bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global trends and scenarios for terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem services from 1900 to 2050
Authors: Pereira Henrique M. , Martins Inês S. , Rosa Isabel M. D. , Kim HyeJin , Leadley Paul , Popp Alexander , van Vuuren Detlef P. , Hurtt George , Quoss Luise , Arneth Almut , Baisero Daniele , Bakkenes Michel , Chaplin-Kramer Rebecca , Chini Louise , Di Marco Moreno , Ferrier Simon , Fujimori Shinichiro , Guerra Carlos A. , Harfoot Michael , Harwood Thomas D. , Hasegawa Tomoko , Haverd Vanessa , Havlík Petr , Hellweg Stefanie , Hilbers Jelle P. , Hill Samantha L. L. , Hirata Akiko , Hoskins Andrew J. , Humpenöder Florian , Janse Jan H. , Jetz Walter , Johnson Justin A. , Krause Andreas , Leclère David , Matsui Tetsuya , Meijer Johan R. , Merow Cory , Obersteiner Michael , Ohashi Haruka , De Palma Adriana , Poulter Benjamin , Purvis Andy , Quesada Benjamin , Rondinini Carlo , Schipper Aafke M. , Settele Josef , Sharp Richard , Stehfest Elke , Strassburg Bernardo B. N. , Takahashi Kiyoshi , Talluto Matthew V. , Thuiller Wilfried , Titeux Nicolas , Visconti Piero , Ware Christopher , Wolf Florian , Alkemade Rob
Published: April 2024

Based on an extensive model intercomparison, we assessed trends in biodiversity and ecosystem services from historical reconstructions and future scenarios of land-use and climate change. During the 20th century, biodiversity declined globally by 2 to 11%, as estimated by a range of indicators. Provisioning ecosystem services increased several fold, and regulating services decreased moderately. Going forward, policies toward sustainability have the potential to slow biodiversity loss resulting from land-use change and the demand for provisioning services while reducing or reversing declines in regulating services. However, negative impacts on biodiversity due to climate change appear poised to increase, particularly in the higher-emissions scenarios. Our assessment identifies remaining modeling uncertainties but also robustly shows that renewed policy efforts are needed to meet the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Volcanic crustal structure of the western Hikurangi Plateau (New Zealand) from marine seismic reflection imaging
Authors: Gase Andrew C. , Bangs Nathan L. , Van Avendonk Harm J.A. , Bassett Dan , Henrys Stuart , Arai Ryuta , Fujie Gou , Barnes Philip M. , Kodaira Shuichi , Barker Daniel H.N. , Okaya David
Published: April 2024

Seamounts and basaltic basement can influence deformation and mass fluxes within subduction zones. We examined seamounts and volcanic units across the western Hikurangi Plateau, near the Hikurangi subduction margin, New Zealand, with seismic reflection images. Volcanism at the Hikurangi Plateau occurred in at least three phases that we attribute to (1) Early Cretaceous large igneous province formation, the top of which is marked by laterally continuous and dipping wedges of reflections that we interpret as lava flows; (2) Late Cretaceous seamounts and volcaniclastics that erupted onto the crust of the Hikurangi Plateau and make up the majority of seamount volume and basement relief; and (3) late-stage, Pliocene volcanics that erupted through and adjacent to Cretaceous seamounts and younger sediments of the north-central Hikurangi Plateau. The Pliocene volcanoes do not appear to be strongly welded to the plateau basement and may be petit spot volcanoes that are related to the displacement and accumulation of hydrous transition zone melts. Large seamounts and volcaniclastic units are evenly distributed across most of the Hikurangi Plateau near the Hikurangi margin but are absent from the Pegasus Basin. Although faults are imaged throughout the basement of the Pegasus Basin, contemporary normal faulting of the Hikurangi Plateau is uncommon, except for a zone of Quaternary normal faults near the Pliocene volcanics. These trends indicate that the Hikurangi megathrust may be more influenced by volcanic structures in the north and central Hikurangi margin, where plateau rifting and voluminous seamount eruptions have more substantially overprinted the original Early Cretaceous basement.
Management of oral manifestations of a child with Heimler Syndrome-2
Authors: Yap Lauren C , Williams Lacey , Stinton Natalie , Malik Gayatri
Published: April 2024

Heimler Syndrome 2 (HS-2) is a rare, autosomal recessive mild form of a peroxisomal biogenesis disorder. Though knowledge regarding the disorder is limited, emerging research has found that sensorineural hearing loss, occasional or late onset pigmentation, amelogenesis imperfecta and nail abnormalities are clinical characteristics representative of HS-2.

A school-aged male presented to the dental department with a chief complaint of a lack of enamel on multiple teeth. The patient’s medical history was significant for patent ductus arteriosus, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and biallelic mutation of the PEX6 gene. The clinical exam revealed dental crowding, hypoplasia, hypo-calcification of multiple teeth and enlarged pulp chambers of maxillary molars. This case report details the clinical findings associated with HS-2, the comprehensive dental treatment to be rendered to the patient, and critical information to paediatric dentists and general dentists so that they can make proper referrals to medical specialties.
Maintaining essential health services during a pandemic: lessons from Costa Rica’s COVID-19 response
Authors: Mora-García Claudio A , Pearson Andy A , Prado Andrea M
Published: April 2024

Studies on COVID-19 usually focus on health system responses to decrease the rate of COVID-19 infection and death, but patients with other diseases also require access to health services during the pandemic. This paper describes the structures and processes by which the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped to sustain essential health services (EHSs). We conducted a desk review of the local literature and semistructured qualitative interviews with key informants from the CCSS. We found that the CCSS implemented changes in structure, such as creating a specialised COVID-19 centre and hiring additional interim health workers. The CCSS also implemented changes in processes, including leveraging its integrated network to optimise its resources and support alternative care modalities. These changes generated changes in outputs and outcomes that helped sustain EHSs for non-COVID-19 patients. These interventions were possible primarily due to Costa Rica’s underlying health system, particularly its integrated nature with a single institution in charge of healthcare provision financed through mandatory health insurance, a unique digital medical record system and a contingency fund.
Description and evaluation of a self-operated waist measurement device
Authors: Song Yilin , Philbrick Kenneth A , Weston Alexander D , Potretzke Theodora , Lytle Kelli A , Jensen Teresa , Jensen Michael Dennis
Published: April 2024

Background

National guidelines recommend that waist circumference (WC) be measured in patients with a body mass index (BMI) 27–35 kg/m2. Unfortunately, perhaps due to logistical reasons, WC is seldom measured in clinical settings. Herein, we describe the performance of a self-operated waist measurement device (SOWMD) as a potential means to overcome barriers to measuring WC.

Materials and methods

Ten volunteers underwent WC measures by professionals and SOWMD on 5 separate days to assess the reproducibility and accuracy. We then compared SOWMD measures with CT-derived fat content by recruiting 81 patients scheduled for a diagnostic abdominal CT scan.

Results

There was no difference between professionally measured and SOWMD-measured WC; the intraindividual coefficient of variation over the 5 days was between 0.4% and 2.2%. The WC measured manually, by SOWMD and CT scan were highly correlated (r=0.90–0.92, all p<0.001). The minimal WC measured by SOWMD was a better predictor (r=0.81 for all patients, r=0.87 for men, both p<0.001) of CT-measured visceral adipose tissue volume than other approaches. The minimal WC measured by SOWMD was correlated with fasting plasma glucose (r=0.40, p<0.05), triglyceride (r=0.41, p<0.01) and high-density cholesterol (r=−0.49, p<0.001) concentrations.

Conclusion

SOWMD is a reproducible, accurate and convenient way to measure WC that can provide added value for health care providers when combined with BMI information.
Long-term follow-up study of SWEDD patients with mild parkinsonian signs
Authors: Sasaki Shoichi
Published: April 2024

Background

Whether scan without evidence of dopaminergic deficit (SWEDD) can be a reliable indication of a clinical entity of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is controversial.

Objective

To evaluate the proportion of SWEDD patients with mild parkinsonian signs who are classifiable as idiopathic PD.

Methods

32 SWEDD patients with unilateral or asymmetric finger tremor with a rest component and unilateral rigidity (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)-III scores of 3-5) were enrolled. They underwent longitudinal examination by UPDRS-III, Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE), smell test and123I-FP-CIT SPECT (DaTSCAN) at baseline (first DaTSCAN) and at follow-up (second DaTSCAN) after 27–83 months. Age-matched controls (n=112) also underwent MMSE and smell test.

Results

At follow-up, 21 of 32 SWEDD patients (65.6%) showed significantly reduced specific binding ratios below the normal range, that is, positive DaTSCAN, sometimes with increased asymmetry index (n=11). Among these 21 patients, the mean (SD) UPDRS-III score at follow-up was significantly higher than that at baseline (5.5 (2.2) vs 4.0 (0.5)) (p=0.003). The mean (SD) MMSE scores in SWEDD patients (n=32) at baseline and follow-up were not significantly different compared with those in controls. Olfactory function both in SWEDD patients with positive and negative DaTSCAN was significantly impaired versus controls (p<0.001), although no significant difference was recognised between patients with positive (n=21) and negative (n=11) second DaTSCAN.

Conclusion

The majority of SWEDD patients with mild rest tremor and rigidity could be classified as having idiopathic PD in this longitudinal and long-term follow-up study.
Who performs neonatal hip assessment: is there a cause for concern?
Authors: Burt Justine E A , AlKandari Nourah , Campbell Donald M , MacLean James G B
Published: April 2024

Objective

The UK falls behind other European countries in the early detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and screening strategies differ for early detection. Clinical detection of DDH is challenging and recognised to be dependent on examiner experience. No studies exist assessing the number of personnel currently involved in such assessments.

Our objective was to review the current screening procedure by studying a cohort of newborn babies in one teaching hospital and assess the number of health professionals involved in neonatal hip assessment and the number of examinations undertaken during one period by each individual.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study assessing all babies born consecutively over a 14-week period in 2020. Record of each initial baby check was obtained from BadgerNet. Follow-up data on ultrasound or orthopaedic outpatient referrals were obtained from clinical records.

Results

1037 babies were examined by 65 individual examiners representing 9 different healthcare professional groups. The range of examinations conducted per examiner was 1–97 with a median of 5.5 examinations per person. 49% of individuals examined 5 or less babies across the 14 weeks, with 18% only performing 1 examination. Of the six babies (0.48%) treated for DDH, one was picked up on neonatal assessment.

Conclusion

In a system where so many examiners are involved in neonatal hip assessment, the experience is limited for most examiners. Currently high rates of late presentation of DDH are observed locally, which are in accordance with published national experience. The potential association merits further investigation.
Primary Sjögren’s syndrome independently promotes premature subclinical atherosclerosis
Authors: Zehrfeld Nadine , Abelmann Malin , Benz Sabrina , Zippel Clara Luisa , Beider Sonja , Kramer Emelie , Seeliger Tabea , Sogkas Georgios , Gödecke Vega , Ahrenstorf Gerrit , Armbruster Franz Paul , Skripuletz Thomas , Witte Torsten , Derda Anselm Arthur , Sonnenschein Kristina , Ernst Diana
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Cardiovascular comorbidities are common in patients with autoimmune diseases. This study investigates the extent of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). Correlations with clinical factors such as organ involvement (OI) or disease activity were analysed and oxLDL antibodies (oxLDL ab) were measured as potential biomarkers of vascular damage.

Methods

Patients with pSS were consecutively included from the rheumatology outpatient clinic. Age- and sex-matched controls were recruited (2:1 ratio). Data collection was performed by a standardised questionnaire and Doppler ultrasound to evaluate the plaque extent and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT). Propensity score matching included all cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors and corresponding laboratory markers.

Results

Data were available for 299 participants (199 pSS/100 controls), aged 59.4 years (50.6–65.0), 19.1% male. After matching, the pSS cohort had greater cIMT (p<0.001) and plaque extent (OR=1.82; 95% CI 1.14 to 2.95). Subgroup analyses of patients with pSS revealed that OI was associated with increased cIMT (p=0.025) and increased plaque occurrence compared with patients without OI (OR=1.74; 95% CI 1.02 to 3.01). OxLDL ab tended to be lower in patients with plaque (p=0.052). Correlations of higher Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein (oxLDL) ab with EULAR Sjögren’s Syndrome Disease Activity Index (p<0.001) and anti–Sjögren's-syndrome-related antigen A autoantibodies (SSA/Ro antibodies) (p=0.026) were observed.

Conclusions

Subclinical atherosclerosis occurs earlier and more severely in patients with pSS. The difference in cIMT between pSS and controls seems mainly driven by patients with OI, suggesting that this subgroup is particularly at risk. OxLDL ab might protect against atherosclerotic progression in patients with pSS. CVR stratification and preventive medications such as Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors should be discussed and further longitudinal studies are needed.
Clinical impact of fungal colonization of burn wounds in patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Gur Ivan , Zilbert Anton , Toledano Kochava , Roimi Michael , Stern Anat
Published: April 2024

Background

Invasive fungal infections in burn victims significantly increase mortality and hospitalization. The effect of fungal burn wound colonization has not been established.

Methods

All adult patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) with burns ≥10% of total body surface area (TBSA) between 2005 and 2021 were included. Superficial swabs were collected whenever clinical suspicion of wound colonization was raised, and deep tissue samples were sent at any wound excision. The primary outcome was the incidence of invasive fungal infections defined as any deep tissue fungal infection or fungemia.

Results

Of 242 patients included, 39 (16.1%) had fungal wound colonization, 22 (56.4%) with yeasts and 24 (61.5%) molds. Patients with fungal colonization had a significantly higher rate of invasive fungal infections (82.1% vs 3.9%, p<0.001), candidemia (15.4% vs 3.4%, p=0.002), as well as longer ICU stay (61.5±57.6 vs 19±40.5 days, p<0.001), and higher in-ICU mortality (43.6% vs 15.8%, p<0.001). Survival analysis showed fungal colonization to be associated with significantly increased risk of invasive infection (aHR 25, 95% CI (9.67 to 64.62)), even when adjusted for age, TBSA, sequential organ failure assessment scores, Charlson Comorbidity Index and the presence of bacteremia.

Conclusions

Fungal burn wound colonization is associated with increased risk of invasive fungal infections and mortality.

Level of Evidence

This a single center, retrospective cohort study
Cardiogenic shock—sex-specific risk factors and outcome differences
Authors: Zhang Hannah , Shah Ashish , Ravandi Amir
Published: April 2024

Cardiogenic shock (CS) remains a high-mortality condition despite technological and therapeutic advances. One key to potentially improving CS prognosis is understanding patient heterogeneity and which patients may benefit most from different treatment options, a key element of which is sex differences. While cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have historically been considered a male-dominant condition, the field is increasingly aware that females are also a substantial portion of the patient population. While estrogen has been implicated in protective roles against CVD and tissue hypoxia, its role in CS remains unclear. Clinically, female CS patients tend to be older, have more severe comorbidities and are more likely to have non-acute myocardial infarction etiologies with preserved ejection fractions. Female CS patients are more likely to receive pharmacotherapy while less likely to receive mechanical circulatory support. There is increased short-term mortality in females, although long-term mortality is similar between the sexes. More sex-specific and age-stratified research needs to be done to fully understand the relevant pathophysiological differences in CS, to better recognize and manage CS patients and reduce its mortality.
Searching for a heavy neutral CP-even Higgs boson in the BLSSM at the LHC Run 3 and HL-LHC
Authors: Ashry M. , Khalil S. , Moretti S.
Published: April 2024

The detection of a heavy neutral CP-even Higgs boson of the $$B-L$$

B
-
L

Supersymmetric Standard Model (BLSSM), $$h'$$

h
′

, with $$m_{h'}\simeq 400~\text {GeV}$$

m

h
′

≃
400

GeV

, at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for a center-of-mass energy of $$\sqrt{s}=14~\text {TeV}$$

s

=
14

TeV

, is investigated. The following production and decay channels are considered: $$gg\rightarrow h'\rightarrow {ZZ}\rightarrow 4\ell $$

g
g
→

h
′

→

ZZ

→
4
ℓ

and "Equation missing" (with "Equation missing" being the Missing Transverse Energy (MET)), where $$\ell =e,\mu $$

ℓ
=
e
,
μ

, with integrated luminosity $$L_{\text {int}}=300~{\text {fb}}^{-1}$$

L
int

=
300

fb

-
1

(Run 3). Furthermore, we also look into the di-Higgs channel $$gg\rightarrow h'\rightarrow {hh}\rightarrow {b{\bar{b}}\gamma \gamma }$$

g
g
→

h
′

→

hh

→

b

b

¯

γ
γ

at the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) with an integrated luminosity of $$L_{\text {int}}=3000~{\text {fb}}^{-1}$$

L
int

=
3000

fb

-
1

. We demonstrate that promising signals with high signal-to-background statistical significance ($$S/\sqrt{B}$$

S
/

B

) can be obtained through the three aforementioned channels.
Non-relativistic quantum chromodynamics in parton showers
Authors: Cooke Naomi , Ilten Philip , Lönnblad Leif , Mrenna Stephen
Published: April 2024

Measurements of quarkonia isolation in jets at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have been shown to disagree with fixed-order non-relativistic quantum chromodynamics (NRQCD) calculations, even at higher orders. Calculations using the fragmenting jet function formalism are able to better describe data but cannot provide full event-level predictions. In this work we provide an alternative model via NRQCD production of quarkonia in a timelike parton shower. We include this model in the Pythia 8 event generator and validate our parton-shower implementation against analytic forms of the relevant fragmentation functions. Finally, we make inclusive predictions of quarkonia production for the decay of the standard-model Higgs boson.
Holographic entanglement entropy and subregion complexity for s-wave superconductor from massive gravity
Authors: Hu Yiliang , Wu Yabo , Lu Junwang , Chi Jianan , Liu Wenzhong , Chen Bohai
Published: April 2024

In this paper, in the framework of massive gravity, the holographic entanglement entropy (HEE) and holographic subregion complexity (HSC) are numerically investigated by means of the RT formula and the subregion CV conjucture for holographic superconductor with backreaction. We find that both the HEE and HSC exhibit discontinuity of slope at critical temperature, hence both of them are able to reflect the information of phase transition in the holographic superconducting system. Different from the previous studies, the HEE and HSC as function of strip-width are not always lower in the superconducting phase than ones in the normal phase, in particular the HSC decreases linearly as the subregion increases for positive coupling parameters. We notice that when the coupling parameters $$\alpha $$
α
and $$\beta $$
β
are taken as positive values, the HSC behaves in the same way as HEE, but when they are negative, the HSC has many different behaviors from HEE. Furthermore, we also observe that the HEE and HSC in the superconducting phase illustrate a tendency to converge to the same value as the temperature approaches zero, regardless of the coupling parameters of model. It is worth mentioning that in the massless gravity limit (the coupling parameters $$\alpha =0$$

α
=
0

and $$\beta =0$$

β
=
0

), the results given by us are consistent with the case of holographic superconductor with backreaction from Einstein gravity.
The Classification Algorithm of Nano Targets Based on Millimeter Wave Radar
Authors: Zhang Jing , Zhou Xiancun , Jia Chaochuan , Cai Cuicui , Zhou Quan , Liu Yu , Jiang Qing , Li Yajun
Published: April 2024

Nanodrones are insect-sized drones that could fly in complex environments and confined spaces, and act as an emerging tool for covert surveillance and intelligence attacks, which would become a potential threat to national security. Radar has the advantage of wide range, all-day, and all-weather detection ability, making it a means of detecting such threat. First, this paper introduces a pertinent multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) millimeter-wave (MMW) radar system, with the advantages of low cost and high accuracy. It is utilized to detect three targets: nanodrone, small helicopter, and mechanical bird, through which more detailed features can be obtained. Then, the echo data of the three targets are processed and analyzed, and their distinct micro-Doppler characteristics were obtained. Finally, the Radar Transformer target classification network is used to classify and identify the targets. It has been confirmed that desired results could be achieved through the above process.
Harmonic Detection Methods and Optimization Strategies for Charger in Power Grid
Authors: Zhou Zhenliu , Xu Zhixun , Zhang Pizhen
Published: April 2024

The charger’s operation in the power grid will cause harmonic pollution, affecting the service life of the equipment and the quality of the power grid. The harmonic characteristics and detection during the charging process are studied. The simulation model of charger is established first using MATLAB, the results of the experiment show that odd harmonics are mainly generated during charging, and the distortion rate of the current harmonics remains between 0.231 and 0.443 during the charging process. A new wavelet neural network is proposed to detect the harmonic method. Experimental results indicate that, compared with previous detection methods, this network has better detection efficiency and accuracy for harmonics. But detection result of this network is unstable and does not even converge. A new adaptive bat algorithm with improved focusing distance is presented here to optimize the wavelet neural network, which effectively solves the defect of being sensitive to the node number of hidden layer, resulting in higher detection accuracy, faster detection speed, and stable convergence. The detection error range is reduced from −0.03 to 0.02, and the number of iterations is reduced to around 1000.
Incomplete Footprint Retrieval Based on Multi-Scale Feature Orthogonal Fusion
Authors: Zhang Yan , Cao Liqing , Xu Changkang , Wang Nian
Published: April 2024

At present, footprint image retrieval based on deep learning mainly focuses on complete footprint, but many of the footprints obtained in the field of public safety and criminal investigation are incomplete forms, Therefore, the feature analysis of incomplete footprint has important practical significance. Based on multiple scale features fusion, we proposed a method to solve incomplete footprints retrieval. On the basis of extracting the global feature of footprint, this method simultaneously extracts multiple local features from different stages of the backbone network to supplement the footprint feature information. The multi-scale feature orthogonal fusion module is used to reduce redundant features, improve the expression ability of footprint features, and solve the problem of incomplete footprint retrieval to a certain extent. The experiment shows that our method has certain effectiveness in retrieving problems on incomplete footprint, with a Top 1 accuracy of 87.08%, expanding the scope of footprint research.
UNRAVELING THE MACHINABILITY OF NIMONIC 263: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY USING ABRASIVE WATERJET CUTTING
Authors: CHANDRAN GANESH DEEPAK , NAGARAJAN LENIN , VASUDEVAN BALAJI
Published: April 2024

The demand for high-performance materials in aerospace, automotive, and power generation industries has led to the development and utilization of advanced superalloys. Nimonic C-263/263, a nickel-based superalloy, is widely employed in critical components of jet engines, such as combustion chambers, heat exchangers, reformer tubes, gas turbine power generation components like turbine discs, shafts, and blades, due to its exceptional high-temperature strength, corrosion resistance, and creep properties. However, the inherent hardness and toughness of this alloy pose significant challenges for conventional machining processes. Abrasive waterjet cutting (AWJC) emerges as a promising alternative for the efficient machining of such difficult-to-cut superalloy materials. This paper presents an in-depth investigation on the machinability of thick Nimonic 263 superalloy plate material using AWJC, aiming to provide insights into the effects of process parameters, cutting performances, and resulting surface integrity due to change in declination angle measurement. An examination was also conducted on the pattern of striation formation under varying process parameters, utilizing digital microscopic images. The goal of the study is to establish a link between the parameters of striation production and the angle of jet impingement. The results indicate that a decrease in striation during the water jet processing of Nimonic 263 superalloy is caused by an increase in the declination angle.
Positive solutions for parametric equations with unbalanced growth and indefinite perturbation
Authors: Liu Zhenhai , Papageorgiou Nikolaos S.
Published: April 2024

We consider a nonlinear Dirichlet problem driven by the double phase operator. The reaction has the combined effects of parametric concave term and of an indefinite convex one (“concave-convex” problem with indefinite weight). Using the Nehari method we prove the existence of two bounded, positive ground state solutions.
An Angle-Oriented Approach to Transferring Speech to Gesture for Highly Anthropomorphized Embodied Conversational Agents
Authors: Liu Jiwei , Qin Zheng , Zhang Zixing , Zhang Jixin
Published: April 2024

Realistic co-speech gestures are important to anthropomorphize ECAs, as nonverbal behavior improves expressiveness of their speech greatly. However, the existing approaches to generating co-speech gestures with sufficient details (including fingers, etc.) in 3D scenarios are indeed rare. Additionally, they hardly address the problem of abnormal gestures, temporal–spatial coherence and diversity of gesture sequences comprehensively. To handle abnormal gesture issues, we put forward an angle conversion method to remove body part length from the original in-the-wild video dataset via transferring coordinates of human upper body key points into relative deflection angles and pitch angles. We also propose a neural network called HARP with encoder–decoder architecture to transfer MFCC featured speech audio into aforementioned angles on the basis of CNN and LSTM. The angles then can be rendered as corresponding co-speech gestures. Compared with the other latest approaches, the co-speech gestures generated by HARP are proved to be almost as good as the real person, i.e., they have strong temporal–spatial coherence, diversity, persuasiveness and credibility. Our approach puts finer control on co-speech gestures than most of the existing works by handling all key points of the human upper body. It is more feasible for industrial application, since HARP can be adaptive to any human upper body model. All related code and evidence videos of HARP can be accessed at https://github.com/drrobincroft/HARP .
Design of Nonlinear Autoregressive Neuro-Computing Structure for Bioconvective Micropolar Nanofluidic Model
Authors: Shah Zahoor , Jamil Attika , Raja Muhammad Asif Zahoor , Shoaib Muhammad , Kiani Adiqa Kausar
Published: April 2024

In the present arena, the tools of artificial intelligence (AI) play a significant role in research across various fields by enabling advanced data analysis, pattern recognition and decision-making. This research work presents the numerical investigation of bioconvective micropolar nanofluidic model (BCMNFM) by employing the knacks of AI-based nonlinear autoregressive (NAR) approach with a combination of backpropagated Levenberg–Marquardt neural networks (BLMNNs) represented as NAR-BLMNNs. This research work investigates the flow design to highlight the attributes of mass and heat exchange. A dataset for BCMNFM is created by applying the Adam numerical procedure by variation of unsteadiness parameter ([Formula: see text], magnetic field parameter ([Formula: see text] thermophoresis parameter (Nt), Brownian motion parameter (Nb), bioconvection Peclet number (Pe) and spin gradient viscosity parameter ([Formula: see text] The skills of AI-based NAR-BLMNNs technique is then utilized on the dataset created for BCMNFM to investigate the approximate solutions. The achieved and impactful values of performance consistently range between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] across all scenarios of BCMNFM. The precision and the validation of predicted approach NAR-BLMNNs is exceptionally established by the graphical demonstration for all scenarios of MSE, regression metrics, error histograms and time series graphs. The numerical calculations attained through AI-based NAR-BLMNNs technique further rationalize the precision of the proposed methodology for solving the BCMNFM effectively and efficiently.
Cytotoxicity of Zirconium Oxide Nanoparticles on Rabbit Tooth Gum Cells
Authors: Mossavi Seyed Arash Javad , Ramandi Javad F. , Ghanbary Fatemeh , Hosseini Nasrin , Naserzadeh Parvaneh , Akhshik Masoud , Tay Franklin R. , Ashtari Behnaz
Published: April 2024

The cytotoxicity mechanism of zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO2-NPs) has not been clarified to-date. Nevertheless, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by ZrO2-NPs has been perceived as an important mechanism in some in vivo studies. Accordingly, this study was conducted to identify the potential effects of ZrO2-NPs on rabbit tooth gum cells as well as the mechanism/s of their cytotoxicity. Synthesized ZrO2-NPs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Cell viability, ROS level, lipid peroxidation (LPO), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), glutathione count (GSH/GSSG), lysosome damage and apoptosis/necrosis were evaluated. Biodistribution studies were conducted on tooth gum, liver, kidney, heart and brain tissues in the rabbit using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP/OES). ZrO2-NPs increased ROS, MMP collapse and malondialdehyde (MDA). In contrast, GSH/GSSG and apoptosis/necrosis were found to be changed. The ZrO2-NPs accumulated significantly more on rabbit tooth gum tissues compared with other organs ([Formula: see text]). The study provided evidence that ZrO2-NPs cannot be considered completely biocompatible in the gum cell tissues of the rabbit. Before these nanoparticles can be used for human dental applications, further investigations on a wide range of cell death signaling should be performed.
Sol–Gel Synthesis and Characterizations of Spinel Nickel Chromite (NiCr2O4) Nanoparticles to Study their Photocatalytic, Antibacterial and Anticancer Activities
Authors: Ajith A. , Wani Tasaduk Ahmad , Suresh G. , Saravanan N. , Masrour Rachid
Published: April 2024

A facile and cost-effective sol–gel technique has been used to synthesize nickel chromite (NiCr2O4) nanoparticles (NCNPs) at [Formula: see text]C to investigate their photocatalytic together with antibacterial and anticancer activities. The synthesized nanopowder was characterized by Thermogravimetric thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Photon Electroscopy (XPS) and UV–Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-DRS) and Photoluminescence (PL). Beyond [Formula: see text]C, the thermal durability of NCNPs was confirmed by TG-DTA analysis. The synthesized NPs were cubic structured corresponding to their spinel structure, a crystallite size of 38[Formula: see text]nm and an optical bandgap of 2.7 eV. The PL spectra revealed emission bands in the visible and UV regions. The surface-phase-pure elemental and electronic arrangement of the NCNPs were verified by X-ray photon spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity of NCNPs against Methylene Blue dye revealed 89% degradation in 1 h. The in vitro antibacterial and anticancer activities of NCNPs were also examined. Among the tested microbes, Staphylococcus aureus exhibited the highest level of sensitivity (9 mm), while Escherichia coli had the lowest (5 mm) against NCNPs. The MTT test revealed the significant cytotoxicity of NCNPs against carcinogenic HeLa and MCF-7 cells. Thus, the synthesized NCNPs could be rated as potential photocatalytic, bactericidal and anticarcinogenic agents.
Indicated coloring of some families of graphs
Authors: Francis P. , Francis Raj S. , Gokulnath M.
Published: April 2024

Indicated coloring is a graph coloring game in which two players collectively color the vertices of a graph in the following way. In each round, the first player (Ann) selects a vertex and then the second player (Ben) colors it properly, using a fixed set of colors. The goal of Ann is to achieve a proper coloring of the whole graph, while Ben is trying to prevent the realization of this project. The smallest number of colors necessary for Ann to win the game on a graph [Formula: see text] (regardless of Ben’s strategy) is called the indicated chromatic number of [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text].

In this paper, we observe that the Nordhaus–Gaddum inequalities for the chromatic number are also satisfied by the indicated chromatic number. Further, we prove that outerplanar graphs, 3-colorable maximal planar graphs with [Formula: see text], uniquely 4-colorable planar graphs and [Formula: see text] (obtained from [Formula: see text] by joining diagonally opposite vertices) are [Formula: see text]-indicated colorable for all [Formula: see text] greater than or equal to its chromatic number. Also, we show that Ben wins the game with [Formula: see text] colors when Ann uses any connected strategy on [Formula: see text] for any [Formula: see text]. This turns out to be a generalization of the result due to Grzesik in [Indicated coloring of graphs, Discrete Math. 312(23) (2012) 3467–3472]. Finally, we prove that Mycielskian of [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-indicated colorable when [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-indicated colorable for some [Formula: see text]. These partially answer one of the questions which was raised by Grzesik in [Indicated coloring of graphs, Discrete Math. 312(23) (2012) 3467–3472].
Insight into the forced convective radiative Stefan flow of nanofluid over an unsteady stretched sheet
Authors: Konai Saheb , Mukhopadhyay Swati
Published: April 2024

Water-based ‘nanofluid’ flow owing to an unsteady stretched surface is inspected in this paper considering Stefan blowing and thermal radiation. ‘Similarity transformations’ are applied to reduce the governing ‘partial differential equations’ (PDEs) for momentum, energy and concentration into ‘nonlinear’ ‘ordinary differential equations’ (ODEs). By using a shooting technique, those equations are solved numerically with the help of fourth-order ‘Runge–Kutta method’. ‘Wall shear stress’ rises but ‘heat transfer’ as well as ‘mass transfer coefficients’ reduce for the augmentation in ‘Stefan blowing/suction parameter’. ‘Temperature’ and ‘concentration’ of nanoliquid are found to rise but liquid’s ‘velocity’ reduces for the growing of ‘nanoparticle’s volume fraction’. Liquid’s ‘velocity’ and ‘concentration’ are observed to decrease for enhanced ‘Lewis number’. Based on the results presented here as well as their anatomical analysis, the relevant parameters significantly affect the stream, warmth and mass transports.
Heat transfer characteristics in non-Newtonian fluids with variable thermal conductivity and Cattaneo–Christov model: A spectral collocation approach employing legendre wavelets scheme
Authors: Oreijah Mowffaq , Abbas Tasawar , Saeed Munazza , Gepreel Khaled A. , Khan Sami Ullah , Khan M. Ijaz
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we investigate the behavior of the Cattaneo–Christov heat flux model for an exponentially extending sheet in the context of a two-dimensional (2D) incompressible flow of Eyring–Powell fluid (non-Newtonian fluid). The boundary layer approximation is made in order to accomplish the mathematical formulation. The phenomenon of heat transport is analyzed using the Cattaneo–Christov heat flux model. On the layer caused by the boundary, a thermal relaxation period is anticipated. With the proper use of similarity transformation, the governing partial differential equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations (ODEs). To tackle the derived boundary layer equations, the Spectral Collocation Method based on Legendre Wavelet (SCMLW) with shooting strategy is adopted. Plotting and discussion of the effects of the found similarity parameters are done. The results of the computation show that thermal relaxation and fluid temperature are directly connected. The results of the Cattaneo–Christov heat flow model and Fourier’s law of heat conduction in the current scenario are favorable in terms of temperature and thermal boundary layer thickness.
State of the engineered barrier system and host rock of the HE-E experiment after 12 years of heating
Authors: Lanyon Bill , Kober Florian
Published: April 2024

This paper presents the status of the HE-E heater experiment, which is currently running at the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory (URL) in Switzerland. The experiment is located in a 10 m-long section of a micro-tunnel in the shaly facies of the Opalinus Clay and includes two 4 m-long heater sections isolated by plugs. Heater 1 is located in a sand/bentonite (65/35) buffer section and Heater 2 is located in a granular bentonite buffer section.

Heating started on 28 June 2011, and this paper reports results up to 30 June 2023. During the 12 years of heating the system has otherwise been left undisturbed, with ongoing but very slow resaturation from the Opalinus Clay. The observed response to heating is considered in two phases: (1) the initial transient period of about 500 days when heater temperatures rose to the target 140°C and (2) the subsequent evolution. Recently a novel telescoped drilling procedure has been performed to recover and characterize material from the bentonite buffer without interruption of the heating. This paper describes the experimental long-term evolution and status prior to this disturbance, together with expectations regarding the current state of the buffer.
Leveraging Simulation Data to Understand Bias in Predictive Models of Infectious Disease Spread
Authors: Züfle Andreas , Salim Flora , Anderson Taylor , Scotch Matthew , Xiong Li , Sokol Kacper , Xue Hao , Kong Ruochen , Heslop David , Paik Hye-Young , MacIntyre C. Raina
Published: April 2024

The spread of infectious diseases is a highly complex spatiotemporal process, difficult to understand, predict, and effectively respond to. Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) have achieved impressive results in other learning and prediction tasks; however, while many AI solutions are developed for disease prediction, only a few of them are adopted by decision-makers to support policy interventions. Among several issues preventing their uptake, AI methods are known to amplify the bias in the data they are trained on. This is especially problematic for infectious disease models that typically leverage large, open, and inherently biased spatiotemporal data. These biases may propagate through the modeling pipeline to decision-making, resulting in inequitable policy interventions. Therefore, there is a need to gain an understanding of how the AI disease modeling pipeline can mitigate biased input data, in-processing models, and biased outputs. Specifically, our vision is to develop a large-scale micro-simulation of individuals from which human mobility, population, and disease ground-truth data can be obtained. From this complete dataset—which may not reflect the real world—we can sample and inject different types of bias. By using the sampled data in which bias is known (as it is given as the simulation parameter), we can explore how existing solutions for fairness in AI can mitigate and correct these biases and investigate novel AI fairness solutions. Achieving this vision would result in improved trust in such models for informing fair and equitable policy interventions.
The Role of Retrotransposons and Endogenous Retroviruses in Age-Dependent Neurodegenerative Disorders
Authors: Frost Bess , Dubnau Josh
Published: April 2024

Over 40% of the human genome is composed of retrotransposons, DNA species that hold the potential to replicate via an RNA intermediate and are evolutionarily related to retroviruses. Retrotransposons are most studied for their ability to jump within a genome, which can cause DNA damage and novel insertional mutations. Retrotransposon-encoded products, including viral-like proteins, double-stranded RNAs, and extrachromosomal circular DNAs, can also be potent activators of the innate immune system. A growing body of evidence suggests that retrotransposons are activated in age-related neurodegenerative disorders and that such activation causally contributes to neurotoxicity. Here we provide an overview of retrotransposon biology and outline evidence of retrotransposon activation in age-related neurodegenerative disorders, with an emphasis on those involving TAR-DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43) and tau. Studies to date provide the basis for ongoing clinical trials and hold promise for innovative strategies to ameliorate the adverse effects of retrotransposon dysregulation in neurodegenerative disorders.
Physics-Informed Design of Hybrid Pulse Power Characterization Tests for Rechargeable Batteries
Authors: Zhuang Debbie , Li Michael L. , Lam Vivek N. , Braatz Richard D. , Chueh William C. , Bazant Martin Z.
Published: April 2024

Industry-standard diagnostic methods for rechargeable batteries, such as hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) tests for hybrid electric vehicles, provide some indications of state of health (SoH), but lack a physical basis to guide protocol design and identify degradation mechanisms. We develop a physics-based theoretical framework for HPPC tests, which are able to accurately determine specific mechanisms for battery degradation in porous electrode simulations. We show that voltage pulses are generally preferable to current pulses, since voltage-resolved linearization more rapidly quantifies degradation without sacrificing accuracy or allowing significant state changes during the measurement. In addition, asymmetric amounts of information gain between charge /discharge pulses are found from differences in electrode kinetic scales. We demonstrate our approach of physics-informed HPPC on simulated Li-ion batteries with nickel-rich cathodes and graphite anodes. Multivariable optimization by physics-informed HPPC rapidly determines kinetic parameters that correlate with degradation phenomena at the anode, such as solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) growth and lithium plating, as well as at the cathode, such as oxidation-induced cation disorder. If validated experimentally, standardized voltage protocols for HPPC tests could play a pivotal role in expediting battery SoH assessment and accelerating materials design by providing new electrochemical features for interpretable machine learning of battery degradation.
Residual NMP and Its Impacts on Performance of Lithium-Ion Cells
Authors: Yue Meng , Azam Saad , Zhang Ning , Dahn J. R. , Yang Chongyin
Published: April 2024

N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) is the most common solvent used in coating positive electrode materials on aluminum foil during the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries. NMP is a strongly polar aprotic solvent that effectively dissolves the polyvinylidene difluoride binder. While the majority of NMP typically evaporates during the electrode baking process, trace amounts may persist, particularly in positive electrodes containing nano-sized and highly-porous active materials. We noted residual NMP in the positive electrodes of Li-ion pouch cells containing LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4 due to the extremely high surface area of the material and we wanted to determine the impact of this residual NMP. Therefore, a control electrolyte was purposely spiked with varying amounts of NMP and used in NMC532/graphite pouch cells to investigate the impact of residual NMP on lithium-ion battery performance. Experimental results indicate that NMP has the potential not only to neutralize the electrolyte additive ethylene sulfate but also to independently increase cathode impedance, leading to a higher rate of capacity loss during charge-discharge cycling. It is crucial to establish the appropriate procedure for baking electrodes containing NMP, both in laboratory and industrial settings, to mitigate these effects.
Leveraging systematic review practice for research skill development in an undergraduate science course: a case study
Authors: MacDonald Heather , Bézaire Véronic
Published: April 2024

This study presents a novel approach to teaching undergraduate science students rigorous research skills with scaffolded systematic review practice.