bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eco-packaging in organic foods: rational decisions or emotional influences?
Authors: Lombardi Alessia , Califano Giovanbattista , Caracciolo Francesco , Del Giudice Teresa , Cembalo Luigi
Published: September 2023

The introduction of biodegradable and compostable packaging has been a significant milestone in reducing conventional plastic use, particularly in sectors that prioritize sustainability like the organic food industry. This study explores the factors influencing the selection of such packaging, with a specific focus on the role of emotions in a representative sample of Italian consumers. Two models, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Rational-Emotional Model (REM), were evaluated and compared. The TPB model confirms that positive attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence the intention to choose biodegradable and compostable packaging. The REM reveals that environmental concern, cognitive benefits, and emotions significantly impact purchase intentions. The REM explains a greater variance in intention compared to the TPB model, highlighting the importance of combining rational and emotional components. Biodegradable and compostable packaging aligns well with the target consumers of organic food, making it an excellent solution for organic produce. Emotions play a crucial role in shaping consumer intentions and behaviors. Marketing strategies should appeal to consumers’ emotional responses, address cognitive concerns, and highlight the specific benefits of sustainable packaging. This research emphasizes the relevance of bioplastic packaging for organic products and underscores the significance of emotions in influencing consumer behavior.
How to Distribute Charging Requests of Electronic Vehicles? A Reservation-based Approach
Authors: Eggert Mathias , Kling Rene
Published: September 2023

The number of electronic vehicles increase steadily while the space for extending the charging infrastructure is limited. In particular in urban areas, where parking spaces in attractive areas are famous, opportunities to setup new charging stations is very limited. This leads to an overload of some very attractive charging stations and an underutilization of less attractive ones. Against this background, the paper at hand presents the design of an e-vehicle reservation system that aims at distributing the utilization of the charging infrastructure, particularly in urban areas. By applying a design science approach, the requirements for a reservation-based utilization approach are elicited and a model for a suitable distribution approach and its instantiation are developed. The artefact is evaluated by simulating the distribution effects based on data of real charging station utilizations.
Diversity and Representation Among United States Participants in Amgen Clinical Trials
Authors: Racadio E. Racquel , Rai Angshu , Kizilirmak Pinar , Agarwal Sonali , Sosa Eloy , Desborough Claire , Adnan Tatheer , Zhou Lei , Balasubramanian Akhila , Sharma Anushree , Motsepe-Ditshego Ponda
Published: September 2023

Objective

Describe the demographic profile of US participants in Amgen clinical trials over a 10-year period and variations across therapeutic areas, indications, and geographies.

Methods

Cross-sectional retrospective study including participants enrolled (2005–2020) in phase 1–3 trials completed between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2021.

Results

Among 31,619 participants enrolled across 258 trials, one-fifth represented racial minority populations (Asian, 3%; Black or African American, 17%; American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, multiracial, each < 1%); fewer than one-fifth (16%) represented an ethnic minority population (Hispanic or Latino). Compared with census data, representation of racial and ethnic groups varied across US states. Across most therapeutic areas (bone, cardiovascular, hematology/oncology, inflammation, metabolic disorders, neuroscience) except nephrology, participants were predominantly White (72–81%). A similar proportion of males and females were enrolled between 2005 and 2016; male representation was disproportionately higher than female between 2016 and 2020. Across most medical indications, the majority of participants were 18–65 years of age.

Conclusions and Relevance

While the clinical research community is striving to achieve diversity and proportional representation across clinical trials, certain populations remain underrepresented. Our data provide a baseline assessment of the diversity and representation of US participants in Amgen-sponsored clinical trials and add to a growing body of evidence on the importance of diversity in clinical research. These data provide a foundation for strategies aimed at supporting more equitable and representative research, and a baseline from which to assess the impact of future strategies to advance health equity.
Black Americans’ Diminished Return of Educational Attainment on Tobacco Use in Baltimore City
Authors: Barsha Rifath Ara Alam , Assari Shervin , Hossain Mian B. , Apata Jummai , Sheikhattari Payam
Published: September 2023

Background

Socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as educational attainment are fundamental factors affecting health. One mechanism through which education affects health is by reducing the likelihood of engaging in high-risk behaviors such as smoking. However, according to the marginalization-related diminished returns (MDRs) theory, the association between education and health may be weaker for marginalized populations such as Black than White, primarily due to racism and discrimination. However, little is known about the racial variations in the differential associations between educational attainment and tobacco use in a local setting.

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the differential association between educational attainment and tobacco use among racial groups in a community sample in Baltimore City.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used data from a community survey conducted in 2012–2013 in Baltimore City among adults aged 18 years or older. The participants were 3501 adults. Univariate, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata to investigate the racial difference in the association between education and two outcomes: current smoking status and menthol tobacco product use.

Results

The study found that adults with a graduate degree were less likely to be current smokers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08–0.13) and menthol tobacco users (AOR: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.07–0.14) compared to those with less than high school diploma. The inverse associations between educational attainment and current smoking (AOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.05–3.21) and menthol tobacco product use (AOR: 4.73, 95% CI: 2.07–10.80) were weaker for Back individuals than those who were White.

Conclusion

Due to MDRs of educational attainment, while highly educated White adults show a low risk of tobacco use, educated Black adults remain at a disproportionately increased risk. The study emphasizes the need for better policies and programs that address minorities’ diminished return of education for tobacco use.
Association Between Nominal Categorical Variables: New Measure Formulation Based on Metric Distances and Value Validity
Authors: Kvålseth Tarald O.
Published: September 2023

When dealing with nominal categorical data, it is often desirable to know the degree of association or dependence between the categorical variables. While there is literally no limit to the number of alternative association measures that have been proposed over the years, they all yield greatly varying, contradictory, and unreliable results due to their lack of an important property: value validity. After discussing the value-validity property, this paper introduces a new measure of association (dependence) based on the mean Euclidean distance between probability distributions, one being a distribution under independence. Both the asymmetric form, when one variable can be considered as the explanatory (independent) variable and one as the response (dependent) variable, and the symmetric form of the measure are introduced. Particular emphasis is given to the important 2 × 2 case when each variable has two categories, but the general case of any number of categories is also covered. Besides having the value-validity property, the new measure has all the prerequisites of a good association measure. Comparisons are made with the well-known Goodman–Kruskal lambda and tau measures. Statistical inference procedure for the new measure is also derived and numerical examples are provided.
A lattice theoretical interpretation of generalized deep holes of the Leech lattice vertex operator algebra
Authors: Lam Ching Hung , Miyamoto Masahiko
Published: September 2023

We give a lattice theoretical interpretation of generalized deep holes of the Leech lattice VOA

$V_\Lambda $

. We show that a generalized deep hole defines a ‘true’ automorphism invariant deep hole of the Leech lattice. We also show that there is a correspondence between the set of isomorphism classes of holomorphic VOA V of central charge

$24$

having non-abelian

$V_1$

and the set of equivalence classes of pairs

$(\tau , \tilde {\beta })$

satisfying certain conditions, where

$\tau \in Co.0$

and

$\tilde {\beta }$

is a

$\tau $

-invariant deep hole of squared length

$2$

. It provides a new combinatorial approach towards the classification of holomorphic VOAs of central charge

$24$

. In particular, we give an explanation for an observation of G. Höhn, which relates the weight one Lie algebras of holomorphic VOAs of central charge

$24$

to certain codewords associated with the glue codes of Niemeier lattices.
Role of viscosity in turbulent drop break-up
Authors: Farsoiya Palas Kumar , Liu Zehua , Daiss Andreas , Fox Rodney O. , Deike Luc
Published: September 2023

We investigate drop break-up morphology, occurrence, time and size distribution, through large ensembles of high-fidelity direct-numerical simulations of drops in homogeneous isotropic turbulence, spanning a wide range of parameters in terms of the Weber number

$We$

, viscosity ratio between the drop and the carrier flow

$\mu _r=\mu _d/\mu _l$

, where d is the drop diameter, and Reynolds (

$Re$

) number. For

$\mu _r \leq 20$

, we find a nearly constant critical

$We$

, while it increases with

$\mu _r$

(and

$Re$

) when

$\mu _r > 20$

, and the transition can be described in terms of a drop Reynolds number. The break-up time is delayed when

$\mu _r$

increases and is a function of distance to criticality. The first break-up child-size distributions for

$\mu _r \leq 20$

transition from M to U shape when the distance to criticality is increased. At high

$\mu _r$

, the shape of the distribution is modified. The first break-up child-size distribution gives only limited information on the fragmentation dynamics, as the subsequent break-up sequence is controlled by the drop geometry and viscosity. At high

$We$

, a

$d^{-3/2}$

size distribution is observed for

$\mu _r \leq 20$

, which can be explained by capillary-driven processes, while for

$\mu _r > 20$

, almost all drops formed by the fragmentation process are at the smallest scale, controlled by the diameter of the very extended filament, which exhibits a snake-like shape prior to break-up.
Are rural attitudes just Republican?
Authors: Lin Jennifer , Lunz Trujillo Kristin
Published: September 2023

Rural residents are typically construed as being more conservative than urban residents. Is this true, or do rural residents carry unique interests from Republicans or conservatives? Using the 2020 ANES, we compare responses from 22 national issues by interacting urban and rural residency with Republican and Democrat identification. We find that issue preferences are partisan, not place-based: rural Democrats resemble their urban counterparts and urban Republicans resemble their rural counterparts, rather than rural areas specifically being more Republican. However, rural Democrats are more conservative than urban Democrats on issues relating to immigration, transgendered people in the military, and income inequality. These results point to partisan nationalization in issue stances, with exceptions, and that rural is not always Republican.
Developing food-based dietary recommendations in the UK
Authors: Cullum Adrienne
Published: September 2023

The present paper provides an overview of the approach to developing food-based dietary recommendations in the UK. UK dietary recommendations are based on independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). SACN's remit includes specific reference to the nutrient content of individual foods and advice on diet as a whole, including the definition of a balanced diet. SACN's approach is set out in its Framework for Evaluating Evidence and its assessments are supported by the data provided by the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. SACN's risk assessments have primarily focused on energy requirements, macro and micronutrients and/or the needs of specific population groups. However, dietary patterns or individual foods and health outcomes have been considered where sufficient evidence is available. An example of this is SACN's risk assessment on carbohydrates and health, which included consideration of evidence on sugar-sweetened beverages and the resulting dietary recommendations on free sugars and sugar-sweetened beverages led to a range of policies to reduce sugar intake in the UK, including the soft drinks industry levy. SACN has also recently published a position statement on processed foods and health. Government dietary advice is encapsulated in the UK's national food model, the Eatwell Guide. The Eatwell Guide shows the proportions in which different food groups should be consumed to have a well-balanced, healthier, more sustainable diet, to help meet nutrient requirements and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Any substantive change to government dietary advice is likely to lead to a review of the national food model.
A brief survey of observers for disturbance estimation and compensation
Authors: Li Teng , Xing Hongjun , Hashemi Ehsan , Taghirad Hamid D. , Tavakoli Mahdi
Published: September 2023

An accurate dynamic model of a robot is fundamentally important for a control system, while uncertainties residing in the model are inevitable in a physical robot system. The uncertainties can be categorized as internal disturbances and external disturbances in general. The former may include dynamic model errors and joint frictions, while the latter may include external payloads or human-exerted force to the robot. Disturbance observer is an important technique to estimate and compensate for the uncertainties of the dynamic model. Different types of disturbance observers have been developed to estimate the lumped uncertainties so far. In this paper, we conducted a brief survey on five typical types of observers from a perspective of practical implementation in a robot control system, including generalized momentum observer (GMO), joint velocity observer (JVOB), nonlinear disturbance observer (NDOB), disturbance Kalman filter (DKF), and extended state observer (ESO). First, we introduced the basics of each observer including equations and derivations. Two common types of disturbances are considered as two scenarios,that is, constant external disturbance and time-varying external disturbance. Then, the observers are separately implemented in each of the two simulated scenarios, and the disturbance tracking performance of each observer is presented while their performance in the same scenario has also been compared in the same figure. Finally, the main features and possible behaviors of each type of observer are summarized and discussed. This survey is devoted to helping readers learn the basic expressions of five typical observers and implement them in a robot control system.
Health System Response to the 2023 Floods in Emilia-Romagna, Italy: A Field Report
Authors: Valente Martina , Zanellati Maicol , Facci Giulia , Zanna Nicola , Petrone Emilio , Moretti Erika , Barone-Adesi Francesco , Ragazzoni Luca
Published: September 2023

In May 2023, the Italian region Emilia-Romagna was hit by intense rainfall, which caused extensive floods in densely populated areas. On May 4, 2023, a 12-month state of emergency was declared in the region with the activation of response and recovery plans. This field report provides an overview of the health response to the floods, paying particular attention to the measures put in place to ensure care for displaced populations and raising interesting points of discussion regarding the role of the health system during extreme weather events (EWEs). The considerations that emerge from this report underline the need for a primary care approach to disasters, especially when these occur in areas with a high prevalence of elderly resident population, and underscore the importance of integration of different levels of care.
Conceptualising socially inclusive environmental policy: a just transition to Net Zero
Authors: Middlemiss Lucie , Snell Carolyn , Morrison Emily , Chzhen Yekaterina , Owen Anne , Kennedy Kelli , Theminimulle Samanthi , Carregha Tania
Published: September 2023

The policy area addressing the climate crisis in the UK, ‘Net Zero’, will affect many aspects of people’s everyday life. Given that policy builds from where we are now, which for some (post austerity, and mid cost of living crisis) means in financial crisis, there is work to be done in enabling a socially inclusive Net Zero. In this article, we modify the Bristol Social Exclusion Matrix’s four forms of participation for social inclusion, drawing on the existing literature on the social risks of environmental policy, to articulate the risks of social exclusion in transition to Net Zero. This enables us to develop a ‘person-centred’ approach to understanding the risks of Net Zero, articulating the risks of exclusion, and who is likely to be affected by them. We conclude by outlining a framework for an inclusive transition, and commenting on the policy and research implications of our thinking.
We need to talk about values: a proposed framework for the articulation of normative reasoning in health technology assessment
Authors: Charlton Victoria , DiStefano Michael , Mitchell Polly , Morrell Liz , Rand Leah , Badano Gabriele , Baker Rachel , Calnan Michael , Chalkidou Kalipso , Culyer Anthony , Howdon Daniel , Hughes Dyfrig , Lomas James , Max Catherine , McCabe Christopher , O'Mahony James F. , Paulden Mike , Pemberton-Whiteley Zack , Rid Annette , Scuffham Paul , Sculpher Mark , Shah Koonal , Weale Albert , Wester Gry
Published: September 2023

It is acknowledged that health technology assessment (HTA) is an inherently value-based activity that makes use of normative reasoning alongside empirical evidence. But the language used to conceptualise and articulate HTA's normative aspects is demonstrably unnuanced, imprecise, and inconsistently employed, undermining transparency and preventing proper scrutiny of the rationales on which decisions are based. This paper – developed through a cross-disciplinary collaboration of 24 researchers with expertise in healthcare priority-setting – seeks to address this problem by offering a clear definition of key terms and distinguishing between the types of normative commitment invoked during HTA, thus providing a novel conceptual framework for the articulation of reasoning. Through application to a hypothetical case, it is illustrated how this framework can operate as a practical tool through which HTA practitioners and policymakers can enhance the transparency and coherence of their decision-making, while enabling others to hold them more easily to account. The framework is offered as a starting point for further discussion amongst those with a desire to enhance the legitimacy and fairness of HTA by facilitating practical public reasoning, in which decisions are made on behalf of the public, in public view, through a chain of reasoning that withstands ethical scrutiny.
Mineral Prospectivity Mapping of Tungsten Polymetallic Deposits Using Machine Learning Algorithms and Comparison of Their Performance in the Gannan Region, China
Authors: Lou Yonghang , Liu Yue
Published: September 2023

The current study aims at assessing the capabilities of five machine learning models in terms of mapping tungsten polymetallic prospectivity in the Gannan region, China. The five models include logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), random forest, convolutional neural network (CNN), and light gradient boosting machine (LGBM) models. Three types of data sets including geochemical data, lithostratigraphic contacts, and faults were employed to generate 16 evidential maps that were used to build the machine learning models. Tungsten polymetallic deposits were randomly separated into two parts: 80% for training and 20% for validating. Performance of the models was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic and K‐fold cross validation, with an emphasis on the variable influence within different machine learning methods. The results show that the models are especially sensitive to the chemical elements: Be, Bi, Pb, and Cd, implying that they are closely related to tungsten polymetallic mineralization. Compared to other models, the LGBM and CNN models performed best, while the LR model was the most stable. The results also indicated that the CNN model can predict the maximum number of tungsten polymetallic deposits within the minimum area based on the prediction‐area plot analysis, while the SVM model can capture the least amount of tungsten polymetallic deposits within the largest area. Finally, 18 prospective areas were delineated according to the prediction results of the machine learning models, which provided important guidance for tungsten polymetallic exploration in the study area.
Chemical Oxygen Demand as a Measure of Fluvial Organic Matter Oxidation State
Authors: Worrall Fred , Clay Gareth D. , Howden Nicholas J. K. , Burt Tim P.
Published: September 2023

The oxidative ratio (OR) of the terrestrial biosphere is directly related to the size of the terrestrial biosphere carbon sink. In turn, OR of naturally occurring organic matter can be directly related to the oxidation state of the carbon in naturally occurring organic matter (Cox). Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a widely measured water quality parameter that has been used as a short‐term substitute for the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). Here, we propose that if the concentration of reduced species is known, then COD measurement can be used to assess the oxidation state (Cox) of fluvial organic C. Using a Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach, this study analyzed 21 years of water quality monitoring across England to calculate Cox of fluvial organic matter. The study showed that (a) COD could not be considered separately from the reduced species (e.g., NH4) commonly occurring in freshwater water samples, but it was still possible to calculate the Cox of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC). (b) The median Cox of DOC was 0.23 with a 95th percentile range of −0.1 to 0.4. (c) The median Cox of POC was 0.20 with a 95th percentile range of 0.03–0.37. (d) The estimated Cox in fluvial systems confirms that BOD is decoupled from the production of CO2. Including new Cox estimates in the global estimate of OR gives a new median value of 1.059 with a 95th percentile range of 1.047–1.071, giving the annual flux of CO2 to land (fland) of 1.45 ± 0.1 Gt C/year.
Seasonal Tropospheric Distribution and Air‐Sea Fluxes of Atmospheric Potential Oxygen From Global Airborne Observations
Authors: Jin Yuming , Stephens Britton B. , Keeling Ralph F. , Morgan Eric J. , Rödenbeck Christian , Patra Prabir K. , Long Matthew C.
Published: September 2023

Seasonal change of atmospheric potential oxygen (APO ∼ O2 + CO2) is a tracer for air‐sea O2 flux with little sensitivity to the terrestrial exchange of O2 and CO2. In this study, we present the tropospheric distribution and inventory of APO in each hemisphere with seasonal resolution, using O2 and CO2 measurements from discrete airborne campaigns between 2009 and 2018. The airborne data are represented on a mass‐weighted isentropic coordinate (Mθe) as an alternative to latitude, which reduces the noise from synoptic variability in the APO cycles. We find a larger seasonal amplitude of APO inventory in the Southern Hemisphere relative to the Northern Hemisphere, and a larger amplitude in high latitudes (low Mθe) relative to low latitudes (high Mθe) within each hemisphere. With a box model, we invert the seasonal changes in APO inventory to yield estimates of air‐sea flux cycles at the hemispheric scale. We found a larger seasonal net outgassing of APO in the Southern Hemisphere (518 ± 52.6 Tmol) than in the Northern Hemisphere (342 ± 52.1 Tmol). Differences in APO phasing and amplitude between the hemispheres suggest distinct physical and biogeochemical mechanisms driving the air‐sea O2 fluxes, such as fall outgassing of photosynthetic O2 in the Northern Hemisphere, possibly associated with the formation of the seasonal subsurface shallow oxygen maximum. We compare our estimates with four model‐ and observation‐based products, identifying key limitations in these products or in the tools used to create them.
Dawn‐Dusk Asymmetry of Energetic Electron at LEO During a Storm: Observation by FY3E
Authors: Sun Yi‐Xin , Zong Qiu‐Gang , Liu Ying , Ye Yu‐Guang , Zou Hong , Yue Chao , Zhou Xu‐Zhi , Hao Yi‐Xin
Published: September 2023

Electrons in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) have been a popular research topic since the early days of space exploration. However, due to the limited pitch angle coverage and energy resolution of past in‐situ measurements, there is still much to uncover about the radiation environment. Fortunately, the recently launched satellite FY3E, which is equipped with the Medium‐Energy Electron Detector, is changing this. FY3E is the world's first early‐morning‐orbit meteorological satellite for civil use. With the ability to provide full pitch angle coverage and discrete energy measurements of 30–600 keV electrons, we now have an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the dynamics of space radiation at LEO and Magnetosphere‐Ionosphere coupling. Using the newly available measurements, we have discovered that during storms, electron precipitation exhibits dawn‐dusk asymmetry up to 100 keV. At dawn sector downward electrons can be similar to trapped electrons, and the loss cone ratio (precipitating flux over trapped flux) can be as high as unity at L‐shell greater than 6. While at dusk barely precipitation can be seen. The flux of trapped, upward, downward and net precipitation are calculated, and separate energy flux spectra of downward, upward, and trapped electrons are presented for the first time. With significant upward electrons up to 200 keV, asymmetric local pitch angle is observed at dawn within intense precipitation. In light of these findings, FY3E reveals critical information for understanding the Magnetosphere‐Ionosphere Coupling process.
Garnet microstructures suggest ultra-fast decompression of ultrahigh-pressure rocks
Authors: Luisier Cindy , Tajčmanová Lucie , Yamato Philippe , Duretz Thibault
Published: September 2023

Plate tectonics is a key driver of many natural phenomena occurring on Earth, such as mountain building, climate evolution and natural disasters. How plate tectonics has evolved through time is still one of the fundamental questions in Earth sciences. Natural microstructures observed in exhumed ultrahigh-pressure rocks formed during continental collision provide crucial insights into tectonic processes in the Earth’s interior. Here, we show that radial cracks around SiO2 inclusions in ultrahigh-pressure garnets are caused by ultrafast decompression. Decompression rates of at least 8 GPa/Myr are inferred independently of current petrochronological estimates by using thermo-mechanical numerical modeling. Our results question the traditional interpretation of fast and significant vertical displacement of ultrahigh-pressure tectonic units during exhumation. Instead, we propose that such substantial decompression rates are related to abrupt changes in the stress state of the lithosphere independently of the spatial displacement.
Drainage explains soil liquefaction beyond the earthquake near-field
Authors: Ben-Zeev Shahar , Goren Liran , Toussaint Renaud , Aharonov Einat
Published: September 2023

Earthquake-induced soil-liquefaction is a devastating phenomenon associated with loss of soil rigidity due to seismic shaking, resulting in catastrophic liquid-like soil deformation. Traditionally, liquefaction is viewed as an effectively undrained process. However, since undrained liquefaction only initiates under high energy density, most earthquake liquefaction events remain unexplained, since they initiate far from the earthquake epicenter, under low energy density. Here we show that liquefaction can occur under drained conditions at remarkably low seismic-energy density, offering a general explanation for earthquake far-field liquefaction. Drained conditions promote interstitial fluid flow across the soil during earthquakes, leading to excess pore pressure gradients and loss of soil strength. Drained liquefaction is triggered rapidly and controlled by a propagating compaction front, whose velocity depends on the seismic-energy injection rate. Our findings highlight the importance of considering soil liquefaction under a spectrum of drainage conditions, with critical implications for liquefaction potential assessments and hazards.
FEAST: A flow cytometry-based toolkit for interrogating microglial engulfment of synaptic and myelin proteins
Authors: Dissing-Olesen Lasse , Walker Alec J. , Feng Qian , Barr Helena J. , Walker Alicia C. , Xie Lili , Wilton Daniel K. , Das Indrani , Benowitz Larry I. , Stevens Beth
Published: September 2023

Although engulfment is a hallmark of microglia function, fully validated platforms that facilitate high-throughput quantification of this process are lacking. Here, we present FEAST (Flow cytometric Engulfment Assay for Specific Target proteins), which enables interrogation of in vivo engulfment of synaptic material by brain resident macrophages at single-cell resolution. We optimize FEAST for two different analyses: quantification of fluorescent material inside live cells and of engulfed endogenous proteins within fixed cells. To overcome false-positive engulfment signals, we introduce an approach suitable for interrogating engulfment in microglia from perfusion-fixed tissue. As a proof-of-concept for the specificity and versatility of FEAST, we examine the engulfment of synaptic proteins after optic nerve crush and of myelin in two mouse models of demyelination (treatment with cuprizone and injections of lysolecithin). We find that microglia, but not brain-border associated macrophages, engulf in these contexts. Our work underscores how FEAST can be utilized to gain critical insight into functional neuro-immune interactions that shape development, homeostasis, and disease.
Lung extracellular matrix modulates KRT5+ basal cell activity in pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Hewitt Richard J. , Puttur Franz , Gaboriau David C. A. , Fercoq Frédéric , Fresquet Maryline , Traves William J. , Yates Laura L. , Walker Simone A. , Molyneaux Philip L. , Kemp Samuel V. , Nicholson Andrew G. , Rice Alexandra , Roberts Edward , Lennon Rachel , Carlin Leo M. , Byrne Adam J. , Maher Toby M. , Lloyd Clare M.
Published: September 2023

Aberrant expansion of KRT5+ basal cells in the distal lung accompanies progressive alveolar epithelial cell loss and tissue remodelling during fibrogenesis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The mechanisms determining activity of KRT5+ cells in IPF have not been delineated. Here, we reveal a potential mechanism by which KRT5+ cells migrate within the fibrotic lung, navigating regional differences in collagen topography. In vitro, KRT5+ cell migratory characteristics and expression of remodelling genes are modulated by extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and organisation. Mass spectrometry- based proteomics revealed compositional differences in ECM components secreted by primary human lung fibroblasts (HLF) from IPF patients compared to controls. Over-expression of ECM glycoprotein, Secreted Protein Acidic and Cysteine Rich (SPARC) in the IPF HLF matrix restricts KRT5+ cell migration in vitro. Together, our findings demonstrate how changes to the ECM in IPF directly influence KRT5+ cell behaviour and function contributing to remodelling events in the fibrotic niche.
Embedded shape morphing for morphologically adaptive robots
Authors: Sun Jiefeng , Lerner Elisha , Tighe Brandon , Middlemist Clint , Zhao Jianguo
Published: September 2023

Shape-morphing robots can change their morphology to fulfill different tasks in varying environments, but existing shape-morphing capability is not embedded in a robot’s body, requiring bulky supporting equipment. Here, we report an embedded shape-morphing scheme with the shape actuation, sensing, and locking, all embedded in a robot’s body. We showcase this embedded scheme using three morphing robotic systems: 1) self-sensing shape-morphing grippers that can adapt to objects for adaptive grasping; 2) a quadrupedal robot that can morph its body shape for different terrestrial locomotion modes (walk, crawl, or horizontal climb); 3) an untethered robot that can morph its limbs’ shape for amphibious locomotion. We also create a library of embedded morphing modules to demonstrate the versatile programmable shapes (e.g., torsion, 3D bending, surface morphing, etc.). Our embedded morphing scheme offers a promising avenue for robots to reconfigure their morphology in an embedded manner that can adapt to different environments on demand.
Solar-driven upgrading of biomass by coupled hydrogenation using in situ (photo)electrochemically generated H2
Authors: Obata Keisuke , Schwarze Michael , Thiel Tabea A. , Zhang Xinyi , Radhakrishnan Babu , Ahmet Ibbi Y. , van de Krol Roel , Schomäcker Reinhard , Abdi Fatwa F.
Published: September 2023

With the increasing pressure to decarbonize our society, green hydrogen has been identified as a key element in a future fossil fuel-free energy infrastructure. Solar water splitting through photoelectrochemical approaches is an elegant way to produce green hydrogen, but for low-value products like hydrogen, photoelectrochemical production pathways are difficult to be made economically competitive. A possible solution is to co-produce value-added chemicals. Here, we propose and demonstrate the in situ use of (photo)electrochemically generated H2 for the homogeneous hydrogenation of itaconic acid—a biomass-derived feedstock—to methyl succinic acid. Coupling these two processes offers major advantages in terms of stability and reaction flexibility compared to direct electrochemical hydrogenation, while minimizing the overpotential. An overall conversion of up to ~60% of the produced hydrogen is demonstrated for our coupled process, and a techno-economic assessment of our proposed device further reveals the benefit of coupling solar hydrogen production to a chemical transformation.
Encoding multistate charge order and chirality in endotaxial heterostructures
Authors: Husremović Samra , Goodge Berit H. , Erodici Matthew P. , Inzani Katherine , Mier Alberto , Ribet Stephanie M. , Bustillo Karen C. , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Ophus Colin , Griffin Sinéad M. , Bediako D. Kwabena
Published: September 2023

High-density phase change memory (PCM) storage is proposed for materials with multiple intermediate resistance states, which have been observed in 1T-TaS2 due to charge density wave (CDW) phase transitions. However, the metastability responsible for this behavior makes the presence of multistate switching unpredictable in TaS2 devices. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of nanothick verti-lateral H-TaS2/1T-TaS2 heterostructures in which the number of endotaxial metallic H-TaS2 monolayers dictates the number of resistance transitions in 1T-TaS2 lamellae near room temperature. Further, we also observe optically active heterochirality in the CDW superlattice structure, which is modulated in concert with the resistivity steps, and we show how strain engineering can be used to nucleate these polytype conversions. This work positions the principle of endotaxial heterostructures as a promising conceptual framework for reliable, non-volatile, and multi-level switching of structure, chirality, and resistance.
Seasonal advance of intense tropical cyclones in a warming climate
Authors: Shan Kaiyue , Lin Yanluan , Chu Pao-Shin , Yu Xiping , Song Fengfei
Published: September 2023

Intense tropical cyclones (TCs), which often peak in autumn1,2, have destructive impacts on life and property3–5, making it crucial to determine whether any changes in intense TCs are likely to occur. Here, we identify a significant seasonal advance of intense TCs since the 1980s in most tropical oceans, with earlier-shifting rates of 3.7 and 3.2 days per decade for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively. This seasonal advance of intense TCs is closely related to the seasonal advance of rapid intensification events, favoured by the observed earlier onset of favourable oceanic conditions. Using simulations from multiple global climate models, large ensembles and individual forcing experiments, the earlier onset of favourable oceanic conditions is detectable and primarily driven by greenhouse gas forcing. The seasonal advance of intense TCs will increase the likelihood of intersecting with other extreme rainfall events, which usually peak in summer6,7, thereby leading to disproportionate impacts.
Spatial atlas of the mouse central nervous system at molecular resolution
Authors: Shi Hailing , He Yichun , Zhou Yiming , Huang Jiahao , Maher Kamal , Wang Brandon , Tang Zefang , Luo Shuchen , Tan Peng , Wu Morgan , Lin Zuwan , Ren Jingyi , Thapa Yaman , Tang Xin , Chan Ken Y. , Deverman Benjamin E. , Shen Hao , Liu Albert , Liu Jia , Wang Xiao
Published: September 2023

Spatially charting molecular cell types at single-cell resolution across the 3D volume is critical for illustrating the molecular basis of brain anatomy and functions. Single-cell RNA sequencing has profiled molecular cell types in the mouse brain1,2, but cannot capture their spatial organization. Here we used an in situ sequencing method, STARmap PLUS3,4, to profile 1,022 genes in 3D at a voxel size of 194 × 194 × 345 nm3, mapping 1.09 million high-quality cells across the adult mouse brain and spinal cord. We developed computational pipelines to segment, cluster and annotate 230 molecular cell types by single-cell gene expression and 106 molecular tissue regions by spatial niche gene expression. Joint analysis of molecular cell types and molecular tissue regions enabled a systematic molecular spatial cell-type nomenclature and identification of tissue architectures that were undefined in established brain anatomy. To create a transcriptome-wide spatial atlas, we integrated STARmap PLUS measurements with a published single-cell RNA-sequencing atlas1, imputing single-cell expression profiles of 11,844 genes. Finally, we delineated viral tropisms of a brain-wide transgene delivery tool, AAV-PHP.eB5,6. Together, this annotated dataset provides a single-cell resource that integrates the molecular spatial atlas, brain anatomy and the accessibility to genetic manipulation of the mammalian central nervous system.
HLA alleles and haplotypes in Sudanese population and their relationship with Mediterraneans
Authors: Suarez-Trujillo Fabio , El-Safi Sayda , Juarez Ignacio , Palacio-Gruber José , Sanchez-Orta Alejandro , Martin-Villa José Manuel , Arnaiz-Villena Antonio
Published: September 2023

The contribution of migrated people from once green Sahara (about 10,000–6000 years bc) towards Mediterranean area had probably a double effect: both genetic and cultural connections have been described between Western Europe and North Africa. Sudanese populations from different ethnicities have been studied for HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 and -DQB1 antigens by a standard microlymphotoxicity method. Results found show that Nubians are genetically related with African Sub-Saharan populations and distant from other Sudanese tribes, who are closer to Mediterranean populations than to Sub-Saharan ones. This is concordant with other authors and meta-analysis data. Our present work is, to our knowledge, the first and only one HLA research that studies Sudanese people according to different Sudan ethnic groups: samples were collected before Sudan partition between North and South. A prehistoric genetic and peoples exchange between Africa and the Mediterranean basin may be observed and is supported with the results obtained in this Sudanese HLA study. However, demic diffusion model of agriculture and other anthropological traits from Middle East to West Europe/Maghreb do not exist: a more detailed Sahel and North African countries ancient and recent admixture studies are also being carried out which may clearer explain pastoralists/agriculture innovations origins in Eurafrican Mediterranean and Atlantic façade.
Dust in Western Iran: the emergence of new sources in response to shrinking water bodies
Authors: Beyranvand Azar , Azizi Ghasem , Alizadeh Omid , Darvishi Boloorani Ali
Published: September 2023

We detected sources of dust in the Middle East that contribute to dust events in Western Iran in different seasons. By the analysis of the synoptic data, we identified 309 dusty days in Western Iran during the period 2000–2016. A dusty day is diagnosed if under low horizontal visibility (< 1 km), the dust in suspension is reported at least once a day in at least three synoptic stations. We identified dust sources in the Middle East based on the analysis of the MOD04L2 data from MODIS, the backward HYSPLIT trajectory model, and synoptic conditions. The most influential sources affecting Western Iran are located on the shore and northwest of Lake Tharthar, Hour-al-Azim Marsh, the shore of Razzaza, Habbaniyah Lakes, and West Hammar Marsh, which contributed to 110, 79, 59, 56, and 51 dusty days, respectively. The fluctuation of the surface water area largely contributes to the variability of dusty days in Western Iran. Indeed, the peak dust activity in Western Iran was during the period 2008–2012 in response to the substantial shrinkage of the main water bodies in Iraq. The main sources of dust influencing Western Iran are located in northern and eastern Saudi Arabia in spring, Deir ez-Zur in Syria’s Aleppo and Raqqa in summer, and Syria’s Homs and Al-Hasakah in winter and spring. Sources of dust in Western Iraq and in most parts of entire Iraq have, respectively, led to the formation of summer and spring dust events in Western Iran. Decreased precipitation in the Middle East from autumn 2007 to 2012 and the occurrence of severe droughts have also contributed to the shrinkage of lakes and wetlands, as well as the reduced agricultural productivity in the Middle East, all of which contributed to the intensification of dust activity in Western Iran in recent decades.
The power of progressive active learning in floorplan images for energy assessment
Authors: Al-Turki Dhoyazan , Kyriakou Marios , Basurra Shadi , Gaber Mohamed Medhat , Abdelsamea Mohammed M.
Published: September 2023

Floorplan energy assessments present a highly efficient method for evaluating the energy efficiency of residential properties without requiring physical presence. By employing computer modelling, an accurate determination of the building’s heat loss or gain can be achieved, enabling planners and homeowners to devise energy-efficient renovation or redevelopment plans. However, the creation of an AI model for floorplan element detection necessitates the manual annotation of a substantial collection of floorplans, which poses a daunting task. This paper introduces a novel active learning model designed to detect and annotate the primary elements within floorplan images, aiming to assist energy assessors in automating the analysis of such images–an inherently challenging problem due to the time-intensive nature of the annotation process. Our active learning approach initially trained on a set of 500 annotated images and progressively learned from a larger dataset comprising 4500 unlabelled images. This iterative process resulted in mean average precision score of 0.833, precision score of 0.972, and recall score of 0.950. We make our dataset publicly available under a Creative Commons license.
Improved YOLOv5-based for small traffic sign detection under complex weather
Authors: Qu Shenming , Yang Xinyu , Zhou Huafei , Xie Yuan
Published: September 2023

Traffic sign detection is a challenging task for unmanned driving systems. In the traffic sign detection process, the object size and weather conditions vary widely, which will have a certain impact on the detection accuracy. In order to solve the problem of balanced detecting precision of traffic sign recognition model in different weather conditions, and it is difficult to detect occluded objects and small objects, this paper proposes a small object detection algorithm based on improved YOLOv5s in complex weather. First, we add the coordinate attention(CA) mechanism in the backbone, a light-weight yet effective module, embedding the location information of traffic signs into the channel attention to improve the feature extraction ability of the network. Second, we exploit effectively fine-grained features about small traffic signs from the shallower layers by adding one prediction head to YOLOv5s. Finally, we use Alpha-IoU to improve the original positioning loss CIoU, improving the accuracy of bbox regression. Applying this model to the recently proposed CCTSDB 2021 dataset, for small objects, the precision is 88.1%, and the recall rate is 79.8%, compared with the original YOLOv5s model, it is improved by 12.5% and 23.9% respectively, and small traffic signs can be effectively detected under different weather conditions, with low miss rate and high detection accuracy. The source code will be made publicly available at https://github.com/yang-0706/ImprovedYOLOv5s.
Clinical characteristics of human fascioliasis in Egypt
Authors: Ibrahim Nagat , Abdel Khalek Ekram M. , Makhlouf Nahed A. , Abdel-Gawad Muhammad , Mekky Mohamed , Ramadan Haidi Karam-Allah , Abu-Elfatth Ahmed , El-Latif Naglaa Abd , Hassan Marwa Khalaf , Eldeeb Rabab , Abdelmalek Mohamed , Abd-elsalam Sherief , Attia Hanaa , Mohammed Ahmed Qasem , Aboalam Hani , Farouk Mahmoud , Alboraie Mohamed
Published: September 2023

There is a lack of epidemiological data on fascioliasis in Egypt regarding disease characteristics and treatment outcomes across different governorates. We aimed to identify the demographic, epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients diagnosed with fascioliasis in Egypt. Data on human fascioliasis were collected retrospectively from patients’ medical records in the period between January 2018 and January 2020. The study included 261 patients. More than 40% of enrolled patients were in the age group of 21–40 years old. Geographically, 247 (94.6%) were from Assiut Governorate with 69.3% were from rural areas. The most frequent symptoms were right upper quadrant pain (96.9%), and fever (80.1%). Eosinophilia was found in 250 cases (95.8%). Hepatic focal lesions were detected in 131 (50.2%); out of them 64/131 (48.9%) had a single lesion. All patients received a single dose of 10 mg/kg of triclabendazole, 79.7% responded well to a single dose, while in 20.3% a second ± a third dose of treatment was requested. After therapy, there was a reduction in leucocytes, Fasciola antibodies titer, eosinophilic count, bilirubin, and liver enzymes with an increase in hemoglobin level. According to our findings, a high index of suspicion should be raised in cases with fever, right upper abdominal pain, and peripheral eosinophilia, and further imaging workup is mandated to detect hepatic focal lesions. Prompt treatment by triclabendazole can serve as a standard-of-care regimen even for suspected cases.