bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
UFace
Authors: Wang Shuning , Zhong Linghui , Fu Yongjian , Chen Lili , Ren Ju , Zhang Yaoxue
Published: March 2024

Facial expression recognition (FER) is a crucial task for human-computer interaction and a multitude of multimedia applications that typically call for friendly, unobtrusive, ubiquitous, and even long-term monitoring. Achieving such a FER system meeting these multi-requirements faces critical challenges, mainly including the tiny irregular non-periodic deformation of emotion movements, high variability in facial positions and severe self-interference caused by users' own other behavior. In this work, we present UFace, a long-term, unobtrusive and reliable FER system for daily life using acoustic signals generated by a portable smartphone. We design an innovative network model with dual-stream input based on the attention mechanism, which can leverage distance-time profile features from various viewpoints to extract fine-grained emotion-related signal changes, thus enabling accurate identification of many kinds of expressions. Meanwhile, we propose effective mechanisms to deal with a series of interference issues during actual use. We implement UFace prototype with a daily-used smartphone and conduct extensive experiments in various real-world environments. The results demonstrate that UFace can successfully recognize 7 typical facial expressions with an average accuracy of 87.8% across 20 participants. Besides, the evaluation of different distances, angles, and interferences proves the great potential of the proposed system to be employed in practical scenarios.
mmArrhythmia
Authors: Zhao Langcheng , Lyu Rui , Lin Qi , Zhou Anfu , Zhang Huanhuan , Ma Huadong , Wang Jingjia , Shao Chunli , Tang Yida
Published: March 2024

Arrhythmia is a common problem of irregular heartbeats, which may lead to serious complications such as stroke and even mortality. Due to the paroxysmal nature of arrhythmia, its long-term monitoring and early detection in daily household scenarios, instead of depending on ECG examination only available during clinical visits, are of critical importance. While ambulatory ECG Holter and wearables like smartwatches have been used, they are still inconvenient and interfere with users' daily activities. In this paper, we bridge the gap by proposing mmArrhythmia, which employs low-cost mmWave radar to passively sense cardiac motions and detect arrhythmia, in an unobtrusive contact-less way. Different from previous mmWave cardiac sensing works focusing on healthy people, mmArrhythmia needs to distinguish the minute and transient abnormal cardiac activities of arrhythmia patients. To overcome the challenge, we custom-design an encoder-decoder model that can perform arrhythmia feature encoding, sampling and fusion over raw IQ sensing data directly, so as to discriminate normal heartbeat and arrhythmia. Furthermore, we enhance the robustness of mmArrhythmia by designing multichannel ensemble learning to solve the model bias problem caused by unbalanced arrhythmia data distribution. Empirical evaluation over 79,910 heartbeats demonstrates mmArrhythmia's ability of robust arrhythmia detection, with 97.32% accuracy, 98.63% specificity, and 92.30% sensitivity.
Symptom Detection with Text Message Log Distributions for Holistic Depression and Anxiety Screening
Authors: Tlachac ML , Heinz Michael , Reisch Miranda , Ogden Samuel S.
Published: March 2024

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are both heterogeneous in their clinical presentations, manifesting with unique symptom profiles. Despite this, prior digital phenotype research has primarily focused on disorder-level detection rather than symptom-level detection. In this research, we predict the existence of individual symptoms of MDD and GAD with SMS log metadata, and ensemble these symptom-level classifiers to screen for depression and anxiety, thus accounting for disorder heterogeneity. Further, we collect an additional dataset of retrospectively harvested SMS logs to augment an existing dataset collected after COVID-19 altered communication patterns, and propose two new types of distribution features: consecutive messages and conversation ratio. Our symptom-level detectors achieved a balanced accuracy of 0.7 in 13 of the 16 MDD and GAD symptoms, with reply latency distribution features achieving a balanced accuracy of 0.78 when detecting anxiety symptom trouble relaxing. When combined into disorder-level ensembles, these symptom-level detectors achieved a balanced accuracy of 0.76 for depression screening and 0.73 for anxiety screening, with tree boosting methods demonstrating particular efficacy. Accounting for disorder heterogeneity, our research provides insight into the value of SMS logs for the assessment of depression and anxiety diagnostic criteria.
'Eco Is Just Marketing'
Authors: Zeqiri Albin , Jansen Pascal , Rixen Jan Ole , Rietzler Michael , Rukzio Enrico
Published: March 2024

Energy-saving features (ESFs) represent a simple way to reduce the resource consumption of home appliances (HAs), yet they remain under-utilized. While prior research focused on increasing the use of ESFs through behavior change interventions, there is currently no clarity on the barriers that restrict their utilization in the first place. To bridge this gap, we conducted a qualitative analysis of 349 Amazon product reviews and 98 Reddit discussions, yielding three qualitative themes that showcase how users perceive, interact with, and evaluate ESFs in HAs. Based on these themes, we derived frequent barriers to ESF adoption, which guided a subsequent expert focus group (N=5) to assess the suitability of behavior change interventions and potential alternative strategies for ESF adoption. Our findings deepen the understanding of everyday barriers surrounding ESFs and enable the targeted design and assessment of interventions for future HAs.
DeltaLCA
Authors: Zhang Zhihan , Hähnlein Felix , Mei Yuxuan , Englhardt Zachary , Patel Shwetak , Schulz Adriana , Iyer Vikram
Published: March 2024

Reducing the environmental footprint of electronics and computing devices requires new tools that empower designers to make informed decisions about sustainability during the design process itself. This is not possible with current tools for life cycle assessment (LCA) which require substantial domain expertise and time to evaluate the numerous chips and other components that make up a device. We observe first that informed decision-making does not require absolute metrics and can instead be done by comparing designs. Second, we can use domain-specific heuristics to perform these comparisons. We combine these insights to develop DeltaLCA, an open-source interactive design tool that addresses the dual challenges of automating life cycle inventory generation and data availability by performing comparative analyses of electronics designs. Users can upload standard design files from Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software and the tool will guide them through determining which one has greater carbon footprints. DeltaLCA leverages electronics-specific LCA datasets and heuristics and tries to automatically rank the two designs, prompting users to provide additional information only when necessary. We show through case studies DeltaLCA achieves the same result as evaluating full LCAs, and that it accelerates LCA comparisons from eight expert-hours to a single click for devices with ~30 components, and 15 minutes for more complex devices with ~100 components.
A Psycholinguistics-inspired Method to Counter IP Theft Using Fake Documents
Authors: Denisenko Natalia , Zhang Youzhi , Pulice Chiara , Bhattasali Shohini , Jajodia Sushil , Resnik Philip , Subrahmanian V.S.
Published: March 2024

Intellectual property (IP) theft is a growing problem. We build on prior work to deter IP theft by generating
n
fake versions of a technical document so a thief has to expend time and effort in identifying the correct document. Our new
SbFAKE
framework proposes, for the first time, a novel combination of language processing, optimization, and the psycholinguistic concept of surprisal to generate a set of such fakes. We start by combining psycholinguistic-based surprisal scores and optimization to generate two bilevel surprisal optimization problems (an Explicit one and a simpler Implicit one) whose solutions correspond directly to the desired set of fakes. As bilevel problems are usually hard to solve, we then show that these two bilevel surprisal optimization problems can each be reduced to equivalent surprisal-based linear programs. We performed detailed parameter tuning experiments and identified the best parameters for each of these algorithms. We then tested these two variants of
SbFAKE
(with their best parameter settings) against the best performing prior work in the field. Our experiments show that
SbFAKE
is able to more effectively generate convincing fakes than past work. In addition, we show that replacing words in an original document with words having similar surprisal scores generates greater levels of deception.
Synthesis of Alkoxy-TEMPO Aminoxyl Radicals and Electrochemical Characterization in Acetonitrile for Energy Storage Applications
Authors: Escamilla Maria , Zuleta Ernesto C. , Davis Hannah K. , Johnson Jacob , Pentzer Emily , Zawodzinski Thomas
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we describe the synthesis and characterization of alkoxylated TEMPO, (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl, radicals with potential application in organic non-aqueous redox flow batteries. The behavior of a series of TEMPO derivatives with varying lengths of alkoxy chain is analyzed in acetonitrile solutions using electrochemical techniques, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and measurements of permeability through three different membranes. Electrochemical redox potentials are only weakly dependent on the substituent, but, in contrast, exchange current densities derived from the data do depend on the substitution. EPR lends further insight into these properties via the determination of hyperfine splitting constant and rotational correlation time. There is a negligible effect of the substituents on those parameters among the modified TEMPO radicals. Finally, permeation rates of modified TEMPO derivatives through membranes depend significantly on both the membrane and the substitution of TEMPO, providing insights into capacity fade measurements in the literature.
Operando Entropy Profiling of Sodium-Ion Batteries via Optical Fiber Sensing for Thermal Management and Ageing Monitoring
Authors: Huang Jiaqiang , Delacourt Charles , Desai Parth , Tarascon Jean-Marie
Published: March 2024

Batteries are essential for the electrification of transport and the replacement of internal combustion engines. Thermodynamics was largely established with the development of the engines, and this knowledge has been applied to batteries for years. In particular, entropy profiles are sensitive to structural changes and are useful for diagnosing and understanding battery ageing. However, entropy profiling of aged batteries is mainly limited to the potentiometric method, which makes the technique in situ and time-consuming. Herein, we rely on optical fiber calorimetry to perform operando entropy profiling of commercial sodium-ion cells. Firstly, we directly compare the entropy profile of sodium-ion Na3V2(PO4)2F3/hard carbon (NVPF/HC) chemistry against those of commercialized lithium-ion chemistries, highlighting the uniqueness of NVPF/HC chemistry in battery thermal management. Operando entropy profiling of NVPF/HC chemistry further elucidates the structural degradations that take place during cycling and provide features that can be important indicators of the battery’s state of health. This work reintroduces thermodynamic analyses as a valuable tool for batteries and spotlights the new horizons offered by the convergence of battery sensing, thermodynamics, and other disciplines.
Quantum Game‐Based Study on the Incentive Mechanism for the Cooperative Distribution of E‐Commerce Logistics Alliance
Authors: Zhang Liying , Chen Fujian
Published: March 2024

Motivating active participation in e‐commerce logistics alliances to enhance delivery efficiency and customer satisfaction has long been a societal interest. Leveraging the quantum game theory, this paper develops a model for incentivizing collaboration within these alliances. This model enables theoretical and numerical analysis of members’ strategies and entanglement levels. The findings show that quantum strategies increase members’ profits, achieving Nash equilibriums and Pareto optimal outcomes, outperforming the classical game theory. In addition, the size of quantum entanglement emerges as a critical determinant influencing members’ active participation in collaborative distribution. Strengthening information sharing and aligning interests can enhance entanglement levels among members, making them more inclined to adopt strategies promoting active involvement in collaborative distribution. Moreover, members can adapt their strategies based on the initial entanglement in collaborative distribution, thereby incentivizing participation and reducing ethical risks. In conclusion, through numerical analysis, we present relevant strategies and recommendations for incentivizing collaborative distribution within e‐commerce logistics alliances.
Incidental Finding of Thyroid Tuberculosis by Operation for Graves’ Disease: A Rare Case Presentation
Authors: El Azime Zineb , Handa Samira , Bourkadi Ghita , Aynaou Hayat , Salhi Houda , El Ouahabi Hanan
Published: March 2024

Thyroid tuberculosis is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, even in endemic countries such as Morocco; its precise incidence is not well-defined. The clinical presentation of thyroid tuberculosis can vary, often being asymptomatic. Consequently, the diagnosis may be overlooked or delayed. Intriguingly, thyroid tuberculosis can manifest alongside thyrotoxicosis due to Graves’ disease, an exceptional association. This article reports a distinctive case of thyroid tuberculosis coexisting with Graves’ disease, one of the autoimmune thyroid diseases. A 33-year-old female presented symptoms consistent with hyperthyroidism and bilateral exophthalmos. She was subsequently diagnosed with Graves’ disease. Despite initially managed medically, recurrences of the disease led to definitive treatment by total thyroidectomy. Histopathological examination revealed concurrent presence of thyroid tuberculosis.
Assessment of Irrigation Water Management Performance Indicators and Mitigation Measure in Arba Minch Irrigation Scheme, Ethiopia
Authors: Gebeyhu Reta Birara , Dagalo Hatiye Samuel , Muluneh Finsa Mekuanent
Published: March 2024

Irrigated agriculture has been practiced in Ethiopia for several centuries and performance of scheme was poor due to inadequate irrigation water management practices. This study was conducted to evaluate irrigation water management indicators and to suggest possible mitigation measure for Arba Minch irrigation scheme. Primary data such as field and canal flow, soil moisture content, and canal slope were measured on field and soil physical properties were evaluated in the laboratory. Utilizing climate and crop data, the CropWat 8 model was employed to estimate seasonal crop water requirements, while furrow and border irrigation dimensions were designed using SURDEV software. The average field application efficiency (30%), storage efficiency (76%), percolation losses (66%), and overall efficiency (25%). The average relative water and irrigation supply in the scheme were 1.7 and 3.3, respectively. The mean water and land productivity of the wheat, onion, pepper, watermelon, and maize of the Arba Minch irrigation scheme were 0.1 kg/m3 and 0.5 ton/ha, 0.9 kg/m3 and 4.9 ton/ha, 1.5 kg/m3 and 6.2 ton/ha, 0.5 kg/m3 and 0.6 ton/ha, and 0.9 kg/m3 and 4.2 ton/ha, respectively. Watermelon had the highest net returns per hectare ($1,693), followed by onion ($1,829), pepper ($1,221), and wheat ($1,057). In terms of net returns per cubic meter of water, onion led with $0.3, followed by watermelon ($0.2), pepper and wheat with the lowest at $0.1 (top of form). The average value conveyance efficiency, water surface elevation ratio and manning coefficient were 82%, 42%, and 0.06%, respectively. The existing, and corrected length were 843 and 135 m (border irrigation) and 20 and 595 m (furrow irrigation), respectively. In conclusion, the Arba Minch irrigation scheme was very poor performance and low efficiency. To address these issues, farmers and irrigation authorities implement improved irrigation water management practices. Policymakers should promote sustainable water management and explore crops with higher water productivity for overall scheme improvement.
Spatial and Temporal Changes in Taenia solium Cysticercosis Seroprevalence among Pigs in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania
Authors: Kabululu Mwemezi L. , N. Ogunro Bamidele , Ngowi Helena A.
Published: March 2024

Taenia solium remains among the major causes of epilepsy in sub‐Saharan Africa. Understanding the geospatial distribution of the parasite is important to inform control strategies. This study assessed spatiotemporal changes in the T. solium infection among pigs from a rural area in southwestern Tanzania. Secondary data from a previous repeated cross‐sectional study in the Mbeya and Mbozi districts were used, involving sixteen villages, eight from each of the two districts. Serum samples were collected from 482, 460, and 421 pigs in 221, 196, and 139 households, respectively, at seven‐month intervals. Ag‐ELISA was used to analyse the samples for circulating antigens. Geographic coordinates of the pig corrals adjacent to the households were also recorded using a hand‐held GPS device. SatScan v9.7 software was used to perform purely spatial scan analysis, based on the Bernoulli distribution model. Spatial clustering was assumed based on the relative risk of T. solium seropositivity. Statistical significance (set at 0.05) of the cluster was determined by comparing the log‐likelihood ratio with the null distribution derived by Monte Carlo simulations. The window with the highest log‐likelihood ratio was regarded as a primary cluster. Results showed significant clustering of T. solium cases with the presence of a single primary cluster during each phase. The relative risk of T. solium infection among pigs within the primary cluster areas ranged from 3.0 to 6.7. The radii of the clusters expanded from 1.83 to 27.7 km before shrinking to 1.5 km, and cluster location drifted from north to central and then to the southern part of the study area. These findings suggest that with restricted resources, control measures in the area could be focused on pockets of high transmission. However, changes in the size and location of clusters suggest that to be effective, interventions should be instituted soon after clusters are identified.
A Single-Arm Phase 2 Trial of Trametinib in Patients with Locally Advanced or Metastatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma
Authors: Schuetze Scott M. , Ballman Karla V. , Heise Rachel , Ganjoo Kristen N. , Davis Elizabeth J. , George Suzanne , Burgess Melissa A. , Choy Edwin , Shepard Dale R. , Tinoco Gabriel , Hirbe Angela , Kelly Ciara M. , Attia Steven , Deshpande Hari A. , Schwartz Gary K. , Siontis Brittany L. , Riedel Richard F. , von Mehren Margaret , Kozlowski Erin , Chen Helen X. , Astbury Caroline , Rubin Brian P.
Published: March 2024

Purpose:

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular cancer with pathogenic TAZ–CAMTA1 (calmodulinbinding transcription activator 1) operating as an oncogenic driver through activation of the MAPK pathway. Trametinib is an inhibitor of MEK, a critical kinase in the MAPK pathway. We sought to evaluate the effect of trametinib in patients with EHE.

Patients and Methods:

A phase 2 trial of trametinib was conducted in patients with locally advanced or metastatic EHE. Eligibility requirements included evidence of tumor progression or presence of EHE-related pain requiring opiates for management before enrollment. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) as per RECIST1.1 in cases with TAZ– CAMTA1 confirmed by fusion-FISH. Secondary objectives were to estimate ORR for all patients, median progression-free survival (PFS), 2-year overall survival (OS) rate, patient safety, and change in patient-reported global health and pain scores per PROMIS questionnaires.

Results:

44 patients enrolled and 42 started trametinib. TAZ– CAMTA1 was detected in 27 tumor samples. TheORRwas 3.7%[95% confidence interval (CI), 0.094–19.0], median PFS was 10.4 months (95%CI, 7.1–NA), and 2-year OS rate was 33.3%(95%CI, 19.1–58.2) in the target population. Median pain intensity and interference scores improved significantly after 4 weeks of trametinib in patients using opiates. Common adverse events related to trametinib were rash, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea/constipation, alopecia, and edema; one grade 5 ARDS/pneumonitis was related to trametinib.

Conclusions:

Trametinib was associated with reduction in EHE-related pain and median PFS of more than 6 months, providing palliative benefit in patients with advanced EHE, but the trial did not meet the ORR goal.

See related commentary by Van Tine and Haarberg, p. 4552
Supplementary Figure 1 from Single-Cell CD4 and CD8 T-Cell Secretome Profiling Reveals Temporal and Niche Differences in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Following Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy
Authors: Root Jessica L. , Desai Poonam N. , Ly Christopher , Wang Bofei , Jelloul Fatima Zahra , Zhou Jing , Mackay Sean , Alfayez Mansour , Matthews Jairo , Pierce Sherry , Reville Patrick K. , Daver Naval , Abbas Hussein A.
Published: March 2024

Exploratory analysis of baseline T cell cytokine dynamics in PB and BM.
FIGURE 1 from Single-Cell CD4 and CD8 T-Cell Secretome Profiling Reveals Temporal and Niche Differences in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Following Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy
Authors: Root Jessica L. , Desai Poonam N. , Ly Christopher , Wang Bofei , Jelloul Fatima Zahra , Zhou Jing , Mackay Sean , Alfayez Mansour , Matthews Jairo , Pierce Sherry , Reville Patrick K. , Daver Naval , Abbas Hussein A.
Published: March 2024

Integrative analysis approach and clinical characteristic profile of patient cohort. A, Clinical characteristics of RelRef AML cohort for 21 patients involved in the phase II clinical trial. Among the 21 patients enrolled, 20 had baseline PB samples, 16 had baseline BM samples, 10 had posttreatment PB samples, and 6 had posttreatment BM samples. Four patients had prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation (all-SCT) therapy; 11 patients had prior HMA therapy; 11 patients had Secondary AML; 10 patients had CR to Aza/Nivo immunotherapy in the phase II clinical trial; Karyotype and molecular diagnostics at baseline for all 21 patients are included. B, Venn diagram visualizing the patient cohort.
D-2-HG Inhibits IDH1mut Glioma Growth via FTO Inhibition and Resultant m6A Hypermethylation
Authors: Pianka Sean T. , Li Tie , Prins Terry J. , Eldred Blaine S.C. , Kevan Bryan M. , Liang Haowen , Zapanta Rinonos Serendipity , Kornblum Harley I. , Nathanson David A. , Pellegrini Matteo , Liau Linda M. , Nghiemphu Phioanh Leia , Cloughesy Timothy F. , Lai Albert
Published: March 2024

IDH1mut gliomas produce high levels of D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2-HG), an oncometabolite capable of inhibiting α-ketoglutarate–dependent dioxygenases critical to a range of cellular functions involved in gliomagenesis. IDH1mut gliomas also exhibit slower growth rates and improved treatment sensitivity compared with their IDH1wt counterparts. This study explores the mechanism driving apparent reduced growth in IDH1mut gliomas. Specifically, we investigated the relationship between IDH1mut and the RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylases FTO and ALKBH5, and their potential for therapeutic targeting. We investigated the role of D-2-HG and m6A in tumor proliferation/viability using glioma patient tumor samples, patient-derived gliomaspheres, and U87 cells, as well as with mouse intracranial IDH1wt gliomasphere xenografts. Methylation RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) RNA sequencing was used to identify m6A-enriched transcripts in IDH1mut glioma. We show that IDH1mut production of D-2-HG is capable of reducing glioma cell growth via inhibition of the m6A epitranscriptomic regulator, FTO, with resultant m6A hypermethylation of a set of mRNA transcripts. On the basis of unbiased MeRIP-seq epitranscriptomic profiling, we identify ATF5 as a hypermethylated, downregulated transcript that potentially contributes to increased apoptosis. We further demonstrate how targeting this pathway genetically and pharmacologically reduces the proliferative potential of malignant IDH1wt gliomas, both in vitro and in vivo. Our work provides evidence that selective inhibition of the m6A epitranscriptomic regulator FTO attenuates growth in IDH1wt glioma, recapitulating the clinically favorable growth phenotype seen in the IDH1mut subtype.

Significance:

We show that IDH1mut-generated D-2-HG can reduce glioma growth via inhibition of the m6A demethylase, FTO. FTO inhibition represents a potential therapeutic target for IDH1wt gliomas and possibly in conjunction with IDH1mut inhibitors for the treatment of IDH1mut glioma. Future studies are necessary to demonstrate the role of ATF5 downregulation in the indolent phenotype of IDH1mut gliomas, as well as to identify other involved gene transcripts deregulated by m6A hypermethylation.
Ovariectomy-Induced Arterial Stiffening Differs From Vascular Aging and Is Reversed by GPER Activation
Authors: Kilanowski-Doroh Isabella M. , McNally Alexandra B. , Wong Tristen , Visniauskas Bruna , Blessinger Sophia A. , Imulinde Sugi Ariane , Richard Chase , Diaz Zaidmara , Horton Alec , Natale Christopher A. , Ogola Benard O. , Lindsey Sarah H.
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND:

Arterial stiffness is a cardiovascular risk factor and dramatically increases as women transition through menopause. The current study assessed whether a mouse model of menopause increases arterial stiffness in a similar manner to aging and whether activation of the G-protein–coupled estrogen receptor could reverse stiffness.

METHODS:

Female C57Bl/6J mice were ovariectomized at 10 weeks of age or aged to 52 weeks, and some mice were treated with G-protein–coupled estrogen receptor agonists.

RESULTS:

Ovariectomy and aging increased pulse wave velocity to a similar extent independent of changes in blood pressure. Aging increased carotid wall thickness, while ovariectomy increased material stiffness without altering vascular geometry. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that ovariectomy downregulated smooth muscle contractile genes. The enantiomerically pure G-protein–coupled estrogen receptor agonist, LNS8801, reversed stiffness in ovariectomy mice to a greater degree than the racemic agonist G-1. In summary, ovariectomy and aging induced arterial stiffening via potentially different mechanisms. Aging was associated with inward remodeling, while ovariectomy-induced material stiffness independent of geometry and a loss of the contractile phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study enhances our understanding of the impact of estrogen loss on vascular health in a murine model and warrants further studies to examine the ability of LNS8801 to improve vascular health in menopausal women.

REGISTRATION:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT04130516.
Diffusion deep learning for brain age prediction and longitudinal tracking in children through adulthood
Authors: Zapaishchykova Anna , Tak Divyanshu , Ye Zezhong , Liu Kevin X. , Likitlersuang Jirapat , Vajapeyam Sridhar , Chopra Rishi B. , Seidlitz Jakob , Bethlehem Richard A.I. , Mak Raymond H. , Mueller Sabine , Haas-Kogan Daphne A. , Poussaint Tina Y. , Aerts Hugo J.W.L. , Kann Benjamin H.
Published: March 2024

Deep learning (DL)-based prediction of biological age in the developing human from a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (“brain age”) may have important diagnostic and therapeutic applications as a non-invasive biomarker of brain health, aging, and neurocognition. While previous deep learning tools for predicting brain age have shown promising capabilities using single-institution, cross-sectional datasets, our work aims to advance the field by leveraging multi-site, longitudinal data with externally validated and independently implementable code to facilitate clinical translation and utility. This builds on prior foundational efforts in brain age modeling to enable broader generalization and individual’s longitudinal brain development. Here, we leveraged 32,851 T1-weighted MRI scans from healthy children and adolescents aged 3 to 30 from 16 multisite datasets to develop and evaluate several DL brain age frameworks, including a novel regression diffusion DL network (AgeDiffuse). In a multisite external validation (5 datasets), we found that AgeDiffuse outperformed conventional DL frameworks, with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 2.78 years (interquartile range [IQR]: [1.2-3.9]). In a second, separate external validation (3 datasets), AgeDiffuse yielded an MAE of 1.97 years (IQR: [0.8-2.8]). We found that AgeDiffuse brain age predictions reflected age-related brain structure volume changes better than biological age (R2 = 0.48 vs. R2 = 0.37). Finally, we found that longitudinal predicted brain age tracked closely with chronological age at the individual level. To enable independent validation and application, we made AgeDiffuse publicly available and usable for the research community.
Unexamined Zen: Challenges from Dōgen’s Zen Buddhism
Authors: Dunlap Rika
Published: March 2024

The traditional narrative of Zen Buddhism focuses on a religious experience that goes beyond words and concepts. I argue that Dōgen’s understanding of enlightenment is not limited to a religious experience, as it involves a creative process of Buddha-making that demands the flexibility to present a novel expression of the Buddha way with the transiency of the impermanent world. In arguing for the processual understanding of the Buddha way and enlightenment, I refer to the fluidity of dao in Chinese philosophy to shed light upon the significance of creativity in authentic practice. By doing so, I explain why an unexamined Zen is problematic for Dōgen.
Consumption as a Demarcation of Social and Economic Status: The Case of Beyhan Sultan
Authors: Nizri Michael
Published: March 2024

Beyhan Sultan (1765–1824) was an Ottoman princess, the daughter of Sultan Mustafa III (r. 1757–1774) and his consort Adilşah Kadın. She was part of a group of high-born Ottoman women who led entirely separate lives with their own households during the last quarter of the eighteenth and the first quarter of the nineteenth century. However, very few studies have examined the lives and experiences of Ottoman princesses. In this article, I discuss issues such as consumption patterns, the freedom and privileges enjoyed by the princess and the composition and social networks of her household. I argue that Ottoman princesses, such as Beyhan Sultan, were able to extend their agency and visibility through the management of their households and consumption.
No Outcome Is Good, Bad, or Evaluatively Neutral for Anyone
Authors: Rabenberg Michael
Published: March 2024

I argue that no outcome is good, bad, or evaluatively neutral for anyone. My argument concerns non-comparative personal evaluative properties alone; it does not support (say) the conclusion that no outcome is better for anyone than any other outcome. First I argue that there is a sequence of outcomes with the following properties, and that the existence of such a sequence supports the conclusion that no outcome is good for anyone: (i) the first member of the sequence is good for you if any outcome is good for you, (ii) any two adjacent members of the sequence are on a par for you, and (iii) the last member of the sequence is not good for you. I then defend similar arguments that no outcome is bad or evaluatively neutral for anyone. Thus, I conclude that no outcome is good, bad, or evaluatively neutral for anyone.
Enhancing reproducibility in black soldier fly research
Authors: Wiklicky Viktoria , Guidini Lopes Ivã , Lalander Cecilia
Published: March 2024

Over the past decade, there has been a steady increase in research focused on insects as food and feed, integrated with waste management and fertiliser production, with notable attention given to the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, BSF). Extensive knowledge has been developed regarding waste bioconversion and characterisation of the products generated (larval biomass and frass). However, the diverse range of rearing methods for BSF larvae (BSFL) has led to equally diverse outcomes. This confusion can lead to new research in the field of BSF being conducted using sub-optimal BSFL treatment conditions. In this editorial we propose that calibration procedures within distinct research areas should be considered when planning new BSFL experiments.
Identity on Filchneria heteroptera (Wu, 1938) (Plecoptera: Perlodidae) with a new record of Paraleuctra cercia (Okamoto, 1922) from China
Authors: TANG ZIXIANG , WANG JIE , LI WEIHAI , BOZDOĞAN HAKAN
Published: March 2024

Filchneria heteroptera (Wu, 1938) is rediscovered from Heilongjiang Province of northeastern China. A supplementary description and illustrations including aedeagal structures based on newly collected specimens are provided. Filchneria dongruihangi Chen, 2020 is considered here as a junior synonym of F. heteroptera (Wu, 1938). Paraleuctra cercia (Okamoto, 1922) is reported from Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces, China for the first time.
Territorial Peace Five Years After the Peace Agreement in Colombia: An Analysis of the Discourse of the Former FARC-EP
Authors: Ríos Jerónimo
Published: March 2024

The following paper examines the notion of territorial peace associated with the Peace Agreement signed in 2016 between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP. More specifically, the political discourse of the FARC-EP is analyzed through nine in-depth interviews with prominent members of the organization, who, in addition, have held or hold positions of political relevance in the formation heir to the armed group – today the political party known as Comunes. The relevance, contradictions, tensions and problems that have accompanied the difficult process of implementation of the Agreement in Colombia will be addressed. The responses given by interviewees reveal a common narrative regarding the failures of the Iván Duque government’s commitment and implementation but differ on the scope and significance of the dissident groups or the role that the Comunes party should play in defending the Peace Agreement. Additionally, the territorial dimension emergesas an underlying aspect that requires special attention in all the testimonies.

El siguiente artículo examina la noción de paz territorial asociada al Acuerdo de Paz firmado en 2016 entre el gobierno colombiano y las FARC-EP. Más concretamente, se analiza el discurso político de las FARC-EP a través de nueve entrevistas en profundidad a destacados miembros de la organización, quienes, además, han ocupado o ocupan cargos de relevancia política en la formación heredera del grupo armado -hoy el partido político conocido como Comunes. Se abordará la relevancia, contradicciones, tensiones y problemas que han acompañado el difícil proceso de implementación del Acuerdo en Colombia. Las respuestas dadas por los entrevistados revelan una narrativa común sobre los fracasos del compromiso y la implementación del gobierno de Iván Duque, pero difieren sobre el alcance y la importancia de los grupos disidentes o el papel que debería desempeñar el partido Comunes en la defensa del Acuerdo de Paz. Además, la dimensión territorial emerge como un aspecto subyacente que requiere especial atención en todos los testimonios.
Ecofriendly quince peel powder incorporated Polylactic acid biocomposite film
Authors: Şen İbrahim , Eroğlu Murat , Severgün Olcay , Kızıl Demet
Published: March 2024

This study aims to develop sustainable, renewable and biodegradable biocomposite films from environmentally friendly materials. For this purpose, completely biodegradable polymer composites were prepared by mixing polylactic acid (PLA) with a new source, quince peel (QP), by solvent casting method, and their structural, mechanical and thermal properties were examined. The tensile strengths of the composites prepared using QP in proportions varying between 5% (P5Q) and 30% (P30Q) by weight vary between 21.13 ± 0.80 and 12.01 ± 0.10 MPa, and their elongations at break vary between 11.33 ± 0.38 and 4.08 ± 1.06 %. As the QP contribution increased, the tensile strength and breaking elongation of these composites generally decreased, while the elastic modulus also increased. Among these composites, whose elastic modulus varies between 1040.00 ± 140.01 and 811.33 ± 13.31 MPa, it was determined that the elastic modulus (1040.00 ± 140.01 MPa) of the 20% QP added composite (P20Q) was higher than the others. When the thermal analysis of PLA/QP films were examined, it was observed that the glass transition temperatures (Tg) were between 58.54 and 51.45°C and the melting temperatures (Tm) were between 167.71 and 164.28°C, and these temperatures generally decreased with increasing QP doping. When the T50 values, which represent the temperature at which 50% of the composite materials decompose, were examined, it was found that the QP-added ones were higher than the pure composites. While this value was 317.96°C in pure PLA composite, T50 values varied between 327.92 and 340.80°C depending on the varying QP ratios. According to the XRD results performed to evaluate the crystalline properties of PLA composites containing quince bark, the crystallinity of pure PLA was determined as 19.5% and the crystallinity of composites containing 5, 10, 20 and 30 wt % QP additives was determined as 19.3, 18.3, 16.4 and 14.6%, respectively.
Rotary friction welding properties of AA5083-H112/AA7075-T6 joints: Parameter and low temperature effect
Authors: Sasmito Agus , Suhartono Hermawan Agus , Sunyoto
Published: March 2024

This study presents experimental findings from rotary friction welding of AA5083-H112 and AA7075-T6, conducted at consistent 1700 rpm rotational speed with four time intervals. The focus was on exploring the welding parameters influence on joint properties, assessed through mechanical testing, metallography and hardness tests. Prolonged welding led to elevated temperatures, expanding the heat-affected zone, grain growth and microhardness at the interface. The temperatures effect on joint toughness was evaluated through Charpy impact testing at different temperatures, showing lower impact strength at −192 °C. Fracture surfaces exhibited increased micro voids and dimples as the temperatures decreased. The study highlighted a positive link between extended welding times and improved cryogenic impact strength and mechanical properties.
The potential mechanism of ursolic acid in the treatment of bladder cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking
Authors: Huang Xiao-Long , Sun Yan , Wen Peng , Pan Jun-Cheng , He Wei-Yang
Published: March 2024

Objective

This study explored the potential molecular mechanisms of ursolic acid (UA) in bladder cancer treatment using network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Methods

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and UniProt databases were used to screen potential targets of UA. Relevant bladder cancer target genes were extracted using the GeneCards database. All data were pooled and intercrossed to obtain common target genes of UA and bladder cancer. Gene Ontology functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Molecular docking was conducted to verify the possible binding conformation between UA and bladder cancer cells. Then, in vitro experiments were performed to further validate the predicted results.

Results

UA exerts anti-tumor effects on bladder cancer through multiple targets and pathways. Molecular docking indicated that UA undergoes stable binding with the proteins encoded by the top six core genes ( STAT3, VEGFA, CASP3, TP53, IL1B, and CCND1). The in vitro experiments verified that UA can induce bladder cancer cell apoptosis by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Conclusions

Our study illustrated the potential mechanism of UA in bladder cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. The results will provide scientific references for follow-up studies and clinical treatment.
Comparison of Using Modified and Nonmodified Books on Comprehension of Students With Extensive Support Needs
Authors: Toews Samantha Gross , Zimmerman Kathleen N. , Kurth Jennifer A. , Crump Nicole
Published: March 2024

Modified books are frequently used as comprehension supports for students with extensive support needs (ESN), despite limited evaluations of their creation process or impact on comprehension. This study evaluates the impact of individualized book and comprehension question modifications made through a systematic decision-making process on student comprehension during nonfiction shared book reading in general education classes. A repeated acquisition single-case research design was used to compare student comprehension of nonmodified and modified books for one first-grade student and one fourth-grade student with autism and moderate intellectual disability in a suburban U.S. Midwest elementary school. Findings indicate student comprehension was higher after reading modified grade-level, nonfiction books compared with similarly matched nonmodified books. These findings show students with ESN can access grade-level books in general education settings with individualized modifications. Recommendations for research and practice are shared. These recommendations include a systematic process for identification of the type and intensity of book modifications that may support comprehension for students with ESN.
Interventional Oncology: 2024 Update
Authors: Geevarghese Ruben , Bodard Sylvain , Razakamanantsoa Leo , Marcelin Clement , Petre Elena N. , Dohan Anthony , Kastler Adrian , Frandon Julien , Barral Matthias , Soyer Philippe , Cornelis François H.
Published: March 2024

Interventional Oncology (IO) stands at the forefront of transformative cancer care, leveraging advanced imaging technologies and innovative interventions. This narrative review explores recent developments within IO, highlighting its potential impact facilitated by artificial intelligence (AI), personalized medicine and imaging innovations. The integration of AI in IO holds promise for accelerating tumour detection and characterization, guiding treatment strategies and refining predictive models. Imaging modalities, including functional MRI, PET and cone beam CT are reshaping imaging and precision. Navigation, fusion imaging, augmented reality and robotics have the potential to revolutionize procedural guidance and offer unparalleled accuracy. New developments are observed in embolization and ablative therapies. The pivotal role of genomics in treatment planning, targeted therapies and biomarkers for treatment response prediction underscore the personalization of IO. Quality of life assessment, minimizing side effects and long-term survivorship care emphasize patient-centred outcomes after IO treatment. The evolving landscape of IO training programs, simulation technologies and workforce competence ensures the field’s adaptability. Despite barriers to adoption, synergy between interventional radiologists’ proficiency and technological advancements hold promise in cancer care.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Distress Among Adolescents and Youth in Zimbabwe
Authors: Chipalo Edson
Published: March 2024

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a global public health crisis associated with physical and poor mental health outcomes. The current study examined the prevalence and association between individual and cumulative ACEs with mental distress among adolescents and youth in Zimbabwe. Data from the 2017 Violence Against Children and Youth Survey were utilized (13–25 years old, n = 8,715). Bivariate analysis was conducted using chi-square tests to obtain the prevalence estimates. Two sets of logistic regression models were conducted to determine significant associations between independent variables (i.e., experiencing childhood physical, emotional, and sexual violence; witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) and community violence; orphan status; and cumulative ACE exposure) and the dependent variable (i.e., mental distress in the past 30 days as measured by Kelser 6). 28.4% of the adolescents and youth reported experiencing mental distress in the past 30 days. Regarding ACEs, cumulative ACE exposure (34.7%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.13) and individual ACEs (i.e., experiencing childhood physical violence [39.3%; AOR = 1.41], emotional violence [55.8%; AOR = 2.67], sexual violence [50.8%; AOR = 2.00], witnessing community violence [47.3%; AOR = 1.52], witnessing IPV [43.1%; AOR = 1.47], and being orphaned during childhood [33.6%; AOR = 1.24]) were significantly associated with higher prevalence rates and odds of experiencing mental distress in the past 30 days among adolescents and youth in Zimbabwe. These findings show that ACEs are highly prevalent and increases the risk of mental distress for vulnerable adolescents and youth in Zimbabwe. Effective interventions to reduce violence exposure in families, schools, and communities are essential to mitigate the negative consequences of ACEs and mental distress of adolescents and youth in Zimbabwe. Strengthening child protection policies and involving social workers, psychologists, and mental health workers are also crucial for safeguarding vulnerable children who might be impacted by ACEs in Zimbabwe. Implications for future research are further discussed.
Physical Exercise for Treating the Anxiety and Depression Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Costa Valton , Prati José Mario , de Oliveira Barreto Suassuna Alice , Souza Silva Brito Thanielle , Frigo da Rocha Thalita , Gianlorenço Anna Carolyna
Published: March 2024

Background

Depression and anxiety are non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Physical exercise is a promising approach to reducing neuropsychological burden. We aimed to comprehensively synthesize evidence regarding the use of exercise for treating depression and anxiety symptoms in PD.

Methods

Systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA recommendations. Searches on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) was conducted. The random-effects model was employed for all analyses with the standardized mean difference as the effect estimate.

Results

Fifty records were retrieved, but only 17 studies met the criteria for the meta-analyses. A moderate to large effect was observed for depression (−.71 [95% CI = −.96 to −.46], 11 studies, 728 individuals), and a small to moderate effect for anxiety (−.39 [95% CI = −.65 to −.14], 6 studies, 241 individuals), when comparing exercise to non-exercise controls. Subgroup analysis revealed significant effects from aerobic (−.95 [95% CI = −1.60, −.31]), mind-body (−1.85 [95% CI = −2.63, −1.07]), and resistance modalities (−1.61 [95% CI = −2.40, −.83]) for depression, and from mind-body (−.67 [95% CI = −1.19 to −.15]) and resistance exercises (−1.00 [95% CI = −1.70 to −.30]) for anxiety.

Conclusion

Physical exercise has a relevant clinical impact on depression and anxiety in PD. We discuss the level of the evidence, the methodological limitations of the studies, and give recommendations.