bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Future Food Production Prediction Using AROA Based Hybrid Deep Learning Model in Agri-Sector
Authors: Baswaraju Swathi , Maheswari V. Uma , Chennam krishna Keerthi , Thirumalraj Arunadevi , Kantipudi M. V. V. Prasad , Aluvalu Rajanikanth
Published: October 2023

Policymaking and administration of national tactics of action for food security rely heavily on advances in models for accurate estimation of food output. In several fields, including food science and engineering, machine learning (ML) has been established to be an effective tool for data investigation and modelling. There has been a rise in recent years in the application of ML models to the tracking and forecasting of food safety. In our analysis, we focused on two sources of food production: livestock production and agricultural production. Livestock production was measured in terms of yield, number of animals, and sum of animals slaughtered; crop output was measured in terms of yields and losses. An innovative hybrid deep learning model is proposed in this paper by fusing a Dense Convolutional Network (DenseNet) with a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) to do production analysis. The hybridised algorithm, or A-ROA for short, combines the Arithmetic Optimisation Algorithm (AOA) and the Rider Optimisation Algorithm (ROA) to determine the ideal weight of the LSTM. The current investigation focuses on Iran as a case study. Therefore, we have collected FAOSTAT time series data on livestock and farming outputs in Iran from 1961 to 2017. Findings from this study can help policymakers plan for future generations' food safety and supply by providing a model to anticipate the upcoming food construction.
Introduction to Electrodynamics
Authors: Griffiths David J.
Published: October 2023

In this new edition of the standard undergraduate textbook on electricity and magnetism, David Griffiths provides expanded discussions on topics such as the nature of field lines, the crystal ambiguity, eddy currents, and the Thomson kink model. Ideal for junior and senior undergraduate students from physics and electrical engineering, the book now includes many new examples and problems, including numerical applications (in Mathematica) to reflect the increasing importance of computational techniques in contemporary physics. Many figures have been redrawn, while updated references to recent research articles not only emphasize that new discoveries are constantly made in this field, but also help to expand readers' understanding of the topic and of its importance in current physics research.
Primary cementing of vertical wells: displacement and dispersion effects in narrow eccentric annuli. Part 2. Flow behaviour and classification
Authors: Zhang R. , Frigaard I.A.
Published: October 2023

We present results for Newtonian laminar miscible displacement flows in a narrow, vertical, eccentric annulus, obtained from experiments carried out in a scaled laboratory set-up. These are compared with two computational models introduced in Part 1, Zhang & Frigaard (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 947, 2022, A732). Quite close matches have been found for different approaches, regarding the overall evolving displacement process: front shape, dispersion levels and front velocities. Standardized criteria have been established to identify whether a flow has steady/unsteady and dispersive/non-dispersive displacement front, applicable to both concentric and eccentric annuli. Three characteristic flows have been observed, unsteady and dispersive, dispersive with steady front, and non-dispersive with steady front. Through both qualitative and quantitative studies, the importance of the buoyancy number has been established: it both restrains dispersion on the annular gap scale and induces secondary flows in the azimuthal direction.
Adjoint-based high-order spectral method of wave simulation for coastal bathymetry reconstruction
Authors: Wu Jie , Hao Xuanting , Li Tianyi , Shen Lian
Published: October 2023

Bathymetry is an important factor affecting wave propagation in coastal environments but is often challenging to measure in practice. We propose a method for inferring coastal bathymetry from spatial variations in surface waves by combining a high-order spectral method for wave simulation and an adjoint-based variational data assimilation method. Recursion-formed adjoint equations are derived to obtain the sensitivity of the wave surface elevation to the underlying bottom topography to any desired order of nonlinear perturbation. We also develop a multiscale optimisation method to eliminate spurious high-wavenumber fluctuations in the reconstructed bathymetry data caused by sensitivity variations over the different length scales of surface waves. The proposed bottom detection method is validated with a realistic coastal wave environment involving complex two-dimensional bathymetry features, non-periodic incident waves and nonlinear broadband multidirectional waves. In numerical experiments at both laboratory and field scales, the bathymetry reconstructed from our method agrees well with the ground truth. We also show that our method is robust against imperfect surface wave data in the presence of limited sampling frequency and noise.
Sexual Harassment in Irregular Chinese Workplaces: Business Dinners, Team-Building Activities, and Social Media
Authors: Duan Jiahui
Published: October 2023

Much of the social and economic inequality that sexual harassment perpetuates is created in the workplace. But research has not always acknowledged the fluid and changing nature of workspaces. This article argues that irregular workspaces and activities—bars and other social drinking sites at which yingchou (business drinking activities) take place, team building, and the WeChat social media platform—are significant sites of sexual harassment in China. These irregular workplaces play a significant role in working life in China, and their informality has made them prone to sexual harassment in the context of deeply entrenched gender norms and vertical power hierarchy.
Releasing the Government from Acting Reasonably; or, the Government Says Goodbye to Reasonableness
Authors: Kremnitzer Mordechai
Published: October 2023

The Knesset has recently amended Basic Law: The Judiciary to eliminate the ability of the courts to issue an injunction against the government or any of its ministers based on the reasonableness of their decisions. This article examines this amendment from various angles. The first section posits the amendment as part of a larger plan of the coalition to eliminate judicial review and provide the government with unlimited power. The second section emphasises that the amendment was legislated by the Knesset for itself, raising concern over a conflict of interest. This is followed by a brief explanation of the reasonableness standard in Israeli law, and an assessment of the duty to act reasonably, which stems from the democratic principle of the rule of law. The next two sections assess the many risks that the amendment creates, such as the types of decision that could be made without adhering to a standard of reasonableness, and the trimming of the power of the Attorney General as a legal ‘gatekeeper’. Special emphasis is given to the dangers that the amendment holds for the quality and diversity of the civil service. Finally, the article discusses the multiple reasons why the government should not be immune from a reasonableness check and tackles the arguments against the use of the standard of reasonableness by the courts.

This multifaceted analysis leads to the conclusion that the elimination of the reasonableness standard undermines basic features of democracy and fractures the social contract between the citizens and the government. Therefore, it should not be immune from judicial review.
Counting hiddenness: cognitive science and the distribution of belief in God
Authors: Green Adam
Published: October 2023

Establishing the distribution of belief in something, especially something that spans cultures and times, requires close attention to empirical evidence and to certain inadequacies in our concept of belief. Arguments from divine hiddenness have quickly become one of the most important argument types in the philosophy of religion. These arguments and responses to them typically rely on robust but relatively undefended empirical commitments as to the distribution of belief in God. This article synthesizes results from psychology, anthropology, and the cognitive science of religion to show that the distribution of belief in God is much more messy and much more philosophically interesting than is currently appreciated. I then derive some implications for how one might reconceive the hiddenness debate in light of these findings.
Perception of cognitive change by individuals with Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor seeking deep brain stimulation: Utility of the cognitive change index
Authors: Rodriguez Katie , Schade Rachel N. , Lopez Francesca V. , Kenney Lauren E. , Ratajska Adrianna M. , Gertler Joshua , Bowers Dawn
Published: October 2023

Objective:

The Cognitive Change Index (CCI-20) is a validated questionnaire that assesses subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) across memory, language, and executive domains. We aimed to: (a) examine the internal consistency and construct validity of the CCI-20 in patients with movement disorders and (b) learn how the CCI-20 corresponds to objective neuropsychological and mood performance in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) or essential tremor (ET) seeking deep brain stimulation (DBS).

Methods:

216 participants (N = 149 PD; N = 67 ET) underwent neuropsychological evaluation and received the CCI-20. The proposed domains of the CCI-20 were examined via confirmatory (CFA) and exploratory (EFA) factor analyses. Hierarchical regressions were used to assess the relationship among subjective cognitive complaints, neuropsychological performance and mood symptoms.

Results:

PD and ET groups were similar across neuropsychological, mood, and CCI-20 scores and were combined into one group who was well educated (m = 15.01 ± 2.92), in their mid-60’s (m = 67.72 ± 9.33), predominantly male (63%), and non-Hispanic White (93.6%). Previously proposed 3-domain CCI-20 model failed to achieve adequate fit. Subsequent EFA revealed two CCI-20 factors: memory and non-memory (p < 0.001; CFI = 0.924). Regressions indicated apathy and depressive symptoms were associated with greater memory and total cognitive complaints, while poor executive function and anxiety were associated with more non-memory complaints.

Conclusion:

Two distinct dimensions were identified in the CCI-20: memory and non-memory complaints. Non-memory complaints were indicative of worse executive function, consistent with PD and ET cognitive profiles. Mood significantly contributed to all CCI-20 dimensions. Future studies should explore the utility of SCCs in predicting cognitive decline in these populations.
Comparing meat and meat alternatives: an analysis of nutrient quality in five European countries
Authors: Petersen Thies , Hirsch Stefan
Published: October 2023

Objective:

To assess and compare the (macro-)nutritional composition of red meat (RM) and poultry meat (PM) products with the emerging category of meat substitutes.

Design:

We use information on nutritional values per 100 g to estimate the differences in the nutritional composition between RM, PM, vegan meat substitute (VMS) and non-vegan meat substitute (NVMS) and derive six unique meat product clusters to enhance the comparability.

Setting:

Meat markets from five major European countries: France, Germany, UK, Italy and Spain.

Participants/Data:

Product innovation data for 19 941 products from Mintel’s Global New Product Database from 2010 to 2020.

Results:

Most of the innovations in the sample are RM products (55 %), followed by poultry (30 %), VMS (11 %) and NVMS (5 %). RM products exhibit a significantly higher energy content in kcal/100 g as well as fat, saturated fat, protein and salt all in g/100 g than the meatless alternatives, while the latter contain significantly more carbohydrates and fibre than either poultry or RM. However, results differ to a certain degree when products are grouped into more homogeneous clusters like sausages, cold cuts and burgers. This indicates that general conclusions regarding the health effects of substituting meat with plant-based alternatives should only be drawn in relation to comparable products.

Conclusions:

Meat substitutes, both vegan and non-vegan, are rated as ultra-processed foods. However, compared with RM products, they and also poultry products both can provide a diet that contains fewer nutrients-to-limit, like salt and saturated fats.
Europe’s constitutional retrofit
Authors: Walker Neil
Published: October 2023

The various and diverse academic responses to the Conference on the Future of Europe’s efforts at democratic renewal, including those by Ben Crum, Markus Patberg and Sandra Seubert, speak not only to the lack of a clear institutional locus or pathway associated with the Conference, but also to differing understandings of the basic conditions of existence – or political ontology – of the European Union. These differing understandings are reflected in different attitudes to the European Union’s constitutional standing and prospects. This article explores how the special place of constitutional retrofitting in the European Union – of reconstructing and reimagining an originally pre-constitutional system in constitutional terms – helps to illuminate the different understanding of political ontology in play, and helps clarify what is at stake in the continuing debate over fundamental reform.
Envisioning Empire from Inside the United States: Exile, Constitutional Monarchism, and Ethnic Conflict in Post-Independence Mexico
Authors: González Quintero Nicolás Alejandro
Published: October 2023

This article examines Tiburcio Campe's newspaper El Español, a brief yet concerted effort by exiled Spanish liberals in New Orleans that drew on the Cádiz constitutional experiment to demand the return of imperial rule in Mexico in the late 1820s. Exiled from Mexico as a consequence of the expulsion laws against Spaniards (españoles), Campe used his newspaper to criticize republican exclusionary policies and to militate against a possible expansion of abolitionism, ethnic conflict, and anti-white proposals in the Caribbean, promoting imperial constitutionalism as the only guarantor of the coexistence of Spaniards and Americanos and racial hierarchies in the Americas. Discussions regarding political and racial equality in Mexico and the United States, and the community's experience of exile in New Orleans, shaped these ideas, revealing how the banishment of Campe and other Spanish liberals renewed their advocacy of empire. Moreover, their exile in the United States facilitated their participation in the transatlantic public sphere and the circulation of their work, illustrating how the United States became a platform for envisioning and propagating imperial endeavors. Thus a study of El Español and Tiburcio Campe's actions allows us to comprehend the intricacies between exile and pro-monarchical discourses, as well as the nature of political and racial equality in the post-independence Americas.
Phylogenomics reveals the history of host use in mosquitoes
Authors: Soghigian John , Sither Charles , Justi Silvia Andrade , Morinaga Gen , Cassel Brian K. , Vitek Christopher J. , Livdahl Todd , Xia Siyang , Gloria-Soria Andrea , Powell Jeffrey R. , Zavortink Thomas , Hardy Christopher M. , Burkett-Cadena Nathan D. , Reeves Lawrence E. , Wilkerson Richard C. , Dunn Robert R. , Yeates David K. , Sallum Maria Anice , Byrd Brian D. , Trautwein Michelle D. , Linton Yvonne-Marie , Reiskind Michael H. , Wiegmann Brian M.
Published: October 2023

Mosquitoes have profoundly affected human history and continue to threaten human health through the transmission of a diverse array of pathogens. The phylogeny of mosquitoes has remained poorly characterized due to difficulty in taxonomic sampling and limited availability of genomic data beyond the most important vector species. Here, we used phylogenomic analysis of 709 single copy ortholog groups from 256 mosquito species to produce a strongly supported phylogeny that resolves the position of the major disease vector species and the major mosquito lineages. Our analyses support an origin of mosquitoes in the early Triassic (217 MYA [highest posterior density region: 188–250 MYA]), considerably older than previous estimates. Moreover, we utilize an extensive database of host associations for mosquitoes to show that mosquitoes have shifted to feeding upon the blood of mammals numerous times, and that mosquito diversification and host-use patterns within major lineages appear to coincide in earth history both with major continental drift events and with the diversification of vertebrate classes.
Systematic functional interrogation of SARS-CoV-2 host factors using Perturb-seq
Authors: Sunshine Sara , Puschnik Andreas S. , Replogle Joseph M. , Laurie Matthew T. , Liu Jamin , Zha Beth Shoshana , Nuñez James K. , Byrum Janie R. , McMorrow Aidan H. , Frieman Matthew B. , Winkler Juliane , Qiu Xiaojie , Rosenberg Oren S. , Leonetti Manuel D. , Ye Chun Jimmie , Weissman Jonathan S. , DeRisi Joseph L. , Hein Marco Y.
Published: October 2023

Genomic and proteomic screens have identified numerous host factors of SARS-CoV-2, but efficient delineation of their molecular roles during infection remains a challenge. Here we use Perturb-seq, combining genetic perturbations with a single-cell readout, to investigate how inactivation of host factors changes the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the host response in human lung epithelial cells. Our high-dimensional data resolve complex phenotypes such as shifts in the stages of infection and modulations of the interferon response. However, only a small percentage of host factors showed such phenotypes upon perturbation. We further identified the NF-κB inhibitor IκBα (NFKBIA), as well as the translation factors EIF4E2 and EIF4H as strong host dependency factors acting early in infection. Overall, our study provides massively parallel functional characterization of host factors of SARS-CoV-2 and quantitatively defines their roles both in virus-infected and bystander cells.
Dynamic metastable polymersomes enable continuous flow manufacturing
Authors: Wong Chin Ken , Lai Rebecca Y. , Stenzel Martina H.
Published: October 2023

Polymersomes are polymeric analogues of liposomes with exceptional physical and chemical properties. Despite being dubbed as next-generation vesicles since their inception nearly three decades ago, polymersomes have yet to experience translation into the clinical or industrial settings. This is due to a lack of reliable methods to upscale production without compromising control over polymersome properties. Herein we report a continuous flow methodology capable of producing near-monodisperse polymersomes at scale (≥3 g/h) with the possibility of performing downstream polymersome manipulation. Unlike conventional polymersomes, our polymersomes exhibit metastability under ambient conditions, persisting for a lifetime of ca. 7 days, during which polymersome growth occurs until a dynamic equilibrium state is reached. We demonstrate how this metastable state is key to the implementation of downstream processes to manipulate polymersome size and/or shape in the same continuous stream. The methodology operates in a plug-and-play fashion and is applicable to various block copolymers.
Developing cognitive workload and performance evaluation models using functional brain network analysis
Authors: Shadpour Saeed , Shafqat Ambreen , Toy Serkan , Jing Zhe , Attwood Kristopher , Moussavi Zahra , Shafiei Somayeh B.
Published: October 2023

Cognition, defined as the ability to learn, remember, sustain attention, make decisions, and solve problems, is essential in daily activities and in learning new skills. The purpose of this study was to develop cognitive workload and performance evaluation models using features that were extracted from Electroencephalogram (EEG) data through functional brain network and spectral analyses. The EEG data were recorded from 124 brain areas of 26 healthy participants conducting two cognitive tasks on a robot simulator. The functional brain network and Power Spectral Density features were extracted from EEG data using coherence and spectral analyses, respectively. Participants reported their perceived cognitive workload using the SURG-TLX questionnaire after each exercise, and the simulator generated actual performance scores. The extracted features, actual performance scores, and subjectively assessed cognitive workload values were used to develop linear models for evaluating performance and cognitive workload. Furthermore, the Pearson correlation was used to find the correlation between participants’ age, performance, and cognitive workload. The findings demonstrated that combined EEG features retrieved from spectral analysis and functional brain networks can be used to evaluate cognitive workload and performance. The cognitive workload in conducting only Matchboard level 3, which is more challenging than Matchboard level 2, was correlated with age (0.54, p-value = 0.01). This finding may suggest playing more challenging computer games are more helpful in identifying changes in cognitive workload caused by aging. The findings could open the door for a new era of objective evaluation and monitoring of cognitive workload and performance.
Mapping sexual dimorphism signal in the human cranium
Authors: Del Bove Antonietta , Menéndez Lumila , Manzi Giorgio , Moggi-Cecchi Jacopo , Lorenzo Carlos , Profico Antonio
Published: October 2023

The study of sexual dimorphism in human crania has important applications in the fields of human evolution and human osteology. Current, the identification of sex from cranial morphology relies on manual visual inspection of identifiable anatomical features, which can lead to bias due to user’s expertise. We developed a landmark-based approach to automatically map the sexual dimorphism signal on the human cranium. We used a sex-known sample of 228 individuals from different geographical locations to identify which cranial regions are most sexually dimorphic taking into account shape, form and size. Our results, which align with standard protocols, show that glabellar and supraciliary regions, the mastoid process and the nasal region are the most sexually dimorphic traits (with an accuracy of 73%). The accuracy increased to 77% if they were considered together. Surprisingly the occipital external protuberance resulted to be not sexually dimorphic but mainly related to variations in size. Our approach here applied could be expanded to map other variable signals on skeletal morphology.
Ectopic pregnancy: search for biomarker in salivary proteome
Authors: Priya Aarthy Archunan , Sen Sangeetha , Srinivasan Mahalingam , Muthukumar Subramanian , Madhanraj Pakirisamy , Akbarsha Mohammad Abdulkader , Archunan Govindaraju
Published: October 2023

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is associated with high maternal morbidity and mortality. Ultrasonography is the only dependable diagnostic tool for confirming an ectopic pregnancy. In view of inadequate early detection methods, women suffer from a high-life risk due to the severity of EP. Early detection of EP using pathological/molecular markers will possibly improve clinical diagnosis and patient management. Salivary proteins contain potential biomarkers for diagnosing and detecting various physiological and/or pathological conditions. Therefore, the present investigation was designed to explore the salivary proteome with special reference to EP. Gel-based protein separation was performed on saliva, followed by identification of proteins using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Totally, 326 proteins were identified in the salivary samples, among which 101 were found to be specific for ruptured ectopic pregnancy (EPR). Reactome analysis revealed innate immune system, neutrophil degranulation, cell surface interactions at the vascular wall, and FCERI-mediated NF-kB activation as the major pathways to which the salivary proteins identified during EPR are associated. Glutathione-S-transferase omega-1 (GSTO1) is specific for EPR and has been reported as a candidate biomarker in the serum of EPR patients. Therefore, saliva would be a potential source of diagnostic non-invasive protein biomarker(s) for EP. Intensive investigation on the salivary proteins specific to EP can potentially lead to setting up of a panel of candidate biomarkers and developing a non-invasive protein-based diagnostic kit.
Increased risk of ischemic stroke associated with elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase level in adult cancer survivors: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Kim Kyuwoong , Jung Hyeyun , Di Giovanna Edvige , Jun Tae Joon , Kim Young-Hak
Published: October 2023

Adult cancer survivors may have an increased risk of developing ischemic stroke, potentially influenced by cancer treatment-related factors and shared risk factors with stroke. However, the association between gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels and the risk of ischemic stroke in this population remains understudied. Therefore, our study aimed to examine the relationship between GGT levels and the risk of ischemic stroke using a population-based cohort of adult cancer survivors. A population-based cohort of adult cancer survivors was derived from the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort between 2003 and 2005 who survived after diagnosis of primary cancer and participated in the biennial national health screening program between 2009 and 2010. Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for sociodemographic factors, health status and behavior, and clinical characteristics was used to investigate the association between GGT level and ischemic stroke in adult cancer survivors. Among 3095 adult cancer survivors, 80 (2.58%) incident cases of ischemic stroke occurred over a mean follow-up of 8.2 years. Compared to the lowest GGT quartile, the hazard ratios (HRs) for ischemic stroke were 1.56 (95% CI 0.75–3.26), 2.36 (95% CI 1.12–4.99), and 2.40 (95% CI 1.05–5.46) for the second, third, and fourth sex-specific quartiles, respectively (Ptrend = 0.013). No significant effect modification was observed by sex, insurance premium, and alcohol consumption. High GGT level is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke in adult cancer survivors independent of sex, insurance premium, and alcohol consumption.
Stochastic co-teaching for training neural networks with unknown levels of label noise
Authors: de Vos Bob D. , Jansen Gino E. , Išgum Ivana
Published: October 2023

Label noise hampers supervised training of neural networks. However, data without label noise is often infeasible to attain, especially for medical tasks. Attaining high-quality medical labels would require a pool of experts and their consensus reading, which would be extremely costly. Several methods have been proposed to mitigate the adverse effects of label noise during training. State-of-the-art methods use multiple networks that exploit different decision boundaries to identify label noise. Among the best performing methods is co-teaching. However, co-teaching comes with the requirement of knowing label noise a priori. Hence, we propose a co-teaching method that does not require any prior knowledge about the level of label noise. We introduce stochasticity to select or reject training instances. We have extensively evaluated the method on synthetic experiments with extreme label noise levels and applied it to real-world medical problems of ECG classification and cardiac MRI segmentation. Results show that the approach is robust to its hyperparameter choice and applies to various classification tasks with unknown levels of label noise.
Association between number of medications and hip fractures in Japanese elderly using conditional logistic LASSO regression
Authors: Uematsu Takuya , Kawakami Yuta , Nojiri Shuko , Saito Tomoyuki , Irie Yoshiki , Kasai Takatoshi , Hiratsuka Yoshimune , Ishijima Muneaki , Kuroki Manabu , Daida Hiroyuki , Nishizaki Yuji
Published: October 2023

To examine the association between hip fracture and associated factors, including polypharmacy, and develop an optimal predictive model, we conducted a population-based matched case–control study using the health insurance claims data on hip fracture among Japanese patients. We included 34,717 hospitalized Japanese patients aged ≥ 65 years with hip fracture and 34,717 age- and sex- matched controls who were matched 1:1. This study included 69,434 participants. Overall, 16 variable comorbidities and 60 variable concomitant medications were used as explanatory variables. The participants were added to early elderly and late elderly categories for further analysis. The odds ratio of hip fracture increased with the number of medications only in the early elderly. AUC was highest for early elderly (AUC, 0.74, 95% CI 0.72–0.76). Use of anti-Parkinson’s drugs had the largest coefficient and was the most influential variable in many categories. This study confirmed the association between risk factors, including polypharmacy and hip fracture. The risk of hip fracture increased with an increase in medication number taken by the early elderly and showed good predictive accuracy, whereas there was no such association in the late elderly. Therefore, the early elderly in Japan should be an active target population for hip fracture prevention.
Chronic inflammation does not mediate the effect of adiposity on grip strength: results from a multivariable Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Norris Tom , Sanderson Eleanor , Cooper Rachel , Garfield Victoria , Pereira Snehal M. Pinto
Published: October 2023

The relationship between adiposity and grip strength (GS) is complex. We investigated whether one pathway through which adiposity affects GS was via chronic inflammation. 367,583 UK Biobank participants had body mass index (BMI), waist-hip-ratio (WHR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and GS data. Univariable Mendelian randomization (MR) and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analyses (using inverse variance weighted (IVW) weighted median estimates (WME) and MR-Egger models) estimated total, direct and indirect effects of adiposity traits on GS using genetic instruments for BMI and WHR (exposures) and CRP (mediator). Observational findings suggested higher BMI was associated with stronger grip, e.g., in males, per standard deviation (SD) higher BMI, GS was higher by 0.48 kg (95% confidence interval(CI):0.44,0.51), independent of CRP. For males MR estimates were directionally consistent; for females, estimates were consistent with the null. Observational findings for WHR suggested that higher WHR was associated with weaker grip. In multivariable MR-IVW analyses, effects in males were consistent with the null. In females, there were consistent effects such that higher WHR was associated with stronger grip, e.g., 1-SD higher WHR was associated with 1.25 kg (MVMR-Egger; 95% CI:0.72,1.78) stronger grip, independent of CRP. Across sexes and adiposity indicators, CRP’s mediating role was minor. Greater adiposity may increase GS in early old age, but effects vary by sex and adiposity location. There was no evidence that inflammation mediated these effects.
Photonic eigenmodes and transmittance of finite-length 1D cholesteric liquid crystal resonators
Authors: Zaplotnik Jaka , Mur Urban , Malkar Deepshika , Ranjkesh Amid , Muševič Igor , Ravnik Miha
Published: October 2023

Cholesteric liquid crystals exhibit a periodic helical structure that partially reflects light with wavelengths comparable to the period of the structure, thus performing as a one-dimensional photonic crystal. Here, we demonstrate a combined experimental and numerical study of light transmittance spectra of finite-length helical structure of cholesteric liquid crystals, as affected by the main system and material parameters, as well as the corresponding eigenmodes and frequency eigenspectra with their Q-factors. Specifically, we have measured and simulated transmittance spectra of samples with different thicknesses, birefringences and for various incident light polarisation configurations as well as quantified the role of refractive index dispersion and the divergence of the incident light beam on transmittance spectra. We identify the relation between transmittance spectra and the eigenfrequencies of the photonic eigenmodes. Furthermore, we present and visualize the geometry of these eigenmodes and corresponding Q-factors. More generally, this work systematically studies the properties of light propagation in a one-dimensional helical cholesteric liquid crystal birefringent profile, which is known to be of interest for the design of micro-lasers and other soft matter photonic devices.
Amino acid transporter SLC38A5 is a tumor promoter and a novel therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer
Authors: Sniegowski Tyler , Rajasekaran Devaraja , Sennoune Souad R. , Sunitha Sukumaran , Chen Fang , Fokar Mohamed , Kshirsagar Sudhir , Reddy P. Hemachandra , Korac Ksenija , Mahmud Syed Mosharaf , Sharker Tanima , Ganapathy Vadivel , Bhutia Yangzom D.
Published: October 2023

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells have a great demand for nutrients in the form of sugars, amino acids, and lipids. Particularly, amino acids are critical for cancer growth and, as intermediates, connect glucose, lipid and nucleotide metabolism. PDAC cells meet these requirements by upregulating selective amino acid transporters. Here we show that SLC38A5 (SN2/SNAT5), a neutral amino acid transporter is highly upregulated and functional in PDAC cells. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of SLC38A5, we show its tumor promoting role in an in vitro cell line model as well as in a subcutaneous xenograft mouse model. Using metabolomics and RNA sequencing, we show significant reduction in many amino acid substrates of SLC38A5 as well as OXPHOS inactivation in response to SLC38A5 deletion. Experimental validation demonstrates inhibition of mTORC1, glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration in KO cells, suggesting a serious metabolic crisis associated with SLC38A5 deletion. Since many SLC38A5 substrates are activators of mTORC1 as well as TCA cycle intermediates/precursors, we speculate amino acid insufficiency as a possible link between SLC38A5 deletion and inactivation of mTORC1, glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration, and the underlying mechanism for PDAC attenuation. Overall, we show that SLC38A5 promotes PDAC, thereby identifying a novel, hitherto unknown, therapeutic target for PDAC.
A chain mediation model reveals the association between mindfulness and depression of college students
Authors: Zhang Junliang , Hu Zhongzheng , Zheng Shuang , Liu Yingyu
Published: October 2023

The study aims to explore the relationship among mindfulness, depression, meaning in life (MIL) and psychological resilience (PR), and verify whether MIL and PR have a chain mediating effect between mindfulness and depression. 1034 college students in a province were investigated by using Adolescent Mindfulness Scale, Depression Scale, Meaning in Life Scale and Psychological Resilience Scale. Hierarchical multiple regression and bootstrap was used to analyze the data and test whether MIL and PR play a chain mediating role between mindfulness and depression among university students. In the present research, the direct effect value of mindfulness on college students’ depression was 0.14, and the effect amount was 61%. The effect values of MIL and PR between mindfulness and college students’ depression were 0.03 and 0.05, and the effect amount is 13% and 22%. In the meantime, the chain mediating effect of MIL and PR was significant, the effect value is 0.01 and the effect amount is 4%. The effects of mindfulness on depression of university students were mediated by MIL, PR and the chain of MIL and PR.
The importance of interpreting machine learning models for blood glucose prediction in diabetes: an analysis using SHAP
Authors: Prendin Francesco , Pavan Jacopo , Cappon Giacomo , Del Favero Simone , Sparacino Giovanni , Facchinetti Andrea
Published: October 2023

Machine learning has become a popular tool for learning models of complex dynamics from biomedical data. In Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) management, these models are increasingly been integrated in decision support systems (DSS) to forecast glucose levels and provide preventive therapeutic suggestions, like corrective insulin boluses (CIB), accordingly. Typically, models are chosen based on their prediction accuracy. However, since patient safety is a concern in this application, the algorithm should also be physiologically sound and its outcome should be explainable. This paper aims to discuss the importance of using tools to interpret the output of black-box models in T1D management by presenting a case-of-study on the selection of the best prediction algorithm to integrate in a DSS for CIB suggestion. By retrospectively “replaying” real patient data, we show that two long-short term memory neural networks (LSTM) (named p-LSTM and np-LSTM) with similar prediction accuracy could lead to different therapeutic decisions. An analysis with SHAP—a tool for explaining black-box models’ output—unambiguously shows that only p-LSTM learnt the physiological relationship between inputs and glucose prediction, and should therefore be preferred. This is verified by showing that, when embedded in the DSS, only p-LSTM can improve patients’ glycemic control.
Intertype superconductivity in ferromagnetic superconductors
Authors: Vagov Alexei , Saraiva Tiago T. , Shanenko Arkady A. , Vasenko Andrey S. , Aguiar Jose Albino , Stolyarov Vasily S. , Roditchev Dimitri
Published: October 2023

In many pnictides the superconductivity coexists with ferromagnetism in an accessible range of temperatures and compositions. Recent experiments revealed that when the temperature of magnetic ordering Tm is below the superconducting transition temperature Tc, highly non-trivial physical phenomena occur. In this work we demonstrate the existence of a temperature window, situated between Tm and Tc, where these intrinsically type-II superconductors are in the intertype regime. We explore analytically and numerically its rich phase diagram characterized by exotic spatial flux configurations—vortex clusters, chains, giant vortices and vortex liquid droplets—which are absent in both type-I and type-II bulk superconductors. We find that the intertype regime is almost independent of microscopic parameters, and can be achieved by simply varying the temperature. This opens the route for experimental studies of the intertype superconductivity scarcely investigated to date.
Forest regrowth improves people’s dietary quality in Nigeria
Authors: Rasmussen Laura Vang , den Braber Bowy , Hall Charlotte M. , Rhemtulla Jeanine M. , Fagan Matthew E. , Sunderland Terry
Published: October 2023

Two billion people currently suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Existing literature shows that forests can improve people’s dietary quality—yet forests are often overlooked in food security policies, which focus primarily on the production of staple crops. The Bonn Challenge has set a goal of restoring 350 million ha of forest by 2030, but it remains unclear whether restored forests will exhibit the species diversity needed to improve diets in the same way as existing forests. Here, we report how forest regrowth in Nigeria has affected people’s dietary quality. We combine a new map on forest regrowth with food consumption panel data from over 1100 households—and use a combination of regression and weighting analyses to generate quasi-experimental quantitative estimates of the impacts of forest regrowth on people’s food intake. We find that people living in areas where forest regrowth has occurred have a higher intake of fruits and vegetables and thus higher dietary diversity.
Green Gasoline: A Technoeconomic Analysis
Authors: Avadhani Lakshmi Narayana Kompella , Malani Ritesh S.
Published: October 2023

Limited fossil reservoirs and increasing energy demands lead to the development of renewable resource-based energy production. The major challenge is to produce a similar type of fuel via a totally different feedstock. Researchers have made attempts to develop such technologies and to find solutions for society. This chapter summarizes the various processes developed for the production of green gasoline along with the methodology to evaluate the feasibility of these units in a systematic approach.
Green Gasoline as a Commercial Liquid Fuel Throughout Asia, Europe and the USA: A Technical Review
Authors: Kaur Jaspreet , Tyagi Uplabdhi , Aslam Mohammad , Sarma Anil Kumar
Published: October 2023

Green fuels are currently in the headlines throughout the world with respect to their sustainability and environmentally benign nature. Green gasoline, bioethanol and gasohol are some of the common names used for renewable gasoline. However, the composition and fuel properties of the different fuels differ even if they are eligible as candidates for substituting petroleum gasoline. Their sources of origin and pathways of formation also differ greatly. Ethanol is produced by biochemical processes whereas vegetable oil-based gasoline is produced by thermocatalytic processes. Depending on the availability of biomass resources and the advances in technology, different countries produce different types of biofuels. Their policies also differ greatly although the common goal is to use these fuels in spark-ignition engines as a substitute for petroleum gasoline. This chapter reviews the technological advances in commercial liquid fuels in Asia, Europe and the USA as a substitute for petroleum gasoline. Fuel economy and regulatory reforms in the different regions are reviewed in detail.
Economic Analysis and Future Perspectives of Green Gasoline
Authors: Gumte Kapil , Samal Kulbushan , Rana Pulkit , Sahoo Rashmiranjan , Geed Sachin Rameshrao
Published: October 2023

Following the Indian government’s mandatory regulation to mix 20% of biofuel with fossil fuel, a technoeconomic–environmental mixed integer linear programming-based optimization model was developed with a multi-layered network design for a multi-time period from 2018 to 2026. The model not only gives the exact location of the sites among 42 potential sites but also shows the connection between the selected sites. The fixed cost (9.42%) and variable cost (90.58%) are studied in detail with the sharing percentage of each of them and the major factors that contribute to them. Life cycle assessment of the supply chain is carried out in order to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions saved in the case of green gasoline and to convert it into greenhouse gas revenue as carbon credits to add to the overall revenue generation. The depreciation and time value of money are incorporated to evaluate the profit using the net present worth methodology. An overall case study is implemented for green gasoline biofuel for a city in a developing nation, namely the city of Pune in India. The model is generic and can be implemented across any terrain.
Nucleic Acid Amplification Coupled with Mass Spectrometry Detection for Microbial Identification
Authors: Hu Aizhong , Hu Jun , Xie Hong , Ma Qingwei
Published: October 2023

Advancements in molecular biology, such as nucleic acid amplification (NAA), including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing, have revolutionized the field of microbial identification. The genome sequence, gene structure, and gene function of most medically relevant microorganisms are well established. In the postgenomic era, a wide array of high-speed and high-throughput nucleic acid technologies for microbial detection, identification, genotyping, and quantification, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determination have been developed. Mass spectrometry (MS) has revolutionized clinical microbiology diagnostics by delivering accurate, sensitive, automated, and high-throughput analyses of clinical samples. Coupling of NAA with MS takes advantage of the high amplification power of the former and the high mass-resolving capacity of the latter. NAA MS is thus one of the most promising technologies for microbial detection, identification, genotyping, and quantification, and AMR determination in the years to come. This review chapter focuses on the recent advances in pathogen detection and identification combining NAA and MS.
Metabolomics as a Tool for Phenotypic Characterization and Strain Improvement
Authors: Iman Marvin Nathanael , Riyanto Rifqi Ahmad , Putri Sastia Prama
Published: October 2023

Metabolomics, the total profiling of small molecules known as metabolites, is becoming a crucial tool for improving the bioproduction capabilities of chassis organisms as it allows for the system-wide characterization of metabolites and provides insight into the effect of genetic designs of organisms on production phenotype. This chapter discusses metabolomics application in microbiology with a focus on phenotypic characterization and strain improvement. The topics covered in this chapter include methodologies of mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, which encompasses analysis strategies, analytical platforms, sample preparation strategies, and data analysis methods. Application of microbial metabolomics for strain improvement, including the strategies to improve strains using metabolomics data, and examples of such application in various organisms are discussed.
Integrated Analysis for Identification, Phenotyping, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) of Bacteria Using Mass Spectrometry, Machine Learning, and Multi-omics Analysis
Authors: Zhang Rutan , Werth Brian J. , Xu Libin
Published: October 2023

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is gradually becoming a global public health problem. Rapid and cost-effective identification of AMR bacteria is the key to guiding the therapeutic management of bacterial infections/diseases. Mass spectrometry (MS) has been progressively adopted in clinical laboratories, especially for species identification. A series of supervised machine learning models have been systematically studied and have been shown to have great potential in strain-level typing. In the meantime, metabolites and lipids have been proven to facilitate pathogen typing, especially for differentiating SNP variants. More strikingly, the integration of multi-omics data has moved MS-based bacterial typing beyond identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) to understanding the molecular mechanisms of AMR evolution.
Re-sintering induced ionic conductivity recovery for air-exposed Li5.4PS4.4Cl1.6 argyrodite sulfide electrolyte
Authors: Chen Jie , Chen Hannan , Tian Bingbing
Published: October 2023

One of the most common problems with sulfide solid-state electrolytes is weak water stability.
Sulfate-induced large amplitude conformational change in a Solomon link
Authors: Do Cuong Dat , Pál Dávid , Belyaev Andrey , Pupier Marion , Kiesilä Anniina , Kalenius Elina , Galmés Bartomeu , Frontera Antonio , Poblador-Bahamonde Amalia , Cougnon Fabien B. L.
Published: October 2023

A doubly-interlocked [2]catenane – or Solomon link – undergoes a complex conformational change upon addition of sulfate in methanol.
Growth of large Cs2Cu(Cl, Br)4 single crystals
Authors: Huang Jing , Li Minghao , Liu Zhanhui , Hua Jingyan , Zeng Hui , Chen Yunyun , Su Jing
Published: October 2023

In this work, copper-based halides Cs2CuCl4, Cs2CuBr4 and mixed-halides Cs2CuCl2.8Br1.2, Cs2CuCl2Br2 and Cs2CuCl1.2Br2.8 single crystals were grown via the evaporation method using deionized water as a solvent.
The synergistic effect of trap deactivation and hysteresis suppression at grain boundaries in perovskite interfaces via multifunctional groups
Authors: Wang Fei , Ma Xiaohu , Huang Wei , Han Jun , Luo Dandan , Jia Chong , Chen Yiqing
Published: October 2023

1D line current profiles of the C-AFM images of EU-modified perovskite film. The marked numbers were measured at the GBs.