bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Methylene blue (MB) removal from aqueous solution by alum; catalytic ozonation process
Authors: Ikhlaq Amir , Parveen Sehrish , Raashid Muhammad , Masood Zafar , Rizvi Osama Shaheen , Al Johani Thamer Abdulhameed , Ahsan Muffakir , Amjad Hadeeqa , Qi Fei
Published: May 2024

Textile wastewater is among the most polluted types of industrial waste. Wastewater treatment in the textile industry is notoriously difficult because of the use of complex chemicals and dyes in the textile production steps, and conventional methods are not enough to treat these. Textile wastewater, known for its high pollution levels, poses challenges for treatment due to complex chemicals and dyes. A comparative study was conducted on simple ozonation and catalytic ozonation (CO) using alum to degrade methylene blue (MB). The authors analyzed various factors like time, pH, catalyst loading and ozone dosages during the study. Results showed that catalytic activity in ozonation depends on pH and ozone flow. The maximum MB elimination was achieved at pH 6.6 and 200 V ozone flow. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the surface morphology of the catalyst, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to identify the important functional groups, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to characterize the catalyst's elemental composition. Compared to simple ozonation, CO showed higher removal in the initial phase. Real textile wastewater analysis confirmed the effectiveness of alum catalysts in achieving significant removal of MB (87%) through this novel cost-efficient process.

Graphical Abstract
Logical and technical problems connected to the use of the “multiplicative method” to personalize the rates in automobile liability insurance
Authors: Cacciafesta Fabrizio
Published: May 2024

I argue that the idea of pursuing a strong personalization of the motor liability insurance conflicts hopelessly with the need to refer to homogeneous groups of policyholders large enough to be correctly priced. I furthermore discuss the fact that, due to purely algebraic reasons, it is a priori impossible to obtain the right individual premium by the usual method of multiplying a common base one by a series of factors (as many, as the personalization variables one has chosen to consider). Finally, I point out that the choice of the said factors, not always made with sufficient respect for the statistical evidences, not only gives rise to serious problems concerning the system’s fairness and transparency, but puts theoretically at risk the Companies management balance.
A retrospective case study of successful translational research: Cardiovascular disease risk assessment, experiences in community engagement
Authors: Bales Michael E. , Zhu Jifeng , Ganzer Christine A. , Aboharb Farid , Keeler Allegra , Ryon Krista A. , Ehrmann Brett J. , Imperato-McGinley Julianne ,   for the H2H Consortium
Published: May 2024

In underserved communities across New York City, uninsured adults encounter a greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. The Heart-to-Heart Community Outreach Program (H2H) addresses these disparities by screening for CVD risk factors, identifying healthcare access barriers, and fostering community engagement in translational research at the Weill Cornell Medicine Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hub. Screening events are hosted in partnership with faith-based institutions. Participants provide a medical history, complete a survey, and receive counseling by clinicians with referrals for follow-up care. This study aims to quantify H2H screening participant health status; identify socioeconomic, health access, and health-related barriers disproportionately promoting the onset of CVD and diabetes; and develop long-term community partnerships to enable underserved communities to influence activities across the translational research spectrum at our CTSA hub. The population served is disproportionately non-white, and uninsured, with many low-income and underserved individuals. The program was developed in partnership with our Community Advisory Board to empower this cohort to make beneficial lifestyle changes. Leveraging partnerships with faith-based institutions and community centers in at-risk New York City neighborhoods, H2H addresses the increasing burden of diabetes and CVD risk factors in vulnerable individuals while promoting community involvement in CTSA activities, serving as a model for similar initiatives.
Health reforms, facility-based delivery, and newborn's health: evidence from Rwanda
Authors: Park Jiwon
Published: May 2024

Since 2006, Rwanda has experienced a substantial rise in the facility-based delivery (FBD) rate, attributed to various health initiatives. This paper investigates the impact of multiple health reforms on maternal service utilization and neonatal mortality rates. Employing a difference-in-differences framework utilizing geographical variation in the baseline FBD rate, our estimates indicate a 10–17 percentage point increase in FBD and a 0.15–0.18 times increase in the number of antenatal care visits. While our analysis indicates some evidence of a reduction in neonatal mortality rates, the findings are inconclusive. Nevertheless, our results suggest that the effect of the reforms on neonatal mortality rates was weakly intensified for those residing near district hospitals providing care for complicated pregnancies.
Boundary-layer instability on a highly swept fin on a cone at Mach 6
Authors: Peck Madeline M. , Groot Koen J. , Reed Helen L.
Published: May 2024

The growth and characteristics of linear, oblique instabilities on a highly swept fin on a straight cone in Mach 6 flow are examined. Large streamwise pressure gradients cause doubly inflected cross-flow profiles and reversed flow near the wall, which necessitates using the harmonic linearized Navier–Stokes equations. The cross-flow instability is responsible for the most-amplified disturbances, however, not all disturbances show typical cross-flow characteristics. Distinct differences in perturbation structure are shown between small (

$\sim$

3–5 mm) and large (

$\sim$

10 mm) wavelength disturbances at the unit Reynolds number

$Re' = 11 \times 10^6$

m

$^{-1}$

. As a result, amplification measurements based solely on wall quantities bias a most-amplified disturbance assessment towards larger wavelengths and lower frequencies than would otherwise be determined by an off-wall total-energy approach. A spatial-amplification energy-budget analysis demonstrates (i) that wall-normal Reynolds-flux terms dictate the local growth rate, despite other terms having a locally larger magnitude and (ii) that the Reynolds-stress terms are responsible for large-wavelength disturbances propagating closer to the wall compared with small-wavelength disturbances. Additionally, the effect of free-stream unit Reynolds number and small yaw angles on the perturbation amplification and energy budget is considered. At a higher Reynolds number (

$Re' = 22 \times 10^6$

m

$^{-1}$

), the most-amplified wavelength shrinks. Perturbations do not behave self-similarly in the thinner boundary layer, and the shift in most-amplified wavelength is due to decreased dissipation relative to the lower-Reynolds-number case. Small yaw angles produce a streamwise shift in the boundary layer and disturbance amplification. The yaw results quantify a potential uncertainty source in experiments and flight.
Three-dimensional flow around and through a porous screen
Authors: Marchand Olivier C. , Ramananarivo Sophie , Duprat Camille , Josserand Christophe
Published: May 2024

We investigate the three-dimensional (3-D) flow around and through a porous screen for various porosities at high Reynolds number

$Re = {O}(10^4)$

. Historically, the study of this problem has been focused on two-dimensional cases and for screens spanning completely or partially a channel. Since many recent problems have involved a porous object in a 3-D free flow, we present a 3-D model initially based on Koo & James (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 60, 1973, pp. 513–538) and Steiros & Hultmark (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 853, 2018 pp. 1–11) for screens of arbitrary shapes. In addition, we include an empirical viscous correction factor accounting for viscous effects in the vicinity of the screen. We characterize experimentally the aerodynamic drag coefficient for a porous square screen composed of fibres, immersed in a laminar air flow with various solidities and different angles of attack. We test various fibre diameters to explore the effect of the space between the pores on the drag force. Using PIV and hot wire probe measurements, we visualize the flow around and through the screen, and in particular measure the proportion of fluid that is deviated around the screen. The predictions from the model for drag coefficient, flow velocities and streamlines are in good agreement with our experimental results. In particular, we show that local viscous effects are important: at the same solidity and with the same air flow, the drag coefficient and the flow deviations strongly depend on the Reynolds number based on the fibre diameter. The model, taking into account 3-D effects and the shape of the porous screen, and including an empirical viscous correction factor that is valid for fibrous screens may have many applications including the prediction of water collection efficiency for fog harvesters.
Polymers in turbulence: any better than dumbbells?
Authors: Serafini F. , Battista F. , Gualtieri P. , Casciola C.M.
Published: May 2024

Polymer chains in turbulent flows are generally modelled as dumbbells, i.e. two beads joined by a nonlinear spring. The dumbbell only maps a single spatial configuration, described by the polymer end-to-end vector, thus a multi-bead FENE (finitely extensible nonlinear elastic) chain seems a natural improvement for a more accurate characterisation of the polymer spatial conformation. At a large Weissenberg number, a comparison with the more accurate Kuhn chain reveals that the multi-bead FENE chain drastically overestimates the probability of folded configurations. Surprisingly, the dumbbell turns out to be the only meaningful bead-spring model to coarse-grain a polymer macromolecule in turbulent pipe flows.
The viscous force and torque on a closed irrotational surface
Authors: Sader John E. , Pullin D.I.
Published: May 2024

The force and torque on a solid body in a viscous potential flow are often taken to be independent of viscosity. Joseph et al. (Eur. J. Mech. B/Fluids, vol. 12, 1993, pp. 97–106; J. Fluid Mech., vol. 265, 1994, pp. 1–23) proved that this holds for (i) the force (not the torque) in any two-dimensional flow, and (ii) the drag force experienced by a purely translating three-dimensional body. The remaining components of the force and torque, along with general three-dimensional flows, were not considered. Importantly, the flow was assumed to be unbounded and irrotational everywhere. We eliminate this rarely satisfied assumption and consider the viscous force and torque experienced by any closed surface where the flow is irrotational locally; this can include a body's surface. Any vorticity distribution is permitted away from the closed irrotational surface. In so doing, we complete the analysis of Joseph et al. for all components of the viscous force and torque in two and three dimensions and enable application to real flows that inevitably contain regions of vorticity.
Prototyping industry 4.0: enhancing efficiency and productivity in small enterprises through iteration and low-cost solutions
Authors: Havsgård Håkon , Ege Daniel Nygård , Steinert Martin
Published: May 2024

This paper explores the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies in Small Enterprises (SEs), focusing on the unique challenges they face. It presents four case studies demonstrating how low-cost, low-effort solutions can enhance efficiency and productivity in small companies. The solutions, developed in a local makerspace, address specific manufacturing challenges that lack affordable or existing off-the-shelf solutions. The paper highlights the value of iterative prototyping in implementing Industry 4.0 solutions and discusses how this approach can help SEs overcome adaptation challenges.
Early Pleistocene upper bathyal communities in fault-bounded paleovalleys of the island of Rhodes (Greece)
Authors: Moissette Pierre , Quillévéré Frédéric , Kontakiotis George , Thivaiou Danae , Koskeridou Efterpi , Antonarakou Assimina , Drinia Hara , Melinte-Dobrinescu Mihaela , Cornée Jean-Jacques
Published: May 2024

Two sediment sections are investigated at Cape Arkhangelos, island of Rhodes, where Pleistocene marine sediments crop out in horsts and grabens of a Mesozoic basement. There, hemipelagic sediments characterized by upper bathyal communities are atypically mixed with much shallower faunal components because they were deposited close to rugged coastal landforms. Biostratigraphic analyses show that the sections were deposited between 1.8 and 0.9 Ma, and between 1.8 and 1.6 Ma, respectively. By combining the planktonic/benthic foraminiferal ratio with 31 bathymetric indicators chosen among extant species of benthic foraminifera, mollusks, and bryozoans, we show that relative sea-level fluctuations can be reconstructed in these atypical settings despite the proximity of steep slopes that favored transportation of allochthonous fauna. The shallow-water components (including gravels and calcareous algae) were transported downslope by the combined action of gravity, currents, and tectonic disturbance that promoted drowning (with a maximum flooding recorded at ca. 1.7 Ma) and then uplift of fault-bounded paleovalleys that formed during the Early Pleistocene. Abrupt facies changes and age differences between sections have been triggered by the irregular paleotopography of the Mesozoic basement, which fostered differential depositional settings, with outer to middle neritic deposits above the horsts and upper bathyal deposits in paleovalleys.
Women and Men Politicians’ Response to War: Evidence from Ukraine
Authors: Damann Taylor J. , Kim Dahjin , Tavits Margit
Published: May 2024

Does war deepen gender inequalities in politicians’ behavior or help erase them? We draw from the terror management theory developed in psychology to argue that the onset of a violent conflict is likely to push politicians to conform more strongly with traditional gender stereotypes because it helps individuals cope with existential fears. To test our argument, we use data on Ukrainian politicians’ engagement on social media (136,455 Facebook posts by 469 politicians) in the three months before and after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and interrupted time series analysis, to assess the effect of conflict on politicians’ behavior. We find that conflict onset deepens gender-stereotypical behavior among politicians in their public engagement. We also show that, consistent with our argument, gender biases among the public are magnified during war.
Comparing social responses to Ebola and Covid-19 in Sierra Leone: an institutional analysis
Authors: Richards Paul , Kamara Foday , Mokuwa Esther , Nyakoi Marion
Published: May 2024

This paper compares community responses to Ebola and Covid-19 in two regions of southern and eastern Sierra Leone with reference to the theory of institutional dynamics proposed by the anthropologist Mary Douglas. Institutions, Douglas argued, are conveyed by styles of thought, shaped by the ways human communities, through everyday practices, reinforce systems of classification and denotation. Pandemic advice to ‘follow the science’ proved problematic, since there is no single institution of science, and institutions never stand alone but are bundled with other institutions, reflecting the manifold and intertwined practices of human social life. The paper explores some of the ways a traumatic epidemic of Ebola Virus Disease in Sierra Leone shaped a distinctive local response to this deadly infectious disease in the absence of an effective vaccine. This local approach emphasised social rules based on ideas about sequestration and testing. Communities then proposed to continue this rules-based approach to the pandemic of Covid-19 and showed little initial enthusiasm for vaccination. With Ebola, the adoption of rules resulted in dramatic drops in infection rates. But Covid-19 spreads in different ways, and good results from the application of social rules were much less apparent. The paper shows how communities began to grapple with this new situation. In some cases, vaccine hesitation was overcome by treating the requirement for vaccination as a new form of social discipline. More generally, it is concluded that epidemiologists need to pay specific attention to institutions and institutional dynamics in order to better understand and anticipate public reactions to new disease threats.
Processing and production of affixes in Georgian and English: Testing a processing account of the suffixing preference
Authors: Harris Alice C. , Samuel Arthur G.
Published: May 2024

The hypothesis that affixes following a stem are easier to process than ones preceding has not been tested in a straightforward manner in any language, as far as we know. Cutler, Hawkins & Gilligan (1985) and Hawkins & Cutler (1988) adduce some evidence that supports this hypothesis indirectly, but they do not conduct experiments to test it directly. They use this hypothesis to explain in part the suffixing preference. Some others, such as Asao (2015), continue to assume the correctness of the hypothesis. We do not aim to explain the suffixing preference at all but to test the hypothesis that affixes preceding the stem (informally, prefixes) disrupt the comprehension of a word more than affixes that follow (informally, suffixes) do. In this paper we test this hypothesis (henceforth the ‘Cutler--Hawkins hypothesis’) on Georgian, because it has a wide variety of prefixes and suffixes, and in a single experiment on English. In Georgian we test a prefix and a suffix that mark the person of the subject in a verb, a circumfix and a suffix that mark derivation in nouns, and a prefix and a suffix that form intransitive verbs (usually called ‘passives’ in Georgian). Across the set of experiments, we find little support for the Cutler--Hawkins hypothesis.
Author's Note for Symposium on A Hidden Wisdom
Authors: Van Dyke Christina
Published: May 2024

In this brief note, I provide a concise overview of my book A Hidden Wisdom, and I highlight one aspect of each of the contributions that warrants further exploration.
Genomics and insurance in the United Kingdom: increasing complexity and emerging challenges
Authors: Dixon Padraig , Horton Rachel H. , Newman William G. , McDermott John H. , Lucassen Anneke
Published: May 2024

This article identifies issues relating to the use of genetics and genomics in risk-rated insurance that may challenge existing regulatory models in the UK and elsewhere. We discuss three core issues: (1) As genomic testing advances, and results are increasingly relevant to guide healthcare across an individual's lifetime, the distinction between diagnostic and predictive testing that the current UK insurance code relies on becomes increasingly blurred. (2) The emerging category of pharmacogenetic tests that are predictive only in the context of a specific prescribing moment. (3) The increasing availability and affordability of polygenic scores that are neither clearly diagnostic nor highly predictive, but which nonetheless might have incremental value for risk-rated insurance underwriting beyond conventional factors. We suggest a deliberative approach is required to establish when and how genetic information can be used in risk-rated insurance.
Compound Inundation Modeling of a 1‐D Idealized Coastal Watershed Using a Reduced‐Physics Approach
Authors: Santiago‐Collazo Félix L. , Bilskie Matthew V. , Bacopoulos Peter , Hagen Scott C.
Published: May 2024

Low‐gradient coastal watersheds are susceptible to flooding caused by various flows such as rainfall‐runoff, astronomical tides, storm surges, and riverine flows. Compound flooding occurs when at least one coastal flood driver occurs simultaneously or in close succession with a pluvial and/or fluvial flood driver, such as during a tropical cyclone event. This study presents a one‐dimensional (1‐D), reduced‐order physics compound inundation model tested over an idealized coastal watershed transect under various forcing conditions (e.g., coastal and pluvial) that varied in magnitude, time, and space. This study aims to evaluate each flooding mechanism and the associated hydrodynamic responses by performing a sensitivity analysis and developing a non‐linear equation that could correlate the flood drivers with the severity of its flood. Compound inundation levels are affected by the magnitude and timing of each flooding mechanism. Results highlight the need to consider momentum exchange during a compound event and the importance of reduced‐physics approaches that can improve the interaction between flood drivers when paired with a moving coupling node approach. The desire is a more holistic compound inundation model that can be a critical tool for decision‐makers, stakeholders, and authorities who provide evacuation planning to save human lives and enhance resilience.
Sex differences in trajectories of cortical development in autistic children from 2–13 years of age
Authors: Andrews Derek S. , Diers Kersten , Lee Joshua K. , Harvey Danielle J. , Heath Brianna , Cordero Devani , Rogers Sally J. , Reuter Martin , Solomon Marjorie , Amaral David G. , Nordahl Christine Wu
Published: May 2024

Previous studies have reported alterations in cortical thickness in autism. However, few have included enough autistic females to determine if there are sex specific differences in cortical structure in autism. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate autistic sex differences in cortical thickness and trajectory of cortical thinning across childhood. Participants included 290 autistic (88 females) and 139 nonautistic (60 females) individuals assessed at up to 4 timepoints spanning ~2–13 years of age (918 total MRI timepoints). Estimates of cortical thickness in early and late childhood as well as the trajectory of cortical thinning were modeled using spatiotemporal linear mixed effects models of age-by-sex-by-diagnosis. Additionally, the spatial correspondence between cortical maps of sex-by-diagnosis differences and neurotypical sex differences were evaluated. Relative to their nonautistic peers, autistic females had more extensive cortical differences than autistic males. These differences involved multiple functional networks, and were mainly characterized by thicker cortex at ~3 years of age and faster cortical thinning in autistic females. Cortical regions in which autistic alterations were different between the sexes significantly overlapped with regions that differed by sex in neurotypical development. Autistic females and males demonstrated some shared differences in cortical thickness and rate of cortical thinning across childhood relative to their nonautistic peers, however these areas were relatively small compared to the widespread differences observed across the sexes. These results support evidence of sex-specific neurobiology in autism and suggest that processes that regulate sex differentiation in the neurotypical brain contribute to sex differences in the etiology of autism.
Tobacco control policies and respiratory conditions among children presenting in primary care
Authors: Faber Timor , Coffeng Luc E. , Sheikh Aziz , Reiss Irwin K. , Mackenbach Johan P. , Been Jasper V.
Published: May 2024

Tobacco control policies can protect child health. We hypothesised that the parallel introduction in 2008 of smoke-free restaurants and bars in the Netherlands, a tobacco tax increase and mass media campaign, would be associated with decreases in childhood wheezing/asthma, respiratory tract infections (RTIs), and otitis media with effusion (OME) presenting in primary care. We conducted an interrupted time series study using electronic medical records from the Dutch Integrated Primary Care Information database (2000–2016). We estimated step and slope changes in the incidence of each outcome with negative binomial regression analyses, adjusting for underlying time-trends, seasonality, age, sex, electronic medical record system, urbanisation, and social deprivation. Analysing 1,295,124 person-years among children aged 0–12 years, we found positive step changes immediately after the policies (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01–1.14 for wheezing/asthma; IRR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.13–1.19 for RTIs; and IRR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.14–1.36 for OME). These were followed by slope decreases for wheezing/asthma (IRR: 0.95/year, 95% CI: 0.93–0.97) and RTIs (IRR: 0.97/year, 95% CI: 0.96–0.98), but a slope increase in OME (IRR: 1.05/year, 95% CI: 1.01–1.09). We found no clear evidence of benefit of changes in tobacco control policies in the Netherlands for the outcomes of interest. Our findings need to be interpreted with caution due to substantial uncertainty in the pre-legislation outcome trends.
A fully haplotype-resolved and nearly gap-free genome assembly of wheat stripe rust fungus
Authors: Wang Jierong , Xu Yiwen , Peng Yuxi , Wang Yiping , Kang Zhensheng , Zhao Jing
Published: May 2024

Stripe rust fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) is a destructive pathogen of wheat worldwide. Pst has a macrocyclic-heteroecious lifecycle, in which one-celled urediniospores are dikaryotic, each nucleus containing one haploid genome. We successfully generated the first fully haplotype-resolved and nearly gap-free chromosome-scale genome assembly of Pst by combining PacBio HiFi sequencing and trio-binning strategy. The genome size of the two haploid assemblies was 75.59 Mb and 75.91 Mb with contig N50 of 4.17 Mb and 4.60 Mb, and both had 18 pseudochromosomes. The high consensus quality values of 55.57 and 59.02 for both haplotypes confirmed the correctness of the assembly. Of the total 18 chromosomes, 15 and 16 were gapless while there were only five and two gaps for the remaining chromosomes of the two haplotypes, respectively. In total, 15,046 and 15,050 protein-coding genes were predicted for the two haplotypes, and the complete BUSCO scores achieved 97.7% and 97.9%, respectively. The genome will lay the foundation for further research on genetic variations and the evolution of rust fungi.
Predictive models-assisted diagnosis of AIDS-associated Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in the emergency room, based on clinical, laboratory, and radiological data
Authors: Chagas Oscar José , Gonçalves Fabio Augusto Rodrigues , Nagatomo Priscila Paiva , Buccheri Renata , Pereira-Chioccola Vera Lucia , Del Negro Gilda Maria Barbaro , Benard Gil
Published: May 2024

We assessed predictive models (PMs) for diagnosing Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in AIDS patients seen in the emergency room (ER), aiming to guide empirical treatment decisions. Data from suspected PCP cases among AIDS patients were gathered prospectively at a reference hospital's ER, with diagnoses later confirmed through sputum PCR analysis. We compared clinical, laboratory, and radiological data between PCP and non-PCP groups, using the Boruta algorithm to confirm significant differences. We evaluated ten PMs tailored for various ERs resource levels to diagnose PCP. Four scenarios were created, two based on X-ray findings (diffuse interstitial infiltrate) and two on CT scans (“ground-glass”), incorporating mandatory variables: lactate dehydrogenase, O2sat, C-reactive protein, respiratory rate (> 24 bpm), and dry cough. We also assessed HIV viral load and CD4 cell count. Among the 86 patients in the study, each model considered either 6 or 8 parameters, depending on the scenario. Many models performed well, with accuracy, precision, recall, and AUC scores > 0.8. Notably, nearest neighbor and naïve Bayes excelled (scores > 0.9) in specific scenarios. Surprisingly, HIV viral load and CD4 cell count did not improve model performance. In conclusion, ER-based PMs using readily available data can significantly aid PCP treatment decisions in AIDS patients.
Single-cell classification based on label-free high-resolution optical data of cell adhesion kinetics
Authors: Kovacs Kinga Dora , Beres Balint , Kanyo Nicolett , Szabó Balint , Peter Beatrix , Bősze Szilvia , Szekacs Inna , Horvath Robert
Published: May 2024

Selecting and isolating various cell types is a critical procedure in many applications, including immune therapy, regenerative medicine, and cancer research. Usually, these selection processes involve some labeling or another invasive step potentially affecting cellular functionality or damaging the cell. In the current proof of principle study, we first introduce an optical biosensor-based method capable of classification between healthy and numerous cancerous cell types in a label-free setup. We present high classification accuracy based on the monitored single-cell adhesion kinetic signals. We developed a high-throughput data processing pipeline to build a benchmark database of ~ 4500 single-cell adhesion measurements of a normal preosteoblast (MC3T3-E1) and various cancer (HeLa, LCLC-103H, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7) cell types. Several datasets were used with different cell-type selections to test the performance of deep learning-based classification models, reaching above 70–80% depending on the classification task. Beyond testing these models, we aimed to draw interpretable biological insights from their results; thus, we applied a deep neural network visualization method (grad-CAM) to reveal the basis on which these complex models made their decisions. Our proof-of-concept work demonstrated the success of a deep neural network using merely label-free adhesion kinetic data to classify single mammalian cells into different cell types. We propose our method for label-free single-cell profiling and in vitro cancer research involving adhesion. The employed label-free measurement is noninvasive and does not affect cellular functionality. Therefore, it could also be adapted for applications where the selected cells need further processing, such as immune therapy and regenerative medicine.
Multi-step forecasting of dissolved oxygen in River Ganga based on CEEMDAN-AdaBoost-BiLSTM-LSTM model
Authors: Pant Neha , Toshniwal Durga , Gurjar Bhola Ram
Published: May 2024

Accurate prediction of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is an integral part of water resource management. This study proposes a novel approach combining Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (CEEMDAN) with AdaBoost and deep learning for multi-step forecasting of DO. CEEMDAN generates Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) with different frequencies, capturing non-linear and non-stationary characteristics of the data. The high-frequency and medium-frequency IMFs, characterized by complex patterns and frequent changes over time, are predicted using Adaboost with Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) as the base estimator. The low-frequency IMFs, characterized by relatively simple patterns, are predicted using standalone Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). The proposed CEEMDAN-AdaBoost-BiLSTM-LSTM model is tested on data from ten stations of river Ganga. We compare the results with six models without decomposition and four models utilizing decomposition. Experimental results show that using a tailored prediction technique based on each IMF’s distinctive features leads to more accurate forecasts. CEEMDAN-AdaBoost-BiLSTM-LSTM outperforms CEEMDAN-BiLSTM with an average improvement of 25.458% for RMSE and 37.390% for MAE. Compared with CEEMDAN-AdaBoost-BiLSTM, an average improvement of 20.779% for RMSE and 28.921% for MAE is observed. Diebold-Mariano test and t-test suggest a statistically significant difference in performance between the proposed and compared models.
The effect of a suspension training on physical fitness, lower extremity biomechanical factors, and occupational health in Navy personnel: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Mozafaripour Esmaeil , Shirvani Hossein , Alikhani Sobhan , Bayattork Mohammad , Yaghoubitajani Zohreh , Andersen Lars Louis
Published: May 2024

Optimal physical fitness is essential for military personnel to effectively meet their rigorous physical demands. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a suspension training program on physical fitness, biomechanical risk factors for lower extremity injury, mental health, and work-related factors in Navy personnel. A total of 50 young men participated in a randomized controlled trial. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 25): the intervention group and the control group. The intervention group performed an eight-week suspension training session three times per week, while the control group maintained their daily duties. The primary outcome was physical performance. The secondary outcomes were determined biomechanical risk factors for lower extremity injuries, mental health, and work-related factors. The data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant improvements in physical performance, biomechanical risk for lower extremity injuries, and work-related factors from baseline to follow-up (p ≤ 0.05). However, there was no improvement in mental health. Based on these findings, suspension training positively impacted physical fitness, reduced injury risk, and enhanced the work-related factors of Navy personnel. This study provides new insights for various related experts and military coaches because it is an easy-to-use and feasible method with minimal facilities.
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation enhances short-latency afferent inhibition via central cholinergic system activation
Authors: Horinouchi Takayuki , Nezu Tomohisa , Saita Kazuya , Date Shota , Kurumadani Hiroshi , Maruyama Hirofumi , Kirimoto Hikari
Published: May 2024

The present study examined the effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI), as indirect biomarker of cholinergic system activation. 24 healthy adults underwent intermittent taVNS (30 s on/30 s off, 30 min) or continuous taVNS at a frequency of 25 Hz (15 min) along with earlobe temporary stimulation (15 min or 30 min) were performed in random order. The efficiency with which the motor evoked potential from the abductor pollicis brevis muscle by transcranial magnetic stimulation was attenuated by the preceding median nerve conditioning stimulus was compared before taVNS, immediately after taVNS, and 15 min after taVNS. Continuous taVNS significantly increased SAI at 15 min post-stimulation compared to baseline. A positive correlation (Pearson coefficient = 0.563, p = 0.004) was observed between baseline SAI and changes after continuous taVNS. These results suggest that 15 min of continuous taVNS increases the activity of the cholinergic nervous system, as evidenced by the increase in SAI. In particular, the increase after taVNS was more pronounced in those with lower initial SAI. This study provides fundamental insight into the clinical potential of taVNS for cholinergic dysfunction.
Sustainable coatings for green solar photovoltaic cells: performance and environmental impact of recyclable biomass digestate polymers
Authors: Alhodaib Aiyeshah , Yahya Zeinebou , Khan Osama , Equbal Azhar , Equbal Md Shaquib , Parvez Mohd , Kumar Yadav Ashok , Idrisi M. Javed
Published: May 2024

The underutilization of digestate-derived polymers presents a pressing environmental concern as these valuable materials, derived from anaerobic digestion processes, remain largely unused, contributing to pollution and environmental degradation when left unutilized. This study explores the recovery and utilization of biodegradable polymers from biomass anaerobic digestate to enhance the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells while promoting environmental sustainability. The anaerobic digestion process generates organic residues rich in biodegradable materials, often considered waste. However, this research investigates the potential of repurposing these materials by recovering and transforming them into high-quality coatings or encapsulants for PV cells. The recovered biodegradable polymers not only improve the efficiency and lifespan of PV cells but also align with sustainability objectives by reducing the carbon footprint associated with PV cell production and mitigating environmental harm. The study involves a comprehensive experimental design, varying coating thickness, direct normal irradiance (DNI) (A), dry bulb temperature (DBT) (B), and relative humidity (C) levels to analyze how different types of recovered biodegradable polymers interact with diverse environmental conditions. Optimization showed that better result was achieved at A = 8 W/m2, B = 40 °C and C = 70% for both the coated material studied. Comparative study showed that for enhanced cell efficiency and cost effectiveness, EcoPolyBlend coated material is more suited however for improving durability and reducing environmental impact NanoBioCelluSynth coated material is preferable choice. Results show that these materials offer promising improvements in PV cell performance and significantly lower environmental impact, providing a sustainable solution for renewable energy production. This research contributes to advancing both the utilization of biomass waste and the development of eco-friendly PV cell technologies, with implications for a more sustainable and greener energy future. This study underscores the pivotal role of exploring anaerobic digestate-derived polymers in advancing the sustainability and performance of solar photovoltaic cells, addressing critical environmental and energy challenges of our time.Please confirm if the author names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence (given name, middle name/initial, family name). Author 7 Given name: [Ashok] Last name [Kumar Yadav]. Also, kindly confirm the details in the metadata are correct.correct
AI-based disease category prediction model using symptoms from low-resource Ethiopian language: Afaan Oromo text
Authors: Dinsa Etana Fikadu , Das Mrinal , Abebe Teklu Urgessa
Published: May 2024

Automated disease diagnosis and prediction, powered by AI, play a crucial role in enabling medical professionals to deliver effective care to patients. While such predictive tools have been extensively explored in resource-rich languages like English, this manuscript focuses on predicting disease categories automatically from symptoms documented in the Afaan Oromo language, employing various classification algorithms. This study encompasses machine learning techniques such as support vector machines, random forests, logistic regression, and Naïve Bayes, as well as deep learning approaches including LSTM, GRU, and Bi-LSTM. Due to the unavailability of a standard corpus, we prepared three data sets with different numbers of patient symptoms arranged into 10 categories. The two feature representations, TF-IDF and word embedding, were employed. The performance of the proposed methodology has been evaluated using accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 score. The experimental results show that, among machine learning models, the SVM model using TF-IDF had the highest accuracy and F1 score of 94.7%, while the LSTM model using word2vec embedding showed an accuracy rate of 95.7% and F1 score of 96.0% from deep learning models. To enhance the optimal performance of each model, several hyper-parameter tuning settings were used. This study shows that the LSTM model verifies to be the best of all the other models over the entire dataset.
Receptor-mediated cargo hitchhiking on bulk autophagy
Authors: Takeda Eigo , Isoda Takahiro , Hosokawa Sachiko , Oikawa Yu , Hotta-Ren Shukun , May Alexander I , Ohsumi Yoshinori
Published: May 2024

While the molecular mechanism of autophagy is well studied, the cargoes delivered by autophagy remain incompletely characterized. To examine the selectivity of autophagy cargo, we conducted proteomics on isolated yeast autophagic bodies, which are intermediate structures in the autophagy process. We identify a protein, Hab1, that is highly preferentially delivered to vacuoles. The N-terminal 42 amino acid region of Hab1 contains an amphipathic helix and an Atg8-family interacting motif, both of which are necessary and sufficient for the preferential delivery of Hab1 by autophagy. We find that fusion of this region with a cytosolic protein results in preferential delivery of this protein to the vacuole. Furthermore, attachment of this region to an organelle allows for autophagic delivery in a manner independent of canonical autophagy receptor or scaffold proteins. We propose a novel mode of selective autophagy in which a receptor, in this case Hab1, binds directly to forming isolation membranes during bulk autophagy.
Early-stage lung cancer is driven by a transitional cell state dependent on a KRAS-ITGA3-SRC axis
Authors: Moye Aaron L , Dost Antonella FM , Ietswaart Robert , Sengupta Shreoshi , Ya VanNashlee , Aluya Chrystal , Fahey Caroline G , Louie Sharon M , Paschini Margherita , Kim Carla F
Published: May 2024

Glycine-12 mutations in the GTPase KRAS (KRASG12) are an initiating event for development of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). KRASG12 mutations promote cell-intrinsic rewiring of alveolar type-II progenitor (AT2) cells, but to what extent such changes interplay with lung homeostasis and cell fate pathways is unclear. Here, we generated single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) profiles from AT2-mesenchyme organoid co-cultures, mice, and stage-IA LUAD patients, identifying conserved regulators of AT2 transcriptional dynamics and defining the impact of KRASG12D mutation with temporal resolution. In AT2WT organoids, we found a transient injury/plasticity state preceding AT2 self-renewal and AT1 differentiation. Early-stage AT2KRAS cells exhibited perturbed gene expression dynamics, most notably retention of the injury/plasticity state. The injury state in AT2KRAS cells of patients, mice, and organoids was distinguishable from AT2WT states via altered receptor expression, including co-expression of ITGA3 and SRC. The combination of clinically relevant KRASG12D and SRC inhibitors impaired AT2KRAS organoid growth. Together, our data show that an injury/plasticity state essential for lung repair is co-opted during AT2 self-renewal and LUAD initiation, suggesting that early-stage LUAD may be susceptible to interventions that target specifically the oncogenic nature of this cell state.
Uncovering the dynamics and consequences of RNA isoform changes during neuronal differentiation
Authors: Ulicevic Jelena , Shao Zhihao , Jasnovidova Olga , Bressin Annkatrin , Gajos Martyna , Ng Alex HM , Annaldasula Siddharth , Meierhofer David , Church George M , Busskamp Volker , Mayer Andreas
Published: May 2024

Static gene expression programs have been extensively characterized in stem cells and mature human cells. However, the dynamics of RNA isoform changes upon cell-state-transitions during cell differentiation, the determinants and functional consequences have largely remained unclear. Here, we established an improved model for human neurogenesis in vitro that is amenable for systems-wide analyses of gene expression. Our multi-omics analysis reveals that the pronounced alterations in cell morphology correlate strongly with widespread changes in RNA isoform expression. Our approach identifies thousands of new RNA isoforms that are expressed at distinct differentiation stages. RNA isoforms mainly arise from exon skipping and the alternative usage of transcription start and polyadenylation sites during human neurogenesis. The transcript isoform changes can remodel the identity and functions of protein isoforms. Finally, our study identifies a set of RNA binding proteins as a potential determinant of differentiation stage-specific global isoform changes. This work supports the view of regulated isoform changes that underlie state-transitions during neurogenesis.
A detection system using sensing motif-tethered oligodeoxynucleotides for multiplex biomolecular analysis
Authors: Nishihara Tatsuya , Motohashi Yuto , Mio Reoto , Sugawara Masato , Tanabe Kazuhito
Published: May 2024

We developed a system to detect multiple target biomolecules through sensing motif-tethered oligodeoxynucleotides.
Strain controllable band alignment and the interfacial and optical properties of tellurene/GaAs van der Waals heterostructures
Authors: Li Gen , Bao Hairui , Peng Yange , Fu Xi , Liao Wenhu , Xiang Changqing
Published: May 2024

By using first principles calculations, we theoretically investigate the electronic structures and the interfacial and optical properties of the two-dimensional tellurene (Te)–gallium arsenide (GaAs) van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs).
Highly efficient mica-incorporated graphene oxide-based membranes for water purification and desalination
Authors: Jamali Ahmed Ali , Vohra Muhammad Ismail , Ali Akbar , Nadeem Ahmed , Attia Sabry M. , Hyder Ali , Memon Ayaz Ali , Khan Mahar Faraz , Mahar Rasool Bux , Yang Jun , Thebo Khalid Hussain
Published: May 2024

Mica-modified graphene oxide membranes exhibit high water permeability with 100% rejection for tannic acid and bovine serum albumin.
Increasing the electron donation in a dinucleating ligand family: molecular and electronic structures in a series of CoIICoII complexes
Authors: Depenbrock Felix , Limpke Thomas , Stammler Anja , Oldengott Jan , Bögge Hartmut , Glaser Thorsten
Published: May 2024

We have increased the electron donation ability in our family of dinucleating ligands by using terminal imidazole that are σ- and π-donors and evaluated the effects in a series of CoIICoII complexes experimentally.
Preparation of high-quality lithium sulfide by reducing lithium sulfate with hydrogen: a green and cost-effective method
Authors: Yang Yutao , Tian Rongzheng , Zhang Hongzhou , Wang Zhenyu , Zhang Lianqi , Yang Yongan , Song Dawei
Published: May 2024

A new low-cost method for the synthesis of high-quality Li2S is designed and applied to sulfide solid electrolyte and all-solid-state battery.
Synthesis of template-free magnetite nanospheres grown on Sb2WO6 hierarchical structures for sunlight-driven photo-Fenton catalysis of organic pollutants
Authors: AlObaid Abeer A. , Shrotriya Vipin Bihari , Sharma Girraj , Nazir Ghazanfar , Ul Haq Zia
Published: May 2024

The effective management of low-concentration dye pollutants is a challenging task.
Disposable and ultrasensitive label-free gold nanoparticle patterned poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene-co-3-methylthiophene) electrode for electrochemical immunosensing of prostate-specific antigen
Authors: Uruc Selen , Dokur Ebrar , Gorduk Ozge , Sahin Yucel
Published: May 2024

This study presents a newly developed label-free immunosensor with potential to be used for the determination of prostate specific antigen.
Activation of enamine by photoexcited organocatalyst assisted singlet oxygen: synthesis of oxazoles and quinoxalines
Authors: Elavarasan Selvaraj , Preety Jeyaraj , Kesavan M. , Patel Ravi B. , Baskar Baburaj
Published: May 2024

Herein, a novel transition-metal-free thiol-based donor–acceptor organophotocatalyst-assisted, singlet-oxygen-mediated tandem oxidative cyclization for the synthesis of substituted oxazoles in moderate-to-good yields is described.
Trace amounts of palladium catalysed the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction of deactivated and hindered aryl chlorides
Authors: Li Zhenhua , Rong Dayou , Yuan Longfeng , Zhao Zhihong , Dai Fenghao , Chen Lijun , Xie Yuanyuan
Published: May 2024

A highly efficient catalytic system for the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction of deactivated and hindered aryl chlorides using trace amounts of commercial catalysts was reported.
Tunable broadband near-infrared luminescence from Cr3+-doped gallium oxide-based phosphors for advanced sensing and LED applications
Authors: Pan Guocheng , Wang Yaowu , Wang Jianfeng , Wu Zhenping , Yue Yiheng , Lin Nan , Xu Shiqing , Bai Gongxun
Published: May 2024

A series of Cr3+-activated near-infrared luminescent materials were successfully prepared by using [Zn2+-Ge4+] and [Ga3+-Ga3+] co-unit substitutions, with the peak luminescence tuned from 713 to 767 nm and the FWHM extended from 92 to 155 nm.