bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inferring Hillslope Groundwater Recharge Ratios From the Storage‐Discharge Relation
Authors: Dralle David N. , Hahm W. Jesse , Rempe Daniella M.
Published: July 2023

Accurate observation of hillslope groundwater storage and instantaneous recharge remains difficult due to limited monitoring and the complexity of mountainous landscapes. We introduce a novel storage‐discharge method to estimate hillslope recharge and the recharge ratio—the fraction of precipitation that recharges groundwater. The method, which relies on streamflow data, is corroborated by independent measurements of water storage dynamics inside the Rivendell experimental hillslope at the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory, California, USA. We find that along‐hillslope patterns in bedrock weathering and plant‐driven storage dynamics govern the seasonal evolution of recharge ratios. Thinner weathering profiles and smaller root‐zone storage deficits near‐channel are replenished before larger ridge‐top deficits. Consequently, precipitation progressively activates groundwater from channel to divide, with an attendant increase in recharge ratios throughout the wet season. Our novel approach and process observations offer valuable insights into controls on groundwater recharge, enhancing our understanding of a critical flux in the hydrologic cycle.
IMF Dependence of Midnight Bifurcation in the Thermospheric Wind at an Auroral Latitude Based on Nine Winter Measurements in Tromsø, Norway
Authors: Oyama S. , Hosokawa K. , Vanhamäki H. , Aikio A. , Sakanoi T. , Cai L. , Virtanen I. I. , Shiokawa K. , Nishitani N. , Shinbori A. , Ogawa Y.
Published: July 2023

A thermospheric wind data set from a Fabry‐Perot interferometer (630 nm) and the ion velocity from a Dynasonde in Tromsø, Norway, was analyzed for nine winter seasons to study the dynamics of the thermosphere and F‐region ionosphere at an auroral latitude. This study focused on bifurcation in the zonal component of the neutral wind and ion velocity at midnight and its dependence on the Y component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Ionospheric plasma convection patterns are evidently imprinted on the thermospheric wind variations as aspects of the westward and eastward accelerations at dusk and late morning, respectively. The zonal wind bifurcates immediately before midnight for IMF By < 0, but for By > 0, it inverts gradually into the postmidnight sector. Neutral wind streams, originating from higher latitudes, may result in the dependence because of anti‐sunward plasma flow distorted in the polar cap.
Central obesity and its association with retinal age gap: insights from the UK Biobank study
Authors: Chen Ruiye , Zhang Junyao , Shang Xianwen , Wang Wei , He Mingguang , Zhu Zhuoting
Published: July 2023

Background

Conflicting evidence exists on the association between ageing and obesity. Retinal age derived from fundus images has been validated as a novel biomarker of ageing. In this study, we aim to investigate the association between different anthropometric phenotypes based on body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) and the retinal age gap (retinal age minus chronological age).

Methods

A total of 35,550 participants with BMI, WC and qualified retinal imaging data available were included to investigate the association between anthropometric groups and retinal ageing. Participants were stratified into 7 different body composition groups based on BMI and WC (Normal-weight/Normal WC, Overweight/Normal WC, Mild obesity/Normal WC, Normal-weight/High WC, Overweight/High WC, Mild obesity/High WC, and Severe obesity/High WC). Linear regression and logistic regression models were fitted to investigate the association between the seven anthropometric groups and retinal age gap as continuous and categorical outcomes, respectively.

Results

A total of 35,550 participants (55.6% females) with a mean age 56.8 ± 8.04 years were included in the study. Individuals in the Overweight/High WC, Mild obesity/High WC and Severe obesity/High WC groups were associated with an increase in the retinal age gap, compared with those in the Normal Weight/Normal WC group (β = 0.264, 95% CI: 0.105–0.424, P =0.001; β = 0.226, 95% CI: 0.082–0.371, P = 0.002; β = 0.273, 95% CI: 0.081–0.465, P = 0.005; respectively) in fully adjusted models. Similar findings were noted in the association between the anthropometric groups and retinal ageing process as a categorical outcome.

Conclusion

A significant positive association exists between central obesity and accelerated ageing indexed by retinal age gaps, highlighting the significance of maintaining a healthy body shape.
Bayesian dynamical system analysis of the effects of methylphenidate in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomized trial
Authors: Cai Weidong , Mizuno Yoshifumi , Tomoda Akemi , Menon Vinod
Published: July 2023

Methylphenidate is a widely used and effective treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet the underlying neural mechanisms and their relationship to changes in behavior are not fully understood. Specifically, it remains unclear how methylphenidate affects brain and behavioral dynamics, and the interplay between these dynamics, in individuals with ADHD. To address this gap, we used a novel Bayesian dynamical system model to investigate the effects of methylphenidate on latent brain states in 27 children with ADHD and 49 typically developing children using a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design. Methylphenidate remediated greater behavioral variability on a continuous performance task in children with ADHD. Children with ADHD exhibited aberrant latent brain state dynamics compared to typically developing children, with a single latent state showing particularly abnormal dynamics, which was remediated by methylphenidate. Additionally, children with ADHD showed brain state-dependent hyper-connectivity in the default mode network, which was also remediated by methylphenidate. Finally, we found that methylphenidate-induced changes in latent brain state dynamics, as well as brain state-related functional connectivity between salience and default mode networks, were correlated with improvements in behavioral variability. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel latent brain state dynamical process and circuit mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of methylphenidate in childhood ADHD. We suggest that Bayesian dynamical system models may be particularly useful for capturing complex nonlinear changes in neural activity and behavioral variability associated with ADHD. Our approach may be of value to clinicians and researchers investigating the neural mechanisms underlying pharmacological treatment of psychiatric disorders.
Ammonium tetrathiomolybdate relieves oxidative stress in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury via NRF2 signaling pathway
Authors: Qi Hao , Shi Haoyu , Yan Minbo , Zhao Liangyu , Yin Yinghao , Tan Xiaolin , Qi Huiyue , Li Hu , Weng Kangqiang , Tang Yuxin , Dai Yingbo
Published: July 2023

Cisplatin is an efficient chemotherapeutic agent for various solid tumors, but its usage is restricted by nephrotoxicity. A single dose of cisplatin can cause acute kidney injury (AKI), which is characterized by rapid reduction in kidney function. However, the current therapies, such as hydration, are limited. It is vital to develop novel therapeutic reagents that have both anticancer and renoprotective properties. The objective of this study was to determine whether ammonium tetrathiomolybdate (TM), a copper chelator used to treat cancer and disorders of copper metabolism, may offer protection against cisplatin-induced AKI. In this study, we demonstrated that TM treatment had antioxidative effects and mitigated cisplatin-induced AKI both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanically, TM inhibited NRF2 ubiquitination, which activated the NRF2 pathway in HK-2 cells and promoted the expression of target genes. It should be noted that the protective effect conferred by TM against cisplatin was compromised by the knockdown of the NRF2 gene. Furthermore, TM selectively activated the NRF2 pathways in the liver and kidney. The current study provided evidence for additional clinical applications of TM by showing that it activates NRF2 and has a favorable therapeutic impact on cisplatin-induced AKI.
Evaluation of pigment distribution in contact lenses with iris patterns by multiprobe analysis methods
Authors: Ito Eri , Takase Hiroshi , Yamamoto Katsuhiro
Published: July 2023

Iris-patterned lenses have recently become popular in the field of soft contact lenses (SCLs), and SCLs are typical examples of an industrial application of gel materials. As these patterns can be printed using oxidized-metal-containing pigments, the oxidized metals may be exposed on the lens surface depending on the printing method, potentially accounting for various health hazards. To evaluate the state of the exposed oxidized metal on the lens surface, we analyzed the colored layer, mainly consisting of pigments, on the lens surface via multiple probing methods, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning TEM with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). Furthermore, we confirmed that the XAFS conversion electron yield (CEY) and fluorescence yield (FY) methods demonstrated high sensitivity toward revealing the existence of pigments. Thus, the use of a combination of XAFS CEY and FY methods can facilitate the effective distribution analysis of various elements in the interior of materials such as cosmetic CLs.
Genetically diverse mouse models of SARS-CoV-2 infection reproduce clinical variation in type I interferon and cytokine responses in COVID-19
Authors: Robertson Shelly J. , Bedard Olivia , McNally Kristin L. , Shaia Carl , Clancy Chad S. , Lewis Matthew , Broeckel Rebecca M. , Chiramel Abhilash I. , Shannon Jeffrey G. , Sturdevant Gail L. , Rosenke Rebecca , Anzick Sarah L. , Forte Elvira , Preuss Christoph , Baker Candice N. , Harder Jeffrey M. , Brunton Catherine , Munger Steven , Bruno Daniel P. , Lack Justin B. , Leung Jacqueline M. , Shamsaddini Amirhossein , Gardina Paul , Sturdevant Daniel E. , Sun Jian , Martens Craig , Holland Steven M. , Rosenthal Nadia A. , Best Sonja M.
Published: July 2023

Inflammation in response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection drives severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is influenced by host genetics. To understand mechanisms of inflammation, animal models that reflect genetic diversity and clinical outcomes observed in humans are needed. We report a mouse panel comprising the genetically diverse Collaborative Cross (CC) founder strains crossed to human ACE2 transgenic mice (K18-hACE2) that confers susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. Infection of CC x K18-hACE2 resulted in a spectrum of survival, viral replication kinetics, and immune profiles. Importantly, in contrast to the K18-hACE2 model, early type I interferon (IFN-I) and regulated proinflammatory responses were required for control of SARS-CoV-2 replication in PWK x K18-hACE2 mice that were highly resistant to disease. Thus, virus dynamics and inflammation observed in COVID-19 can be modeled in diverse mouse strains that provide a genetically tractable platform for understanding anti-coronavirus immunity.
Sequestration of histidine kinases by non-cognate response regulators establishes a threshold level of stimulation for bacterial two-component signaling
Authors: Sankhe Gaurav D. , Raja Rubesh , Singh Devendra Pratap , Bheemireddy Sneha , Rana Subinoy , Athira P. J. , Dixit Narendra M. , Saini Deepak Kumar
Published: July 2023

Bacterial two-component systems (TCSs) consist of a sensor histidine kinase (HK) that perceives a specific signal, and a cognate response regulator (RR) that modulates the expression of target genes. Positive autoregulation improves TCS sensitivity to stimuli, but may trigger disproportionately large responses to weak signals, compromising bacterial fitness. Here, we combine experiments and mathematical modelling to reveal a general design that prevents such disproportionate responses: phosphorylated HKs (HK~Ps) can be sequestered by non-cognate RRs. We study five TCSs of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and find, for all of them, non-cognate RRs that show higher affinity than cognate RRs for HK~Ps. Indeed, in vitro assays show that HK~Ps preferentially bind higher affinity non-cognate RRs and get sequestered. Mathematical modelling indicates that this sequestration would introduce a ‘threshold’ stimulus strength for eliciting responses, thereby preventing responses to weak signals. Finally, we construct tunable expression systems in Mycobacterium bovis BCG to show that higher affinity non-cognate RRs suppress responses in vivo.
Global meta-analysis shows reduced quality of food crops under inadequate animal pollination
Authors: Gazzea Elena , Batáry Péter , Marini Lorenzo
Published: July 2023

Animal pollination supports the production of a wide range of food crops fundamental to maintaining diverse and nutritionally balanced diets. Here, we present a global meta-analysis quantifying the contribution of pollination to multiple facets of crop quality, including both organoleptic and nutritional traits. In fruits and vegetables, pollinators strongly improve several commercially important attributes related to appearance and shelf life, whereas they have smaller effects on nutritional value. Pollination does not increase quality in stimulant crops, nuts, and spices. We report weak signals of a pollination deficit for organoleptic traits, which might indicate a potential service decline across agricultural landscapes. However, the deficit is small and non-significant at the α = 0.05 level, suggesting that pollen deposition from wild and/or managed pollinators is sufficient to maximise quality in most cases. As producing commercially suboptimal fruits can have multiple negative economic and environmental consequences, safeguarding pollination services is important to maintain food security.
Excitonic insulator to superconductor phase transition in ultra-compressed helium
Authors: Liu Cong , Errea Ion , Ding Chi , Pickard Chris , Conway Lewis J. , Monserrat Bartomeu , Fang Yue-Wen , Lu Qing , Sun Jian , Boronat Jordi , Cazorla Claudio
Published: July 2023

Helium, the second most abundant element in the universe, exhibits an extremely large electronic band gap of about 20 eV at ambient pressures. While the metallization pressure of helium has been accurately determined, thus far little attention has been paid to the specific mechanisms driving the band-gap closure and electronic properties of this quantum crystal in the terapascal regime (1 TPa = 10 Mbar). Here, we employ density functional theory and many-body perturbation calculations to fill up this knowledge gap. It is found that prior to reaching metallicity helium becomes an excitonic insulator (EI), an exotic state of matter in which electrostatically bound electron-hole pairs may form spontaneously. Furthermore, we predict metallic helium to be a superconductor with a critical temperature of ≈ 20 K just above its metallization pressure and of ≈ 70 K at 100 TPa. These unforeseen phenomena may be critical for improving our fundamental understanding and modeling of celestial bodies.
Expulsion mechanism of the substrate-translocating subunit in ECF transporters
Authors: Thangaratnarajah Chancievan , Nijland Mark , Borges-Araújo Luís , Jeucken Aike , Rheinberger Jan , Marrink Siewert J. , Souza Paulo C. T. , Paulino Cristina , Slotboom Dirk J.
Published: July 2023

Energy-coupling factor (ECF)-type transporters mediate the uptake of micronutrients in many bacteria. They consist of a substrate-translocating subunit (S-component) and an ATP-hydrolysing motor (ECF module) Previous data indicate that the S-component topples within the membrane to alternately expose the binding site to either side of the membrane. In many ECF transporters, the substrate-free S-component can be expelled from the ECF module. Here we study this enigmatic expulsion step by cryogenic electron microscopy and reveal that ATP induces a concave-to-convex shape change of two long helices in the motor, thereby destroying the S-component’s docking site and allowing for its dissociation. We show that adaptation of the membrane morphology to the conformational state of the motor may favour expulsion of the substrate-free S-component when ATP is bound and docking of the substrate-loaded S-component after hydrolysis. Our work provides a picture of bilayer-assisted chemo-mechanical coupling in the transport cycle of ECF transporters.
Performance of two complementary machine-learned potentials in modelling chemically complex systems
Authors: Gubaev Konstantin , Zaverkin Viktor , Srinivasan Prashanth , Duff Andrew Ian , Kästner Johannes , Grabowski Blazej
Published: July 2023

Chemically complex multicomponent alloys possess exceptional properties derived from an inexhaustible compositional space. The complexity however makes interatomic potential development challenging. We explore two complementary machine-learned potentials—the moment tensor potential (MTP) and the Gaussian moment neural network (GM-NN)—in simultaneously describing configurational and vibrational degrees of freedom in the Ta-V-Cr-W alloy family. Both models are equally accurate with excellent performance evaluated against density-functional-theory. They achieve root-mean-square-errors (RMSEs) in energies of less than a few meV/atom across 0 K ordered and high-temperature disordered configurations included in the training. Even for compositions not in training, relative energy RMSEs at high temperatures are within a few meV/atom. High-temperature molecular dynamics forces have similarly small RMSEs of about 0.15 eV/Å for the disordered quaternary included in, and ternaries not part of training. MTPs achieve faster convergence with training size; GM-NNs are faster in execution. Active learning is partially beneficial and should be complemented with conventional human-based training set generation.
Deep material network via a quilting strategy: visualization for explainability and recursive training for improved accuracy
Authors: Shin Dongil , Alberdi Ryan , Lebensohn Ricardo A. , Dingreville Rémi
Published: July 2023

Recent developments integrating micromechanics and neural networks offer promising paths for rapid predictions of the response of heterogeneous materials with similar accuracy as direct numerical simulations. The deep material network is one such approaches, featuring a multi-layer network and micromechanics building blocks trained on anisotropic linear elastic properties. Once trained, the network acts as a reduced-order model, which can extrapolate the material’s behavior to more general constitutive laws, including nonlinear behaviors, without the need to be retrained. However, current training methods initialize network parameters randomly, incurring inevitable training and calibration errors. Here, we introduce a way to visualize the network parameters as an analogous unit cell and use this visualization to “quilt” patches of shallower networks to initialize deeper networks for a recursive training strategy. The result is an improvement in the accuracy and calibration performance of the network and an intuitive visual representation of the network for better explainability.
Sampling frequency thresholds for the quantum advantage of the quantum approximate optimization algorithm
Authors: Lykov Danylo , Wurtz Jonathan , Poole Cody , Saffman Mark , Noel Tom , Alexeev Yuri
Published: July 2023

We compare the performance of the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) with state-of-the-art classical solvers Gurobi and MQLib to solve the MaxCut problem on 3-regular graphs. We identify the minimum noiseless sampling frequency and depth p required for a quantum device to outperform classical algorithms. There is potential for quantum advantage on hundreds of qubits and moderate depth with a sampling frequency of 10 kHz. We observe, however, that classical heuristic solvers are capable of producing high-quality approximate solutions in linear time complexity. In order to match this quality for large graph sizes N, a quantum device must support depth p > 11. Additionally, multi-shot QAOA is not efficient on large graphs, indicating that QAOA p ≤ 11 does not scale with N. These results limit achieving quantum advantage for QAOA MaxCut on 3-regular graphs. Other problems, such as different graphs, weighted MaxCut, and 3-SAT, may be better suited for achieving quantum advantage on near-term quantum devices.
Genome-wide association study identified six loci associated with adverse drug reactions to aripiprazole in schizophrenia patients
Authors: Wang Xueping , Mei Dongli , Lu Zhe , Zhang Yuyanan , Sun Yaoyao , Lu Tianlan , Yan Hao , Yue Weihua
Published: July 2023

Aripiprazole is recommended for routine use in schizophrenia patients. However, the biological mechanism for the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) among schizophrenia patients with the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole is far from clear. To explore the potential genetic factors that may cause movement-related adverse antipsychotic effects in patients, we conducted an association analysis between movement-related ADRs and SNPs in schizophrenia patients receiving aripiprazole monotherapy. In this study, multiple ADRs of 384 patients were quantified within 6-week treatment, and the scores of movement-related ADRs at baseline and follow-up time points during treatment were obtained. The highest score record was used as the quantitative index in analysis, and genetic analysis at the genome-wide level was conducted. The SNP rs4149181 in SLC22A8 [P = 2.28 × 10−8] showed genome-wide significance, and rs2284223 in ADCYAP1R1 [P = 9.76 × 10−8], rs73258503 in KCNIP4 [P = 1.39 × 10−7], rs678428 in SMAD9 [P = 4.70 × 10−7], rs6421034 in NAP1L4 [P = 6.80 × 10−7], and rs1394796 in ERBB4 [P = 8.60 × 10−7] were found to be significantly associated with movement-related ADRs. The combined prediction model of these six loci showed acceptable performance in predicting adverse events [area under the curve (AUC): 0.84]. Combined with the function and network of the above genes and other candidate loci (KCNA1, CACNG1, etc.), we hypothesize that SLC22A8 and KCNIP4-Kv channel perform their respective functions as transporter or channel and participate in the in vivo metabolism or effects of aripiprazole. The above results imply the important function of ion transporters and channels in movement-related adverse antipsychotic effects in aripiprazole monotherapy schizophrenia patients.
A comprehensive multi-domain dataset for mitotic figure detection
Authors: Aubreville Marc , Wilm Frauke , Stathonikos Nikolas , Breininger Katharina , Donovan Taryn A. , Jabari Samir , Veta Mitko , Ganz Jonathan , Ammeling Jonas , van Diest Paul J. , Klopfleisch Robert , Bertram Christof A.
Published: July 2023

The prognostic value of mitotic figures in tumor tissue is well-established for many tumor types and automating this task is of high research interest. However, especially deep learning-based methods face performance deterioration in the presence of domain shifts, which may arise from different tumor types, slide preparation and digitization devices. We introduce the MIDOG++ dataset, an extension of the MIDOG 2021 and 2022 challenge datasets. We provide region of interest images from 503 histological specimens of seven different tumor types with variable morphology with in total labels for 11,937 mitotic figures: breast carcinoma, lung carcinoma, lymphosarcoma, neuroendocrine tumor, cutaneous mast cell tumor, cutaneous melanoma, and (sub)cutaneous soft tissue sarcoma. The specimens were processed in several laboratories utilizing diverse scanners. We evaluated the extent of the domain shift by using state-of-the-art approaches, observing notable differences in single-domain training. In a leave-one-domain-out setting, generalizability improved considerably. This mitotic figure dataset is the first that incorporates a wide domain shift based on different tumor types, laboratories, whole slide image scanners, and species.
Upscaling methane fluxes from peatlands across a drainage gradient in Ireland using PlanetScope imagery and machine learning tools
Authors: Ingle Ruchita , Habib Wahaj , Connolly John , McCorry Mark , Barry Stephen , Saunders Matthew
Published: July 2023

Wetlands are one of the major contributors of methane (CH4) emissions to the atmosphere and the intensity of emissions is driven by local environmental variables and spatial heterogeneity. Peatlands are a major wetland class and there are numerous studies that provide estimates of methane emissions at chamber or eddy covariance scales, but these are not often aggregated to the site/ecosystem scale. This study provides a robust approach to map dominant vegetation communities and to use these areas to upscale methane fluxes from chamber to site scale using a simple weighted-area approach. The proposed methodology was tested at three peatlands in Ireland over a duration of 2 years. The annual vegetation maps showed an accuracy ranging from 83 to 99% for near-natural to degraded sites respectively. The upscaled fluxes were highest (2.25 and 3.80 gC m−2 y−1) at the near-natural site and the rehabilitation (0.17 and 0.31 gC m−2 y−1), degraded (0.15 and 0.27 gC m−2 y−1) site emissions were close to net-zero throughout the study duration. Overall, the easy to implement methodology proposed in this study can be applied across various landuse types to assess the impact of peatland rehabilitation on methane emissions by mapping ecological change.
Automated detection of intracranial aneurysms using skeleton-based 3D patches, semantic segmentation, and auxiliary classification for overcoming data imbalance in brain TOF-MRA
Authors: Ham Sungwon , Seo Jiyeon , Yun Jihye , Bae Yun Jung , Kim Tackeun , Sunwoo Leonard , Yoo Sooyoung , Jung Seung Chai , Kim Jeong-Whun , Kim Namkug
Published: July 2023

Accurate and reliable detection of intracranial aneurysms is vital for subsequent treatment to prevent bleeding. However, the detection of intracranial aneurysms can be time-consuming and even challenging, and there is great variability among experts, especially in the case of small aneurysms. This study aimed to detect intracranial aneurysms accurately using a convolutional neural network (CNN) with 3D time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA). A total of 154 3D TOF-MRA datasets with intracranial aneurysms were acquired, and the gold standards were manually drawn by neuroradiologists. We also obtained 113 subjects from a public dataset for external validation. These angiograms were pre-processed by using skull-stripping, signal intensity normalization, and N4 bias correction. The 3D patches along the vessel skeleton from MRA were extracted. Values of the ratio between the aneurysmal and the normal patches ranged from 1:1 to 1:5. The semantic segmentation on intracranial aneurysms was trained using a 3D U-Net with an auxiliary classifier to overcome the imbalance in patches. The proposed method achieved an accuracy of 0.910 in internal validation and external validation accuracy of 0.883 with a 2:1 ratio of normal to aneurysmal patches. This multi-task learning method showed that the aneurysm segmentation performance was sufficient to be helpful in an actual clinical setting.
Speech emotion classification using attention based network and regularized feature selection
Authors: Akinpelu Samson , Viriri Serestina
Published: July 2023

Speech emotion classification (SEC) has gained the utmost height and occupied a conspicuous position within the research community in recent times. Its vital role in Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) and affective computing cannot be overemphasized. Many primitive algorithmic solutions and deep neural network (DNN) models have been proposed for efficient recognition of emotion from speech however, the suitability of these methods to accurately classify emotion from speech with multi-lingual background and other factors that impede efficient classification of emotion is still demanding critical consideration. This study proposed an attention-based network with a pre-trained convolutional neural network and regularized neighbourhood component analysis (RNCA) feature selection techniques for improved classification of speech emotion. The attention model has proven to be successful in many sequence-based and time-series tasks. An extensive experiment was carried out using three major classifiers (SVM, MLP and Random Forest) on a publicly available TESS (Toronto English Speech Sentence) dataset. The result of our proposed model (Attention-based DCNN+RNCA+RF) achieved 97.8% classification accuracy and yielded a 3.27% improved performance, which outperforms state-of-the-art SEC approaches. Our model evaluation revealed the consistency of attention mechanism and feature selection with human behavioural patterns in classifying emotion from auditory speech.
Past climate-driven range shifts structuring intraspecific biodiversity levels of the giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) at global scales
Authors: Assis Jorge , Alberto Filipe , Macaya Erasmo C. , Castilho Coelho Nelson , Faugeron Sylvain , Pearson Gareth A. , Ladah Lydia , Reed Daniel C. , Raimondi Peter , Mansilla Andrés , Brickle Paul , Zuccarello Giuseppe C. , Serrão Ester A.
Published: July 2023

The paradigm of past climate-driven range shifts structuring the distribution of marine intraspecific biodiversity lacks replication in biological models exposed to comparable limiting conditions in independent regions. This may lead to confounding effects unlinked to climate drivers. We aim to fill in this gap by asking whether the global distribution of intraspecific biodiversity of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) is explained by past climate changes occurring across the two hemispheres. We compared the species’ population genetic diversity and structure inferred with microsatellite markers, with range shifts and long-term refugial regions predicted with species distribution modelling (SDM) from the last glacial maximum (LGM) to the present. The broad antitropical distribution of Macrocystis pyrifera is composed by six significantly differentiated genetic groups, for which current genetic diversity levels match the expectations of past climate changes. Range shifts from the LGM to the present structured low latitude refugial regions where genetic relics with higher and unique diversity were found (particularly in the Channel Islands of California and in Peru), while post-glacial expansions following ~ 40% range contraction explained extensive regions with homogenous reduced diversity. The estimated effect of past climate-driven range shifts was comparable between hemispheres, largely demonstrating that the distribution of intraspecific marine biodiversity can be structured by comparable evolutionary forces across the global ocean. Additionally, the differentiation and endemicity of regional genetic groups, confers high conservation value to these localized intraspecific biodiversity hotspots of giant kelp forests.
Distribution and habitat assessments of the Slender racer, Orientocoluber spinalis, for the registration of nationally endangered species in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Park Daesik , Jeong Hojun , Park Jaejin , Park Il-Kook
Published: July 2023

Conservation assessments are essential for preserving biodiversity. However, many reptile species have not been evaluated owing to data deficiencies. The Slender racer (Orientocoluber spinalis) is threatened in four out of six inhabiting countries. However, despite its apparent rarity and data deficiency, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified it as a Least Concern. In this study, we combined field surveys, habitat analysis, and ecological niche models (ENMs) to identify the critical habitat characteristics of O. spinalis, evaluate its distribution status in the Republic of Korea, and register it as a nationally endangered species. Across the country, we found a few small populations on the mainland but large populations on the islands. Orientocoluber spinalis is mainly found in low-altitude ecotone habitats between grasslands and forests. Based on previous genetic and climatic studies, we propose designating it as an endangered species to conserve this species in protected areas such as national parks, and its non-isolated mainland populations can be preserved as source populations.
Measurement of mouse head and neck tumors by automated analysis of CBCT images
Authors: Van Court Benjamin , Neupert Brooke , Nguyen Diemmy , Ross Richard , Knitz Michael W. , Karam Sana D.
Published: July 2023

Animal experiments are often used to determine effects of drugs and other biological conditions on cancer progression, but poor accuracy and reproducibility of established tumor measurement methods make results unreliable. In orthotopic mouse models of head and neck cancer, tumor volumes approximated from caliper measurements are conventionally used to compare groups, but geometrical challenges make the procedure imprecise. To address this, we developed software to better measure these tumors by automated analysis of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. This allows for analyses of tumor shape and growth dynamics that would otherwise be too inaccurate to provide biological insight. Monitoring tumor growth by calipers and imaging in parallel, we find that caliper measurements of small tumors are weakly correlated with actual tumor volume and highly susceptible to experimenter bias. The method presented provides a unique window to sources of error in a foundational aspect of preclinical head and neck cancer research and a valuable tool to mitigate them.
How do North American weather regimes drive wind energy at the sub-seasonal to seasonal timescales?
Authors: Liu Ye , Feng Sha , Qian Yun , Huang Huilin , Berg Larry K.
Published: July 2023

There has been an increasing need for forecasting power generation at the subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) timescales to support the operation, management, and planning of the wind-energy system. At the S2S timescales, atmospheric variability is largely related to recurrent and persistent weather patterns, referred to as weather regimes (WRs). In this study, we identify four WRs that influence wind resources over North America using a universal two-stage procedure approach. These WRs are responsible for large-scale wind and power production anomalies over the CONUS at the S2S timescales. The WR-based reconstruction explains up to 40% of the monthly variance of power production over the western United States, and the explanatory power of WRs generally increases with the increase of timescales. The identified relationship between WRs and power production reveals the potential and limitations of the regional WR-based wind resource assessment over different regions of the CONUS across multiple timescales.
Endemic infectious states below the epidemic threshold and beyond herd immunity
Authors: Aguilar Javier , García Beatriz Arregui , Toral Raúl , Meloni Sandro , Ramasco José J.
Published: July 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic exhibits intertwined epidemic waves with anomalous fade-outs characterized by persistent low prevalence. These long-living epidemic states complicate epidemic control and challenge current modeling approaches. Here we introduce a modification of the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered model in a meta-population framework where a small inflow of infected individuals accounts for undetected imported cases. Focusing on a regime where this external seeding is so small that cannot be detected from the analysis of epidemic curves, we find that outbreaks of finite duration percolate in time, resulting in overall low but long-living epidemic states. Using a two-state description of the local dynamics, we can extract analytical predictions for the phase space. The comparison with epidemic data demonstrates that our model is able to reproduce some critical signatures observed in COVID-19 spreading in England. Finally, our findings defy our understanding of the concept of epidemic threshold and its relationship with outbreaks survival for disease control.
Panarctic lakes exerted a small positive feedback on early Holocene warming due to deglacial release of methane
Authors: Brosius L. S. , Walter Anthony K. M. , Treat C. C. , Jones M. C. , Dyonisius M. , Grosse G.
Published: July 2023

Climate-driven permafrost thaw can release ancient carbon to the atmosphere, begetting further warming in a positive feedback loop. Polar ice core data and young radiocarbon ages of dissolved methane in thermokarst lakes have challenged the importance of this feedback, but field studies did not adequately account for older methane released from permafrost through bubbling. We synthesized panarctic isotope and emissions datasets to derive integrated ages of panarctic lake methane fluxes. Methane age in modern thermokarst lakes (3132 ± 731 years before present) reflects remobilization of ancient carbon. Thermokarst-lake methane emissions fit within the constraints imposed by polar ice core data. Younger, albeit ultimately larger sources of methane from glacial lakes, estimated here, lagged those from thermokarst lakes. Our results imply that panarctic lake methane release was a small positive feedback to climate warming, comprising up to 17% of total northern hemisphere sources during the deglacial period.
A one-tube dual-readout biosensor for detection of nucleic acids and non-nucleic acids using CRISPR-ALP tandem assay
Authors: Ke Xinxin , Hu Yi , Chen Chuanxia , Hu Tao
Published: July 2023

CRISAT is a one-tube dual-readout biosensor developed by harnessing CRISPR-ALP tandem assay. This sensor has great potential for the detection of nucleic acids and non-nucleic acids.
An extracellular electron transfer enhanced electrochemiluminescence aptasensor for Escherichia coli analysis
Authors: Zhong Xinyi , Deng Yuan , Yang Qiling , Yi Sirui , Qiu Haiyan , Chen Lanlan , Hu Shanwen
Published: July 2023

A novel extracellular electron transfer enhanced electrochemiluminescence aptasensor for E. coli analysis was established.
Probing fluctuations in sulfur dioxide and viscosity levels during mitochondrial dysfunction using a dual-response fluorescent probe with good water solubility
Authors: Zhang Hankun , Cheng Wenshuo , Zeng Siqi , Wang Benhua , Song Xiangzhi
Published: July 2023

A dual-response fluorescent probe (MBI) was developed for the detection of SO2 and viscosity. Probe MBI was successfully applied to image SO2 and viscosity during mitochondrial dysfunction and cell apoptosis with good performance.
Multifunctional electrolyte additive for realizing high-temperature and high-voltage lithium metal batteries
Authors: Zhang Erlei , Tian Huijie , Li Meng , Le Shiru , Wu Lijun , Li Bingjiang , Fan Lishuang , Zhang Naiqing
Published: July 2023

Besides serving as a conventional electrode protector, MTC exhibits effective byproduct removal in the electrolyte, thus contributing to its stabilization.
Extraction-free, one-pot CRISPR/Cas12a detection of microRNAs directly from extracellular vesicles
Authors: Yan He , Han Song , Hughes Steven , Zeng Yong
Published: July 2023

Extraction-free and one-pot CRISPR-Cas12a-based detection of extracellular vesicle microRNAs.
Mitochondrial NIR imaging probe mitigating oxidative damage by targeting HDAC6
Authors: Kim Jungryun , Jangili Paramesh , Kim Jeongah , Lucia Stephani Edwina , Ryu Jae Ryun , Prasad Renuka , Zi Soyu , Kim Pilhan , Sun Woong , Kim Jong Seung
Published: July 2023

Despite the apparent copious fluorescent probes targeting mitochondria, the development of low cytotoxic probes is still needed. We have newly developed a novel NIR mitochondrial probe that exhibits low toxicity.
Molecular modelling of shockwave-mediated delivery of paclitaxel aggregates across the neuronal plasma membrane
Authors: Mi Zhou , Zhou Wenyu , Yang Hong , Cao Luoxia , Li Ming , Zhou Yang
Published: July 2023

Shock-assisted paclitaxel (PTX) transport across the blood–brain barrier offers a promising treatment strategy for brain tumors.
Electronic spectroscopy of homo- and heterometallic binuclear coinage metal phosphine complexes in isolation
Authors: Schmitt Marcel J. P. , Kruppa Sebastian V. , Walg Simon P. , Thiel Werner R. , Klopper Wim , Riehn Christoph
Published: July 2023

Electronic transitions ofin situsynthesized homo- and heterobinuclear coinage metal complexes revealing spectral blue-shifts in correlation to increasing metal–metal distance.
Enhancing photocatalytic overall water-splitting performance on dual-active-sites of the Co–P@MoS2 catalysts: a DFT study
Authors: Ma Jing , Wang Xin , Yang Dongchun , Fan Jianhua , Lai Xiaoyong , Eglitis Roberts I. , Liu Yingtao
Published: July 2023

Basal plane of Co–P@MoS2 was found to be prominently stabilized by Co–P band, and the synergy of dual-active sites significantly improves OER and HER performance.
C–N linked donor type porphyrin derivatives: unrevealed hole-transporting materials for efficient hybrid perovskite solar cells
Authors: Reis Melani J. A. , Nogueira Ana T. , Eulálio Ana , Moura Nuno M. M. , Rodrigues Joana , Ivanou Dzmitry , Abreu Paulo E. , Correia M. Rosário P. , Neves Maria G. P. M. S. , Pereira Ana M. V. M. , Mendes Adélio
Published: July 2023

A novel series of Zn(ii) and Cu(ii)-based porphyrin complexes doubly functionalised with carbazole units pave the way for efficient hole-transporting materials for perovskite solar cells.
Zero-dimensional organic–inorganic hybrid manganese bromide with coexistence of dielectric–thermal double switches and efficient photoluminescence
Authors: Wu Ling-Kun , Zou Qing-Hua , Yao Hai-Quan , Ye Heng-Yun , Li Jian-Rong
Published: July 2023

A new zero-dimensional lead-free compound (TEMA)2MnBr4 was synthesized with a potential dielectric–thermal double switch and high-efficiency fluorescence properties.
Prolonging the cycling lifetime of lithium metal batteries with a monolithic and inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase
Authors: Yang Jinlin , Li Menghao , Sun Zejun , Lian Xu , Wang Yanan , Niu Yuxiang , Jiang Chonglai , Luo Yani , Liu Yuan , Tian Zhangliu , Long Yu , Zhang Kun , Yu Pengcheng , Zhang Jia , Wang Zeheng , Wu Gang , Gu Meng , Chen Wei
Published: July 2023

A small amount of methoxide additive is found to effectively induce preferential adsorption of anions (i.e., TFSI− and NO3−) on the surface of the Li metal anode, contributing to an inorganic-rich SEI and enabling stable Li metal batteries.
Contact-sliding-separation mode triboelectric nanogenerator
Authors: Yu Yang , Gao Qi , Zhang Xiaosong , Zhao Da , Xia Xiao , Wang Jianlong , Li Hengyu , Wang Zhong Lin , Cheng Tinghai
Published: July 2023

Here, we propose a contact-sliding-separation mode TENG (CSS-TENG) that couples the vertical contact-separation mode and the lateral sliding mode. The CSS-TENG demonstrates exceptional charge generation capability and remarkably low surface wear.
A facile synthetic approach based on thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione to construct polymer donors for highly efficient organic solar cells
Authors: Xu Lin-Yong , Gao Yuan , Wang Wei , Shao Yiming , Chen Mingxia , Yang Xinrong , Fu Yuang , Zhang Meimei , Lu Xinhui , Sun Rui , Min Jie
Published: July 2023

A new facile synthetic approach enables TPD derivatives to become part of the simple A-unit family in OSCs.
Synthesis of biobased amines via Pd-catalysed telomerisation of the renewable β-myrcene in a water/ethanol multiphase system: catalyst recycling enabled by a self-separating product phase
Authors: Kampwerth Anna , Terhorst Michael , Kampling Nils , Vogt Dieter , Seidensticker Thomas
Published: July 2023

A recycling concept for the palladium-catalyzed amino-telomerization of the renewable β-myrcene was established via self-separating products in an aqueous multiphase system.
Automated electrokinetic stretcher for manipulating nanomaterials
Authors: Soh Beatrice W. , Ooi Zi-En , Vissol-Gaudin Eleonore , Leong Chang Jie , Hippalgaonkar Kedar
Published: July 2023

An automated microfluidic platform for trapping and stretching individual micro- and nanoscale objects in solution using electrokinetic forces.
Contactless acoustic tweezer for droplet manipulation on superhydrophobic surfaces
Authors: Luo Tao , Liu Sirui , Zhou Rui , Zhang Chen , Chen Dongyang , Zhan Yi , Hu Qilin , He Xi , Xie Yu , Huan Zhijie , Gao Wendi , Li Ruirui , Yuan Gongfa , Wang Yancheng , Zhou Wei
Published: July 2023

A contact acoustic tweezer uses a single ultrasound transducer to move droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces with great simplicity, versatility, and controllability.
The parameter space for scalable integration of atomically thin graphene with Nafion for proton exchange membrane (PEM) applications
Authors: Chaturvedi Pavan , Moehring Nicole K. , Knight Thomas , Shah Rahul , Vlassiouk Ivan , Kidambi Piran R.
Published: July 2023

Incorporating atomically thin graphene into proton exchange membranes (PEMs) via scalable and facile processes presents the potential for advancing energy conversion and storage applications while mitigating persistent issues of undesired species crossover.
Ultrafast variation of the polarized state in proton-π electron coupled ferroelectric cocrystal Phz-H2ca
Authors: Sugisawa Akihiro , Umanodan Tsugumi , Yu Hongwu , Ishikawa Tadahiko , Koshihara Shin-ya , Horiuchi Sachio , Okimoto Yoichi
Published: July 2023

Optically driven ferroelectric polarization reversal and its dynamics are observed in hydrogen-bonded organic ferroelectrics on a scale of about 10 ps.
Selenium analogues of rintodestrant (G1T48) as potent estrogen receptor modulators and downregulators
Authors: Paegle Edgars , Dimitrijevs Pavels , Arsenyan Pavel
Published: July 2023

We report the design and synthesis of 7 novel benzoselenophenes, and their ER-α binding activity and cytotoxicity. Compound 21b is a considerably more effective ER-α binder (IC50 = 0.44 nM) than the widely known SERM drug raloxifene (IC50 = 1.78 nM).
C–H functionalization of aromatic amines for azidation catalyzed by Betti base coordinated copper(ii) complexes under ultrasonication
Authors: G. Premkumar , Swu Toka , Gupta Richa , R. Kothandaraman
Published: July 2023

Five new Betti base copper(ii) complexes (C1–C5) are successfully synthesized and characterized spectroscopically.
A cobalt(ii) coordination polymer with 6-aminonicotinate and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane as a new electrochemical sensor for determination of dopamine
Authors: Kukovec Boris-Marko , Rončević Ivana Škugor , Vladislavić Nives , Chatterjee Nabanita , Sokol Vesna , Oliver Clive L.
Published: July 2023

Dopamine (DA), a typical and representative catecholamine, is crucial for medical treatment and clinical analysis because it is an essential neurotransmitter.
Photosensitizer-free, visible light-mediated recyclable gold-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryldiazonium salts and alkynyltrimethylsilanes
Authors: Li Jiajia , Chen Junmin , Zhu Hefeng , Cai Mingzhong
Published: July 2023

Photosensitizer-free visible light-mediated cross-coupling of aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates and alkynyltrimethylsilanes has been achieved using a recyclable SBA-15-anchored triphenylphosphine–gold(i) complex as a catalyst.
Optimisation of GraPhage13 macro-dispersibility via understanding the pH-dependent ionisation during self-assembly: towards the manufacture of graphene-based nanodevices
Authors: Stokes Kate , Sun Yiwei , Passaretti Paolo , White Henry , Goldberg Oppenheimer Pola
Published: July 2023

GraPhage13 aerogels (GPAs) are micro-porous structures generated through the self-assembly of graphene oxide (GO) and M13 bacteriophage.
Sulfur-rich polymers with heating/UV light-responsive shape memory and temperature-modulated self-healing
Authors: Yang Zhao , Yan Peiyao , Li Xiaohu , Miao Congcong , Cai Shanshan (Diana) , Ji Weigang , Song Mengyuan , Dodd Liam J. , Wu Xiaofeng , Hasell Tom , Song Pengfei
Published: July 2023

Synthesis of an inverse vulcanised polymer with bended mono- and di-olefins, adjusting the ratio of which allows control of the shape memory response and self-healing temperatures.