bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A spatio-temporal dataset of plant pests’ first introductions across the EU and potential entry pathways
Authors: Rosace Maria Chiara , Cendoya Martina , Mattion Giulia , Vicent Antonio , Battisti Andrea , Cavaletto Giacomo , Marini Lorenzo , Rossi Vittorio
Published: October 2023

World trade has greatly increased in recent decades, together with a higher risk of introducing non-indigenous pests. Introduction trends show no sign of saturation, and it seems likely that many more species will enter and establish in new territories in the future. A key challenge in analysing pest invasion patterns is the paucity of historical data on pest introductions. A comprehensive dataset of pests’ introductions in the EU, including their spatial occurrences, is not currently available and information is scattered across different sources or buried in the scientific literature. Therefore, we collected pests’ introduction information (e.g., year, host) from online scientific databases and literature; we then gathered primary spatial data related to the site of first introductions. Finally, we identified the potential pathways of entry for each pest. The dataset contains expert-revised data on 278 pests introduced in the EU between 1999 and 2019, alongside their spatial occurrence and potential pathways of entry, providing a basis to better understand the factors associated with the likelihood of pest introduction. It is important to note that this dataset does not contain the current distribution of the introduced pests, but only records of their first introduction in the EU.
Research on the location decision-making method of emergency medical facilities based on WSR
Authors: Wang Hao , Luo Peng , Wu Yimeng
Published: October 2023

The need for emergency medical services increased drastically during disaster relief. Poor location selection of emergency medical facilities may harm the interests of healthcare workers and patients, leading to unnecessary waste of costs. It involves multiple stakeholders' interests, a typical multi-criteria decision-making problem. Based on multiple-criteria decision-making technology, most current location selection decisions methods comprehensively consider the evaluation criteria of "issue" and "problem" simultaneously and establish mathematical models to achieve the results. Such methods are difficult to take into account the influence of different attribute factors on the final location selection results in practice. Therefore, in this study, we used the WSR methodology as a guide to divide the factors of location selection into "Wuli", "Shili" and "Renli", and proposed the WSR methodology-based multi-criteria decision‐making (MCDM) framework for selecting the appropriate location for emergency medical facilities. The integrated framework consists of the Entropy Weight Method, Best–Worst Method, and interval type‐2 fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methodologies. Combined with the comparative analysis of actual cases, the results under the guidance of this framework were consistent with practicalities. Also, the sensitivity analysis showed that the location selection ranking fluctuations were not apparent with the fluctuation of criteria weights. Wherefore, the validation of the proposed method's effectiveness, feasibility, and robustness was proved, which provided a valuable reference for the location selection of emergency medical facilities.
Child educational progress in Born in Bradford pregnancies affected by gestational diabetes and also exposed to maternal common mental disorders
Authors: Wilson Claire A. , Santorelli Gillian , Howard Louise M. , Ismail Khalida , Reynolds Rebecca M. , Simonoff Emily
Published: October 2023

Gestational diabetes and the maternal mental disorders of anxiety and depression have been implicated in adverse offspring neuro-behavioural outcomes but these exposures have only been studied in isolation. 1051 children whose mothers were diagnosed with gestational diabetes in UK’s Born in Bradford cohort had linkage to maternal primary care records, providing diagnostic and treatment codes for depression and anxiety. Education record linkage provided results of the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile from the first year of school, aged five. Risk of not attaining a ‘Good level of development’ was analysed using multivariable Poisson regression within a generalised estimating equation framework. Multiple imputation was implemented for missing data. There was limited evidence of increased risk of failure to attain a ‘good level of development’ in those additionally exposed to maternal mental disorders (adjusted RR 1.21; 95% CI 0.94, 1.55). However, there was more evidence in children of Pakistani maternal ethnicity (adjusted RR 1.36; 95% CI 1.04, 1.77) than White British; this may have been driven by English not being the primary language spoken in the home. Therefore there may be groups with GDM in whom it is particularly important to optimise both maternal physical and mental health to improve child outcomes.
Soli-enabled noncontact heart rate detection for sleep and meditation tracking
Authors: Xu Luzhou , Lien Jaime , Li Haiguang , Gillian Nicholas , Nongpiur Rajeev , Li Jihan , Zhang Qian , Cui Jian , Jorgensen David , Bernstein Adam , Bedal Lauren , Hayashi Eiji , Yamanaka Jin , Lee Alex , Wang Jian , Shin D , Poupyrev Ivan , Thormundsson Trausti , Pathak Anupam , Patel Shwetak
Published: October 2023

Heart rate (HR) is a crucial physiological signal that can be used to monitor health and fitness. Traditional methods for measuring HR require wearable devices, which can be inconvenient or uncomfortable, especially during sleep and meditation. Noncontact HR detection methods employing microwave radar can be a promising alternative. However, the existing approaches in the literature usually use high-gain antennas and require the sensor to face the user’s chest or back, making them difficult to integrate into a portable device and unsuitable for sleep and meditation tracking applications. This study presents a novel approach for noncontact HR detection using a miniaturized Soli radar chip embedded in a portable device (Google Nest Hub). The chip has a$$6.5 \text{ mm } \times 5 \text{ mm } \times 0.9 \text{ mm }$$6.5mm×5mm×0.9mmdimension and can be easily integrated into various devices. The proposed approach utilizes advanced signal processing and machine learning techniques to extract HRs from radar signals. The approach is validated on a sleep dataset (62 users, 498 h) and a meditation dataset (114 users, 1131 min). The approach achieves a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.69 bpm and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of$$2.67\%$$2.67%on the sleep dataset. On the meditation dataset, the approach achieves an MAE of 1.05 bpm and a MAPE of$$1.56\%$$1.56%. The recall rates for the two datasets are$$88.53\%$$88.53%and$$98.16\%$$98.16%, respectively. This study represents the first application of the noncontact HR detection technology to sleep and meditation tracking, offering a promising alternative to wearable devices for HR monitoring during sleep and meditation.
Secure routing in the Internet of Things (IoT) with intrusion detection capability based on software-defined networking (SDN) and Machine Learning techniques
Authors: Rui Kunkun , Pan Hongzhi , Shu Sheng
Published: October 2023

Routing and security are the two main prerequisites for ensuring the correct operation of wireless networks. The importance of these cases doubles in wide networks such as IoT. This paper presents an algorithm to improve Secure Routing in IoT called SRAIOT. This algorithm uses a hierarchical structure to determine the connections between network components and data transfer routing. In SRAIOT, the network structure is managed hierarchically and through SDN. For this purpose, the IoT network is first divided into a set of subnets using the SDN solution, communication control and authentication are managed using the controller nodes of each subnet. The communication between two objects (located in different subnets) will be possible if their identity is confirmed through the controller nodes related to them. On the other hand, in order to identify the sources of attacks and network security threats, the controller nodes in each subnet monitor the network traffic pattern using an ensemble learning model and identify possible attacks in their subnet. The performance of SRAIOT was tested in the simulation, and the results were compared with previous methods. The results of these tests show that SRAIOT improves network performance regarding routing and detecting attacks.
The value of twinned pollinator-pollen metabarcoding: bumblebee pollination service is weakly partitioned within a UK grassland community
Authors: Ronca Sandra , Ford Caroline S. , Allanguillaume Joël , Szabo Claudia , Kipling Richard , Wilkinson Mike J.
Published: October 2023

Predicting ecological impact of declining bumblebee (Bombus) populations requires better understanding of interactions between pollinator partitioning of floral resources and plant partitioning of pollinator resources. Here, we combine Cytochrome Oxidase 1 (CO1) barcoding for bumblebee identification and rbcL metabarcoding of pollen carried by bees in three species-rich UK pastures. CO1 barcoding assigned 272 bees to eight species, with 33 individuals belonging to the cryptic Bombus lucorum complex (16 B. lucorum and 17 B. cryptarum). Seasonal bias in capture rates varied by species, with B. pratorum found exclusively in June/July and B. pascuorum more abundant in August. Pollen metabarcoding coupled with PERMANOVA and NMDS analyses revealed all bees carried several local pollen species and evidence of pollen resource partitioning between some species pairings, with Bombus pratorum carrying the most divergent pollen load. There was no evidence of resource partitioning between the two cryptic species present, but significantly divergent capture rates concorded with previous suggestions of separation on the basis of foraging behaviour being shaped by local/temporal differences in climatic conditions. Considering the bee carriage profile of pollen species revealed no significant difference between the nine most widely carried plant species. However, there was a sharp, tipping point change in community pollen carriage across all three sites that occurred during the transition between late July and early August. This transition resulted in a strong divergence in community pollen carriage between the two seasonal periods in both years. We conclude that the combined use of pollen and bee barcoding offers several benefits for further study of plant-pollinator interactions at the landscape scale.
Short-term clinical outcomes after implantation of monofocal intraocular lens with enhanced intermediate function in eyes with epiretinal membrane
Authors: Chung Ho Seok , Nam Sanghyu , Jang Joon Hyuck , Lee Ko Eun , Kim Jae Yong , Tchah Hungwon , Lee Hun
Published: October 2023

Our study evaluated the clinical outcomes after implantation of a monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) with enhanced intermediate function in eyes with epiretinal membrane (ERM). Patients with preexisting ERM who underwent cataract surgery with implantation of monofocal IOL with enhanced intermediate function were included retrospectively. According to the ERM grade and central subfield thickness (CST) obtained from preoperative optical coherence tomography, patients were divided into non-fovea-involving and fovea-involving ERM groups. At 1 month after surgery, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (UIVA), uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA), contrast sensitivity, defocus curve, and satisfaction questionnaire were evaluated. Postoperative clinical findings were compared with age-matched controls without ERM. A total of 50 patients’ eyes (28 and 22 in the non-fovea-involving and fovea-involving ERM groups, respectively) were compared with 42 control eyes. One month post-surgery, significant differences in UDVA, CDVA, and CST (corrected P was < 0.001, = 0.001, and < 0.001, respectively) were observed between the fovea-involving ERM and control group; however, no significant differences in UIVA and UNVA were observed between the two groups. Contrast sensitivity showed inferior results in the fovea-involving group without significance. Photic phenomena were reported less in the fovea-involving group than in the non-fovea-involving group. More than 70% of patients in both ERM groups were satisfied. Implantation of monofocal IOL with enhanced intermediate function could be a good option for patients with ERM that need intermediate vision.
Dosimetric verification of annual quality assurance for a linear accelerator using a transmission type detector
Authors: Choi Dong Hyeok , Kim Jin Sung , Lee Rena , Ahn So Hyun , Ahn Woo Sang
Published: October 2023

The purpose of our study is to establish an efficient quality assurance (QA) procedure using a transmission-type detector (IBA, Stealth chamber), a reference signal detector, as a field chamber. Relative dosimetry items, including monitor unit linearity, output constancy based on dose rate and field size, and output factor were measured and compared with results obtained from the Farmer-type chamber (IBA, Wellhofer, FC65-G). Moreover, output for each field size was measured to assess its applicability to small fields. Results using the Stealth chamber were in good agreement with the FC65-G within 1.0%, except for output constancy according to gantry angle, which had a 1.1% error rate for the Stealth chamber and 2.7% for the FC65-G. Differences of up to − 6.26% output factor were observed for the Stealth chamber and up to − 0.56% for the CC-13 ionization chamber (IBA) in the 3 × 3 cm2 field. Our study confirmed the possibility of using Stealth chambers for relative dosimetry measurement in QA.
A lightweight hybrid vision transformer network for radar-based human activity recognition
Authors: Huan Sha , Wang Zhaoyue , Wang Xiaoqiang , Wu Limei , Yang Xiaoxuan , Huang Hongming , Dai Gan E.
Published: October 2023

Radar-based human activity recognition (HAR) offers a non-contact technique with privacy protection and lighting robustness for many advanced applications. Complex deep neural networks demonstrate significant performance advantages when classifying the radar micro-Doppler signals that have unique correspondences with human behavior. However, in embedded applications, the demand for lightweight and low latency poses challenges to the radar-based HAR network construction. In this paper, an efficient network based on a lightweight hybrid Vision Transformer (LH-ViT) is proposed to address the HAR accuracy and network lightweight simultaneously. This network combines the efficient convolution operations with the strength of the self-attention mechanism in ViT. Feature Pyramid architecture is applied for the multi-scale feature extraction for the micro-Doppler map. Feature enhancement is executed by the stacked Radar-ViT subsequently, in which the fold and unfold operations are added to lower the computational load of the attention mechanism. The convolution operator in the LH-ViT is replaced by the RES-SE block, an efficient structure that combines the residual learning framework with the Squeeze-and-Excitation network. Experiments based on two human activity datasets indicate our method’s advantages in terms of expressiveness and computing efficiency over traditional methods.
PetBERT: automated ICD-11 syndromic disease coding for outbreak detection in first opinion veterinary electronic health records
Authors: Farrell Sean , Appleton Charlotte , Noble Peter-John Mäntylä , Al Moubayed Noura
Published: October 2023

Effective public health surveillance requires consistent monitoring of disease signals such that researchers and decision-makers can react dynamically to changes in disease occurrence. However, whilst surveillance initiatives exist in production animal veterinary medicine, comparable frameworks for companion animals are lacking. First-opinion veterinary electronic health records (EHRs) have the potential to reveal disease signals and often represent the initial reporting of clinical syndromes in animals presenting for medical attention, highlighting their possible significance in early disease detection. Yet despite their availability, there are limitations surrounding their free text-based nature, inhibiting the ability for national-level mortality and morbidity statistics to occur. This paper presents PetBERT, a large language model trained on over 500 million words from 5.1 million EHRs across the UK. PetBERT-ICD is the additional training of PetBERT as a multi-label classifier for the automated coding of veterinary clinical EHRs with the International Classification of Disease 11 framework, achieving F1 scores exceeding 83% across 20 disease codings with minimal annotations. PetBERT-ICD effectively identifies disease outbreaks, outperforming current clinician-assigned point-of-care labelling strategies up to 3 weeks earlier. The potential for PetBERT-ICD to enhance disease surveillance in veterinary medicine represents a promising avenue for advancing animal health and improving public health outcomes.
SHaploseek is a sequencing-only, high-resolution method for comprehensive preimplantation genetic testing
Authors: Backenroth Daniel , Altarescu Gheona , Zahdeh Fouad , Mann Tzvia , Murik Omer , Renbaum Paul , Segel Reeval , Zeligson Sharon , Hakam-Spector Elinor , Carmi Shai , Zeevi David A.
Published: October 2023

Recent advances in genomic technologies expand the scope and efficiency of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). We previously developed Haploseek, a clinically-validated, variant-agnostic comprehensive PGT solution. Haploseek is based on microarray genotyping of the embryo’s parents and relatives, combined with low-pass sequencing of the embryos. Here, to increase throughput and versatility, we aimed to develop a sequencing-only implementation of Haploseek. Accordingly, we developed SHaploseek, a universal PGT method to determine genome-wide haplotypes of each embryo based on low-pass (≤ 5x) sequencing of the parents and relative(s) along with ultra-low-pass (0.2–0.4x) sequencing of the embryos. We used SHaploseek to analyze five single lymphoblast cells and 31 embryos. We validated the genome-wide haplotype predictions against either bulk DNA, Haploseek, or, at focal genomic sites, PCR-based PGT results. SHaploseek achieved > 99% concordance with bulk DNA in two families from which single cells were derived from grown-up children. In embryos from 12 PGT families, all of SHaploseek’s focal site haplotype predictions were concordant with clinical PCR-based PGT results. Genome-wide, there was > 99% median concordance between Haploseek and SHaploseek’s haplotype predictions. Concordance remained high at all assayed sequencing depths ≥ 2x, as well as with only 1ng of parental DNA input. In subtelomeric regions, significantly more haplotype predictions were high-confidence in SHaploseek compared to Haploseek. In summary, SHaploseek constitutes a single-platform, accurate, and cost-effective comprehensive PGT solution.
Effectiveness of implementing a locally-developed guideline for antibiotic treatment of lower urinary tract infection in adults in Thailand
Authors: Wisutep Pruettichai , Thamlikitkul Visanu , Sirijatuphat Rujipas
Published: October 2023

Lower urinary tract infection (UTI) is still a major concern in clinical practice, but inappropriate antibiotics are commonly prescribed in Thailand. This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for antibiotic treatment of lower UTI in adults at Siriraj Hospital which is a university hospital in Thailand. This study comprised a retrospective cohort study development phase, and a prospective cohort study implementation phase. The outcomes of treatment were compared between phases. The development and implementation phases enrolled 220 and 151 patients, respectively. The CPG compliance rate was significantly increased from 17.3% during the development phase to 43.0% during the implementation phase (p = 0.001). The rates of fluoroquinolones and cotrimoxazole use were significantly lower during implementation than during development (p < 0.001 and p = 0.027, respectively). The rates of nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin use were significantly greater during implementation than during development (p = 0.009 and p = 0.005, respectively). The overall cure rate was not significantly different between the two study phases, but implementation group patients had significantly more unfavorable prognostic factors than development phase patients. CPG-compliance group patients had a significantly higher cure rate than CPG-non-compliance group patients (p = 0.011). The cost of the initial course of antibiotics per episode was significantly higher during the implementation phase because the cost of fosfomycin is more expensive and more fosfomycin was prescribed during implementation (p = 0.047). Implementation of the locally-developed CPG was found to be effective for increasing the appropriate use of empirical antibiotics and increasing the cure rate; however, measures to improve and reinforce CPG compliance are needed.
Comparing neuronal oscillations during visual spatial attention orienting between normobaric and hypobaric hypoxia
Authors: Hutcheon Evan A. , Vakorin Vasily A. , Nunes Adonay S. , Ribary Urs , Ferguson Sherri , Claydon Victoria E. , Doesburg Sam M.
Published: October 2023

Normobaric hypoxia (NH) and hypobaric hypoxia (HH) are both used to train aircraft pilots to recognize symptoms of hypoxia. NH (low oxygen concentration) training is often preferred because it is more cost effective, simpler, and safer than HH. It is unclear, however, whether NH is neurophysiologically equivalent to HH (high altitude). Previous studies have shown that neural oscillations, particularly those in the alpha band (8–12 Hz), are impacted by hypoxia. Attention tasks have been shown to reliably modulate alpha oscillations, although the neurophysiological impacts of hypoxia during cognitive processing remains poorly understood. To address this we investigated induced and evoked power alongside physiological data while participants performed an attention task during control (normobaric normoxia or NN), NH (fraction of inspired oxygen = 12.8%, partial pressure of inspired oxygen = 87.2 mmHg), and HH (3962 m, partial pressure of inspired oxygen = 87.2 mmHg) conditions inside a hypobaric chamber. No significant differences between NH and HH were found in oxygen saturation, end tidal gases, breathing rate, middle cerebral artery velocity and blood pressure. Induced alpha power was significantly decreased in NH and HH when compared to NN. Participants in the HH condition showed significantly increased induced lower-beta power and evoked higher-beta power, compared with the NH and NN conditions, indicating that NH and HH differ in their impact on neurophysiological activity supporting cognition. NH and HH were found not to be neurophysiologically equivalent as electroencephalography was able to differentiate NH from HH.
Health-related quality of life after surviving intensive care for COVID-19: a prospective multicenter cohort study
Authors: Halvorsen Peter , Hultström Michael , Hästbacka Johanna , Larsson Ing-Marie , Eklund Rakel , Arnberg Filip K. , Hokkanen Laura , Frithiof Robert , Wallin Ewa , Orwelius Lotti , Lipcsey Miklós
Published: October 2023

In survivors of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) incomplete mental and physical recovery may considerably impact daily activities and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). HRQoL can be evaluated with the RAND-36 questionnaire, a multidimensional instrument that assesses physical and mental aspects of health in eight dimensions. The objective was to investigate HRQoL in intensive care patients previously treated for COVID-19 at three Nordic university hospitals, in a prospective multi-center cohort study. HRQoL was measured using RAND-36, 3–9 months after discharge from intensive care units (ICU). One hospital performed a second follow-up 12 months after discharge. A score under the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval in the reference cohorts was considered as significantly reduced HRQoL. We screened 542 and included 252 patients. There was more than twice as many male (174) as female (78) patients and the median age was 61 (interquartile range, IQR 52–69) years. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity observed in 132 (52%) patients and 121 (48%) patients were mechanically ventilated for a median of 8 (IQR 4–14) days. In RAND-36 physical functioning, physical role functioning, general health (p < 0.001 for all) and social functioning (p < 0.05) were below reference, whereas bodily pain, emotional role functioning and mental health were not. In a time-to-event analysis female sex was associated with a decreased chance of reaching the reference HRQoL in the physical function, bodily pain and mental health dimensions. Higher body mass index was found in the physical functioning dimension and hypertension in the physical functioning, vitality and social functioning dimensions. Similar results were seen for diabetes mellitus in general health, vitality and mental health dimensions, as well as pulmonary illness in the physical role functioning dimension and psychiatric diagnosis in the social functioning dimension. Mechanical ventilation was associated with a decreased likelihood of achieving reference HRQoL in the bodily pain and physical functioning dimensions. Patients treated in an ICU because of COVID-19 had lower HRQoL 3–9 months after ICU discharge than 95% of the general population. Physical dimensions were more severely affected than mental dimensions. Female sex and several comorbidities were associated with a slower rate of recovery.

Study registration: clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04316884 registered on the 13th of March 2020, NCT04474249 registered on the 29th of June 2020 and NCT04864938 registered on the 4th of April 2021.
An acid-based DES as a novel catalyst for the synthesis of pyranopyrimidines
Authors: Monem Arezo , Habibi Davood , Goudarzi Hadis
Published: October 2023

Deep eutectic solvents have countless advantages over normal solvents, and in addition to complying with the principles of green chemistry, depending on their nature, they can also act as catalysts. The use of deep eutectic solvents as acid catalysts has several advantages such as non-toxicity, a catalytic effect similar to or higher than the acid itself, and the possibility of recovery and reuse without significant loss of activity. In this project, A novel deep eutectic solvent (MTPPBr–PCAT–DES) was prepared from a one-to-one mole ratio of methyltriphenyl-phosphonium bromide (MTPPBr) and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (PCAT = protocatechuic acid) and characterized by various techniques such as FT-IR, TGA/DTA, densitometer, eutectic point, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and 31P NMR. Then, it was used as a novel and capable catalyst for the synthesis of pyranopyrimidines from the multicomponent condensation reaction of barbituric acid, 4-hydroxycoumarin, and aromatic aldehydes in mild conditions, short reaction times, and high yields.
Topic modeling and clustering in the trace data-driven analysis of job demands among teachers
Authors: Kalliomäki-Levanto Tiina , Kivimäki Ilkka , Varje Pekka , Haavisto Olli
Published: October 2023

Psychosocial work environment characteristics like job demands have traditionally been studied using survey data. We propose an alternative approach utilizing work related trace data collected from the information systems that employees use to achieve organizational goals. We analyze the job demands of teachers from two universities of applied sciences using trace data collected from the educational online platform Moodle over a period of 90 weeks. The data contain pairs of targets and actions (like message_sent) performed by teachers on Moodle. The timestamps of the target-action pairs allow us to study the dynamic nature of job demands, which is not possible by using periodically collected survey data. We show how trace data can be used to analyze processes related to job demands using data-driven approaches. We have identified topics, themes, temporal processes, and employee clusters from Moodle data representing the work tasks of teachers. The information obtained is action-oriented, context-specific, and dynamic, meeting the current needs for information about changing working life. The approach we have provided could be widely utilized in organizations as well as in research on occupational wellbeing. It is useful in identifying targets for intervention and it could be expanded to include prediction models on different outcomes.
Rapid responses of human pluripotent stem cells to cyclic mechanical strains applied to integrin by acoustic tweezing cytometry
Authors: Xu Zhaoyi , Liu Shiying , Xue Xufeng , Li Weiping , Fu Jianping , Deng Cheri X.
Published: October 2023

Acoustic tweezing cytometry (ATC) is an ultrasound-based biophysical technique that has shown the capability to promote differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). This study systematically examined how hPSCs respond to cyclic mechanical strains applied by ATC via displacement of integrin-bound microbubbles (averaged diameter of 4.3 µm) using ultrasound pulses (acoustic pressure 0.034 MPa, center frequency 1.24 MHz and pulse repetition frequency 1 Hz). Our data show downregulation of pluripotency marker Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) by at least 10% and increased nuclear localization of Yes-associated protein (YAP) by almost 100% in hPSCs immediately after ATC application for as short as 1 min and 5 min respectively. Analysis of the movements of integrin-anchored microbubbles under ATC stimulations reveals different stages of viscoelastic characteristic behavior and increasing deformation of the integrin-cytoskeleton (CSK) linkage. The peak displacement of integrin-bound microbubbles increased from 1.45 ± 0.16 to 4.74 ± 0.67 μm as the duty cycle of ultrasound pulses increased from 5% to 50% or the duration of each ultrasound pulse increased from 0.05 to 0.5 s. Real-time tracking of integrin-bound microbubbles during ATC application detects high correlation of microbubble displacements with OCT4 downregulation in hPSCs. Together, our data showing fast downregulation of OCT4 in hPSCs in respond to ATC stimulations highlight the unique mechanosensitivity of hPSCs to integrin-targeted cyclic force/strain dependent on the pulse duration or duty cycle of ultrasound pulses, providing insights into the mechanism of ATC-induced accelerated differentiation of hPSCs.
The impact of antibiotic prophylaxis with intracameral cefuroxime on postoperative infectious endophthalmitis rates in a high-volume cataract surgery center
Authors: de Sousa Casavechia Luciane Nunes , Meireles Antonio Carlos , Schapira Evandro , Fernandes Rodrigo Antonio Brant , Fernandes Arthur Gustavo
Published: October 2023

Our purpose was to compare postoperative infectious endophthalmitis rates before and after the introduction of antibiotic prophylaxis via intracameral with cefuroxime (ATB-P IC) in a high-volume cataract surgery service. Retrospective cohort study considering patients who underwent cataract surgery at Ophthal Hospital Especializado, São Paulo, Brazil, from January/2011 to December/2019. Patients operated from 2013 to 2019 comprised the ATB-P IC group while those operated from 2011 to 2013 formed the control group without the ATB-P IC protocol. A total of 23,184 cataract surgeries were included, with 6,207 in the Control Group and 16,977 in the ATB-P Group. A significantly higher rate of endophthalmitis was observed in the control group (0.0967%) when compared to the ATB-P group (0.0177%) (p = 0.014). Surgeries performed with ATB-P showed 80% less chance of reported endophthalmitis (OR = 0.20; 95% CI 0.05–0.72; p = 0.014) than those without ATB-P. Of the six cases confirmed by culture in the control group, all tested positive for Pseudomonas aeroginosa and the only case confirmed by culture in the ATB-P group was positive for Staphylococcus epidermidis. Our findings strongly support the use of intracameral antibiotic prophylaxis with cefuroxime to reduce postoperative infectious endophthalmitis rates, and we recommend its incorporation into cataract surgery protocols.
Hfq C-terminal region forms a β-rich amyloid-like motif without perturbing the N-terminal Sm-like structure
Authors: Berbon Mélanie , Martinez Denis , Morvan Estelle , Grélard Axelle , Kauffmann Brice , Waeytens Jehan , Wien Frank , Arluison Véronique , Habenstein Birgit
Published: October 2023

Hfq is a pleitropic actor that serves as stress response and virulence factor in the bacterial cell. To execute its multiple functions, Hfq assembles into symmetric torus-shaped hexamers. Extending outward from the hexameric core, Hfq presents a C-terminal region, described as intrinsically disordered in solution. Many aspects of the role and the structure of this region remain unclear. For instance, in its truncated form it can promote amyloid-like filament assembly. Here, we show that a minimal 11-residue motif at the C-terminal end of Hfq assembles into filaments with amyloid characteristics. Our data suggest that the full-length Hfq in its filamentous state contains a similar molecular fingerprint than that of the short β-strand peptide, and that the Sm-core structure is not affected by filament formation. Hfq proteins might thus co-exist in two forms in vivo, either as isolated, soluble hexamers or as self-assembled hexamers through amyloid-reminiscent interactions, modulating Hfq cellular functions.
Hydrodynamic pursuit by cognitive self-steering microswimmers
Authors: Goh Segun , Winkler Roland G. , Gompper Gerhard
Published: October 2023

The properties of biological microswimmers are mostly determined by fluid-mediated interactions, which govern their propulsion, perception of their surrounding, and the steering of their motion for pursuit. Transferring similar functionalities to synthetic microswimmers poses major challenges, and the design of favorable steering and pursuit strategies is fundamental in such an endeavor. Here, we employ a squirmer model to investigate the pursuit of pursuer-target pairs with an implicit sensing mechanism and limited hydrodynamic steering abilities of the pursuer. Two hydrodynamic steering strategies are studied for the pursuer’s propulsion direction by adaptation of its surface flow field: reorientation toward the target with limited maneuverability, and alignment with the target’s propulsion direction combined with speed adaptation. Depending on the nature of the microswimmer propulsion (puller, pusher) and the velocity-adaptation scheme, stable cooperatively moving states can be achieved, where pursuer and target mutually affect their motion and trajectories.
Exploratory studies on total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry combined with slurry sampling for the multi-element analysis of copper-nickel sulfide ore
Authors: Zhang Yongsheng , He Yaxiong , Chen Hui , Wei Shuolei , Mo Guanqing , Xu Tao , Yuan Jian
Published: October 2023

Major and trace elements in polymetallic minerals are crucial subjects of study in ore geology.
A verifiable essential secret image sharing scheme based on HLRs (VESIS‐(t, s, k, n))
Authors: Hadian Dehkordi Massoud , Farahi Seyed Taghi , Mashhadi Samaneh
Published: October 2023

In traditional secret image sharing schemes, a secret image is shared among shareholders who have the same position. But if the shareholders have two different positions, essential and non‐essential, it is necessary to use essential secret image sharing schemes. In this article, a verifiable essential secret image sharing scheme based on HLRs is proposed. Shareholder's share consists of two parts. The first part is produced by the shareholders, which prevents the fraud of dealers. The second part is a shadow image that is produced by using HLRs and the first part of share. The verification of the first part of the shares is done for the first time by using multilinear and bilinear maps. Also, for verifying shadow images, Bloom Filters are used for the first time. The proposed scheme is more efficient than similar schemes, and for the first part of the shares, has formal security.
Enhancing privacy with optical element design for fall detection
Authors: Gong Liyun , Mccall Sheldon , Yu Miao
Published: October 2023

Falling poses significant risks, especially for the geriatric population. In this study, the authors introduce an innovative approach to privacy‐preserving fall detection using computer vision. The authors’ technique leverages a deep neural network (DNN) to accurately identify falling events in input images, while simultaneously prioritizing privacy through the implementation of an optical element. The experimental results establish that the authors’ proposed method outperforms alternative hardware and software‐based privacy‐preserving approaches in terms of encryption level and accuracy. These results are derived from an extensive dataset encompassing diverse falling scenarios.
Impact of ByteDance crisis communication strategies on different social media users
Authors: Che ShaoPeng , Zhou Yuanhang , Zhang Shunan , Nan Dongyan , Kim Jang Hyun
Published: October 2023

The impact of corporate crisis communication strategies on users’ attitudes across different platforms has emerged as a new focal point in crisis management. This study is rooted in Social Media Crisis Communication (SMCC) and employs the case of Trump’s sanctions on TikTok to analyze variations in the effects of ByteDance’s crisis communication strategies on different social media platforms. We initally identified five announcements that generated significant discussions on Toutiao and Weibo and collected the corresponding user comments (a total of 50,702). Subsequently, we utilized two approaches, machine learning and deep learning, to conduct sentiment classification tests on the text to identify the best-performing model. This model was then applied on the entire dataset for sentiment classification, followed by semantic network analysis based on the sentiment classification results. The results demostrated that the pre-trained ERNIE model outperformed the other tested models (F1 = 82.40%). Following the fourth crisis communication event, users on Toutiao and Weibo exhibited contrasting sentimental tendencies. Theoretically, we observed that users on different social media platforms relying on distinct information sources, expressed different sentimental responses to the same crisis. Social media users have a tendency to anthropomorphize corporate personality traits. In practical terms, we recommend that companies engage in crisis communication on multiple social media platforms and do not overlook the most influential platforms in the market.
Comparing the influence of visual information and the perceived intelligence of voice assistants when shopping for sustainable clothing online
Authors: Li Pei , Wu Chunmao , Spence Charles
Published: October 2023

In an effort to reduce the negative impact of clothing manufacturing on the environment, a number of international clothing brands have made strides towards engaging in more environmentally-sustainable behaviours. However, further research is still needed in order to understand the effects of these efforts on consumer perception and decision-making in the case of sustainable clothing. This study examines the role of visual information (VI) associated with sustainable clothing on a website, and the perceived intelligence of voice assistants (PIVA), in influencing consumers’ purchase behaviour (PB) when shopping online for sustainable clothing. 2656 valid samples were collected and analysed using correlation analysis, factor analysis, and regression analysis. The results indicate that VI and PIVA both significantly influence consumers’ positive attitudes and PB towards sustainable clothing. Furthermore, the significant effect of these two factors on PB, through positive attitude towards sustainable clothing, are moderated by knowledge of sustainability issues. This paper therefore provides theoretical implications for sustainable clothing online retailing by testing the relationship between relevant variables. The findings also contribute to brand retailers improving their consumers’ decision-making and strengthening the perception-behaviour relationship in sustainable clothing shopping.
Screening single-cell trajectories via continuity assessments for cell transition potential
Authors: Zheng Zihan , Chang Ling , Li Yinong , Liu Kun , Mu Jie , Zhang Song , Li Jingyi , Wu Yuzhang , Zou Liyun , Ni Qingshan , Wan Ying
Published: October 2023

Advances in single-cell sequencing and data analysis have made it possible to infer biological trajectories spanning heterogeneous cell populations based on transcriptome variation. These trajectories yield a wealth of novel insights into dynamic processes such as development and differentiation. However, trajectory analysis relies on an assumption of trajectory continuity, and experimental limitations preclude some real-world scenarios from meeting this condition. The current lack of assessment metrics makes it difficult to ascertain if/when a given trajectory deviates from continuity, and what impact such a divergence would have on inference accuracy is unclear. By analyzing simulated breaks introduced into in silico and real single-cell data, we found that discontinuity caused precipitous drops in the accuracy of trajectory inference. We then generate a simple scoring algorithm for assessing trajectory continuity, and found that continuity assessments in real-world cases of intestinal stem cell development and CD8 + T cells differentiation efficiently identifies trajectories consistent with empirical knowledge. This assessment approach can also be used in cases where a priori knowledge is lacking to screen a pool of inferred lineages for their adherence to presumed continuity, and serve as a means for weighing higher likelihood trajectories for validation via empirical studies, as exemplified by our case studies in psoriatic arthritis and acute kidney injury. This tool is freely available through github at qingshanni/scEGRET.
NG-SEM: an effective non-Gaussian structural equation modeling framework for gene regulatory network inference from single-cell RNA-seq data
Authors: Zhao Jiaying , Wong Chi-Wing , Ching Wai-Ki , Cheng Xiaoqing
Published: October 2023

Inference of gene regulatory network (GRN) from gene expression profiles has been a central problem in systems biology and bioinformatics in the past decades. The tremendous emergency of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data brings new opportunities and challenges for GRN inference: the extensive dropouts and complicated noise structure may also degrade the performance of contemporary gene regulatory models. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop more accurate methods for gene regulatory network inference in single-cell data while considering the noise structure at the same time. In this paper, we extend the traditional structural equation modeling (SEM) framework by considering a flexible noise modeling strategy, namely we use the Gaussian mixtures to approximate the complex stochastic nature of a biological system, since the Gaussian mixture framework can be arguably served as a universal approximation for any continuous distributions. The proposed non-Gaussian SEM framework is called NG-SEM, which can be optimized by iteratively performing Expectation-Maximization algorithm and weighted least-squares method. Moreover, the Akaike Information Criteria is adopted to select the number of components of the Gaussian mixture. To probe the accuracy and stability of our proposed method, we design a comprehensive variate of control experiments to systematically investigate the performance of NG-SEM under various conditions, including simulations and real biological data sets. Results on synthetic data demonstrate that this strategy can improve the performance of traditional Gaussian SEM model and results on real biological data sets verify that NG-SEM outperforms other five state-of-the-art methods.
The many roles of cyclic di-AMP to control the physiology of Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Herzberg Christina , Meißner Janek , Warneke Robert , Stülke Jörg
Published: October 2023

The dinucleotide cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP) is synthesized as a second messenger in the Gram-positive model bacterium Bacillus subtilis as well as in many bacteria and archaea. Bacillus subtilis possesses three diadenylate cyclases and two phosphodiesterases that synthesize and degrade the molecule, respectively. Among the second messengers, c-di-AMP is unique since it is essential for B. subtilis on the one hand but toxic upon accumulation on the other. This role as an “essential poison” is related to the function of c-di-AMP in the control of potassium homeostasis. C-di-AMP inhibits the expression and activity of potassium uptake systems by binding to riboswitches and transporters and activates the activity of potassium exporters. In this way, c-di-AMP allows the adjustment of uptake and export systems to achieve a balanced intracellular potassium concentration. C-di-AMP also binds to two dedicated signal transduction proteins, DarA and DarB. Both proteins seem to interact with other proteins in their apo state, i.e. in the absence of c-di-AMP. For DarB, the (p)ppGpp synthetase/hydrolase Rel and the pyruvate carboxylase PycA have been identified as targets. The interactions trigger the synthesis of the alarmone (p)ppGpp and of the acceptor molecule for the citric acid cycle, oxaloacetate, respectively. In the absence of c-di-AMP, many amino acids inhibit the growth of B. subtilis. This feature can be used to identify novel players in amino acid homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the different functions of c-di-AMP and their physiological relevance.
Diversification of small RNA pathways underlies germline RNA interference incompetence in wild Caenorhabditis elegans strains
Authors: Chou Han Ting , Valencia Francisco , Alexander Jacqueline C , Bell Avery Davis , Deb Diptodip , Pollard Daniel A , Paaby Annalise B
Published: October 2023

The discovery that experimental delivery of dsRNA can induce gene silencing at target genes revolutionized genetics research, by both uncovering essential biological processes and creating new tools for developmental geneticists. However, the efficacy of exogenous RNA interference (RNAi) varies dramatically within the Caenorhabditis elegans natural population, raising questions about our understanding of RNAi in the lab relative to its activity and significance in nature. Here, we investigate why some wild strains fail to mount a robust RNAi response to germline targets. We observe diversity in mechanism: in some strains, the response is stochastic, either on or off among individuals, while in others, the response is consistent but delayed. Increased activity of the Argonaute PPW-1, which is required for germline RNAi in the laboratory strain N2, rescues the response in some strains but dampens it further in others. Among wild strains, genes known to mediate RNAi exhibited very high expression variation relative to other genes in the genome as well as allelic divergence and strain-specific instances of pseudogenization at the sequence level. Our results demonstrate functional diversification in the small RNA pathways in C. elegans and suggest that RNAi processes are evolving rapidly and dynamically in nature.