bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atmospheric visibility prediction by using the DBN deep learning model
and principal component analysis
Authors: Wang Yufeng , Du Jiamin , Yan Zhenyi , Song Yuehui , Hua Dengxin
Published: January 2022

Measuring and predicting atmospheric visibility is important scientific
research that has practical significance for urban air pollution
control and public transport safety. We propose a deep learning model
that uses principal component analysis and a deep belief network (DBN)
to effectively predict atmospheric visibility in short- and long-term
sequences. First, using a visibility meter, particle spectrometer, and
ground meteorological station data from 2016 to 2019, the principal
component analysis method was adopted to determine the influence of
atmospheric meteorological and environmental parameters on atmospheric
visibility, and an input dataset applicable to atmospheric visibility
prediction was constructed. On the basis of deep belief network
theory, network structure parameters, including data preprocessing,
the number of hidden layers, the number of nodes, and activation and
weight functions, are simulated and analyzed. A deep belief network
model suitable for atmospheric visibility prediction is established,
where a double hidden layer is adopted with the node numbers 70 and
50, and the Z-score method is used for normalization processing with
the tanh activation function and Adam optimizer. The average accuracy
of atmospheric visibility prediction by the deep belief network
reached 0.84, and the coefficient of determination reached 0.96; these
results are significantly superior to those of the back propagation
(BP) neural network and convolutional neural network (CNN), thus
verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of the established deep
belief network for predicting atmospheric visibility. Finally, a deep
belief network model based on time series is used to predict the
short- and long-term trends of atmospheric visibility. The results
show that the model has good visibility prediction results within 3
days and has an accuracy rate of 0.79. Covering the visibility change
evaluations of different weather conditions, the model demonstrates
good practicability. The established deep learning network model
provides an effective and feasible technical solution for the
prediction of atmospheric meteorology and environmental parameters,
which enjoys a wide range of application prospects in highway
transportation, navigation, sea and air, meteorology, and
environmental research.
Combined LIBS and Raman spectroscopy: an approach for salinity detection in the field of seawater investigation
Authors: Fan Yansheng , Xue Yuanyuan , Wang Yiping , Liu Runze , Zhong Shilei
Published: January 2022

As salinity is an important indicator in marine geology, ecology, breeding, and other fields, accurate, rapid, and continuous measurement of salinity is of great significance in marine investigations. At present, the seawater salinity detection methods used in practice are mainly based on the principle that the conductivity and refractive index parameters of the water change with the concentration of elements, which are composed of salinity change. However, these methods quantitatively analyze salinity values by measuring other parameters (electrical or optical parameters) that may change depending on the salinity of the water, rather than the mass fraction of the components that make up the salinity. Moreover, when the salinity value of seawater water changes substantially or the proportion of various common components composing salinity changes significantly, the detection accuracy of the above methods is difficult to guarantee. Therefore, a spectral approach, LIBS, and the Raman spectroscopy combination method for salinity analyzation, LRSS, were proposed to provide a new option. The main idea of this approach is to use the two spectral detection methods, LIBS and Raman, to determine the mole values of cations and non-monatomic anions in per unit quality (1 kg) of water, respectively. Then the mole value of the chloride ion, which is the main monatomic anion in seawater, can be determined according to the electrically neutral principle. Based on all the obtained molar values and the molar mass of each ion, the salinity of the water sample can be determined. To demonstrate the performance of this new method, we compared it with LIBS under laboratory conditions and found that, when non-monatomic anions are present in the water, the accuracy of LRSS is significantly improved compared to using the LIBS method alone. Moreover, we also compared the LRSS with the other two traditional methods through the 11 water samples configured and found that the absolute value relative error of the LRSS is only 2.63% when the salinity and components concentration change is in the possible range, which is better than the conductivity method 0.53 times and better than the refractive index method 1.52 times.
Optimization of brightness in a Nd:YAG laser by maximizing the single-mode power factor with an intra-cavity spatial light modulator
Authors: Hu Cong , Xiao Yu , He Yuhang , Liu Yusong , Song Yuyan , Tang Xiahui
Published: January 2022

We report a simple and effective approach for designing resonators with high brightness and high mode discrimination based on optimizing the single-mode power factor of the fundamental mode, which represents the total power extracted by the fundamental mode from the gain medium. By optimizing the single-mode power factor of the fundamental mode, the cavity can be designed to operate in mono-mode, increasing mode purity and improving brightness significantly. Our method is verified on a digital laser with a spatial light modulator as the rear mirror, and the loaded phase profile is acquired by a simulated annealing algorithm. As a result, the optimized resonator with a Fresnel number of 7.2 operates in a single fundamental mode, and the brightness of the output beam yields 240% and 276% improvement, compared with conventional plane–plane and plane–concave resonators, respectively. This approach is ready to be applied to more sophisticated mode selection and may serve as a general method for designing cavities with high efficiency and high brightness.
Depth-resolved vascular profile features for artery-vein classification in OCT and OCT angiography of human retina
Authors: Adejumo Tobiloba , Kim Tae-Hoon , Le David , Son Taeyoon , Ma Guangying , Yao Xincheng
Published: January 2022

This study is to characterize reflectance profiles of retinal blood vessels in optical coherence tomography (OCT), and to test the potential of using these vascular features to guide artery-vein classification in OCT angiography (OCTA) of the human retina. Depth-resolved OCT reveals unique features of retinal arteries and veins. Retinal arteries show hyper-reflective boundaries at both upper (inner side towards the vitreous) and lower (outer side towards the choroid) walls. In contrast, retinal veins reveal hyper-reflectivity at the upper boundary only. Uniform lumen intensity was observed in both small and large arteries. However, the venous lumen intensity was dependent on the vessel size. Small veins exhibit a hyper-reflective zone at the bottom half of the lumen, while large veins show a hypo-reflective zone at the bottom half of the lumen.
Effective Michelson interference observed in fiber-optical analogue of Hawking radiation
Authors: Felipe-Elizarraras Rodrigo , Cruz-Ramirez Hector , Garay-Palmett Karina , U’Ren Alfred B. , Bermudez David
Published: January 2022

We experimentally observe the stimulated analogue of Hawking radiation produced in a photonic-crystal fiber, with a pulsed pump and a continuous-wave probe. In particular, we propose and demonstrate an innovative method to boost the efficiency and probe the coherence characteristics of the analogue Hawking effect relying on a double pump pulse with a controlled temporal delay. We show that the emitted analogue Hawking radiation corresponds to the coherently-added, interfering Hawking signals resulting from the probe interacting with each pump pulse. We introduce a simple effective Michelson interference model, and demonstrate excellent agreement between our experimental data and the predictions derived from this model. Importantly, while naively increasing the pump power in an attempt to boost the Hawking-radiation generation efficiency results in the distortion of the output signal, we show that at the maxima of the observed Hawking-signal interference pattern, the signal can be increased by a factor of >3 (up to 4 under ideal experimental conditions). This approach could be extended to the use of sequences of m pulses, resulting in a Hawking-signal enhancement of m2.
Controllable Laguerre Gaussian wave packets along predesigned trajectories
Authors: Peng Xi , Ouyang Jingyun , Xu Danlin , He Shangling , Mo Zhenwu , Qiu Yunli , He Yingji , Zhao Daomu , Deng Dongmei
Published: January 2022

We introduce controllable Laguerre Gaussian wave packets (LGWPs) with self-accelerating and self-focusing properties along their predesigned parabolic trajectory via phase modulation. Numerically and experimentally recorded intensity patterns of controllable LGWPs with topological charges are obtained, and it is obvious that they agree well with the theoretical model. Furthermore, spatiotemporally controllable LGWPs can propagate stably along predesigned trajectories for many Rayleigh lengths. This paper not only provides a theoretical propagation model for these multi-dimensional controllable LGWPs, but also promotes further development of the basic research into self-bending and autofocusing structured light fields.
Efficient transmissive remote phosphor configuration for a laser-driven high-luminance white light source
Authors: Rondelez Nick , Correia António , Ryckaert Wouter , De Smet Herbert , Cuypers Dieter , Meuret Youri
Published: January 2022

To realize laser-driven high-luminance white light sources, many reflective configurations have been studied, often resulting in a challenging optical design. In this paper it is demonstrated that the efficacy of a transmissive configuration can be significantly enhanced by using a sapphire half-ball lens as out-coupling optic. This lens not only improves efficiency, but also drastically increases the potential light output due to improved heat dissipation from the single-crystal phosphor converter. Both claims are substantiated with detailed experimental results and realistic opto-thermal simulations, showing a light output of 6550 lm and over 20000 lm, respectively and corresponding luminance of 67 MCd/m2 and 209 MCd/m2.
Mode-resolved analysis of pump and Stokes beams in LD-pumped GRIN fiber Raman lasers
Authors: Kharenko Denis S. , Gervaziev Mikhail D. , Kuznetsov Alexey G. , Podivilov Evgeniy V. , Wabnitz Stefan , Babin Sergey A.
Published: January 2022

All-fiber Raman lasers have demonstrated their potential for efficient conversion of highly multimode pump beams into high-quality Stokes beams. However, the modal content of these beams has not yet been investigated. In this work, based on a mode decomposition technique, we are able to reveal the details of intermodal interactions in the different operation regimes of continuous wave multimode graded-index fiber Raman lasers. We observed that, above the laser threshold, the residual pump beam is strongly depleted in its transverse modes with principal quantum number below 10. However, the generated Stokes signal beam mainly consists of the fundamental mode, but higher-order modes are also present, albeit with exponentially decreasing population.
Passive repetition-rate stabilization for a mode-locked fiber laser by electro-optic modulation
Authors: Yu Tingting , Jiang Shuhong , Fang Jianan , Liu Tingting , Wu Xiuqi , Yan Ming , Huang Kun , Zeng Heping
Published: January 2022

We report a passive stabilization of the repetition rate for a mode-locked fiber laser by using an electro-optic modulator in a phase-biased nonlinear amplifying loop mirror. The underlying mechanism, in contrast to active feedback operations, lies in the cross-phase modulation between electrical and optical pulses within an electro-optic crystal. The resulting spectral shift can automatically compensate for the cavity-length drift via the group velocity dispersion. Consequently, the artificial actuator enables a capture range up to 2.3 mm, much longer than that achieved by index changes of the modulator. A robust and tight locking for the repetition rate is then realized with a standard deviation as low as 9

μ

Hz with a 1-s sample time over 11 hours, corresponding to a fractional instability of 4.3 × 10−13. Furthermore, a dynamic optical sampling by repetition-rate tuning has been manifested with a fast refresh rate at 100 kHz and a broad scanning range over 305 ps. The demonstrated passive servo action may provide a simple yet effective way to stabilize the repetition rate with high precision, large bandwidth, and wide tunability.
Flexible PAN-BiOI-AgI heterojunction nanofiber and the photocatalytic degradation property
Authors: Teng Pingping , Li Zhiang , Gao Shuai , Li Kang , Copner Nigel , Zhihai Liu , Yang Xinghua
Published: January 2022

In this paper, flexible polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers are used as carriers to prepare a one-dimensional bismuth oxyiodide-silver iodide (BiOI-AgI) photocatalyst. PAN-BiOI-AgI is prepared on the surface of electrospun PAN nanofibers by the alternate growth method and subsequent ion exchange method at room temperature. The results of XRD, TEM, XPS, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy indicate the heterojunctions formation. The flexible PAN-BiOI-AgI heterojunction fibers show higher photocatalytic degradation efficiency for rhodamine B than PAN-BiOI or PAN-AgI. The enhanced photocatalytic performance is attributed to the fact that the heterojunction improves the photo-generated electron-hole separation efficiency. After 60 min of visible light irradiation, the degradation efficiency is greater than 95%. Free radical capture experiments show that•O2- and h+ are the main groups involved in the oxidation reaction.
Segmentation of renal tumors in CT images by 3D U-Net preserving rotational symmetry in axial slices
Authors: Tanimoto Ryo , Higuchi Kokoro , Ishiguro Toshitaka , Mori Kensaku , Kojo Kosuke , Kojima Takahiro , Kakeya Hideki
Published: January 2022

We present a method to improve accuracy of renal tumor segmentation in CT images by considering the structure of kidneys. We apply deep learning based on the following protocol. First, kidney regions are extracted from the CT images. Second, adjacent eight slices along axial direction are picked up as a patch. Third, the center of gravity of the kidney region in the patch is aligned to the center of the patch in sagittal and coronal direction. Fourth, we apply data augmentation with scaling and rotation around the center, which preserves the basic slice structure of kidneys. Finally, these patches are fed to a 3D U-Net for training. Compared with the conventional 3D U-Net, the proposed method improves the DICE score from 0.507 to 0.604.
Blended Health Coaching for Work-linked Couples: Coaches’ Intervention Fidelity and Empathy Matter!
Authors: Busch Christine , Dreyer Romana , Janneck Monique
Published: January 2022

Small business owners often work together with their spouses in their business. They blur work-life boundaries and find it difficult to psychologically detach from work, which both jeopardize a satisfying work-life balance (WLB). This paper aims to investigate the mechanisms and outcomes of a coaching intervention for couples to foster their detachment and WLB. We study the role of coaches’ intervention fidelity and empathy. A blended coaching format was chosen, i.e., we combined face-to-face with tele-sessions and online courses, thereby using digitalization to keep the coaching flexible to the couples’ life situations and for digital support between sessions.

Coaches’ behavior in regard to intervention fidelity was observed. Based on these ratings, the clients’ sample (N = 42) was partitioned into two intervention groups (“high intervention fidelity” vs. “low intervention fidelity”) using the adapted study design approach. We also observed coaches’ empathy and assessed clients’ self-reports at different times up to 4 months after the coaching intervention ended regarding the hypothesized mechanisms of change of the coaching concept and coaching outcomes. We also assessed clients’ affinity for technology (ATI) because of the blended format of the coaching.

Two-factor ANOVAs with repeated measures showed large effects (d = 1) for detachment (p = .002) and middle effects (d = 0.7) for WLB (p = .042) up to 4 months after the intervention ended without any interaction effect. Only in the “high intervention fidelity” group did the mechanisms of change and ATI (p = .000 top = .036) predict general coaching outcomes 4 months after the coaching ceased. Coaches’ empathy predicted goal attainment (p = .004) in the “high intervention fidelity” group.

The couple coaching was highly effective in boosting clients’ detachment and WLB independent of coaches’ intervention fidelity. The assumed change mechanisms of the coaching concept and the ATI were only effective when there was a high degree of intervention fidelity. Coaches should be aware of the conceptual foundations and the core components of their coaching approach.
Glial immune-related pathways mediate effects of closed head traumatic brain injury on behavior and lethality in Drosophila
Authors: van Alphen Bart , Stewart Samuel , Iwanaszko Marta , Xu Fangke , Li Keyin , Rozenfeld Sydney , Ramakrishnan Anujaianthi , Itoh Taichi Q. , Sisobhan Shiju , Qin Zuoheng , Lear Bridget C. , Allada Ravi
Published: January 2022

In traumatic brain injury (TBI), the initial injury phase is followed by a secondary phase that contributes to neurodegeneration, yet the mechanisms leading to neuropathology in vivo remain to be elucidated. To address this question, we developed a Drosophila head-specific model for TBI termed Drosophila Closed Head Injury (dCHI), where well-controlled, nonpenetrating strikes are delivered to the head of unanesthetized flies. This assay recapitulates many TBI phenotypes, including increased mortality, impaired motor control, fragmented sleep, and increased neuronal cell death. TBI results in significant changes in the transcriptome, including up-regulation of genes encoding antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). To test the in vivo functional role of these changes, we examined TBI-dependent behavior and lethality in mutants of the master immune regulator NF-κB, important for AMP induction, and found that while sleep and motor function effects were reduced, lethality effects were enhanced. Similarly, loss of most AMP classes also renders flies susceptible to lethal TBI effects. These studies validate a new Drosophila TBI model and identify immune pathways as in vivo mediators of TBI effects.
AIME: Autoencoder-based integrative multi-omics data embedding that allows for confounder adjustments
Authors: Yu Tianwei
Published: January 2022

In the integrative analyses of omics data, it is often of interest to extract data representation from one data type that best reflect its relations with another data type. This task is traditionally fulfilled by linear methods such as canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and partial least squares (PLS). However, information contained in one data type pertaining to the other data type may be complex and in nonlinear form. Deep learning provides a convenient alternative to extract low-dimensional nonlinear data embedding. In addition, the deep learning setup can naturally incorporate the effects of clinical confounding factors into the integrative analysis. Here we report a deep learning setup, named Autoencoder-based Integrative Multi-omics data Embedding (AIME), to extract data representation for omics data integrative analysis. The method can adjust for confounder variables, achieve informative data embedding, rank features in terms of their contributions, and find pairs of features from the two data types that are related to each other through the data embedding. In simulation studies, the method was highly effective in the extraction of major contributing features between data types. Using two real microRNA-gene expression datasets, one with confounder variables and one without, we show that AIME excluded the influence of confounders, and extracted biologically plausible novel information. The R package based on Keras and the TensorFlow backend is available at https://github.com/tianwei-yu/AIME.
Proline-specific aminopeptidase P prevents replication-associated genome instability
Authors: Silva Nicola , Castellano-Pozo Maikel , Matsuzaki Kenichiro , Barroso Consuelo , Roman-Trufero Monica , Craig Hannah , Brooks Darren R. , Isaac R. Elwyn , Boulton Simon J. , Martinez-Perez Enrique
Published: January 2022

Genotoxic stress during DNA replication constitutes a serious threat to genome integrity and causes human diseases. Defects at different steps of DNA metabolism are known to induce replication stress, but the contribution of other aspects of cellular metabolism is less understood. We show that aminopeptidase P (APP1), a metalloprotease involved in the catabolism of peptides containing proline residues near their N-terminus, prevents replication-associated genome instability. Functional analysis of C. elegans mutants lacking APP-1 demonstrates that germ cells display replication defects including reduced proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and accumulation of mitotic DSBs. Despite these defects, app-1 mutants are competent in repairing DSBs induced by gamma irradiation, as well as SPO-11-dependent DSBs that initiate meiotic recombination. Moreover, in the absence of SPO-11, spontaneous DSBs arising in app-1 mutants are repaired as inter-homologue crossover events during meiosis, confirming that APP-1 is not required for homologous recombination. Thus, APP-1 prevents replication stress without having an apparent role in DSB repair. Depletion of APP1 (XPNPEP1) also causes DSB accumulation in mitotically-proliferating human cells, suggesting that APP1’s role in genome stability is evolutionarily conserved. Our findings uncover an unexpected role for APP1 in genome stability, suggesting functional connections between aminopeptidase-mediated protein catabolism and DNA replication.
Perceived access to PrEP as a critical step in engagement: A qualitative analysis and discrete choice experiment among young men who have sex with men
Authors: Asiago-Reddy Elizabeth A. , McPeak John , Scarpa Riccardo , Braksmajer Amy , Ruszkowski Nicola , McMahon James , London Andrew S.
Published: January 2022

Young Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) continue to face disproportionate HIV risk. Despite its well accepted role in HIV prevention, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake remains below desired goals. Systemic barriers to PrEP access, including insurance complexity, cost, and wait times to start PrEP may contribute to low PrEP engagement. We conducted in-depth interviews and designed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to assess preferences for and barriers to PrEP access in the United States. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 18 MSM aged 18–30 years old who were not on PrEP and created a DCE based on the results. For the DCE, a convenience sample of young MSM in the United States who reported recent condomless anal sex was recruited through social media applications. Consenting participants provided sociodemographic information and responded to a series of 10 choice tasks about PrEP access. Preferences were analyzed utilizing marginal willingness-to-pay (mWTP) methods. Results: In-depth interviews revealed preferences for highly effective PrEP and concerns about barriers to access due to insurance coverage and privacy. The online DCE was completed by 236 eligible MSM aged 18–30. The most-preferred PrEP package—with all elements significantly preferred over other options—was insurance covered, could be maintained confidential from parents and employers, was available immediately, and had an online option. Need to take out new insurance or add a supplemental insurance in order to cover PrEP significantly detracted from willingness to pay for a PrEP program. Attributes most associated with willingness to pay for PrEP were PrEP being covered by an insurance the client already has and insurance coverage that was private. Conclusions: Young MSM at high risk for HIV in the United States who are not currently on PrEP showed strong preferences for PrEP options that were covered by insurance and could be kept confidential from parents and employers. Lack of these options may present major barriers to PrEP access among young MSM who are at particularly high risk. Rapid access to PrEP, as well as the option of receiving some care online, may also enhance PrEP uptake.
Effects of physical activity and exercise on well-being in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: de Abreu Juliana Marques , de Souza Roberta Andrade , Viana-Meireles Livia Gomes , Landeira-Fernandez J. , Filgueiras Alberto
Published: January 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was discovered in China and characterized by the World Health Organization as a pandemic in March 2020. Many countries worldwide implemented stringent social isolation as a strategy to contain virus transmission. However, the same physical distancing that protects against the spread of COVID-19 may negatively impact mental health and well-being of the population. The present study sought to shed light on this phenomenon by assessing the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being (SWB) among individuals who were subjected to social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected in Brazil between March 31 and April 2, 2020. All of the volunteers agreed to participate by digitally checking the option of agreement after reading consent terms. The inclusion criteria were participants who had been in social isolation for at least 1 week and agreed to the consent terms. Three instruments were applied. A questionnaire was constructed for this study that assessed the participants’ exercise routines. The Psychosocial Aspects, Well-being, and Exercise in Confinement (PAWEC) scale was created by researchers of this study that assessed the relationship between well-being and physical activity during social isolation. The Brazilian Portuguese-adapted version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was also used. A total of 592 participants (371 female, 220 male, 1 transgender), 14–74 years old (M = 32.39 years, SD = 10.5 years), reported being in social isolation for an average of 14.4 days (SD = 3.3 days). Well-being that was related to the practice of physical activity during quarantine was linked to an established routine of physical activity before the social isolation period. Participants who already practiced physical exercises previously and reported continuing the practice during the quarantine period had higher positive affect scores. Participants who engaged in physical activity without direct guidance only during the quarantine period had higher negative affect scores. Participants who already practiced physical activity felt more motivated to continue practicing physical activity during the social isolation period, resulting in positive affect, unlike participants who began exercising only during quarantine. Our results suggest that negative affect can occur among individuals who only just begin exercising during social isolation, indicating that physical activity should be habitual and not only occur during periods of social isolation. Engaging in exercise only during social isolation may contribute to an increase in malaise.
Web-based citizen science as a tool in conservation research: A case study of prey delivery by the Lesser Spotted Eagle
Authors: Väli Ülo , Magalhães Ana
Published: January 2022

Citizen science is increasingly contributing to ecology and conservation research, mostly by the extensive collection of field data. Although webcams attract numerous observers, they have been underused in this respect. We used prey delivery records deposited by citizen scientists in an internet forum linked to webcams to explore the diet composition and food provisioning in a forest-dwelling raptor of conservation concern, the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina). Four pairs were studied throughout the breeding season. Most of the identified prey items were mammals (62.1%), followed by frogs (31.2%), birds (6.6%) and fish (0.1%). Among mammals, voles accounted for 84.6%, moles 12.1%, water voles 2.4% and weasels 0.4%. Frogs were the most frequently detected prey item in the spring, with a slight increase towards the end of the season, the proportion of mammals increased during the breeding season, and birds were hunted mostly in the middle of the breeding season. However, exact temporal patterns differed between nests. The food delivery rate of males increased over time but decreased somewhat before fledging the young. Females started hunting in mid-summer and their rapidly increasing effort compensated for a reduced male hunting intensity. The data collected by citizen scientists via webcams reflected the general patterns detected in earlier studies, supporting the reliability of crowd-sourced web-based data collection in avian foraging ecology.
The impact of universal recycling on the evolution of economic diversity
Authors: Xu Shubo (Gabriel) , Peskin Charles S.
Published: January 2022

Based on von Neumann’s model of an economy characterized by processes and goods, we add to that model a component representing capital equipment. We assume that the need for capital equipment by any process is proportional to the rate at which that process is running, and therefore an increase in rate requires that capital equipment be purchased, whereas a decrease in rate allows capital equipment to be sold. We thereby construct a continuous-time dynamical model, which we use to investigate the evolution of economic diversity under two price equilibrium scenarios: the first with non-negative prices and non-positive excess demands; the second with enforced market clearing and with prices allowed to be negative. The second scenario represents an economy in which recycling is required, so that excess supply cannot be discarded. We prove that at any time during the progression of the model economy, the solution to each of the two price equilibrium problems exists, and that non-uniqueness of the solution, if any, does not affect the development of the model economy. We compare matched model economies under the two scenarios by simulating their respective evolutions. In each case, the model economy experiences a process of selection and matures to a state of balanced growth, with a higher growth rate when excess supply is discarded, but with greater economic diversity with enforced recycling. The robustness of these qualitative results is demonstrated by repeated trials of simulations on matched pairs of model economies with different randomly chosen parameters.
Younger generations are more interested than older generations in having non-domesticated animals as pets
Authors: Cronin Katherine A. , Leahy Maureen , Ross Stephen R. , Wilder Schook Mandi , Ferrie Gina M. , Alba Andrew C.
Published: January 2022

The trade and private ownership of non-domesticated animals has detrimental effects on individual animals and their wild populations. Therefore, there is a need to understand the conditions that motivate and dissuade interest in non-domesticated pet ownership. Past research has demonstrated that the way in which non-domesticated animals are portrayed in images influences the public’s perception that they are suitable as pets. We conducted an online survey of people residing in the United States to investigate how viewing images that could be realistically captured in the zoo and broader tourism industries impact the degree to which people report interest in having that animal as a pet. We focused on two species, reticulated pythons (Malayopython reticulatus) and two-toed sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni), and presented each species in six different visual contexts. After viewing an image, respondents reported interest in pet ownership on a four-point Likert scale. Each species was studied separately in a between-subjects design and results were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression models. Thirty-nine percent of respondents reported interest in sloth pet ownership, and 21% reported interest in python pet ownership. However, contrary to our hypotheses, we found that viewing these species in different visual contexts did not significantly affect survey respondents’ reported interest in having either species as a pet. Generation was a significant predictor of interest in both sloth and python pet ownership, with younger generations reporting more interest in having these species as pets. Male respondents reported more interest in python pet ownership, whereas there were no significant differences between genders regarding interest in sloth ownership. We consider how modern media exposure to animals in unnatural contexts may relate to the generational effect and discuss priorities for future research to better understand the development of individual interests in non-domesticated pet ownership.
Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention vs. a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy intervention for older adults with anxiety symptoms: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Witlox Maartje , Kraaij Vivian , Garnefski Nadia , Bohlmeijer Ernst , Smit Filip , Spinhoven Philip
Published: January 2022

Background

A previous randomized controlled trial in older adults with anxiety symptoms found no differences between a brief blended Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention and brief face-to-face Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) regarding anxiety symptom severity at posttreatment and 12-month follow-up. A health-economic evaluation comparing these interventions has not yet been conducted.

Objective

This study examined the one-year cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of blended ACT compared to face-to-face CBT for older adults with anxiety symptoms.

Methods

The economic evaluation was embedded in a randomized controlled trial comparing blended ACT to CBT in 314 older adults with mild to moderately severe anxiety symptoms. Data were collected at baseline and 3, 6 and 12 months post baseline. For the cost-effectiveness analysis, treatment response was defined as a reliable improvement in anxiety symptom severity (measured with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) between baseline and 12-month follow-up. To assess cost-utility, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were computed using EuroQol-5 Dimensions-5 Levels-5 utility scores. Analyses took the societal perspective, including both healthcare costs and productivity costs. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated using 2500 bootstraps of seemingly unrelated regression equations of costs and effects. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the findings.

Results

Differences between the blended ACT group and CBT group in treatment response and QALYs were statistically insignificant and clinically irrelevant. The ACT intervention was associated with an average per-participant cost reduction of €466 ($593) compared to CBT, which resulted from lower productivity costs in the blended ACT group. From a healthcare perspective, the ACT intervention was associated with higher costs (by €71 ($90)) than CBT.

Conclusions

The results do not indicate that from a health-economic perspective blended ACT should be preferred over CBT in the treatment of older adults with anxiety symptoms. The findings support a model of shared decision making, where clinicians and patients collaboratively decide on the preferred intervention, based on ethical-medical, practical and personal considerations.

Trial registration

Netherlands Trial Register: TRIAL NL6131 (NTR6270); https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6131.
Full evaluation of the psychometric properties of COPSOQ II. One-year longitudinal study on Polish human service staff
Authors: Baka Łukasz , Prusik Monika , Pejtersen Jan Hyld , Grala Krzysztof
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The aim of the study was the full evaluation of the psychometric properties of the COPSOQ II in one-year longitudinal study on human service staff in Poland. Data were collected from 599 employees representing three occupational groups related to human service work.

Methods

CFA was conducted in the structure proposed by the author of the original tool, based on one model, which included 119 observable variables forming 33 latent variables (single item subscales were excluded from analysis). To our knowledge, this was the first complete validation of the entire model using CFA. Reliability analysis was performed using two methods: internal consistency analysis and test-retest analysis. Predictive validity was assessed by correlating COPSOQ II variables with ten criterion variables related to job demands, job resources, work-family conflicts, mental health and well-being.

Results

According to the results, CFA supported the original structure of the COPSOQ II. Most of the 33 subscales were characterized by good or very good psychometric parameters. The obtained results confirmed also the fairly high reliability, as well as high convergence validity of all subscales of COPSOQ II.

Conclusion

The final conclusion is that COPSOQ II is characterised by satisfactory psychometric properties and could be successfully used to fulfil the demand for reliable and comprehensive assessment methods also in Polish job market settings.
Therapeutic treatment with the anti-inflammatory drug candidate MW151 may partially reduce memory impairment and normalizes hippocampal metabolic markers in a mouse model of comorbid amyloid and vascular pathology
Authors: Braun David J. , Powell David K. , McLouth Christopher J. , Roy Saktimayee M. , Watterson D. Martin , Van Eldik Linda J.
Published: January 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly, but therapeutic options are lacking. Despite long being able to effectively treat the ill-effects of pathology present in various rodent models of AD, translation of these strategies to the clinic has so far been disappointing. One potential contributor to this situation is the fact that the vast majority of AD patients have other dementia-contributing comorbid pathologies, the most common of which are vascular in nature. This situation is modeled relatively infrequently in basic AD research, and almost never in preclinical studies. As part of our efforts to develop small molecule, anti-inflammatory therapeutics for neurological injury and disease, we have recently been exploring potentially promising treatments in preclinical multi-morbidity contexts. In the present study, we generated a mouse model of mixed amyloid and hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) pathology in which to test the efficacy of one of our anti-inflammatory compounds, MW151. HHcy can cause cerebrovascular damage and is an independent risk factor for both AD dementia and vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia. We found that MW151 was able to partially rescue hippocampal-dependent spatial memory and learning deficits in this comorbidity context, and further, that the benefit is associated with a normalization of hippocampal metabolites detectable via magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These findings provide evidence that MW151 in particular, and potentially anti-inflammatory treatment more generally, may be beneficial in AD patients with comorbid vascular pathology.
In vitro digestion and microbial fermentation of dried food residues, a potential “new” component for pet food, and different non-digestible carbohydrate sources
Authors: Paßlack Nadine , Galliou Fenia , Manios Thrassyvoulos , Lasaridi Katia , Zentek Jürgen
Published: January 2022

Food residues are often fed to dogs in private households and might also be a potential “new” ingredient for pet food in the future. As food residues might contain not only digestible, but also fermentable substrates, an effect on the intestinal microbiota can be assumed. In the present study, two batches of dried food residues (DFR) collected from hotels in Crete were microbially fermented in an in vitro batch culture system with canine fecal inoculum: non-sterile DFR including meat (DFRm), sterile DFR including meat (DFRms) and sterile DFR without meat (DFRwms). Different non-digestible carbohydrate sources (beet pulp, wheat bran, inulin, carrot pomace, brewer´s spent grains, cellulose and lignocellulose) were included for comparison. Inulin, cellulose and lignocellulose were only used as raw materials, while the other test substrates were incubated as raw and enzymatically pre-digested substrates. After incubation for 24 hours, the raw food residues markedly increased the concentrations of bacterial metabolites in the fermenters, although smaller effects were observed for the DFRwms. When the enzymatically pre-digested food residues were incubated, the effects were more pronounced for the DFRms and DFRwms. In general, when compared with the other test substrates, the food residues were microbially fermented to a comparable or partly higher extent. Interestingly, high n-butyrate concentrations were measured in the inocula, both after incubation of the raw and pre-digested food residues. In conclusion, the food residues contained enzymatically digestible and microbially fermentable substrates. If considered as a potential future ingredient for pet food, a standardization of the collection and processing of food residues might be necessary in order to reduce compositional variability and varying effects on the intestinal microbiota.
Quantifying the effect of sagittal plane joint angle variability on bipedal fall risk
Authors: Mitchell Amy , Martin Anne E.
Published: January 2022

Falls are a major issue for bipeds. For elderly adults, falls can have a negative impact on their quality of life and lead to increased medical costs. Fortunately, interventional methods are effective at reducing falls assuming they are prescribed. For biped robots, falls prevent them from completing required tasks. Thus, it is important to understand what aspects of gait increase fall risk. Gait variability may be associated with increased fall risk; however, previous studies have not investigated the variation in the movement of the legs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of joint angle variability on falling to determine which component(s) of variability were statistically significant. In order to investigate joint angle variability, a physics-based simulation model that captured joint angle variability as a function of time through Fourier series was used. This allowed the magnitude, the frequency mean, and the frequency standard deviation of the variability to be altered. For the values tested, results indicated that the magnitude of the variability had the most significant impact on falling, and specifically that the stance knee flexion variability magnitude was the most significant factor. This suggests that increasing the joint variability magnitude may increase fall risk, particularly if the controller is not able to actively compensate. Altering the variability frequency had little to no effect on falling.
Can women’s 3E index impede short birth interval? evidence from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2017–18
Authors: Tuz-Zahura Fatima , Sen Kanchan Kumar , Nilima Shahnaz , Bari Wasimul
Published: January 2022

Background

Women’s empowerment, education, and economic status are jointly introduced as women’s 3E. A number of studies found the significant association of these three variables with maternal health outcomes, but no studies, to the best of knowledge, have been found to justify the joint influence of women’s 3E on the birth interval. As several studies have revealed that the short birth interval increases the risk of adverse maternal, perinatal, and infant outcomes and it is also responsible for increasing the country’s population size, more research is needed on the birth interval. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the influence of women’s 3E on the short birth interval after controlling the other selected covariates.

Methods

Data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2017–18 have been used to serve the purpose of the study. To measure the birth interval, at least two live births for non-pregnant mothers and at least one live birth for currently pregnant mothers born in the 5 years before the survey were included in the study. The Chi-Square test was applied to know the unadjusted association of the selected covariates including women’s 3E with the short birth interval. In order to find out the adjusted association of women’s 3E with the short birth interval, sequential binary logistic regression models have been used.

Results

The study found that about 23% of births in Bangladesh were born in a short birth interval. The likelihood of subsequent births of women decreases with an increase in the score of women’s 3E before or after controlling the characteristics of women, child, and households. The results of the final model show that mothers with the coverage of 50% - 75%, 75% - 100%, and full coverage (100%) in 3E have a 23%, 41%, and 42% lower odds of having short birth interval compared to mothers with coverage of below 50% in 3E, respectively.

Conclusion and recommendation

Bangladesh still lags behind in meeting the minimum requirements for inter-birth intervals set by the World Health Organization. The study has shown that the 3E in women can contribute in prolonging the duration of subsequent births in Bangladesh. Policy-making interventions are needed to raise awareness among uneducated, under-empowered and economically poor reproductive women through family planning and fertility control programs so that the country can achieve the desired fertility rate.
Cryopreservation and post-thaw characterization of dissociated human islet cells
Authors: Marquez-Curtis Leah A. , Dai Xiao-Qing , Hang Yan , Lam Jonathan Y. , Lyon James , Manning Fox Jocelyn E. , McGann Locksley E. , MacDonald Patrick E. , Kim Seung K. , Elliott Janet A. W.
Published: January 2022

The objective of this study is to optimize the cryopreservation of dissociated islet cells and obtain functional cells that can be used in single-cell transcriptome studies on the pathology and treatment of diabetes. Using an iterative graded freezing approach we obtained viable cells after cooling in 10% dimethyl sulfoxide and 6% hydroxyethyl starch at 1°C/min to –40°C, storage in liquid nitrogen, rapid thaw, and removal of cryoprotectants by serial dilution. The expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule declined immediately after thaw, but recovered after overnight incubation, while that of an endocrine cell marker (HPi2) remained high after cryopreservation. Patch-clamp electrophysiology revealed differences in channel activities and exocytosis of various islet cell types; however, exocytotic responses, and the biophysical properties of voltage-gated Na+and Ca2+channels, are sustained after cryopreservation. Single-cell RNA sequencing indicates that overall transcriptome and crucial exocytosis genes are comparable between fresh and cryopreserved dispersed human islet cells. Thus, we report an optimized procedure for cryopreserving dispersed islet cells that maintained their membrane integrity, along with their molecular and functional phenotypes. Our findings will not only provide a ready source of cells for investigating cellular mechanisms in diabetes but also for bio-engineering pseudo-islets and islet sheets for modeling studies and potential transplant applications.