bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics in health and disease
Authors: Ji Jing , Jin Weilin , Liu Shuang‐Jiang , Jiao Zuoyi , Li Xiangkai
Published: November 2023

The gut microbiota and its homeostasis play a crucial role in human health. However, for some diseases related to the gut microbiota, current traditional medicines can only relieve symptoms, and it is difficult to solve the root causes or even cause side effects like disturbances in the gut microbiota. Increasing clinical studies and evidences have demonstrated that probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics can prevent and treat various diseases, but currently they can only be used as dietary supplements rather than medicines, which restricts the application of probiotics in the field of medicine. Here, this review analyzes the importance of gut microbiota in human health and the current problems of traditional medicines, and systematically summarizes the effectiveness and mechanisms of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics in maintaining health and treating diseases based on animal models and clinical trials. And based on current research outcomes and development trends in this field, the challenges and prospects of their clinical application in maintaining health, alleviating and treating diseases are analyzed. It is hoped to promote the application of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics in disease treatment and open up new frontiers in probiotic research.
Evaluation of Pacific Lamprey statoliths for age estimation across their life cycle
Authors: Pelekai K. N. , Hess J. E. , Weitkamp L. A. , Lampman R. T. , Miller J. A.
Published: November 2023

Objective

The anadromous Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus is an ecologically and culturally important fish that has experienced declines in abundance and distribution throughout large portions of its range. However, the lack of fundamental biological information, such as age and growth, impedes management and conservation efforts.

Methods

We used known-age hatchery and wild Pacific Lamprey to evaluate the potential of statoliths (apatite concretions found within the auditory capsules) to provide estimates of individual size and age throughout ontogeny. Statolith size and growth were assessed with comparisons of morphometrics (area, perimeter, length, and width) in relation to fish length. Traditional band-reading methods and random forest (RF) analysis were evaluated for their utility in estimating age.

Result

We observed a strong, positive relationship between statolith size and fish length for larvae that were hatchery reared. However, there were no positive relationships between statolith size and fish length for any of the postmetamorphic life stages, which indicates that statolith growth slows dramatically or ceases after metamorphosis. Band-reading methods of statoliths from known-age lamprey (1- and 2- to 9-year-olds) resulted in accurate age estimates for 28% of the fish, and 57% of mean age estimates fell within 1 year of the true age. While we found that the statolith was not very useful for traditional age estimation techniques, its inclusion in morphometric-based age classifications was promising. A RF model based on body length, collection river, and statolith area accurately assigned 76% of the larval and freshwater juveniles to their known age. Additionally, an RF model using only body length and river of origin correctly classified 70% of the known-age samples.

Conclusion

Multivariate approaches, including those that include lethal and nonlethal predictor variables, provide potential approaches to estimate age in larval and early juvenile Pacific Lamprey.
From haemadin to haemanorm: Synthesis and characterization of full‐length haemadin from the leech Haemadipsa sylvestris and of a novel bivalent, highly potent thrombin inhibitor (haemanorm)
Authors: Acquasaliente Laura , Pierangelini Andrea , Pagotto Anna , Pozzi Nicola , De Filippis Vincenzo
Published: November 2023

Hirudin from Hirudo medicinalis is a bivalent α‐Thrombin (αT) inhibitor, targeting the enzyme active site and exosite‐I, and is currently used in anticoagulant therapy along with its simplified analogue hirulog. Haemadin, a small protein (57 amino acids) isolated from the land‐living leech Haemadipsa sylvestris, selectively inhibits αT with a potency identical to that of recombinant hirudin (KI = 0.2 pM), with which it shares a common disulfide topology and overall fold. At variance with hirudin, haemadin targets exosite‐II and therefore (besides the free protease) it also blocks thrombomodulin‐bound αT without inhibiting the active intermediate meizothrombin, thus offering potential advantages over hirudin. Here, we produced in reasonably high yields and pharmaceutical purity (>98%) wild‐type haemadin and the oxidation resistant Met5 → nor‐Leucine analogue, both inhibiting αT with a KI of 0.2 pM. Thereafter, we used site‐directed mutagenesis, spectroscopic, ligand‐displacement, and Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange‐Mass Spectrometry techniques to map the αT regions relevant for the interaction with full‐length haemadin and with the synthetic N‐ and C‐terminal peptides Haem(1–10) and Haem(45–57). Haem(1–10) competitively binds to/inhibits αT active site (KI = 1.9 μM) and its potency was enhanced by 10‐fold after Phe3 → β‐Naphthylalanine exchange. Conversely to full‐length haemadin, haem(45–57) displays intrinsic affinity for exosite‐I (KD = 1.6 μM). Hence, we synthesized a peptide in which the sequences 1–9 and 45–57 were joined together through a 3‐Glycine spacer to yield haemanorm, a highly potent (KI = 0.8 nM) inhibitor targeting αT active site and exosite‐I. Haemanorm can be regarded as a novel class of hirulog‐like αT inhibitors with potential pharmacological applications.
Enhancing thermal stability in the CH2 domain to suppress aggregation through the introduction of simultaneous disulfide bonds in Pichia pastoris
Authors: Oyama Kosuke , Nakakido Makoto , Ohkuri Takatoshi , Nakamura Hitomi , Tsumoto Kouhei , Ueda Tadashi
Published: November 2023

Protein aggregations decrease production yields and impair the efficacy of therapeutics. The CH2 domain is a crucial part of the constant region of human IgG. But, it is also the least stable domain in IgG, which can result in antibody instability and aggregation problems. We created a novel mutant of the CH2 domain (T250C/L314C, mut10) by introducing a disulfide bond and expressed it using Pichia pastoris. The mut10 variant exhibited enhanced thermal stability, resistance to enzymatic degradation, and reduced aggregation in comparison to the original CH2 domain. However, it was less stable than mut20 (L242C/K334C), which is the variant prepared in a previous study (Gong et al., J. Biol. Chem., 2009). A more advanced mutant, mut25, was created by combining mut10 and mut20. Mut25 artificially contains two disulfide bonds. The new mutant, mut25, showed enhanced thermal stability, increased resistance to enzymatic digestion, and reduced aggregation in comparison to mut20. According to our knowledge, mut25 achieves an unprecedented level of stability among the humanized whole CH2 domains that have been reported so far. Mut25 has the potential to serve as a new platform for antibody therapeutics due to its ability to reduce immunogenicity by decreasing aggregation.
Learning‐based collision avoidance and robust H∞ optimal formation control for uncertain quadrotor UAV systems
Authors: Li Ning , Wang Hongbin , Luo Qianda , Zheng Wei
Published: November 2023

This paper investigates the robust optimal formation control for the position subsystem of quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) subject to external disturbances and collision constraints. To prevent collision with both members of the formation and external obstacles, a collision avoidance potential function is constructed using relative position and velocity information. The basic bounded control input can ensure the stable flight and collision avoidance of a quadrotor UAV system. Based on the approximate dynamic programming (ADP) framework and two‐player zero‐sum differential game theory, the optimal controller is designed to further enhance the control performance of the system. The optimal value function is approximated by a single layer neural network, which avoids solving complex nonlinear Hamilton‐JacobiIsaac (HJI) equation. The stability of the closed loop system is proved. The effectiveness of the robust optimal formation controller based on learning is validated through MATLAB simulation in two distinct scenarios.
Shrinkage cracking in restrained FRC members containing conventional reinforcement
Authors: Tang Porsiem , Amin Ali , Gilbert R. Ian , Kaufmann Walter
Published: November 2023

This paper presents a rational approach for describing the cracking behavior of fully‐ and partially restrained fiber reinforced concrete members co‐reinforced with conventional reinforcement subjected to an axial force imparted by shrinkage. The proposed analytical model extends the approach developed by Gilbert for fully restrained reinforced concrete members to account for the post‐cracking strength offered by the fibers at each of the cracks as the concrete ages and dries. The effects of partial end‐restraint are also studied to gain a clearer understanding of the mechanism of direct tension cracking caused by restrained shrinkage and the factors affecting it.
Inorganic metal salts as additives in the design of cellulose/arabinogalactan hydrogels for prolonged delivery of simvastatin in simulated bio‐fluids
Authors: Agrawal Reshu , Yadav Harsh , Patel Jwala , Sulakhiya Kunjbihari , Maiti Sabyasachi
Published: November 2023

In this study, carboxymethylcellulose and arabinogalactan were used to create an interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogel system in the presence of AlCl3 alone or in combination with ZnSO4 salts. Ionotropic gelation caused the polymer sol droplets to transform into hydrogel particles in the presence of salts. The impact of salts on hydrogel properties was evaluated in terms of morphology, drug entrapment efficiency, swelling, and drug release kinetics. The cellulose IPN hydrogel particles containing 50% arabinogalactan looked spherical with evidence of surface folding when treated with AlCl3. Surface folding was reduced by an additional treatment with ZnSO4. Following treatment of the IPN particles with dual salts, a maximum drug entrapment efficiency of 88.77% was obtained. Surface erosion, as seen with aluminum‐IPN hydrogel particles, was minimized with the use of mixed salts as gelation medium. Furthermore, the use of mixed salts allowed the hydrogel particles to swell and consistently release simvastatin in simulated gastrointestinal fluids for up to 9 h. Thermal and x‐ray analyses revealed that the crystallinity of the drug reduced considerably after entrapment in the IPN hydrogel matrix. The infrared spectra analysis did not indicate any evidence of drug polymer interaction. The release of drug from the IPN hydrogel particles followed non‐Fickian diffusion mechanism. The dual metallic salts were found to be effective in creating physically stable cellulose‐arabinogalactan IPN hydrogel particles for sustained release of simvastatin in a varying pH environment of gastrointestinal tract.

Highlights

Dual inorganic salts allowed synthesis of cellulose/arabinogalactan hydrogel

Additional use of ZnSO4 improved surface morphology of hydrogel particles

Compatible environment of hydrogels allowed more than 88% drug entrapment

Concentration of neutral arabinogalactan was crucial in dictating drug release

Mixed salts controlled swelling and release of simvastatin from hydrogels
Production and decays of 146 GeV flavons into eμ final state at the LHC
Authors: Koivunen Niko , Raidal Martti
Published: November 2023

Abstract

The CMS experiment at CERN has reported a possible signal for a resonance at 146 GeV decaying into the eμ final state which, presently, is the only experimental hint for lepton flavour violation in any low- and high-energy experiment. The Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism naturally predicts the existence of new scalars, the flavons, with flavour off-diagonal couplings. We study this framework in the context of the CMS result and find that the minimal, purely leptophilic model is too restricted to match the claimed signal. Thereafter we show how models with additional flavon couplings to quarks can explain the claimed signal while satisfying all the existing constraints on lepton flavour violation.
Apolipoprotein L genes are novel mediators of inflammation in beta cells
Authors: Paz-Barba Miriam , Muñoz Garcia Amadeo , de Winter Twan J. J. , de Graaf Natascha , van Agen Maarten , van der Sar Elisa , Lambregtse Ferdy , Daleman Lizanne , van der Slik Arno , Zaldumbide Arnaud , de Koning Eelco J. P. , Carlotti Françoise
Published: November 2023

Aims/hypothesis

Inflammation induces beta cell dysfunction and demise but underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The apolipoprotein L (APOL) family of genes has been associated with innate immunity and apoptosis in non-pancreatic cell types, but also with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Here, we hypothesised that APOL genes play a role in inflammation-induced beta cell damage.

Methods

We used single-cell transcriptomics datasets of primary human pancreatic islet cells to study the expression of APOL genes upon specific stress conditions. Validation of the findings was carried out in EndoC-βH1 cells and primary human islets. Finally, we performed loss- and gain-of-function experiments to investigate the role of APOL genes in beta cells.

Results

APOL genes are expressed in primary human beta cells and APOL1, 2 and 6 are strongly upregulated upon inflammation via the Janus kinase (JAK)−signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway. APOL1 overexpression increases endoplasmic reticulum stress while APOL1 knockdown prevents cytokine-induced beta cell death and interferon-associated response. Furthermore, we found that APOL genes are upregulated in beta cells from donors with type 2 diabetes compared with donors without diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions/interpretation

APOLs are novel regulators of islet inflammation and may contribute to beta cell damage during the development of diabetes.

Data availability

scRNAseq data generated by our laboratory and used in this study are available in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO; www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/), accession number GSE218316.

Graphical Abstract
New insights on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for Central Asia
Authors: Caporin Massimiliano , Cooray Arusha , Kuziboev Bekhzod , Yusubov Inomjon
Published: November 2023

We estimate the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for Central Asia by allowing for the possibility of linear, U-shaped and N-shaped forms, and considering the impact of ecological footprint, climate change adaptation and energy consumption. We employ a fully modified ordinary least squares framework for cointegrating polynomial regressions, and include obtained long-run relations in a panel Vector Error Correction model. The findings suggest that the linear EKC form is more coherent for Central Asia compared to the N-shaped EKC form. We link this to the fact that the Central Asian countries are in the first stage of the EKC. We observe that Gross domestic product, ecological footprint, energy consumption and climate change adaptation positively impact carbon dioxide emissions in the long-run. Moreover, there is bidirectional causality from $$GDP$$

GDP

and climate change adaptation to $${CO}_{2}$$

CO

2

emissions, while causality is unidirectional between emissions and energy consumption.
Virulence genotype and phenotype of two clinical isolates of Arcobacter butzleri obtained from patients with different pathologies
Authors: Baztarrika Itsaso , Salazar-Sánchez Adrián , Hernaez Crespo Silvia , López Mirones José Israel , Canut Andrés , Alonso Rodrigo , Martínez-Ballesteros Ilargi , Martinez-Malaxetxebarria Irati
Published: November 2023

The surge in human arcobacteriosis has increased interest in determining the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of Arcobacter butzleri. Here, genomic analyses and in vitro Caco-2 infection, motility, urease and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) assays were used to characterise the virulence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants of strains HC-1, isolated from a patient with travellers’ diarrhoea, and HC-2, isolated from another with pruritus. AMR determinants conferring resistance to tetracycline (tetO, present in both genomes) and to ampicillin and amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (bla3, present in HC-2) were identified. The same determinants associated with flagellum, chemotaxis, adhesion and invasion were detected in both, but HC-1 lacked eight flagellar genes. The urease cluster was only present in HC-1. Motility and urease tests confirmed the genetic differences between strains, but no genetic marker related to the inability of HC-2 to adhere and invade was identified. This inability could be conditioning the patient’s pathology.
Effect of laser polarization on atomic and ionic emissions in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
Authors: Adarsh U. K. , Unnikrishnan V. K. , Vasa Parinda , George Sajan D. , Chidangil Santhosh , Mathur Deepak
Published: November 2023

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is attracting a great deal of interest in qualitative and quantitative analysis of materials. Close observation reveals that developments in the science that underpins LIBS as an analytical technique are limited to either signal enhancement strategies or newer data analysis techniques that facilitate better interpretation of raw LIBS data. Developments related to the excitation part of LIBS have been restricted to the effects of laser beam characteristics or the effect of ambient experimental conditions. The influence, if any, of the polarization state of the excitation laser has largely remained unexplored. We address this lacuna by probing the influence of different polarization states of the excitation laser on LIBS spectra of metals (copper and silver) and non-metals (polyethylene) by analyzing the polarization-dependent behavior of both atomic and ionic emission lines. Our observations open the possibility of tackling the problem of relatively faint emissions from ionic species in the plasma by appropriately manipulating the polarization state of the incident laser beam; this may lead to easy-to-implement improvement in the performance of LIBS instruments.

Graphical abstract
Toric Rings of Perfectly Matchable Subgraph Polytopes
Authors: Mori Kenta
Published: November 2023

The perfectly matchable subgraph polytope of a graph is a (0,1)-polytope associated with the vertex sets of matchings in the graph. In this paper, we study algebraic properties (compressedness, Gorensteinness) of the toric rings of perfectly matchable subgraph polytopes. In particular, we give a complete characterization of a graph whose perfectly matchable subgraph polytope is compressed.
Multiphase-solid fluid inclusions in HP-LT eclogite facies rock (Zavkhan Terrane, Western Mongolia): evidence for the evolution from saline to hypersaline fluids during metamorphism in subduction zone
Authors: Bayarbold Manzshir , Okamoto Atsushi , Uno Masaoki , Yoshida Kenta , Kotov Alexey , Agroli Geri , Dandar Otgonbayar , Niwa Yasuhiro , Kimura Masao , Tsuchiya Noriyoshi
Published: November 2023

Fluid inclusions in high- and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks provide direct information on the composition of the fluids that evolved during metamorphism and fluid-rock interactions in deep subduction zones. We investigate the fluid inclusions in the Khungui eclogite of the Zavkhan Terrane, Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Fluid inclusions are observed in garnet and quartz in the eclogite samples that underwent metamorphism during subduction. The primary fluid inclusions in quartz are composed of liquid and vapor with high salinities (15.7–16.4 wt.% NaCl eq.), whereas the secondary fluid inclusions in quartz are classified as: relatively high salinity (Type I:12.5–16.3 wt.% NaCl eq.) and low salinity (Type II:6.7–10.6 wt.% NaCl eq.). The garnet shows compositional zoning from Ca-poor cores to Ca-rich rims, and the rims that grew during the eclogite-stage metamorphism (2.1–2.2 GPa at 580–610 °C) preferentially contain numerous primary fluid inclusions. The primary fluid inclusions in garnet are commonly bi-phases (liquid and vapor); however, some are multiphase-solid fluid inclusions composed of fluids (liquid and vapor) and combinations of several minerals (halite, quartz, apatite, calcite, biotite, chlorite, and actinolite). Bi-phase fluid inclusions preferentially occur in the inner parts of the Ca-rich garnet rim, whereas multiphase-solid fluid inclusions occur along the margins of the Ca-rich rim. We hypothesize that the multiphase-solid fluid inclusions are formed via interactions between trapped fluids, trapped minerals, and the host garnet during exhumation. By combination of FIB–SEM and synchrotron X-ray CT analyses, the detailed occurrences, volumes, and compositions of the solid phases in the fluid inclusion was analyzed. We then conduct mass balance analysis to reconstruct accurate fluid compositions using data from the FIB–SEM and synchrotron X-ray CT images of the multiphase-solid fluid inclusion. The results of these analyses reveal that (1) fluid changed from an H2O-dominated saline fluid (13–16 wt. % NaCl eq.) at the prograde to the earlier eclogite stage to H2O–CO2-dominated hypersaline fluid at later eclogite stage (~ 32 wt. % NaCl eq., 7.3 wt. % CO2 and ~ 19 molal dissolved cations); (2) a variety of mineral assemblages in multiphase-solid fluid inclusions are produced by post-entrapment reactions between the trapped hypersaline fluid, trapped minerals and the fluid host mineral. The evolution of fluids from saline to hypersaline during the eclogite facies stage is probably caused by the formation of hydrous minerals (i.e., barroisite) under a near-closed system.
Comparing the evidence for botulinum neurotoxin injections in paediatric anterior drooling: a scoping review
Authors: Orriëns Lynn B. , van Hulst Karen , van der Burg Jan J. W. , van den Hoogen Frank J. A. , Willemsen Michèl A. A. P. , Erasmus Corrie E.
Published: November 2023

Paediatric anterior drooling has a major impact on the daily lives of children and caregivers. Intraglandular botulinum neurotoxin type-A (BoNT-A) injections are considered an effective treatment to diminish drooling. However, there is no international consensus on which major salivary glands should be injected to obtain optimal treatment effect while minimizing the risk of side effects. This scoping review aimed to explore the evidence for submandibular BoNT-A injections and concurrent submandibular and parotid (i.e. four-gland) injections, respectively, and assess whether outcomes could be compared across studies to improve decision making regarding the optimal initial BoNT-A treatment approach for paediatric anterior drooling. PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched to identify relevant studies (until October 1, 2023) on submandibular or four-gland BoNT-A injections for the treatment of anterior drooling in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Similarities and differences in treatment, patient, outcome, and follow-up characteristics were assessed. Twenty-eight papers were identified; 7 reporting on submandibular injections and 21 on four-gland injections. No major differences in treatment procedures or timing of follow-up were found. However, patient characteristics were poorly reported, there was great variety in outcome measurement, and the assessment of side effects was not clearly described.

  Conclusion: This review highlights heterogeneity in outcome measures and patient population descriptors among studies on paediatric BoNT-A injections, limiting the ability to compare treatment effectiveness between submandibular and four-gland injections. These findings emphasize the need for more extensive and uniform reporting of patient characteristics and the implementation of a core outcome measurement set to allow for comparison of results between studies and facilitate the optimization of clinical practice guidelines.

What is Known:• There is no international consensus on which salivary glands to initially inject with BoNT-A to treat paediatric drooling.

What is New:• Concluding on the optimal initial BoNT-A treatment based on literature is currently infeasible. There is considerable heterogeneity in outcome measures used to quantify anterior drooling.and clinical characteristics of children treated with intraglandular BoNT-A are generally insufficiently reported.• Consensus-based sets of outcome measures and patient characteristics should be developed and implemented.
The role of radiotherapy in the management of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors: a single-center retrospective cohort study
Authors: Roohani Siyer , Claßen Noa Marie , Ehret Felix , Jarosch Armin , Dziodzio Tomasz , Flörcken Anne , Märdian Sven , Zips Daniel , Kaul David
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study sought to investigate the role of radiotherapy (RT) in addition to surgery for oncological outcomes in patients with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST).

Methods

In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, histopathologically confirmed MPNST were analyzed. Local control (LC), overall survival (OS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier estimator. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with LC, OS, and DMFS.

Results

We included 57 patients with a median follow-up of 20.0 months. Most MPNSTs were located deeply (87.5%), were larger than 5 cm (55.8%), and had high-grade histology (78.7%). Seventeen patients received surgery only, and 25 patients received surgery and pre- or postoperative RT. Median LC, OS, and DMFS after surgery only were 8.7, 25.5, and 22.0 months; after surgery with RT, the median LC was not reached, while the median OS and DMFS were 111.5 and 69.9 months. Multivariable Cox regression of LC revealed a negative influence of patients presenting with local disease recurrence compared to patients presenting with an initial primary diagnosis of localized MPNST (hazard ratio: 8.86, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

The addition of RT to wide surgical excision appears to have a beneficial effect on LC. Local disease recurrence at presentation is an adverse prognostic factor for developing subsequent local recurrences. Future clinical and translational studies are warranted to identify molecular targets and find effective perioperative combination therapies with RT to improve patient outcomes.
High performance machine learning approach for reference evapotranspiration estimation
Authors: Aly Mohammed S. , Darwish Saad M. , Aly Ahmed A.
Published: November 2023

Accurate reference evapotranspiration (ET0) estimation has an effective role in reducing water losses and raising the efficiency of irrigation water management. The complicated nature of the evapotranspiration process is illustrated in the amount of meteorological variables required to estimate ET0. Incomplete meteorological data is the most significant challenge that confronts ET0 estimation. For this reason, different machine learning techniques have been employed to predict ET0, but the complicated structures and architectures of many of them make ET0 estimation very difficult. For these challenges, ensemble learning techniques are frequently employed for estimating ET0, particularly when there is a shortage of meteorological data. This paper introduces a powerful super learner ensemble technique for ET0 estimation, where four machine learning models: Extra Tree Regressor, Support Vector Regressor, K-Nearest Neighbor and AdaBoost Regression represent the base learners and their outcomes used as training data for the meta learner. Overcoming the overfitting problem that affects most other ensemble methods is a significant advantage of this cross-validation theory-based approach. Super learner performances were compared with the base learners for their forecasting capabilities through different statistical standards, where the results revealed that the super learner has better accuracy than the base learners, where different combinations of variables have been used whereas Coefficient of Determination (R2) ranged from 0.9279 to 0.9994 and Mean Squared Error (MSE) ranged from 0.0026 to 0.3289 mm/day but for the base learners R2 ranged from 0.5592 to 0.9977, and MSE ranged from 0.0896 to 2.0118 mm/day therefore, super learner is highly recommended for ET0 prediction with limited meteorological data.
Hybrid GA-PSO method with local search and image clustering for automatic IFS image reconstruction of fractal colored images
Authors: Gálvez Akemi , Fister Iztok , Deb Suash , Fister Iztok , Iglesias Andrés
Published: November 2023

Over the past few decades, the application of iterated function systems (IFS) in reconstructing fractal images has been a challenging research area. Numerous methods have been proposed to address this issue. However, they generally focus on binary or grayscale images, neglecting the color component of the process. Consequently, they are unsuitable for reconstructing colored images. In a previous paper presented at the ISCMI 2021 conference, the authors introduced a novel approach that utilizes the cuckoo search algorithm and k-means clustering for IFS fractal reconstruction of colored images. Building upon that work, this paper introduces an enhanced and extended method by combining genetic algorithms (GAs) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) with local search and image clustering. In this approach, GA and PSO are mutually coupled to automatically determine the color of the contractive functions and the IFS parameters, respectively. The output of each method serves as the input for the other in an iterative manner. Main contributions of this method are: (1) it computes automatically the optimal number and IFS code of the contractive functions; (2) the color of the contractive functions is determined automatically through an optimization process using GA; (3) a local refinement step is performed to further enhance the final solution. Overall, this new method yields highly accurate results in reconstructing the geometry and color of input fractal images, without requiring any additional information about the target beyond the bitmap image.
Provenance of far-traveled nappes in the eastern Mediterranean (Uppermost Unit, Crete): constraints from U–Pb zircon ages of detrital and igneous zircons
Authors: Zulauf G. , Dörr W. , Albert R. , Martha S. O. , Xypolias P.
Published: November 2023

New U–Pb ages of detrital and igneous zircons of the Uppermost Unit of Crete shed light on its provenance and on Eohellenic to Eoalpine imprints in the eastern Mediterranean. The detrital zircons of all nappes show Variscan ages and are characterized by a Minoan-type age spectrum, which is typical for the NE margin of Gondwana. Parts of the metasedimentary rocks are unexpectedly young. Their detrital zircon ages continue via the Permian until the Late Triassic, Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. The high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Asterousia crystalline complex are likely equivalents of the low-grade metamorphic trench and fore-arc deposits of the Vatos nappe pointing to Late Cretaceous slab roll back. The presence of both late Permian detrital zircons and Late Cretaceous arc-type granitoids suggest that the Uppermost Unit of Crete is derived from the late Permian/Late Cretaceous magmatic belt situated north of the Sava–Vardar–Izmir–Ankara Suture in the Strandja–Rhodope area. To achieve their recent position on Crete, the nappes had to travel more than 500 km. The traveling path is well tracked by rocks of the Upper Cycladic Unit, which are similar to those of the Uppermost Unit of Crete. The large displacement of the Cretan nappes was controlled not only by nappe transport, but probably also by dextral strike–slip along the North Anatolian Fault Zone and related counterclockwise rotation of the Anatolian block since the Eocene.

Graphical abstract
“You talk of threat, but we think of comfort”: the role of place attachment in small remote communities in Iceland that experience avalanche threat
Authors: Kokorsch Matthias , Gísladóttir Jóhanna
Published: November 2023

According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, climate change may increase the likelihood, intensity, and frequency of some natural hazards in the country, such as avalanches. It is therefore essential to increase preparedness for climate change–related effects. Until recently, social and community aspects of climate change–related hazards have not received much attention in Iceland. The aim of this study was to explore the role of place attachment in small remote communities in Iceland and how residents experience the threat of avalanches. Through a narrative approach, we conducted interviews with residents and focus groups in two communities in the Westfjords. Our findings suggest that both communities show a high level of place attachment, in particular with regard to the natural and social dimension. A positive impact of place attachment translates into willingness for volunteering and local engagement, which can increase preparedness and enhance capacity building. While we found negative tendencies of place attachment in both places, for example in that residents do not consider their communities vulnerable despite the risk, they seem to be less prominent than the positive aspects. Residents exhibit traditional local knowledge, but there is a need to better integrate newcomers and foreigners in the communities into emergency planning.
From process mining to augmented process execution
Authors: Chapela-Campa David , Dumas Marlon
Published: November 2023

Business process management (BPM) is a well-established discipline comprising a set of principles, methods, techniques, and tools to continuously improve the performance of business processes. Traditionally, most BPM decisions and activities are undertaken by business stakeholders based on manual data collection and analysis techniques. This is time-consuming and potentially leads to suboptimal decisions, as only a restricted subset of data and options are considered. Over the past decades, a rich set of data-driven techniques has emerged to support and automate various activities and decisions across the BPM lifecycle, particularly within the process mining field. More recently, the uptake of artificial intelligence (AI) methods for BPM has led to a range of approaches for proactive business process monitoring. Given their common data requirements and overlapping goals, process mining and AI-driven approaches to business process optimization are converging. This convergence is leading to a promising emerging concept, which we call(AI-)augmented process execution: a collection of data analytics and artificial intelligence methods for continuous and automated improvement and adaptation of business processes. This article gives an outline of research at the intersection between process mining and AI-driven process optimization, classifies the researched techniques based on their scope and objectives, and positions augmented process execution as an additional layer on top of this stack.
Di-Alkyl Adipates as New Phase Change Material for Low Temperature Energy Storage
Authors: Sequeira Maria C. M. , Nogueira Bernardo A. , Caetano Fernando J. P. , Diogo Hermínio P. , Fareleira João M. N. A. , Fausto Rui
Published: November 2023

This work is a contribution to the thermal characterization of a selected binary system of two di-n-alkyl adipates that can be used as phase change material for thermal energy storage at low temperatures. The construction of the solid–liquid phase diagram using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), complemented with Raman Spectroscopy studies for the system composed by diethyl and dibutyl adipates is presented. The solidus and liquidus equilibrium temperatures were determined by DSC for the pure components and 30 binary mixtures at selected molar compositions were used to construct the corresponding solid–liquid phase diagram. The binary system of diethyl and dibutyl adipates presents eutectic behaviour at low temperatures. The eutectic temperature was found at 240.46 K, and the eutectic composition was determined to occur at the molar fraction xdibutyl = 0.46. Additionally, the system shows a polymorphic transition, characteristic of dibutyl adipate, occurring at ca. 238 K, confirmed by optical microscopy. To the best of our knowledge, no reference to the phase diagram of the present system could be found in the literature. Raman spectroscopy was essential to complement the construction of the phase equilibrium diagram, enabling the identification of the solid and liquid phases of the system. Finally, the liquidus curve of the phase diagram was also successfully predicted using a suitable fitting equation, being the root mean square deviation of the data from the correlation equal to 0.54 K. In addition, this fitting operation enabled a correct prediction of the eutectic composition of the system.
Ancient, veteran and other listed trees as nest sites for wild-living honey bee, Apis mellifera, colonies
Authors: Visick Oliver D. , Ratnieks Francis L. W.
Published: November 2023

Wild-living honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies naturally nest in old cavity-bearing trees throughout their range, but this important nesting habitat is in global decline. Here we determine the use of ancient, veteran and other listed trees as nest sites by wild-living honey bee colonies in Britain and investigate the effect of tree size, genus and management on occupancy. Over 1,000 trees of special interest (TSIs) were surveyed in southeast England using the Ancient Tree Inventory (ATI) of the Woodland Trust, a charity that protects and promotes trees in Britain. 2% of all TSIs and 4.4% of TSIs with cavities were occupied by wild-living honey bee colonies (n = 21). Occupancy positively correlated with tree diameter, which is surprising given that the overall sample already had a large mean diameter of 1.3 m. Wild-living colonies occupied sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) more frequently than expected (7% versus 2% overall), probably due to their large mean diameter (1.6 m) and proportion of trees with cavities (73%). Heights of occupied tree cavities (including non-ATI trees) ranged from 0 to 18.2 m with a median of 6.8 m, entrance size ranged from 2.2 to 322 cm2 with a median of 33.8 cm2 and entrance orientation was not significantly different from random.
A Modified Total Energy Control Scheme for Unmanned Aircraft
Authors: Bauer Peter
Published: November 2023

The paper focuses on safety and simplicity of unmanned aircraft longitudinal control and proposes a new combination of total energy control (TECS) and conventional control. The introduced new modified total energy control (TECSMOD) method applies IAS priority all the time. IAS is controlled through the elevator while the total energy of the system and so the altitude is maintained with throttle. Neither engine fault or stall detection nor switching logic is required while stall is prevented keeping the solution simple and safe. To prove the viability of the new concept it is compared to a conventional multiple zone PI controller and the TECS solution in simulation and real flight tests. First, the six degrees of freedom simulation model of the Sindy test UAV (developed and built in Institute for Computer Science and Control, HUN-REN, Hungary) is verified comparing its inputs and outputs to flight results. Then a simulation campaign is done for all three controllers with special test cases which can be critical according to the literature. Finally, real flight test comparison is done considering IAS and altitude tracking and engine fault handling. The new method was the best in IAS tracking with acceptable results in altitude tracking and successful stall prevention upon engine fault (without any fault detection or switching). Future improvements can be fine tuning for improved altitude tracking with the price of decreased IAS tracking performance and the introduction of a glideslope tracking mode for landing scenarios.
For I Do Not Know How to Act: Tadeusz Kantor and the Reality of Theatre
Authors: Zartaloudis Thanos
Published: November 2023

This paper presents a discussion, in honour of the late Ari Hirvonen, of the reality of theatre, the space of the tragic and the ethical condition. It engages critically with Hirvonen’s work, as he would demand it, and in doing so it considers the distinctive thinking about theatrical reality in the work of the great Polish artist and theatre director Tadeusz Kantor.
Non-industrial Private Forest Owners’ Knowledge and Forest Management Preferences Regarding Forest Damage in Northern Sweden
Authors: Kronholm Thomas
Published: November 2023

In northern Sweden, large forest areas are affected by extensive damage caused by moose, fungi, beetle and other biological pests. For non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners this leads to large losses of value, not only in economic terms but also in the form of loss of biodiversity and amenity values. Therefore, several research projects are underway to develop new silvicultural methods and other measures to reduce damage. However, a successful implementation of these will often depend on the willingness and knowledge of the forest owners. The objective of this study was, therefore, to elucidate NIPF owners’ knowledge about forest damage and their preferences regarding forest management alternatives that potentially could mitigate the damage situation. Data were collected through a questionnaire that was distributed to a random sample of 1,177 NIPF owners in northern Sweden, and the response rate was 31% (n = 368). The results show that 19% of the NIPF owners did not know the current damage situation in their own forest. In addition, NIPF owners judged that their knowledge to identify damage themselves is quite limited, except for damage caused by moose. Regarding future management options, many were positive towards avoiding clear-cuts in suitable areas, while many were negative towards implementing alternative tree species such as larch and lodgepole pine. The study concludes that there is a clear need to inform and educate NIPF owners about forest damage, but also that there will be challenges in reaching all types of owners.
Information provision measures for voice agent product recommendations— The effect of process explanations and process visualizations on fairness perceptions
Authors: Weith Helena , Matt Christian
Published: November 2023

While voice agent product recommendations (VAPR) can be convenient for users, their underlying artificial intelligence (AI) components are subject to recommendation engine opacities and audio-based constraints, which limit users’ information level when conducting purchase decisions. As a result, users might feel as if they are being treated unfairly, which can lead to negative consequences for retailers. Drawing from the information processing and stimulus-organism-response theory, we investigate through two experimental between-subjects studies how process explanations and process visualizations—as additional information provision measures—affect users’ perceived fairness and behavioral responses to VAPRs. We find that process explanations have a positive effect on fairness perceptions, whereas process visualizations do not. Process explanations based on users’ profiles and their purchase behavior show the strongest effects in improving fairness perceptions. We contribute to the literature on fair and explainable AI by extending the rather algorithm-centered perspectives by considering audio-based VAPR constraints and directly linking them to users’ perceptions and responses. We inform practitioners how they can use information provision measures to avoid unjustified perceptions of unfairness and adverse behavioral responses.
Seeking empathy or suggesting a solution? Effects of chatbot messages on service failure recovery
Authors: Haupt Martin , Rozumowski Anna , Freidank Jan , Haas Alexander
Published: November 2023

Chatbots as prominent form of conversational agents are increasingly implemented as a user interface for digital customer-firm interactions on digital platforms and electronic markets, but they often fail to deliver suitable responses to user requests. In turn, individuals are left dissatisfied and turn away from chatbots, which harms successful chatbot implementation and ultimately firm’s service performance. Based on the stereotype content model, this paper explores the impact of two universally usable failure recovery messages as a strategy to preserve users’ post-recovery satisfaction and chatbot re-use intentions. Results of three experiments show that chatbot recovery messages have a positive effect on recovery responses, mediated by different elicited social cognitions. In particular, a solution-oriented message elicits stronger competence evaluations, whereas an empathy-seeking message leads to stronger warmth evaluations. The preference for one of these message types over the other depends on failure attribution and failure frequency. This study provides meaningful insights for chatbot technology developers and marketers seeking to understand and improve customer experience with digital conversational agents in a cost-effective way.
Using AI to decode the behavioral responses of an insect to chemical stimuli: towards machine-animal computational technologies
Authors: Fazzari Edoardo , Carrara Fabio , Falchi Fabrizio , Stefanini Cesare , Romano Donato
Published: November 2023

Orthoptera are insects with excellent olfactory sense abilities due to their antennae richly equipped with receptors. This makes them interesting model organisms to be used as biosensors for environmental and agricultural monitoring. Herein, we investigated if the house cricket Acheta domesticus can be used to detect different chemical cues by examining the movements of their antennae and attempting to identify specific antennal displays associated to different chemical cues exposed (e.g., sucrose or ammonia powder). A neural network based on state-of-the-art techniques (i.e., SLEAP) for pose estimation was built to identify the proximal and distal ends of the antennae. The network was optimised via grid search, resulting in a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 83.74%. To classify the stimulus type, another network was employed to take in a series of keypoint sequences, and output the stimulus classification. To find the best one-dimensional convolutional and recurrent neural networks, a genetic algorithm-based optimisation method was used. These networks were validated with iterated K-fold validation, obtaining an average accuracy of 45.33% for the former and 44% for the latter. Notably, we published and introduced the first dataset on cricket recordings that relate this animal’s behaviour to chemical stimuli. Overall, this study proposes a novel and simple automated method that can be extended to other animals for the creation of Biohybrid Intelligent Sensing Systems (e.g., automated video-analysis of an organism’s behaviour) to be exploited in various ecological scenarios.