bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Departing Employees, Confidentiality Clauses and European Trade Secret Protection
Authors: Irgens-Jensen Harald
Published: March 2023

Departing employees are a classic problem in trade secret law. Employees who wish to set up on their own or accept a job offer from their principal’s competitor may often be tempted to take with them valuable and secret information from the existing principal’s business. The law should protect employers against this. On the other hand, employees have a legitimate interest in being able to change jobs, and trade secret law should not be so protective as to severely hamper labour mobility. According to leading scholars, Directive 2016/943 on the protection of trade secrets does not harmonise the legal protection of trade secrets vis-à-vis departing employees. This leaves room for national legislators and courts to develop the law on this important topic on their own. One might fear that this could lead to substantial legal differences within the European Economic Area. This article explores this question with a particular focus on many employers’ practice of including obligations of confidentiality in their employment contracts or entering into separate non-disclosure agreements with their employees. The author shares the view that the Directive, along with much of the national legislation that implements it, gives courts considerable freedom in how to solve the difficult cases of departing employees, including when the ex-employee is bound by post-employment confidentiality obligations. This is not, however, necessarily a threat to legal certainty, as national case-law prior to the Directive seems to have had many common traits. This could provide important guidelines as to how the relevant parties’ interests have to be safeguarded and balanced also under the Directive. The author has two main points on the substantive law: (1) an agreement that generally prohibits employees from disclosing or using “trade secrets”, “business information” or the like may be important – but not necessarily decisive – for establishing that the employer has taken “reasonable steps” to protect the information, as required by the Directive; (2) however, the concrete assessment of whether a former employee has violated such a contract should not differ much from an assessment of whether they would have violated trade secret law in the absence of such an agreement.
Comparative modelling results between a separable and a non-separable form of principal stretches–based strain energy functions for a variety of isotropic incompressible soft solids: Ogden model compared with a parent model
Authors: Anssari-Benam Afshin
Published: March 2023

This paper presents a comparative analysis on the application of two models from the family of principal stretches–based strain energy functions to a wide range of incompressible rubber-like materials, including hydrogels, foams, silicone elastomers, filled rubbers and biomaterials. The two models of concern here are the seminal Ogden model of the separable form, and a more general non-separable form parent model proposed by the author. To this end, the three-term Ogden model, with corresponding six model parameters, and the one-term parent model with four model parameters, are applied to exemplar extant deformation datasets of the aforementioned rubber-like materials, and the ensuing modelling results are then compared. This comparison encompasses the quality of the obtained fits as measured by the resulting relative errors, and the mechanistic validity of the ensuing strain energy function as assessed by the convexity of the iso-energy plots in the principal stretches $$\left({\lambda }_{1},{\lambda }_{2}\right)$$

λ
1

,

λ
2

plane. The studied modes of deformation involve a wide range of deformation types including uniaxial, biaxial, simple shear and inflation. It is shown that for the considered range of materials and deformations, the optimal fits obtained by the Ogden model either (i) possess higher relative errors; or (ii) offer a marginal improvement but with the loss of convexity. This loss of convexity is further exemplified on considering an additional soft tissue dataset. Finally, an important implication of the separable versus non-separable functional forms of the two models in application to the deformation of elastomers will be demonstrated, where a separable function proves to be an inappropriate choice. In all these applications, the proposed parent model, by contrast, will be shown to provide equally good or better fits, with fewer model parameters, while remaining free of the foregoing undesirable modelling outcomes.
A Review of the Application of Multi-modal Deep Learning in Medicine: Bibliometrics and Future Directions
Authors: Pei Xiangdong , Zuo Ke , Li Yuan , Pang Zhengbin
Published: March 2023

In recent years, deep learning has been applied in the field of clinical medicine to process large-scale medical images, for large-scale data screening, and in the diagnosis and efficacy evaluation of various major diseases. Multi-modal medical data fusion based on deep learning can effectively extract and integrate characteristic information of different modes, improve clinical applicability in diagnosis and medical evaluation, and provide quantitative analysis, real-time monitoring, and treatment planning. This study investigates the performance of existing multi-modal fusion pre-training algorithms and medical multi-modal fusion methods and compares their key characteristics, such as supported medical data, diseases, target samples, and implementation performance. Additionally, we present the main challenges and goals of the latest trends in multi-modal medical convergence. To provide a clearer perspective on new trends, we also analyzed relevant papers on the Web of Science. We obtain some meaningful results based on the annual development trends, country, institution, and journal-level research, highly cited papers, and research directions. Finally, we perform co-authorship analysis, co-citation analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and bibliographic coupling analysis using the VOSviewer software.
Norm nudging and twisting preferences
Authors: Bicchieri Cristina
Published: March 2023

Public policies often involve “norm nudging”, the use of norm information to steer individual behavior in a prosocial direction. Analysis of social norm messaging often concentrates on the outcome measure: the potential change in behavior. The cognitive and psychological processes that underlie individuals’ response to norm information, especially the inferences they draw, are usually overlooked. This knowledge gap may lead to adverse consequences, such as messages backfiring. To (factually) justify norm nudging interventions, it is essential that policymakers understand the complex mechanisms that link context, social expectations and preferences, and how the interpretation of different types of messages affects behavior.
On the L1 acquisition of recursive no in Japanese
Authors: Pérez-Leroux Ana T. , Roberge Yves , Hirayama Manami , Hayashi Midori , Bamba Kazuya
Published: March 2023

This article investigates the emergence of recursive DPs in child language. In certain languages, DP modification can be achieved via diverse structures and any number of different embedding markers (prepositions, particles, case-marker, etc.), each having to be learned; this diversity may impact the L1 development of recursive DP modification. Japanese, in contrast, relies on two uniform unrestricted strategies: the adnominal particle の (no) or a relative clause. We report the results of an elicited production study comparing the production of recursive DPs in Japanese-speaking children and adults. Our results show that Japanese children were much like adults in the types of semantic modificational relations that elicited the most target responses. Children were different from adults in that they were: a) much less successful overall, and b) they preferred no, independently of whether the condition was biased toward no. We review the implications of these findings for analyses of no.
Negative moments of orthogonal polynomials
Authors: Jang Jihyeug , Kim Donghyun , Kim Jang Soo , Song Minho , Song U-Keun
Published: March 2023

If a sequence indexed by nonnegative integers satisfies a linear recurrence without constant terms, one can extend the indices of the sequence to negative integers using the recurrence. Recently, Cigler and Krattenthaler showed that the negative version of the number of bounded Dyck paths is the number of bounded alternating sequences. In this paper, we provide two methods to compute the negative versions of sequences related to moments of orthogonal polynomials. We give a combinatorial model for the negative version of the number of bounded Motzkin paths. We also prove two conjectures of Cigler and Krattenthaler on reciprocity between determinants.
Crevasse density, orientation and temporal variability at Narsap Sermia, Greenland
Authors: Van Wyk de Vries Maximillian , Lea James M. , Ashmore David W.
Published: March 2023

Mass loss from iceberg calving at marine-terminating glaciers is one of the largest and most poorly constrained contributors to sea-level rise. However, our understanding of the processes controlling ice fracturing and crevasse evolution is incomplete. Here, we use Gabor filter banks to automatically map crevasse density and orientation through time on a ~150 km2terminus region of Narsap Sermia, an outlet glacier of the southwest Greenland ice sheet. We find that Narsap Sermia is dominated by transverse (flow-perpendicular) crevasses near the ice front and longitudinal (flow-aligned) crevasses across its central region. Measured crevasse orientation varies on sub-annual timescales by more than 45$^\circ$in response to seasonal velocity changes, and also on multi-annual timescales in response to broader dynamic changes and glacier retreat. Our results show a gradual up-glacier propagation of the zone of flow-transverse crevassing coincident with frontal retreat and acceleration occurring in 2020/21, in addition to sub-annual crevasse changes primarily in transition zones between longitudinal to transverse crevasse orientation. This provides new insight into the dynamics of crevassing at large marine-terminating glaciers and a potential approach for the rapid identification of glacier dynamic change from a single pair of satellite images.
Is Thermodynamics Subjective?
Authors: Robertson Katie , Prunkl Carina
Published: March 2023

Thermodynamics is an unusual theory. Prominent figures, including J. C. Maxwell and E. T. Jaynes, have suggested that thermodynamics is anthropocentric, and contemporary approaches label thermodynamics a “subjective theory.” Here, we evaluate the arguments for anthropocentrism but conclude that instead of pointing to an anthropocentric view, they point towards a resource-relative understanding of thermodynamics which can be shorn of the “subjective gloss.”
“We are not in Geneva on the Human Rights Council”: Indigenous peoples’ experiences with the World Heritage Convention
Authors: Disko Stefan , Sambo Dorough Dalee
Published: March 2023

This article examines Indigenous peoples’ experiences with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Convention against the backdrop of their rights as recognized in the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and reviews the efforts of Indigenous peoples and human rights mechanisms to ensure respect for Indigenous peoples’ rights, cultures, and values in World Heritage sites. Although the Convention’s governing bodies have adopted policy and operational guidelines “encouraging” states parties to respect Indigenous peoples’ rights, many nomination, management, and protection processes of World Heritage sites continue to be marked by an exclusion of Indigenous peoples from decision making, a lack of respect for their relationship to the land, and disregard for their traditional livelihoods and cultural heritage. Human rights violations against Indigenous peoples continue to occur unabated in many sites and are in many ways enabled, and sometimes even driven, by decision making under the Convention. This article argues that there is an unacceptable disconnect between this Convention and the UN human rights system, with significant implications for the Convention’s and UNESCO’s credibility, and that a concerted effort should be made to align this UN Convention with the UNDRIP and the human rights purposes of the UN Charter and the UNESCO Constitution.
Laboratory Investigation Into the Effect of the Storage Capacity of a City Block on Unsteady Urban Flood Flows
Authors: Mejía‐Morales Miguel Angel , Mignot Emmanuel , Paquier André , Proust Sébastien
Published: March 2023

The increasing occurrence of urban flooding in recent years demands a more accurate flood hazard assessment. Therefore, a better understanding of the predominant hydraulic processes in urban flood flows is required. The present paper reports an experimental study conducted in a laboratory scale model, which represents an urban area consisting of a rectangular city block and four surrounding streets. The objective is to quantify the impact of open areas within the city block on the key features of floodwaters. Tests are carried out under unsteady flow conditions, by using three inflow hydrographs with different unsteadiness levels. For each inflow hydrograph, the space available for floodwater volume storage within the block (storage capacity, ϕ) is varied, keeping the boundary conditions unchanged. A case where the city block has no space for floodwater storage (i.e., ϕ = 0) is used as a reference case. The results indicate that the unsteadiness level of the inflow hydrograph, especially during the rising stage, has a strong influence on the floodwater volume stored within the city block. The increase in storage capacity within the city block leads to a reduction of the global peak outflow discharge, a decrease in flow depths and a local increase in velocities in some streets and within the city block. Finally, with these variations in floodwater features, the level of risk to pedestrians is also impacted, increasing locally when the storage capacity of the block increases.
Sensitivity Analysis: An Operational Picture
Authors: Dell’Oca A.
Published: March 2023

Modeling is crucial to understand the behavior of environmental systems. A deeper comprehension of a model can be aided by global sensitivity analysis (GSA). Variability ascribed to model variables could have a stochastic (i.e., lack of knowledge) or an operational (i.e., possible design values) origin. Despite the possible different nature in the variability, current GSA strategies do not distinguish the latter in their formal derivations/developments. We propose to disentangle the variability in the operational and stochastic variables while assessing the model output sensitivity with respect to the former. Two operational sensitivity indices are introduced that serve to characterize the sensitivity of a model output of interest with respect to an operational variable in terms of (a) its average (with respect to the stochastic variables) intensity and (b) its degree of fluctuation (across the set of possible realizations of the stochastic variables), respectively. We exemplify our developments considering two scenarios. Results highlight the relevance of employing an operational GSA when the focus is on the influence of operational variables on model output.
Real-time insight into the multistage mechanism of nanoparticle exsolution from a perovskite host surface
Authors: Calì Eleonora , Thomas Melonie P. , Vasudevan Rama , Wu Ji , Gavalda-Diaz Oriol , Marquardt Katharina , Saiz Eduardo , Neagu Dragos , Unocic Raymond R. , Parker Stephen C. , Guiton Beth S. , Payne David J.
Published: March 2023

In exsolution, nanoparticles form by emerging from oxide hosts by application of redox driving forces, leading to transformative advances in stability, activity, and efficiency over deposition techniques, and resulting in a wide range of new opportunities for catalytic, energy and net-zero-related technologies. However, the mechanism of exsolved nanoparticle nucleation and perovskite structural evolution, has, to date, remained unclear. Herein, we shed light on this elusive process by following in real time Ir nanoparticle emergence from a SrTiO3 host oxide lattice, using in situ high-resolution electron microscopy in combination with computational simulations and machine learning analytics. We show that nucleation occurs via atom clustering, in tandem with host evolution, revealing the participation of surface defects and host lattice restructuring in trapping Ir atoms to initiate nanoparticle formation and growth. These insights provide a theoretical platform and practical recommendations to further the development of highly functional and broadly applicable exsolvable materials.
Increasing extreme melt in northeast Greenland linked to foehn winds and atmospheric rivers
Authors: Mattingly Kyle S. , Turton Jenny V. , Wille Jonathan D. , Noël Brice , Fettweis Xavier , Rennermalm Åsa K. , Mote Thomas L.
Published: March 2023

The Greenland Ice Sheet has been losing mass at an increased rate in recent decades. In northeast Greenland, increasing surface melt has accompanied speed-ups in the outlet glaciers of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream, which contain over one meter of sea level rise potential. Here we show that the most intense northeast Greenland melt events are driven by atmospheric rivers (ARs) affecting northwest Greenland that induce foehn winds in the northeast. Near low-elevation outlet glaciers, 80–100% of extreme (> 99th percentile) melt occurs during foehn conditions and 50–75% during ARs. These events have become more frequent during the twenty-first century, with 5–10% of total northeast Greenland melt in several recent summers occurring during the ~1% of times with strong AR and foehn conditions. We conclude that the combined AR-foehn influence on northeast Greenland extreme melt will likely continue to grow as regional atmospheric moisture content increases with climate warming.
Unexpected genetic and microbial diversity for arsenic cycling in deep sea cold seep sediments
Authors: Zhang Chuwen , Liu Xinyue , Shi Ling-Dong , Li Jiwei , Xiao Xi , Shao Zongze , Dong Xiyang
Published: March 2023

Cold seeps, where cold hydrocarbon-rich fluid escapes from the seafloor, show strong enrichment of toxic metalloid arsenic (As). The toxicity and mobility of As can be greatly altered by microbial processes that play an important role in global As biogeochemical cycling. However, a global overview of genes and microbes involved in As transformation at seeps remains to be fully unveiled. Using 87 sediment metagenomes and 33 metatranscriptomes derived from 13 globally distributed cold seeps, we show that As detoxification genes (arsM,arsP,arsC1/arsC2,acr3) were prevalent at seeps and more phylogenetically diverse than previously expected. Asgardarchaeota and a variety of unidentified bacterial phyla (e.g. 4484-113, AABM5-125-24 and RBG-13-66-14) may also function as the key players in As transformation. The abundances of As cycling genes and the compositions of As-associated microbiome shifted across different sediment depths or types of cold seep. The energy-conserving arsenate reduction or arsenite oxidation could impact biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nitrogen, via supporting carbon fixation, hydrocarbon degradation and nitrogen fixation. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive overview of As cycling genes and microbes at As-enriched cold seeps, laying a solid foundation for further studies of As cycling in deep sea microbiome at the enzymatic and processual levels.
Two-dimensional ferroelectrics from high throughput computational screening
Authors: Kruse Mads , Petralanda Urko , Gjerding Morten N. , Jacobsen Karsten W. , Thygesen Kristian S. , Olsen Thomas
Published: March 2023

We report a high throughput computational search for two-dimensional ferroelectric materials. The starting point is 252 pyroelectric materials from the computational 2D materials database (C2DB) and from these we identify 63 ferroelectrics. In particular we find 49 materials with in-plane polarization, 8 materials with out-of-plane polarization and 6 materials with coupled in-plane and out-of-plane polarization. Most of the known 2D ferroelectrics are recovered by the screening and the far majority of the predicted ferroelectrics are known as bulk van der Waals bonded compounds, which makes them accessible by direct exfoliation. For roughly 25% of the materials we find a metastable state in the non-polar structure, which may imply a first order transition to the polar phase. Finally, we list the magnetic pyroelectrics extracted from the C2DB and focus on the case of VAgP2Se6, which exhibits a three-state switchable polarization vector that is strongly coupled to the magnetic excitation spectrum.
Extracurricular music and visual arts activities are related to academic performance improvement in school-aged children
Authors: Ishiguro Chiaki , Ishihara Toru , Morita Noriteru
Published: March 2023

The present longitudinal study examined whether extracurricular activities in the arts and corresponding scores in art classes have a positive association with general academic performance. Data were collected from 488 seventh-grade children (259 boys and 229 girls) for over two years. Information regarding their participation in extracurricular activities in music and visual arts, grade points in general academic performance (i.e., Japanese, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and English), music, and arts were obtained at the end of the seventh and ninth grades. Structural equation modeling revealed that participation in extracurricular activities in both music and visual arts was positively associated with improvements in general academic performance from the seventh and ninth grades, and these associations were related to changes in music and visual arts scores. This finding suggests that arts education can contribute to improving general academic performance; however, the current study shows correlational relationships. Future research should examine the causal relationship between art involvement and academic performance by controlling for other factors (e.g., IQ, motivation, etc.).
Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering data for Ruddlesden-Popper and reduced Ruddlesden-Popper nickelates
Authors: Fabbris G. , Meyers D. , Shen Y. , Bisogni V. , Zhang J. , Mitchell J. F. , Norman M. R. , Johnston S. , Feng J. , Chiuzbăian G. S. , Nicolaou A. , Jaouen N. , Dean M. P. M.
Published: March 2023

Ruddlesden-Popper and reduced Ruddlesden-Popper nickelates are intriguing candidates for mimicking the properties of high-temperature superconducting cuprates. The degree of similarity between these nickelates and cuprates has been the subject of considerable debate. Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) has played an important role in exploring their electronic and magnetic excitations, but these efforts have been stymied by inconsistencies between different samples and the lack of publicly available data for detailed comparison. To address this issue, we present open RIXS data on La4Ni3O10and La4Ni3O8.
Sarcopenia as a potential risk factor for senile blepharoptosis: Nationwide Surveys (KNHANES 2008–2011)
Authors: Byeon Hyeong Ju , Kim Yong Joon , Yoon Jin Sook , Ko JaeSang
Published: March 2023

As the world’s population is aging, sarcopenia is recognized as essential to assess people’s lifelong condition and do appropriate early intervention. Senile blepharoptosis is also a problem in old age deteriorating visual function and causing a cosmetic decline. We investigated the association between sarcopenia and the prevalence of senile blepharoptosis, using a nationwide representative survey in Korea. A total of 11,533 participants were recruited. We used the body mass index (BMI)- adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) definition as the muscle mass index (MMI, ASM [kg] divided by BMI [kg/m2]). The association between blepharoptosis prevalence and MMI was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Sarcopenia, defined as the lowest MMI quintile group in both men and women, was also associated with the prevalence of blepharoptosis (ORs 1.92, 95% CI 1.17–2.16; p < 0.001). These associations remained statistically significant after adjusting for various factors related to blepharoptosis using multivariate analysis (ORs 1.18, 95% CI 1.04–1.34; p = 0.012). Moreover, MMI was found to have a proportional relationship with eyelid lifting force (levator function), which is closely related to the occurrence and severity of ptosis. Sarcopenia is related to the prevalence of senile blepharoptosis, and patients with lower MMI were more likely to have blepharoptosis. These results suggest that sarcopenia can affect visual function and aesthetics.
Abnormalities in intron retention characterize patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Sun Xiaoqian , Liu Zhichao , Li Zongzhu , Zeng Zhouhao , Peng Weiqun , Zhu Jun , Zhao Joel , Zhu Chenghao , Zeng Chen , Stearrett Nathaniel , Crandall Keith A. , Bachali Prathyusha , Grammer Amrie C. , Lipsky Peter E.
Published: March 2023

Regulation of intron retention (IR), a form of alternative splicing, is a newly recognized checkpoint in gene expression. Since there are numerous abnormalities in gene expression in the prototypic autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we sought to determine whether IR was intact in patients with this disease. We, therefore, studied global gene expression and IR patterns of lymphocytes in SLE patients. We analyzed RNA-seq data from peripheral blood T cell samples from 14 patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 4 healthy controls and a second, independent data set of RNA-seq data from B cells from16 SLE patients and 4 healthy controls. We identified intron retention levels from 26,372 well annotated genes as well as differential gene expression and tested for differences between cases and controls using unbiased hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis. We followed with gene-disease enrichment analysis and gene-ontology enrichment analysis. Finally, we then tested for significant differences in intron retention between cases and controls both globally and with respect to specific genes. Overall decreased IR was found in T cells from one cohort and B cells from another cohort of patients with SLE and was associated with increased expression of numerous genes, including those encoding spliceosome components. Different introns within the same gene displayed both up- and down-regulated retention profiles indicating a complex regulatory mechanism. These results indicate that decreased IR in immune cells is characteristic of patients with active SLE and may contribute to the abnormal expression of specific genes in this autoimmune disease.
Retinal vessel geometry in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane
Authors: Lee Eun Kyoung , Kim Hye Jee , Lee Sang-Yoon , Song Su Jeong , Yu Hyeong Gon
Published: March 2023

We investigated the associations between retinal vascular geometric measurements and idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). Whether changes in retinal vascular geometry are independent of systemic cardiovascular risk factors was also evaluated. This retrospective, cross sectional study included 98 patients with idiopathic ERM, and 99 healthy age-matched controls. Quantitative retinal vascular parameters were measured from digital retinal fundus photographs using a semi-automated computer-assisted program. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations between retinal vascular geometric parameters and the presence of idiopathic ERM after adjusting for systemic cardiovascular risk factors. There was no significant difference in the baseline characteristics of the two groups, except that the ERM group had a higher proportion of females than the control group. In multivariate regression analyses, female sex (odds ratio [OR] 0.402; 95% CI 0.196–0.802; P = 0.011), wider retinal venular caliber (OR 16.852; 95% CI 5.384–58.997; P < 0.001) and decreased total fractal dimension (OR 0.156; 95% CI 0.052–0.440; P = 0.001) were associated with idiopathic ERM. Idiopathic ERM was associated with alterations in global retinal microvascular geometric parameters, wider retinal venules, and less complex vascular branching patterns, independent of cardiovascular risk factors.
Interaction analysis of ancestry-enriched variants with APOE-ɛ4 on MCI in the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging
Authors: Granot-Hershkovitz Einat , Xia Rui , Yang Yunju , Spitzer Brian , Tarraf Wassim , Vásquez Priscilla M. , Lipton Richard B. , Daviglus Martha , Argos Maria , Cai Jianwen , Kaplan Robert , Fornage Myriam , DeCarli Charles , Gonzalez Hector M. , Sofer Tamar
Published: March 2023

APOE-ɛ4 risk on Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) differs between race/ethnic groups, presumably due to ancestral genomic background surrounding the APOE locus. We studied whether African and Amerindian ancestry-enriched genetic variants in the APOE region modify the effect of the APOE-ɛ4 alleles on Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in Hispanics/Latinos. We defined African and Amerindian ancestry-enriched variants as those common in one Hispanic/Latino parental ancestry and rare in the other two. We identified such variants in the APOE region with a predicted moderate impact based on the SnpEff tool. We tested their interaction with APOE-ɛ4 on MCI in the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA) population and African Americans from the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) study. We identified 5 Amerindian and 14 African enriched variants with an expected moderate effect. A suggestive significant interaction (p-value = 0.01) was found for one African-enriched variant, rs8112679, located in the ZNF222 gene fourth exon. Our results suggest there are no ancestry-enriched variants with large effect sizes of interaction effects with APOE-ɛ4 on MCI in the APOE region in the Hispanic/Latino population. Further studies are needed in larger datasets to identify potential interactions with smaller effect sizes.
In vitro evaluation of genipin-crosslinked gelatin hydrogels for vocal fold injection
Authors: Ng Wan-Chiew , Lokanathan Yogeswaran , Fauzi Mh Busra , Baki Marina Mat , Zainuddin Ani Amelia , Phang Shou Jin , Azman Mawaddah
Published: March 2023

Glottic insufficiency is one of the voice disorders affecting all demographics. Due to the incomplete closure of the vocal fold, there is a risk of aspiration and ineffective phonation. Current treatments for glottic insufficiency include nerve repair, reinnervation, implantation and injection laryngoplasty. Injection laryngoplasty is favored among these techniques due to its cost-effectiveness and efficiency. However, research into developing an effective injectable for the treatment of glottic insufficiency is currently lacking. Therefore, this study aims to develop an injectable gelatin (G) hydrogel crosslinked with either 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminpropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride) (EDC) or genipin (gn). The gelation time, biodegradability and swelling ratio of hydrogels with varying concentrations of gelatin (6–10% G) and genipin (0.1–0.5% gn) were investigated. Some selected formulations were proceeded with rheology, pore size, chemical analysis and in vitro cellular activity of Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells (WJMSCs), to determine the safety application of the selected hydrogels, for future cell delivery prospect. 6G 0.4gn and 8G 0.4gn were the only hydrogel groups capable of achieving complete gelation within 20 min, exhibiting an elastic modulus between 2 and 10 kPa and a pore size between 100 and 400 μm. Moreover, these hydrogels were biodegradable and biocompatible with WJMSCs, as > 70% viability were observed after 7 days of in vitro culture. Our results suggested 6G 0.4gn and 8G 0.4gn hydrogels as potential cell encapsulation injectates. In light of these findings, future research should focus on characterizing their encapsulation efficiency and exploring the possibility of using these hydrogels as a drug delivery system for vocal fold treatment.
Differences between recreational gamers and Internet Gaming Disorder candidates in a sample of Animal Crossing: New Horizons players
Authors: Wischert-Zielke Moritz , Barke Antonia
Published: March 2023

Throughout the last decade, research has considered players’ gaming motives as risk and the perceived social support (PSS) as protective factors in the context of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). However, the literature is lacking diversity regarding the representation of female gamers as well as of casual and console-based games. The aim of this study was to assess IGD, gaming motives, and PSS comparing recreational gamers and IGD candidates in a sample of Animal Crossing: New Horizons players. A total of 2909 ACNH players (93.7% of them female gamers) took part in an online survey which collected demographic, gaming-related, motivational, and psychopathologic data. Using the cut-off of at least five positive answers to the IGDQ, potential IGD candidates were identified. ACNH players reported a high prevalence rate for IGD (10.3%). IGD candidates differed from recreational players regarding age, sex, and game-related, motivational, and psychopathological variables. A binary logistic regression model was computed to predict membership in the potential IGD group. Age, PSS, escapism and competition motives as well as psychopathology were significant predictors. To discuss IGD in the context of casual gaming, we consider demographic, motivational, and psychopathological player characteristics as well as game design and the COVID-19 pandemic. IGD research needs to broaden its focus concerning game types as well as gamer populations.
Prokineticin 1 is a novel factor regulating porcine corpus luteum function
Authors: Baryla Monika , Goryszewska-Szczurek Ewelina , Kaczynski Piotr , Balboni Gianfranco , Waclawik Agnieszka
Published: March 2023

Prokineticin 1 (PROK1) is a pleiotropic factor secreted by endocrine glands; however, its role has not been studied in the corpus luteum (CL) during pregnancy in any species. The present study aimed to investigate the contribution of PROK1 in regulating processes related to porcine CL function and regression: steroidogenesis, luteal cell apoptosis and viability, and angiogenesis. The luteal expression of PROK1 was greater on Days 12 and 14 of pregnancy compared to Day 9. PROK1 protein expression during pregnancy increased gradually and peaked on Day 14, when it was also significantly higher than that on Day 14 of the estrous cycle. Prokineticin receptor 1 (PROKR1) mRNA abundance increased on Days 12 and 14 of pregnancy, whereas PROKR2 elevated on Day 14 of the estrous cycle. PROK1, acting via PROKR1, stimulated the expression of genes involved in progesterone synthesis, as well as progesterone secretion by luteal tissue. PROK1–PROKR1 signaling reduced apoptosis and increased the viability of luteal cells. PROK1 acting through PROKR1 stimulated angiogenesis by increasing capillary-like structure formation by luteal endothelial cells and elevating angiogenin gene expression and VEGFA secretion by luteal tissue. Our results indicate that PROK1 regulates processes vital for maintaining luteal function during early pregnancy and the mid-luteal phase.
DTUMOS, digital twin for large-scale urban mobility operating system
Authors: Yeon Hyeokju , Eom Taebum , Jang Kitae , Yeo Jiho
Published: March 2023

The advancement of digital twin technology has significantly impacted the utilization of virtual cities in the realm of smart cities and mobility. Digital twins provide a platform for the development and testing of various mobility systems, algorithms, and policies. In this research, we introduce DTUMOS, a digital twin framework for urban mobility operating systems. DTUMOS is a versatile, open-source framework that can be flexibly and adaptably integrated into various urban mobility systems. Its novel architecture, combining an AI-based estimated time of arrival model and vehicle routing algorithm, allows DTUMOS to achieve high-speed performance while maintaining accuracy in the implementation of large-scale mobility systems. DTUMOS exhibits distinct advantages in terms of scalability, simulation speed, and visualization compared to current state-of-the-art mobility digital twins and simulations. The performance and scalability of DTUMOS are validated through the use of real data in large metropolitan cities including Seoul, New York City, and Chicago. DTUMOS’ lightweight and open-source environment present opportunities for the development of various simulation-based algorithms and the quantitative evaluation of policies for future mobility systems.
Proteomics analysis of serum from thymoma patients
Authors: Li Jiaduo , Qi Guoyan , Liu Yaling
Published: March 2023

Thymoma is the most common malignant tumor in thymic epithelial tumors (TETS). This study aimed to identify the changes in serum proteomics in patients with thymoma. Proteins were extracted from twenty patients with thymoma serum and nine healthy controls and prepared for mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Data independent acquisition (DIA) quantitative proteomics technique was used to examine the serum proteome. Differential proteins of abundance changes in the serum were identified. Bioinformatics was used to examine the differential proteins. Functional tagging and enrichment analysis were conducted using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. The string database was used to assess the interaction of different proteins. In all, 486 proteins were found in all samples. There were differences in 58 serum proteins between patients and healthy blood donors, 35 up-regulated and 23 down-regulated. These proteins are primarily exocrine and serum membrane proteins involved in controlling immunological responses and antigen binding, according to GO functional annotation. KEGG functional annotation showed that these proteins play a significant role in the complement and coagulation cascade and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signal pathway. Notably, the KEGG pathway (complement and coagulation cascade) is enriched, and three key activators were up-regulated: von willebrand factor (VWF), coagulation factor v (F5) and vitamin k-dependent protein c (PC). Protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis showed that six proteins ((VWF, F5, thrombin reactive protein 1 (THBS1), mannose-binding lectin-associated serine protease 2 (MASP2), apolipoprotein B (APOB), and apolipoprotein (a) (LPA)) were up-regulated and two proteins (Metalloproteinase inhibitor 1(TIMP1), ferritin light chain (FTL)) were down-regulated. The results of this study showed that several proteins involved in complement and coagulation cascades were up-regulated in the serum of patients.
Prediction of cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with electroencephalography (EEG) connectivity characterized by time-between-phase-crossing (TBPC)
Authors: Gschwandtner Ute , Bogaarts Guy , Roth Volker , Fuhr Peter
Published: March 2023

The aim of the study is to identify the dynamic change pattern of EEG to predict cognitive decline in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Here we demonstrate that the quantification of synchrony-pattern changes across the scalp, measured using electroencephalography (EEG), offers an alternative approach of observing an individual’s functional brain organization. This method, called “Time-Between-Phase-Crossing” (TBPC), is based on the same phenomenon as the phase-lag-index (PLI); it also considers intermittent changes in the signals of phase differences between pairs of EEG signals, but additionally analyzes dynamic connectivity changes. We used data from 75 non-demented Parkinson’s disease patients and 72 healthy controls, who were followed over a period of 3 years. Statistics were calculated using connectome-based modeling (CPM) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC). We show that TBPC profiles, via the use of intermittent changes in signals of analytic phase differences of pairs of EEG signals, can be used to predict cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease (p < 0.05).
Facile synthesis of novel NNO-tethered copper(ii) complexes: characterization details, theoretical studies, promising enzyme-like activities, and biomolecular interactions
Authors: Mandal Subrata , Naskar Rahul , Mondal Apurba Sau , Bera Biswajit , Mondal Tapan K.
Published: March 2023

This research work reports the synthesis, X-ray structure, bio and catalytic activities of three mononuclear copper(II) complexes [Cu(L)X] with salicylaldimine Schiff base (LH), where X denotes NCS, N3 and NO3 for complex 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
Synthesis, structure and stimulus-responsive properties of a metallogel of a designer ferrocene appended peptide mimetic
Authors: Ibukun Olamilekan Joseph , Gumtya Milan , Singh Surajit , Shit Ananda , Douzapau M. , Haldar Debasish
Published: March 2023

An engineered ferrocene appended peptide mimetic self-aggregates to form entangled flakes and forms a metallogel in DMF–water. However, the metallogel bursts on addition of other salts.
Polydopamine-functionalized selenium nanoparticles as an efficient photoresponsive antibacterial platform
Authors: Sun Meng , Gao Ping , Wang Bao , Li Xiangyang , Shao Donghan , Xu Yan , Li Leijiao , Li Yunhui , Zhu Jianwei , Li Wenliang , Xue Yingxue
Published: March 2023

A photoresponsive synergistic therapy platform (Se@PDA-ICG) was constructed by loading indocyanine green on polydopamine functionalized selenium nanoparticles. It shows light response to kill bacteria and accelerates infected wound healing.
The electrosorption behavior of shuttle-like FeP: performance and mechanism
Authors: Peng Gengen , Li Haibo
Published: March 2023

In this work, mesoporous shuttle-like FeP for electrosorption is prepared. As an electrode, it achieves a high salt adsorption capacity of 79.09 mg g−1 and superior capacitance retention. The conversion of FeII to FeIII is responsible for the removal of salty ions.
An ionic liquid as an interface modulator for highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells
Authors: Chen Xiang , Song Lixin , Gu Ningxia , Zhang Pengyun , Ning Lei , Du Pingfan , Chen Fengfeng , Xiong Jie
Published: March 2023

In this paper, an ionic liquid (BMIMHSO4) was used to regulate the TiO2/perovskite interface. The interfacial interaction makes the BMIMHSO4 a connection in TiO2 and perovskite layers, providing high-efficiency electron extraction and thus improving device performance.
Nitrogen-doped carbon decorated 3D NiCoSe2 micro-flowers as high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Xu Jing , Xie Lingling , Niu Yu , Chen Honghua , Zhang Yuhan , Jiang Yubin , Han Qing , Qiu Xuejing , Miao Yongxia , Zhu Limin , Cao Xiaoyu
Published: March 2023

3D NiCoSe2/NC micro flowers were studied as high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. CoNiSe2/NC not only have the high conductivity of nickel and cobalt, but also inherit the relatively stable skeleton structure of MOFs.
An improved analytical model of protein dynamics at the sub-nanosecond timescale
Authors: Matsuo Tatsuhito
Published: March 2023

An improved analytical model for the QENS spectra of proteins is proposed. Dynamics of protein atoms closer to the surface and those closer to the core are separately characterized.
High pressure treatment promotes the deteriorating effect of cationic antimicrobial peptides on bacterial membranes
Authors: Kriegler Simon , Jaworek Michel W. , Oliva Rosario , Winter Roland
Published: March 2023

High pressure increases the propensity of cationic antimicrobial peptides to form active helical structures on bacterial membranes, indicating that high-pressure could boost cAMP activity in high-pressure food processing.
Retraction: Comparing gas transport in three polymers via molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Anderson Luke R. , Yang Quan , Ediger Andrew M.
Published: March 2023

Retraction of ‘Comparing gas transport in three polymers via molecular dynamics simulation’ by Luke R. Anderson et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018, 20, 22123–22133, https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CP02829J.
Synthesis of imidazolium-based pentacoordinated organofluorosilicate and germanate salts
Authors: Gnidovec Jan , Gruden Evelin , Tramšek Melita , Iskra Jernej , Kvíčala Jaroslav , Tavčar Gašper
Published: March 2023

Naked fluoride reagent [IPrH][F] was used to prepare and structurally characterise a rare organofluorogermanate compound [IPrH][Ph3GeF2] and other organofluorosilicate species.
Advancements in biofilm carriers and gas-permeable membranes: assessment of zeolite technologies for shortcut nitrogen removal applications in wastewater
Authors: Huff Chester Anndee L. , Romero-Vargas Castrillón Santiago , Novak Paige J.
Published: March 2023

Novel materials are developed for improving low-energy partial nitrification–anammox nitrogen removal.
Correction: Bubble-enhanced ultrasonic microfluidic chip for rapid DNA fragmentation
Authors: Sun Lin , Lehnert Thomas , Li Songjing , Gijs Martin A. M.
Published: March 2023

Correction for ‘Bubble-enhanced ultrasonic microfluidic chip for rapid DNA fragmentation’ by Lin Sun et al., Lab Chip, 2022, 22, 560–572, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1LC00933H.
Silane functionalization of WS2 nanotubes for interaction with poly(lactic acid)
Authors: Magee Eimear , Tang Fengzai , Walker Marc , Zak Alla , Tenne Reshef , McNally Tony
Published: March 2023

Functionalisation of nanofillers is required for the promotion of strong interfacial interactions with polymers and is essential as a route for the preparation of (nano)composites with superior mechanical properties.
A structure activity relationship study of 3,4′-dimethoxyflavone for ArlRS inhibition in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Weig Alexander W. , O'Conner Patrick M. , Kwiecinski Jakub M. , Marciano Orry M. , Nunag Angelica , Gutierrez Andrew T. , Melander Roberta J. , Horswill Alexander R. , Melander Christian
Published: March 2023

Several analogues of the Staphylococcus aureus ArlRS inhibitor 3,4′-dimethoxyflavone were identified as more potent than the parent, in addition to one compound that suppresses oxacillin resistance in methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA).
Mechanical stability ofcis,trans-poly(p-phenylene vinylenes)
Authors: Janpatompong Yurachat , Suwada Kamil , Turner Michael L. , De Bo Guillaume
Published: March 2023

The performance of flexible electronic devices must be stable to repeated mechanical deformation in use. We show that the structural and optical properties of cis, trans-PPVs are maintained when subjected to elongational forces during ultrasonication.
Visible light-induced surface grafting polymerization of perfluoropolyether brushes as marine low fouling materials
Authors: Manderfeld Emily , Balasubramaniam Ajitha , Özcan Onur , Anderson Charlotte , Finlay John A. , Clare Anthony S. , Hunsucker Kelli , Swain Geoffrey W. , Rosenhahn Axel
Published: March 2023

Controlled grafting of perfluoropolyether brushes from polymer substrates as low fouling marine coatings. ITX coupled to OTS-monolayers was used as dormant group and activated by visible light to induce the polymerization reaction.
Electrofabrication of a low molecular weight hydrogel at high pH
Authors: Patterson Courtenay , Panja Santanu , Liu Wanli , Mount Andrew R. , Squires Adam , Adams Dave J.
Published: March 2023

We describe the electrodeposition at high pH of a low molecular weight gelator. Electrodeposition can be used to grow simultaneously two hydrogels at opposing pH extremes on different electrodes.
Chiral organophosphates as ligands in asymmetric metal catalysis
Authors: Brodt Nikolai , Niemeyer Jochen
Published: March 2023

Chiral phosphates have successfully been used as ligands in asymmetric metal-catalysis. This Minireview discusses the most recent examples, including main-group catalysis, transition-metal catalysis and catalysis by rare-earth metals.