bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Promoting Empathy and Affiliation in Relationships (PEAR) study: protocol for a longitudinal study investigating the development of early childhood callous-unemotional traits
Authors: Wagner Nicholas , Perkins Emily , Rodriguez Yuheiry , Ordway Cora , Flum Michaela , Hernandez-Pena Lucia , Perelstein Polina , Sem Kathy , Paz Yael , Plate Rista , Popoola Ayomide , Lynch Sarah , Astone Kristina , Goldstein Ethan , Njoroge Wanjikũ F M , Raine Adriane , Pincus Donna , Pérez-Edgar Koraly , Waller Rebecca
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits are at high lifetime risk of antisocial behaviour. Low affiliation (ie, social bonding difficulties) and fearlessness (ie, low threat sensitivity) are proposed risk factors for CU traits. Parenting practices (eg, harshness and low warmth) also predict risk for CU traits. However, few studies in early childhood have identified attentional or physiological markers of low affiliation and fearlessness. Moreover, no studies have tested whether parenting practices are underpinned by low affiliation or fearlessness shared by parents, which could further shape parent–child interactions and exacerbate risk for CU traits. Addressing these questions will inform knowledge of how CU traits develop and isolate novel parent and child targets for future specialised treatments for CU traits.

Methods and analysis

The Promoting Empathy and Affiliation in Relationships (PEAR) study aims to establish risk factors for CU traits in children aged 3–6 years. The PEAR study will recruit 500 parent–child dyads from two metropolitan areas of the USA. Parents and children will complete questionnaires, computer tasks and observational assessments, alongside collection of eye-tracking and physiological data, when children are aged 3–4 (time 1) and 5–6 (time 2) years. The moderating roles of child sex, race and ethnicity, family and neighbourhood disadvantage, and parental psychopathology will also be assessed. Study aims will be addressed using structural equation modelling, which will allow for flexible characterisation of low affiliation, fearlessness and parenting practices as risk factors for CU traits across multiple domains.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was granted by Boston University (#6158E) and the University of Pennsylvania (#850638). Results will be disseminated through conferences and open-access publications. All study and task materials will be made freely available on lab websites and through the Open Science Framework (OSF).
Detection and evaluation of signals associated with exposure to individual and combination of medications in pregnancy: a signal detection study protocol
Authors: Subramanian Anuradhaa , Lee Siang Ing , Hemali Sudasinghe Sudasing Pathirannehelage Buddhika , Wambua Steven , Phillips Katherine , Singh Megha , Azcoaga-Lorenzo Amaya , Cockburn Neil , Wang Jingya , Fagbamigbe Adeniyi , Usman Muhammad , Damase-Michel Christine , Yau Christopher , Kent Lisa , McCowan Colin , OReilly Dermot , Santorelli Gillian , Hope Holly , Kennedy Jonathan , Mhereeg Mohamed , Abel Kathryn Mary , Eastwood Kelly-Ann , Black Mairead , Loane Maria , Moss Ngawai , Brophy Sinead , Brocklehurst Peter , Dolk Helen , Nelson-Piercy Catherine , Nirantharakumar Krishnarajah
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Considering the high prevalence of polypharmacy in pregnant women and the knowledge gap in the risk–benefit safety profile of their often-complex treatment plan, more research is needed to optimise prescribing. In this study, we aim to detect adverse and protective effect signals of exposure to individual and pairwise combinations of medications during pregnancy.

Methods and analysis

Using a range of real-world data sources from the UK, we aim to conduct a pharmacovigilance study to assess the safety of medications prescribed during the preconception period (3 months prior to conception) and first trimester of pregnancy. Women aged between 15 and 49 years with a record of pregnancy within the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Pregnancy Register, the Welsh Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL), the Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR) data sets and the Northern Ireland Maternity System (NIMATS) will be included. A series of case control studies will be conducted to estimate measures of disproportionality, detecting signals of association between a range of pregnancy outcomes and exposure to individual and combinations of medications. A multidisciplinary expert team will be invited to a signal detection workshop. By employing a structured framework, signals will be transparently assessed by each member of the team using a questionnaire appraising the signals on aspects of temporality, selection, time and measurement-related biases and confounding by underlying disease or comedications. Through group discussion, the expert team will reach consensus on each of the medication exposure–outcome signal, thereby excluding spurious signals, leaving signals suggestive of causal associations for further evaluation.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Independent Scientific Advisory Committee, SAIL Information Governance Review Panel, University of St. Andrews Teaching and Research Ethics Committee and Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland (ORECNI) for access and use of CPRD, SAIL, SMR and NIMATS data, respectively.
Associations of meat, fish and seafood consumption with kidney function in middle-aged to older Chinese: a cross-sectional study based on the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study
Authors: Lu Ting Yu , Zhang Wei Sen , Zhu Tong , Jiang Chao Qiang , Zhu Feng , Jin Ya Li , Lam Tai Hing , Cheng Kar Keung , Xu Lin
Published: October 2023

Objective

To examine the associations of red meat, poultry, fish and seafood and processed meat consumption with kidney function in middle-aged to older Chinese.

Design

A cross-sectional study based on the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.

Setting

Community-based sample.

Participants

9768 participants (2743 men and 7025 women) aged 50+ years.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcome was estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) derived from the Chinese-specific equation based on the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation (c-aGFR). eGFR derived from the original isotope-dilution mass spectrometry-traceable MDRD study equation, and prevalent chronic kidney disease (CKD) defined as c-aGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m2were considered the secondary outcomes.

Results

After adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, education, occupation, family income, smoking status, alcohol use, physical activity, daily energy intake, self-rated health and chronic disease history (diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia), compared with processed meat consumption of 0–1 portion/week, those who consumed ≥3 portions/week had lower c-aGFR (β=−2.74 mL/min/1.73 m2, 95% CI=−4.28 to −1.20) and higher risk of prevalent CKD (OR=1.40, 95% CI=1.09 to 1.80, p<0.0125). Regarding fish and seafood consumption, the associations varied by diabetes (p for interaction=0.02). Fish and seafood consumption of ≥11 portions/week, versus 0–3 portions/week, was non-significantly associated with higher c-aGFR (β=3.62 mL/min/1.73 m2, 95% CI=−0.06 to 7.30) in participants with diabetes, but was associated with lower c-aGFR in normoglycaemic participants (β=−1.51 mL/min/1.73 m2, 95% CI=−2.81 to −0.20). No significant associations of red meat or poultry consumption with c-aGFR nor prevalent CKD were found. Similar results were found for meat, fish and seafood consumption with eGFR.

Conclusions

Higher processed meat, fish and seafood consumption was associated with lower kidney function in normoglycaemic participants. However, the associations in participants with diabetes warrant further investigation.
Health service needs and perspectives of a rainforest conserving community in Papua New Guinea’s Ramu lowlands: a combined clinical and rapid anthropological assessment with parallel treatment of urgent cases
Authors: Middleton Jo , Colthart Gavin , Dem Francesca , Elkins Alice , Fairhead James , Hazell Richard J , Head Michael G , Inacio Joao , Jimbudo Mavis , Jones Christopher Iain , Laman Moses , MacGregor Hayley , Novotny Vojtech , Peck Mika , Philip Jonah , Paliau Jason , Pomat William , Stockdale Jessica A , Sui Shen , Stewart Alan J , Umari Ruma , Walker Stephen L , Cassell Jackie A
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Determine community needs and perspectives as part of planning health service incorporation into Wanang Conservation Area, in support of locally driven sustainable development.

Design

Clinical and rapid anthropological assessment (individual primary care assessments, key informant (KI) interviews, focus groups (FGs), ethnography) with treatment of urgent cases.

Setting

Wanang (pop. c189), a rainforest community in Madang province, Papua New Guinea.

Participants

129 villagers provided medical histories (54 females (f), 75 males (m); median 19 years, range 1 month to 73 years), 113 had clinical assessments (51f, 62m; median 18 years, range 1 month to 73 years). 26 ≥18 years participated in sex-stratified and age-stratified FGs (f<40 years; m<40 years; f>40 years; m>40 years). Five KIs were interviewed (1f, 4m). Daily ethnographic fieldnotes were recorded.

Results

Of 113 examined, 11 were ‘well’ (a clinical impression based on declarations of no current illness, medical histories, conversation, no observed disease signs), 62 (30f, 32m) were treated urgently, 31 referred (15f, 16m), indicating considerable unmet need. FGs top-4 ranked health issues concorded with KI views, medical histories and clinical examinations. For example, ethnoclassifications of three ((A) ‘malaria’, (B) ‘sotwin’, (C) ‘grile’) translated to the five biomedical conditions diagnosed most ((A) malaria, 9 villagers; (B) upper respiratory infection, 25; lower respiratory infection, 10; tuberculosis, 9; (C) tinea imbricata, 15) and were highly represented in declared medical histories ((A) 75 participants, (B) 23, (C) 35). However, 29.2% of diagnoses (49/168) were limited to one or two people. Treatment approaches included plant medicines, stored pharmaceuticals, occasionally rituals. Travel to hospital/pharmacy was sometimes undertaken for severe/refractory disease. Service barriers included: no health patrols/accessible aid post, remote hospital, unfamiliarity with institutions and medicine costs. Service introduction priorities were: aid post, vaccinations, transport, perinatal/birth care and family planning.

Conclusions

This study enabled service planning and demonstrated a need sufficient to acquire funding to establish primary care. In doing so, it aided Wanang’s community to develop sustainably, without sacrificing their forest home.
iVY: protocol for a randomised clinical trial to test the effect of a technology-based intervention to improve virological suppression among young adults with HIV in the USA
Authors: Saberi Parya , Stoner Marie C D , McCuistian Caravella L , Balaban Celeste , Ming Kristin , Wagner Danielle , Chakraborty Bibhas , Smith Louis , Sukhija-Cohen Adam , Neilands Torsten B , Gruber Valerie A. , Johnson Mallory O
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Young adults with HIV (YWH) experience worse clinical outcomes than adults and have high rates of substance use (SU) and mental illness that impact their engagement in care and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The intervention for Virologic Suppression in Youth (iVY) aims to address treatment engagement/adherence, mental health (MH) and SU in a tailored manner using a differentiated care approach that is youth friendly. Findings will provide information about the impact of iVY on HIV virological suppression, MH and SU among YWH who are disproportionately impacted by HIV and at elevated risk for poor health outcomes.

Methods and analysis

The iVY study will test the effect of a technology-based intervention with differing levels of resource requirements (ie, financial and personnel time) in a randomised clinical trial with an adaptive treatment strategy among 200 YWH (18–29 years old). The primary outcome is HIV virological suppression measured via dried blood spot. This piloted and protocolised intervention combines: (1) brief weekly sessions with a counsellor via a video-chat platform (video-counselling) to discuss MH, SU, HIV care engagement/adherence and other barriers to care; and (2) a mobile health app to address barriers such as ART forgetfulness, and social isolation. iVY has the potential to address important, distinct and changing barriers to HIV care engagement (eg, MH, SU) to increase virological suppression among YWH at elevated risk for poor health outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

This study and its protocols have been approved by the University of California, San Francisco Institutional Review Board. Study staff will work with a Youth Advisory Panel to disseminate results to YWH, participants and the academic community.

Trial registration number

NCT05877729.
Health and well-being of serving and ex-serving UK Armed Forces personnel: protocol for the fourth phase of a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Sharp Marie-Louise , Jones Margaret , Leal Ray , Hull Lisa , Franchini Sofia , Molloy Niamh , Burdett Howard , Simms Amos , Parkes Steven , Leightley Daniel , Greenberg Neil , Murphy Dominic , MacManus Deirdre , Wessely Simon , Stevelink Sharon , Fear Nicola T
Published: October 2023

Introduction

This is the fourth phase of a longitudinal cohort study (2022–2023) to investigate the health and well-being of UK serving (Regulars and Reservists) and ex-serving personnel (veterans) who served during the era of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The cohort was established in 2003 and has collected data over three previous phases including Phase 1 (2004–2006), Phase 2 (2007–2009) and Phase 3 (2014–2016).

Methods and analysis

Participants are eligible to take part if they completed the King’s Centre for Military Health Research Health and Wellbeing Cohort Study at Phase 3 (2014–2016) and consented to be recontacted (N=7608). Participants will be recruited through email, post and text message to complete an online or paper questionnaire. Data are being collected between January 2022 and September 2023. Health and well-being measures include measures used in previous phases that assess common mental disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol misuse. Other areas of interest assess employment, help-seeking and family relationships. New topics include the impact of the British withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, complex PTSD (C-PTSD), illicit drug use, gambling and loneliness. Analyses will describe the effect size between groups deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan or not deployed, and those who are currently in service versus ex-service personnel, respectively, reporting prevalences with 95% CIs, and ORs with 95% CI. Multivariable logistic and multiple linear regression analyses will be conducted to assess various health and well-being outcomes and associations with risk and protective factors.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been granted by the Ministry of Defence Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 2061/MODREC/21). Participants are provided with information and agree to a series of consent statements before taking part. Findings will be disseminated to UK Armed Forces stakeholders and international research institutions through stakeholder meetings, project reports and scientific publications.
Identification of molecular subphenotypes in two cohorts of paediatric ARDS
Authors: Yehya Nadir , Zinter Matt S , Thompson Jill M , Lim Michelle J , Hanudel Mark R , Alkhouli Mustafa F , Wong Hector , Alder Matthew N , McKeone Daniel J , Halstead E Scott , Sinha Pratik , Sapru Anil
Published: October 2023

Background

Two subphenotypes of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), hypoinflammatory and hyperinflammatory, have been reported in adults and in a single paediatric cohort. The relevance of these subphenotypes in paediatrics requires further investigation. We aimed to identify subphenotypes in two large observational cohorts of paediatric ARDS and assess their congruence with prior descriptions.

Methods

We performed latent class analysis (LCA) separately on two cohorts using biomarkers as inputs. Subphenotypes were compared on clinical characteristics and outcomes. Finally, we assessed overlap with adult cohorts using parsimonious classifiers.

Findings

In two cohorts from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (n=333) and from a multicentre study based at the University of California San Francisco (n=293), LCA identified two subphenotypes defined by differential elevation of biomarkers reflecting inflammation and endotheliopathy. In both cohorts, hyperinflammatory subjects had greater illness severity, more sepsis and higher mortality (41% and 28% in hyperinflammatory vs 11% and 7% in hypoinflammatory). Both cohorts demonstrated overlap with adult subphenotypes when assessed using parsimonious classifiers.

Interpretation

We identified hypoinflammatory and hyperinflammatory subphenotypes of paediatric ARDS from two separate cohorts with utility for prognostic and potentially predictive, enrichment. Future paediatric ARDS trials should identify and leverage biomarker-defined subphenotypes in their analysis.
Two instabilities of Schwarzschild-AdS black holes in Einstein–Weyl-scalar theory
Authors: Myung Yun Soo
Published: October 2023

Stability of Schwarzschild-AdS (SAdS) black hole is investigated in Einstein–Weyl-scalar (EWS) theory with a negative cosmological constant. Here, we introduce a quadratic scalar coupling to the Weyl term, instead of the Gauss–Bonnet term. The linearized EWS theory admits the Lichnerowicz equation for Einstein tensor as well as scalar equation. The linearized Einstein-tensor carries with a regular mass term ($${{\mathcal {M}}}^2$$

M

2

), whereas the linearized scalar has a tachyonic mass term ($$-3r_0^2/m^2r^6$$

-
3

r
0
2

/

m
2

r
6

). Two instabilities of SAdS black hole in EWS theory are found as Gregory–Laflamme and tachyonic instabilities. It shows that the correlated stability conjecture holds for small SAdS black holes obtained from EWS theory by establishing a close relation between Gregory–Laflamme and thermodynamic instabilities. On the other hand, tachyonic instability of SAdS black hole can be used for making five branches of scalarized black holes when considering proper thermodynamic quantities of EWS theory ($${{\mathcal {M}}}^2>0$$

M

2

>
0

).
The structure of segregation in co-authorship networks and its impact on scientific production
Authors: Jaramillo Ana Maria , Williams Hywel T. P. , Perra Nicola , Menezes Ronaldo
Published: October 2023

Co-authorship networks, where nodes represent authors and edges represent co-authorship relations, are key to understanding the production and diffusion of knowledge in academia. Social constructs, biases (implicit and explicit), and constraints (e.g. spatial, temporal) affect who works with whom and cause co-authorship networks to organise into tight communities with different levels of segregation. We aim to examine aspects of the co-authorship network structure that lead to segregation and its impact on scientific production. We measure segregation using the Spectral Segregation Index (SSI) and find four ordered categories: completely segregated, highly segregated, moderately segregated and non-segregated communities. We direct our attention to the non-segregated and highly segregated communities, quantifying and comparing their structural topologies and k-core positions. When considering communities of both categories (controlling for size), our results show no differences in density and clustering but substantial variability in the core position. Larger non-segregated communities are more likely to occupy cores near the network nucleus, while the highly segregated ones tend to be closer to the network periphery. Finally, we analyse differences in citations gained by researchers within communities of different segregation categories. Researchers in highly segregated communities get more citations from their community members in middle cores and gain more citations per publication in middle/periphery cores. Those in non-segregated communities get more citations per publication in the nucleus. To our knowledge, this work is the first to characterise community segregation in co-authorship networks and investigate the relationship between community segregation and author citations. Our results help study highly segregated communities of scientific co-authors and can pave the way for intervention strategies to improve the growth and dissemination of scientific knowledge.
Exposing influence campaigns in the age of LLMs: a behavioral-based AI approach to detecting state-sponsored trolls
Authors: Ezzeddine Fatima , Ayoub Omran , Giordano Silvia , Nogara Gianluca , Sbeity Ihab , Ferrara Emilio , Luceri Luca
Published: October 2023

The detection of state-sponsored trolls operating in influence campaigns on social media is a critical and unsolved challenge for the research community, which has significant implications beyond the online realm. To address this challenge, we propose a new AI-based solution that identifies troll accounts solely through behavioral cues associated with their sequences of sharing activity, encompassing both their actions and the feedback they receive from others. Our approach does not incorporate any textual content shared and consists of two steps: First, we leverage an LSTM-based classifier to determine whether account sequences belong to a state-sponsored troll or an organic, legitimate user. Second, we employ the classified sequences to calculate a metric named the “Troll Score”, quantifying the degree to which an account exhibits troll-like behavior. To assess the effectiveness of our method, we examine its performance in the context of the 2016 Russian interference campaign during the U.S. Presidential election. Our experiments yield compelling results, demonstrating that our approach can identify account sequences with an AUC close to 99% and accurately differentiate between Russian trolls and organic users with an AUC of 91%. Notably, our behavioral-based approach holds a significant advantage in the ever-evolving landscape, where textual and linguistic properties can be easily mimicked by Large Language Models (LLMs): In contrast to existing language-based techniques, it relies on more challenging-to-replicate behavioral cues, ensuring greater resilience in identifying influence campaigns, especially given the potential increase in the usage of LLMs for generating inauthentic content. Finally, we assessed the generalizability of our solution to various entities driving different information operations and found promising results that will guide future research.
A quasi-steady numerical modeling of wake capture for a hovering flapping wing
Authors: Zaree Amir Hossein , Djavareshkian Mohammad Hassan
Published: October 2023

In this study, models for the wake capture lift and drag force coefficients of a hovering flapping wing were presented using numerical fluid dynamics simulation to improve the blade element theory. The investigated wing is inspired by the fruit fly and has combined flapping and pitching movements. The effect of changing the wing acceleration time at the start ([Formula: see text]) and end of the half cycle ([Formula: see text]), as well as the Reynolds numbers in the range of 136–6800, on wake capture using the Taguchi orthogonal array test design, is investigated using the numerical fluid dynamics method, and the values of average lift and drag coefficients due to wake capture are obtained. These force coefficients were applied to linear and nonlinear regression methods to obtain the mathematical model, and a model for its changes was extracted. Finally, to obtain the instantaneous coefficients, the extracted models were placed in the normal distribution function, and the final instantaneous model was obtained. Examining the verification cases of the application of these wake capture relationships with the blade element theory, as well as the effects of translational force, rotational force and added mass force, revealed that this developed theory is capable of correctly predicting the wake capture force’s initial peak. The force coefficient trend in the final quasi-steady model with wake capture is similar to the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results, according to a qualitative examination of the lift and drag force coefficients in a half cycle. This demonstrates a significant result: this theory, which is divided into four parts: transnational, rotational, added mass and wake capture, adequately covers the general physics of these complex movements.
DFT study of electronic, optical and vibrational properties of the orthorhombic dansyl chloride crystal
Authors: da Costa Venâncio José Robson , Frazão Nilton Ferreira
Published: October 2023

Dansyl chloride (DNS-Cl) is a fluorescence-labeled organic compound widely used in fields such as pharmacology, toxicology, organic synthesis and biochemistry. We perform a computational study of the structural, electronic, optical and vibrational properties of its orthorhombic crystalline form. We use the pseudopotential approach of the density functional theory (DFT) considering the generalized gradient approximation with dispersion correction (GGA[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]TS), the local density approximation (LDA) and the hybrid exchange-correlation functional HSE06. The band structure shows a direct gap in all approaches. Optical properties are calculated considering polarization along the polycrystal direction with the main features correlated to the band structure. Further, vibration modes, infrared (IR) and Raman spectra are also obtained and analyzed.
The Molecular Ocean
Authors: Brewer Peter G. , Peltzer Edward T. , Lage Kathryn
Published: October 2023

We report on progress in observing the hydrogen-bonded structure of water and sea water by deep-ocean Raman spectroscopy. In the normal ocean, the abundance of single H2O species is less than 20%. The principal form is the tetrahedral pentamer, and the (H2O)[Formula: see text] nH2O equilibrium plays a dominant role in controlling physicochemical processes and the speed of sound. The enthalpy of the H-bond in water is 2.624 kcal/mol, and in sea water 2.258 kcal/mol due to the quantity of non-HB water in the solvation shell of sea salt ions. The activation energy of viscous flow is 4.28 kcal/mol at one atmosphere pressure, consistent with the need to break hydrogen bonds and overcome the van der Waals intermolecular forces. The activation energy decreases exponentially with depth/pressure and is 10% less at 4,000 m depth. We suggest this is due to the pressure-induced shift in the water equilibrium to favor the less compressible quasi-planar pentamer, tetramer, and so on forms. We address the long-standing conclusion that microbial swimming by means of rotating flagella is only 1%–2% efficient. This neglects the need for microbes to overcome the activation energy of viscous flow; [Formula: see text]95% of the mechanical energy produced by the flagella must be used to break H-bonds and overcome intermolecular forces.
Design and Validation of a Virtual Reality Mental Rotation Test
Authors: Bartlett Kristin A. , Palacios-Ibáñez Almudena , Camba Jorge Dorribo
Published: October 2023

Mental rotation, a common measure of spatial ability, has traditionally been assessed through paper-based instruments like the Mental Rotation Test (MRT) or the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT:R). The fact that these instruments present 3D shapes in a 2D format devoid of natural cues like shading and perspective likely limits their ability to accurately assess the fundamental skill of mentally rotating 3D shapes. In this paper, we describe the Virtual Reality Mental Rotation Assessment (VRMRA), a virtual reality-based mental rotation assessment derived from the Revised PSVT:R and MRT. The VRMRA reimagines traditional mental rotation assessments in a room-scale virtual environment and uses hand-tracking and elements of gamification in attempts to create an intuitive, engaging experience for test-takers. To validate the instrument, we compared response patterns in the VRMRA with patterns observed on the MRT and Revised PSVT:R. For the PSVT:R-type questions, items requiring a rotation around two axes were significantly harder than items requiring rotations around a single axis in the VRMRA, which is not the case in the Revised PSVT:R. For the MRT-type questions in the VRMRA, a moderate negative correlation was found between the degree of rotation in the X direction and item difficulty. While the problem of occlusion was reduced, features of the shapes and distractors accounted for 50.6% of the variance in item difficulty. Results suggest that the VRMRA is likely a more accurate tool to assess mental rotation ability in comparison to traditional instruments which present the stimuli through 2D media. Our findings also point to potential problems with the fundamental designs of the Revised PSVT:R and MRT question formats.
Labeling Chaos to Learning Harmony: Federated Learning with Noisy Labels
Authors: Tsouvalas Vasileios , Saeed Aaqib , Ozcelebi Tanir , Meratnia Nirvana
Published: October 2023

Federated Learning (FL) is a distributed machine learning paradigm that enables learning models from decentralized private datasets where the labeling effort is entrusted to the clients. While most existing FL approaches assume high-quality labels are readily available on users’ devices, in reality, label noise can naturally occur in FL and is closely related to clients’ characteristics. Due to scarcity of available data and significant label noise variations among clients in FL, existing state-of-the-art centralized approaches exhibit unsatisfactory performance, whereas prior FL studies rely on excessive on-device computational schemes or additional clean data available on the server. We propose 
FedLN
, a framework to deal with label noise across different FL training stages, namely FL initialization, on-device model training, and server model aggregation, able to accommodate the diverse computational capabilities of devices in an FL system. Specifically, 
FedLN
 computes per-client noise level estimation in a single federated round and improves the models’ performance by either correcting or mitigating the effect of noisy samples. Our evaluation on various publicly available vision and audio datasets demonstrates a 22% improvement on average compared to other existing methods for a label noise level of 60%. We further validate the efficiency of 
FedLN
 in human-annotated real-world noisy datasets and report a 4.8% increase on average in models’ recognition performance, highlighting that 
FedLN
 can be useful for improving FL services provided to everyday users.
Partial Order Multiway Search
Authors: Shangqi Lu , Martens Wim , Niewerth Matthias , Tao Yufei
Published: October 2023

Partial order multiway search(POMS) is a fundamental problem that finds applications in crowdsourcing, distributed file systems, software testing, and more. This problem involves an interaction between an algorithm 𝒜 and an oracle, conducted on a directed acyclic graph 𝒢 known to both parties. Initially, the oracle selects a vertextin 𝒢 called thetarget. Subsequently, 𝒜 must identify the target vertex by probing reachability. In eachprobe, 𝒜 selects a setQof vertices in 𝒢, the number of which is limited by a pre-agreed valuek. The oracle then reveals, for each vertexq∈Q, whetherqcan reach the target in 𝒢. The objective of 𝒜 is to minimize the number of probes. We propose an algorithm to solve POMS in\(O(\log _{1+k} n + \frac{d}{k} \log _{1+d} n)\)probes, wherenrepresents the number of vertices in 𝒢, andddenotes the largest out-degree of the vertices in 𝒢. The probing complexity is asymptotically optimal. Our study also explores two new POMS variants: The first one, namedtaciturn POMS, is similar to classical POMS but assumes a weaker oracle, and the second one, namedEM POMS, is a direct extension of classical POMS to theexternal memory(EM) model. For both variants, we introduce algorithms whose performance matches or nearly matches the corresponding theoretical lower bounds.
Using Machine Learning and Infrared Spectroscopy to Quantify Species Concentrations in Battery Electrolytes
Authors: Meyer Lydia , Kinder Collin , Porter Jason
Published: October 2023

In this research, artificial intelligence, deep learning, and chemometric tools were coupled with operando spectroscopy of battery electrolytes to measure species concentrations and elucidate molecular interactions. FTIR spectra from an electrolyte composed of LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate (EC) and ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) were analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA) and a convolutional neural network (CNN) to discern solvation behavior and quantify component concentrations during cell operation. PCA pinpointed exact band locations of solvation shifting behavior in the IR spectra and improved understanding of the relationship between spectral peak changes, lithium concentrations, and solvation behavior. The CNN was trained with spectral datasets of electrolytes with known lithium and solvent concentrations and made predictions with extraordinarily high accuracy. Additionally, the CNN interpreted FTIR spectral datasets from a graphite half-cell with EC/EMC/LiPF6 electrolyte and accurately determined the lithium concentration in the bulk electrolyte. The CNN also observed lithium depletion events in the graphite anode during battery cycling. These depletion events were previously investigated with traditional spectroscopic techniques but with large errors in absolute concentration. This research breaks new ground on using advanced computational tools for in situ and operando spectroscopic analysis of battery electrolytes to investigate complex molecular-level phenomena important for improving electrolyte transport and stability.
Decoding fibrosis in the human central nervous system
Authors: Holl Daniel , Göritz Christian
Published: October 2023

Recent advancements in human tissue analyses and animal models have revealed that fibrotic scarring is a common response to various lesions in the central nervous system (CNS). Perivascular cells within the brain or spinal cord give rise to stromal fibroblasts that form fibrotic scar tissue. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of fibrotic scar formation in different CNS lesions and evaluate published human single-cell gene expression datasets to gather information on perivascular cells. Specifically, we highlight the classification of pericytes and fibroblast subtypes and compare the marker expression of perivascular cells across different datasets.
Fibrosis in burns: an overview of mechanisms and therapies
Authors: Faour Sara , Farahat Mahmoud , Aijaz Ayesha , Jeschke Marc G.
Published: October 2023

Scar development remains a common occurrence and a major healthcare challenge affecting the lives of millions of patients annually. Severe injuries to the skin, such as burns can lead to pathological wound healing patterns, often characterized by dermal fibrosis or excessive scarring, and chronic inflammation. The two most common forms of fibrotic diseases following burn trauma are hypertrophic scars (HSCs) and keloids, which severely impact the patient’s quality of life. Although the cellular and molecular mechanisms are similar, HSC and keloids have several distinct differences. In this review, we discuss the different forms of fibrosis that occur postburn injury, emphasizing how the extent of burn influences scar development. Moreover, we highlight how a systemic response induced by a burn injury drives wound fibrosis, including both the role of the inflammatory response, as well as the fate of fibroblast during skin healing. Finally, we list potential therapeutics aimed at alleviating pathological scar formation. An understanding of the mechanisms of postburn fibrosis will allow us to effectively move studies from bench to bedside.
Application of an automated analysis framework for pulsed-wave Doppler cardiac ultrasound measurements to generate reference data in adult zebrafish
Authors: Van Impe Matthias , Caboor Lisa , Deleeuw Violette , De Rycke Karo , Vanhooydonck Michiel , De Backer Julie , Segers Patrick , Sips Patrick
Published: October 2023

High-frequency cardiac ultrasound is the only well-established method to characterize in vivo cardiovascular function in adult zebrafish noninvasively. Pulsed-wave Doppler imaging allows measurements of blood flow velocities at well-defined anatomical positions, but the measurements and results obtained using this technique need to be analyzed carefully, taking into account the substantial baseline variability within one recording and the possibility for operator bias. To address these issues and to increase throughput by limiting hands-on analysis time, we have developed a fully automated processing pipeline. This framework enables the fast, unbiased analysis of all cardiac cycles in a zebrafish pulsed-wave Doppler recording of both atrioventricular valve flow as well as aortic valve flow without operator-dependent inputs. Applying this automated pipeline to a large number of recordings from wild-type zebrafish shows a strong agreement between the automated results and manual annotations performed by an experienced operator. The reference data obtained from this analysis showed that the early wave peak during ventricular inflow is lower for female compared with male zebrafish. We also found that the peaks of the ventricular inflow and outflow waves as well as the peaks of the regurgitation waves are all correlated positively with body surface area. In general, the presented reference data, as well as the automated Doppler measurement processing tools developed and validated in this study will facilitate future (high-throughput) cardiovascular phenotyping studies in adult zebrafish ultimately leading to a more comprehensive understanding of human (genetic) cardiovascular diseases.
A fat- and sucrose-enriched diet causes metabolic alterations in mdx mice
Authors: Krishna Swathy , Echevarria Kenneth G. , Reed Carter H. , Eo Hyeyoon , Wintzinger Michelle , Quattrocelli Mattia , Valentine Rudy J. , Selsby Joshua T.
Published: October 2023

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a progressive muscle disease caused by the absence of functional dystrophin protein, is associated with multiple cellular, physiological, and metabolic dysfunctions. As an added complication to the primary insult, obesity/insulin resistance (O/IR) is frequently reported in patients with DMD; however, how IR impacts disease severity is unknown. We hypothesized a high-fat, high-sucrose diet (HFHSD) would induce O/IR, exacerbate disease severity, and cause metabolic alterations in dystrophic mice. To test this hypothesis, we treated 7-wk-old mdx (disease model) and C57 mice with a control diet (CD) or an HFHSD for 15 wk. The HFHSD induced insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and hyperglycemia in C57 and mdx mice. Of note, mdx mice on CD were also insulin resistant. In addition, visceral adipose tissue weights were increased with HFHSD in C57 and mdx mice though differed by genotype. Serum creatine kinase activity and histopathological analyses using Masson’s trichrome staining in the diaphragm indicated muscle damage was driven by dystrophin deficiency but was not augmented by diet. In addition, markers of inflammatory signaling, mitochondrial abundance, and autophagy were impacted by disease but not diet. Despite this, in addition to disease signatures in CD-fed mice, metabolomic and lipidomic analyses demonstrated a HFHSD caused some common changes in C57 and mdx mice and some unique signatures of O/IR within the context of dystrophin deficiency. In total, these data revealed that in mdx mice, 15 wk of HFHSD did not overtly exacerbate muscle injury but further impaired the metabolic status of dystrophic muscle.
A Novel Improved Grey Incidence Model for Evaluating the Performance of Supply Chain Resilience
Authors: Huang Feipeng
Published: October 2023

Under uncertain conditions, stronger supply chain resilience can effectively reduce disruption risks and help enterprises achieve their goal of high-quality operations. This paper constructs a resilience evaluation index system for manufacturing enterprises from the perspective of the supply chain and uses the improved TOPSIS method to quantify the level of resilience. Taking into account that the resilience index is easily affected by nonconventional factors in the real environment, the WAWBO weakening buffer operator and the metabolism idea are introduced to improve the grey prediction method, so as to realize the dynamic prediction of the resilience index. In addition, a supply chain resilience early warning model is constructed by combining it with the quantification method of resilience. Using the data of a Chinese electronics manufacturing enterprise as a case study, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed resilience quantification method, and the improved grey prediction method has higher prediction accuracy. The study provides a new idea for relevant enterprises to improve the early warning ability of their supply chain, thus promoting the sustainable development of the supply chain.
Aeromonas caviae-Associated Severe Bloody Diarrhea
Authors: Tang Xiaolan , Oyetoran Anuoluwa , Jones Tyler , Bray Christopher
Published: October 2023

Aeromonas species are capable of inducing severe infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Gastroenteritis is the most common infection associated with Aeromonas species in humans. We report a rare case of Aeromonas caviae severe gastroenteritis and bloody diarrhea that led to the development of sepsis in a 45-year-old female with no history of immunocompromising conditions. This patient required extensive medical support which included blood transfusions and antibiotics. Fortunately, with appropriate diagnostic measures and targeted antibiotic therapy, her symptoms resolved. Aeromonas species are becoming increasingly frequent among the pathogens isolated from patients suffering from gastroenteritis. As such, it is becoming increasingly important for clinicians to consider this pathogen when working up their patients for diarrhea.
Chemical Composition and Larvicidal Properties of Essential Oils from Wild and Cultivated Artemisia campestris L., an Endemic Plant in Morocco
Authors: Alami Abdellatif , El Ouali Lalami Abdelhakim , Annemer Saoussan , El-Akhal Fouad , Ez zoubi Yassine , Farah Abdellah
Published: October 2023

The Asteraceae family is well known for its toxic and repellent activity against mosquitoes. In this study, essential oils (EOs) extracted from the aerial parts of both wild and cultivated Artemisia campestris L. plants were tested for larvicidal activity against Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae), a pest mosquito widely suspected to be the vector responsible for West Nile virus transmission. The research aims at comparing the chemical composition and insecticidal activity of cultivated and wild A. campestris EOs. The EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation from the plant’s aerial parts and were analyzed using GC-MS. Furthermore, the larviciding experiment was carried out following the standard WHO protocol. The result showed that wild and cultivated plant EOs differed only quantitatively, while the qualitative profile revealed a nearly identical chemical composition. Camphor (18.98%), car-3-en-5-one (11.25%), thujone (6.36%), chrysanthenone (6.24%), filifolone (4.56%), and borneol (3.56%) dominate the wild plant EO. Camphor (21.01%), car-3-en-5-one (17%), chrysanthenone (10.15%), filifolone (7.90%), borneol (3.38%), and thujone (3.08%) are the major compounds of the cultivated plant. Cultivation did not affect the EO production since the yield of the cultivated plant was 0.5 ± 0.1% and 0.6 ± 0.2% for the wild plant. The cultivated A. campestris EO had the highest insecticidal activity (LC50 = 9.79 µg/ml), and no significant difference was noticed between wild and cultivated A. campestris EO in terms of LC90. These findings could pave the way for a new method of producing biocides to control major disease vectors and offer a potential alternative for pest control.
Measurement of Magnesium, Zinc, and Copper in Human Serum by Using Isotope Dilution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ID ICP-MS)
Authors: Yang Jian , Chi Lixia , Li Shengmin
Published: October 2023

In order to evaluate the reliability of the ID ICP-MS method for the measurement of magnesium, zinc, and copper in human serum, we investigated the traceability, precision, trueness, and uncertainty of the method. This method traces the contents of magnesium, zinc, and copper in human serum to the standard materials NIST SRM3131a, SRM3168a, and SRM3114 respectively, thus completing the traceability to SI unit. The repeatability of this method for measuring magnesium, zinc, and copper in the human serum reference material GBW09152 was found to be 0.2%, 0.7%, and 0.6% (n = 9), respectively. The measurement, when employed to measure the magnesium, zinc, and copper in standard materials, had caused a maximum deviation of less than 0.88%, 1.35%, and 1.15%, respectively. The measurement results are within the stated uncertainty range of standard materials. The expanded uncertainties were 0.2 mg·kg−1, 0.04 mg·kg−1, and 0.08 mg·kg−1 (K = 2) for magnesium, zinc, and copper, respectively. Therefore, this method has high trueness, good reproducibility, and simple operation and is suitable for tracing the values of magnesium, zinc, and copper in human serum.
What Affects Bus Passengers’ Travel Time? A View from the Built Environment and Weather Condition
Authors: Li Xiaowei , Shi Lanxin , Li Haotian , Liu Qian , Chen Jun
Published: October 2023

The study aims to examine the impact of the built environment and weather conditions on travel time for bus passengers in Weinan, China. Various sources of data, including smart card data, bus GPS data, bus station data, road information data, and smart card swiping time, were integrated and analyzed. The study employed the light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) model and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) value to assess the feature importance and nonlinear effects of different types of POI density, weather conditions, and time series on bus passengers’ travel time. The study findings indicate that several factors are associated with bus passengers’ travel time, including destination residential density, destination diversity, destination life service density, origin science and education density, origin residential density, origin diversity, humidity, visibility, boarding time between 7 and 8 a.m., and precipitation. This study also reveals nonlinear threshold effects. The study findings provide valuable insights that can be utilized to optimize the bus network and develop low-carbon-oriented land-use planning.