bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative evaluation of pediatric umbilical loop stomas: 2 decades of experience from a single institution
Authors: Ishii Daisuke , Kumata Yuka , Ishii Seiya , Motoki Keita , Miyagi Hisayuki
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Since pediatric stomas are often temporary, their creation, management, and closure should be simple, with minimal complications and excellent cosmetic results. We began employing umbilical stomas in 2000. This study aimed to characterize the ingenuity and utility of umbilical stomas and provide a quantitative evaluation of their cosmetic outcomes.

Methods

We examined cases of stoma construction and closure surgery performed in our department from January 2000 to December 2022. The umbilical and non-umbilical stoma groups included 54 and 42 cases, respectively, and the findings for both groups were compared and analyzed.

Results

The two groups showed no significant differences in the incidence of complications. The Manchester Scar Scale score for the umbilical stoma group (8.42 ± 1.85) was significantly better than that for the non-umbilical stoma group (16.31 ± 2.96; P < 0.01). Likewise, in Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale assessments, the umbilical stoma group showed significantly better scores in both the observer scale (9.48 ± 2.50 vs. 21.78 ± 7.26; P < 0.01) and the patient scale (10.5 ± 1.39 vs. 22.40 ± 7.35; P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Umbilical stomas are easy to manage and yield an inconspicuous closure incision with excellent cosmetic outcomes. Although patient selection is important, pediatric umbilical stomas are a valuable option that can be actively employed.
Metal tolerance and Cd phytoremoval ability in Pisum sativum grown in spiked nutrient solution
Authors: Cruzado-Tafur Edith , Orzoł Aleksandra , Gołębiowski Adrian , Pomastowski Paweł , Cichorek Mateusz , Olszewski Jacek , Walczak-Skierska Justyna , Buszewski Bogusław , Szultka-Młyńska Małgorzata , Głowacka Katarzyna
Published: September 2023

In the presented study, the effects of cadmium (Cd) stress and silicon (Si) supplementation on the pea plant (Pisum sativum L.) were investigated. The tendency to accumulate cadmium in the relevant morphological parts of the plant (roots and shoots respectively)—bioaccumulation, the transfer of this element in the plant (translocation) and the physiological parameters of the plant through indicators of oxidative stress were determined. Model studies were carried out at pH values 6.0 and 5.0 plant growth conditions in the hydroponic cultivation. It was shown that Cd accumulates mostly in plant roots at both pH levels. However, the Cd content is higher in the plants grown at lower pH. The Cd translocation factor was below 1.0, which indicates that the pea is an excluder plant. The contamination of the plant growth environment with Cd causes the increased antioxidant stress by the growing parameters of the total phenolic content (TPC), polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO), the malondialdehyde (MDA) and lipid peroxidation (LP). The results obtained showed that the supplementation with Si reduces these parameters, thus lowering the oxidative stress of the plant. Moreover, supplementation with Si leads to a lower content of Cd in the roots and reduces bioaccumulation of Cd in shoots and roots of pea plants.
Low-power Relaxation Oscillator with Temperature-compensated Thyristor Decision Elements
Authors: Jotschke Marcel , Palanisamy Gokulkumar , Carvajal Ossa Wilmar , Prabakaran Harsha , Koh Jeongwook , Kuhl Matthias , Krautschneider Wolfgang H. , Reich Torsten , Mayr Christian
Published: September 2023

This paper presents a low-power 140 kHz relaxation oscillator (ROSC) for low-frequency clock generators and timers. In voltage-mode ROSCs, unavoidable shunt current consumption results from voltage slewing at the integration capacitor. The proposed circuit employs CMOS thyristor-based decision elements which effectively reduce shunt currents by exploiting internal positive feedback. A complementary-to-absolute temperature (CTAT) current reference compensates for the frequency’s temperature sensitivity. In order to achieve high negative temperature coefficient with small area and power overhead, the circuit reuses parts of the positive-to-absolute temperature (PTAT) bias generation block. Moreover, a modified start-up circuit with 3 times faster oscillator power-on is presented. The 0.09 mm$${}^2$$

2

oscillator consumes 6.5 nW/kHz at 1.5 V to 2.5 V supply if only the CTAT source is considered, resulting in a power consumption of 907.4 nW at 140 kHz. The measured temperature coefficient of $$-$$
-
514.7 ppm/K in the range of −40 °C to 85 °C shows an improvement of 5.5 times compared to the uncompensated case. A supply sensitivity of 2.62 %/V, a frequency resolution of 2.67 kHz/step, and an average clock jitter of 6.02 ns are achieved. The oscillator is embedded in an ultra-low power system-on-chip for autonomous environmental sensing.
Smart manufacturing as a strategic tool to mitigate sustainable manufacturing challenges: a case approach
Authors: Kannan Devika , Gholipour Parvaneh , Bai Chunguang
Published: September 2023

Due to the manufacturing sector’s severe negative impacts on sustainable development, sustainable manufacturing is gaining more momentum than ever. Despite the advantages of sustainable manufacturing, academic literature resources report that practitioners still face several challenges while implementing sustainable manufacturing. To eliminate such challenges, numerous mitigation strategies have been proposed, including those that identify Industry 4.0 technologies as a key factor. However, current studies are generally more focused on the application of Industry 4.0 technologies/smart manufacturing in sustainable manufacturing; most fail to provide an in-depth understanding of how these technologies might mitigate the existing adoption challenges of sustainable manufacturing. In this study, the key challenges of sustainable manufacturing are identified through literature review and analyzed with MCDM tools such as the Best-Worst Method and WASPAS method. The results suggest that governmental challenge demonstrates the greatest weight in the final ranking, followed by technological and organizational challenges. Among the sub-challenges, “lack of support from the government in the form of regulations / policies” and “absence of subsidies and incentives” display the most weight. Further, a framework has been proposed to map the collected challenges with relevant mitigating smart manufacturing technologies to bridge the gap remaining from existing studies. Finally, this study contributes to the new field of approaching smart manufacturing as a mitigating strategy for sustainable manufacturing implementation through highlighting the implications and recommendations.
A low dose of naloxone mitigates autoimmune hepatitis by regulating TLR4/NF-κB and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways
Authors: Ibrahim Kawther Magdy , Ahmed Hebatalla I. , Ramadan Laila , Balah Amany
Published: September 2023

Naloxone is a non-selective opiate receptor antagonist that is mainly used in the management of acute opioid overdose or intoxication. Previously, naloxone has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Concanavalin A (Con A) model is a common and well established animal model of autoimmune hepatitis that closely resembles the pathological alterations that occur in human. The present study demonstrates that a low dose of naloxone (LD NX) has the ability to improve hepatic function and attenuate hepatic damage induced by Con A as indicated by a clear reduction in serum aminotransferase, bilirubin and enhancement of albumin production as well as liver pathological changes. Also, The proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon- γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were highly suppressed in animals pretreated with LD NX via interference with TLR4/NF-κB as well as JNK signaling pathways. Furthermore, oxidative stress was highly attenuated in animals pretreated with LD NX as indicated by high reduction in hepatic MDA and an increase in Nrf2, HO-1 expression and subsequent production of the endogenous antioxidants, SOD, CAT and GSH. Collectively, this study demonstrates that LD NX has the ability to mitigate Con A-induced autoimmune hepatitis via modulation of inflammatory cytokines secretion and interference with reactive oxygen species generation.
Keyword occurrences and journal specialization
Authors: Sampagnaro Gabriele
Published: September 2023

Since the borders of disciplines change over time and vary across communities and geographies, they can be expressed at different levels of granularity, making it challenging to find a broad consensus about the measurement of interdisciplinarity. This study contributes to this debate by proposing a journal specialization index based on the level of repetitiveness of keywords appearing in their articles. Keywords represent one of the most essential items for filtering the vast amount of research available. If chosen correctly, they can help to identify the central concept of the paper and, consequently, to couple it with manuscripts related to the same field or subfield of research. Based on these universally recognized features of article keywords, the study proposes measuring the specialization of a journal by counting the number of times that a keyword is Queryrepeated in a journal on average (Sj). The basic assumption underlying the proposal of a journal specialization index is that the keywords may approximate the article’s topic and that the higher the number of papers in a journal based on a topic, the higher the level of specialization of that journal. The proposed specialization metric is not invulnerable to a set of limitations, among which the most relevant seems to be the lack of a standard practice regarding the number and consistency of keywords appearing in each article.
Bone turnover decreases and bone structure improves during treatment with weekly high-dose methylprednisolone for 12 weeks in Graves’ orbitopathy
Authors: Harsløf Torben , Hikmet Rawan , Ebbehøj Eva , Langdahl Bente
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Weekly treatment with the intravenous glucocorticoid methylprednisolone for 12 weeks is mainstay in the treatment of Graves’ orbitopathy but may decrease bone mass and impair bone structure. We therefore investigated bone turnover, -mass and -structure during the treatment cause in these patients.

Methods

We included 32 patients with Graves’ orbitopathy scheduled for treatment with methylprednisolone. Bone turnover and thyroid function was measured at baseline and after 3, 9, 12, and 24 weeks, bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual x-ray absorptiometry at baseline and after 12 and 24 weeks, and bone structure was measured using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography at baseline and after 12 weeks.

Results

Bone turnover and tri-iodothyronine decreased throughout the study. Cortical volumetric BMD at both the radius and tibia increased significantly by 0.98 ± 0.38% (p = 0.01) and 1.35 ± 0.50% (p = 0.01), respectively and cortical porosity at both the radius and tibia decreased significantly by −7.67 ± 3.13% (p = 0.04) and −3.30 ± 2.17% (p = 0.04), respectively. Bone mineral density was stable during the first 12 weeks but increased significantly by 2.26 ± 3.61% at the femoral neck (p < 0.01) and by 2.24 ± 4.24% at the total hip towards week 24 (p = 0.02). Stratified analyses suggested that remission of hyperthyroidism was the most important determinant of changes in bone turnover, bone mass and structure.

Conclusion

During a 12-week course of high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone bone turnover and cortical porosity decreased and during 24 weeks follow up bone mineral density increased. In terms of bone, methylprednisolone therefore is a safe treatment for Graves’ orbitopathy.
Gendered investment differences among smallholder farmers: evidence from a microcredit programme in western kenya
Authors: Jindo Keiji , Andersson Jens A. , Quist-Wessel Foluke , Onyango Jackonia , Langeveld Johannes W. A.
Published: September 2023

The advent of microcredit programmes in sub-Saharan Africa provides opportunities for rural households to acquire agricultural inputs and consumer goods. This study analysed gender differences in investment behaviour and repayment performance using a unique dataset—the complete client database (21,386 clients) of a microcredit programme operating in Western Kenya. Products purchased via the microcredit programme include seeds, fertilisers, post-harvesting technologies (drying sheets, storage bags, and pesticides), chicken feed packages, and different solar panel products. A machine learning-based basket analysis identified combinations of products purchased by male and female clients. Our results showed that female farmers usually made smaller investments, had higher repayment rates, and purchased more post-harvesting technologies than male farmers. In addition, female farmers used their loans to purchase less expensive products, whereas male farmers usually purchased more fertiliser and expensive solar panel products. The basket analysis revealed that female farmers purchased multiple products simultaneously more often than male farmers did. Finally, households without mobile phones had low repayment capabilities. Collectively, our findings show that microcredit programmes serving smallholder farmers can capitalise on their business data to learn about their clients’ gendered investment preferences and repayment behaviour.
Estimation of Shallow Landslide Susceptibility Incorporating the Impacts of Vegetation on Slope Stability
Authors: Jiang Hu , Zou Qiang , Zhou Bin , Jiang Yao , Cui Junfang , Yao Hongkun , Zhou Wentao
Published: September 2023

This study aimed to develop a physical-based approach for predicting the spatial likelihood of shallow landslides at the regional scale in a transition zone with extreme topography. Shallow landslide susceptibility study in an area with diverse vegetation types as well as distinctive geographic factors (such as steep terrain, fractured rocks, and joints) that dominate the occurrence of shallow landslides is challenging. This article presents a novel methodology for comprehensively assessing shallow landslide susceptibility, taking into account both the positive and negative impacts of plants. This includes considering the positive effects of vegetation canopy interception and plant root reinforcement, as well as the negative effects of plant gravity loading and preferential flow of root systems. This approach was applied to simulate the regional-scale shallow landslide susceptibility in the Dadu River Basin, a transition zone with rapidly changing terrain, uplifting from the Sichuan Plain to the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The research findings suggest that: (1) The proposed methodology is effective and capable of assessing shallow landslide susceptibility in the study area; (2) the proposed model performs better than the traditional pseudo-static analysis method (TPSA) model, with 9.93% higher accuracy and 5.59% higher area under the curve; and (3) when the ratio of vegetation weight loads to unstable soil mass weight is high, an increase in vegetation biomass tends to be advantageous for slope stability. The study also mapped the spatial distribution of shallow landslide susceptibility in the study area, which can be used in disaster prevention, mitigation, and risk management.
A note on application of Miyazawa’s multiplier to multisector model of evolutionary economics
Authors: Yoshioka Tsutomu
Published: September 2023

This paper aims to show one of the ways of introducing income distribution into the model of evolutionary economics presented by Shiozawa et al. (Microfoundations of evolutionary economics. Springer Japan, Tokyo, 2019). We use Miyazawa’s income distribution model to extend the model of evolutionary economics. An input–output model developed by Miyazawa includes the household sector as an endogenous sector. His model enables us to examine the circular flow between production, distribution, and expenditure. An increase in expenditure will induce additional production, which in turn will generate new income, and this income will stimulate consumption. Since the model developed by Shiozawa et al. (2019) and the input–output model both can analyse the production process and consider the adoption of a single production technique by a firm, Miyazawa’s model can be applied to the model of evolutionary economics. To use Miyazawa’s model, we focus on the simplest case in Shiozawa et al. (2019). This paper shows how Miyazawa’s model can be used to incorporate the impact of income distribution into the model of evolutionary economics.
Hyperparameter analysis of wide-kernel CNN architectures in industrial fault detection: an exploratory study
Authors: van den Hoogen Jurgen , Hudson Dan , Bloemheuvel Stefan , Atzmueller Martin
Published: September 2023

Industrial fault detection has become more data-driven due to advancements in automated data analysis using deep learning. Such methods make it possible to extract useful features, e. g., from time series data retrieved from sensors, which is typically of complex nature. This allows for effective fault detection and prognostics that boost the efficiency and productivity of industrial equipment. This work explores the influence of a variety of architectural hyperparameters on the performance of one-dimensional convolutional neural networks (CNN). Using a multi-method approach, this paper focuses specifically on wide-kernel CNN models for industrial fault detection, that have proven to perform well for tasks such as classifying vibration signals retrieved from sensors. By varying hyperparameters such as the kernel size, stride and number of filters, an extensive hyperparameter space search was conducted; to identify optimal settings, we collected a total of 12,960 different combinations on three datasets into a model hyperparameter dataset, with their respective performance on the underlying fault detection task. Afterwards, this dataset was explored with follow-up analysis including statistical, feature, pattern and hyperparameter impact analysis. We find that although performance varies substantially depending on hyperparameter choices, there is no single simple strategy to optimise performance across the three datasets. However, an optimal setting in terms of performance can be found in the number of filters used in the later layers of the architecture for all datasets. Furthermore, hyperparameter importance differs across and within the datasets, and we found nonlinear relationships between hyperparameter settings and performance. Our analysis highlights key considerations when applying a wide-kernel CNN architecture to new data within the field of industrial fault detection. This supports practitioners who wish to apply and train state-of-the-art convolutional learning methods to apply to similar fault detection settings, e. g., vibration data arising from new combinations of sensors and/or machinery in the context of bearing faults.
Gender and remuneration in professional franchise cricket: analysing outcomes of the 2023 Indian Premier League auctions
Authors: Borooah Vani K.
Published: September 2023

The amount that players are paid in professional cricket is mostly derived from salary not, as in golf and tennis, from prize money and outside endorsements. Consequently, their pay is dependent on the remuneration system in operation which, in most cases, are administered set by their employers. Such prices embody severe gender inequalities with, for example, the lowest paid man being paid more than the highest paid woman in England’s iconic Hundred competition. In contrast, in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions, prices are determined by the market with each player’s pay being determined by the highest bidder. From a detailed analysis of data from these two auctions for December 2022 (IPL) and March 2023, I show that the market system goes some way towards ameliorating the gender inequalities embedded in administered prices. After decomposing inequality in sale prices, I show that the main driver of inequality under these auctions was not gender but whether the candidates were domestic or overseas players.
It’s my turn: empirical evidence of upstream indirect reciprocity in society through a quasi-experimental approach
Authors: Obayashi Shinya , Inaba Misato , Ohdaira Tetsushi , Kiyonari Toko
Published: September 2023

This study estimated the effect of receiving help during a disaster on an individual’s subsequent cooperation for a common-pool resource. Such a chain of altruism is called generalized exchange and upstream indirect reciprocity in exchange and cooperation theories. Theoretical studies have pointed out its importance in understanding human cooperation in society. Some researchers on disaster have observed the phenomenon called “disaster area relay”, where disaster victims, having received help during the disaster they experienced, in turn, help victims of another subsequent disaster. However, there are few empirical and systematic analyses of this in actual societal events due to the causal problem. This paper attempted to overcome this problem through a quasi-experimental approach using big data. This paper focused on mutual cooperation through “Free Tank”, which is a common-pool resource in the online community called “mineo-KINGDOM”. The result of difference-in-differences estimation showed that receiving help during a disaster had a positive causal impact on subsequent cooperation for a common-pool resource and reciprocity norm. This result provides assurance that helping has a potential ripple effect on individuals’ cooperation.
Development of sandy soil properties within subtropical residential landscapes
Authors: Fox Ronald A. , Bacon Allan R. , Enloe Heather A. , Bean Eban Z.
Published: September 2023

Urbanization is homogenizing residential developments and soils across a wide climate gradient of the United States. Land development practices commonly install landscapes on low-quality compacted fill material. While previous research shows that soil quality beneath urban lawns improves over time, studies used golf courses to represent lawns or sampled across variable development and management styles. Limited data on sandy soil quality within residential landscapes in subtropical climate warranted investigation. To evaluate the effect of age on residential soil characteristics, two residential developments from Central and Southwest Florida were selected based on known lot ages up to 31 years. Soil samples (0 to 30 cm) were collected from landscape beds and lawns, along with lawn of common areas, to evaluate bulk density and organic matter over time. Though landscape beds typically require less management, soil characteristics were similar between lawns and landscape beds, suggesting similar processes. Bulk densities decreased by 22–34% and 9–20% within the upper (0–15 cm) and lower (15–30 cm) soil depths, respectively. Upper layer soil carbon accumulation rates ranged from 0.060 to 0.156 kg C m−2 yr−1, comparable to previous studies but did not exceed 0.021 kg C m−2 yr−1or were not significant for greater depths. The results of this study are representative of past chronosequence studies conducted in cooler climates with fine soil texture. Sandy soil texture and warm climate do not govern carbon sequestration rates, but instead vegetation type and landscape management practices overcome these conditions.
A fault diagnosis method for rolling bearings of wind turbine generators based on MCGAN data enhancement
Authors: Jia Zhiyuan , Yu Baojun
Published: September 2023

In view of the problems such as poor diagnostic capability and generalization ability of wind turbine generator bearing fault diagnosis methods caused by complex wind turbine generator bearing conditions and few fault samples under actual operating conditions, a wind turbine generator bearing vibration signal data enhancement method based on improved multiple fully convolutional generative adversarial neural networks (MCGAN) was proposed. Firstly, two-dimensional time-frequency features are extracted from the raw data using a Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT). Secondly, by incorporating multiple CGANs of different scales and a hybrid loss function, the original GAN network was enhanced to learn the intrinsic distribution of bearing vibration signals and generate diverse vibration signals with distinct bearing fault characteristics, resulting in an expanded dataset. Finally, a comparative experiment was conducted using real wind turbine generator-bearing data. The results demonstrate that the augmented samples generated by MCGAN contain rolling bearing fault information while maintaining sample distribution and diversity. By utilizing the augmented dataset to train commonly used fault diagnostic classifiers, the diagnostic accuracy for the original vibration signals exceeds 80%, providing a theoretical basis for addressing the scarcity of fault samples in practical engineering scenarios.
Rotor-Routing Induces the Only Consistent Sandpile Torsor Structure on Plane Graphs
Authors: Ganguly Ankan , McDonough Alex
Published: September 2023

We make precise and prove a conjecture of Klivans about actions of the sandpile group on spanning trees. More specifically, the conjecture states that there exists a unique ‘suitably nice’ sandpile torsor structure on plane graphs which is induced by rotor-routing.

First, we rigorously define a sandpile torsor algorithm (on plane graphs) to be a map which associates each plane graph (i.e., planar graph with an appropriate ribbon structure) with a free transitive action of its sandpile group on its spanning trees. Then, we define a notion of consistency, which requires a torsor algorithm to be preserved with respect to a certain class of contractions and deletions. Using these definitions, we show that the rotor-routing sandpile torsor algorithm is consistent. Furthermore, we demonstrate that there are only three other consistent algorithms on plane graphs, which all have the same structure as rotor-routing.

We also define sandpile torsor algorithms on regular matroids and suggest a notion of consistency in this context. We conjecture that the Backman-Baker-Yuen algorithm is consistent, and that there are only three other consistent sandpile torsor algorithms on regular matroids, all with the same structure.
Homogenization theory captures macroscopic flow discontinuities across Janus membranes
Authors: Zampogna Giuseppe A. , Ledda P.G. , Wittkowski K. , Gallaire F.
Published: September 2023

Janus membranes, thin permeable structures with chemical and geometrical asymmetric properties, show great potential in industrial separation processes. Yet the link between the micro- and macro-scale behaviours of these membranes needs to be established rigorously. Here, we develop interface conditions to describe the solvent–solute flow across Janus membranes within a homogenization-based framework. Upstream and downstream spatial averages are introduced to account for discontinuities induced by the microstructure. The homogenized model quantifies the macroscopic jump, across the membrane, in the solvent velocity and stresses, and in the solute concentration and fluxes through coefficients obtained via closure problems at the micro-scale. The model paves the way towards a better understanding of fundamental interface phenomena such as osmosis and phoresis via homogenization.
MORE ON HALFWAY NEW CARDINAL CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: FARKAS BARNABÁS , KLAUSNER LUKAS DANIEL , LISCHKA MARC
Published: September 2023

We continue investigating variants of the splitting and reaping numbers introduced in [4]. In particular, answering a question raised there, we prove the consistency of

and of

. Moreover, we discuss their natural generalisations

$\mathfrak {s}_{\rho }$

and

$\mathfrak {r}_{\rho }$

for

$\rho \in (0,1)$

, and show that

$\mathfrak {r}_{\rho }$

does not depend on

$\rho $

.
AN IMEX-BASED APPROACH FOR THE PRICING OF EQUITY WARRANTS UNDER FRACTIONAL BROWNIAN MOTION MODELS
Authors: CHEN WENTING , JIANG XIAOYING
Published: September 2023

In this paper, the pricing of equity warrants under a class of fractional Brownian motion models is investigated numerically. By establishing a new nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) system governing the price in terms of the observable stock price, we solve the pricing system effectively by a robust implicit-explicit numerical method. This is fundamentally different from the documented methods, which first solve the price with respect to the firm value analytically, by assuming that the volatility of the firm is constant, and then compute the price with respect to the stock price and estimate the firm volatility numerically. It is shown that the proposed method is stable in the maximum-norm sense. Furthermore, a sharp theoretical error estimate for the current method is provided, which is also verified numerically. Numerical examples suggest that the current method is efficient and can produce results that are, overall, closer to real market prices than other existing approaches. A great advantage of the current method is that it can be extended easily to price equity warrants under other complicated models.
Moisture Sources of the Tohoku Heavy Rainfalls in August 2022 and the Influences of Tropical Storms
Authors: Zhao N. , Wu P. , Manda A. , Guo X. , Wang B.
Published: September 2023

In August 2022, the Tohoku region of Japan suffered three major heavy rainfall events, while one was related to an anticyclone, and the others were induced by a “Baiu‐like” stationary front. By using the Lagrangian backward trajectories, we found the moisture sources of the three events varied much due to the rapidly changing atmospheric conditions. In general, moisture from the Sea of Japan contributed the most in all events, while the western Pacific also played a certain role. Surprisingly, moisture from tropical storms and the East China Sea did not contribute much due to the along‐transport precipitation. But, based on forward‐traced trajectories, we confirmed that tropical storms did enhance moisture transport from subtropical regions via their southerly wind. Overall, this study highlights the role of the moisture gains nearby and the outer flows of tropical storms during heavy rainfalls in a northern region.
Q fever immunology: the quest for a safe and effective vaccine
Authors: Sam Gayathri , Stenos John , Graves Stephen R. , Rehm Bernd H. A.
Published: September 2023

Q fever is an infectious zoonotic disease, caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Transmission occurs from livestock to humans through inhalation of a survival form of the bacterium, the Small Cell Variant, often via handling of animal parturition products. Q fever manifests as an acute self-limiting febrile illness or as a chronic disease with complications such as vasculitis and endocarditis. The current preventative human Q fever vaccine Q-VAX poses limitations on its worldwide implementation due to reactogenic responses in pre-sensitized individuals. Many strategies have been undertaken to develop a universal Q fever vaccine but with little success to date. The mechanisms of the underlying reactogenic responses remain only partially understood and are important factors in the development of a safe Q fever vaccine. This review provides an overview of previous and current experimental vaccines developed for use against Q fever and proposes approaches to develop a vaccine that establishes immunological memory while eliminating harmful reactogenic responses.
Host phylogeny shapes viral transmission networks in an island ecosystem
Authors: French Rebecca K. , Anderson Sandra H. , Cain Kristal E. , Greene Terry C. , Minor Maria , Miskelly Colin M. , Montoya Jose M. , Wille Michelle , Muller Chris G. , Taylor Michael W. , Digby Andrew ,   Kākāpō Recovery Team, Crane Jodie , Davitt Galen , Eason Daryl , Hedman Petrus , Jeynes Bronnie , Latimer Scott , Little Sarah , Mitchell Michael , Osborne Jake , Philp Brodie , Salton Alyssa , Uddstrom Lydia , Vercoe Deidre , Webster Alex , Holmes Edward C.
Published: September 2023

Virus transmission between host species underpins disease emergence. Both host phylogenetic relatedness and aspects of their ecology, such as species interactions and predator–prey relationships, may govern rates and patterns of cross-species virus transmission and hence zoonotic risk. To address the impact of host phylogeny and ecology on virus diversity and evolution, we characterized the virome structure of a relatively isolated island ecological community in Fiordland, New Zealand, that are linked through a food web. We show that phylogenetic barriers that inhibited cross-species virus transmission occurred at the level of host phyla (between the Chordata, Arthropoda and Streptophyta) as well as at lower taxonomic levels. By contrast, host ecology, manifest as predator–prey interactions and diet, had a smaller influence on virome composition, especially at higher taxonomic levels. The virus–host community comprised a ‘small world’ network, in which hosts with a high diversity of viruses were more likely to acquire new viruses, and generalist viruses that infect multiple hosts were more likely to infect additional species compared to host specialist viruses. Such a highly connected ecological community increases the likelihood of cross-species virus transmission, particularly among closely related species, and suggests that host generalist viruses present the greatest risk of disease emergence.
Scaffolding cooperation in human groups with deep reinforcement learning
Authors: McKee Kevin R. , Tacchetti Andrea , Bakker Michiel A. , Balaguer Jan , Campbell-Gillingham Lucy , Everett Richard , Botvinick Matthew
Published: September 2023

Effective approaches to encouraging group cooperation are still an open challenge. Here we apply recent advances in deep learning to structure networks of human participants playing a group cooperation game. We leverage deep reinforcement learning and simulation methods to train a ‘social planner’ capable of making recommendations to create or break connections between group members. The strategy that it develops succeeds at encouraging pro-sociality in networks of human participants (N = 208 participants in 13 groups) playing for real monetary stakes. Under the social planner, groups finished the game with an average cooperation rate of 77.7%, compared with 42.8% in static networks (N = 176 in 11 groups). In contrast to prior strategies that separate defectors from cooperators (tested here with N = 384 in 24 groups), the social planner learns to take a conciliatory approach to defectors, encouraging them to act pro-socially by moving them to small highly cooperative neighbourhoods.
Eukaryotic-like gephyrin and cognate membrane receptor coordinate corynebacterial cell division and polar elongation
Authors: Martinez Mariano , Petit Julienne , Leyva Alejandro , Sogues Adrià , Megrian Daniela , Rodriguez Azalia , Gaday Quentin , Ben Assaya Mathildeb , Portela Maria Magdalena , Haouz Ahmed , Ducret Adrien , Grangeasse Christophe , Alzari Pedro M. , Durán Rosario , Wehenkel Anne Marie
Published: September 2023

The order Corynebacteriales includes major industrial and pathogenic Actinobacteria such as Corynebacterium glutamicum or Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These bacteria have multi-layered cell walls composed of the mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex and a polar growth mode, thus requiring tight coordination between the septal divisome, organized around the tubulin-like protein FtsZ, and the polar elongasome, assembled around the coiled-coil protein Wag31. Here, using C. glutamicum, we report the discovery of two divisome members: a gephyrin-like repurposed molybdotransferase (Glp) and its membrane receptor (GlpR). Our results show how cell cycle progression requires interplay between Glp/GlpR, FtsZ and Wag31, showcasing a crucial crosstalk between the divisome and elongasome machineries that might be targeted for anti-mycobacterial drug discovery. Further, our work reveals that Corynebacteriales have evolved a protein scaffold to control cell division and morphogenesis, similar to the gephyrin/GlyR system that mediates synaptic signalling in higher eukaryotes through network organization of membrane receptors and the microtubule cytoskeleton.
Constitutive formulations for intrinsic anisotropy in soft electroelastic materials
Authors: Li Yali , Goulbourne Nakhiah C.
Published: September 2023

Inspired by biology and engineered soft active material systems, we propose a new constitutive formulation for a soft material consisting of soft contractile fibers embedded in a soft matrix. The mathematical implementation of the model is based on a multi-field invariant formulation within a nonlinear continuum mechanics framework. The coupled constitutive formulation highlights a new electromechanical coupling term that describes the intrinsic (or active) anisotropy due to the contractile units. The model demonstrates the relative role that intrinsic anisotropy plays in the overall stress response. The resulting formulation could be used to design and inspire the development of new soft material systems that seek to replicate three dimensional biological motion.
Anti-stigma narratives and emotional comfort against health crisis: a context analysis of UGC short videos from patients with COVID-19 infections
Authors: Tan Lin , Wang Qing-yi , Zhang Qiu-ju
Published: September 2023

Patients narratives are being recorded increasingly frequently and spontaneously in short user produced content (UGC) films, which may have an impact on the vlogger’s health as well as the public’s comprehension of the relevant health concerns. This paper addressed three research questions regarding the population characteristics of UGC video publishers, the narrative theme of the videos, and the emotional orientation of the commenters. This study aimed to deepen our understanding of COVID-19 patients’ narrative intentions and emotional needs through the theoretical frameworks of theory of planned behavior (TPB) and negative dominance theory (NDT). We collected 335 videos from 28 COVID-19 patients and 572,052 comments as samples on Douyin platform, the largest short-video website in China. Using Latent Semantic Analysis, we analyzed the descriptive information of the video blogs, the narrative textual information of the videos, and the emotional orientation of the comments. Our findings revealled seven categories of narrative themes, with 52.1% of video comments exhibiting a positive emotional orientation. Within a framework integrating TPB and NDT theories, we analyzed the behavioral intentions of vloggers and viewers during COVID-19 epidemic, and interpreted the persistent posting of videos and the active posting of comments as positive actions that counteracted the multiple effects of negative messages. This study contributes to the understanding of individual narratives in macro-risk communication, both theoretically and empirically, and offers policy recommendations in relevant fields.
Link prediction in complex network using information flow
Authors: Aziz Furqan , Slater Luke T. , Bravo-Merodio Laura , Acharjee Animesh , Gkoutos Georgios V.
Published: September 2023

Link prediction in complex networks has recently attracted a great deal of attraction in diverse scientific domains, including social and biological sciences. Given a snapshot of a network, the goal is to predict links that are missing in the network or that are likely to occur in the near future. This problem has both theoretical and practical significance; it not only helps us to identify missing links in a network more efficiently by avoiding the expensive and time consuming experimental processes, but also allows us to study the evolution of a network with time. To address the problem of link prediction, numerous attempts have been made over the recent years that exploit the local and the global topological properties of the network to predict missing links in the network. In this paper, we use parametrised matrix forest index (PMFI) to predict missing links in a network. We show that, for small parameter values, this index is linked to a heat diffusion process on a graph and therefore encodes geometric properties of the network. We then develop a framework that combines the PMFI with a local similarity index to predict missing links in the network. The framework is applied to numerous networks obtained from diverse domains such as social network, biological network, and transport network. The results show that the proposed method can predict missing links with higher accuracy when compared to other state-of-the-art link prediction methods.
Utilizing convolutional neural networks to classify monkeypox skin lesions
Authors: Eliwa Entesar Hamed I. , El Koshiry Amr Mohamed , Abd El-Hafeez Tarek , Farghaly Heba Mamdouh
Published: September 2023

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that can cause severe illness in humans, presenting with skin lesions and rashes. However, accurately diagnosing monkeypox based on visual inspection of the lesions can be challenging and time-consuming, especially in resource-limited settings where laboratory tests may not be available. In recent years, deep learning methods, particularly Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), have shown great potential in image recognition and classification tasks. To this end, this study proposes an approach using CNNs to classify monkeypox skin lesions. Additionally, the study optimized the CNN model using the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) algorithm, resulting in a significant improvement in accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and AUC compared to the non-optimized model. The GWO optimization strategy can enhance the performance of CNN models on similar tasks. The optimized model achieved an impressive accuracy of 95.3%, indicating that the GWO optimizer has improved the model's ability to discriminate between positive and negative classes. The proposed approach has several potential benefits for improving the accuracy and efficiency of monkeypox diagnosis and surveillance. It could enable faster and more accurate diagnosis of monkeypox skin lesions, leading to earlier detection and better patient outcomes. Furthermore, the approach could have crucial public health implications for controlling and preventing monkeypox outbreaks. Overall, this study offers a novel and highly effective approach for diagnosing monkeypox, which could have significant real-world applications.
Modulation of dog–owner relationship and dog social and cognitive behavior by owner temperament and dog breed group
Authors: Kujala Miiamaaria V. , Imponen Noora , Pirkkala Aino , Silfverberg Tiia , Parviainen Tiina , Tiira Katriina , Kiuru Noona
Published: September 2023

As companion dogs spend most of their lives with humans, the human–dog relationship and owner temperament may affect the dog behavior. In this study (n = 440), we investigated the relationship between the dog owner temperament (ATQ-R), owner-perceived dog–owner relationship (MDORS) and the dog behavior in three behavioral tests: the object-choice test, the unsolvable task, and the cylinder test. Dog owner temperament influenced the dog–owner relationship. Owners with high negative affectivity showed higher emotional closeness and perceived costs of their dog, whereas owners with high effortful control showed lower emotional closeness and perceived costs. Higher dog activity during the behavioral tests was also connected with owner-perceived lower emotional closeness. Furthermore, dog breed group modulated the connection between the owner temperament and dog behavior. Owner’s high negative affectivity correlated with herding dogs’ lower scores in the object choice test, while the behavior of primitive type dogs was unaffected by the owner temperament. Our results confirm that human characteristics are associated with the owner-reported dog–owner relationship, and owner temperament may have a modulatory effect on the dog social and cognitive behavior depending on the dog breed group, which should be investigated further.
Epidemiology of psychiatric disorders following cytoreductive surgeries plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: a prospective cohort analysis
Authors: Economos Guillaume , Kepenekian Vahan , Barbaret Cécile , Villeneuve Laurent , Haesebaert Julie , Glehen Olivier
Published: September 2023

The peritoneal surface malignancy (PSM) is an advanced disease, the prognosis of which has been radically improved since the development of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). These procedures are associated with many complications. However, very few data are available regarding the psychiatric morbidities that might occur. The present study assessed the epidemiology of depressive mood and anxiety during the 6 months following the procedure. The analysis of a prospective cohort that included patients who underwent CRS with or without HIPEC between December 2016 and December 2019 was performed. A total of 115 patients were included. During the 6-months follow-up, the mean (SD) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale –D (HADS-D) score was 7.8 (48) and a significant increase compared with the pre-operative period (t(49) = − 4.36, p < 0.005) was found. Thirty-seven patients (32%) had a HADS-D score higher than 7. The incidence of a HADS-D score higher than 7 during the follow-up was 0.05 patient per patient-month. Anxiety and the overall mental disorders intensity scores also increased. The results showed an important increase of mental disorders and their intensity during the 6-months following a CRS with or without HIPEC.
Thermosteric and dynamic sea level under solar geoengineering
Authors: Yue Chao , Jevrejeva Svetlana , Qu Ying , Zhao Liyun , Moore John C.
Published: September 2023

The IPCC sixth assessment report forecasts sea level rise (SLR) of up to 2 m along coasts by 2100 relative to 1995–2014 following business as usual (SSP585) scenarios. Geoengineering may reduce this threat. We use five Earth System Models simulations of two different solar geoengineering methods (solar dimming and stratospheric sulfate aerosol injection), that offset radiative forcing differences between SSP585 “no-mitigation” and the modest mitigation SSP245 greenhouse gas scenarios, to analyze the impact on global mean thermosteric and dynamic regional sea levels. By 2080–2099, both forms of geoengineering reduce global mean thermosteric sea level by 36–41% (11.2–12.6 cm) relative to SSP585, bringing the global mean SLR under SSP585 in line with that under SSP245, but do not perfectly restore regional SLR patterns. Some of the largest reductions (∼18 cm) are on densely populated coasts of eastern Northern America and Japan and along vulnerable Arctic coastal permafrost.
An indirect competitive assay-based method for the sensitive determination of tetracycline residue using a real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Sheng Tianying , Chen Hanyu , Lei Yingying , Zhang Baozhong , Zhu Huina
Published: September 2023

A new method that is highly sensitive in the detection of TC residues has been established based on an indirect competition method and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
PtPd NPs-functionalized metal–organic framework-derived α-Fe2O3 porous spindles for efficient low-temperature detection of triethylamine
Authors: Yan Xianwen , Yang Xueli , Sun Zhen , Sun Caixuan , Hu Zheng , Zhang Yalin , Pan Guofeng , Guo Lanlan , Qi Yuhang , Cheng Yehong
Published: September 2023

PtPd-decorated MOF-derived α-Fe2O3 porous spindles were synthesized for TEA detection for the first time.
Optimized crystal orientation for enhanced reaction kinetics and reversibility of SnSe/NC hollow nanospheres towards high-rate and long-term lithium/sodium storage
Authors: Song Huihui , Zhou Qiang , Song Zhicheng , Tian Kun , Guan Chaohui , yuan Fang Zheng , Yuan Gengyang , Lu Mi , Wei Dong , Li Xiaodan
Published: September 2023

Due to the reduced diffusion energy barriers at SnSe (400) and the efficiency buffering of the nitrogen-doped carbon matrix, SnSe/NC hollow nanospheres with rich (400) facets exhibited excellent specific capacity and long-term performance.