bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Das Potenzial responsiver Materialien für die künstliche Gewebezüchtung
Authors: Laporte Anna , Weinhart Marie
Published: November 2023

Biocompatible thermoresponsive polymer coatings with tuneable properties can be used in various applications, such as the fabrication of cell sheets for tissue engineering purposes. The rolling of endothelial cell sheets into artificial vessels combined with the generation of a microvascular network inside a hydrogel is a step towards the in vitro engineering of a vascular bed and the vascularisation of tissue models.
Analyse humaner Hirnorganoide vom Millimeter- bis zum Nanometerbreich
Authors: Rodriguez-Gatica Juan Eduardo , Iefremova Vira , Brüstle Oliver , Schwarz Martin Karl , Kubitscheck Ulrich
Published: November 2023

We combine tissue expansion and light sheet fluorescence microscopy to analyze brain organoids. It is possible to zoom from a mesoscopic overview to super-resolution in a single imaging session, revealing cellular and subcellular structural details, such as the positions and spacing of pre- and postsynaptic proteins. Light sheet fluorescence expansion microscopy (LSFEM) greatly facilitates the qualitative and quantitative use of organoids in developmental and disease-related studies.
The Relationship Between Antisemitic Attitudes and Conspiracy Beliefs: A Cross-Sectional Study of UK-Resident Adults
Authors: Allington Daniel , Hirsh David , Katz Louise
Published: November 2023

This cross-sectional study follows Open Science principles in estimating relationships between antisemitism, i.e. anti-Jewish bigotry, and conspiracy belief, i.e. endorsement of conspiracy theories, through analysis of data collected from a representative sample of UK adults ($$n =$$

n
=

1722). Antisemitism was measured using the Generalized Antisemitism scale, and conspiracy belief was measured using the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs scale. Positive relationships were found to exist between all forms of antisemitism and all types of conspiracy belief, and an average across all items of the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs scale was found to predict Generalized Antisemitism at least as well as any individual type of conspiracy belief. On a more detailed level, antisemitic attitudes relating to British Jews were found to be most strongly associated with belief in conspiracies relating to personal well-being, while antisemitic attitudes relating to the State of Israel and its supporters were found to be most strongly associated with belief in conspiracies relating to government malfeasance. Generalized Antisemitism itself was found to be most strongly associated with belief in malevolent global conspiracies. Exploratory analysis additionally examined the effect of standard demographic variables that had been introduced into the main analysis as controls. Through this means, it was found that antisemitic attitudes relating both to Jews qua Jews and to Israel and its supporters are more prevalent among less highly educated people and members of other-than-white ethnic groups, while antisemitic attitudes relating to Israel and its supporters are more common among younger people. In addition, it was found that female gender is associated with reduced antisemitic attitudes relating to Jews qua Jews and also with increased antisemitic attitudes relating to Israel and its supporters. However, the addition of demographic controls did not explain any additional variance in Generalized Antisemitism beyond that which was already explained by conspiracy belief – perhaps suggesting that demographic characteristics are more strongly associated with the inclination towards particular expressions of antisemitism than with antisemitism itself.
Tracing early life histories from Roman times to the Medieval era: weaning practices and physiological stress
Authors: Velte Maren , Czermak Andrea , Grigat Andrea , Neidich Deborah , Trautmann Bernd , Lösch Sandra , Päffgen Bernd , Harbeck Michaela
Published: November 2023

In humans, breastfeeding and weaning depend on the infant’s needs and physiology but are also influenced by environmental and cultural factors. While infant feeding strategies vary across different regions and historical eras, the associated transition from breastmilk to solid foods is universally thought to be stressful. However, still little is known about infant feeding practices and possibly associated stress in former times. This also applies to the period of transition from classical antiquity to medieval times, which shaped modern Western civilization. To enhance the understanding of childhood nutrition and stress during this period, we first analyzed stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in serial dentine samples from the first molars of 38 individuals buried in the region once known as the Roman frontier province ofRaetia secunda, now encompassing Southern Bavaria. In addition, we investigated the presence of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), known to be a marker of unspecific physiological stress, within their dentition. We used this data to create isotope profiles that display dietary changes in comparison with the occurrence of LEH. We found highly variable δ15N and δ13C values and different shapes of isotope profiles which indicate different nutrition of breastfeeding individuals, complementary foods and post-weaning diets, and individual weaning patterns. For most individuals, the weaning process was completed between the ages of two and three. Interestingly, some females of non-local origin show longer weaning periods, likely displaying the influence of different cultural practices in other communities. We also found that LEH most frequently occurred in the post-weaning phase, which supports the assumption that children were at increased risk once breastfeeding had ceased completely. Furthermore, a change in the post-weaning diet in the seventh century coincided with an increased prevalence of LEH, indicating that the foods chosen or available during this time affected the susceptibility of children to stress. In conclusion, our study unveiled diverse infant feeding strategies practiced across various communities, both in different historical eras and geographical locations.
Eating Prickly Peas: Sharing Play Worlds During Preschool Meals
Authors: Wiggins Sally , Willemsen Annerose , Cromdal Jakob
Published: November 2023

Play has long been understood as an important pedagogical practice, particularly in early childhood education and care settings. Playing with food, however, has typically been overlooked, and very little is known about food play during mealtimes. The apparent dichotomy between rule-following and playfulness at mealtimes has led to a paucity of research on playing while eating. This paper raises the profile of food play and examines instances in which young children initiate pretend play with their food during shared mealtimes. Data are taken from a large corpus of video-recorded lunches in Swedish preschools, and episodes featuring pretend play with food were analysed using multimodal interaction analysis. The results illustrate how play signalling is multimodally achieved, directed first to teachers, often involves other children, and enables the multiactivity of playing and eating. Children invited teachers into their imaginary worlds and teacher’s responses enabled the play narrative to develop and co-exist with the institutional demands of eating lunch together. The paper provides empirical evidence that pretend play with food during meals offers affordances for generating and sharing imaginary worlds with teachers and peers.
Parallelization of AMALGAM algorithm for a multi-objective optimization of a hydrological model
Authors: Besalatpour Ali A. , Pourreza-Bilondi Mohsen , Aghakhani Afshar Amirhosein
Published: November 2023

A calibration procedure is essential step to achieve a realistic model simulation particularly in hydrological model which simulates water cycle in the basin. This process is always faced with challenges due to selection of objective function and highly time-consuming. This study aimed to take advantage of parallel processing to accelerate the computations involved with simulation process of hydrologic model linked with the multi-objective optimization algorithm of AMALGAM for multi-site calibration of SWAT hydrologic model parameters. In order to illustrate how meaningful SWAT model calibration trade-off between the four objective functions involved in AMALGAM optimization program, the Pareto solution sets were provided. Furthermore, it is implemented a group of model runs with a number of cores involved (from one to eight) to demonstrate and evaluate the running of parallelized AMALGAM with taking advantages of “spmd” method to decrease the running time of the SWAT model. The results revealed the robustness of the method in reducing computational time of the parameter calibration significantly. This strategy with 4-objective functions focuses on high streamflow (Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient), low streamflow (Box–Cox transformed root–mean–square error), water balance (runoff coefficient error), and flashiness (slope of the flow duration curve error) provided an efficient tool to decide about the best simulation based on the investigated objective functions. This study also provides a strong basis for multi-objective optimization of hydrological and water quality models and its general analytical framework could be applied to other parts of the world.
Combining RUSLE model and the vegetation health index to unravel the relationship between soil erosion and droughts in southeastern Tunisia
Authors: Terwayet Bayouli Olfa , Zhang Wanchang , Terwayet Bayouli Houssem
Published: November 2023

Droughts and soil erosion are among the most prominent climatic driven hazards in drylands, leading to detrimental environmental impacts, such as degraded lands, deteriorated ecosystem services and biodiversity, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In response to the current lack of studies combining drought conditions and soil erosion processes, in this study, we developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS)-based approach to assess soil erosion and droughts, thereby revealing the relationship between soil erosion and droughts under an arid climate. The vegetation condition index (VCI) and temperature condition index (TCI) derived respectively from the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) MOD13A2 and land surface temperature (LST) MOD11A2 products were combined to generate the vegetation health index (VHI). The VHI has been conceived as an efficient tool to monitor droughts in the Negueb watershed, southeastern Tunisia. The revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model was applied to quantitatively estimate soil erosion. The relationship between soil erosion and droughts was investigated through Pearson correlation. Results exhibited that the Negueb watershed experienced recurrent mild to extreme drought during 2000–2016. The average soil erosion rate was determined to be 1.8 t/(hm2·a). The mountainous western part of the watershed was the most vulnerable not only to soil erosion but also to droughts. The slope length and steepness factor was shown to be the most significant controlling parameter driving soil erosion. The relationship between droughts and soil erosion had a positive correlation (r=0.3); however, the correlation was highly varied spatially across the watershed. Drought was linked to soil erosion in the Negueb watershed. The current study provides insight for natural disaster risk assessment, land managers, and stake-holders to apply appropriate management measures to promote sustainable development goals in fragile environments.
Motion estimation and multi-stage association for tracking-by-detection
Authors: Li Ye , Wu Lei , Chen Yiping , Wang Xinzhong , Yin Guangqiang , Wang Zhiguo
Published: November 2023

Multi-object tracking (MOT) aims to locate and identify objects in videos. As deep learning brings excellent performances to object detection, the tracking-by-detection (TBD) has gradually become a mainstream tracking framework. However, some drawbacks still exist in the current TBD framework: (1) inaccurate prediction of the bounding boxes would occur in the detection part, which is caused by overlooking the actual pedestrian ratio in the surveillance scene. (2) The width of the bounding boxes in the next frame might be indirectly predicted by the aspect ratio, which increases the error of width prediction in the motion prediction part. (3) Association is only performed for high-confidence detection boxes, and the low-confidence boxes caused by occlusion are discarded in the data association part, resulting in fragmentation of trajectories. To address the above issues, we propose a multi-target tracking model incorporating motion estimation and multi-stage association (MEMA). First, the aspect ratio of the ground-true bounding box is introduced to improve the fit of the detection and the ground-true bounding box, and we design the elliptical Gaussian kernel to improve the positioning accuracy of the object center point. Then, the prediction state vector of the Kalman filter is modified to predict the width and its corresponding velocity directly. It can reduce the width error of the prediction box and eliminate the velocity error of the motion estimation, which leads to a more pedestrian-friendly prediction bounding box. Finally, we propose a multi-stage association strategy to correlate different confidence boxes. Without using the appearance feature, the strategy can reduce the impact of occlusion and improve the tracking performance. On the MOT17 test set, the method proposed in this paper achieves a MOTA of 74.3% and an IDF1 of 72.4%, outperforming the current SOTA.
Evolutionary auto-design for aircraft engine cycle
Authors: Feng Xudong , Liu Zhening , Wu Feng , Wang Handing
Published: November 2023

Traditional engine cycle innovation is limited by human experiences, imagination, and currently available engine component performance expectations. Thus, the engine cycle innovation process is quite slow for the past 90 years. In this work, we propose a mixed variable multi-objective evolutionary optimization method for automatic engine cycle design. In the first, a simulation toolkit is developed for performance evaluation of potentially viable engine cycle solutions. Then, the engine cycle solutions are mixed encoded by the pins and the parameters of different engine components. The new engine cycle solutions are generated through the mutation operator. Finally, we construct two optimization objectives to drive the optimization process. Through the experimental research, new engine cycle solutions are discovered that exceed the performance of known turbojet and turbofan engines.
A Simple Conceptual Model of Energy Transition
Authors: Hannesson Rögnvaldur
Published: November 2023

A conceptual model of the electricity market is formulated. Demand can be either high or low, with given probabilities. Inflexible production units with high fixed cost supply the base load of low demand, while flexible units with lower fixed cost and rising marginal cost supply the rest. In a reference case, all production units cover exactly their fixed cost from inframarginal rents. Then a transition to renewable energy is analyzed. There is a certain probability that the renewable energy will not be available, but when it is, it supplies the previous base load. A back-up capacity to supply peak demand is assumed to be made available. The effect of availability of renewable energy on electricity price and fixed cost recovery is analyzed.
Heteroatom-doped biochar devised from cellulose for CO2 adsorption: a new vision on competitive behavior and interactions of N and S
Authors: Sun Yuxuan , Jia Jixiu , Liu Zhidan , Liu Ziyun , Huo Lili , Zhao Lixin , Zhao Yanan , Yao Zonglu
Published: November 2023

Biochar, as a potential CO2 adsorbent, is of great significance in addressing the problem of global warming. Previous studies have demonstrated that the CO2 adsorption performance of biochar can be improved by nitrogen and sulfur doping. Co-doping can integrate the structure and function of two elements. However, the physicochemical interaction of nitrogen and sulfur during doping and the CO2 adsorption process remains unclear in co-doped biochar. In this study, the heteroatom-doped biochar was prepared with different additives (urea, sodium thiosulfate, and thiourea) via hydrothermal carbonization, and the physicochemical interaction of nitrogen and sulfur in co-doped biochar was investigated extensively. The findings revealed that nitrogen and sulfur competed for limited doped active sites on the carbon skeleton during the co-doping process. Interestingly, thiourea retained the amino group on the surface of biochar to a great extent due to carbon–sulfur double bond breaking and bonding, which facilitated the formation of pore in the activation process. Significantly, co-doping had no significant improvement effect although nitrogen and sulfur doping separately enhanced the CO2 adsorption performance of biochar by 11.9% and 8.5%. The nitrogen-containing and sulfur-containing functional groups in co-doped biochar exhibited mutual inhibition in the process of CO2 adsorption. The findings of this study will have pertinent implications in the application of N/S co-doped biochar for CO2 adsorption.

Graphical Abstract
Regulation of regeneration in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Islam Md Khairul , Mummadi Sai Teja , Liu Sanzhen , Wei Hairong
Published: November 2023

We employed several algorithms with high efficacy to analyze the public transcriptomic data, aiming to identify key transcription factors (TFs) that regulate regeneration in Arabidopsis thaliana. Initially, we utilized CollaborativeNet, also known as TF-Cluster, to construct a collaborative network of all TFs, which was subsequently decomposed into many subnetworks using the Triple-Link and Compound Spring Embedder (CoSE) algorithms. Functional analysis of these subnetworks led to the identification of nine subnetworks closely associated with regeneration. We further applied principal component analysis and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis to reduce the subnetworks from nine to three, namely subnetworks 1, 12, and 17. Searching for TF-binding sites in the promoters of the co-expressed and co-regulated (CCGs) genes of all TFs in these three subnetworks and Triple-Gene Mutual Interaction analysis of TFs in these three subnetworks with the CCGs involved in regeneration enabled us to rank the TFs in each subnetwork. Finally, six potential candidate TFs—WOX9A, LEC2, PGA37, WIP5, PEI1, and AIL1 from subnetwork 1—were identified, and their roles in somatic embryogenesis (GO:0010262) and regeneration (GO:0031099) were discussed, so were the TFs in Subnetwork 12 and 17 associated with regeneration. The TFs identified were also assessed using the CIS-BP database and Expression Atlas. Our analyses suggest some novel TFs that may have regulatory roles in regeneration and embryogenesis and provide valuable data and insights into the regulatory mechanisms related to regeneration. The tools and the procedures used here are instrumental for analyzing high-throughput transcriptomic data and advancing our understanding of the regulation of various biological processes of interest.
Influence of copper content on the structure and properties of aluminium alloys
Authors: Płonka Bartłomiej , Żyłka Konrad , Remsak Krzysztof , Rajda Marek , Zdunek Joanna , Moszczyńska Dorota
Published: November 2023

Designing new aluminium alloys always requires an assessment of the influence of modified contents of the main alloying additions on the required properties for a specific application. The aim of this study was to develop a new alloy with a higher tensile strength than the tensile strength obtained in typical 6xxx series alloys, with a satisfactory hot extrusion ductility. The article presents the results of studies on the influence of copper additions, in three variants, on the structure and mechanical properties of extruded aluminium profiles in various heat treatment states. The base reference for the presented studies was the following aluminium alloys: AlMgSi (EN AW-6063) and AlCuMgMn (EN AW-2017). On this basis, three alloy variants with Cu contents of 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 weight % were selected. These alloys were cast by vertical semi-continuous casting in the form of ingots with a diameter of 100 mm. Hot deformation studies were carried out in the process of co-extrusion on a semi-industrial line consisting of a horizontal 5 MN press together with auxiliary devices. The extruded profiles were free from defects that could have resulted from the process, such as overheating, cracks and blisters. The materials in the form of extruded profiles, in the heat treatment states T1 and T4, were characterised in terms of structure and mechanical properties. The variants with Cu contents of 2.5 wt% and 3.5 wt% had comparable structure and grain size, and the variant with 4.5 wt% Cu had a finer microstructure. For the studied alloys after heat treatment, higher the strength, higher the Cu content in the alloy, ranging from 445 to 543 MPa. It has been found that it is possible to develop modified aluminium alloys based on the 6xxx series with an increased copper addition (but still below the content typical for Al alloys of the 2xxx series) that will have a strength above 400 MPa. The first variant of the new alloy with a Cu content of 2.5 wt% meets the set goal and meets the requirements set at the beginning of the studies.
Analyses of hot/warm CO2 removal processes for IGCC power plants
Authors: Chen Shiaoguo , Wang Ping , Hopkinson David P. , Ciferno Jared P. , Duan Yuhua
Published: November 2023

Compared with a pulverized coal power plant, the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) has several advantages, including, among others better environmental performance and low CO2 capture cost. Hot/warm CO2 removal from syngas has also been a subject of research due to its potentially higher thermal efficiency. In this study, we proposed a generic adsorption based hot/warm CO2 removal process for IGCC power plants. Through analyses of the proposed generic process we have demonstrated that higher temperature of the hot/warm CO2 removal process will results in larger heat of adsorption, which in turns may increase energy consumption of the process. Under most of the operating temperature range, hot/warm CO2 removal process will lead to more electricity loss compared to the baseline Selexol process. However, if the adsorption step takes place at a temperature close to or higher than the highest steam temperature in steam cycle, our analysis indicates that the process may lead to minimal electricity loss. The study also provided some other insights into the pathways for hot/warm CO2 removal process to improve its energy performance through process and sorbent designs.

Graphical Abstract
A Novel Distance Measure and CRADIS Method in Picture Fuzzy Environment
Authors: Yuan Jiaqi , Chen Zichun , Wu Miaofeng
Published: November 2023

Picture fuzzy set (PFS) is an extension of intuitionistic fuzzy set, providing a more realistic representation of information characterized by fuzziness, ambiguity, and inconsistency. Distance measure plays a crucial role in organizing diverse strategies for addressing multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) problems. In this paper, we provide a novel distance measure on the basis of Jensen–Shannon divergence in a picture fuzzy environment. This newly proposed PF distance measure not only satisfies the four properties of metric space, but also has good differentiation. Numerical example and pattern recognition are used to compare the proposed PF distance measure with some existing PF distance measures to illustrate that the new PF distance has effectiveness and superiority. Then, we develop a maximum deviation method in association with the proposed distance measure to evaluate the weight of the attribute with picture fuzzy information in the MADM problem. Subsequently, a new MADM method is proposed under picture fuzzy environment, which is on the basis of new PF distance measure and the compromise ranking of alternatives from distance to ideal solution (CRADIS) method. Finally, we furnish an illustrative example and perform a comparative analysis with various decision-making methods to confirm the validity and practicability of the improved MADM method.
Lung ultrasound scores are not associated with subcutaneous oedema or fluid balance in infants after cardiac surgery
Authors: Gelbart Ben , Marchesini Vanessa , Kapalavai Sudeep Kumar , O’Brien Adam , Veysey Andrea , Serratore Alyssa , Appleyard Jessica , Bellomo Rinaldo , Butt Warwick , Duke Trevor
Published: November 2023

Background

Lung ultrasound may help to estimate extravascular lung water (EVLW). However, after paediatric cardiac surgery, the relationship of a lung ultrasound score (LUS) with subcutaneous oedema, fluid balance, or body weight is unknown.

Methods

A prospective, observational study was performed in mechanically ventilated infants following cardiac surgery. A clinical oedema score (COS), fluid balance (FB), body weight (BW) and LUS (based on a B-line scoring tool) were performed.

Results

We studied 53 infants with a median age of 8 days [IQR, 0–14]. EVLW, as estimated by the mean LUS, was 8.7 (SD 3.7) at baseline, 9.2 (SD 4.2) at 24 h, and 9.1 (SD 3.4) at 48 h, out of a maximum score of 24. However, LUS changes over time were small and infero-lateral lung zones had higher mean LUS compared to supero-anterior lung zones. Moreover, subcutaneous body oedema, as measured by a COS, change in BW, or FB, were not associated with the LUS. On multivariable, linear, mixed-effects modelling, accounting for repeated measures within children over time, there was no significant association between the COS and LUS (0.2 points [95% CI − 0.01–0.3]. Finally, in similar regression analyses, there was no significant association between each 100 gm increase in BW or 100 ml increase in FB and changes in LUS (BW, 0.3 [− 0.1–0.7] and FB, 0.1 [− 0.2–0.4]).

Conclusions

In infants following cardiac surgery, the lung ultrasound score was higher in infero-lateral lung zones compared to supero-anterior zones. However, it had no association with a subcutaneous oedema score or changes in fluid balance or body weight.
Scribal Culture in Ancient Egypt
Authors: Allon Niv , Navratilova Hana
Published: November 2023

This Element seeks to characterize the scribal culture in ancient Egypt through its textual acts, which were of prime importance in this culture: writing, list-making, drawing, and copying. Drawing upon texts, material objects, and archeological evidence, this Element will touch upon main themes at the heart of the study of this culture, while building on current discussions in literacy and literary as well as social history.
The Evolution of Reputation-Based Cooperation
Authors: Wittek Rafael , Giardini Francesca
Published: November 2023

Gossiping and its reputation effects are viewed as the most powerful mechanism to sustain cooperation without the intervention of formal authorities. Being virtually costless, gossiping is highly effective in monitoring and sanctioning norm violators. Rational individuals cooperate in order to avoid negative reputations. But this narrative is incomplete and often leads to wrong predictions. Goal Framing Theory, a cognitive-behavioral approach anchored in evolutionary research, provides a better explanatory framework. Three overarching goal frames (hedonic, gain, and normative) constantly compete for being in our cognitive foreground. This Element argues that for gossip to have reputation effects, a salient normative goal frame is required. But since the hedonic mindset usually trumps gain and normative concerns, most gossip will be driven by hedonic motives and therefore not have strong reputation effects. Propositions on cultural, structural, dispositional, situational, and technological gossip antecedents and consequences are developed and illustrated with evidence from the empirical record.
Contested Truths Over COVID-19 in East Africa: Examining Opposition to Public Health Measures in Tanzania and Uganda
Authors: Lee Jia Hui , Meek Laura A. , Katumusiime Jacob
Published: November 2023

The comparative analysis of three “contested truths” around COVID-19 in East Africa demonstrates that knowledge is a product of knotted, uneven, and disputed epistemological practices tied to structures of power. Lee, Meek, and Katumusiime examine: (1) the construction of a pan-African skepticism of COVID-19 that drew on anti-imperialist discourses; (2) social media posts through which Tanzanian digital publics critically evaluated steam inhalation as an alternative therapeutic for COVID-19; and (3) the resistance by many Ugandans to complying with public health measures such as lockdowns. “Contested truths” is used as an analytical framework to center the specificity and situatedness of truth-making in East Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Employee response to employer-sponsored direct primary care
Authors: Gage Stephen , Hakim Amy Cooper
Published: November 2023

Health benefits represent employers’ fastest growing operating expense. Efforts from human resources to control healthcare spending through restrictive plan design changes and corporate wellness programs may not achieve employer health and financial goals and may negatively impact employee outcomes. Employers are increasingly contracting directly with providers in order to access quality medical care and to control spending. The purpose of this practice-focused paper is to provide survey data collected from 10 employers as part of the quality improvement activities of a direct primary care (DPC) program. Overall, survey responses of employees engaged with DPC had higher patient satisfaction, group health plan rating, perceived organizational support, and job satisfaction than survey responses of those registered into the program but not yet engaged with a DPC physician. Implementation considerations and DPC characteristics are provided.
The copenhagen cross-linguistic naming test (C-CLNT): Development and validation in a multicultural memory clinic population
Authors: Nielsen T. Rune , Grollenberg Bernadette Unmack , Ringkøbing Signe Pertou , Özden Maria , Weekes Brendan , Waldemar Gunhild
Published: November 2023

Objective:

Despite recent advances in cross-cultural neuropsychological test development, suitable tests for cross-linguistic assessment of language functions are not widely available. The aims of this study were to develop and validate a brief naming test, the Copenhagen Cross-Linguistic Naming Test (C-CLNT), for the assessment of culturally, linguistically, and educationally diverse older adult populations in Europe.

Method:

The C-CLNT was based on a set of standardized color drawings. Items for the C-CLNT were selected by considering name agreement and frequency across five European and two non-European languages. Ambiguities in some of the selected items and scoring criteria were resolved after pilot testing in 10 memory clinic patients. The final 30-item C-CLNT was validated by verifying its psychometric properties in 24 controls and 162 diverse memory clinic patients with affective disorder, mild cognitive impairment, and with dementia.

Results:

The C-CLNT had acceptable scale reliability (coefficient alpha = .67) and good construct validity, with moderate to strong correlations with traditional language tests (r = .42– .75). Diagnostic accuracy for dementia was good and significantly better than that of the Boston Naming Test (areas under the curve of .80 vs .64, p < .001), but was poor for mild cognitive impairment. Only 3% of the variance in C-CLNT test scores was explained by immigrant background, while 6% was explained by age and years of education. In comparison, these proportions were 34 and 22% for the BNT.

Conclusions:

The C-CLNT has promising clinical utility for cross-linguistic assessment of naming impairment in culturally, linguistically, and educationally diverse older adults.
Natural resources and income inequality: economic complexity is the key
Authors: Awoa Awoa Paul , Atangana Ondoa Henri , Ngoa Tabi Henri
Published: November 2023

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of natural resources on income inequality conditional on economic complexity in 111 developed and developing countries from 1995 to 2016. The system-GMM results show that economic complexity reverses the positive effects of natural resource dependence on income inequality. Furthermore, results are robust to the distinction between dependence on point resources (fossil fuels, ores, and metals), dependence on diffuse resources (agricultural raw material), and resource abundance. Finally, there are significant differences between countries, depending on the level of ethnic fragmentation and democracy.
An Intrathermocline Eddy Observed in the Southeastern Tropical Indian Ocean
Authors: Liu Baochao , Su Qinglei , Wang Huiwu , Yang Guang , Fang Yue , Duan Yongliang , Zu Yongcan
Published: November 2023

An intrathermocline eddy (ITE) was observed over the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean (SETIO) from early February to early May 2020. The ITE was generated near the southwest of Java, and was long lived with a long propagation distance. It had pronounced surface anticyclonic anomalies during westward propagation. Observations from an anchored buoy and several Argo profiles suggested a typical lens‐like vertical structure within the thermocline during the passage of the ITE. The ITE carried a saline water mass with maximum salinity at core depths of 100–150 m. The saline water mass originated from the equatorial Indian Ocean and was transported to the southwest of Java in early January. The formation of the ITE was characterized by a rapid increase of positive sea level anomaly in the southwest of Java, which was closely associated with the local positive wind stress curl in late January and early February.
Reduced Sediment Settling in Turbulent Flows Due To Basset History and Virtual Mass Effects
Authors: Li Shuolin , Bragg Andrew D. , Katul Gabriel
Published: November 2023

The behavior of suspended particles in turbulent flows is a recalcitrant problem spanning wide‐ranging fields including geomorphology, hydrology, and dispersion of particulate matter in the atmosphere. One key mechanism underlying particle suspension is the difference between particle settling velocity (ws) in turbulence and its still water counterpart (wso). This difference is explored here for a range of particle‐to‐fluid densities (1–10) and particle diameter to Kolmogorov micro‐eddy sizes (0.1–10). Conventional models of particle fluxes that equate ws to wso result in eddy diffusivities and turbulent Schmidt numbers contradictory to laboratory experiments. Incorporating virtual mass and Basset history forces resolves these inconsistencies, providing clarity as to why ws/wso is sub‐unity for the aforementioned conditions. The proposed formulation can be imminently used to model particle settling in turbulence, especially when sediment distribution outcomes over extended time scales far surpassing turbulence time scales are sought.
Breast Cancer Detection Based on Simplified Deep Learning Technique With Histopathological Image Using BreaKHis Database
Authors: Toma Tania Afroz , Biswas Shivazi , Miah Md Sipon , Alibakhshikenari Mohammad , Virdee Bal S. , Fernando Sandra , Rahman Md Habibur , Ali Syed Mansoor , Arpanaei Farhad , Hossain Mohammad Amzad , Rahman Md Mahbubur , Niu Ming‐bo , Parchin Naser Ojaroudi , Livreri Patrizia
Published: November 2023

Presented here are the results of an investigation conducted to determine the effectiveness of deep learning (DL)‐based systems utilizing the power of transfer learning for detecting breast cancer in histopathological images. It is shown that DL models that are not specifically developed for breast cancer detection can be trained using transfer learning to effectively detect breast cancer in histopathological images. The outcome of the analysis enables the selection of the best DL architecture for detecting cancer with high accuracy. This should facilitate pathologists to achieve early diagnoses of breast cancer and administer appropriate treatment to the patient. The experimental work here used the BreaKHis database consisting of 7909 histopathological pictures from 82 clinical breast cancer patients. The strategy presented for DL training uses various image processing techniques for extracting various feature patterns. This is followed by applying transfer learning techniques in the deep convolutional networks like ResNet, ResNeXt, SENet, Dual Path Net, DenseNet, NASNet, and Wide ResNet. Comparison with recent literature shows that ResNext‐50, ResNext‐101, DPN131, DenseNet‐169 and NASNet‐A provide an accuracy of 99.8%, 99.5%, 99.675%, 99.725%, and 99.4%, respectively, and outperform previous studies.
Investigating the relationship between inhibitory control and dietary adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus based on subjective and objective measures
Authors: Liu Na , Heng Chunni , Cui Yi , Wu Di , Li Ling , Bai Mengge , Guo Yanxue , Wang Wen , Zhang Yinling
Published: November 2023

Background

Dietary management has been recommended as the cornerstone of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) management. However, low adherence to dietary recommendations has been identified in both developed and developing countries. Previous research suggests that inhibitory control influences eating behavior, but few studies have been conducted in patients with T2DM. Thus, we aimed to explore the relationship between inhibitory control and dietary adherence among patients with T2DM.

Methods

A total of 393 patients with T2DM from the endocrinology departments of three tertiary hospitals in China were enrolled by the convenience sampling method. Dietary adherence was measured by the Dietary Behavior Adherence Scale for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Additionally, inhibitory control was subjectively measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult version (BRIEF-A) and objectively assessed by the stop signal task (SST) and the Stroop task. The relationship between inhibitory control and dietary adherence was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis.

Results

Subjectively measured inhibitory control had a significant predictive effect for dietary adherence after controlling for demographic and clinical variables. Adding the inhibitory control variable to the regression equation resulted in the following values: overall model F (19, 373) = 7.096, p < 0.001, increase in R2 value by 0.069, change in F (1, 373) = 35.219, p < 0.001. Similarly, the performance of the Stroop task had a significant predictive effect for dietary adherence to some foods, i.e., carbohydrate and fat. Adding the Stroop effect variable to the regression equation resulted in the following values: overall model F (19, 81) = 2.848, p = 0.005, increase in R2 value by 0.060, change in F (1, 81) = 8.137, p = 0.006.

Conclusions

Inhibitory control was a predictor of dietary adherence in patients with T2DM. Future interventions should investigate whether inhibitory control training results in the improvement of dietary adherence in patients with T2DM.
Reduction of p11 in dorsal raphe nucleus serotonergic neurons mediates depression-like behaviors
Authors: Li Wei , Shen Zuqi , Yin Xuan , Chang Weiqi , Chen Xiaorong , Yu Jin , Xu Shifen
Published: November 2023

The pathology of depression is related to the imbalance of various neurotransmitters. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), the main brain region producing 5-HT, is crucially involved in the pathophysiology of depression. It contains several neuron types, in which GABAergic neurons are activated by stimuli associated with negative experiences and 5-HT neurons are activated by reward signals. However, little is known about its underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we found that p11, a multifunctional protein associated with depression, was down-regulated by chronic social defeat stress in 5-HTDRN neurons. Knockdown of p11 in DRN induced depression-like behaviors, while its overexpression in 5-HTDRN neurons alleviated depression-like behavior caused by chronic social defeat stress. Further, p11 regulates membrane trafficking of glutamate receptors in 5-HTDRN neurons, suggesting a possible molecular mechanism underlying the participation of p11 in the pathological process of depression. This may facilitate the understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of depression.
Horizontal acquisition of a DNA ligase improves DNA damage tolerance in eukaryotes
Authors: Nicolas Emilien , Simion Paul , Guérineau Marc , Terwagne Matthieu , Colinet Mathilde , Virgo Julie , Lingurski Maxime , Boutsen Anaïs , Dieu Marc , Hallet Bernard , Van Doninck Karine
Published: November 2023

Bdelloid rotifers are part of the restricted circle of multicellular animals that can withstand a wide range of genotoxic stresses at any stage of their life cycle. In this study, bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga is used as a model to decipher the molecular basis of their extreme tolerance. Proteomic analysis shows that a specific DNA ligase, different from those usually involved in DNA repair in eukaryotes, is strongly over-represented upon ionizing radiation. A phylogenetic analysis reveals its orthology to prokaryotic DNA ligase E, and its horizontal acquisition by bdelloid rotifers and plausibly other eukaryotes. The fungus Mortierella verticillata, having a single copy of this DNA Ligase E homolog, also exhibits an increased radiation tolerance with an over-expression of this DNA ligase E following X-ray exposure. We also provide evidence that A. vaga ligase E is a major contributor of DNA breaks ligation activity, which is a common step of all important DNA repair pathways. Consistently, its heterologous expression in human cell lines significantly improves their radio-tolerance. Overall, this study highlights the potential of horizontal gene transfers in eukaryotes, and their contribution to the adaptation to extreme conditions.
SPACEL: deep learning-based characterization of spatial transcriptome architectures
Authors: Xu Hao , Wang Shuyan , Fang Minghao , Luo Songwen , Chen Chunpeng , Wan Siyuan , Wang Rirui , Tang Meifang , Xue Tian , Li Bin , Lin Jun , Qu Kun
Published: November 2023

Spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies detect mRNA expression in single cells/spots while preserving their two-dimensional (2D) spatial coordinates, allowing researchers to study the spatial distribution of the transcriptome in tissues; however, joint analysis of multiple ST slices and aligning them to construct a three-dimensional (3D) stack of the tissue still remain a challenge. Here, we introduce spatial architecture characterization by deep learning (SPACEL) for ST data analysis. SPACEL comprises three modules: Spoint embeds a multiple-layer perceptron with a probabilistic model to deconvolute cell type composition for each spot in a single ST slice; Splane employs a graph convolutional network approach and an adversarial learning algorithm to identify spatial domains that are transcriptomically and spatially coherent across multiple ST slices; and Scube automatically transforms the spatial coordinate systems of consecutive slices and stacks them together to construct a 3D architecture of the tissue. Comparisons against 19 state-of-the-art methods using both simulated and real ST datasets from various tissues and ST technologies demonstrate that SPACEL outperforms the others for cell type deconvolution, for spatial domain identification, and for 3D alignment, thus showcasing SPACEL as a valuable integrated toolkit for ST data processing and analysis.
Straightforward synthesis of functionalized γ-Lactams using impure CO2 stream as the carbon source
Authors: Qin Yuman , Cauwenbergh Robin , Pradhan Suman , Maiti Rakesh , Franck Philippe , Das Shoubhik
Published: November 2023

Direct utilization of CO2 into organic synthesis finds enormous applications to synthesize pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. However, pure CO2 gas is essential to achieve these transformations, and the purification of CO2 is highly cost and energy intensive. Considering this, we describe a straightforward synthetic route for the synthesis of γ-lactams, a pivotal core structure of bioactive molecules, by using commercially available starting materials (alkenes and amines) and impure CO2 stream (exhaust gas is collected from the car) as the carbon source. This blueprint features a broad scope, excellent functional group compatibility and application to the late-stage transformation of existing pharmaceuticals and natural products to synthesize functionalized γ-lactams. We believe that our strategy will provide direct access to γ-lactams in a very sustainable way and will also enhance the Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) strategy.
Cation-induced changes in the inner- and outer-sphere mechanisms of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction
Authors: Qin Xueping , Hansen Heine A. , Honkala Karoliina , Melander Marko M.
Published: November 2023

The underlying mechanism of cation effects on CO2RR remains debated. Herein, we study cation effects by simulating both outer-sphere electron transfer (OS-ET) and inner-sphere electron transfer (IS-ET) pathways during CO2RR via constrained density functional theory molecular dynamics (cDFT-MD) and slow-growth DFT-MD (SG-DFT-MD), respectively. Our results show without any cations, only OS-ET is feasible with a barrier of 1.21 eV. In the presence of K+ (Li+), OS-ET shows a very high barrier of 2.93 eV (4.15 eV) thus being prohibited. However, cations promote CO2 activation through IS-ET with the barrier of only 0.61 eV (K+) and 0.91 eV (Li+), generating the key intermediate (adsorbed CO$${}_{2}^{\delta -}$$

2

δ
−

). Without cations, CO2-to-CO$${}_{2}^{\delta -}$$

2

δ
−

(ads) conversion cannot proceed. Our findings reveal cation effects arise from short-range Coulomb interactions with reaction intermediates. These results disclose that cations modulate the inner- and outer-sphere pathways of CO2RR, offering substantial insights on the cation specificity in the initial CO2RR steps.
Common transthyretin-derived amyloid fibril structures in patients with hereditary ATTR amyloidosis
Authors: Steinebrei Maximilian , Baur Julian , Pradhan Anaviggha , Kupfer Niklas , Wiese Sebastian , Hegenbart Ute , Schönland Stefan O. , Schmidt Matthias , Fändrich Marcus
Published: November 2023

Systemic ATTR amyloidosis is an increasingly important protein misfolding disease that is provoked by the formation of amyloid fibrils from transthyretin protein. The pathological and clinical disease manifestations and the number of pathogenic mutational changes in transthyretin are highly diverse, raising the question whether the different mutations may lead to different fibril morphologies. Using cryo-electron microscopy, however, we show here that the fibril structure is remarkably similar in patients that are affected by different mutations. Our data suggest that the circumstances under which these fibrils are formed and deposited inside the body - and not only the fibril morphology - are crucial for defining the phenotypic variability in many patients.