bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Master classes of the tenth international brain–computer interface meeting: showcasing the research of BCI trainees
Authors: Cernera Stephanie , Gemicioglu Tan , Berezutskaya Julia , Csaky Richard , Verwoert Maxime , Polyakov Daniel , Papadopoulos Sotirios , Spagnolo Valeria , Astudillo Juliana Gonzalez , Kumar Satyam , Alawieh Hussein , Kelly Dion , Keough Joanna R G , Minhas Araz , Dold Matthias , Han Yiyuan , McClanahan Alexander , Mustafa Mousa , Gonzalez-Espana Juan Jose , Garro Florencia , Vujic Angela , Kacker Kriti , Kapeller Christoph , Geukes Simon , Verbaarschot Ceci , Wimmer Michael , Sultana Mushfika , Ahmadi Sara , Herff Christian , Sburlea Andreea Ioana , Jeunet Camille , Thompson David E , Semprini Marianna , Andersen Richard , Stavisky Sergey , Kinney-Lang Eli , Lotte Fabien , Thielen Jordy , Chen Xing , Peterson Victoria , Gunduz Aysegul , Vaughan Theresa , Valeriani Davide
Published: February 2025

The Tenth International brain–computer interface (BCI) meeting was held June 6–9, 2023, in the Sonian Forest in Brussels, Belgium. At that meeting, 21 master classes, organized by the BCI Society’s Postdoc & Student Committee, supported the Society’s goal of fostering learning opportunities and meaningful interactions for trainees in BCI-related fields. Master classes provide an informal environment where senior researchers can give constructive feedback to the trainee on their chosen and specific pursuit. The topics of the master classes span the whole gamut of BCI research and techniques. These include data acquisition, neural decoding and analysis, invasive and noninvasive stimulation, and ethical and transitional considerations. Additionally, master classes spotlight innovations in BCI research. Herein, we discuss what was presented within the master classes by highlighting each trainee and expert researcher, providing relevant background information and results from each presentation, and summarizing discussion and references for further study.
Latent alignment in deep learning models for EEG decoding
Authors: Bakas Stylianos , Ludwig Siegfried , Adamos Dimitrios A , Laskaris Nikolaos , Panagakis Yannis , Zafeiriou Stefanos
Published: February 2025

Objective. Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) face a significant challenge due to variability in electroencephalography (EEG) signals across individuals. While recent approaches have focused on standardizing input signal distributions, we propose that aligning distributions in the deep learning model’s feature space is more effective for classification. Approach. We introduce the Latent Alignment method, which won the Benchmarks for EEG Transfer Learning competition. This method can be formulated as a deep set architecture applied to trials from a given subject, introducing deep sets to EEG decoding for the first time. We compare Latent Alignment to recent statistical domain adaptation techniques, carefully considering class-discriminative artifacts and the impact of class distributions on classification performance. Main results. Our experiments across motor imagery, sleep stage classification, and P300 event-related potential tasks validate Latent Alignment’s effectiveness. We identify a trade-off between improved classification accuracy when alignment is performed at later modeling stages and increased susceptibility to class imbalance in the trial set used for statistical computation. Significance. Latent Alignment offers consistent improvements to subject-independent deep learning models for EEG decoding when relevant practical considerations are addressed. This work advances our understanding of statistical alignment techniques in EEG decoding and provides insights for their effective implementation in real-world BCI applications, potentially facilitating broader use of BCIs in healthcare, assistive technologies, and beyond. The model code is available at https://github.com/StylianosBakas/LatentAlignment
Low-carbon economic dispatch of regional microgrids with flexible loads
Authors: Xue Mengge
Published: February 2025

With the advancement of sustainable development initiatives, clean energy microgrids are increasingly recognized as a key strategy for achieving carbon neutrality in power systems. Leveraging the characteristics of flexible loads, including load cutting, load shifting and transfer, demand response, and low-carbon economic dispatch optimization have been implemented in wind-solar-natural gas hybrid energy systems. A microgrid dispatch model aimed at optimizing economic performance is developed, incorporating factors such as operating costs, compensation costs, and carbon trading costs. The study investigates how the optimal scheduling of flexible loads under a carbon trading mechanism can contribute to both emission reduction and cost savings. Results demonstrate that optimized dispatch can reduce total daily costs by 11.21%.
Physical simulation test of hydraulic fracture propagation in deep shale reservoir under in-situ temperature and stress conditions
Authors: Huang Haoyong , Guo Wuhao , Chen Liqing , Wang Shouyi , Guo Yintong , Sun Qimeng , Chen Junjie
Published: February 2025

Attributed to the extreme geological environment of deep shale reservoirs, characterized by high temperature and stress, hydraulic fracturing reservoir stimulation often faces a series of problems, such as high breakdown pressure and unclear hydraulic fracture propagation law. The purpose of this study is to restore the propagation and evolution characteristics of hydraulic fractures in a deep shale reservoir environment, and to clarify the difficulty of opening hydraulic fractures and the law of propagation. For this purpose, outcrop cores were collected from the main shale gas-producing areas in China, and physical simulation tests of hydraulic fracturing with different displacement, temperature and stress states under in-situ temperature and stress conditions in deep shale reservoirs were carried out. The test results reveal that, within the actual in-situ reservoir environment, the fracturing pump injection curve primarily exhibits characteristics of high and low fluctuations, followed by a sustained high-pressure plateau post-peak. Notably, the post-peak fluctuations serve as a crucial indicator of increased complexity in the hydraulic fracture network. As the temperature increases, the breakdown pressure gradually decreases in a linear manner. The increase in displacement will enhance the thermal shock effect and aggravate the decrease of breakdown pressure. Stimulated rock area (SRA) is an effective index to measure the complexity of hydraulic fractures. The SRA of a single fracture is close to 1, while that of a complex fracture is between 1.5 and 2.
Research on solar air heaters with longitudinal baffles: effects of geometry and reynolds number
Authors: Li Zhen
Published: February 2025

The collection efficiency and pressure loss have always been essential research issues for SAH (solar air heater). In order to further improve the heat transfer performance of SAH, the longitudinal baffles SAH model is established using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) based on the transverse baffles SAH. The structure, length-peak radio, and air Reynolds number of longitudinal baffles SAH are studied. It is found that the heat transfer efficiency of the longitudinal baffles SAH is 10% higher. The longitudinally curved baffles have the highest heat transfer efficiency of about 67.57%. When the length-peak ratio is 2.3, SAH has the highest heat transfer efficiency. As this Reynolds number of air increases, both the heat transfer efficiency and pressure loss in SAH increase. Curve fitting is performed on the pressure loss, and the fitting degree of the correlation equation is 0.99.
Strong dynamic interaction control of an offshore wind-thermal power plant-energy storage system based on an unsupervised feature generation algorithm
Authors: Wang Haojing , Zhang Yu , Yang Jiaxin , Fang Chen , Liu Daqian
Published: February 2025

The traditional strong dynamic interactive control method for energy storage systems in offshore wind power plants mainly uses MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) multiple output state transfer function models to complete control feedback, which is easily affected by changes in the length of the connecting line, resulting in excessive control fluctuations. Therefore, a strong dynamic interactive control method for the energy storage system of offshore wind power plants based on an unsupervised feature generation algorithm is proposed. A strong dynamic interactive control model is built for the energy storage system of offshore wind power plants. An unsupervised feature generation algorithm is adopted to achieve weak dynamic interactive control of offshore wind thermal energy storage system. The experimental results show that the designed method has low control fluctuation amplitude, reliability, and certain application values.
Pressure control strategy for the coking chamber of RLS-GPC coke oven
Authors: Yan Qiang , Bo He Rong , Qing Ning Fang , Tong Chen Xi , Cheng Chao
Published: February 2025

This paper proposes a generalized predictive control strategy for the pressure control of the coke oven coking chamber to address the nonlinear production, large inertia, and the difficulty in accurately constructing a mathematical model. Firstly, the RLS algorithm is used to identify the model parameters of the coke oven coking chamber. Secondly, the generalized predictive control algorithm is introduced to control the model. Finally, the effectiveness of the control strategy is verified by the simulation of the control strategy in MATLAB. The engineering application shows that the proposed control strategy has a good control effect and better anti-jamming capability.
Research on simulation optimization of water-wind-solar-storage multi-energy complementary operation based on heuristic feasible solution strategies
Authors: Li Jingyi , Lu Youlin , Lu Peng , Wang Xu , Dong Chuang , Guo Peng
Published: February 2025

There are various types of power sources in the cascade water-wind-solar-storage clean energy base around the basin. The joint operation conditions are complex. It not only requires the base to meet the needs of the receiving-end power system as a whole but also needs to implement the optimal operation of water-storage joint compensation to solve the problem of new energy consumption and optimal allocation of resources. This paper proposes an optimization method for the operation simulation of multi-energy complementation of water, wind, photovoltaic, and energy storage based on a heuristic feasible solution strategy. It efficiently solves the joint-operation optimization model that considers multiple constraints and aims at optimizing the system’s power generation. By deriving the feasible corridors of complex constraints, it takes into account the universality, practicability, and high efficiency of the algorithm solution, providing strong technical support for the operation simulation of the current typical multi-energy complementary power generation systems of cascade HPPs, wind farms, photovoltaic plants, and energy-storage facilities in river basins.
Modeling and simulation of the two-phase parallel three-level buck converter
Authors: Zhang Guodong , Zuo Dongsheng , Xu Chen
Published: February 2025

The two-phase shunt three-level Buck converter is a new type of DC-DC converter, whose main feature is that it combines the shunt two-phase and three-level conversion techniques. The structural design of this converter includes multiple switching devices, and the step-down conversion of the input voltage is achieved by rationally controlling the conduction and shutdown of the switches. The converter utilizes a three-level topology to optimize current sharing and voltage control by connecting multiple Buck modules in parallel. In this paper, each operating mode is analyzed and mathematically modeled, and closed-loop control strategies such as voltage loop control, current loop control, average capacitor voltage control, and average inductor current control are used to ensure the balanced operation of each module. Finally, Simulink is used to simulate the system, and a PI controller is used to achieve the closed-loop control, and the simulation results prove the effectiveness and accuracy of the model.
Performance analysis of parallel flow heat exchanger based on water and R134a
Authors: Cheng Hao , Li Yingzi , Chang Yunlong , Cheng Quan , Yuan Weixing
Published: February 2025

This study constructs and validates a heat transfer model of a PFHE applied in data center cabinet cooling systems, using water and R134a as working fluids. By comparing with experimental data, the specific impacts of the two working fluids on the heat exchanger performance are thoroughly analyzed. Findings indicate that compared to water, R134a demonstrates superior uniformity in outlet air temperature and its cooling capacity is 1.23 to 2.27 times that of water. However, the pressure drop in the two-phase heat exchange of R134a is generally higher than that of water during single-phase heat exchange. Furthermore, this paper provides a detailed analysis of the effects of working fluid flow rate, air flow rate, inlet air temperature, and flat tube thickness on cooling capacity, pressure drop, outlet air temperature, and coefficient of performance (COP).
The research on the preparation and lithium storage performance of starch-based hard carbon anodes using the doping-coating method
Authors: Huang Aoqi
Published: February 2025

The study explored the conversion of corn starch into hard carbon anodes for lithium-ion batteries, with an emphasis on the impact of nitrogen doping via melamine and the application of a PVP (polyvinyl pyrrolidone) coating on the resulting microstructure and battery performance. Findings revealed that at a carbonization point of 1000°C, the melamine-based nitrogen doping technique successfully introduced nitrogen into the carbon matrix, markedly improving the electrochemical capabilities. The treated materials developed a porous honeycomb-like structure, with PCSH10 achieving superior cycling and discharge characteristics. At a current rate of 0.2 C, the material maintained a reversible capacity of 277.55 mAh/g after 100 cycles, and an average capacity of 134.21 mAh/g at a higher rate of 2 C.
A spherical triboelectric nanogenerator for omnidirectional wave energy harvesting utilizing gravity
Authors: Gu Haibo , Chen Yanghui , Yang Bin
Published: February 2025

Ocean wave energy is a widely distributed form of renewable energy that holds significant potential for global power generation. The kinetic energy present in ocean waves, generated by wind blowing over the sea surface, can be harnessed to produce electricity. Wave energy is a promising resource due to its predictability and energy density compared to other renewable sources like solar and wind energy. The development of efficient wave energy converters (WECs) is critical for maximizing the exploitation of this resource. These converters transform the mechanical energy of ocean waves into electrical power using various mechanisms, including hydraulic systems, electromagnetic generators, and, more recently, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs).
Health analysis of substation lead-acid battery based on FP-growth algorithm
Authors: Zou Zihao
Published: February 2025

With the continuous development of China’s power system, the number of lead-acid batteries applied in substations is growing rapidly, and the maintenance workload of lead-acid batteries is also increasing. In the face of a large number of lead-acid batteries in the substation, the concept of health is proposed to analyze the actual capacity of the lead-acid battery, and the FP-Growth algorithm is combined to mine the correlation rules between the battery health and the influencing factors. The effectiveness of this method is verified by calculation and the actual situation of lead-acid batteries, which provides support for the maintenance of lead-acid batteries for substations.
The influence of horseshoe-shaped icing on the aerodynamic shape factor of OPGW under wind loading
Authors: Li Ke , Lu Bo , Shi Jiangtao , Tang Haitao
Published: February 2025

The present study focuses on the influence of typical horseshoe-shaped ice accretion on the wind load shape coefficients of optical fiber composite overhead ground wires (OPGW). Utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods, we conducted numerical simulations of the complex airflow field surrounding the iced conductors. By establishing precise numerical models, we systematically computed the variations of the OPGW’s wind load shape coefficients with wind attack angles under various wind speeds and ice accretion thicknesses. Our findings reveal that the geometric characteristics of the horseshoe-shaped ice accretion have a pronounced effect on the shape coefficients. While the increase in ice thickness does not alter the overall trend of shape coefficient variation, it significantly alters their numerical values. Specifically, the shape coefficients exhibit an increasing trend with the thickening of ice accretion, underscoring the substantial enhancement of aerodynamic properties imparted by icing. Further analysis indicates that at a given ice thickness, variations in wind speed also exert a moderate influence on the shape coefficients. As wind speed intensifies, a slight decrease in the shape coefficients is observed, which may be attributed to the more intricate airflow patterns at higher speeds, leading to a redistribution of aerodynamic forces. Notably, the shape coefficients attain their maximum values at a wind direction angle of 180°, a finding that holds significant implications for understanding the load characteristics of iced OPGW under varying wind directions. This underscores the criticality of reinforcing structural designs and protective measures for OPGW, particularly during extreme weather conditions when wind directions approach 180°, as they may be subjected to heightened wind loads.
Mechanical verification of CubeSat main frame panels through software simulation.
Authors: Hurtado-Pérez A. B. , Villafuerte Alvarado F. A. , Hernández-Gómez J. J. , Mata-Rivera M. F.
Published: February 2025

The satellite industry is under constant pressure to develop designs that are cheaper, lighter, stronger, and more versatile. However, launching satellites involves complex mechanical load phenomena that puts in risk the integrity of the satellite and its structure. To address these challenges, Multi-Objective Topology Optimisation (MOTO) is employed to optimise satellite designs while considering various physical factors. This study applies the MOTO-SBESO algorithm to find the best distribution of material in a satellite, optimising for multiple load conditions and a broad range of expected frequencies. Given the complexity of these conditions, the optimising process itself can be time-consuming and may lead to sub-optimal designs that could fail during service. Rather than exploring the optimisation process which is itself a matter for another work, this paper focuses on verifying the mechanical properties of the optimised designs using simulation software.
TCAD simulation of 3D silicon sensors for thermal neutron imaging
Authors: Ye Jixing , Polo Matteo , Mendicino Roberto , Quaranta Alberto , Dalla Betta Gian-Franco
Published: February 2025

Within the INFN HYDE project, we have developed pixelated hybrid detectors for thermal neutron imaging. Devices are based on microstructured silicon sensors coupled with converter materials. Compared to standard 3D sensors, the proposed device offers a more convenient trade-off between technological complexity and neutron detection performance. Nevertheless, experimental results have shown a lower detection efficiency with respect to the theoretically expected value, which was attributed to an insufficient density of negative fixed charge in the Al2O3 layer used to passivate the cavities.

TCAD simulations have been performed aimed at gaining deeper insight into this problem. The results reported in this paper
confirm the sensitivity of the sensor performance to the properties of the Si/Al2O3 interface in terms of fixed charge and surface generation/recombination velocity, providing useful hints for future optimization of the device.
Vibration of a mounted potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal induced by the radiation pressure of a single-pass laser beam
Authors: Su Ruifeng , Liang Yingchun
Published: February 2025

We discovered that a mounted large-aperture potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4, KDP) crystal vibrates elastically when it is irradiated by a single-pass high-average-power laser beam. A theoretical model is developed to study the vibration of the KDP crystal caused by the radiation pressure of the laser beam, treating the radiation pressure caused by reflection as a static force. Additionally, the deformation and surface shape of the vibrating KDP crystal are calculated. It shows that a mounted 40 cm-level-aperture KDP crystal elastically vibrates at the pico-meter scale when irradiated by a single-pass laser beam at the GW cm−2 level.
Microstructure and properties of spiral gradient coating prepared by laser cladding
Authors: Ping Lu , Junquan Zhang , Tianchi Zhang , Fulong Zhang , Shuangyu Liu , Fengde Liu
Published: February 2025

In this study, laser additive manufacturing technology is utilized with the objective of controlling the internal stress of the cladding layer to maintain it in a compressive stress state. The cladding material was carefully designed and selected, and an Fe-Cr-Ni alloy spiral gradient multi-layer coating with significant differences in alloy element content was prepared on the surface of 45 steel. Using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and x-ray diffractometer (XRD), the effects of the angle between cladding directions on the crystallization morphology, microhardness, and wear resistance of the cladding layer were investigated. The experimental results indicate that the interlayer angle significantly affects the crystallization morphology and grain size of the cladding layer. As the interlayer texture angle increases from 30° to 90°, the grain size within the cladding layer is significantly refined, accompanied by improved hardness uniformity and higher hardness values. This phenomenon occurs because, when the layer is rotated by a certain angle, the intersection area between the fusion line of the cladding layer and the dendritic crystals within the contour of the previous layer increases. This results in a greater number of favorable sites for liquid-phase nucleation, thereby promoting grain refinement. Additionally, since the columnar crystals at the solid–liquid interface continue to grow along the secondary dendritic growth direction of the previous cladding layer, the spatial angle between the columnar crystals at the interface of the upper and lower layers changes as the interlayer texture angle increases. Consequently, the angle in the cross-sectional direction also increases. When the interlayer texture angle reaches 90°, an ‘L’-shaped structure is formed. The microstructure of the cladding layer with higher Ni content is mainly composed of martensite and austenite, leading to lower hardness and a higher tendency for adhesive wear. In contrast, the microstructure of the cladding layer with lower Ni content primarily consists of martensite with a small amount of retained austenite, resulting in higher microhardness and better resistance to adhesive wear. The spiral gradient structure of the coating effectively refines the grains and enhances the hardness of the cladding layer, providing a new method for the preparation of high-quality cladding coatings.
Advancing vaccine development in genomic era: a paradigm shift in vaccine discovery
Authors: Din Miraj Ud , Liu Xiaohui , Jiang Hui , Ahmad Sajjad , Xiangdong Lai , Wang Xuemei
Published: February 2025

The issue of antibiotic resistance is increasing with time because of the quick rise of microbial strains. Overuse of antibiotics has led to multidrug-resistant, pan-drug-resistant, and extensively drug-resistant bacterial strains, which have worsened the situation. Different techniques have been considered and applied to combat this issue, such as developing new antibiotics, practicing antibiotic stewardship, improving hygiene levels, and controlling antibiotic overuse. Vaccine development made a substantial contribution to overcoming this issue, although it has been underestimated. In the recent era, reverse vaccinology has contributed to developing different kinds of vaccines against pathogens, revolutionizing the vaccine development process. Reverse vaccinology helps to prioritize better vaccine candidates by using various tools to filter the pathogen’s complete genome. In this review, we will shed light on computational vaccine designing, immunoinformatic tools, genomic and proteomic data, and the challenges and success stories of computational vaccine designing.
Machinery structural crack damage detection based on acoustic signal with ICEEMDAN and sensitive IMF fuzzy entropy
Authors: Qu Jinxiu , Bai Yumei , Wu Jiayan , Shi Changquan , Ke Fei , Cao Wei
Published: February 2025

With the increasingly urgent demand on the reliability of mechanical equipment, in the process of production and service, it is of vital importance to apply precise and efficient crack damage detection on the critical structures. To overcome the shortcomings of existing damage detection methods and meet the urgent needs of engineering practice, by analyzing acoustic signal, a novel machinery structural crack damage detection method based on improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (ICEEMDAN) and sensitive intrinsic mode function (IMF) fuzzy entropy is proposed in this paper. Firstly, redundant second-generation wavelet denoising strategy based on neighborhood correlation is applied on the raw acoustic signal. Then, the pre-denoised acoustic signal is decomposed by ICEEMDAN to obtain a set of IMFs, and the fuzzy entropies of the first eight IMFs are calculated to reflect the structural crack damage states. Finally, with distance evaluation technique, the most sensitive IMF fuzzy entropy is selected and defined as the damage index to assess the structural crack damage levels. Effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by two case studies as for the crack damage detection of different machinery structures. The results show that the defined damage index is not only sensitive to the occurrence of structural crack damage, but also decreases obviously with the increasing damage level and is not affected by damage location.
Strategies Used by Developed Countries at the Negotiating Table
Authors: Das Abhijit
Published: February 2025

This chapter provides a comprehensive account of the strategies and tactics used by the developed countries at the multilateral trade negotiations at the GATT and the WTO table. These include the following: keeping reluctant countries hooked to the negotiating table, coercive strategies such as exercising raw power to browbeat negotiators, sharing the negotiating load and fighting each other’s battles at the negotiating table, burying issues of interest to developing countries by not engaging, spinning a spider’s web to impede progress on issues of interest to developing countries, starting soft but landing hard, salami tactics, manipulating information to secure advantage in negotiations, pressure-cooker strategy, divide and prosper and creating a facade of consensus through the use of ‘clean negotiating text’. Most of these strategies and tactics have escaped the attention of researchers. Further, not many negotiators may be able to discern that on account of these strategies they have got the short end of the stick at the negotiating table. Based on first-hand accounts of a large number of trade negotiators and the author’s personal experience, this chapter brings to light these strategies and tactics, which have been repeatedly deployed by the developed countries.
Odds in GATT and WTO Negotiations Stacked Against Developing Countries
Authors: Das Abhijit
Published: February 2025

During the multilateral trade negotiations at the GATT/WTO, developing countries have confronted an array of challenges and have negotiated against odds. The relative lack of success of developing countries in GATT/WTO negotiations can be traced to the external environment characterized by asymmetry in political and economic power within which international trade negotiations are undertaken; as well as internal factors related to institutional and human resource deficiencies. This chapter discusses the following four themes: first, the constraints faced by developing countries in multilateral trade negotiations arising from external factors and internal deficiencies; second, strategic response of developing countries at the negotiating table; third, the response of developing countries after making vital concessions at the negotiating table; and fourth, a serious attempt at the institutional level aimed at analysing the weaknesses of India during the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations and suggesting corrective action.
Overcoming Odds at the Negotiating Table
Authors: Das Abhijit
Published: February 2025

This chapter discusses the first of the three striking episodes in which a large group of developing countries achieved most of their negotiating objectives in multilateral trade negotiations at the WTO. It identifies the commercial interests of the developed countries behind the four so-called Singapore Issues (Investment, Competition, Government Procurement, and Trade Facilitation) and discusses the reasons underpinning the opposition of many developing countries to initiate negotiations on these issues. It charts the evolution of these issues in the meetings in Geneva and in the two ministerial conferences of the WTO—at Doha in 2001 and Cancun in 2003. Thereafter, the chapter highlights the role played by two Commerce Ministers of India—Murasoli Maran and Arun Jaitley—and analyses the negotiating strategies deployed by some developing countries in getting three of the four Singapore Issues off the negotiating table. The chapter vividly describes the power play of developed countries at the negotiating table and the wisdom demonstrated by Maran in taking pre-emptive action in order to retain his negotiating positions. Apart from other strategies, this chapter highlights the importance of managing domestic constituencies and recognizing when to resist and when to yield—a dilemma frequently faced by negotiators.
Decoding Alzheimer’s disease: acetylcholine and dopamine pathway disruptions as early markers of cognitive decline
Authors: Zaccone Claudio , Nobili Annalisa , D’Amelio Marcello
Published: February 2025

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Changes in neurotransmitter-related functional connectivity along the Alzheimer’s disease continuum’, by Manca et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcaf008).
HTT, ATXN1 and ATXN2 CAG triplet repeat sizes: exploring their role in the disease risk and cancer comorbidity in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Pérez-Oliveira Sergio , Álvarez Ignacio , Menéndez-González Manuel , Duarte-Herrera Israel David , Blázquez-Estrada Marta , Castilla-Silgado Juan , Suárez Esther , García-Fernández Ciara , Siso-García Pablo , García-González Pablo , Rosende-Roca Maitee , Boada Mercè , Ruiz Agustín , Infante Jon , De la Casa-Fages Beatriz , González-Aramburu Isabel , Álvarez Victoria , Pastor Pau
Published: February 2025

Parkinson’s disease genetic embraces genetic and non-genetic factors. It has been suggested a link between CAG repeat number in the HTT, ATXN1 and ATXN2 genes and different neurodegenerative diseases. Several genetic factors involved in Parkinson’s disease development are indeed associated with cancer pathways. Moreover, several studies found a low prevalence of cancer in neurodegenerative diseases that can be associated with a low CAG repeat size in several genes. This study aimed to investigate the influence of CAG repeat sizes in ATXN1, ATXN2 and HTT genes on the risk for developing cancer and Parkinson’s disease in a large cohort of patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease and healthy controls. The work included 1052 patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease and 1070 controls of European ancestry. CAG repeat sizes in HTT, ATXN1 and ATXN2 genes were analysed. Dunn’s multiple comparison test for quantitative variables and logistic and linear regression were used. The long ATXN1 and HTT alleles and CAG size and both the ATXN2 short and long alleles were predictors for the Parkinson’s disease risk. The long CAG ATXN1 allele gene was associated with the risk of cancer. No association was observed between CAG size in the HTT and ATXN2 genes and risk of cancer in patients with Parkinson’s disease. We described an association of HTT, ATXN1 and ATXN2 with the risk of Parkinson’s disease, which reinforce the hypothesis of the common pathway of neurodegeneration. Besides, ATXN1 could be a predictor of cancer risk among patients with Parkinson’s disease, and these results suggest that cancer and neurodegeneration processes can share common pathways.
Complex formation between n-alkyltrimethylammonium bromides and water-soluble calix[n]arenes
Authors: Murakami Kiyofumi , Tani Seiji , Waizumi Kenji
Published: February 2025

Complex formation between n-alkyltrimethylammonium bromides and water-soluble calix[n]arenes (n = 4, 6, 8) (CALXSn) was studied by potentiometric titration and molecular dynamic simulation. The binding isotherms were found to be composed of two phases; the first phase is strong specific binding to a few sites and the second phase is cooperative binding to the residual sites. Binding constant for the first specific binding was found to increase with an increase in the number of ring members of CALXSn. Binding constants for CALXS4 and CALXS6 systems did not change significantly with the length of the surfactant's alkyl chain and with the pH change from 7.0 to 12.5, while that for CALXS8 systems tended to increase with an increase in the alkyl-chain length. The specific binding disappeared with the pH increase. The thermodynamic parameters showed an enthalpy-entropy compensation relation with a compensation temperature of 289 K. The second phase was observed mainly for n-dodecyltrimethylammonium-CALXSn systems. The cooperativity parameter was found to increase with an increase in the number of ring member of CALXSn and is attributed to the contribution of increasing conformational flexibility of CALXSn as the number of ring members increases. MD simulation on CALXSn with and without n-alkyltrimethylammonium ion provided structural interpretation for the features of binding data.
Delphi Panel consensus on recommendations for thromboprophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in endogenous Cushing's syndrome: a Position Statement
Authors: Isand Kristina , Arima Hiroshi , Bertherat Jerome , Dekkers Olaf M , Feelders Richard A , Fleseriu Maria , Gadelha Monica R , Hinojosa-Amaya Jose Miguel , Karavitaki Niki , Klok Frederikus A , McCormack Ann , Newell-Price John , Pavord Sue , Reincke Martin , Sinha Saurabh , Valassi Elena , Wass John , Pereira Alberto M
Published: February 2025

Objective

To establish recommendations for thromboprophylaxis in patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS), addressing the elevated risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with hypercortisolism.

Methods

A Delphi method was used, consisting of four rounds of voting and subsequent discussions. The panel included 18 international experts from 11 countries and 4 continents.

Consensus was defined as ≥75% agreement among participants. Recommendations were structured into the following categories: thromboprophylaxis, perioperative management, and VTE treatment.

Results

Consensus was reached on several critical areas, resulting in 14 recommendations. Key recommendations include: thromboprophylaxis should be considered at time of CS diagnosis and continued for three months after biochemical remission, provided there are no obvious contraindications. The standard weight-based prophylactic dose of low molecular weight heparin is the preferred agent for thromboprophylaxis in patients with CS. Additionally, perioperatively and around inferior petrosal sinus sampling, thromboprophylaxis should be reconsidered if not already initiated at diagnosis. For VTE treatment, extended thromboprophylaxis is advised continuing for three months after Cushing is resolved.

Conclusion

These Delphi consensus-based recommendations aim to standardise care practices and enhance patient outcomes in CS by providing guidance on thromboprophylaxis, including its initiation and continuation across various disease states, as well as the preferred agents to use. The panel also highlighted key areas for further research, particularly regarding the use of direct oral anticoagulants in CS and the management of mild CS and mild autonomous cortisol secretion. Additionally, the optimal duration of anticoagulant prophylaxis following curative treatment remains uncertain.
Effects of short-term dietary oxytetracycline treatment in the farmed fish Piaractus mesopotamicus
Authors: Griboff Julieta , Carrizo Juan Cruz , Bacchetta Carla , Rossi Andrea , Wunderlin Daniel Alberto , Cazenave Jimena , Amé María Valeria
Published: February 2025

Oxytetracycline (OTC), a key antibiotic used in global aquaculture, has still unclear ecotoxicological effects. In this study, freshwater fish Piaractus mesopotamicus were fed with diets containing 750 mg kg−1 either pure OTC (ATB1) or commercial OTC (ATB2) for 10 days (treatment period-TP), followed by a 21-day withdrawal period (depuration period-DP). Fish fed with ATB2 showed decreased hematocrit (at DP) and increased glucose levels (TP and DP). In general, catalase activity increased in the liver, gills, and muscle of OTC-treated individuals at both TP and DP, particularly with ATB2. Similarly, glutathione S-transferase activity rose in the brain, gills, and muscle (TP and DP). Conversely, alkaline phosphatase activity in the liver decreased in both treated groups (TP and DP). Additionally, only ATB2 induced lactate dehydrogenase in fish muscle after 1-day depuration. Principal components analysis (PCA) identified most antioxidant enzymes, hematocrit, weight, length, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration as key biomarkers, distinguishing ATB2 from control fish. These results indicate that the dietary therapeutic dose of OTC caused adverse effects in P. mesopotamicus. Differences in biomarker responses between ATB1 and ATB2 might be linked to unknown compounds in the commercial formulation, potentially influencing biological responses or altering OTC bioavailability. Further research on the toxicity of antimicrobial impurities and degradation compounds should accompany enhanced quality control measures in aquaculture to guarantee sustainable and safe products.
Role of rapid 12-lead electrocardiogram in triage initiatives for ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients self-presenting in emergency departments. A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Loh Evangeline , Chee Jancy , Roy Tanushri , Tam Wilson
Published: February 2025

Aim

To assess impact of triage initiatives for rapid 12-lead electrocardiogram acquisition on Door-To-ECG, Door-To-Balloon, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality for self-presenting emergency department patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Methods

This systematic review encompassed cohort studies, controlled trials, one-group pretest-post-test studies, interventional, observational, and randomized controlled trials assessing rapid acquisition of electrocardiograms for patients above 18 years experiencing symptoms of ST-elevation myocardial infarction in emergency departments. Data from seven databases underwent screening, extraction, and quality appraisals by two independent reviewers. Employing a random-effects model, meta-analyses were conducted for primary outcomes; Door-To-ECG, Door-To-Balloon, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed for meta-analyses with over 10 studies.

Results

This review included 25 studies with 19,475 ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients. All were cohort studies with acceptable evidence quality. Our findings revealed that enhanced triage initiatives for electrocardiograms related to significant reductions in Door-To-ECG (MD -6.45 minutes, P < 0.001) and Door-To-Balloon (MD -24.40 minutes, P < 0.001) times. More institutions met benchmarked goals for Door-To-ECG (MD 22.2%, P < 0.001) and Door-To-Balloon (MD 15.6%, P < 0.001) times. Improvements reported in length of stays and in-hospital mortality were not significant. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses revealed significant differences in Door-To-ECG times but not in Door-To-Balloon times.

Conclusion

Positive impacts of such initiatives on ST-elevation myocardial infarction patient outcomes offer institutions opportunities to improve triage processes and training. Future research should focus on extended follow-up and larger sample sizes for a comprehensive understanding of sustained impacts.

Registration

PROSPERO: CRD42023472392
Increased fluid accumulation, reduced physical activity and heart rate variability during national holidays in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices
Authors: Olsson Anneli , Rylance Rebecca , Borgquist Rasmus , Mohammad Moman A , Erlinge David , Platonov Pyotr G
Published: February 2025

Aims

The higher incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) during national holidays could be caused by overindulgence of food and beverages, potentially straining the heart of vulnerable individuals. Monitoring decreased thoracic impedance by cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) can be used for detection of fluid accumulation. We aimed to assess the relationship between cardiac metrics and national holidays in patients with CIED.

Methods and results

Patients with CIED-based impedance monitoring at a tertiary care hospital in Sweden were screened. Patients were included if they had data for at least one holiday (Christmas, New Year, or Midsummer) between June 2015 and January 2020. Thoracic impedance, heart rate variability, and activity during the holiday were compared with baseline values, defined as the average of 3 days preceding Christmas and Midsummer. Clinical characteristics were obtained from medical records. In total, 96 patients (82% men, age 69 ± 10 years, 92% ICD, 78% CRT, 72% with LVEF < 40%) were included, which provided data for 649 patient-holidays. During Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Midsummer Day combined, impedance decreased by a mean of 1.1 Ohm [95% CI 0.7–1.6, P < 0.001], heart rate variability decreased by a mean of 8.0 ms [4.9–11.2, P > 0.001] and daily activity by a mean of 40 min [35–45, P < 0.001]. One ventricular tachycardia event requiring shock therapy was documented during the holiday.

Conclusion

A transient decrease in thoracic impedance, heart rate variability, and physical activity was observed during national holidays, potentially contributing to the higher incidence of MI during holidays.
Positive correlations in susceptibility to a diverse panel of viruses across Drosophilidae host species
Authors: Imrie Ryan M , Wallace Megan A , Longdon Ben
Published: February 2025

Our ability to predict the emergence of novel viruses relies on there being generalizable patterns in the susceptibilities of hosts to novel infections. Studies investigating variation in susceptibility among host species have consistently shown that closely related hosts share similar susceptibilities to a given virus. However, the extent to which such phylogenetic patterns of susceptibility are correlated among diverse sets of viruses is unclear. Here, we investigate phylogenetic correlations in susceptibility among Drosophilidae hosts to a panel of 11 different invertebrate viruses, comprising 7 unique virus species, 6 unique families, and both RNA and DNA viruses. The susceptibility of hosts to each pair of viruses tested was either positively correlated across host species or did not show evidence of correlation. No negative correlations, indicative of evolutionary trade-offs in host susceptibility to different viruses, were detected between any virus pairs. The strength of correlations was generally higher in viruses of the same species and family, consistent with virus phylogenetic patterns in host infectivity. Our results suggest that generalized host susceptibility can result in positive correlations, even between highly diverged viruses, while specialized interactions with individual viruses cause a stepwise decrease in correlation strength between viruses from the within-species, to the within-family, and to the across-family level.
Autonomous navigation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for border patrolling: a stochastic framework
Authors: Biskin Busra , Fliege Jörg , Martinez-Sykora Antonio
Published: February 2025

Accepted by: Aris Syntetos

This study focuses on the utilization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in internal safety operations, specifically border patrolling. The objective is to explore a stochastic navigation strategy for UAVs that maximizes the probability of success in the face of uncertainty in intruder movement. A fully autonomous UAV algorithm is developed and tested through simulation in border violation scenarios. The algorithm enables the UAV to autonomously search, pursue and defend the area against intruders. By utilizing simulation optimization methods as simulated annealing, stochastic Nelder Mead and radial basis function, the movement strategy of the UAV is discovered in stochastic environments. The results showcase the effectiveness of the algorithms in scenarios where limited information about the intruder’s movement is available. The developed mathematical tools hold applicability in various real-life contexts, in defence and security operations. This research contributes to the field of surveillance strategies by presenting a sophisticated approach to enhance UAV navigation in uncertain environments, ultimately improving mission success rate.
Mass of particles released by comet 12P/Pons-Brooks during 2023-2024 outbursts
Authors: Gritsevich Maria , Wesołowski Marcin , Castro-Tirado Alberto J
Published: February 2025

During its most recent return, comet 12P/Pons-Brooks experienced 14 well-documented outbursts, observed between June 13, 2023, and April 2024, at heliocentric distances ranging from 4.26 au to 0.85 au. After perihelion, two additional outbursts were observed in summer 2024, at heliocentric distances of 1.20 au and 2.26 au. Using observational data, we developed a numerical model to estimate the mass ejected during these events, focusing on the sublimation of ice through the porous cometary nucleus. The key factors affecting ejected mass estimates are the outburst amplitude and the active surface area during both quiet sublimation and the outburst phases. Pogson’s law was used to express outburst magnitude, incorporating scattering cross-sections of cometary agglomerates. The model iteratively determined the mass ejected in observed outbursts, considering various ice types (H2O and CO2) controlling sublimation activity. Our results indicate that the mass ejected during these outbursts ranged from 1010 to 1013 kg. Our findings highlight the significant role of surface morphology and thermodynamic conditions in cometary outbursts, providing insights into the mechanisms driving these phenomena and their implications for cometary evolution and dust trail formation. Based on the analysis of observational data, we propose a six-level classification scheme for cometary outbursts.