bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of water exhaled out by visitors in show caves: a case study from the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic)
Authors: Lang Marek , Faimon Jiří , Pracný Pavel , Štelcl Jindřich , Kejíková Sandra , Hebelka Jiří
Published: March 2024

The anthropogenic impact of the water and CO2 exhaled by visitors was studied in the show caves of the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic), especially in the Balcarka and Výpustek Caves. Two alternative models based on (1) the known/presumed composition of the breathed air and physical activity of visitors and (2) the detailed monitoring microclimatic data were proposed. The CO2 fluxes of 2.4 × 10−4 and (2.0–3.9) × 10−4 mol person−1 s−1 and the water vapor fluxes of (3.2–8.9) × 10−3 and (0.6–1.2) × 10−2 g person−1 s−1 were found for a slightly increased physical load. The total attendance and cave tour duration were the main driving factors. For the available data on attendance and accessibility periods, the total mass of water vapor exhaled by visitors in all show caves in the Moravian Karst was estimated between 9.6 × 106 and 4.3 × 108 g with significant seasonality. According to the geochemical model, this mass of water is capable of dissolving 1280 to 59,038 g of calcite, assuming a mean winter and summer CO2 concentration in the cave air of 1000 and 3000 ppmv. The larger extent of water condensation can lead to the so-called condensation corrosion, whereas the lower extent of condensation probably causes a recrystallization of calcite on the surface of speleothems and rocks.
A systematic review of educational online peer-review and assessment systems: charting the landscape
Authors: Babik Dmytro , Gehringer Edward , Kidd Jennifer , Sunday Kristine , Tinapple David , Gilbert Steven
Published: March 2024

Over the past two decades, there has been an explosion of innovation in software tools that encapsulate and expand the capabilities of the widely used student peer assessment. While the affordances and pedagogical impacts of traditional in-person, “paper-and-pencil” peer assessment have been studied extensively and are relatively well understood, computerized (online) peer assessment introduced not only shifts in scalability and efficiency, but also entirely new capabilities and forms of social learning interactions, instructor leverage, and distributed cognition, that still need to be researched and systematized. Despite the ample research on traditional peer assessment and evidence of its efficacy, common vocabulary and shared understanding of online peer-assessment system design, including the variety of methods, techniques, and implementations, is still missing. We present key findings of a comprehensive survey based on a systematic research framework for examining and generalizing affordances and constraints of online peer-assessment systems. This framework (a) provides a foundation of a design-science metatheory of online peer assessment, (b) helps structure the discussion of user needs and design options, and (c) informs educators and system design practitioners. We identified two major themes in existing and potential research—orientation towards scaffolded learning vs. exploratory learning and system maturity. We also outlined an agenda for future studies.
Near-real-time Mueller polarimetric image processing for neurosurgical intervention
Authors: Moriconi Stefano , Rodríguez-Núñez Omar , Gros Romain , Felger Leonard A. , Maragkou Theoni , Hewer Ekkehard , Pierangelo Angelo , Novikova Tatiana , Schucht Philippe , McKinley Richard
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Wide-field imaging Mueller polarimetry is a revolutionary, label-free, and non-invasive modality for computer-aided intervention; in neurosurgery, it aims to provide visual feedback of white matter fibre bundle orientation from derived parameters. Conventionally, robust polarimetric parameters are estimated after averaging multiple measurements of intensity for each pair of probing and detected polarised light. Long multi-shot averaging, however, is not compatible with real-time in vivo imaging, and the current performance of polarimetric data processing hinders the translation to clinical practice.

Methods

A learning-based denoising framework is tailored for fast, single-shot, noisy acquisitions of polarimetric intensities. Also, performance-optimised image processing tools are devised for the derivation of clinically relevant parameters. The combination recovers accurate polarimetric parameters from fast acquisitions with near-real-time performance, under the assumption of pseudo-Gaussian polarimetric acquisition noise.

Results

The denoising framework is trained, validated, and tested on experimental data comprising tumour-free and diseased human brain samples in different conditions. Accuracy and image quality indices showed significant ($$p < 0.05$$

p
<
0.05

) improvements on testing data for a fast single-pass denoising versus the state-of-the-art and high polarimetric image quality standards. The computational time is reported for the end-to-end processing.

Conclusion:

The end-to-end image processing achieved real-time performance for a localised field of view ($$\approx 6.5\ \text {mm}^2$$

≈
6.5

mm
2

). The denoised polarimetric intensities produced visibly clear directional patterns of neuronal fibre tracts in line with reference polarimetric image quality standards; directional disruption was kept in case of neoplastic lesions. The presented advances pave the way towards feasible oncological neurosurgical translations of novel, label-free, interventional feedback.
Active Inference and Social Actors: Towards a Neuro-Bio-Social Theory of Brains and Bodies in Their Worlds
Authors: Cheadle Jacob E. , Davidson-Turner K. J. , Goosby Bridget J.
Published: March 2024

Although research including biological concepts and variables has gained more prominence in sociology, progress assimilating the organ of experience, the brain, has been theoretically and technically challenging. Formal uptake and assimilation have thus been slow. Within psychology and neuroscience, the traditional brain, which has made brief appearances in sociological research, is a “bottom–up” processor in which sensory signals are passed up the neural hierarchy where they are eventually cognitively and emotionally processed, after which actions and responses are generated. In this paper, we introduce the Active Inference Framework (AIF), which casts the brain as a Bayesian “inference engine” that tests its “top–down” predictive models against “bottom–up” sensory error streams in its attempts to resolve uncertainty and make the world more predictable. After assembling and presenting key concepts in the AIF, we describe an integrated neuro-bio-social model that prioritizes the microsociological assertion that the scene of action is the situation, wherein brains enculturate. Through such social dynamics, enculturated brains share models of the world with one another, enabling collective realities that disclose the actions afforded in those times and places. We conclude by discussing this neuro-bio-social model within the context of exemplar sociological research areas, including the sociology of stress and health, the sociology of emotions, and cognitive cultural sociology, all areas where the brain has received some degree of recognition and incorporation. In each case, sociological insights that do not fit naturally with the traditional brain model emerge intuitively from the predictive AIF model, further underscoring the interconnections and interdependencies between these areas, while also providing a foundation for a probabilistic sociology.
Differentiation of Bulinus senegalensis and Bulinus forskalii Snails in West Africa Using Morphometric Analysis
Authors: Andrus Peter S. , Joof Ebrima , Wade Christopher M.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Accurate identification of medically important intermediate host and vector species is crucial for understanding disease transmission and control. Identifying Bulinus snails which act as intermediate host species for the transmission of schistosomiasis is typically undertaken using conchological and genital morphology as well as molecular methods.

Methods

Here, a landmark-based morphometric analysis of shell morphology was undertaken to determine its utility to distinguish the closely related and morphologically similar sister species Bulinus senegalensis and Bulinus forskalii. The method was developed to increase the accuracy of conchological morphology methods to identify Bulinus species in the field. Both species are found in West Africa, but only B. senegalensis is implicated in the transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis.

Results

We found when scaled down to the same length, 3-whorl and 4-whorl (juvenile) B. senegalensis shells had a longer spire, narrower body whorl and shorter aperture than B. forskalii. In contrast, 5-whorl (adult) B. senegalensis had a shorter spire, but still had a shorter aperture and narrower body whorl than B. forskalii. Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) showed minimal overlap between B. senegalensis and B. forskalii for 3-whorl and 4-whorl shells, with a clear separation for 5-whorl shells. Overall, B. senegalensis had a consistently shorter aperture size and narrower body whorl than B. forskalii for all development stages. Spire length was variable depending on the stage of development, with 3-whorl and 4-whorl shells having the opposite trends of adult shells.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates the applicability of landmark-based morphometrics in distinguishing the medically important, Bulinus senegalensis from its morphologically similar sister species, Bulinus forskalii. We recommend using measurements based on spire length, penultimate whorl length, body whorl width and aperture size to differentiate B. senegalensis and B. forskalii, when used with the appropriate information for each shell’s development stage.
University students’ stress and burnout risk: results of an ACT-based online-course using self-assessments and HRV-measurements
Authors: Räihä Kristiina , Katajavuori Nina , Vehkalahti Kimmo , Huotilainen Minna , Asikainen Henna
Published: March 2024

To answer to the need to find effective study-integrated ways to support university students’ well-being, an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) -based online course intervention was conducted with quasi-experimental waiting-list control group design. Our aim with this study was to provide new knowledge of the relations and changes in students’ self-assessed and physiological indicators of well-being and study ability during the course. Participating students (N = 68) completed self-assessments of psychological flexibility, organised study skills, study-related burnout risk, and perceived stress, and part of them (n = 35) participated in heart rate variability (HRV) measurements at the beginning and the end of the course. The results showed that students’ psychological flexibility and organised study skills increased, as study-related burnout risk decreased in the intervention group with significant Time x Group interaction effects compared to the waiting-list control group. Students’ perceived stress decreased in the intervention group, but the Time x Group interaction was not significant. The Time x Group interaction effects of HRV measurements were not statistically significant. The findings of this study indicate that study-integrated ACT-based online course can be effective in supporting university students’ psychological flexibility and organised studying and reducing burnout risk, thus contributing to highly needed research on ways to enhance students’ well-being in higher-education.
An Evaluation of the Beneficial Effects of Polyamide 6's Thermal Stabilization by Ferric Chloride Complexation as a Novel Carbon Fiber Precursor
Authors: Demirel Tuba , Tunçel Kemal Şahin , Karacan Ismail
Published: March 2024

This study investigated the impact of stabilization time on pretreated polyamide 6 (PA6) fibers using various analytical techniques, including thermal analysis (TGA and DSC), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), tensile testing, and density measurements. The two-step atmospheric air-based stabilization process for pretreated PA6 multifilament bundles involved initial thermal stabilization at 170 °C in an air atmosphere after ferric chloride impregnation, followed by a second step of thermal stabilization at 245 °C. Ferric chloride impregnation followed by thermal stabilization in an air atmosphere resulted in crucial structural transformations. The density values of the samples increased following thermal stabilization, accompanied by a decrease in tensile values. Ferric chloride pretreated and thermally stabilized PA6 fibers were found to be fully stabilized after 120 min of stabilization before the carbonization stage. The findings obtained from the DSC, XRD, and IR spectroscopy methods indicated the occurrence of disordering phases due to the scission of hydrogen bonds. The TGA findings showed significant increases in carbon yield percentages at 500 °C and 850 °C, reaching 71.4% and 63.5%, respectively, for the sample heat treated at 245 °C for 120 min. The addition of ferric chloride is expected to potentially reduce processing costs for final carbon fiber production by decreasing the time required for the thermal stabilization of PA6.
Effects of Warming and Elevated CO2 on Stomatal Conductance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence of C3 and C4 Coastal Wetland Species
Authors: Sendall Kerrie M. , Muñoz Cyd M. Meléndez , Ritter Angela D. , Rich Roy L. , Noyce Genevieve L. , Megonigal J. Patrick
Published: March 2024

Coastal wetland communities provide valuable ecosystem services such as erosion prevention, soil accretion, and essential habitat for coastal wildlife, but are some of the most vulnerable to the threats of climate change. This work investigates the combined effects of two climate stressors, elevated temperature (ambient, + 1.7 °C, + 3.4 °C, and 5.1 °C) and elevated CO2 (eCO2), on leaf physiological traits of dominant salt marsh plant species. The research took place at the Salt Marsh Accretion Response to Temperature eXperiment (SMARTX) at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, which includes two plant communities: a C3 sedge community and a C4 grass community. Here we present data collected over five years on rates of stomatal conductance (gs), quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm), and rates of electron transport (ETRmax). We found that both warming and eCO2 caused declines in all traits, but the warming effects were greater for the C3 sedge. This species showed a strong negative stomatal response to warming in 2017 and 2018 (28% and 17% reduction, respectively in + 5.1 °C). However, in later years the negative response to warming was dampened to < 7%, indicating that S. americanus was able to partially acclimate to the warming over time. In 2022, we found that sedges growing in the combined + 5.1 °C eCO2 plots exhibited more significant declines in gs, Fv/Fm, and ETRmax than in either treatment individually. These results are important for predicting future trends in growth of wetland species, which serve as a large carbon sink that may help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Biorefinery products from algal biomass by advanced biotechnological and hydrothermal liquefaction approaches
Authors: Narayanan Mathiyazhagan
Published: March 2024

Algal biomass is a promising feedstock for the environmentally friendly production of a diverse range of high-value products, including bioproducts and biofuels. After extracting the essential macro- and biomolecules, the remaining algae biomass can be used as feedstock and processed into valuable additional goods. Advanced biotechnology techniques and efficient hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technologies are used to produce beneficial products such as bioenergy and biochemicals. Carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins are essential biochemical components of algal biomass that can be used to produce biofuel. Hence, algae biomass is gaining popularity as a biorefinery alternative. HTL is a process of converting biomass to a liquid byproduct by intricate chemical reactions. The purpose of this review is to highlight modern biotechnological and hydrothermal liquefaction techniques for extracting biological products from algae. A large number of documents were reviewed and analytically structured to lay the groundwork for the subsequent steps. This review also included information on a simple reaction mechanism for the biomass that algae produce, as well as the impact of process parameters.
Western Safflower Contracting Strategies
Authors: Packer Jameson , Feuz Ryan , McCarty Tanner
Published: March 2024

Safflower grown in the western U.S. is often produced for birdseed mixes. Increasing demand for birdseed products, combined with regional drought, has shrunk western safflower availability. To satisfy the growing demand, processors may look to contracting strategies to incentivize production. We compare expected risk and corresponding certainty equivalents both from the processor and producer viewpoints under various contracting mechanisms and risk aversion levels. Results suggest that contracts containing a combination of lump sum acreage payments and fixed price performance payments would incentivize producer adoption of safflower while maintaining processor profitability and limiting the risk exposure of both parties.
Prioritisation under Value Chain Due Diligence
Authors: Teixeira de Freitas João
Published: March 2024

This article analyses the mechanisms of prioritisation and hierarchisation of risk contained under influential soft law frameworks on value chain due diligence. It identifies the main stages of the due diligence process where prioritisation may be required and clarifies the criteria that may be used by corporations for prioritisation decisions. The article contributes to the development of the literature concerning prioritisation mechanisms under value chain due diligence norms, highlighting, from a compliance perspective, how corporations are expected to prioritise both their evaluations to identify and assess adverse impacts as well as their actions to address specific impacts identified and assessed. In doing so, it showcases the challenges present when comparing the significance of adverse impacts pertaining to different policy fields and their implications in a prioritisation context. It then compares the solutions found in these soft law frameworks concerning prioritisation to the ones contained in European laws and legislative proposals on the subject. The analysis reveals the different approaches used by legislators and reflects on their repercussions for prioritisation mechanisms, suggesting the reinforcement and clarification of prioritisation requirements in accordance with international frameworks of reference.
Deblending overlapping galaxies in DECaLS using transformer-based algorithm: A method combining multiple bands and data types
Authors: Zhang Ran , Liu Meng , Yi Zhenping , Yuan Hao , Yang Zechao , Bu Yude , Kong Xiaoming , Jia Chenglin , Bi Yuchen , Zhang Yusheng , Li Nan
Published: March 2024

In large-scale galaxy surveys, particularly deep ground-based photometric studies, galaxy blending was inevitable. Such blending posed a potential primary systematic uncertainty for upcoming surveys. Current deblenders predominantly depended on analytical modelling of galaxy profiles, facing limitations due to inflexible and imprecise models. We presented a novel approach, using a U-net structured transformer-based network for deblending astronomical images, which we term the CAT-deblender. It was trained using both RGB and the grz-band images, spanning two distinct data formats present in the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) database, including galaxies with diverse morphologies in the training dataset. Our method necessitated only the approximate central coordinates of each target galaxy, sourced from galaxy detection, bypassing assumptions on neighbouring source counts. Post-deblending, our RGB images retained a high signal-to-noise peak, consistently showing superior structural similarity against ground truth. For multi-band images, the ellipticity of central galaxies and median reconstruction error for r-band consistently lie within

$\pm$

0.025 to

$\pm$

0.25, revealing minimal pixel residuals. In our comparison of deblending capabilities focused on flux recovery, our model showed a mere 1% error in magnitude recovery for quadruply blended galaxies, significantly outperforming SExtractor’s higher error rate of 4.8%. Furthermore, by cross-matching with the publicly accessible overlapping galaxy catalogs from the DECaLS database, we successfully deblended 433 overlapping galaxies. Moreover, we have demonstrated effective deblending of 63 733 blended galaxy images, randomly chosen from the DECaLS database.
The effects of edge influence on the microhabitat, diversity and life-history traits of amphibians in western Ecuador
Authors: Posse-Sarmiento Valentina , Banks-Leite Cristina
Published: March 2024

Edge effects change biodiversity patterns and ecological processes, particularly in tropical forests. To understand the synergistic impact of multiple edges, this study examines how edge influence (EI) is associated with life-history traits (snout-vent length and body temperature), diversity and microhabitat of amphibians as well as habitat characteristics in a tropical forest in Ecuador. We used EI, a metric that calculates cumulative effects across all nearby edges, in combination with five environmental variables that are part of the amphibians’ microhabitat (temperature, humidity, slope, canopy cover and leaf litter depth) to understand how their biodiversity patterns are impacted. Our results show that most amphibian species tend to be habitat specialists, and many had an affinity for forest edges and warmer habitats. We do not find significant correlations between EI and amphibian life-history traits and diversity. Our findings corroborate previous results that many amphibian species tend to be positively associated with habitat fragmentation and show that this association is likely driven by thermal regulation.
Can Recurrence Quantification Analysis Be Useful in the Interpretation of Airborne Turbulence Measurements?
Authors: Król Stanisław , Blyth Alan , Böing Steven , Denby Leif , Lachlan‐Cope Tom , Malinowski Szymon P.
Published: March 2024

In airborne data or model outputs, clouds are often defined using information about Liquid Water Content (LWC). Unfortunately LWC is not enough to retrieve information about the dynamical boundary of the cloud, that is, volume of turbulent air around the cloud. In this work, we propose an algorithmic approach to this problem based on a method used in time series analysis of dynamical systems, namely Recurrence Plot (RP) and Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA). We construct RPs using time series of turbulence kinetic energy, vertical velocity and temperature fluctuations as variables important for cloud dynamics. Then, by studying time series of laminarity (LAM), a variable which is calculated using RPs, we distinguish between turbulent and non‐turbulent segments along a horizontal flight leg. By selecting a single threshold of this quantity, we are able to reduce the number of subjective variables and their thresholds used in the definition of the dynamical cloud boundary.
Decoding the Interplay Between Tidal Notch Geometry and Sea‐Level Variability During the Last Interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 5e) High Stand
Authors: Georgiou N. , Stocchi P. , Casella E. , Rovere A.
Published: March 2024

Relic coastal landforms (fossil corals, cemented intertidal deposits, or erosive features carved onto rock coasts) serve as sea‐level index points (SLIPs), that are widely used to reconstruct past sea‐level changes. Traditional SLIP‐based sea‐level reconstructions face challenges in capturing continuous sea‐level variability and dating erosional SLIPs, such as tidal notches. Here, we propose a novel approach to such challenges. We use a numerical model of cliff erosion embedded within a Monte Carlo simulation to investigate the most likely sea‐level scenarios responsible for shaping one of the best‐preserved tidal notches of Last Interglacial age in Sardinia, Italy. Results align with Glacial Isostatic Adjustment model predictions, indicating that synchronized or out‐of‐sync ice‐volume shifts in Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets can reproduce the notch morphology, with sea level confidently peaking at 6 m and only under a higher than present erosion regime. This new approach yields insight into sea‐level trends during the Last Interglacial.
Fluid‐Induced Aseismic Slip May Explain the Non‐Self‐Similar Source Scaling of the Induced Earthquake Sequence Near the Dallas‐Fort Worth Airport, Texas
Authors: Jeong SeongJu , Tan Xinyu , Lui Semechah K. Y.
Published: March 2024

Numerous studies have reported the occurrence of aseismic slip or slow slip events along faults induced by fluid injection. However, the underlying physical mechanism and its impact on induced seismicity remain unclear. In this study, we develop a numerical model that incorporates fluid injection on a fault governed by rate‐and‐state friction to simulate the coupled processes of pore‐pressure diffusion, aseismic slip, and dynamic rupture. We establish a field‐scale model to emulate the source characteristics of induced seismicity near the Dallas‐Fort Worth Airport (DFWA), Texas, where events with lower‐stress drops have been observed. Our numerical calculations reveal that the diffusion of fluid pressure modifies fault criticality and induces aseismic slip with lower stress drop values (<1 MPa), which further influence the timing and source properties of subsequent seismic ruptures. We observe that the level of pore‐pressure perturbation exhibits a positive correlation with aseismic‐stress drops but a reversed trend with seismic‐stress drops. Simulations encompassing diverse injection operations and fault frictional parameters generate a wide spectrum of slip modes, with the scaling relationship of moment (M0) with ruptured radius (r0) following an unusual trend, , similar to observed in the DFWA sequence. Based on the consistent scaling, we hypothesize that the lower‐stress‐drop events in the DFWA may imply less dynamic ruptures in the transition from aseismic to seismic slip, located in the middle of the broad slip spectrum, as illustrated in our simulations.
The Role of Southeast Asian Island Topography on Indo‐Pacific Climate and Silicate Weathering
Authors: Chiang John. C. H. , Maffre Pierre , Swanson‐Hysell Nicholas L. , Macdonald Francis A.
Published: March 2024

The geography of the Southeast Asian Islands (SEAI) has changed over the last 15 million years, as a result of tectonic processes contributing to both increased land area and high topography. The presence of the additional land area has been postulated to enhance convective rainfall, facilitating both increased silicate weathering and the development of the modern‐day Walker circulation. Using an Earth System Model in conjunction with a climate‐silicate weathering model, we argue instead for a significant role of SEAI topography for both effects. SEAI topography increases orographic rainfall over land, through intercepting moist Asian‐Australian monsoon winds and enhancing land‐sea breezes. Large‐scale atmospheric uplift over the SEAI region increases by ∼14% as a consequence of increased rainfall over the SEAI and enhancement through dynamical ocean‐atmosphere feedback. The atmospheric zonal overturning circulation over the Indo‐Pacific increases modestly arising from dynamical ocean‐atmosphere feedback, more strongly over the tropical Indian Ocean. On the other hand, the effect of the SEAI topography on global silicate weathering is substantial, resulting in a ∼109 ppm reduction in equilibrium pCO2 and decrease in global mean temperature by ∼1.7ºC. The chemical weathering increase comes from both enhanced physical erosion rates and increased rainfall due to the presence of SEAI topography. The lowering of pCO2 by SEAI topography also enhances the Indo‐Pacific atmospheric zonal overturning circulation. Our results support a significant role for the progressive emergence of SEAI topography in global cooling over the last several million years.
Ocean Pollution Makes Microbes Adapt
Authors: Kernan Martin
Published: March 2024

Some bacteria thrive in the sometimes-toxic soup of crude oil and chemical dispersants.
Increased gene dosage of RFWD2 causes autistic-like behaviors and aberrant synaptic formation and function in mice
Authors: Li Yong-Xia , Tan Zhi-Nei , Li Xu-Hui , Ma Boyu , Adu Nti Frank , Lv Xiao-Qiang , Tian Zhen-Jun , Yan Riqiang , Man Heng-Ye , Ma Xin-Ming
Published: March 2024

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interactions, communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. A study of autistic human subjects has identified RFWD2 as a susceptibility gene for autism, and autistic patients have 3 copies of the RFWD2 gene. The role of RFWD2 as an E3 ligase in neuronal functions, and its contribution to the pathophysiology of ASD, remain unknown. We generated RFWD2 knockin mice to model the human autistic condition of high gene dosage of RFWD2. We found that heterozygous knockin (Rfwd2+/−) male mice exhibited the core symptoms of autism. Rfwd2+/− male mice showed deficits in social interaction and communication, increased repetitive and anxiety-like behavior, and spatial memory deficits, whereas Rfwd2+/− female mice showed subtle deficits in social communication and spatial memory but were normal in anxiety-like, repetitive, and social behaviors. These autistic-like behaviors in males were accompanied by a reduction in dendritic spine density and abnormal synaptic function on layer II/III pyramidal neurons in the prelimbic area of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), as well as decreased expression of synaptic proteins. Impaired social behaviors in Rfwd2+/− male mice were rescued by the expression of ETV5, one of the major substrates of RFWD2, in the mPFC. These findings indicate an important role of RFWD2 in the pathogenesis of autism.
Endogenous BAX and BAK form mosaic rings of variable size and composition on apoptotic mitochondria
Authors: Schweighofer Sarah V. , Jans Daniel C. , Keller-Findeisen Jan , Folmeg Anne , Ilgen Peter , Bates Mark , Jakobs Stefan
Published: March 2024

One hallmark of apoptosis is the oligomerization of BAX and BAK to form a pore in the mitochondrial outer membrane, which mediates the release of pro-apoptotic intermembrane space proteins into the cytosol. Cells overexpressing BAX or BAK fusion proteins are a powerful model system to study the dynamics and localization of these proteins in cells. However, it is unclear whether overexpressed BAX and BAK form the same ultrastructural assemblies following the same spatiotemporal hierarchy as endogenously expressed proteins. Combining live- and fixed-cell STED super-resolution microscopy, we show that overexpression of BAK results in novel BAK structures, which are virtually absent in non-overexpressing apoptotic cells. We further demonstrate that in wild type cells, BAK is recruited to apoptotic pores before BAX. Both proteins together form unordered, mosaic rings on apoptotic mitochondria in immortalized cell culture models as well as in human primary cells. In BAX- or BAK- single-knockout cells, the remaining protein is able to form rings independently. The heterogeneous nature of these rings in both wild type as well as single-knockout cells corroborates the toroidal apoptotic pore model.
Point biserial correlation symbiotic organism search nanoengineering based drug delivery for tumor diagnosis
Authors: Shukla Garima , Singh Sofia , Dhule Chetan , Agrawal Rahul , Saraswat Shipra , Al-Rasheed Amal , Alqahtani Mohammed S. , Soufiene Ben Othman
Published: March 2024

Nanoparticulate systems have the prospect of accounting for a new making of drug delivery systems. Nanotechnology is manifested to traverse the hurdle of both physical and biological sciences by implementing nanostructures indistinct fields of science, particularly in nano-based drug delivery. The low delivery efficiency of nanoparticles is a critical obstacle in the field of tumor diagnosis. Several nano-based drug delivery studies are focused on for tumor diagnosis. But, the nano-based drug delivery efficiency was not increased for tumor diagnosis. This work proposes a method called point biserial correlation symbiotic organism search nanoengineering-based drug delivery (PBC-SOSN). The objective and aim of the PBC-SOSN method is to achieve higher drug delivery efficiency and lesser drug delivery time for tumor diagnosis. The contribution of the PBC-SOSN is to optimized nanonengineering-based drug delivery with higher r drug delivery detection rate and smaller drug delivery error detection rate. Initially, raw data acquired from the nano-tumor dataset, and nano-drugs for glioblastoma dataset, overhead improved preprocessed samples are evolved using nano variational model decomposition-based preprocessing. After that, the preprocessed samples as input are subjected to variance analysis and point biserial correlation-based feature selection model. Finally, the preprocessed samples and features selected are subjected to symbiotic organism search nanoengineering (SOSN) to corroborate the objective. Based on these findings, point biserial correlation-based feature selection and a symbiotic organism search nanoengineering were tested for their modeling performance with a nano-tumor dataset and nano-drugs for glioblastoma dataset, finding the latter the better algorithm. Incorporated into the method is the potential to adjust the drug delivery detection rate and drug delivery error detection rate of the learned method based on selected features determined by nano variational model decomposition for efficient drug delivery.
Association of long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with knee osteoarthritis: a prospective multi-cohort study over 4-to-5 years
Authors: Salis Zubeyir , Sainsbury Amanda
Published: March 2024

This study examines the long-term impact of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the progression of symptoms and structural deterioration of the joint in knee osteoarthritis. The study analyzes data from 4197 participants (8394 knees) across the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST), and Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK) over 4-to-5 years. Adjustments were made for major covariates. We focussed on binary outcomes to assess the presence or absence of significant changes. We found that, relative to non-users, individuals using NSAIDs long-term were significantly more likely to experience aggravated symptoms exceeding the minimally clinically important difference, specifically, pain (OR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.66–2.49), disability (OR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.74–2.80), and stiffness (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.29–1.93). Long-term users also faced a higher probability than non-users of having total knee replacement (OR: 3.13, 95% CI: 2.08–4.70), although no significant difference between long-term users and non-users was observed for structural deterioration in the knee joint (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.94–1.65). While acknowledging the limitations of this study due to its observational design and the potential for bidirectional causality, these findings suggest that long-term NSAID use could accelerate the progression to total knee replacement by markedly exacerbating symptoms.
The development of a prediction model based on deep learning for prognosis prediction of gastrointestinal stromal tumor: a SEER-based study
Authors: Zeng Junjie , Li Kai , Cao Fengyu , Zheng Yongbin
Published: March 2024

Accurately predicting the prognosis of Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patients is an important task. The goal of this study was to create and assess models for GIST patients' survival patients using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database based on the three different deep learning models. Four thousand five hundred thirty-eight patients were enrolled in this study and divided into training and test cohorts with a 7:3 ratio; the training cohort was used to develop three different models, including Cox regression, RSF, and DeepSurv model. Test cohort was used to evaluate model performance using c-index, Brier scores, calibration, and the area under the curve (AUC). The net benefits at risk score stratification of GIST patients based on the optimal model was compared with the traditional AJCC staging system using decision curve analysis (DCA). The clinical usefulness of risk score stratification compared to AJCC tumor staging was further assessed using the Net Reclassification Index (NRI) and Integrated Discrimination Improvement (IDI). The DeepSurv model predicted cancer-specific survival (CSS) in GIST patients showed a higher c-index (0.825), lower Brier scores (0.142), and greater AUC of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis (1-year ROC:0.898; 3-year:0.853, and 5-year ROC: 0.856). The calibration plots demonstrated good agreement between the DeepSurv model's forecast and actual results. The NRI values ( training cohort: 0.425 for 1-year, 0.329 for 3-year and 0.264 for 5-year CSS prediction; test cohort:0.552 for 1-year,0.309 for 3-year and 0.255 for 5-year CSS prediction) and IDI (training cohort: 0.130 for 1-year,0.141 for 5-year and 0.155 for 10-year CSS prediction; test cohort: 0.154 for 1-year,0.159 for 3-year and 0.159 for 5-year CSS prediction) indicated that the risk score stratification performed significantly better than the AJCC staging alone (P < 0.001). DCA demonstrated the risk score stratification as more clinically beneficial and discriminatory than AJCC staging. Finally, an interactive native web-based prediction tool was constructed for the survival prediction of GIST patients. This study established a high-performance prediction model for projecting GIST patients based on deep learning, which has advantages in predicting each person's prognosis and risk stratification.
Both identity and non-identity face perception tasks predict developmental prosopagnosia and face recognition ability
Authors: Bennetts Rachel J. , Gregory Nicola J. , Bate Sarah
Published: March 2024

Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is characterised by deficits in face identification. However, there is debate about whether these deficits are primarily perceptual, and whether they extend to other face processing tasks (e.g., identifying emotion, age, and gender; detecting faces in scenes). In this study, 30 participants with DP and 75 controls completed a battery of eight tasks assessing four domains of face perception (identity; emotion; age and gender; face detection). The DP group performed worse than the control group on both identity perception tasks, and one task from each other domain. Both identity perception tests uniquely predicted DP/control group membership, and performance on two measures of face memory. These findings suggest that deficits in DP may arise from issues with face perception. Some non-identity tasks also predicted DP/control group membership and face memory, even when face identity perception was accounted for. Gender perception and speed of face detection consistently predicted unique variance in group membership and face memory; several other tasks were only associated with some measures of face recognition ability. These findings indicate that face perception deficits in DP may extend beyond identity perception. However, the associations between tasks may also reflect subtle aspects of task demands or stimuli.
Sensitivity to thyroid hormones is associated with sleep duration in the euthyroid population with depression degree lower than moderate
Authors: Xiao Xian-qiu , Fu Fu-shan , Xiang Cheng , Yan Hai-chao
Published: March 2024

We collected thyroid-related hormone index levels, sleep duration, and other basic characteristics of the population with depression from the NHANES 2009–2012 cycles and evaluated the association of Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Index (TSHI) with sleep duration in the euthyroid population with depression via different analysis methods. We found that the association between TSHI and sleep duration was only found in patients with depression degree < Moderate (score: 1–14) rather than > Moderate group. Among the populations with degree < Moderate (N = 1918), only 4 indexes (parametric Thyroid Feedback Quantile Index, PTFQI, Thyrotroph Thyroxine Resistance Index, TT4RI, Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone TSH, and TSHI) reflecting the sensitivity to thyroid hormones were related to the sleep duration, with a significant non-linear relationship after adjusting for potential confounders (all P < 0.05). Trend analysis indicated that with the level increase of these 4 indexes, the sleep duration increased (all P for trend < 0.001). Further, we found that TSHI was relatively more important among the 4 indexes. Sum up, sensitivity to thyroid hormones is associated with sleep duration in the euthyroid population with depression degree lower than Moderate. Poor sensitivity referred to a longer sleep duration.
Lead-free Cs2AgBiBr6 double perovskite microcrystals for effective visible-light photocatalytic thio/selenocyanation
Authors: Zhong Ting , Zhu Haibo , Zheng Yeye , Ren Gaowen , Xie Xinmei , Fan Qiangwen , Xie Zongbo , Le Zhang-Gao
Published: March 2024

An efficient lead-free double perovskite Cs2AgBiBr6 catalyzed C-3 thio/selenocyanation of indoles under visible-light have been developed, in which the photocatalyst can be recycled at least five times without a substantial decrease in efficiency.
Influence of ion and hydration atmospheres on RNA structure and dynamics: insights from advanced theoretical and computational methods
Authors: Sarkar Raju , Mainan Avijit , Roy Susmita
Published: March 2024

Investigating the influence of Mg2+ ions and hydration atmospheres on structure and functions of RNA employing explicit solvent and advanced coarse-grained simulation techniques.
Theoretical study of fructose adsorption and conversion to trioses on metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Sittiwong Jarinya , Maihom Thana , Wansa Chomphunuch , Probst Michael , Limtrakul Jumras
Published: March 2024

The study explores fructose adsorption and conversion to trioses on MOFs, with Hf-NU-1000 and Zr-NU-1000 catalysts being more active than Ti-NU-1000. Hf-MOF808 shows the highest activity, followed by Hf-NU-1000 and Hf-UIO66, respectively.
Rapid detection of furanyl fentanyl in complex matrices using Leidenfrost desorption-assisted low-temperature arc plasma ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Zhang Wei , Han Zhongbao , Zhao Zhongyu , Shi Jianjun , Liu Liyan , Wang Dan , Yu Zhan
Published: March 2024

The abuse of illicit drugs poses serious threats to the physical and mental health of users, as well as to the overall safety and welfare of society.
Unusually short unsupported Au(iii)⋯Au(iii) aurophilic contacts in emissive lanthanide tetracyanoaurate(iii) complexes
Authors: Karpiuk Thomas E. , Mahato Samyadeb , Storr Tim , Leznoff Daniel B.
Published: March 2024

A series of [Au(CN)4]− salts with lanthanide 2,2′-bipyridine dioxide cations feature Au(iii) aurophilicity between [Au(CN)4]− groups; the 3.3603(4) Å distance represents the shortest unsupported Au(iii)–Au(iii) interaction reported to date.
Preparing glycosyl benzothiazoles from 2-isocyanoaryl thioethers and glycosyl radicals under thermal conditions
Authors: Liu Daqi , Zhang Yang , Niu Dawen
Published: March 2024

Glycosyl radicals generated from readily available and bench-stable allyl glycosyl sulfones, promoting radical cascade cyclization for preparing glycosyl benzothiazoles.
Transition metal single-atoms supported on hexagonal ZnIn2S4 monolayers for the hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Cheng Xiujuan , Cheng Kunyang , Zhou Xuying , Shi Mingyang , Jiang Gang , Du Jiguang
Published: March 2024

The 2D h-ZnIn2S4 monolayers are used as substrate materials to investigate the HER catalytic activity of single TM atoms supported on the surface, and the mechanism of the high catalytic activity of SAC is also discussed.
Novel composite of ZnMoO4/Ni(OH)2 as an electrode material for enhanced performance in energy-storage applications
Authors: Duvaragan Barani Kumar , Shanmugam Ganesan , Hameed Arif Mohamed Shahul , Ramalingam Vetrivel
Published: March 2024

The as-prepared composite of micro-flower structure of ZnMoO4 with Ni(OH)2 nano-flower were employed as electrode materials for supercapacitors.
Manganese–carbon (Mn–C) interaction to host Al3+-ions in a β-MnO2–MWCNT composite cathode in rechargeable aluminium ion batteries
Authors: Gorle Mohan , Chavan Santosh N. , Vijay Kumar A. , Jetti Vatsala Rani
Published: March 2024

Rechargeable Aluminium Ion Batteries (AIBs) are one of the potential metal battery alternatives to Li-ion batteries.
Compact white dwarf binaries in the combined SRG/eROSITA/SDSS eFEDS survey
Authors: Schwope A. , Kurpas J. , Baecke P. , Knauff K. , Stütz L. , Tubín-Arenas D. , Standke A. , Anderson S. F. , Bauer F. , Brandt W. N. , Covey K. , Demasi S. , Dwelly T. , Freund S. , Friedrich S. , Gänsicke B. T. , Maitra C. , Merloni A. , Muñoz-Giraldo D. , Rodriguez A. , Salvato M. , Stassun K. , Stelzer B. , Strong A. , Morrison S.
Published: March 2024

Context. X-ray surveys combined with optical follow-up observations are used to generate complete flux-limited samples of the main X-ray emitting source classes. eROSITA on the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission provides sufficient sensitivity to build significantly enhanced samples of rare X-ray emitting sources.

Aims. We strive to identify and classify compact white dwarf binaries, cataclysmic variables (CVs), and related objects, which were detected in the sky area of eFEDS, the eROSITA Final Equatorial Depths Survey, and they were observed in the plate program of SDSS-V.

Methods. Compact white dwarf binaries were selected from spectra obtained in the early SDSS-V plate program. A dedicated set of SDSS plate observations were carried out in the eFEDS field, providing spectroscopic classifications for a significant fraction of the optically bright end (r < 22.5) of the X-ray sample. The identification and subclassification rests on visual inspections of the SDSS spectra, spectral variability, color-magnitude and color-color diagrams involving optical and X-ray fluxes, optical variability, and literature work.

Results. Upon visual inspection of SDSS spectra and various auxiliary data products, we have identified 26 accreting compact white dwarf binaries (aCWDBs) in eFEDS, of which 24 are proven X-ray emitters. Among those 26 objects, there are 12 dwarf novae, three WZ Sge-like disk-accreting nonmagnetic CVs with low accretion rates, five likely nonmagnetic high accretion rate nova-like CVs, two magnetic CVs of the polar subcategory, and three double degenerates (AM CVn objects). Period bouncing candidates and magnetic systems are rarer than expected in this sample, but it is too small for a thorough statistical analysis. Fourteen of the systems are new discoveries, of which five are fainter than the Gaia magnitude limit. Thirteen aCWDBs have measured or estimated orbital periods, of which five were presented here. Through a Zeeman analysis, we revise the magnetic field estimate of the polar system J0926+0105, which is likely a low-field polar at B = 16 MG. We quantified the success of X-ray versus optical/UV selection of compact white dwarf binaries which will be relevant for the full SDSS-V survey. We also identified six white dwarf main sequence (WDMS) systems, among them there is one confirmed pre-CV at an orbital period of 17.6 h and another pre-CV candidate.

Conclusions. This work presents successful initial work in building large samples of all kinds of accreting and X-ray emitting compact white dwarf binaries that will be continued over the full hemisphere in the years to come.