bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vertical Accretion Trends in Australian Tidal Wetlands
Authors: Saintilan Neil , Sun Yujie , Lovelock Catherine E. , Rogers Kerrylee , Goddard Madeline , Hutley Lindsay B. , Kelleway Jeffrey , Mosley Luke , Dittmann Sabine , Cormier Nicole , Lal Kirti K. , Jones Alice
Published: September 2023

Australian tidal wetlands differ in important respects to better studied northern hemisphere systems, an artefact stable to falling sea levels over millennia. A network of Surface Elevation Table-Marker Horizon (SET-MH) monitoring stations has been established across the continent to assess accretionary and elevation responses to sea-level rise. This network currently consists of 289 SET-MH installations across all mainland Australian coastal states and territories. SET-MH installations are mostly in mangrove forests but also cover a range of tidal marsh and supratidal forest ecosystems. Mangroves were found to have higher rates of accretion and elevation gain than all the other categories of tidal wetland, a result attributable to their lower position within the tidal frame (promoting higher rates of accretion) higher biomass (with potentially higher rates of root growth), and lower rates of organic decomposition. While Australian tidal marshes in general show an increase in elevation over time, in 80% of locations, this was lower than the rate of sea-level rise. High rates of accretion did not translate into high rates of elevation gain, because the rate of subsidence in the shallow substrate increased with higher accretion rates (r2 = 0.87). The Australian SET-MH network, already in many locations spanning two decades of measurement, provides an important benchmark against which to assess wetland responses to accelerating sea-level rise in the decades ahead.
Helfen Bodenbakterien in der Waschmaschine gegen schlechte Gerüche?
Authors: Zinn Marc-Kevin , Flemming Hans-Curt , Bockmühl Dirk P.
Published: September 2023

Domestic appliances such as washing machines have been shown to harbour numerous microbial species that may be a source for unpleasant odours. Interestingly, not all households suffer from textile-associated malodours, suggesting a differentiated role of microbial colonizers in the formation of malodorous substances. By comparing the microbiota in washing machine biofilms and on textiles of households with or without odour problems we could identify soil bacteria as a group of bacteria that may potentially prevent the formation of common textile-associated malodours.
Benefits of Rent Sharing in Dynamic Resource Games
Authors: van der Ploeg Frederick
Published: September 2023

Ngo Van Long’s classic paper on the risk of expropriation of natural resources published in a 1975 issue of the Journal of Economic Theory was an instant classic, which spawned a huge literature. Here I pay tribute to this wonderful brilliant yet modest scholar by briefly reviewing his contribution and then sketching how his insights can be used to analyse dynamic conflict over natural resources both as expropriation game and as a differential game on which Long has published extensively too. We discuss three results. First, if an incumbent faces a threat of a rival faction, extraction is more voracious if the factions do not share rents equally. Second, never-ending political conflict cycles are more inefficient if constitutional cohesiveness or rent sharing is strong and political instability is high. Third, resource wars are more intense if rent sharing is weak, reserves of resources are high, the wage is low, and elections occur less frequently.
Cytokine storm and severe hepatitis in pregnancy due to herpes simplex virus 2
Authors: Mularoni Alessandra , Cona Andrea , Ribeiro Dias Lùcia , Bulati Matteo , Busà Rosalia , Castelbuono Salvatore , Lo Porto Davide , Pietrosi Giada , Liotta Rosa , Conaldi Pier Giulio , Grossi Paolo Antonio , Luppi Mario
Published: September 2023

Case presentation

A pregnant woman developed hepatitis due to a herpes simplex virus 2 primary infection with a severe systemic inflammatory response. Treatment with acyclovir and human immunoglobulin was given and both mother and baby survived.

Purpose

We provide the first description of the inflammatory response associated with herpetic hepatitis in pregnancy.
Comparative analysis of fatigue strength of a freight wagon frame
Authors: Vega Bruno , Pérez Jesús Ángel
Published: September 2023

Freight wagons primarily consist of welded steel structures subjected to time varying loads. Therefore, fatigue associated with the welding process is a common failure mode. Several technical codes for fatigue assessment have been proposed, being DVS 1612–2014 and ERRI B 12/RP 60 two of the most used. Nevertheless, no clear correlation between both codes is yet found in the bibliography. To overcome this, the present paper develops a full comparison over a study case of a freight wagon frame model. Finite element method is used for the stress calculation based on loads according to UNE-EN 12663-2. Weld performances comply with UNE-EN 15085-3. Fatigue post-processing is carried in parallel using DVS and ERRI codes. Finally, fatigue results of both codes are compared at each element of the model and each weld type. The results obtained provide a complete overview of the influence on the fatigue design of choosing a specific technical code for fatigue assessment.
Tribologically induced nanostructural evolution of carbon materials: A new perspective
Authors: Neves Guilherme Oliveira , Araya Nicolás , Salvaro Diego Berti , Lamim Thiago de Souza , Giacomelli Renan Oss , Binder Cristiano , Klein Aloisio Nelmo , de Mello José Daniel Biasoli
Published: September 2023

Carbon-based solid lubricants are excellent options to reduce friction and wear, especially with the carbon capability to adopt different allotropes forms. On the macroscale, these materials are sheared on the contact along with debris and contaminants to form tribolayers that govern the tribosystem performance. Using a recently developed advanced Raman analysis on the tribolayers, it was possible to quantify the contact-induced defects in the crystalline structure of a wide range of allotropes of carbon-based solid lubricants, from graphite and carbide-derived carbon particles to multi-layer graphene and carbon nanotubes. In addition, these materials were tested under various dry sliding conditions, with different geometries, topographies, and solid-lubricant application strategies. Regardless of the initial tribosystem conditions and allotrope level of atomic ordering, there is a remarkable trend of increasing the point and line defects density until a specific saturation limit in the same order of magnitude for all the materials tested.
A robot-assisted adaptive communication recovery method in disaster scenarios
Authors: Hao Kuangrong , Zhao Chenwei , Liu Xiaoyan
Published: September 2023

Communication recovery is necessary for rescue and reconstruction scenarios including earthquakes, typhoons, floods, etc. The rapid and stable communication link can provide efficient victims’ real-time information for the rescue process. However, traditional centralized communication links cannot traverse the further victims with information-sharing requirements. And the even communication link distribution leads to a load burden on the crowded victim area. Thus, we propose a three-layer architecture consisting of the emergency communication vehicle, backbone links, and branch links to rapidly recover communication via mobile robots. Then, considering victims’ distribution, an improved MaxMin distance algorithm is presented as the basis of robot dispatch. The relay probability of the link is also estimated with closed formulae. Finally, simulation results verify that our proposed algorithm can recover communication with lower delay and higher packet delivery ratio.
Predicting the reaction of financial markets to Federal Open Market Committee post-meeting statements
Authors: Osowska Ewelina , Wójcik Piotr
Published: September 2023

This article examines the impact of Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) statements on stock and foreign exchange markets with the use of text-mining and predictive models. We take into account a long period since March 2001 until June 2023. Unlike in most previous studies, both linear and non-linear methods were applied. We also take into account additional explanatory variables that control for the current corporate managers’ and retail customers’ assessment of the economic situation. The proposed methodology is based on calculating the FOMC statements’ tone (called sentiment) and incorporate it as a potential predictor in the modeling process. For the purpose of sentiment calculation, we utilized the FinBERT pre-trained NLP model. Fourteen event windows around the event are considered. We proved that the information content of FOMC statements is an important predictor of the financial markets’ reaction directly after the event. In the case of models explaining the reaction of financial markets in the first minute after the announcement of the FOMC statement, the sentiment score was the first or the second most important feature, after the market surprise component. We also showed that applying non-linear models resulted in better prediction of market reaction due to identified non-linearities in the relationship between the two most important predictors (surprise component and sentiment score) and returns just after the event. Last but not least, the predictive accuracy during the COVID pandemic was indeed lower than in the previous year.
Biochar derived from invasive plants improved the pH, macronutrient availability and biological properties better than liming for acid rain-affected soil
Authors: Li Yazheng , Abdo Ahmed I. , Shi Zhaoji , Merwad Abdel-Rahman M. A. , Zhang Jiaen
Published: September 2023

Rapid development in industrialization and urbanization causes serious environmental issues, of which acid rain is one of the quintessential hazards, negatively affecting soil ecology. Liming has been investigated for a long time as the most effective amendment to alter the adverse effects of soil acidity resulting from acid rain. Herein, this study tested the biochar produced from invasive plants as an alternative amendment and hypothesized that biochar can maintain better availability of macronutrients under acid rain than liming by improving soil chemical and biological properties. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to compare the effects of lime and biochar at two rates (1% and 3%) on soil available nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) under simulated acid rain of two pH levels (4.5: pH4.5 and 2.5: pH2.5) as compared with tap water (pH7.1) as a control treatment. Biochar was produced using different invasive plants, including Blackjack (Biden Pilosa), Wedelia (Wedelia trilobata) and Bitter Vine (Mikania micrantha Kunth). Liming decreased the availability of soil N, P, and K by 36.3% as compared with the control due to the great increment in soil pH and exchangeable calcium (Ca2+) by 59% and 16-fold, respectively. Moreover, liming reduced the alpha diversity of soil bacteria and fungi by 27% and 11%, respectively. In contrast, biochar at different types and rates resulted in a fourfold increment in the available N, P, and K as an average under acid rain (pH4.5 and pH2.5) owing to maintaining a neutral pH (6.5–7), which is the most favorable level for soil microbial and enzymatic activites, and the bioavailability of soil nutrients. Furthermore, biochar caused balanced increments in Ca2+ by threefold, cation exchange capacity by 45%, urease activity by 16%, and fungal diversity by 10%, while having a slight reduction in bacterial diversity by 2.5%. Based on the path, correlation, and principal component analyses, the exchangeable aluminum was a moderator for the reductions in macronutrients’ availability under acid rain, which decreased by 40% and 35% under liming and biochar, respectively. This study strongly recommended the use of biochar from invasive plants instead of lime for sustainable improvements in soil properties under acid rain.

Graphical Abstract
EXACT SUBCATEGORIES, SUBFUNCTORS OF , AND SOME APPLICATIONS
Authors: DAO HAILONG , DEY SOUVIK , DUTTA MONALISA
Published: September 2023

Let
$({\cal{A}},{\cal{E}})$
be an exact category. We establish basic results that allow one to identify sub(bi)functors of
${\operatorname{Ext}}_{\cal{E}}(-,-)$
using additivity of numerical functions and restriction to subcategories. We also study a small number of these new functors over commutative local rings in detail and find a range of applications from detecting regularity to understanding Ulrich modules.
Yellow Star, Red Star: Response to Critiques
Authors: Subotić Jelena
Published: September 2023

There is no greater honor for an author than to respond to such generous and thoughtful engagement with one’s work such as the two commentaries by Mila Dragojević and Tamara Trošt. These commentaries are that much more appreciated as both Dragojević and Trošt have contributed tremendous scholarship on memory politics and historical narratives in the Western Balkans and in many ways Yellow Star, Red Star builds on their own work.
Status politics is the origin of morality policy
Authors: Wendell Dane G. , Tatalovich Raymond
Published: September 2023

After drawing a distinction between “class” and “status,” an early but short-lived sociological literature on status politics is reviewed. That approach has lost favor, but moral foundations theory (MFT) offers a new opportunity to link morality policy to status politics. While any of the five moral foundations (care, fairness, loyalty, authority, sanctity) can provoke conflict over status, most often sanctity is the cause of status politics because it engages the emotion of disgust. Disgust drives the behavioral immune system, which prevents us from being infected by contaminants in tainted food or by “outsiders” who are perceived to follow unconventional practices. This research note concludes by referencing 20 empirical studies in which feelings of disgust targeted certain groups or practices in society (i.e., immigrants, criminals, abortion). Thus, status politics is the origin of morality policy.
Aristophanes’Frogsand reading culture in Athens
Authors: Schmitz Thomas A.
Published: September 2023

Aristophanes’Frogs, first performed in 405 BCE, is an important milestone in Greek cultural history. The play is evidence of the beginnings of the establishment of a literary canon in Athens. The paper shows that the deaths of Euripides and Sophocles, in combination with the emergence of a reading culture, marked a break in the ways in which tragedy was perceived in Athens. It makes use of Jan Assmann’s concept of a transition from ritual to textual continuity to explore this capital step in the process of the canonization of ‘classical’ tragedy that would arrive at its fulfilment in the course of the fourth century BCE.
Disasters in the Northern Triangle: A Descriptive Analysis Using the EM-DAT Database 1902-2022
Authors: Dickason R. Myles , Hertelendy Attila J. , Hart Alexander , Ciottone Gregory R.
Published: September 2023

Introduction:

Since 1902, disasters in the Northern Triangle of Central America, which consists of the countries Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, have caused over one-hundred-thousand deaths, affected millions of people, and caused tens of billions of dollars in damages. Understanding the nature and frequency of these events will allow stakeholders to decrease both the acute damages and the long-term deleterious consequences of disasters.

Study Objective:

This study provides a descriptive analysis of all disasters recorded in the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) affecting Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador from 1902-2022.

Methods:

Data were collected and analyzed from the EM-DAT, which categorizes disasters by frequency, severity, financial cost, distribution by country, burden of death, number of people affected, financial cost by country, and type of disasters most prevalent in each country. Results are presented as absolute numbers and as a percentage of the overall disaster burden. These trends are then graphed over the time period of the database.

Results:

The EM-DAT recorded 359 disasters in the Northern Triangle from 1902 through 2022. Meteorologic events (floods and storms) were the most common types of disaster (44%), followed by transport accidents (13%). Meteorologic events and earthquakes were the most severe, as measured by deaths (62%), people affected (60%), and financial cost (86%). Guatemala had the greatest number of disasters (45%), deaths (68%), and affected people (52%). The financial costs of the disasters were evenly distributed between the three countries.

Conclusion:

Meteorologic disasters are the most common and most severe type of disaster in the Northern Triangle. Earthquakes and transport accidents are also common. As climate change causes more severe storms in the region, disasters are likely to increase in severity as well. Governments and aid organizations should develop disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies to lessen the catastrophic effects of future disasters. Missing data limit the conclusions of this study to general trends.
Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Earthquake Victims Presented to the Emergency Department with and without Crush Injury upon the 2023 Kahramanmaraş (Turkey) Earthquake
Authors: Buyurgan Çağrı Safa , Bozkurt Babuş Seyran , Yarkaç Akif , Köse Ataman , Usluer Halil Oktay , Ayrık Cüneyt , Narcı Hüseyin , Orekici Temel Gülhan
Published: September 2023

Introduction:

Earthquakes are sudden-onset natural disasters that are associated with substantial material damage, resulting in the collapse of built environment with a high rate of mortality, injury, and disability. Crush syndrome, which can be seen after devastating earthquakes, can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) and patients may require amputation, fasciotomy, and dialysis. Supportive treatment has an important role in the prognosis of these patients.

Study Objective:

The aim of this study was to investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics of traumatic earthquake survivors admitted to the emergency department (ED) of a hospital, which was close to the earthquake zone but not affected by the earthquake, after the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş (Turkey) earthquakes.

Materials and Methods:

This study was conducted by retrospectively analyzing the data of 1,110 traumatized earthquake survivors admitted to the ED of a tertiary care university hospital from February 6th through February 20th, 2023. Age; gender; time of presentation; presence of comorbid diseases; ED triage category; duration of stay under debris; presence of additional trauma; laboratory tests; presence of AKI; presence of crush injury and injury sites; supportive treatment (fluid replacement and intravenous [IV] sodium bicarbonate); need for amputation, dialysis, and fasciotomy; duration of hospitalization; and outcome of ED were evaluated.

Results:

Of the 1,110 traumatic victims in this study, 55.5% were female patients. The mean age of the patients was 45.94 (SD = 16.7) years; the youngest was 18 years old and the oldest was 95 years old. Crush injury was detected in 18.8% and AKI in 3.0% of the patients. Dialysis, amputation, and fasciotomy were required in 1.6%, 2.8%, and 1.4% of the patients, respectively. In total, 29.2% of patients were hospitalized, including 2.9% admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and 26.3% to the relevant ward. In total, 0.3% of the patients included in the study died at ED.

Conclusion:

Post-earthquake patients may present with crush injury, AKI may develop, and fasciotomy, amputation, and dialysis may be needed, so hospitals and EDs should be prepared for natural disasters such as earthquakes.
Culture of the Chinese revolution: symbolic and semiotic differences from the world culture of revolution
Authors: Dong Qiancheng
Published: September 2023

This article examines images of revolution in Chinese artworks within a global context. It argues that the theme of revolution in Chinese art can be divided into three movements: (1) Art of Scars, (2) New Wave ’85, from which political pop art and cynical realism took their roots, and (3) the modern twenty-first century trend of Mao and the Cultural Revolution. An analysis of political pop art identified a synthesis of academic and iconographic features and Western philosophical concepts, which can be found in the semiotic elements of the painting Maozedong: AO. Its cynical realism is similar to the satire of the American painter in his Daughters of Revolution. Both artworks depict images of the "citizen" in an era of historical change. This analysis of the painting in the style of Mao and the Cultural Revolution offers a rethinking of traditional Chinese canons as a response to the Western religious traditions influenced by a multicultural environment. The data can be used as an additional source to examine symbolism and semiotics in the artistic language of Chinese artists representing the culture of revolution.
Deliberative Experience and the Civic Aspirations of Legal Education
Authors: Kennedy Jeffrey
Published: September 2023

As law graduates wield significant influence in public life, law schools’ responsibility for cultivating students’ civic capacities and dispositions remains an important but often neglected project. Taking up this project, this article traces a thread of deliberative democratic aspirations within legal education scholarship and explores the potential of participation within law schools’ own political processes for realising these ideals. To do so, it examines law students’ experiences of an experiment with deliberative democracy’s leading institutional innovation – the deliberative mini-public – and demonstrates the ways in which participation fostered deliberative capacities, a more collective orientation, and increased confidence. Ultimately, the article illustrates the mutually reinforcing nature of civic and legal education, affirms law schools’ broader role within society and offers both theoretical and practical insights into the place of democratic innovation within the law school.
The Interstitial Emergence of Labor NGO Activism in China and Its Contradicting Institutionalization, 1996–2020
Authors: Zhou Mujun
Published: September 2023

This article seeks to extend the theoretical discussion of interstitial emergence to an authoritarian context. An interstitial space is a space whose relations with the dominant power structure are not yet institutionalized. In analyzing interstitial emergence in an authoritarian context, it is necessary to examine the interaction between interstitial space and the state as an institutionalizing force and recognize that 1) institutionalization is an ongoing process that spans over a period and 2) a state’s intervention may induce unintended consequences. The rise and fall of labor NGO activism in China between 1996 and 2020 are used as a case to illustrate the theoretical discussion. Labor NGOs emerged out of the interstices of state control since the 1990s. Although the state started to regulate these organizations since the late 2000s, its intervention lacked consistency. Before the state finally gained the capacity to enforce rules, which was around 2015, labor NGOs had already launched a series of advocacy activism and cultivated a group of activists who identified with the value of social movement. Hence, although the activism was eventually incorporated, it had successfully thematized labor issues and produced enduring impact on the culture of public discussion.
Little Change in Apparent Hydrological Sensitivity at Large CO2 Forcing
Authors: Raiter Dana , Polvani Lorenzo M. , Mitevski Ivan , Pendergrass Angeline G. , Orbe Clara
Published: September 2023

Apparent hydrological sensitivity (ηa), the change in the global mean precipitation per degree K of global surface warming, is a key aspect of the climate system's response to increasing CO2 forcing. To determine whether ηa depends on the forcing amplitude we analyze idealized experiments over a broad range of abrupt CO2 forcing, from 2× to 8× preindustrial values, with two distinct climate models. We find little change in ηa between 2× and 4×CO2, and almost no change beyond 5×CO2. We validate this finding under transient CO2 forcing at 1%‐per‐year, up to 8×CO2. We further corroborate this result by analyzing the 1%‐per‐year output of more than 15 CMIP5/6 models. Lastly, we examine the 1,000‐year long LongrunMIP model output, and again find little change in ηa. This wealth of results demonstrates that ηa is a very weak function of CO2 forcing.
Deep Learning of Systematic Sea Ice Model Errors From Data Assimilation Increments
Authors: Gregory William , Bushuk Mitchell , Adcroft Alistair , Zhang Yongfei , Zanna Laure
Published: September 2023

Data assimilation is often viewed as a framework for correcting short‐term error growth in dynamical climate model forecasts. When viewed on the time scales of climate however, these short‐term corrections, or analysis increments, can closely mirror the systematic bias patterns of the dynamical model. In this study, we use convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to learn a mapping from model state variables to analysis increments, in order to showcase the feasibility of a data‐driven model parameterization which can predict state‐dependent model errors. We undertake this problem using an ice‐ocean data assimilation system within the Seamless system for Prediction and EArth system Research (SPEAR) model, developed at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, which assimilates satellite observations of sea ice concentration every 5 days between 1982 and 2017. The CNN then takes inputs of data assimilation forecast states and tendencies, and makes predictions of the corresponding sea ice concentration increments. Specifically, the inputs are states and tendencies of sea ice concentration, sea‐surface temperature, ice velocities, ice thickness, net shortwave radiation, ice‐surface skin temperature, sea‐surface salinity, as well as a land‐sea mask. We find the CNN is able to make skillful predictions of the increments in both the Arctic and Antarctic and across all seasons, with skill that consistently exceeds that of a climatological increment prediction. This suggests that the CNN could be used to reduce sea ice biases in free‐running SPEAR simulations, either as a sea ice parameterization or an online bias correction tool for numerical sea ice forecasts.
A global-temporal analysis on Phytophthora sojae resistance-gene efficacy
Authors: McCoy Austin G. , Belanger Richard R. , Bradley Carl A. , Cerritos-Garcia Daniel G. , Garnica Vinicius C. , Giesler Loren J. , Grijalba Pablo E. , Guillin Eduardo , Henriquez Maria A. , Kim Yong Min , Malvick Dean K. , Matthiesen Rashelle L. , Mideros Santiago X. , Noel Zachary A. , Robertson Alison E. , Roth Mitchell G. , Schmidt Clarice L. , Smith Damon L. , Sparks Adam H. , Telenko Darcy E. P. , Tremblay Vanessa , Wally Owen , Chilvers Martin I.
Published: September 2023

Plant disease resistance genes are widely used in agriculture to reduce disease outbreaks and epidemics and ensure global food security. In soybean, Rps (Resistance to Phytophthora sojae) genes are used to manage Phytophthora sojae, a major oomycete pathogen that causes Phytophthora stem and root rot (PRR) worldwide. This study aims to identify temporal changes in P. sojae pathotype complexity, diversity, and Rps gene efficacy. Pathotype data was collected from 5121 isolates of P. sojae, derived from 29 surveys conducted between 1990 and 2019 across the United States, Argentina, Canada, and China. This systematic review shows a loss of efficacy of specific Rps genes utilized for disease management and a significant increase in the pathotype diversity of isolates over time. This study finds that the most widely deployed Rps genes used to manage PRR globally, Rps1a, Rps1c and Rps1k, are no longer effective for PRR management in the United States, Argentina, and Canada. This systematic review emphasizes the need to widely introduce new sources of resistance to P. sojae, such as Rps3a, Rps6, or Rps11, into commercial cultivars to effectively manage PRR going forward.
Omicron variant neutralizing antibodies following BNT162b2 BA.4/5 versus mRNA-1273 BA.1 bivalent vaccination in patients with end-stage kidney disease
Authors: Yau Kevin , Kurtesi Alexandra , Qi Freda , Delgado-Brand Melanie , Tursun Tulunay R. , Hu Queenie , Dhruve Miten , Kandel Christopher , Enilama Omosomi , Levin Adeera , Jiang Yidi , Hardy W. Rod , Yuen Darren A. , Perl Jeffrey , Chan Christopher T. , Leis Jerome A. , Oliver Matthew J. , Colwill Karen , Gingras Anne-Claude , Hladunewich Michelle A.
Published: September 2023

Neutralization of Omicron subvariants by different bivalent vaccines has not been well evaluated. This study characterizes neutralization against Omicron subvariants in 98 individuals on dialysis or with a kidney transplant receiving the BNT162b2 (BA.4/BA.5) or mRNA-1273 (BA.1) bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. Neutralization against Omicron BA.1, BA.5, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1.5 increased by 8-fold one month following bivalent vaccination. In comparison to wild-type (D614G), neutralizing antibodies against Omicron-specific variants were 7.3-fold lower against BA.1, 8.3-fold lower against BA.5, 45.8-fold lower against BQ.1.1, and 48.2-fold lower against XBB.1.5. Viral neutralization was not significantly different by bivalent vaccine type for wild-type (D614G) (P = 0.48), BA.1 (P = 0.21), BA.5 (P = 0.07), BQ.1.1 (P = 0.10), nor XBB.1.5 (P = 0.10). Hybrid immunity conferred higher neutralizing antibodies against all Omicron subvariants. This study provides evidence that BNT162b2 (BA.4/BA.5) and mRNA-1273 (BA.1) induce similar neutralization against Omicron subvariants, even when antigenically divergent from the circulating variant.
A phylogenetically-conserved axis of thalamocortical connectivity in the human brain
Authors: Oldham Stuart , Ball Gareth
Published: September 2023

The thalamus enables key sensory, motor, emotive, and cognitive processes via connections to the cortex. These projection patterns are traditionally considered to originate from discrete thalamic nuclei, however recent work showing gradients of molecular and connectivity features in the thalamus suggests the organisation of thalamocortical connections occurs along a continuous dimension. By performing a joint decomposition of densely sampled gene expression and non-invasive diffusion tractography in the adult human thalamus, we define a principal axis of genetic and connectomic variation along a medial-lateral thalamic gradient. Projections along this axis correspond to an anterior-posterior cortical pattern and are aligned with electrophysiological properties of the cortex. The medial-lateral axis demonstrates phylogenetic conservation, reflects transitions in neuronal subtypes, and shows associations with neurodevelopment and common brain disorders. This study provides evidence for a supra-nuclear axis of thalamocortical organisation characterised by a graded transition in molecular properties and anatomical connectivity.
High-precision in situ 3D ultrasonic imaging of localized corrosion-induced material morphological changes
Authors: Chen Yunda , Yang Zirui , Bai Xinru , Zou Fangxin , Cegla Frederic B.
Published: September 2023

We present an ultrasonic research technique that can carry out in situ, direct monitoring of the 3D morphologies of corrosion substrates. The technique has a customizable lateral resolution, an ultra-high axial resolution of 100 nm, and an experimentally proven measurement accuracy. In using the technique to monitor the localized corrosion processes of carbon steel under constant DCs, it was observed that during each of the experiments conducted in alkaline environments, iron dissolution accelerated for a certain period of time and then slowed down. Based on the various features of the ultrasonic signals acquired and the XRD spectra of the corrosion products obtained, it was deduced that an increase in iron dissolution rate as such was accompanied by the depositing of solid corrosion products onto the substrate used and driven by the formation of Fe3O4, which consumed electrons. After a while, the corrosion product layer collapsed and the formation of Fe3O4 was halted.
Individual identification of endangered amphibians using deep learning and smartphone images: case study of the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus)
Authors: Takaya Kosuke , Taguchi Yuki , Ise Takeshi
Published: September 2023

Information obtained via individual identification is invaluable for ecology and conservation. Physical tags, such as PIT tags and GPS, have been used for individual identification; however, these methods could impact on animal behavior and survival rates, and the tags may become lost. Although non-invasive methods that do not affect the target species (such as manual photoidentification) are available, these techniques utilize stripes and spots that are unique to the individual, which requires training, and applying them to large datasets is challenging. Many studies that have applied deep learning for identification have focused on species-level identification, but few have addressed individual-level identification. In this study, we developed an image-based identification method based on deep learning that uses the head spot pattern of the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), an endemic and endangered species in Japan. We trained and evaluated a dataset collected over two days from 11 individuals in captivity, which included 7075 images taken by a smartphone camera. Individuals were photographed three times a day at approximately 11:00 (morning), 15:00 (afternoon), and 18:00 (evening). As a result, individual identification by our method, which used the EfficientNetV2 achieved 99.86% accuracy, kappa coefficient of 0.99, and an F1 score of 0.99. Performance was lower for the evening  model than for the morning and afternoon models, which were trained and evaluated using photographs taken at the corresponding time of the day. The proposed method does not require direct contact with the target species, and the effect on the animals is minimal; moreover, individual-level information can be obtained under natural conditions. In the future, smartphone images can be applied to citizen science surveys and individual-level big data collection, which is difficult using current methods.
Clinical determination of anatomical diameter in different dental groups correlating them with gender, age, tooth/canal and pulpoperiradicular diagnosis: an observational clinical study
Authors: Machado Ricardo , Pamplona Gabriel Filipe , de Souza Júnior Claudemir , Nascimento Jaqueline , Back Eduardo Donato Eing Elgelke , Comparin Daniel , Ignácio Sérgio Aparecido , Reinke Stella Maria Glaci , Kovalik Ana Cristina , da Silva Neto Ulisses Xavier
Published: September 2023

The aim of this observational clinical study (OCS) was to determine the clinical anatomical diameter (CAD) in several dental groups, thus correlating them with gender, age, tooth/canal and pulpoperiradicular diagnosis. Three-hundred fifty-nine teeth/584 vital or necrotic root canals from patients of both genders and different ages composed the sample. After performing the necessary previous procedures, K-Flexofiles were used to determine the CAD. Then, the gender and age of the patients, as well as the pulpoperiradicular diagnosis of the teeth were tabulated to conduct the statistical analysis (p < 0.05). Of the 359 teeth/584 root canals evaluated, 208/342 were from women (mean age 38.85 ± 13.42 years) and 151/242 were from men (mean age 45.41 ± 14.90 years). Statistically significant differences between the CAD means of root canals from women and men were not identified (p = 0.411). The analysis of the correlation between the CAD and age also showed a total independence (p = 0.271). Teeth with pulp necrosis and asymptomatic apical periodontitis diagnosed radiographically (TPNAAPDR) had a significantly larger CAD mean than teeth with pulp necrosis and no asymptomatic apical periodontitis diagnosed radiographically (TPNNAAPDR) and teeth with vital pulp and normal apical tissues (TVPNAT) (p = 0.0297); and the last two did not differ statistically (p > 0.05). The largest CAD mean was observed in single canals of maxillary central incisors. The lowest values of this variable were identified in the mesiobuccal and mesial canals of maxillary and mandibular first molars, respectively. The CAD of the root canals was influenced only by the root canal/tooth and pulpoperiradicular diagnosis.
A psychosocial network approach studying biomedical HIV prevention uptake between 2017 and 2019
Authors: Zimmermann Hanne M. L. , Davidovich Udi , van Bilsen Ward P. H. , Coyer Liza , Matser Amy , Prins Maria , van Harreveld Frenk
Published: September 2023

Biomedical HIV-prevention strategies (BmPS) among men who have sex with men (MSM), such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and viral load sorting (VLS), are essential but relatively new and their uptake gradual. Using an extension of the causal attitude network approach, we investigated which beliefs are related to uptake of PrEP and VLS at each time-point. We included 632 HIV-negative MSM from the Amsterdam Cohort Studies from four data-waves between 2017 and 2019. We estimated weighted, undirected networks for each time-point, where we included pairwise interactions of PrEP and VLS uptake and related beliefs. PrEP use increased from 10 to 31% (p < 0.001), while VLS was reported by 7–10% at each time-point. Uptake of both BmPS was directly related to the perceived positive impact of the strategy on one’s quality of sex life and perceived supportive social norms. Overall network structure differed between time points, specifically in regard to PrEP. At earlier time points, perceptions of efficacy and affordability played an important role for PrEP uptake, while more recently social and health-related concerns became increasingly important.The network structure differed across data-waves, suggesting specific time changes in uptake motives. These findings may be used in communication to increase prevention uptake.
Assessing robustness of quantitative susceptibility-based MRI radiomic features in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Fiscone Cristiana , Rundo Leonardo , Lugaresi Alessandra , Manners David Neil , Allinson Kieren , Baldin Elisa , Vornetti Gianfranco , Lodi Raffaele , Tonon Caterina , Testa Claudia , Castelli Mauro , Zaccagna Fulvio
Published: September 2023

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease characterised by changes in iron and myelin content. These biomarkers are detectable by Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM), an advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging technique detecting magnetic properties. When analysed with radiomic techniques that exploit its intrinsic quantitative nature, QSM may furnish biomarkers to facilitate early diagnosis of MS and timely assessment of progression. In this work, we explore the robustness of QSM radiomic features by varying the number of grey levels (GLs) and echo times (TEs), in a sample of healthy controls and patients with MS. We analysed the white matter in total and within six clinically relevant tracts, including the cortico-spinal tract and the optic radiation. After optimising the number of GLs (n = 64), at least 65% of features were robust for each Volume of Interest (VOI), with no difference (p > .05) between left and right hemispheres. Different outcomes in feature robustness among the VOIs depend on their characteristics, such as volume and variance of susceptibility values. This study validated the processing pipeline for robustness analysis and established the reliability of QSM-based radiomics features against GLs and TEs. Our results provide important insights for future radiomics studies using QSM in clinical applications.
A quantum-inspired probabilistic prime factorization based on virtually connected Boltzmann machine and probabilistic annealing
Authors: Jung Hyundo , Kim Hyunjin , Lee Woojin , Jeon Jinwoo , Choi Yohan , Park Taehyeong , Kim Chulwoo
Published: September 2023

Probabilistic computing has been introduced to operate functional networks using a probabilistic bit (p-bit), broadening the computational abilities in non-deterministic polynomial searching operations. However, previous developments have focused on emulating the operation of quantum computers similarly, implementing every p-bit with large weight-sum matrix multiplication blocks and requiring tens of times more p-bits than semiprime bits. In addition, operations based on a conventional simulated annealing scheme required a large number of sampling operations, which deteriorated the performance of the Ising machines. Here we introduce a prime factorization machine with a virtually connected Boltzmann machine and probabilistic annealing method, which are designed to reduce the hardware complexity and number of sampling operations. From 10-bit to 64-bit prime factorizations were performed, and the machine offers up to 1.2 × 108 times improvement in the number of sampling operations compared with previous factorization machines, with a 22-fold smaller hardware resource.
Gene regulation for inflammation and inflammation resolution differs between umbilical arterial and venous endothelial cells
Authors: Michaeli Julia Caroline , Albers Sebastian , de la Torre Carolina , Schreiner Yannick , Faust Sara , Michaeli Thomas , Michaeli Daniel Tobias , Liying An , Krämer Bernhard K. , Stach Ksenija , Yard Benito A.
Published: September 2023

Systemic inflammation affects the whole vasculature, yet whether arterial and venous endothelial cells differ in their abilities to mediate inflammation and to return to homeostasis after an inflammatory stimulus has not been addressed thoroughly. We assessed gene-expression profiles in isolated endothelial cells from human umbilical arteries (HUAEC) or veins (HUVEC) under basal conditions, after TNF-α stimulation and various time points after TNF-α removal to allow reinstatement of homeostasis. TNF-α regulates the expression of different sets of transcripts that are significantly changed only in HUAEC, only in HUVEC or changed in both. We identified three types of gene regulation, i.e. genes that were significantly regulated after 24 h of TNF-α stimulation but no longer when TNF-α was removed (homeostatic regulation), genes that maintained significantly regulated after TNF-α removal (not homeostatic regulation) and genes that were only significantly regulated when TNF-α was removed (post-regulation). HUAEC and HUVEC quantitatively differed in these types of gene regulation, with relatively more genes being post-regulated in HUAEC. In conclusion our data demonstrate that HUAEC and HUVEC respond intrinsically different to an inflammatory insult. Whether this holds true for all endothelial cells and its relevance for inflammatory insults in different organs during systemic inflammation warrants further studies.
Silymarin enhances the response to oxytetracycline treatment in Oreochromis niloticus experimentally infected with Aeromonas hydrophila
Authors: Sherif Ahmed H. , Toulan Adel E. , El-kalamwi Naglaa , Farag Enas A. H. , Mahmoud Abeer E.
Published: September 2023

Many governments have approved the use of oxytetracycline as an antibiotic additive to food fish, with oxytetracycline now routinely used in many nations. However, oxytetracycline is known to have immunosuppression impacts. We, therefore, evaluated the immunological, antioxidative, and histopathological status of Nile tilapia fed a diet containing silymarin (100 mg/kg fish feed) for 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks. The protective effects of silymarin against Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila) infection and oxytetracycline treatment were evaluated. Blood parameters (erythrocyte count, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, and packed cell volume) improved over time in fish fed on dietary silymarin. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were lower in fish fed on dietary silymarin, whereas serum levels of aspartate transferase (AST)and alkaline phosphatase (ALK) were unchanged. Dietary silymarin affected serum lipid profiles as decreases in serum triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and a trend toward lower cholesterol levels, whereas serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were increased compared to fish fed on the control diet. Dietary silymarin resulted in an increase of serum total protein levels and globulin fractions. Significant and progressive increases in catalase and glutathione peroxidase levels were observed after six weeks of feeding on a dietary silymarin before decreasing to control levels at the end of the experimental period. Fish fed on dietary silymarin, interleukin-1 and fish tumor necrosis factor-alpha were upregulated in hepatic tissues; however, interleukin-10 levels decreased to comparable levels to controls after eight weeks. Fish infected with A. hydrophila displayed septicemia (opaque eye, hemorrhagic ulcers, dentated fins, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly). Reduced mortality was observed in Nile tilapia infected with A. hydrophila and fed a diet containing silymarin, indicating that silymarin improves fish responses to oxytetracycline with a 37% reduction in mortality.
A novel anisotropy template for an improved interpretation of elastic anisotropy data
Authors: Firdaus Gama , Prasad Manika , Behura Jyoti
Published: September 2023

Tight unconventional rocks are characterized by the presence of laminations, preferentially oriented cracks, and an interconnected network of compliant minerals. Such anisotropic features can mechanically deform due to pressure depletion during production, leading to a human-induced change of elastic and fluid transport properties. Rock physics models allow us to better predict and assess stress- and direction-dependent elastic moduli of the rock, useful for horizontal stress estimates. However, elastic anisotropy can be challenging to measure and interpret. We have developed an anisotropy template that can be used to assess stress-dependent changes in elastic moduli and investigate rock textures. We present here the template construction using an effective medium model consisting of stiff and compliant layers and crack inclusions and evaluate the origin of stress-dependent stiffness changes in acoustic data from Berea, Bakken, Three Forks, and Mancos formations.
Human–machine cooperation meta-model for clinical diagnosis by adaptation to human expert’s diagnostic characteristics
Authors: Park Hae-Jeong , Kim Sung Huhn , Choi Jae Young , Cha Dongchul
Published: September 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) using deep learning approaches the capabilities of human experts in medical image diagnosis. However, due to liability issues in medical decisions, AI is often relegated to an assistant role. Based on this responsibility constraint, the effective use of AI to assist human intelligence in real-world clinics remains a challenge. Given the significant inter-individual variations in clinical decisions among physicians based on their expertise, AI needs to adapt to individual experts, complementing weaknesses and enhancing strengths. For this adaptation, AI should not only acquire domain knowledge but also understand the specific human experts it assists. This study introduces a meta-model for human–machine cooperation that first evaluates each expert’s class-specific diagnostic tendencies using conditional probability, based on which the meta-model adjusts the AI’s predictions. This meta-model was applied to ear disease diagnosis using otoendoscopy, highlighting improved performance when incorporating individual diagnostic characteristics, even with limited evaluation data. The highest accuracy was achieved by combining each expert’s conditional probabilities with machine classification probability, using optimal weights specific to each individual’s overall classification accuracy. This tailored model aims to mitigate potential misjudgments due to psychological effects caused by machine suggestions and to capitalize on the unique expertise of individual clinicians.