bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics and regulatory role of circRNAs in Asian honey bee larvae following fungal infection
Authors: Guo Rui , Zhang Kaiyao , Zang He , Guo Sijia , Liu Xiaoyu , Jing Xin , Song Yuxuan , Li Kunze , Wu Ying , Jiang Haibing , Fu Zhongmin , Chen Dafu
Published: March 2024

Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) plays a vital part in the regulation of immune responses, growth, and development in plants and animals. Here, the identification, characteristic analysis, and molecular verification of circRNAs in Apis cerana cerana worker larval guts were conducted, followed by in-depth investigation of the expression pattern of larval circRNAs during Ascosphaera apis infection and exploration of the potential regulatory part of differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) in host immune responses. A total of 3178 circRNAs in the larval guts of A. c. cerana were identified, with a length distribution ranging from 15 to 96,007 nt. Additionally, 155, 95, and 86 DEcircRNAs were identified in the in the 4-, 5-, and 6-day-old larval guts following A. apis infection. These DEcircRNAs were predicted to target 29, 25, and 18 parental genes relevant to 12, 20, and 17 GO terms as well as 144, 114, and 61 KEGG pathways, including 5 cellular and 4 humoral immune pathways. Complex competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks were detected as being formed among DEcircRNAs, DEmiRNAs, and DEmRNAs. The target DEmRNAs were engaged in 36, 47, and 47 GO terms as well as 331, 332, and 331 pathways, including 6 cellular and 6 humoral immune pathways. Further, 19 DEcircRNAs, 5 DEmiRNAs, and 3 mRNAs were included in the sub-networks relative to 3 antioxidant enzymes. Finally, back-splicing sites within 15 circRNAs and the difference in the 15 DEcircRNAs’ expression between uninoculated and A. apis–inoculated larval guts were confirmed based on molecular methods. These findings not only enrich our understanding of bee host–fungal pathogen interactions but also lay a foundation for illuminating the mechanism underlying the DEcircRNA-mediated immune defense of A. c. cerana larvae against A. apis invasion.

Key points

• The expression pattern of circRNAs was altered in the A. cerana worker larval guts following A. apis infection.

• Back-splicing sites within 15 A. cerana circRNAs were verified using molecular approaches. DEcircRNAs potentially modulated immune responses and antioxidant enzymes in A. apis–challenged host guts.
Robot-assisted single-port retroperitoneal partial nephrectomy with a novel purpose-built single-port robotic system with deformable surgical instruments
Authors: Zhang Chao , Wang Zheng , Jing Taile , Wei Yong , Guo Fei , Zhang Zongqin , Xiao Chengwu , Wang Yang , Xu Hong , Wu Xiaofeng , Tang Shouyan , Yang Bo , Wang Shuo , Xu Bin , Zhu Qingyi , Xia Dan , Wang Linhui
Published: March 2024

Objective

To investigate the safety and feasibility of using a novel purpose-built single-port robotic system (the SHURUI Robotic Surgical System) with deformable surgical instruments to perform retroperitoneal single-port partial nephrectomy.

Materials and methods

A prospective study was conducted to recruit patients with a single renal tumor no more than 4 cm. Robot-assisted single-port partial nephrectomy was performed by using the novel purpose-built single-port robotic system with deformable surgical instruments. Patients’ demographics, tumor characteristics, and perioperative parameters were recorded and analyzed.

Results

Sixteen patients were recruited to the study. The median tumor size was 2.0 cm (IQR: 1.2–2.4 cm). The median R.E.N.A.L score was 6 (IQR: 4–4.5). In 3 cases, pure single-port surgery was carried out, and all the assistance was through the robotic port. Median docking time was 15.5 min (IQR: 14.25–22.25 min). Median operating time was 148.5 min (IQR: 178–238.5 min). Median console time was 107 min (IQR: 92.75–149.75 min). Median warm ischemic time was 26.5 min (IQR: 24.5–30 min). Median blood loss was 17.5 ml (IQR: 10–50 ml).

Conclusions

Retroperitoneal partial nephrectomy can be safely performed with this novel purpose-built single-port robotic system (SHURUI) with deformable surgical instruments. Further studies are needed to fully evaluate the role of this new platform.
Metric Approximation of Set-Valued Functions of Bounded Variation by Integral Operators
Authors: Berdysheva Elena E. , Dyn Nira , Farkhi Elza , Mokhov Alona
Published: March 2024

We introduce an adaptation of integral approximation operators to set-valued functions (SVFs, multifunctions), mapping a compact interval [a, b] into the space of compact non-empty subsets of $${\mathbb {R}}^d$$

R

d

. All operators are adapted by replacing the Riemann integral for real-valued functions by the weighted metric integral for SVFs of bounded variation with compact graphs. For such a SVF F, we obtain pointwise error estimates for sequences of integral operators at points of continuity, leading to convergence at such points to F. At points of discontinuity of F, we derive estimates, which yield the convergence to a certain set described in terms of the metric selections of F. To obtain these estimates we refine and extend known results on approximation of real-valued functions by integral operators. Our analysis uses recently defined one-sided local quasi-moduli at points of discontinuity and several notions of local Lipschitz property at points of continuity. We also provide a global approach for error bounds. A multifunction F is represented by the set of all its metric selections, while its approximation (its image under the operator) is represented by the set of images of these metric selections under the operator. A bound on the Hausdorff distance between these two sets of single-valued functions in $$L^1$$

L
1

provides our global estimates. The theory is applied to concrete operators: the Bernstein–Durrmeyer operator and the Kantorovich operator.
Controlling the rheo-electric properties of graphite/carbon black suspensions by ‘flow switching’
Authors: Larsen Thomas , Royer John R. , Laidlaw Fraser H. J. , Poon Wilson C. K. , Larsen Tom , Andreasen Søren J. , Christiansen Jesper de C.
Published: March 2024

The ability to manipulate rheological and electrical properties of colloidal carbon black gels makes them attractive in composites for energy applications such as batteries and fuel cells, where they conduct electricity and prevent sedimentation of ‘granular’ active components. While it is commonly assumed that granular fillers have a simple additive effect on the composite properties, new phenomena can emerge unexpectedly, with some composites exhibiting a unique rheological bi-stability between high-yield-stress and low-yield-stress states. Here we report such bi-stability in suspensions of non-Brownian graphite and colloidal carbon black in oil, a model system to mimic composite suspensions for energy applications. Steady shear below a critical stress elicits a transition to a persistent mechanically weak and poorly conducting state, which must be ‘rejuvenated’ using high-stress shear to recover a stronger, high-conductivity state. Our findings highlight the highly tunable nature of binary granular/gel composite suspensions and present new possibilities for optimising mixing and processing conditions for Li-ion battery slurries.

Graphical abstract
Circulating Osteopontin Predicts Clinical and Radiological Response in First-Line Treatment of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Ramoni Davide , Coco Simona , Rossi Giovanni , Dellepiane Chiara , Bennicelli Elisa , Santamaria Sara , Zinoli Linda , Tagliafico Alberto Stefano , Tagliamento Marco , Barletta Giulia , Liberale Luca , Tirandi Amedeo , Minetti Silvia , Bertolotto Maria , Montecucco Fabrizio , Genova Carlo , Carbone Federico
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Pembrolizumab-based regimens are conditioned by the expression of PD-L1, but durable response rate is limited by innate and acquired resistance mechanisms. Here, we focus on osteopontin (OPN), an upfront biomarker of senescence, which closely associated with natural history of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Seventy-nine patients eligible to pembrolizumab regimens—alone or in combination with chemotherapy—as first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC were enrolled. Predictive value of OPN toward iRECIST progression disease (PD) was set as first outcome. Secondary ones included performance status (ECOG) at baseline, early (first and best) responses, and overall survival (OS).

Results

High Serum OPN characterized patients with worse ECOG-PS (p = 0.015) at baseline and subjects experienced PD/death at first (OR 1.17 [1.02 to 1.35]; p = 0.030) and best responses (0.04 [0.00 to 0.81]; p = 0.035). OPN was associated with time-to-progression (B -2.74 [−4.46 to −1.01]) and time-to death (−0.13 [−0.20 to −0.05]). Cox regression models unveil a predictive value for iRECIST-PD (HR 1.01 [1.00 to 1.02]; p = −0.005), RECIST-PD (HR 1.01 [1.00 to 1.02]; p = 0.017), and OS (HR 1.02 [1.01 to 1.03]; p = 0.001). These models were internally validated through bootstrap resampling and characterized by relevant discrimination ability at ROC curve analyses.

Conclusion

Baseline levels of serum OPN is closely associated with performance status and short/long term outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC, which are candidate to pembrolizumab-based regimens. As upfront biomarker of senescence, OPN may pave the way for future studies focusing on senescence patterns in NSCLC.
Highly conserved and extremely evolvable: BMP signalling in secondary axis patterning of Cnidaria and Bilateria
Authors: Mörsdorf David , Knabl Paul , Genikhovich Grigory
Published: March 2024

Bilateria encompass the vast majority of the animal phyla. As the name states, they are bilaterally symmetric, that is with a morphologically clear main body axis connecting their anterior and posterior ends, a second axis running between their dorsal and ventral surfaces, and with a left side being roughly a mirror image of their right side. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling has widely conserved functions in the formation and patterning of the second, dorso-ventral (DV) body axis, albeit to different extents in different bilaterian species. Whilst initial findings in the fruit fly Drosophila and the frog Xenopus highlighted similarities amongst these evolutionarily very distant species, more recent analyses featuring other models revealed considerable diversity in the mechanisms underlying dorsoventral patterning. In fact, as phylogenetic sampling becomes broader, we find that this axis patterning system is so evolvable that even its core components can be deployed differently or lost in different model organisms. In this review, we will try to highlight the diversity of ways by which BMP signalling controls bilaterality in different animals, some of which do not belong to Bilateria. Future research combining functional analyses and modelling is bound to give us some understanding as to where the limits to the extent of the evolvability of BMP-dependent axial patterning may lie.
Hayling and stroop tests tap dissociable deficits and network-level neural correlates
Authors: Moore Margaret Jane , Byrne Jessica , Gibson Emily C. , Ford Lucy , Robinson Gail A.
Published: March 2024

Although many executive function screens have been developed, it is not yet clear whether these assessments are equally effective in detecting post-stroke deficits of initiation and inhibition. This study presents a comparative analysis of the Stroop and Hayling tests aiming to evaluate whether these tests measure the same underlying cognitive functions and to identify the neural correlates of the deficits detected by both tasks. Sixty six stroke survivors and 70 healthy ageing controls completed the Hayling and Stroop tests. Stroke patients were found to exhibit qualitative performance differences across analogous Stroop and Hayling Test metrics intended to tap initiation and inhibition. The Stroop test was found to have high specificity to abnormal performance, but low sensitivity relative to the Hayling Test. Minimal overlap was present between the network-level correlates of analogous Stroop and Hayling Test metrics. Hayling Task strategy use metrics were significantly associated with distinct patterns of disconnection in stroke survivors, providing novel insight into the neural correlates of fine-grained behavioural patterns. Overall, these findings strongly suggest that the functions tapped by the Stroop and Hayling Test are both behaviourally and anatomically dissociable. The Hayling Test was found to offer improved sensitivity and detail relative to the Stroop test. This novel demonstration of the Hayling Test within the stroke population suggests that this task represents an effective measure for quantifying post-stroke initiation and inhibition deficits.
Comparative genomics of four lactic acid bacteria identified with Vitek MS (MALDI-TOF) and whole-genome sequencing
Authors: Kahraman-Ilıkkan Özge
Published: March 2024

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can be used as a probiotic or starter culture in dairy, meat, and vegetable fermentation. Therefore, their isolation and identification are essential. Recent advances in omics technologies and high-throughput sequencing have made the identification and characterization of bacteria. This study firstly aimed to demonstrate the sensitivity of the Vitek MS (MALDI-TOF) system in the identification of lactic acid bacteria and, secondly, to characterize bacteria using various bioinformatics approaches. Probiotic potency-related genes and secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters were examined. The Vitek MS (MALDI-TOF) system was able to identify all of the bacteria at the genus level. According to whole genome sequencing, the bacteria were confirmed to be Lentilactobacillus buchneri, Levilactobacillus brevis, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Levilactobacillus namurensis. Bacteria had most of the probiotic potency-related genes, and different toxin-antitoxin systems such as PemIK/MazEF, Hig A/B, YdcE/YdcD, YefM/YoeB. Also, some of the secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters, some toxic metabolite-related genes, and antibiotic resistance-related genes were detected. In addition, Lentilactobacillus buchneri Egmn17 had a type II-A CRISPR/Cas system. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Gmze16 had a bacteriocin, plantaricin E/F.
Cisternal nicardipine for prevention of delayed cerebral ischemia in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a comparative retrospective cohort study
Authors: Vandenbulcke Alberto , Messerer Mahmoud , Garvayo Navarro Marta , Peters David R. , Starnoni Daniele , Giammattei Lorenzo , Ben-Hamouda Nawfel , Puccinelli Francesco , Saliou Guillaume , Cossu Giulia , Daniel Roy T.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Intrathecal vasoactive drugs have been proposed in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) to manage cerebral vasospasm (CV). We analyzed the efficacy of intracisternal nicardipine compared to intraventricular administration to a control group (CG) to determine its impact on delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and functional outcomes. Secondary outcomes included the need for intra-arterial angioplasties and the safety profile.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of all adult patients admitted for a high modified Fisher grade aSAH between January 2015 and April 2022. All patients with significant radiological CV were included. Three groups of patients were defined based on the CV management: cisternal nicardipine (CN), ventricular nicardipine (VN), and no intrathecal nicardipine (control group).

Results

Seventy patients met the inclusion criteria. Eleven patients received intracisternal nicardipine, 18 intraventricular nicardipine, and 41 belonged to the control group. No cases of DCI were observed in the CN group (p = 0.02). Patients with intracisternal nicardipine had a reduced number of intra-arterial angioplasties when compared to the control group (p = 0.03). The safety profile analysis showed no difference in complications across the three groups. Intrathecal (ventricular or cisternal) nicardipine therapy improved functional outcomes at 6 months (p = 0.04) when compared to the control group.

Conclusion

Administration of intrathecal nicardipine for moderate to severe CV reduces the rate of DCI and improved long-term functional outcomes in patients with high modified Fisher grade aSAH. This study also showed a relative benefit of cisternal over intraventricular nicardipine, thereby reducing the number of angioplasties performed in the post-treatment phase. However, these preliminary results should be confirmed with future prospective studies.
Argumentation effect of a chatbot for ethical discussions about autonomous AI scenarios
Authors: Hauptmann Christian , Krenzer Adrian , Völkel Justin , Puppe Frank
Published: March 2024

This paper explores the potential of a German-language chatbot to engage users in argumentative dialogues on ethically sensitive topics. Utilizing an argumentative knowledge graph, the chatbot is equipped to engage in discussions on the ethical implications of autonomous AI systems in hypothetical future scenarios in the fields of medicine, law, and self-driving cars. In a study with 178 student participants, we investigated the chatbot’s argumentation effect—its ability to offer new perspectives, gain user acceptance, and broaden users’ viewpoints on complex issues. The results indicated a substantial argumentation effect, with 13–21% of participants shifting their opinions to more moderate stances after interacting with the chatbot. This shift demonstrates the system’s effectiveness in fostering informed discourse and increasing users’ understanding of AI ethics. While the chatbot was well-received, with users acknowledging the quality of its arguments, we identified opportunities for improvement in its argument recognition capabilities. Despite this, our results indicate the chatbot’s potential as an educational tool in engaging users with the ethical dimensions of AI technology and promoting informed discourse.
Effectiveness of attractants and bait for Iberian wolf detection: captivity-based and free-ranging trials
Authors: Del Río Lucía , Zearra Jon Ander , Mateo Rafael , Ferreras Pablo , Tobajas Jorge
Published: March 2024

Monitoring large carnivores requires substantial effort, which is why indirect methodologies such as camera trapping with attractants or baits are commonly employed. The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) is one of the top predators in the Iberian Peninsula, and monitoring its packs is essential to understand its distribution and mitigate conflicts arising from livestock predation. We performed a captivity-based study evaluating the effectiveness of five attractants (beef extract, cadaverine, Fatty Acid Scent (FAS), lynx urine and valerian extract) on wolf detection. To accomplish this objective, Jacobs selectivity index and generalized linear models were employed to assess the attractiveness and induced behaviour of each attractant. Subsequently, the three most effective attractants, combined or not with a bait, were tested in the field and analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. The five attractants tested elicited different behavioural responses in the wolves in captivity, including smelling, rubbing, rolling, marking and licking. Among the captive wolves, cadaverine, FAS and lynx urine emerged as the top three preferred attractants. In the field tests with these three attractants cadaverine remained the most preferred option. The inclusion of bait did not have any significant effect on the wolf’s visitation rates. Our results show that employing species-specific attractants can significantly improve the efficiency of carnivore surveys conducted in the field. Specifically, cadaverine was the most effective attractant for wild Iberian wolves. Consequently, the careful selection of an appropriate attractant becomes crucial to attain the precise objectives of the study, such as camera trapping, bait deployment or DNA sampling.
Equity and resilience in local urban food systems: a case study
Authors: Stone Tiffanie F. , Huckins Erin L. , Hornbuckle Eliana C. , Thompson Janette R. , Dentzman Katherine
Published: March 2024

Local food systems can have economic and social benefits by providing income for producers and improving community connections. Ongoing global climate change and the acute COVID-19 pandemic crisis have shown the importance of building equity and resilience in local food systems. We interviewed ten stakeholders from organizations and institutions in a U.S. midwestern city exploring views on past, current, and future conditions to address the following two objectives: 1) Assess how local food system equity and resilience were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2) Examine how policy and behavior changes could support greater equity and resilience within urban local food systems. We used the Community Capitals Framework to organize interviewees’ responses for qualitative analyses of equity and resilience. Four types of community capital were emphasized by stakeholders: cultural and social, natural, and political capital. Participants stated that the local food system in this city is small; more weaknesses in food access, land access, and governance were described than were strengths in both pre- and post-pandemic conditions. Stakeholder responses also reflected lack of equity and resilience in the local food system, which was most pronounced for cultural and social, natural and political capitals. However, local producers’ resilience during the pandemic, which we categorized as human capital, was a notable strength. An improved future food system could incorporate changes in infrastructure (e.g., food processing), markets (e.g., values-based markets) and cultural values (e.g., valuing local food through connections between local producers and consumers). These insights could inform policy and enhance community initiatives and behavior changes to build more equitable and resilient local food systems in urban areas throughout the U.S. Midwest.
Reinforcement learning applications in environmental sustainability: a review
Authors: Zuccotto Maddalena , Castellini Alberto , Torre Davide La , Mola Lapo , Farinelli Alessandro
Published: March 2024

Environmental sustainability is a worldwide key challenge attracting increasing attention due to climate change, pollution, and biodiversity decline. Reinforcement learning, initially employed in gaming contexts, has been recently applied to real-world domains, including the environmental sustainability realm, where uncertainty challenges strategy learning and adaptation. In this work, we survey the literature to identify the main applications of reinforcement learning in environmental sustainability and the predominant methods employed to address these challenges. We analyzed 181 papers and answered seven research questions, e.g., “How many academic studies have been published from 2003 to 2023 about RL for environmental sustainability?” and “What were the application domains and the methodologies used?”. Our analysis reveals an exponential growth in this field over the past two decades, with a rate of 0.42 in the number of publications (from 2 papers in 2007 to 53 in 2022), a strong interest in sustainability issues related to energy fields, and a preference for single-agent RL approaches to deal with sustainability. Finally, this work provides practitioners with a clear overview of the main challenges and open problems that should be tackled in future research.
Coleman automorphisms of finite groups with semidihedral Sylow 2-subgroups
Authors: Aragona R.
Published: March 2024

We study some families of finite groups having inner class-preserving
automorphisms. In particular, let G be a finite group and S be a
semidihedral Sylow 2-subgroup. Then, in both cases when either Sym(4) is not
a homomorphic image of G and $$Z(S) < Z(G)$$

Z
(
S
)
<
Z
(
G
)

or G is nilpotent-by-nilpotent, we
have that all the Coleman automorphisms of G are inner. As a consequence, these
groups satisfy the normalizer problem.
Fertility of Czech Gay and Straight Men, Women, and Their Relatives: Testing the Sexually Antagonistic Gene Hypothesis
Authors: Fořt Jakub , Flegr Jaroslav , Kuba Radim , Kaňková Šárka
Published: March 2024

One proposal for the persistence of homosexuality in the human population is the sexually antagonistic gene hypothesis, which suggests that the lower fertility of homosexual individuals, especially men, may be compensated by higher fertility of their relatives of the opposite sex. To test this hypothesis, we have collected data from 7,312 heterosexual men, 459 gay men, 3,352 heterosexual women, and 79 lesbian women mainly from Czechia. In an online survey, participants answered questions regarding their own as well as their parents’ and grandparents’ fertility. For men, we obtained no significant results except for higher fertility of gay men’s paternal grandmothers, but the magnitude of this effect was very small. For the female sample, we recorded lower fertility of lesbian women’s mothers and fathers. In line with our expectations, both gay men and lesbian women had lower fertility rates than their heterosexual counterparts. Our results are consistent with recent studies which likewise do not support the sexually antagonistic gene hypothesis.
Dynamic identification and seismic capacity of an innovative cleanroom with walkable ceiling system
Authors: Magliulo Gennaro , Zito Martino , D’Angela Danilo
Published: March 2024

Past earthquakes highlighted the vulnerability of cleanrooms, especially in earthquake-prone countries like Italy; the post-earthquake reconnaissance showed that damage to cleanrooms led to immeasurable economic losses. This study investigates the seismic performance of an innovative cleanroom, seismically designed and provided with innovative components. Full-scale shake table tests were performed on the cleanroom according to ICC-ES AC156 protocol; the cleanroom was tested under operating conditions. Both dynamic properties and seismic behavior of the specimen were assessed. The tests showed the excellent seismic behavior of the cleanroom, confirming that simple devices can significantly improve the seismic performance of nonstructural elements.
Characterization of Second-Order Mixing Effects in Reconstructed Cross-Spectra of Random Neural Fields
Authors: Hindriks Rikkert
Published: March 2024

Functional connectivity in electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) data is commonly assessed by using measures that are insensitive to instantaneously interacting sources and as such would not give rise to false positive interactions caused by instantaneous mixing of true source signals (first-order mixing). Recent studies, however, have drawn attention to the fact that such measures are still susceptible to instantaneous mixing from lagged sources (i.e. second-order mixing) and that this can lead to a large number of false positive interactions. In this study we relate first- and second-order mixing effects on the cross-spectra of reconstructed source activity to the properties of the resolution operators that are used for the reconstruction. We derive two identities that relate first- and second-order mixing effects to the transformation properties of measurement and source configurations and exploit them to establish several basic properties of signal mixing. First, we provide a characterization of the configurations that are maximally and minimally sensitive to second-order mixing. It turns out that second-order mixing effects are maximal when the measurement locations are far apart and the sources coincide with the measurement locations. Second, we provide a description of second-order mixing effects in the vicinity of the measurement locations in terms of the local geometry of the point-spread functions of the resolution operator. Third, we derive a version of Lagrange’s identity for cross-talk functions that establishes the existence of a trade-off between the magnitude of first- and second-order mixing effects. It also shows that, whereas the magnitude of first-order mixing is determined by the inner product of cross-talk functions, the magnitude of second-order mixing is determined by a generalized cross-product of cross-talk functions (the wedge product) which leads to an intuitive geometric understanding of the trade-off. All results are derived within the general framework of random neural fields on cortical manifolds.
Adolescents’ Subjective Well-Being: The Unique Contribution of Fathers
Authors: Walsh Colleen S. , Kliewer Wendy , Sullivan Terri N.
Published: March 2024

Background

Caregiver relationships are associated with adolescent subjective well-being. Yet, little is known about the contributions of father-adolescent relationship quality to well-being including perseverance, connectedness, and happiness or the specific contributions of father-adolescent relationship quality to these outcomes after accounting for covariates.

Objective

This study aimed to understand how father-adolescent relationships and school connectedness interact with one another when positive adolescent functioning are the outcomes.

Methods

Adolescents (N = 2,509; Mage = 15.5; 51.8% male; Black and African American (47.9%), Hispanic (24.8%), and white (17.7%) participating in the FFCWBS provided cross-sectional data. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine direct associations between father-adolescent relationship quality and each of the three adolescent subjective well-being outcomes (perseverance, connectedness, and happiness), and to evaluate the moderating role of adolescent biological sex in these associations. Covariates included race, household income, father’s residential status, the adolescent’s relationship with the mother and school connectedness.

Results

Regressions showed that father-adolescent relationship quality was significantly associated with each well-being outcome beyond the contributions of demographics, mother-adolescent relationships, and school connectedness, and had similar associations with the outcomes by sex.

Conclusions

Our conclusions highlight the priority of including and retaining fathers in research and interventions.
Exploring Overpressure Events in Compartment Fires
Authors: Fleischmann Charles , Madrzykowski Daniel , Dow Nicholas
Published: March 2024

For more than a century, smoke explosions have been documented in the fire research literature. Yet even with this long history, smoke explosions have received very little attention in the fire research community. The few review articles on unexplained explosions (overpressure events) have adopted the conventional names of smoke explosions, backdraft, smoke gas explosions or rapid fire progression. Anecdotal evidence from firefighters have shown a number of overpressure events that cannot be explained as a gas leak or flammable liquids ignition. In this study, experiments were conducted in a plywood lined compartment with a timber crib as a sustained fire source and the ignition source. The compartment had a single vent that was open for the entire time. After an extended period of burning, the flames detached from the crib, traveled around the compartment, and finally self-extinguished. Sometime after the flames self-extinguished, the compartment erupted in flames culminating in a large horizontal flame projecting more than 2 m from the vent opening. In this study, a consistent cycle that leads to an overpressure event has been identified. A total of 29 overpressure events were created in 13 experiments with many experiments experiencing multiple overpressure events. Gas species, compartment temperatures, vent velocities, and compartment pressure were all recorded during the experiments. Conditions in the compartment immediately prior to the overpressure event are reported. Having demonstrated that an overpressure event within a combustible compartment can be reproduced, future research is recommended to better quantify the conditions leading to an overpressure event.
Axial length, more than aging, decreases the thickness and superficial vessel density of retinal nerve fiber layer in non-glaucomatous eyes
Authors: Huang Kuan-I. , Su Fang-Ying , Ho Heng-Yen , Ho Heng-Chen , Chen Yan-Wu , Lee Chih-Kuo , Lai Feipei , Lu Henry Horng-Shing , Ko Mei-Lan
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This study seeks to build a normative database for the vessel density of the superficial retina (SVD) and evaluate how changes and trends in the retinal microvasculature may be influenced by age and axial length (AL) in non-glaucomatous eyes, as measured with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods

We included 500 eyes of 290 healthy subjects visiting a county hospital. Each participant underwent comprehensive ophthalmological examinations and OCTA to measure the SVD and thickness of the macular and peripapillary areas. To analyze correlations between SVD and age or AL, multivariable linear regression models with generalized estimating equations were applied.

Results

Age was negatively correlated with the SVD of the superior, central, and inferior macular areas and the superior peripapillary area, with a decrease rate of 1.06%, 1.36%, 0.84%, and 0.66% per decade, respectively. However, inferior peripapillary SVD showed no significant correlation with age. AL was negatively correlated with the SVD of the inferior macular area and the superior and inferior peripapillary areas, with coefficients of −0.522%/mm, −0.733%/mm, and −0.664%/mm, respectively. AL was also negatively correlated with the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer and inferior ganglion cell complex (p = 0.004).

Conclusion

Age and AL were the two main factors affecting changes in SVD. Furthermore, AL, a relative term to represent the degree of myopia, had a greater effect than age and showed a more significant effect on thickness than on SVD. This relationship has important implications because myopia is a significant issue in modern cities.
Cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation as first-line treatment of typical atrial flutter: long-term outcomes of the CRAFT trial
Authors: Calvert Peter , Ding Wern Yew , Das Moloy , Tovmassian Lilith , Tayebjee Muzahir H. , Haywood Guy , Martin Claire A. , Rajappan Kim , Bates Matthew G. D. , Temple Ian Peter , Reichlin Tobias , Chen Zhong , Balasubramaniam Richard N. , Sticherling Christian , Ronayne Christina , Clarkson Nichola , Morgan Maureen , Barton Janet , Kemp Ian , Mahida Saagar , Gupta Dhiraj
Published: March 2024

Background

CRAFT was an international, multicentre, randomised controlled trial across 11 sites in the United UK and Switzerland. Given the evidence that pulmonary vein triggers may be responsible for atrial flutter (AFL) as well as atrial fibrillation (AF), we hypothesised that cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) would provide greater symptomatic arrhythmia reduction than cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation, whilst also reducing the subsequent burden of AF. Twelve-month outcomes were previously reported. In this study, we report the extended outcomes of the CRAFT study to 36 months.

Methods

Patients with typical AFL and no evidence of AF were randomised 1:1 to cryoballoon PVI or radiofrequency CTI. All patients received an implantable loop recorder (ILR) for continuous cardiac rhythm monitoring. The primary outcome was time-to-symptomatic arrhythmia recurrence > 30 s. Secondary outcomes included time-to-first-AF episode ≥ 2 min. The composite safety outcome included death, stroke and procedural complications.

Results

A total of 113 patients were randomised to cryoballoon PVI (n = 54) or radiofrequency CTI ablation (n = 59). Ninety-one patients reconsented for extended follow-up beyond 12 months. There was no difference in the primary outcome between arms, with the primary outcome occurring in 12 PVI vs 11 CTI patients (HR 0.97; 95% CI 0.43–2.20; p = 0.994). AF ≥ 2 min was significantly less frequent in the PVI arm, affecting 26 PVI vs 36 CTI patients (HR 0.48; 95% CI 0.29–0.79; p = 0.004). The composite safety outcome occurred in 5 PVI and 6 CTI patients (p = 0.755).

Conclusion

Cryoballoon PVI shows similar efficacy to radiofrequency CTI ablation in reducing symptomatic arrhythmia recurrence in patients presenting with isolated typical AFL but significantly reduces the occurrence of subsequent AF.

Graphical Abstract
Exploring the influence of friction in the puncture mechanics of soft solids
Authors: Montanari Matteo , Spagnoli Andrea
Published: March 2024

Friction is an ever-present force in our lives, affecting the interaction between objects in numerous ways. The common hypothesis of frictionless contact between a foreign rigid object (needle) and a target material during puncturing leads to a constant penetration force. However, experimental observations reveal a linear increase in penetration force as the needle tip delves deeper. This force increment arises from the interplay of friction and adhesion at needle-solid interface. The present work provides an insight into the measure of friction and adhesion quasi-static characteristics at the needle-solid interface through puncture experiments. To this end, an axisymmetric hyperelastic model is presented to describe the expansion of a cavity under the contact pressure of the penetrating needle. In addition, the competing mechanisms of cavity expansion and mode I cracking during needle penetration in a soft solid are discussed.
Deep Convolutional Neural Network Compression Method: Tensor Ring Decomposition with Variational Bayesian Approach
Authors: Liu Weirong , Zhang Min , Shi Changhong , Zhang Ning , Liu Jie
Published: March 2024

Due to deep neural networks (DNNs) a large number of parameters, DNNs increase the demand for computing and storage during training, reasoning and deployment, especially when DNNs stack deeper and wider. Tensor decomposition can not only compress DNN models but also reduce parameters and storage requirements while maintaining high accuracy and performance. About tensor ring (TR) decomposition of tensor decomposition, there are two problems: (1) The practice of setting the TR rank to be equal in TR decomposition results in an unreasonable rank configuration. (2) The training time of selecting rank through iterative processes is time-consuming. To address the two problems, a TR network compression method by Variational Bayesian (TR-VB) is proposed based on the Global Analytic Solution of Empirical Variational Bayesian Matrix Factorization (GAS of EVBMF). The method consists of three steps: (1) rank selection, (2) TR decomposition, and (3) fine-tuning to recover accumulated loss of accuracy. Experimental results show that, for a given network, TR-VB gives the best results in terms of Top-1 accuracy, parameters, and training time under different compression levels. Furthermore, TR-VB validated on CIFAR-10/100 public benchmarks achieves state-of-the-art performance.
PEB-TAXO: Projecting Entities as Boxes for Taxonomy Expansion
Authors: Zhang Yuhang , Qin Jiwei , Feng Chongren
Published: March 2024

As domain knowledge evolves, new concepts (entities) continuously emerge, leading to a decrease in the coverage of existing taxonomies with hierarchical structures, thus necessitating the continual expansion of these taxonomies to include new concepts. Due to the relationships (“contain”, “disjoint”, and “intersect”) between the boxes, which can effectively represent asymmetric hierarchies, box embeddings have been successfully applied in taxonomy expansion. However, existing models that use box embeddings for taxonomy expansion have the following shortcomings: (1) the size of the boxes is not restricted, and the model produces meaningless boxes; (2) the model does not fully utilize the geometric information of the boxes. To address the above shortcomings, this paper proposes a taxonomy expansion model based on projecting entities as boxes: PEB-TAXO. Firstly, PEB-TAXO employs modified L1 regularization to constrain the box sizes in all dimensions, pushing the box sizes towards the preset minimum, thereby avoiding the generation of meaningless boxes by the model. Secondly, the model utilizes a box inclusion inference method: it infers the relationship between two entities through the relationship between two boxes in geometric space, thus fully exploiting the geometric information of the boxes for more accurate inferences. Finally, we conducted extensive experiments on two public datasets and verified that PEB-TAXO greatly improves performance over mainstream taxonomy expansion methods.
Low-order modeling of collective dynamics of four ring-coupled turbulent thermoacoustic oscillators
Authors: Liao Yu , Guan Yu , Liu Peijin , Moon Kihun , Kim Kyu Tae
Published: March 2024

We investigate the low-order modeling of collective dynamics in a can-annular combustor consisting of four ring-coupled turbulent lean-premixed combustors. Each combustor is treated as an individual thermoacoustic oscillator, and the entire combustion system is modeled using four Van der Pol oscillators ring-coupled with dissipative, time-delay, and reactive coupling terms. We show that this model, despite its simplicity, can reproduce many collective dynamics observed in experiments under various combinations of equivalence ratios and combustor lengths, such as 2-can anti-phase synchronization, alternating anti-phase synchronization, pairwise anti-phase synchronization, spinning azimuthal mode, and 4 steady thermoacoustic oscillators. The phase relationship in the majority of cases can be quantitatively modeled. Moreover, by incorporating a reactive coupling term, the model is able to reproduce the frequency shift observed experimentally. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using a simple low-order model to reproduce collective dynamics in complex turbulent combustion systems. This suggests that this model could be used (i) to facilitate the interpretation of experimental data within the synchronization framework, (ii) to identify potential parameter regimes leading to amplitude death, and (iii) to serve as a basis for modeling the collective dynamics observed in more complicated multi-combustors.
Importance of Considering Fed-State Gastrointestinal Physiology in Predicting the Reabsorption of Enterohepatic Circulation of Drugs
Authors: Nakamura Kohei , Kambayashi Atsushi , Onoue Satomi
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to develop a simulation model for the pharmacokinetics (PK) of drugs undergoing enterohepatic circulation (EHC) with consideration to the environment in the gastrointestinal tract in the fed state in humans. The investigation particularly focused on the necessity of compensating for the permeability rate constant in the reabsorption process in consideration of drug entrapment in bile micelles.

Methods

Meloxicam and ezetimibe were used as model drugs. The extent of the entrapment of drugs inside bile micelles was evaluated using the solubility ratio of Fed State Simulated Intestinal Fluid version 2 (FeSSIF-V2) to Fasted State Simulated Intestinal Fluid version 2 (FaSSIF-V2). Prediction accuracy was evaluated using the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) value, calculated from the observed and predicted oral PK profiles.

Results

The solubilization of ezetimibe by bile micelles was clearly observed while that of meloxicam was not. Assuming that only drugs in the free fraction of micelles permeate through the intestinal membrane, PK simulation for ezetimibe was performed in both scenarios with and without compensation by the permeation rate constant. The MAPE value of Zetia® tablet, containing ezetimibe, was lower with compensation than without compensation. By contrast, Mobic® tablet, containing meloxicam, showed a relatively low MAPE value even without compensation.

Conclusion

For drugs which undergo EHC and can be solubilized by bile micelles, compensating for the permeation rate constant in the reabsorption process based on the free fraction ratio appears an important factor in increasing the accuracy of PK profile prediction.
The Geography of Human Capital: Insights from the Subnational Human Capital Index in Indonesia
Authors: Sari Virgi Agita , Tiwari Sailesh
Published: March 2024

This paper explores the spatial heterogeneity in the human capital potential of Indonesia’s next generation by constructing and analyzing sub-national human capital indices (HCI) for 34 provinces and 514 districts in Indonesia. The paper identifies data and methodological constraints in the construction of these sub-national indices and proposes and implements strategies to overcome these challenges. Several interesting findings emerge from the analysis. First, Indonesian’s young generation can only achieve 53% of their future productivity relative to the full benchmark of health and education. Second, the variation in aggregate human capital potential across space in Indonesia is staggering: some parts of country are almost at par with countries like Vietnam and China while others have human capital levels that are comparable to Chad, Niger, and Sierra Leone. Third, differences in learning outcomes as measured by harmonized test scores account for the largest share of the variation in human capital across Indonesia, suggesting that the challenge of providing quality education remains one of the most important obstacles to equalizing opportunities for the next generation of Indonesians. And fourth, the correlation between government spending and performance on HCI at the district level appears rather weak, reinforcing conclusions reached by other recent studies that have highlighted the importance of focusing on the quality of spending. Finally, this paper also shows that Indonesia’s human capital registered a modest improvement from 0.50 in 2013 to 0.53 in 2018 with stronger progress observed among the already top performing provinces.
Mars Express: 20 Years of Mission, Science Operations and Data Archiving
Authors: Cardesin-Moinelo A. , Godfrey J. , Grotheer E. , Blake R. , Damiani S. , Wood S. , Dressler T. , Bruno M. , Johnstone A. , Lucas L. , Marin-Yaseli de la Parra J. , Merritt D. , Sierra M. , Määttänen A. , Antoja-Lleonart G. , Breitfellner M. , Muniz C. , Nespoli F. , Riu L. , Ashman M. , Escalante A. , Geiger B. , Heather D. , Hepburn A. , Pistone V. , Raga F. , Valles R. , Companys V. , Martin P. , Wilson C.
Published: March 2024

Launched on 2 June 2003 and arriving at Mars on 25 December 2003 after a 7-month interplanetary cruise, Mars Express was the European Space Agency’s first mission to arrive at another planet. After more than 20 years in orbit, the spacecraft and science payload remain in good health and the mission has become the second oldest operational planetary orbiter after Mars Odyssey.

This contribution summarizes the Mars Express mission operations, science planning and data archiving systems, processes, and teams that are necessary to run the mission, plan the scientific observations, and execute all necessary commands. It also describes the data download, the ground processing and distribution to the scientific community for the study and analysis of Mars sub-surface, surface, atmosphere, magnetosphere, and moons.

This manuscript also describes the main challenges throughout the history of the mission, including several potentially mission-ending anomalies. We summarize the evolution of the ground segment to provide new capabilities not envisaged before launch, whilst simultaneously maintaining or even increasing the quality and quantity of scientific data generated.