joel , Roose Steven P. , Rutherford Bret R.
Published: September 2021

Depressed patients’ expectations of improvement drive placebo effects in antidepressant clinical trials, yet there is considerable heterogeneity in the magnitude of expectancy effects. The present study seeks to identify those individuals who benefit most from expectancy effects using baseline neuroimaging and cognitive measures. Older adult outpatients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) participated in a prospective, 8-week clinical trial in which expectancy was experimentally manipulated and its effects on depression outcome measured. Based on the literature, we selected a priori 12 cognitive and brain-based variables linked to depression and expectancy, together with demographic variables, and incorporated them into a combined moderator. The combined moderator was developed as a weighted combination of the individual moderators, and was used to identify individuals who benefited most from expectancy effects. The combined moderator was found to predict differential change in depression severity scores between the high- vs. low-expectancy groups with a medium-size effect (Spearman effect size: 0.28). While at the sample level no expectancy effect was found, the combined moderator divided older adults with MDD into those who did and those who did not improve as the result of expectancy manipulation, with those benefiting from the manipulation showing greater processing speed, executive function, and frontostriatal white matter tract integrity. The findings suggest that it is possible to identify a subgroup of older adult individuals with MDD for whom expectancy manipulation results in greater antidepressant treatment response, supporting a precision medicine approach. This subgroup is characterized by distinct cognitive dysfunction and neuroimaging impairments profiles.
Phase diagram of YbZnGaO4 in applied magnetic field
Authors: Steinhardt William , Maksimov P. A. , Dissanayake Sachith , Shi Zhenzhong , Butch Nicholas P. , Graf David , Podlesnyak Andrey , Liu Yaohua , Zhao Yang , Xu Guangyong , Lynn Jeffrey W. , Marjerrison Casey , Chernyshev A. L. , Haravifard Sara
Published: September 2021

Recently, Yb-based triangular-lattice antiferromagnets have garnered significant interest as possible quantum spin-liquid candidates. One example is YbMgGaO4, which showed many promising spin-liquid features, but also possesses a high degree of disorder owing to site-mixing between the non-magnetic cations. To further elucidate the role of chemical disorder and to explore the phase diagram of these materials in applied field, we present neutron scattering and sensitive magnetometry measurements of the closely related compound, YbZnGaO4. Our results suggest a difference in magnetic anisotropy between the two compounds, and we use key observations of the magnetic phase crossover to motivate an exploration of the field- and exchange parameter-dependent phase diagram, providing an expanded view of the available magnetic states in applied field. This enriched map of the phase space serves as a basis to restrict the values of parameters describing the magnetic Hamiltonian with broad application to recently discovered related materials.
Language and nonlanguage factors in foreign language learning: evidence for the learning condition hypothesis
Authors: Kang Xin , Matthews Stephen , Yip Virginia , Wong Patrick C. M.
Published: September 2021

The question of why native and foreign languages are learned with a large performance gap has prompted language researchers to hypothesize that they are subserved by fundamentally different mechanisms. However, this hypothesis may not have taken into account that these languages can be learned under different conditions (e.g., naturalistic vs. classroom settings). With a large sample of 636 third language (L3) learners who learned Chinese and English as their first (L1) and second (L2) languages, the present study examined the association of learning success across L1–L3. We argue that learning conditions may reveal how these languages are associated in terms of learning success. Because these languages were learned under a continuum of naturalistic to classroom conditions from L1 to L3, this sample afforded us a unique opportunity to evaluate the hypothesis that similar learning conditions between languages could be an important driving force determining language learning success. After controlling for nonlanguage factors such as musical background and motivational factors and using a convergence of analytics including the general linear models, the structural equation models, and machine learning, we found that the closer two languages were on the continuum of learning conditions, the stronger their association of learning success. Specifically, we found a significant association between L1 and L2 and between L2 and L3, but not between L1 and L3. Our results suggest that learning conditions may have important implications for the learning success of L1–L3.
Using supervised learning to develop BaRAD, a 40-year monthly bias-adjusted global gridded radiation dataset
Authors: Chakraborty T. C. , Lee Xuhui
Published: September 2021

Diffuse solar radiation is an important, but understudied, component of the Earth’s surface radiation budget, with most global climate models not archiving this variable and a dearth of ground-based observations. Here, we describe the development of a global 40-year (1980–2019) monthly database of total shortwave radiation, including its diffuse and direct beam components, called BaRAD (Bias-adjusted RADiation dataset). The dataset is based on a random forest algorithm trained using Global Energy Balance Archive (GEBA) observations and applied to the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) dataset at the native MERRA-2 resolution (0.5° by 0.625°). The dataset preserves seasonal, latitudinal, and long-term trends in the MERRA-2 data, but with reduced biases than MERRA-2. The mean bias error is close to 0 (root mean square error = 10.1 W m−2) for diffuse radiation and −0.2 W m−2 (root mean square error = 19.2 W m−2) for the total incoming shortwave radiation at the surface. Studies on atmosphere-biosphere interactions, especially those on the diffuse radiation fertilization effect, can benefit from this dataset.
Modality-specific attractor dynamics in dyadic entrainment
Authors: Rosso Mattia , Maes Pieter J. , Leman Marc
Published: September 2021

Rhythmic joint coordination is ubiquitous in daily-life human activities. In order to coordinate their actions towards shared goals, individuals need to co-regulate their timing and move together at the collective level of behavior. Remarkably, basic forms of coordinated behavior tend to emerge spontaneously as long as two individuals are exposed to each other’s rhythmic movements. The present study investigated the dynamics of spontaneous dyadic entrainment, and more specifically how they depend on the sensory modalities mediating informational coupling. By means of a novel interactive paradigm, we showed that dyadic entrainment systematically takes place during a minimalistic rhythmic task despite explicit instructions to ignore the partner. Crucially, the interaction was organized by clear dynamics in a modality-dependent fashion. Our results showed highly consistent coordination patterns in visually-mediated entrainment, whereas we observed more chaotic and more variable profiles in the auditorily-mediated counterpart. The proposed experimental paradigm yields empirical evidence for the overwhelming tendency of dyads to behave as coupled rhythmic units. In the context of our experimental design, it showed that coordination dynamics differ according to availability and nature of perceptual information. Interventions aimed at rehabilitating, teaching or training sensorimotor functions can be ultimately informed and optimized by such fundamental knowledge.
Superconducting edge states in a topological insulator
Authors: Yurkevich I. V. , Kagalovsky V.
Published: September 2021

We study the stability of multiple conducting edge states in a topological insulator against perturbations allowed by the time-reversal symmetry. A system is modeled as a multi-channel Luttinger liquid, with the number of channels equal to the number of Kramers doublets at the edge. Assuming strong interactions and weak disorder, we first formulate a low-energy effective theory for a clean translation invariant system and then include the disorder terms allowed by the time-reversal symmetry. In a clean system with N Kramers doublets, N − 1 edge states are gapped by Josephson couplings and the single remaining gapless mode describes collective motion of Cooper pairs synchronous across the channels. Disorder perturbation in this regime, allowed by the time reversal symmetry is a simultaneous backscattering of particles in all N channels. Its relevance depends strongly on the parity if the number of channel N is not very large. Our main result is that disorder becomes irrelevant with the increase of the number of edge modes leading to the stability of the edge states superconducting regime even for repulsive interactions.
Rheotaxis-based sperm separation using a biomimicry microfluidic device
Authors: Sarbandi Iman Ramazani , Lesani Ali , Moghimi Zand Mahdi , Nosrati Reza
Published: September 2021

Sperm selection is crucial to assisted reproduction, influencing the success rate of the treatment cycle and offspring health. However, in the current clinical sperm selection practices, bypassing almost all the natural selection barriers is a major concern. Here, we present a biomimicry microfluidic method, inspired by the anatomy of the female reproductive tract, that separates motile sperm based on their rheotaxis behavior to swim against the flow into low shear rate regions. The device includes micropocket geometries that recall the oval-shaped microstructures of the female fallopian tube to create shear protected zones for sperm separation. Clinical tests with human samples indicate that the device is capable of isolating viable and highly motile sperm based on their rheotaxis responses, resulting in a separation efficiency of 100%. The device presents an automated alternative for the current sperm selection practices in assisted reproduction.
Efficient electromagnetic transducers for spin-wave devices
Authors: Connelly David A. , Csaba Gyorgy , Aquino Hadrian Renaldo O. , Bernstein Gary H. , Orlov Alexei , Porod Wolfgang , Chisum Jonathan
Published: September 2021

This paper presents a system-level efficiency analysis, a rapid design methodology, and a numerical demonstration of efficient sub-micron, spin-wave transducers in a microwave system. Applications such as Boolean spintronics, analog spin-wave-computing, and magnetic microwave circuits are expected to benefit from this analysis and design approach. These applications have the potential to provide a low-power, magnetic paradigm alternative to modern electronic systems, but they have been stymied by a limited understanding of the microwave, system-level design for spin-wave circuits. This paper proposes an end-to-end microwave/spin-wave system model that permits the use of classical microwave network analysis and matching theory towards analyzing and designing efficient transduction systems. This paper further compares magnetostatic-wave transducer theory to electromagnetic simulations and finds close agreement, indicating that the theory, despite simplifying assumptions, is useful for rapid yet accurate transducer design. It further suggests that the theory, when modified to include the exchange interaction, will also be useful to rapidly and accurately design transducers launching magnons at exchange wavelengths. Comparisons are made between microstrip and co-planar waveguide lines, which are expedient, narrowband, and low-efficiency transducers, and grating and meander lines that are capable of high-efficiency and wideband performance. The paper concludes that efficient microwave-to-spin-wave transducers are possible and presents a meander transducer design on YIG capable of launching $$\varvec{\lambda = 500}\,$$

λ
=
500

nm spin waves with an efficiency of − 4.45 dB and a 3 dB-bandwidth of 134 MHz.
Multi-scale guided feature extraction and classification algorithm for hyperspectral images
Authors: Huang Shiqi , Lu Ying , Wang Wenqing , Sun Ke
Published: September 2021

To solve the problem that the traditional hyperspectral image classification method cannot effectively distinguish the boundary of objects with a single scale feature, which leads to low classification accuracy, this paper introduces the idea of guided filtering into hyperspectral image classification, and then proposes a multi-scale guided feature extraction and classification (MGFEC) algorithm for hyperspectral images. Firstly, the principal component analysis theory is used to reduce the dimension of hyperspectral image data. Then, guided filtering algorithm is used to achieve multi-scale spatial structure extraction of hyperspectral image by setting different sizes of filtering windows, so as to retain more edge details. Finally, the extracted multi-scale features are input into the support vector machine classifier for classification. Several practical hyperspectral image datasets were used to verify the experiment, and compared with other spectral feature extraction algorithms. The experimental results show that the multi-scale features extracted by the MGFEC algorithm proposed in this paper are more accurate than those extracted by only using spectral information, which leads to the improvement of the final classification accuracy. This fully shows that the proposed method is not only effective, but also suitable for processing different hyperspectral image data.
The effect of two ribonucleases on the production of Shiga toxin and stx-bearing bacteriophages in Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli
Authors: Lodato Patricia B.
Published: September 2021

Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) comprise a group of intestinal pathogens responsible for a range of illnesses, including kidney failure and neurological compromise. EHEC produce critical virulence factors, Shiga toxin (Stx) 1 or 2, and the synthesis of Stx2 is associated with worse disease manifestations. Infected patients only receive supportive treatment because some conventional antibiotics enable toxin production. Shiga toxin 2 genes (stx2) are carried in λ-like bacteriophages (stx2-phages) inserted into the EHEC genome as prophages. Factors that cause DNA damage induce the lytic cycle of stx2-phages, leading to Stx2 production. The phage Q protein is critical for transcription antitermination of stx2 and phage lytic genes. This study reports that deficiency of two endoribonucleases (RNases), E and G, significantly delayed cell lysis and impaired production of both Stx2 and stx2-phages, unlike deficiency of either enzyme alone. Moreover, scarcity of both enzymes reduced the concentrations of Q and stx2 transcripts and slowed cell growth.
Physicochemical, antioxidant properties of carotenoids and its optoelectronic and interaction studies with chlorophyll pigments
Authors: Srivastava Ruby
Published: September 2021

The physicochemical and antioxidant properties of seven carotenoids: antheraxanthin, β-carotene, neoxanthin, peridinin, violaxanthin, xanthrophyll and zeaxanthin were studied by theoretical means. Then the Optoelectronic properties and interaction of chlorophyll-carotenoid complexes are analysed by TDDFT and IGMPLOT. Global reactivity descriptors for carotenoids and chlorophyll (Chla, Chlb) are calculated via conceptual density functional theory (CDFT). The higher HOMO–LUMO (HL) gap indicated structural stability of carotenoid, chlorophyll and chlorophyll-carotenoid complexes. The chemical hardness for carotenoids and Chlorophyll is found to be lower in the solvent medium than in the gas phase. Results showed that carotenoids can be used as good reactive nucleophile due to lower µ and ω. As proton affinities (PAs) are much lower than the bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs), it is anticipated that direct antioxidant activity in these carotenoids is mainly due to the sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET) mechanism with dominant solvent effects. Also lower PAs of carotenoid suggest that antioxidant activity by the SPLET mechanism should be a result of a balance between proclivities to transfer protons. Reaction rate constant with Transition-State Theory (TST) were estimated for carotenoid-Chlorophyll complexes in gas phase. Time dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) showed that all the chlorophyll (Chla, Chlb)–carotenoid complexes show absorption wavelength in the visible region. The lower S1–T1adiabatic energy gap indicated ISC transition from S1to T1state.