bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RescueNet: A High Resolution UAV Semantic Segmentation Dataset for Natural Disaster Damage Assessment
Authors: Rahnemoonfar Maryam , Chowdhury Tashnim , Murphy Robin
Published: December 2023

Recent advancements in computer vision and deep learning techniques have facilitated notable progress in scene understanding, thereby assisting rescue teams in achieving precise damage assessment. In this paper, we present RescueNet, a meticulously curated high-resolution post-disaster dataset that includes detailed classification and semantic segmentation annotations. This dataset aims to facilitate comprehensive scene understanding in the aftermath of natural disasters. RescueNet comprises post-disaster images collected after Hurricane Michael, obtained using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from multiple impacted regions. The uniqueness of RescueNet lies in its provision of high-resolution post-disaster imagery, accompanied by comprehensive annotations for each image. Unlike existing datasets that offer annotations limited to specific scene elements such as buildings, RescueNet provides pixel-level annotations for all classes, including buildings, roads, pools, trees, and more. Furthermore, we evaluate the utility of the dataset by implementing state-of-the-art segmentation models on RescueNet, demonstrating its value in enhancing existing methodologies for natural disaster damage assessment.
Gridded material stocks in China based on geographical and geometric configurations of the built-environment
Authors: Sun Jian , Wang Tao , Jiang Nanxi , Liu Zezhuang , Gao Xiaofeng
Published: December 2023

Material stocks have created alternative perspectives in many environmental and climate studies. Their significance nonetheless may be under-explored, partially due to scarcity of more precise, timely and higher-resolution information. To address this limitation, our present study developed a gridded material stocks dataset for China in Year 2000 and 2020, by examining the geographical distribution and geometric configurations of the human-made stock-containing environment. The stocks of twelve materials embodied in five end-use sectors and 104 products and constructions were assessed at a resolution of 1 × 1 km grid. Material intensity in each product or construction component was carefully evaluated and tagged with its geometric conformation. The gridded stocks aggregately are consistent with the stock estimation across 337 prefectures and municipalities. The reliability of our assessment was also validated by previous studies from national, regional, to grid levels. This gridded mapping of material stocks may offer insights for urban-rural disparities, urban mining opportunity, and climate and natural disaster resilience.
SARS-CoV-2 specific sIgA in saliva increases after disease-related video stimulation
Authors: Keller Judith K. , Dulovic Alex , Gruber Jens , Griesbaum Johanna , Schneiderhan-Marra Nicole , Wülfing Clemens , Kruse Jana , Hartmann Annika , Diekhof Esther K.
Published: December 2023

Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in saliva is the most important immunoglobulin fighting pathogens in the respiratory tract and may thus play a role in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections. To gain a better understanding of the plasticity in the mucosal antibody, we investigated the proactive change in secretion of salivary SARS-CoV-2-specific sIgA in 45 vaccinated and/or previously infected, generally healthy persons (18 to 35 years, 22 women). Participants were exposed to a disease video displaying humans with several respiratory symptoms typical for COVID-19 in realistic situations of increased contagion risk. The disease video triggered an increase in spike-specific sIgA, which was absent after a similar control video with healthy people. The increase further correlated inversely with revulsion and aversive feelings while watching sick people. In contrast, the receptor binding domain-specific sIgA did not increase after the disease video. This may indicate differential roles of the two salivary antibodies in response to predictors of airborne contagion. The observed plasticity of spike-specific salivary antibody release after visual simulation of enhanced contagion risk suggests a role in immune exclusion.
Three-way group decisions using evidence theory under hesitant fuzzy linguistic environment
Authors: Ding Wenke , Li Xingchen , Shen Xiajiong
Published: December 2023

In the actual decision-making process, there will be situations where decision-makers with hesitant attitudes have difficulties in evaluating alternatives numerically, and hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets can provide decision-makers with an effective way to describe hesitancy in linguistic terms. In multi-attribute group decision-making, each decision maker typically holds different preferences. If the variation in decision makers’ assessment weights across evaluations of each attribute for every alternative is not adequately accounted for, it can result in a problem of coarse-grained calculations, leading to information loss. Additionally, the three-way decision model faces significant challenges in information fusion within the context of the hesitant fuzzy linguistic environment. Therefore, we propose a new three-way decision-making model under the hesitant fuzzy linguistic environment. The model obtains the confidence of different decision makers in attribute evaluations through the fusion of D-S evidence theory, and can perform more fine-grained fusion calculations on the evaluation information of different decision makers. In addition, the model considers the cost function of each alternative in different decision-making actions under hesitant fuzzy linguistic environment, calculates the two thresholds of each alternative in the three-way decision model, and derives the decision rules. The effectiveness of the model is verified through a numerical example and two comparative experiments, therefore, the model can be applied in intelligent classification or recommendation systems of hesitant fuzzy linguistic information systems.
Neural effects of TMS trains on the human prefrontal cortex
Authors: Ross Jessica M. , Cline Christopher C. , Sarkar Manjima , Truong Jade , Keller Corey J.
Published: December 2023

How does a train of TMS pulses modify neural activity in humans? Despite adoption of repetitive TMS (rTMS) for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, we still do not understand how rTMS changes the human brain. This limited understanding stems in part from a lack of methods for noninvasively measuring the neural effects of a single TMS train—a fundamental building block of treatment—as well as the cumulative effects of consecutive TMS trains. Gaining this understanding would provide foundational knowledge to guide the next generation of treatments. Here, to overcome this limitation, we developed methods to noninvasively measure causal and acute changes in cortical excitability and evaluated this neural response to single and sequential TMS trains. In 16 healthy adults, standard 10 Hz trains were applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in a randomized, sham-controlled, event-related design and changes were assessed based on the TMS-evoked potential (TEP), a measure of cortical excitability. We hypothesized that single TMS trains would induce changes in the local TEP amplitude and that those changes would accumulate across sequential trains, but primary analyses did not indicate evidence in support of either of these hypotheses. Exploratory analyses demonstrated non-local neural changes in sensor and source space and local neural changes in phase and source space. Together these results suggest that single and sequential TMS trains may not be sufficient to modulate local cortical excitability indexed by typical TEP amplitude metrics but may cause neural changes that can be detected outside the stimulation area or using phase or source space metrics. This work should be contextualized as methods development for the monitoring of transient noninvasive neural changes during rTMS and contributes to a growing understanding of the neural effects of rTMS.
Understanding the value of biobank attributes to researchers using a conjoint experiment
Authors: Batheja Deepshikha , Goel Srishti , Fransman Warren , Mantsoki Anna , Ongarello Stefano , Laxminarayan Ramanan
Published: December 2023

Biobanks are important in biomedical and public health research, and future healthcare research relies on their strength and capacity. However, there are financial challenges related to the operation of commercial biobanks and concerns around the commercialization of biobanks. Non-commercial biobanks depend on grant funding to operate and could be valuable to researchers if they can enable access to quality specimens at lower costs. The objective of this study is to estimate the value of specific biobank attributes. We used a rating-based conjoint experiment approach to study how researchers valued handling fee, access, quality, characterization, breadth of consent, access to key endemics, and time taken to fulfil requests. We found that researchers placed the greatest relative importance on the quality of specimens (26%), followed by the characterization of specimens (21%). Researchers with prior experience purchasing biological samples also valued access to key endemic in-country sites (11.6%) and low handling fees (5.5%) in biobanks.
Ecosystem service evaluation based on local knowledge of residents using spatial text-mining
Authors: Lee Jae-hyuck , Ahn SoEun
Published: December 2023

This study aims to evaluate the ecosystem services of Upo wetland, one of the best-known Ramsar sites in Korea, reflecting the characteristics of the ecological assets and local knowledges in the area. Application of spatial text-mining begins with collecting local perceptions and knowledge of residents on the 17 ecological assets of Upo site and surrounding area. Our results identified five important ecosystem services: flood control during heavy rainfall, water purification by aquatic plants, cultural and natural heritages, agricultural products and water provision for crop cultivation. GIS created a map where these ecosystem services were linked to the locations of 17 ecological assets. This map showed which ecosystem service is associated with particular ecological assets and their characteristics from residents’ perspectives. Mapping local knowledge using the spatial text-mining is able to identify multi-functional bases which provide various ecosystem services in the same location simultaneously. Identification of multi-functional bases can provide information for local government to design an effective and comprehensive management plan considering physical-cultural geography of ecosystem services.
Terminal-coupling induced critical eigenspectrum transition in closed non-Hermitian loops
Authors: Siu Zhuo Bin , Rafi-Ul-Islam S. M. , Jalil Mansoor B. A.
Published: December 2023

A hallmark feature of non-Hermitian (NH) systems is the non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE), in which the eigenenergy spectra of the system under open boundary conditions (OBC) and periodic boundary conditions (PBC) differ markedly from each other. In particular, the critical NHSE occurs in systems consisting of multiple non-Hermitian chains coupled in parallel where even an infinitesimally small inter-chain coupling can cause the thermodynamic-limit eigenenergy spectrum of the system to deviate significantly from the OBC spectra of the individual component chains. We overturn the conventional wisdom that multiple chains are required for such critical transitions by showing that such a critical effect can also be induced in a single finite-length non-Hermitian chain where its two ends are connected together by a weak terminal coupling to form a closed loop. An infinitesimally small terminal coupling can induce the thermodynamic-limit energy spectrum of the closed loop to switch from the OBC to the PBC spectrum of the chain. Similar to the critical NHSE, this switch occurs abruptly when the chain length exceeds a critical size limit. We explain analytically the underlying origin of the effect in a Hatano–Nelson chain system, and demonstrate its generality in more complex one-dimensional non-Hermitian chains. Our findings illustrate the generality of critical size-dependent effects in finite NH systems that arise from the interplay between the interfacial boundary conditions and the influence of edge localization.
Soil bacterial community composition in rice-turtle coculture systems with different planting years
Authors: Wang Ren , Ma Weiwei , Wu Dan , Zhang Yin , Ma Xuehu , Lv Guangdong , Ding Jiaolong , Fu Zhiqiang , Chen Can , Huang Huang
Published: December 2023

The rice-turtle coculture system is the most special rice-fish integrated farming system. In this study, we selected four paddy fields, including a rice monoculture paddy and three rice-turtle paddies with different planting years, to investigate the soil bacterial community composition with Illumina MiSeq sequencing technology. The results indicated that the contents of soil available nitrogen (AN), soil available phosphorus (AP) and soil organic matter (OM) in 9th year of rice-turtle paddy (RT9) were increased by 5.40%, 51.11% and 23.33% compared with rice monoculture paddy (CK), respectively. Significant differences of Acidobacteria, Desulfobacteria, Crenarchaeota were observed among the different rice farming systems. The relative abundance of Methylomonadaceae, Methylococcaceae and Methylophilaceae in RT9 was significantly higher than that in other treatments. RT9 had significantly lower relative abundance of Acidobacteria, but significantly higher relative abundance of Proteobacteria than other treatments. Redundancy analysis showed that soil AN and AP contents were the major factors influencing the abundance of the dominant microbes, wherein Methylomonadaceae, Methylococcaceae and Methylophilaceae were positively correlated with OM. The findings revealed the rice-turtle coculture system in the 9th year had higher soil nutrients and soil bacterial diversity, but there was also a risk of increasing methane emissions.
The relationship between demographic factors and syncopal symptom in pediatric vasovagal syncope
Authors: Wang Shuo , Peng Yali , Zou Runmei , Wang Yuwen , Cai Hong , Li Fang , Luo Xuemei , Zhang Juan , He Zhixiang , Wang Cheng
Published: December 2023

This research proposed to retrospectively analyze 20 years of clinical data and investigate the relationship between demographic factors and syncopal symptom in pediatric vasovagal syncope. A total of 2513 children, 1124 males and 1389 females, age range 3–18 years, who presented to Department of Pediatric Cardiovasology, Children's Medical Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University with unexplained syncope or pre-syncope and were diagnosed with vasovagal syncope were retrospectively collected and divided into syncope group (n = 1262) and pre-syncope group (n = 1251). (1) Females had a 36% increased risk of syncope compared to males, a 27% increased risk of syncope for every 1-year increase in age, and a 2% decreased risk of syncope for every 1 cm increase in height. (2) A non-linear relationship between age, height, weight and syncope was observed. When age > 10.67 years, the risk of syncope increases by 45% for each 1-year increase in age; when height < 146 cm, the risk of syncope decreases by 4% for each 1 cm increase in height; when weight < 28.5 kg, the risk of syncope decreases by 10% for each 1 kg increase in weight. Demographic factors are strongly associated with syncopal symptom in pediatric vasovagal syncope and can help to predict the risk.
Machine learning-based estimation of spatial gene expression pattern during ESC-derived retinal organoid development
Authors: Fujimura Yuki , Sakai Itsuki , Shioka Itsuki , Takata Nozomu , Hashimoto Atsushi , Funatomi Takuya , Okuda Satoru
Published: December 2023

Organoids, which can reproduce the complex tissue structures found in embryos, are revolutionizing basic research and regenerative medicine. In order to use organoids for research and medicine, it is necessary to assess the composition and arrangement of cell types within the organoid, i.e., spatial gene expression. However, current methods are invasive and require gene editing and immunostaining. In this study, we developed a non-invasive estimation method of spatial gene expression patterns using machine learning. A deep learning model with an encoder-decoder architecture was trained on paired datasets of phase-contrast and fluorescence images, and was applied to a retinal organoid derived from mouse embryonic stem cells, focusing on the master gene Rax (also called Rx), crucial for eye field development. This method successfully estimated spatially plausible fluorescent patterns with appropriate intensities, enabling the non-invasive, quantitative estimation of spatial gene expression patterns within each tissue. Thus, this method could lead to new avenues for evaluating spatial gene expression patterns across a wide range of biology and medicine fields.
Determinants and geographic distribution of early newborn care in Ethiopia: evidence from the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic Health Survey
Authors: Belay Daniel G. , Alemu Melaku Birhanu , Pereira Gavin , Lassi Zohra S. , Tessema Gizachew A.
Published: December 2023

Early newborn care provided in the first 2 days of life is critical in reducing neonatal morbidity and mortality. This care can be used to monitor and evaluate the content and quality of neonatal postnatal care. This study aimed to identify determinants and geographic distributions of early newborn care uptake in Ethiopia. We used data from the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS). We conducted a multilevel binary logistic regression model and geographic analysis to identify the determinants of receiving early newborn care. A total of 2105 children were included in the study. Of the included children, 39.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 38%, 42%) received at least two components of early newborn care services in the first 2 days after birth. Greater odds of receiving early newborn care were experienced by infants to mothers with secondary or above education (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.72; 95% CI 1.44, 2.18), from households with highest wealth quantiles (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI 1.16, 1.79), with at least one antenatal care contact (AOR = 2.73; 95% CI 1.79, 4.16), with birth at health facility (AOR = 25.63; 95% CI 17.02, 38.60), and those births through cesarean section (AOR = 2.64; 95% CI 1.48, 4.71). Substantial geographic variation was observed in the uptake of early newborn care in Ethiopia. Several individual- and community-level factors were associated with newborn postnatal care. Policymakers should prioritise these areas and the enhancement of postnatal healthcare provisions for mothers with low socioeconomic status.
Investigation of optimized observation periods for estimating a representative home range of free-roaming domestic dogs
Authors: Sousa Filipe Maximiano , Warembourg Charlotte , Abakar Mahamat Fayiz , Alvarez Danilo , Berger-Gonzalez Monica , Odoch Terence , Wera Ewaldus , Chitnis Nakul , Silva Laura Cunha , Alobo Grace , Sikko Maria M. , Roquel Pablo , Hernández Alexis Leonel López , Dürr Salome
Published: December 2023

Free-roaming domestic dogs (FRDD), as vectors of zoonotic diseases, are of high relevance for public health. Understanding roaming patterns of dogs can help to design disease control programs and disease transmission simulation models. Studies on GPS tracking of dogs report stark differences in recording periods. So far, there is no accepted number of days required to capture a representative home range (HR) of FRDD. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in HR size and shape over time of FRDD living in Chad, Guatemala, Indonesia and Uganda and identify the period required to capture stable HR values. Dogs were collared with GPS units, leading to a total of 46 datasets with, at least, 19 recorded days. For each animal and recorded day, HR sizes were estimated using the Biased Random Bridge method and percentages of daily change in size and shape calculated and taken as metrics. The analysis revealed that the required number of days differed substantially between individuals, isopleths, and countries, with the extended HR (95% isopleth value) requiring a longer recording period. To reach a stable HR size and shape values for 75% of the dogs, 26 and 21 days, respectively, were sufficient. However, certain dogs required more extended observational periods.
Deep-sea Ordovician lingulide brachiopods and their associated burrows suggest an early colonization of proximal turbidite systems
Authors: Paz Maximiliano , Mángano M. Gabriela , Buatois Luis A. , Campetella Debora M. , Sproat Colin , Pérez-Pueyo Manuel , Piñuela Laura , García-Ramos José Carlos
Published: December 2023

Trace fossils from Ordovician deep-marine environments are typically produced by a shallow endobenthos adapted to live under conditions of food scarcity by means of specialized grazing, farming, and trapping strategies, preserved in low-energy intermediate to distal zones of turbidite systems. High-energy proximal zones have been considered essentially barren in the early Paleozoic. We report here the first trace and body fossils of lingulide brachiopods in deep-marine environments from an Upper Ordovician turbidite channel-overbank complex in Asturias, Spain. Body and trace fossils are directly associated, supporting the interpretation of a lingulide tracemaker. Ellipsoidal cross-section, cone-in-cone spreite, and spade morphologies suggest the specimens belong toLingulichnus verticalis. The oblique orientation in both trace and body fossils is the result of tectonic deformation. The organisms were suspension feeders showing escape, dwelling, and equilibrium behaviours controlled by sedimentation rates associated with turbidite deposition. These trace fossils and their in situ producers represent the oldest evidence of widespread endobenthos colonization in high-energy, proximal areas of turbidite systems, expanding the bathymetric range ofLingulichnusand the variety of behaviours and feeding styles in early Paleozoic deep-marine environments.
Brain multi-contrast, multi-atlas segmentation of diffusion tensor imaging and ensemble learning automatically diagnose late-life depression
Authors: Siarkos Kostas , Karavasilis Efstratios , Velonakis Georgios , Papageorgiou Charalabos , Smyrnis Nikolaos , Kelekis Nikolaos , Politis Antonios
Published: December 2023

We investigated the potential of machine learning for diagnostic classification in late-life major depression based on an advanced whole brain white matter segmentation framework. Twenty-six late-life depression and 12 never depressed individuals aged > 55 years, matched for age, MMSE, and education underwent brain diffusion tensor imaging and a multi-contrast, multi-atlas segmentation in MRIcloud. Fractional anisotropy volume, mean fractional anisotropy, trace, axial and radial diffusivity (RD) extracted from 146 white matter parcels for each subject were used to train and test the AdaBoost classifier using stratified 12-fold cross validation. Performance was evaluated using various measures. The statistical power of the classifier was assessed using label permutation test. Statistical analysis did not yield significant differences in DTI measures between the groups. The classifier achieved a balanced accuracy of 71% and an Area Under the Receiver Operator Characteristic Curve (ROC-AUC) of 0.81 by trace, and a balanced accuracy of 70% and a ROC-AUC of 0.80 by RD, in limbic, cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop, brainstem, external and internal capsules, callosal and cerebellar structures. Both indices shared important structures for classification, while fornix was the most important structure for classification by both indices. The classifier proved statistically significant, as trace and RD ROC-AUC scores after permutation were lower than those obtained with the actual data (P = 0.022 and P = 0.024, respectively). Similar results were obtained with the Gradient Boosting classifier, whereas the RBF-kernel Support Vector Machine with k-best feature selection did not exceed the chance level. Finally, AdaBoost significantly predicted the class using all features together. Limitations are discussed. The results encourage further investigation of the implemented methods for computer aided diagnostics and anatomically informed therapeutics.
Physician experiences with teleconsultations amidst conflict in Sudan
Authors: Eljack Mohammed Mahmmoud Fadelallah , Elhadi Yasir Ahmed Mohammed , Mahgoub Esra Abdallah Abdalwahed , Ahmed Khabab Abbasher Hussien Mohamed , Mohamed Malaz Tarig Abd Alla , Elnaiem Walaa , Mohamedsharif Asma , Nour Alshareef B. , Muhammed Abubakr Elsadig Musa , Gebril Mohammed Salah M. , Asghar Muhammad Sohaib , El-Osta Austen
Published: December 2023

The current conflict in Sudan severely hinders the accessibility of health services across the country. To address this, several initiatives were proposed including offering services using teleconsultations. This study aimed to assess Sudanese doctors' teleconsultation experience, perception, and concerns during the recent conflict. This cross-sectional survey focused on Sudanese medical officers, residents, specialists, and consultants living inside or outside the country having a practice license from the Sudan Medical Council and conducting teleconsultations with Sudanese patients during the conflict period. The questionnaire was distributed to personal and professional contacts and via social media platforms in the English language among doctors who provided teleconsultation during the conflict. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 26. The study enrolled 2463 clinicians from 17 different specialties, and females represented more than half the sample (56.8%). Internal medicine was the most frequent specialty (36.1%) and the majority (68.7%) of clinicians had less than 5 years of work experience. Voice call was the most frequent platform (50.1%) used for teleconsultation during the conflict and had the highest convenience score (p < 0.01), whereas messaging platforms had the lowest score. Most clinicians (73.3%) agreed that teleconsultations created a trusted patient-physician relationship and provided good-quality care (61.8%). However, 85.1% highlighted the importance of physical touch in medical practice. Clinicians were concerned that incomplete information (81.4%), missed diagnosis (76.8%), medicolegal problems (71.0%), and prescription errors (68.4%) could arise with teleconsultations. Most respondents (70.7%) emphasized the importance of continuing to offer teleconsultation even after the war abated. In conclusion, physicians who participated in the current study agreed that teleconsultation provided quality care even in this dire crisis in Sudan. Based on our study findings, we recommend upscaling telemedicine interventions including teleconsultations at the national level. This would require unified coordination efforts of a wide mix of stakeholders to address concerns identified in the current study.
Granularity mediated multiple reentrances with negative magnetoresistance in disordered TiN thin films
Authors: Yadav Sachin , Aloysius R. P. , Gupta Govind , Sahoo Sangeeta
Published: December 2023

Granular superconductors are the common examples of experimentally accessible model systems which can be used to explore various fascinating quantum phenomena that are fundamentally important and technologically relevant. One such phenomenon is the occurrence of reentrant resistive states in granular superconductors. Here, we report the observation of multiple reentrant resistive states for a disordered TiN thin film in its temperature and magnetic field dependent resistance measurements, R(T) and R(B), respectively. At each of the peak-temperatures corresponding to the zero-field R(T), a resistance peak appears in the R(B) around zero field which leads to a negative magnetoresistance (MR) region in its surrounding. These low-field negative MR regions appear for both perpendicular and parallel field directions with relatively higher amplitude and larger width for the parallel field. By adopting a granularity-based model, we show that the superconducting fluctuations in granular superconductors may lead to the observed reentrant states and the corresponding negative MR. Here, we propose that the reduction in the density of states in the fermionic channel due to the formation of Cooper pairs leads to the reentrant resistive state and the competition between the conduction processes in the single particle and Cooper channels result into the multiple resistive reentrances.
Involvement of oxidative stress in orofacial mechanical pain hypersensitivity following neonatal maternal separation in rats
Authors: Soma Chihiro , Hitomi Suzuro , Oshima Eri , Hayashi Yoshinori , Soma Kumi , Shibuta Ikuko , Tsuboi Yoshiyuki , Shirakawa Tetsuo , Kikuiri Takashi , Iwata Koichi , Shinoda Masamichi
Published: December 2023

Patients with persistent pain have sometimes history of physical abuse or neglect during infancy. However, the pathogenic mechanisms underlying orofacial pain hypersensitivity associated with early-life stress remain unclear. The present study focused on oxidative stress and investigated its role in pain hypersensitivity in adulthood following early-life stress. To establish an early-life stress model, neonatal pups were separated with their mother in isolated cages for 2 weeks. The mechanical head-withdrawal threshold (MHWT) in the whisker pad skin of rats received maternal separation (MS) was lower than that of non-MS rats at postnatal week 7. In MS rats, the expression of 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine, a marker of DNA oxidative damage, was enhanced, and plasma antioxidant capacity, but not mitochondrial complex I activity, decreased compared with that in non-MS rats. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) inactivation and ROS-sensitive transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) antagonism in the whisker pad skin at week 7 suppressed the decrease of MHWT. Corticosterone levels on day 14 increased in MS rats. Corticosterone receptor antagonism during MS periods suppressed the reduction in antioxidant capacity and MHWT. The findings suggest that early-life stress potentially induces orofacial mechanical pain hypersensitivity via peripheral nociceptor TRPA1 hyperactivation induced by oxidative stress in the orofacial region.
In situ FRET measurement of cellular tension using conventional confocal laser microscopy in newly established reporter mice expressing actinin tension sensor
Authors: Wang Junfeng , Maeda Eijiro , Tsujimura Yuki , Abe Takaya , Kiyonari Hiroshi , Kitaguchi Tetsuya , Yokota Hideo , Matsumoto Takeo
Published: December 2023

FRET-based sensors are utilized for real-time measurements of cellular tension. However, transfection of the sensor gene shows low efficacy and is only effective for a short period. Reporter mice expressing such sensors have been developed, but sensor fluorescence has not been measured successfully using conventional confocal microscopy. Therefore, methods for spatiotemporal measurement of cellular tension in vivo or ex vivo are still limited. We established a reporter mouse line expressing FRET-based actinin tension sensors consisting of EGFP as the donor and mCherry as the acceptor and whose FRET ratio change is observable with confocal microscopy. Tension-induced changes in FRET signals were monitored in the aorta and tail tendon fascicles, as well as aortic smooth muscle cells isolated from these mice. The pattern of FRET changes was distinctive, depending on tissue type. Indeed, aortic smooth muscle cells exhibit different sensitivity to macroscopic tensile strain in situ and in an isolated state. This mouse strain will enable novel types of biomechanical investigations of cell functions in important physiological events.
Myricetin suppresses traumatic brain injury-induced inflammatory response via EGFR/AKT/STAT pathway
Authors: Wang Chenxing , Ouyang Siguang , Zhu Xingjia , Jiang Yi , Lu Zhichao , Gong Peipei
Published: December 2023

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common disease in neurosurgery with a high fatality and disability rate which imposes a huge burden on society and patient's family. Inhibition of neuroinflammation caused by microglia activation is a reasonable strategy to promote neurological recovery after TBI. Myricetin is a natural flavonoid that has shown good therapeutic effects in a variety of neurological disease models, but its therapeutic effect on TBI is not clear. We demonstrated that intraperitoneal injection of appropriate doses of myricetin significantly improved recovery of neurological function after TBI in Sprague Dawley rats and inhibited excessive inflammatory responses around the lesion site. Myricetin dramatically reduced the expression of toxic microglia markers generated by TBI and LPS, according to the outcomes of in vivo and in vitro tests. In particular, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase 2, and some pro-inflammatory cytokines was reduced, which protected learning and memory functions in TBI rats. Through network pharmacological analysis, we found that myricetin may inhibit microglia hyperactivation through the EGFR-AKT/STAT pathway. These findings imply that myricetin is a promising treatment option for the management of neuroinflammation following TBI.
Civet latrines in three habitats of a coffee dominated landscape of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Sinu Palatty Allesh , Fahira P. P. , Rajesh T. P. , Viswan Gopika , Manoj K. , Hariraveendra M. , Jose Thomas
Published: December 2023

Civets are frugivorous animals in the Order Carnivora. They are relatively less shy towards people and anthropogenic habitats. It has been reported that the civets’ preference of defecating in open sites enable them to be important seed dispersers of degraded forests and urban ecosystems of Asia and Africa. We surveyed for scats of palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) in forest fragments of sacred groves (closed), coffee plantations (partly closed) and home gardens (relatively open) during the fruit ripening period of Coffee and Caryota urens – the two preferred fruits of civet – to report the microhabitat characteristics and seed composition of civet latrines. The microhabitat of each scat position – whether on or off the ground and the shade type – was recorded. The scat analysis showed the presence of 4234 seeds belonging to coffee (90.2%), C. urens (9.7%), and an anonymous Rubiacea species (0.10%) in a total of 105 scats collected from coffee plantations (55), home gardens (5), and sacred groves (45). The number of scats sampled from the three habitats was different, but not the number of seeds per scat. Overall, the number of scats increased with the canopy cover, but the trend was different for different habitats. In home garden and coffee plantations, it decreased, but in sacred groves, it increased with the canopy cover. The number of scats sampled above the ground – on tree branches, logs and built-up structures– was more than that was on the ground. The findings contradict the general belief that the civet latrines occur more in open areas than the shaded areas. Because the civet latrines are seen more above ground than on the ground, their efficiency as seed dispersal agent may be examined critically in different contexts.
Quantifying iodine concentration in the normal bowel wall using dual-energy CT: influence of patient and contrast characteristics
Authors: Nehnahi Majida , Simon Gabriel , Moinet Romain , Piton Gael , Camelin Camille , Ronot Maxime , Delabrousse Éric , Calame Paul
Published: December 2023

This study aimed to establish quantitative references of the normal bowel wall iodine concentration (BWIC) using dual energy CT (DECT). This single-center retrospective study included 248 patients with no history of gastrointestinal disease who underwent abdominal contrast-enhanced DECT between January and April 2022. The BWIC was normalized by the iodine concentration of upper abdominal organs (BWICorgan,) and the iodine concentration (IC) of the aorta (BWICaorta). BWIC decreased from the stomach to the rectum (mean 2.16 ± 0.63 vs. 2.19 ± 0.63 vs. 2.1 ± 0.58 vs. 1.67 ± 0.47 vs. 1.31 ± 0.4 vs. 1.18 ± 0.34 vs. 0.94 ± 0.26 mgI/mL for the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, right colon, left colon and rectum, respectively; P < 0.001). By multivariate analysis, BWIC was associated with a higher BMI (OR:1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.02, P < 0.001) and with a higher injected contrast dose (OR: 1.51; 95% CI 1.36–1.66, P < 0.001 and 2.06; 95% CI 1.88–2.26, P < 0.001 for 500 mgI/kg and 600 mgI/kg doses taking 400 mgI/kg dose as reference). The BWICorgan was shown independent from patients and contrast-related variables while the BWICaorta was not. BWIC varies according to bowel segments and is dependent on the total iodine dose injected. It shall be normalized with the IC of the upper abdominal organs.
Bio-adsorption of heavy metals from aqueous solution using the ZnO-modified date pits
Authors: Hummadi Khalid Khazzal , Zhu Lin , He Songbo
Published: December 2023

The bio-adsorption of heavy metals (including Cu2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+) in aqueous solution and also in an industry wastewater using the ZnO-modified date pits (MDP) as the bio-adsorbent are investigated. The fresh and used bio-adsorbents were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, BET, and XRD. The bio-adsorption parameters (including the pH of solution, the particle size of MDP, the shaking speed, the initial concentration of heavy metals, the dosing of MDP, the adsorption time, and the adsorption temperature) were screened and the data were used to optimize the bio-adsorption process and to study the bio-adsorption isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics. Two adsorption models (Langmuir isotherm model and Freundlich isotherm model) and three kinetic models (pseudo-first-order model, pseudo-second-order model, and intra-particle diffusion model) were applied to model the experimental data. Results show that the maximum adsorption amount of Cu2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+ on a complete monolayer of MDP are 82.4, 71.9, and 66.3 mg g−1, which are over 4 times of those of date pits-based bio-adsorbents reported in literature. The bio-adsorption of heavy metals on MDP is spontaneous and exothermic, and is regulated by chemical adsorption on the homogeneous and heterogeneous adsorption sites of MDP surface. This work demonstrates an effective modification protocol for improved bio-adsorption performance of the date pits-based bio-adsorbent, which is cheap and originally from a waste.
A study on waste PCB fibres reinforced concrete with and without silica fume made from electronic waste
Authors: Priyan M. Vishnu , Annadurai R. , Alaneme George Uwadiegwu , Ravella Durga Prasad , Pradeepkumar S. , Olaiya Bamidele Charles
Published: December 2023

This research goal is to appraise the effect of electronic waste on concrete properties by examining the mechanical properties of concrete reinforced with waste printed circuit boards (PCBs). PCB fibres, each 50 mm long, were mixed in varying proportions (1–5% by weight of cement). Silica fume (SF) was used as a 12% weight replacement for cement to conserve the properties of PCB fibre-reinforced concrete while tumbling cement consumption. Following a 28-day curing period, the fresh and hardened characteristics of PCB fibre-reinforced concrete were juxtaposed with those of conventional concrete. The experimental results led to the conclusion that 5% by weight of cement is the most effective proportion of PCB fibres to include in both PCB fibre-reinforced concrete and silica fume-modified PCB fibre-reinforced concrete. The addition of PCB fibres and silica fume significantly increased the mechanical strength of the concrete, making it suitable for high-strength concrete applications. Based on a similar investigational research design, an artificial neural network model was created, and it played a critical role in predicting the mechanical properties of the concrete. The model produced accurate results, with an R-squared (R2) value greater than 0.99.
The primary factors influencing the cooling effect of carbon dioxide removal
Authors: Qu Xia , Huang Gang
Published: December 2023

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is a crucial approach in achieving the goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement. However, understanding the cooling effect (CE) of CDR and its primary controlling factors has been challenging due to the limited number of models conducting the CDR simulation. To address this, we employed an energy balance model (EBM), which effectively captures or reproduces the global mean surface air temperature change to CO2 forcing. The outputs of the EBM revealed that even with the same CDR rate, the CE diverse significantly ($$\sigma =0.7{K}$$

σ
=
0.7
K

). Two main factors significantly affect the CE of CDR. The primary factor is the coefficient of the vertical heat exchange in the ocean [contributes to $$\sigma \left({CE}\right)=0.7{K}$$

σ

CE

=
0.7
K

], which governs the heat uptake and release of the deep ocean. It directly impacts the heat absorbed by the Earth’s surface and influences the magnitudes of the transient climate responses. The second factor is the estimation of effective radiative forcing (ERF) resulting from changes in CO2 concentration [contributes to $$\sigma \left({CE}\right)=0.6{K}$$

σ

CE

=
0.6
K

]. This estimation is directly associated with the amplitude of the CO2 radiative forcing and the responses of relevant energy processes, thereby influencing the temperature change. Regarding the timing of the CE emergence, the influences of processes within the EBM are quite small. Therefore, an accurate estimation of the vertical heat exchange in the ocean and ERF may favor designation of a better pathway to achieve the temperature goals outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement.
Economically viable co-production of methanol and sulfuric acid via direct methane oxidation
Authors: Im Jaehyung , Cheong Seok-Hyeon , Dang Huyen Tran , Kim Nak-Kyoon , Hwang Sungwon , Lee Ki Bong , Kim Kyeongsu , Lee Hyunjoo , Lee Ung
Published: December 2023

The direct oxidation of methane to methanol has been spotlighted research for decades, but has never been commercialized. This study introduces cost-effective process for co-producing methanol and sulfuric acid through a direct oxidation of methane. In the initial phase, methane oxidation forms methyl bisulfate (CH3OSO3H), then transformed into methyl trifluoroacetate (CF3CO2CH3) via esterification, and hydrolyzed into methanol. This approach eliminates the need for energy-intensive separation of methyl bisulfate from sulfuric acid by replacing the former with methyl trifluoroacetate. Through the superstructure optimization, our sequential process reduces the levelized cost of methanol to nearly two-fold reduction from the current market price. Importantly, this process demonstrates adaptability to smaller gas fields, assuring its economical operation across a broad range of gas fields. The broader application of this process could substantially mitigate global warming by utilizing methane, leading to a significantly more sustainable and economically beneficial methanol industry.
Photonic signal processor based on a Kerr microcomb for real-time video image processing
Authors: Tan Mengxi , Xu Xingyuan , Boes Andreas , Corcoran Bill , Nguyen Thach G. , Chu Sai T. , Little Brent E. , Morandotti Roberto , Wu Jiayang , Mitchell Arnan , Moss David J.
Published: December 2023

Signal processing has become central to many fields, from coherent optical telecommunications, where it is used to compensate signal impairments, to video image processing. Image processing is particularly important for observational astronomy, medical diagnosis, autonomous driving, big data and artificial intelligence. For these applications, signal processing traditionally has mainly been performed electronically. However these, as well as new applications, particularly those involving real time video image processing, are creating unprecedented demand for ultrahigh performance, including high bandwidth and reduced energy consumption. Here, we demonstrate a photonic signal processor operating at 17 Terabits/s and use it to process video image signals in real-time. The system processes 400,000 video signals concurrently, performing 34 functions simultaneously that are key to object edge detection, edge enhancement and motion blur. As compared with spatial-light devices used for image processing, our system is not only ultra-high speed but highly reconfigurable and programable, able to perform many different functions without any change to the physical hardware. Our approach is based on an integrated Kerr soliton crystal microcomb, and opens up new avenues for ultrafast robotic vision and machine learning.
Ultrafast Molecular Spectroscopy in the Gas Phase
Authors: Gühr M.
Published: December 2023

This chapter gives an overview of ultrafast photoexcited molecular dynamics in the gas phase and their exploration via time-resolved spectroscopy. In the first part, we discuss the basics of ultrafast molecular motion in the framework of the Born–Oppenheimer approximation. We then discuss the coupled electronic–nuclear motion in situations where the Born–Oppenheimer approximation cannot be applied. The second part introduces the principles of valence- and core-level ionization before a systematic discussion of time-resolved gas-phase spectroscopy. Here, we demonstrate ultrafast valence- and core-level spectroscopic methods and show the latter’s strong sensitivity to electronic structure changes. The chapter ends with a short discussion of the synergetic information content of ultrafast spectroscopy compared to diffraction methods.
Time-resolved X-ray Scattering of Excited State Structure and Dynamics
Authors: Yong H. , Kirrander A. , Weber P. M.
Published: December 2023

Ultrafast gas-phase X-ray scattering using X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has enabled the measurement of molecular structures and dynamics in excited states with atomic spatial and femtosecond time resolution. This chapter reviews important recent advances in the X-ray scattering of excited states. In particular, details will be given of additional observables such as the orientation of optical transition dipoles within the molecular frame, the excited state molecular electron densities, and rate constants for chemical kinetics. In excited states, the structures of medium sized molecules (up to eight non-hydrogenic atoms) have been determined with high precision in the non-hydrogenic atom–atom distances. Effects arising from the redistribution of electron density upon optical excitation are observed and confirmed by high-level calculations, allowing for the observation of ultrafast excited state charge transfer reactions. Fragmentation of molecules is readily observed, and is identifiable from a characteristic decrease in the X-ray scattering signal at small scattering angles. Furthermore, the structures of transient radical fragments have been measured.
Electron Imaging in Action: Attosecond Electron Diffraction and Microscopy
Authors: Hassan M. Th.
Published: December 2023

In the last two decades, the generation of attosecond extreme ultraviolet pulses and the advancement of attosecond spectroscopic techniques allowed for real-time observation of electron motion in matter. However, attosecond spectroscopy provides insufficient information about the electron motion trajectory in real space. Therefore, ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) and diffraction (UED) imaging tools were developed to image the ultrafast dynamics in the four dimensions of time and space. These UEM and UED tools have found various imaging applications in physics, chemistry, and biology. However, existing technical challenges limit the temporal resolution of UEM and UED to the few-hundred femtosecond regime. Therefore, all prior imaging studies recorded only the motion of atoms on the timescale of picoseconds to several-hundred femtoseconds. In this chapter, we present the development and the applications of UEM and UED in imaging the ultrafast dynamics of matter. Moreover, we explain approaches to achieve the attosecond temporal resolution in these imaging tools to establish the attosecond electron diffraction and attomicroscopy fields to image electron motion in time and real space.