bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust image encryption scheme based on 6D hyper-chaos and DPA-resistant S-box
Authors: Khadem Behrooz , Gholamzadeh Mohammad , Ahmad Musheer , Ansari Zamir Ahmad
Published: January 2025

Image encryption is widely used for securing digital images, with chaos-based schemes among the most promising solutions. Recently, Khalid M. Hosny proposed an image encryption scheme based on a 6D hyperchaotic system and Fibonacci Q-matrix. While this scheme offers notable benefits, it suffers from significant weaknesses, such as improper utilization of initial parameters, weak keys, and flaws in key management, making it vulnerable to attacks. Additionally, it fails to encrypt homogeneous images, after any iteration. This paper proposes an enhanced encryption scheme that addresses these weaknesses. The statistical and simulation test results show that our scheme outperforms the original scheme in terms of security and performance. It passed standard security tests (such as image histogram, chi-square distribution, NPCR, UACI, entropy, correlation, and key space analysis) for standard images at n = 2 iterations. The proposed scheme includes a cryptographic key with low computational cost, a high-resistant S-box to DPA attacks, and improved chaos parameter transfer to provide security. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme outperforms similar schemes in both security and bandwidth consumption.
Effect of processing voltage on electrochemical machining of microstructures
Authors: Li Xiang , Wen Xinyu , Chen Xuehui , Lin Hua
Published: January 2025

Electrochemical machining involves coupling between electric field-fluid field-temperature field, which together affect the electrochemical machining process and machining accuracy. The effects of different voltages on temperature, hydrogen volume fraction, electrolyte conductivity and current density distribution were analyzed and experimentally verified by using simulation software. It has been shown that temperature, hydrogen volume fraction, conductivity and current density increase with the increase of machining voltage, which decreases the microgroove electrochemical machining accuracy. Microstructure depth, overcut and taper gradually increased with the increase in machining voltage. The depth increased from 33.81 μm to 44.08 μm, the overcut increased from 5.77 μm to 11.47 μm, and the taper increased from 9.68° to 14.59°. The experimental results are consistent with the simulation analysis. Multi-physical field coupling simulation can analyze the distribution of current density, temperature, conductivity and bubbles in electrochemical machining, and can provide theoretical basis for the selection of actual electrochemical machining parameters and the prediction of machining accuracy.
Investigating charge injection, transport, and electronic performance in rGO-integrated TIPS pentacene blend devices
Authors: Paliwal Saumya , Singh Amrita , Upadhyaya Aditi , Gupta Saral Kumar , Negi C M S
Published: January 2025

This study demonstrates the successful integration of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into the TIPS pentacene framework, leading to significant enhancements in device performance. The fabricated devices exhibit ideality factors ranging from 2.1 to 2.6, indicating that trap-assisted Shockley Read Hall (SRH) recombination dominates the charge recombination mechanism. The Schottky barrier height (SBH) values, estimated using both the Richardson-Schottky (RS) thermionic emission model and an alternative calculation method, show excellent consistency, confirming the reliability of both approaches. Leakage current is primarily dictated by a direct tunnelling mechanism, while charge conduction is well-explained by the space-charge-limited current (SCLC) model. Optimal device performance, characterized by peak hole mobility and shortest rise times, is achieved with 3% rGO concentration, highlighting its potential for high-speed switching applications. Capacitance-frequency (C–f) analysis reveals a slight frequency dependence at lower frequencies, attributed to charge traps, while the dielectric constants obtained from C–f measurements align with those derived from the RS thermionic emission model. These findings demonstrate the suitability of rGO-doped TIPS pentacene for advanced electronic devices, particularly in high-speed applications.
First-principles investigation of structural, electronic, and optical properties of RVO4 (R = Er, Eu, Tb, Yb) orthovanadates under pressure
Authors: Cabuk Suleyman , Özcan Merve , Geçit F Hayal
Published: January 2025

First-principles calculations were performed to systematically study RVO4 orthovanadates with tetragonal zircon- and scheelite-type structures. The study focused on structural parameters, pressure-induced structural phase transformation, electronic band structure, and optical properties under ambient conditions and hydrostatic pressures up to 10 GPa. Energy-volume and enthalpy-pressure curves were used to determine the phase transition pressures of RVO4 compounds. Among the four compounds examined in both phases, YbVO4 was determined to be less compressible than the other compounds. The computed band structures indicated that RVO4 compounds in both phases are semiconductors with a direct bandgap at the Γ→ Γ point. Optical spectra such as dielectric constants, refractive index, reflectivity, absorption coefficient, birefringence, optical conductivity, and energy loss function were computed as functions of incident radiation energy in the energy range of 0–45 eV. The optical anisotropy of RVO4 compounds was observed in both phases. The computed birefringence values for zircon (scheelite) RVO4 indicate that they are uniaxial positive (negative) crystals and have a large birefringence value. Hydrostatic pressure was found to play an important role in the structural, optical, and electronic properties of both phases of RVO4 compounds.
Reliability Improvement Strategies for Telescope Control Systems
Authors: Li Yun , Yang Shihai , Deng Zhuangzhuang , Guo Yanpeng , Pan Cong , Shao Jun , Chen Liang , Gu Bozhong
Published: January 2025

The telescope drive control system provides essential power support for the successful execution of astronomical observations, and its reliability directly impacts the efficiency of these observations. This paper focuses on strategies for enhancing the reliability of the telescope drive control system, proposing a comprehensive and multidimensional reliability improvement solution. The study examines mechanisms for enhancing reliability from three perspectives: expected fault diagnosis, unanticipated state identification, and reliability optimization during the design phase. For each of these aspects, specific reliability enhancement solutions are proposed, including a fault diagnosis and self-healing expert system, a generic process model for unanticipated state identification, and an optimized tracking control strategy under timestamp synchronization. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates the feasibility of these solutions from the three aforementioned perspectives, providing a clear direction for the development of reliability enhancement strategies for telescopes.
Multi-wavelength Analysis of the Vela X Pulsar Wind Nebula: Leptonic Emission from Fermi-LAT, Suzaku, and H.E.S.S.
Authors: Wiweko Supphakit , Cantlay Brandon Khan , Wechakama Maneenate , Sanpa-arsa Siraprapa
Published: January 2025

Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) are a significant source of very-high-energy gamma rays in the Milky Way. These fascinating objects arise from the interaction between the powerful winds emanating from a central, rapidly rotating pulsar and the expanding debris field left behind by a supernova remnant. This study aims to explain the high-energy emissions from three significant compact regions around the Vela pulsar wind nebula through leptonic spectral energy distribution (SED) emissions across multiple wavelengths. We analyze the SED of photons using 15 years of Fermi-LAT data in the 100 MeV to 1 TeV range and combine these data with other observations, such as those from Suzaku (X-ray) and H.E.S.S. (very-high-energy gamma-ray). We then model leptonic SED emissions to produce non-thermal radiation, including synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering, to find the best fit with the observed multi-wavelength spectra. By analyzing the multi-wavelength emission from the Vela pulsar wind nebula, we constrain the properties of relativistic particles, magnetic fields, and interstellar radiation fields that contribute to this observed radiation.
Calibration and performance of the upgraded ALICE Inner Tracking System
Authors: Triolo Andrea Sofia ,   the ALICE collaboration
Published: January 2025

The ALICE Experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) underwent a major upgrade during the Long Shutdown 2. Several subsystems have been improved, including the ALICE Inner Tracking System (ITS), which has been entirely replaced. The new pixel-only tracker (ITS2) consists of 7 layers of Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) featuring a pixel size of 27×29 μm², with an intrinsic spatial resolution of 5 μm. With 24120 sensors and 12.5 billion pixels, this detector covers an active area of about 10 m2 and represents the largest application of the MAPS technology in a high-energy physics experiment to date. The most significant improvements introduced by the ITS2 to the ALICE experiment include a reduction in the impact parameter resolution to approximately 30 μm in both the rφ and z coordinates at a transverse momentum of 1 GeV/c. This is a factor of 3 improvement over the previous detector. Additionally, the standard ITS readout rate has been increased from 1 kHz to 67 kHz in Pb-Pb collisions and to 202 kHz in proton-proton collisions. To ensure stable operations and maintain high data quality a regular calibration is performed, which consists in establishing the charge threshold and the noisy channels of the detector. The ITS2 has been successfully commissioned for LHC Run3, and already operated during proton-proton and Pb-Pb collisions at LHC with excellent performance. This contribution gives an overview of the operational procedures required to maintain an optimal data quality, along with results obtained from calibration and the performance achieved during the LHC Run 3.
Interdecadal changes in three-dimensional atmospheric circulation patterns related to summer temperature variability in Eastern China modulated by the interdecadal Pacific Oscillation
Authors: Peng Jianjun , Hu Shujuan , Ding Ruiqiang , Li Deqian , Zhang Jingjing
Published: January 2025

The dynamic effects of three-dimensional atmospheric circulation patterns are critical for regulating both regional and global climates. By using the three-pattern decomposition of global atmospheric circulation (3P-DGAC), this study recognizes the interdecadal changes of three-dimensional atmospheric circulation patterns associated with summer temperature anomalies in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River (MLRYR), and further demonstrates that these related changes of atmospheric circulation patterns are modulated by the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO). During the positive phase of the IPO, the three-dimensional atmospheric circulation patterns are characterized by the anticyclonic high at the middle and upper troposphere, and anomalous downdrafts along local meridional circulation near MLRYR. Then, in the negative phase of the IPO, alongside the aforementioned atmospheric circulation patterns, there are anomalous downdrafts along the local zonal circulation at the Eastern Tibetan Plateau (ETP). Through statistical and dynamical analysis, the emergence of local zonal circulation is attributed to the influences of positive sea surface temperature anomalies in North Atlantic during the negative phase of the IPO, which propagate to East Asia through intensified jet stream waviness. The findings of this study establish a synchronous linkage between ETP climate and downstream regions, offering significant implications for enhancing seasonal climate forecasting in the future.
Siberian heat extremes caused by Eurasian atmospheric teleconnections and amplified by local land surface conditions
Authors: Choi Nakbin , Lee Myong-In , Tak Sunlae , Cha Dong-Hyun , Watanabe Masahiro
Published: January 2025

This study aims to examine the mechanisms that drive extreme heat events in Siberia during boreal spring. The results from this study suggest that the upper-level atmospheric waves across Eurasia induced by the warm sea surface temperature (SST) in the eastern North Atlantic and large snow melting in southern Siberia are responsible for a large temperature increase in Siberia. These suggested mechanisms are examined by both observed data analysis and ideal numerical model simulations, which reasonably explain the record-breaking extreme heat events in 1997 and 2020. Future climate change scenarios simulated by a global climate model with large ensembles project a much larger increase in surface air temperature in Siberia compared to the surrounding area. Under future climate conditions, with significantly warmer SSTs in the eastern Atlantic and increased snowmelt in southern Siberia, the risk of extreme heat events in Siberia is expected to rise considerably. This is due to the enhanced large-scale atmospheric teleconnections and intensified local atmosphere-land feedback that will result from these changes.
Optimizing extrusion-based 3D bioprinting of plant cells with enhanced resolution and cell viability
Authors: Zhou 周 Dezhi 德志 , Li 李 Peixi 佩锡 , Yu 余 Shuang 爽 , Cui 崔 Zhenhua 镇华 , Xu 徐 Tao 弢 , Ouyang 欧阳 Liliang 礼亮
Published: January 2025

3D bioprinting of plant cells has emerged as a promising technology for plant cell immobilization and related applications. Despite the numerous progress in mammalian cell printing, the bioprinting of plant cells is still in its infancy and needs further investigation. Here, we present a systematic study on optimizing the 3D bioprinting of plant cells, using carrots as an example, towards enhanced resolution and cell viability. We mainly investigated the effects of cell cluster forms and nozzle size on the rheological, extrusion, and printability properties of plant cell bioinks, as well as on the resultant cell viability and growth. We found that when the printing nozzle is larger than 85% of the cell clusters embedded in the bioink, smooth extrusion and good printability can be achieved together with considerable cell viability and long-term growth. Specifically, we optimized a bioink composited with suspension-cultured carrot cells, which exhibited better uniformity, smoother extrusion, and higher cell viability over 1 month culture compared to those with the regular callus or fragmented callus. This work provides a practical guideline for optimizing plant cell bioprinting from the bioink development to the printing outcome assessment. It highlights the importance of selecting a matched nozzle and cell cluster and might provide insights for a better understanding and exploitation of plant cell bioprinting.
Ultraviolet target tracking using mask-based four-pixel parallel detection
Authors: Zheng Guoxian , Yin Yongkai , Jiao Yuqing , Zhang Fumin , Sun Baoqing
Published: January 2025

Image-free single-pixel detection, which has the advantages of low computing power requirements, a wide working waveband and high detection speed, provides a new paradigm for target tracking. A dedicated mask-based four-pixel parallel detection system is proposed for ultraviolet (UV) target positioning and tracking. The system consists of four parallel branches. Four masks with linearly increasing transmittance provide one-order geometric moment modulation of the scene simultaneously. The four branches are arranged in a diamond structure to ensure complementarity and symmetry in the x and y directions, respectively. A chrome mask and a photomultiplier tube module are selected to ensure the system performance in the UV waveband. Target positioning is achieved by centroid calculation with a geometric moment and a global system calibration method is proposed to ensure accuracy. The validity of the proposed system is demonstrated with tracking experiments using a UV target. This work provides a practical and low-cost solution for real-time UV target positioning and tracking.
Bio- and bioinspired textures for enhancing friction forces
Authors: Li Meng , Sun Yongjian , Bi Bo , Wang Tao , Shi Liping , Wang Xiaolei
Published: January 2025

The concept of enhancing surface friction through the implementation of surface texturing has garnered significant attention. In nature, numerous animal species are renowned for their reliable attachment pads, characterized by textured epidermal surfaces featuring a dense array of distinct geometries. These intriguing surface textures enable them to achieve robust friction necessary for locomotion or attachment on various surfaces. In the realm of technology, such concise yet efficient frictional designs have also been noteworthy due to their wide-ranging applications in areas such as biomimetic robots, tires, and wearable devices. However, despite the extensive development of artificial mimicked textures, their frictional performance still falls short compared to natural systems. This paper presents an overview of recent advancements in bio- and bioinspired textures aimed at augmenting friction, encompassing their architectural designs, inherent properties, underlying physical principles, and future research directions.
Free-energy orbital-free density functional theory: recent developments, perspective, and outlook
Authors: Karasiev Valentin V , Hilleke Katerina P , Trickey S B
Published: January 2025

By summarizing the constraint-based development of orbital-free free-energy density functional approximations, we provide a perspective on progress over the last 15 years, the limitations of existing functionals, and the challenges awaiting resolution. We outline the chronology of the development of noninteracting and exchange-correlation free-energy orbital-free functionals and summarize the theoretical basis of existing local density approximation, second-order approximation, generalized gradient approximation (GGA), and meta-GGAs. We discuss limitations and challenges such as problems with thermodynamic derivatives, free-energy nonadditivity and the closely related issue of all-electron versus valence-only local pseudo-potential performance.
Synaptic neural circuit inspired by side-gated graphene synaptic transistors for neuromorphic computing
Authors: Wen Huifeng , Yong Haoran , He Xiaoying , Rao Lan
Published: January 2025

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, the energy consumption bottleneck inherent in the von Neumann computing architecture poses a significant obstacle to the future development of edge computing, artificial intelligence, and information technology. Consequently, it is crucial to develop synaptic neural circuits that exhibit memory and learning properties through synaptic plasticity. Drawing inspiration from the side-gated graphene synaptic transistor, we have designed a synaptic neural circuit comprising four key components: pre-voltage input, synaptic weight modulation, electric double-layer effect, and post-membrane current response. Through comprehensive simulations, we have successfully mimicked various synaptic behaviours, including long-term and short-term synaptic plasticity, paired-pulse facilitation, spiking-rate-dependent plasticity, spiking time-dependent plasticity, and Pavlovian associative learning. This approach establishes a robust framework for designing synaptic neural network circuits with advanced learning capabilities, thereby enhancing the practical applications of neural networks and machine learning.
What Advice Is
Authors: Jonas Monique
Published: January 2025

Philosophers have envisioned quite different characteristic purposes—or illocutionary points—for advising. Some see advice as a way of getting a person to do something, others see it as a way of getting a person to think about something. This chapter explains the significance of advice’s illocutionary point for the ethics of advising and explores the contrasting accounts offered by J. L. Austin, John Searle, Mark Lance and Rebecca Kukla, and Stephen Darwall. It then presents a new account of the illocutionary point of advice as a form of help with practical reasoning. Advice is analysed not as a member of a broader illocutionary class, but as a distinctive practice with essentially connected illocutionary and relational components. Searle’s dimensions of illocutionary force provide a framework for explicating what is required for a speech act to be received as an act of advice.
Store and Pour and Adapt
Authors: Phillips Jonathan D
Published: January 2025

The evolution of water flow systems in nature is discussed in detail as an example of how Earth surface systems can adapt to environmental conditions and changes via efficiency selection. Hydrological systems often develop “store-and-pour” morphology, which provides moisture storage during dry periods and exports excess water during wet spells. Examples of why and how this occurs are presented for stream networks, soil hydrology, groundwater, tidal marshes, semi-arid shrublands, channel-wetland complexes, and fluviokarst. The ability to modify the allocation of water to various storage and flow components under different conditions (contingent partitioning) is critical to adaptation, enabling flow systems to perform their ecological job (supporting biological functions) and their geophysical job (handling excess water). Unlike biological selection, landscapes have no DNA to pass on adaptations. The recurrence of store-and-pour structures and contingent partitioning is an example of reinventive adaptation.
Climate Change and Mysterious Ways
Authors: Phillips Jonathan D
Published: January 2025

Environmental changes, particularly those associated with the rapidly changing global climate, lend urgency to the need to understand how landscapes respond. This chapter links concepts of interconnectedness, complexity, contingency, emergence, and selection to understanding and dealing with responses to climate change. As the turbo-charged contemporary climate and its associated impacts have no precedents in human history, there is no “normal” anymore. Rather than searching for so-called representative cases, research should focus on hotspots and hot moments of change that are likely to reflect more accurately the present and near future—and “cold spots” and cold moments when major disturbances were readily absorbed or adapted to—for possible lessons for human responses. Resistance and resilience will not be feasible in many cases; strategies of accepting and adapting to inevitable change and directing changes to minimize adverse and promote positive impacts will be necessary. Guidelines for responding to climate change are provided.
The Survival of International Organizations
Authors: Dijkstra Hylke , von Allwörden Laura , Schütte Leonard , Zaccaria Giuseppe
Published: January 2025

While international organizations (IOs) have played a central role in global governance in the post-Cold War period, during the last decade many have struggled. Due to the rise of populism, the Trump presidency, and the renewed assertiveness of the emerging powers, various IOs have been challenged in ways that put their ability to perform core functions at risk. This book studies the responses of IOs to such existential challenges. It focuses on the central institutional actors inside IOs—IO leaders and their bureaucracies—which have a strong interest in the survival and well-being of their organizations. Presenting six case studies and drawing on more than 100 interviews, the book highlights the variation in the way in which these institutional actors try to cope with and counter existential challenges: Some fight tooth and nail to keep their IOs relevant, while other institutional actors are more circumspect in their actions. The book shows that institutional actors try to tailor their responses to the specific types of existential challenges, but their ability to do so depends on the quality of their leadership, organizational structure, and embedding in external networks. This book is thus about the IOs themselves. It is about those who lead IOs at the top but equally about the desk officers who keep the machinery running. By providing a view from behind the scenes, the book uncovers important processes about the survival of IOs and international institutions.
The size of the cancer problem
Authors: James Nick
Published: January 2025

This chapter looks into the extent of the cancer problem. It discusses the severity of cancer affecting all genders and races regardless of being poor or rich. Treating cancer is a major burden on healthcare systems and a major cause of loss of productive capacity within the workforce due to premature death. Despite the numerous angles into the politics of cancer care, most of them are linked closely to the economics of the disease. The chapter then provides an overview of breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, bowel cancer, stomach cancer, and prostate cancer, before identifying the interconnection between cancer and smoking. The chapter includes an overview of likely future trends, highlighting the likelihood of big increases in low- and middle-income countries driven by rising life expectancy and population changes.
How does cancer develop?
Authors: James Nick
Published: January 2025

This chapter examines the development of cancer. It provides a brief background of cell biology, which includes the structure and function of DNA and the control of gene expression. In principle, the changes in cells that lead to cancer will be in the DNA, so agents that damage DNA are potential carcinogens. The chapter then discusses the Vogelstein cascade, which indicates carcinogenesis is slow and potentially multi-step, before highlighting the differences between non-inherited cancer and inherited cancers. It also details the hallmarks of cancer presented by leading cell biologists Douglas Hanahan and Robert Weinberg, which include the requirements for a cancer to grow a new blood supply, evade the immune system, and develop metabolic changes in order to avoid elimination by the body’s defences.
How is cancer treated?
Authors: James Nick
Published: January 2025

This chapter focuses on the treatment of cancer. It provides an overview of the complexity of cancer treatment, which involves different groups including a wide assortment of doctors and other health professionals that may vary enormously from country to country. Such variation is also a function of healthcare’s politics and economics. The process of screening allows early intervention against cancer with a higher prospect of cure. The chapter then investigates the role of pathologists in cancer diagnosis before examining the importance of liquid biopsies, surgery, and radiotherapy. It also elaborates on the significance of hormone therapy, chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy, and targeted molecular therapy, often referred to as precision medicine, in cancer treatment.
The future shape of cancer care
Authors: James Nick
Published: January 2025

This chapter discusses the future of cancer care. It points out that the number of people diagnosed with cancer worldwide is set to rise steadily, largely due to a general rise in life expectancy driven by economic and population growth. The broad trends of cancer care will have different effects depending on the underlying economic structure and politics of the country concerned. For those with the money, cancer care will progressively become more effective with higher cure rates. Rising life expectancy is expected to increase the risk of cancer within middle-income countries, while cancer will remain the least of their worries for people struggling and living in the poorest countries.
The effects of fluctuating temperatures on degree-day development and life history parameters of Pseudacysta perseae (Hemiptera: Tingidae)
Authors: Dadlani Lakshmi Paloma , Milosavljević Ivan , Hoddle Mark S
Published: January 2025

Pseudacysta perseae (Heidemann 1908) (Hemiptera: Tingidae) is a foliar pest of avocados. The effects of 6 fluctuating temperature regimens, which averaged 15, 20, 25, 30, 32, and 35 °C over a 24-h period, on the developmental and reproductive biology of P. perseae were investigated. Selected temperature cycles are representative of avocado production regions in California (US). Fluctuating temperature regimens had significant effects on P. perseae development times, fecundity, fertility, longevity, and survivorship rates. One linear model (Ordinary Linear) and 7 nonlinear regression functions (Beta, Brière-2, Lactin-2, Lobry–Rosso–Flandrois, Performance-2, Ratkowsky, and Weibull) were utilized to investigate the correlation between fluctuating temperature profiles and P. perseae development times. The Beta and Weibull models failed to converge. Model parameters, Tmin, Topt, and Tmax, were estimated as 1.72 to 9.78 °C, 31.04 to 31.57 °C, and 34.05 to 39.38 °C, respectively. The thermal requirement for development, K, was estimated as 476.19 degree-days. At 32 °C, P. perseae females exhibited 4 egg-laying peaks around days 11, 35, 54, and 63 of life. A maximum daily average of eggs laid (i.e., fecundity) was 6.07 on day 35 and the average daily egg-laying rate was 3.08 eggs over a 69-day span. The maximum proportion of eggs that hatched (i.e., fertility) was 0.49 on day 31, and the average daily proportion of hatched eggs was 0.10. This study confirmed that P. perseae passes through 4 nymphal instars, not 5 as previously reported. In addition, sexual dimorphism with respect to the coloration of the fourth antennal segment is documented and is substantially darker in adult males.
High-dimensional multiple imputation (HDMI) for partially observed confounders including natural language processing-derived auxiliary covariates
Authors: Weberpals Janick , Shaw Pamela A , Lin Kueiyu Joshua , Wyss Richard , Plasek Joseph M , Zhou Li , Ngan Kerry , DeRamus Thomas , Raman Sudha R , Hammill Bradley G , Lee Hana , Toh Sengwee , Connolly John G , Dandreo Kimberly J , Tian Fang , Liu Wei , Li Jie , Hernández-Muñoz José J , Schneeweiss Sebastian , Desai Rishi J
Published: January 2025

Multiple imputation (MI) models can be improved with auxiliary covariates (AC), but their performance in high-dimensional data remains unclear. We aimed to develop and compare high-dimensional MI (HDMI) methods using structured and natural language processing (NLP)-derived AC in studies with partially observed confounders. We conducted a plasmode simulation with acute kidney injury as outcome and simulated 100 cohorts with a null treatment effect, incorporating creatinine labs, atrial fibrillation (AFib), and other investigator-derived confounders in the outcome generation. Missingness was imposed on creatinine based on creatinine itself and AFib. Different HDMI candidate AC were created using structured and NLP-derived features and we mimicked scenarios where AFib was unobserved by omitting it from all analyses. Using LASSO, we selected HDMI covariates for MI and propensity score models. The treatment effect was estimated after propensity score matching in MI datasets, and HDMI methods were compared to baseline imputation and complete case analysis. HDMI using claims data showed the lowest bias (0.072). Combining claims and sentence embeddings led to an improvement in the efficiency with a root-mean-squared-error of 0.173 and 94% coverage. NLP-derived AC alone did not outperform baseline MI. HDMI approaches may decrease bias in studies where confounder missingness depends on unobserved factors.
A systematic review suggests extension and redefinition of a food-deception pollination syndrome involving anautogenous flies
Authors: Vrecko Valentin , Proffit Magali , Kidyoo Aroonrat , McKey Doyle , Blatrix Rumsais
Published: January 2025

Background and Aims

The currently recognized diversity of pollination strategies requires pollination syndromes to be updated. Described a decade ago, kleptomyiophily is a deceptive pollination system in which plants exploit the nutrient-seeking behaviour of females of kleptoparasitic flies (Chloropidae and Milichiidae) by olfactorily mimicking their insect host. Such a pollination system was already hypothesized for pollination by biting midges (Ceratopogonidae) but has never been formalized. This review aims to explore the extent of pollination interactions deceiving anautogenous flies, especially by considering pollination by biting midges and kleptomyiophily as two facets of a common pollination syndrome: insect-host mimicry. Given that attraction of these flies seems to rely on insect-mimicking volatile organic compounds (VOCs), we propose an overview of the floral odours emitted by these plant species.

Methods

We compiled bibliographic data on plant species pollinated by Chloropidae, Ceratopogonidae and Milichiidae, to list plant species that could be involved in insect-host mimicry pollination strategies. Then, we reanalysed data from the literature on floral VOCs of 18 of these plant species distributed among four plant families and compared them with related plant species performing brood-site mimicry, the pollination syndrome closest to insect-host mimicry.

Results

We show that 97 plant species from seven families are mainly pollinated by Chloropidae, Ceratopogonidae and Milichiidae, with almost exclusively females found in flowers. Deception of anautogenous flies has been shown for only four plant species but has been supposed for a total of 28 others. Comparison of floral VOCs shows significant differences between insect-host mimicry and brood-site mimicry in terms of chemical composition, diversity and models mimicked.

Conclusions

Despite fragmentary knowledge about the biology of the Diptera involved in insect-host mimicry, our results show similarities in floral odours and the putative mimicked resource between kleptomyiophilous plants and those pollinated by biting midges, emphasizing a broader, unique, pollination syndrome.
A bioinformatician, computer scientist, and geneticist lead bioinformatic tool development—which one is better?
Authors: Gardner Paul P
Published: January 2025

Motivation

The development of accurate bioinformatic software tools is crucial for the effective analysis of complex biological data. This study examines the relationship between the academic department affiliations of authors and the accuracy of the bioinformatic tools they develop. By analyzing a corpus of previously benchmarked bioinformatic software tools, we mapped bioinformatic tools to the academic fields of the corresponding authors and evaluated tool accuracy by field.

Results

Our results suggest that “Medical Informatics” outperforms all other fields in bioinformatic software accuracy, with a mean proportion of wins in accuracy rankings exceeding the null expectation. In contrast, tools developed by authors affiliated with “Bioinformatics” and “Engineering” fields tend to be less accurate. However, after correcting for multiple testing, no result is statistically significant (P > .05). Our findings reveal no strong association between academic field and bioinformatic software accuracy. These findings suggest that the development of interdisciplinary software applications can be effectively undertaken by any department with sufficient resources and training.

Availability and implementation

All data and the analysis pipeline for this study are freely available online at the GitHub repository: https://github.com/ppgardne/departments-software-accuracy.
Redefining diagnostic lesional status in temporal lobe epilepsy with artificial intelligence
Authors: Gleichgerrcht Ezequiel , Kaestner Erik , Hassanzadeh Reihaneh , Roth Rebecca W , Parashos Alexandra , Davis Kathryn A , Bagić Anto , Keller Simon S , Rüber Theodor , Stoub Travis , Pardoe Heath R , Dugan Patricia , Drane Daniel L , Abrol Anees , Calhoun Vince , Kuzniecky Ruben I , McDonald Carrie R , Bonilha Leonardo
Published: January 2025

Despite decades of advancements in diagnostic MRI, 30-50% of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients remain categorized as “non-lesional” (i.e., MRI negative or MRI–) based on visual assessment by human experts. MRI– patients face diagnostic uncertainty and significant delays in treatment planning. Quantitative MRI studies have demonstrated that MRI– patients often exhibit a TLE-specific pattern of temporal and limbic atrophy that may be too subtle for the human eye to detect. This signature pattern could be successfully translated into clinical use via artificial intelligence (AI) advances in computer-aided MRI interpretation, thereby improving the detection of brain “lesional” patterns associated with TLE.

Here, we tested this hypothesis by employing a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D CNN) applied to a dataset of 1,178 scans from 12 different centers. 3D CNN was able to differentiate TLE from healthy controls with high accuracy (85.9% ± 2.8), significantly outperforming support vector machines based on hippocampal (74.4% ± 2.6) and whole-brain (78.3% ± 3.3) volumes. Our analysis subsequently focused on a subset of patients who achieved sustained seizure freedom post-surgery as a gold standard for confirming TLE.

Importantly, MRI– patients from this cohort were accurately identified as TLE 82.7% ± 0.9 of the time, an encouraging finding since clinically these were all patients considered to be MRI– (i.e., not radiographically different than controls). The saliency maps from the CNN revealed that limbic structures, particularly medial temporal, cingulate, and orbitofrontal areas, were most influential in classification, confirming the importance of the well-established TLE signature atrophy pattern for diagnosis. Indeed, the saliency maps were similar in MRI+ and MRI– TLE groups, suggesting that even when humans cannot distinguish more subtle levels of atrophy, these MRI– patients are on the same continuum common across all TLE patients. As such, AI can identify TLE lesional patterns and AI-aided diagnosis has the potential to greatly enhance the neuroimaging diagnosis of TLE and redefine the concept of “lesional” TLE.
Philosophy, practice, and politics of community development: lessons from extension fieldwork in Newfoundland, 1960–1982
Authors: McLean Scott
Published: January 2025

One of the most significant community development initiatives in Canadian history was sponsored by Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) from 1960 to 1982. Fieldworkers employed by MUN Extension worked across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, engaging in strategies of community change that included social action, citizen participation, public advocacy, local services development, and popular education. The fieldworkers were guided by a philosophy of community development that positioned their work as politically neutral, non-directive, and educational in nature. In the latter 1970s, this philosophy—along with the community development practices it supported—was challenged by institutional changes that required fieldworkers to engage in externally directive projects oriented towards natural resource development. This historical case study of the evolution of community development philosophy and practice in Canada has important implications for contemporary scholars and practitioners elsewhere. Those implications include the importance of understanding both the institutional politics of organizations through which community development work occurs and the socio-political realities of the communities served by those organizations. Readers of this article will appreciate its nuanced account of a major community development initiative and will be inspired to reflect upon the institutional and socio-political context of their own work.
Impact of Fluconazole on Outcomes of Patients With Primary Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis: A Commercial Health Insurance Claims-based, Propensity Score Matched Analysis
Authors: Benedict Kaitlin , Hennessee Ian , Smith Dallas J , Toda Mitsuru , Thompson George R
Published: January 2025

Background

Patients with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis often experience prolonged symptoms lasting from weeks to months. Limited data exist regarding whether fluconazole prevents development of disseminated disease or shortens symptom duration. We describe factors associated with fluconazole receipt and assess its effect on outcomes among patients with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis.

Methods

Using the MerativeTM MarketScan® Commercial Database, we identified immunocompetent patients ages 18–64 with incident pulmonary coccidioidomycosis during 2017–2023 and continuous enrollment in the 180 days before and after diagnosis. We examined demographic and clinical differences between patients treated versus not treated with fluconazole and performed 1:1 greedy nearest neighbor propensity score matching to control for these differences. We performed bivariate analyses on the matched subset to evaluate patient outcomes by fluconazole receipt.

Results

Among 1448 patients with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis, 659 (46%) received fluconazole. Patients who received fluconazole more frequently had pre-diagnosis symptoms (95% vs 72%, P < .001) and antibiotic prescriptions (68% vs 32%, P < .001) than those who did not. Among the propensity score matched subset (n = 696), hospitalization (4% vs 1%, P = .004) and disseminated coccidioidomycosis (3% vs 0%, P = .006) were more frequent among patients who received fluconazole. The median number of days from diagnosis to last visit for chest pain (50.0 vs 46.5), cough (64.0 vs 39.0), fatigue (63.0 vs 65.5), myalgia (98.0 vs 74.0), and joint pain (93.5 vs 107.5) was not significantly different between treatment groups.

Conclusions

Our results support existing guidelines that fluconazole may not be associated with improved outcomes for certain immunocompetent patients with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis.
Improving recommendation fairness with dependency-based graph collaborative filtering
Authors: Wen Xiaoyang , Guan Shaopeng
Published: January 2025

Collaborative filtering recommendation systems that utilize graph convolutional neural networks (GCNs) often emphasize on training speed and accuracy, while overlooking the critical issue of fairness. This paper introduces FairGCF, a novel graph-based collaborative filtering model designed to address fairness concerns in GCN-based recommendations. FairGCF improves the representational capacity of graph collaborative filtering models by identifying dependencies between nodes in the graph, resulting in fairer and more accurate recommendations. The model constructs a dependency graph between users and items to capture higher order interaction patterns, aggregating features from users and items with similar dependencies to enrich their representations. Additionally, a fairness loss factor is incorporated to minimize disparities between positive and negative samples, thereby promoting fairness. Experiments on three public datasets demonstrate that FairGCF improves the Recall metric by an average of 6%, NDCG by 8.79%, Precision by 3.68%, and F1 score by 3.62%. Notably, the model is carefully designed to avoid bias toward specific users or items.
Characterization of two cellular superoxide dismutases in Protohermes xanthodes (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) in response to sublethal chlorpyrifos stress
Authors: Yang Jie , Wen Xi , Huang Xingrui , Zou Jie , Lu Yun , Yuan Fang , Xiao Sijie , Tang Xiaochao , Liu Zhixiao , Wu Zhengwei , Huang Xinglong
Published: January 2025

Pesticides released into the environment are increasingly recognized as a global threat to freshwater ecosystems because of their adverse effects on non-target organisms, particularly aquatic insects and other arthropods. Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are important antioxidant enzymes that play a crucial role in protecting organisms from oxidative stress induced by harmful materials. In this study, we identified 2 cellular SODs (PxSOD1 and PxSOD2) in Protohermes xanthodes Navás (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), an freshwater predatory insect, and determined the oxidative stress induced in P. xanthodes larvae by sublethal exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPF). PxSOD1 and PxSOD2 are members of the cytoplasmic Cu/ZnSODs and mitochondrial MnSODs, respectively, and differ substantially in protein structure. Both PxSOD1 and PxSOD2 recombinant proteins demonstrated catalytic activity toward O2•− in the activity assays. After exposure to sublethal concentrations of CPF, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and SOD activities were increased in P. xanthodes larvae in a dose-dependent manner. PxSOD1 expression was decreased in the 0.42 and 4.2 μg/L CPF groups and increased in the 4.2 μg/L CPF group. PxSOD2 was upregulated by 0.42, 4.2, and 8.4 μg/L CPF treatments and the expression levels in the 4.2 and 8.4 μg/L CPF groups were significantly higher than that in the no CPF control. Our results suggest that sublethal concentrations of CPF can induce oxidative stress in P. xanthodes larvae, and the cellular SODs in P. xanthodes larvae may contribute to the protection against CPF-induced oxidative stress.
Two types of double chambered left ventricle: a case series
Authors: Fang Aijuan , Liu Lei , Chen Hui , Ma Xiuling , Yu Hongming , Yao Jing
Published: January 2025

Background

Double chambered left ventricle (DCLV) is a rare anatomical variant of the left ventricular structure characterized by the division of the left ventricle into two distinct chambers due to abnormal muscle bundles or septa. This anomaly typically results in primary and secondary chambers within the left ventricle. Due to the lack of conspicuous clinical symptoms, DCLV is often overlooked.

Case summary

The first patient was a 69-year-old male experiencing intermittent chest tightness for several weeks. Transthoracic echocardiography indicated the presence of Type A DCLV, which was subsequently confirmed by 3D echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. An additional case is also worthy of note, during a routine transthoracic echocardiographic examination of a 48-year-old male, we unexpectedly discovered Type B DCLV. His unique cardiac structure was clearly demonstrated through 3D echocardiography.

Discussion

Double chambered left ventricle is a rare structural heart malformation often overlooked due to atypical symptoms. This paper presents two cases of DCLV, illustrating two distinct classifications. Comprehensive understanding of the imaging manifestations of DCLV is imperative for accurate clinical diagnosis.