bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 diagnosis and adherence to mitigation behaviours in a national United States older adult sample
Authors: Wong Roger , Lovier Margaret Anne
Published: October 2023

Older adults and people of colour are vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, and mitigation behaviours reduce COVID-19 infection. We examined racial and ethnic differences in COVID-19 diagnosis and adherence to COVID-19 mitigation behaviours among U.S. older adults. Data were retrieved from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, a nationally representative prospective cohort with 3257 U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65+. COVID-19 variables were collected in 2020; all other data in 2019. Odds of COVID-19 diagnosis and adherence to mitigation behaviours (handwashing, masking, social distancing) were analysed using logistic regression. Compared to White older adults, only Hispanic respondents had 2.7 times significantly higher odds of COVID-19 after adjusting for sociodemographics, health, and mitigation behaviours (aOR = 2.71, 95% CI = 1.20-6.12). Black older adults had 7.9 times significantly higher odds of masking (aOR = 7.94, 95% CI = 2.33-27.04) and 2.3 times higher odds of social distancing (aOR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.28-4.24), after adjusting for sociodemographics and health. Among all racial and ethnic groups, only Hispanic older adults had a significantly elevated COVID-19 diagnosis. Despite higher adherence to COVID-19 mitigation behaviours among racial and ethnic minorities, especially Black older adults, odds of COVID-19 remained elevated. Research is needed to explore potential mechanisms for higher odds of COVID-19 among minority older adults.
Chronic treatment with D2-antagonist haloperidol leads to inhibitory/excitatory imbalance in striatal D1-neurons
Authors: Santa Cátia , Rodrigues Diana , Coelho Joana F. , Anjo Sandra I. , Mendes Vera M. , Bessa-Neto Diogo , Dunn Michael J. , Cotter David , Baltazar Graça , Monteiro Patrícia , Manadas Bruno
Published: October 2023

Striatal dysfunction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, a disorder characterized by positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. Haloperidol is a typical antipsychotic medication used in the treatment of schizophrenia that is known to antagonize dopamine D2 receptors, which are abundantly expressed in the striatum. However, haloperidol’s delayed therapeutic effect also suggests a mechanism of action that may go beyond the acute blocking of D2 receptors. Here, we performed proteomic analysis of striatum brain tissue and found more than 400 proteins significantly altered after 30 days of chronic haloperidol treatment in mice, namely proteins involved in glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission. Cell-type specific electrophysiological recordings further revealed that haloperidol not only reduces the excitability of striatal medium spiny neurons expressing dopamine D2 receptors (D2-MSNs) but also affects D1-MSNs by increasing the ratio of inhibitory/excitatory synaptic transmission (I/E ratio) specifically onto D1-MSNs but not D2-MSNs. Therefore, we propose the slow remodeling of D1-MSNs as a mechanism mediating the delayed therapeutic effect of haloperidol over striatum circuits. Understanding how haloperidol exactly contributes to treating schizophrenia symptoms may help to improve therapeutic outcomes and elucidate the molecular underpinnings of this disorder.
Mechanism of the noncatalytic oxidation of soot using in situ transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Gao Ming , Jang Yongjun , Ding Lu , Gao Yunfei , Dai Sheng , Dai Zhenghua , Yu Guangsuo , Yang Wenming , Wang Fuchen
Published: October 2023

Soot generation is a major challenge in industries. The elimination of soot is particularly crucial to reduce pollutant emissions and boost carbon conversion. The mechanisms for soot oxidation are complex, with quantified models obtained under in situ conditions still missing. We prepare soot samples via noncatalytic partial oxidation of methane. Various oxidation models are established based on the results of in situ transmission electron microscopy experiments. A quantified maturity parameter is proposed and used to categorize the soot particles according to the nanostructure at various maturity levels, which in turn lead to different oxidation mechanisms. To tackle the challenges in the kinetic analysis of soot aggregates, a simplification model is proposed and soot oxidation rates are quantified. In addition, a special core-shell separation model is revealed through in situ analysis and kinetic studies. In this study, we obtain important quantified models for soot oxidation under in situ conditions.
The global and regional air quality impacts of dietary change
Authors: Springmann Marco , Van Dingenen Rita , Vandyck Toon , Latka Catharina , Witzke Peter , Leip Adrian
Published: October 2023

Air pollution increases cardiovascular and respiratory-disease risk, and reduces cognitive and physical performance. Food production, especially of animal products, is a major source of methane and ammonia emissions which contribute to air pollution through the formation of particulate matter and ground-level ozone. Here we show that dietary changes towards more plant-based flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diets could lead to meaningful reductions in air pollution with health and economic benefits. Using systems models, we estimated reductions in premature mortality of 108,000-236,000 (3-6%) globally, including 20,000-44,000 (9-21%) in Europe, 14,000-21,000 (12-18%) in North America, and 49,000-121,000 (4-10%) in Eastern Asia. We also estimated greater productivity, increasing economic output by USD 0.6-1.3 trillion (0.5-1.1%). Our findings suggest that incentivising dietary changes towards more plant-based diets could be a valuable mitigation strategy for reducing ambient air pollution and the associated health and economic impacts, especially in regions with intensive agriculture and high population density.
Catalytic enantioselective reductive alkynylation of amides enables one-pot syntheses of pyrrolidine, piperidine and indolizidine alkaloids
Authors: Xu Fang-Fang , Chen Jin-Quan , Shao Dong-Yang , Huang Pei-Qiang
Published: October 2023

The primary objective in synthetic organic chemistry is to develop highly efficient, selective, and versatile synthetic methodologies, which are essential for discovering new drug candidates and agrochemicals. In this study, we present a unified strategy for a one-pot, catalytic enantioselective synthesis of α-alkyl and α,α′-dialkyl pyrrolidine, piperidine, and indolizidine alkaloids using readily available amides and alkynes. This synthesis is enabled by the identification and development of an Ir/Cu/N-PINAP catalyzed highly enantioselective and chemoselective reductive alkynylation of α-unbranched aliphatic amides, which serves as the key reaction. This reaction is combined with Pd-catalyzed tandem reactions in a one-pot approach, enabling the collective, catalytic enantioselective total syntheses of eight alkaloids and an anticancer antipode with 90–98% ee. The methodology’s enantio-divergence is exemplified by the one-step access to either enantiomer of alkaloid bgugaine.
Chronological adhesive cardiac patch for synchronous mechanophysiological monitoring and electrocoupling therapy
Authors: Yu Chaojie , Shi Mingyue , He Shaoshuai , Yao Mengmeng , Sun Hong , Yue Zhiwei , Qiu Yuwei , Liu Baijun , Liang Lei , Zhao Zhongming , Yao Fanglian , Zhang Hong , Li Junjie
Published: October 2023

With advances in tissue engineering and bioelectronics, flexible electronic hydrogels that allow conformal tissue integration, online precision diagnosis, and simultaneous tissue regeneration are expected to be the next-generation platform for the treatment of myocardial infarction. Here, we report a functionalized polyaniline-based chronological adhesive hydrogel patch (CAHP) that achieves spatiotemporally selective and conformal embedded integration with a moist and dynamic epicardium surface. Significantly, CAHP has high adhesion toughness, rapid self-healing ability, and enhanced electrochemical performance, facilitating sensitive sensing of cardiac mechanophysiology-mediated microdeformations and simultaneous improvement of myocardial fibrosis-induced electrophysiology. As a result, the flexible CAHP platform monitors diastolic-systolic amplitude and rhythm in the infarcted myocardium online while effectively inhibiting ventricular remodeling, promoting vascular regeneration, and improving electrophysiological function through electrocoupling therapy. Therefore, this diagnostic and therapeutic integration provides a promising monitorable treatment protocol for cardiac disease.
Multiple channelling single-photon emission with scattering holography designed metasurfaces
Authors: Komisar Danylo , Kumar Shailesh , Kan Yinhui , Meng Chao , Kulikova Liudmila F. , Davydov Valery A. , Agafonov Viatcheslav N. , Bozhevolnyi Sergey I.
Published: October 2023

Channelling single-photon emission in multiple well-defined directions and simultaneously controlling its polarization characteristics is highly desirable for numerous quantum technology applications. We show that this can be achieved by using quantum emitters (QEs) nonradiatively coupled to surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), which are scattered into outgoing free-propagating waves by appropriately designed metasurfaces. The QE-coupled metasurface design is based on the scattering holography approach with radially diverging SPPs as reference waves. Using holographic metasurfaces fabricated around nanodiamonds with single Ge vacancy centres, we experimentally demonstrate on-chip integrated efficient generation of two well-collimated single-photon beams propagating along different 15° off-normal directions with orthogonal linear polarizations.
Transferable equivariant graph neural networks for the Hamiltonians of molecules and solids
Authors: Zhong Yang , Yu Hongyu , Su Mao , Gong Xingao , Xiang Hongjun
Published: October 2023

This work presents an E(3) equivariant graph neural network called HamGNN, which can fit the electronic Hamiltonian matrix of molecules and solids by a complete data-driven method. Unlike invariant models that achieve equivariance approximately through data augmentation, HamGNN employs E(3) equivariant convolutions to construct the Hamiltonian matrix, ensuring strict adherence to all equivariant constraints inherent in the physical system. In contrast to previous models with limited transferability, HamGNN demonstrates exceptional accuracy on various datasets, including QM9 molecular datasets, carbon allotropes, silicon allotropes, SiO2 isomers, and BixSey compounds. The trained HamGNN models exhibit accurate predictions of electronic structures for large crystals beyond the training set, including the Moiré twisted bilayer MoS2 and silicon supercells with dislocation defects, showcasing remarkable transferability and generalization capabilities. The HamGNN model, trained on small systems, can serve as an efficient alternative to density functional theory (DFT) for accurately computing the electronic structures of large systems.
Additive manufacturing of metallic glass from powder in space
Authors: Neumann Christian , Thore Johannes , Clozel Mélanie , Günster Jens , Wilbig Janka , Meyer Andreas
Published: October 2023

Additive manufacturing of metals – and in particular building with laser-based powder bed fusion – is highly flexible and allows high-resolution features and feedstock savings. Meanwhile, though space stations in low Earth orbit are established, a set of visits to the Moon have been performed, and humankind can send out rovers to explore Venus and Mars, none of these milestone missions is equipped with technology to manufacture functional metallic parts or tools in space. In order to advance space exploration to long-term missions beyond low Earth orbit, it will be crucial to develop and employ technology for in-space manufacturing (ISM) and in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU). To use the advantages of laser-based powder bed fusion in these endeavours, the challenge of powder handling in microgravity must be met. Here we present a device capable of building parts using metallic powders in microgravity. This was proven on several sounding rocket flights, on which occasions Zr-based metallic glass parts produced by additive manufacturing in space were built. The findings of this work demonstrate that building parts using powder feedstock, which is more compact to transport into space than wire, is possible in microgravity environments. This thus significantly advances ISRU and ISM and paves the way for future tests in prolonged microgravity settings.
Study on material and mechanical characteristics of silicone rubber shed of field-aged 110 kV composite insulators
Authors: Mu Lin , Wang Bo , Hao Jinpeng , Fang Ziyi , Wang Yu
Published: October 2023

Composite insulators have excellent performance and are more and more widely used in power grid. The performance of composite insulators with different service duration will decline in varying degrees, which could pose a threat to the safe operation of power grid. In order to investigate the influence of service duration and electric field strength on insulator shed performance, the sheds at different positions of insulators with different service duration are sampled. The hydrophobicity, material and mechanical properties of the samples are tested, and then the micro material properties tests are performed in terms of SEM, FTIR and XPS tests. Based on the above test results, the aging law and its mechanism of silicone rubber sheds are analyzed. The results reveal that the performance of insulator shed gradually decline with the increase of service life. The hydrophobicity and hardness of high-voltage end insulator are similar to that of middle section insulator, while other parameters are obviously different, indicating that the electric field can aggravate the aging. FTIR results show that the main chain and hydrophobic side chain of silicone rubber are destroyed, and the oxygen-containing groups increased, indicating that thermal oxygen aging occurred during operation. XPS and SEM results show that the crosslinking degree of silicone rubber increases and the porosity increases. The above changes in the microstructure of silicone rubber lead to the decline of insulator performance.
Highly-excited Rydberg excitons in synthetic thin-film cuprous oxide
Authors: DeLange Jacob , Barua Kinjol , Paul Anindya Sundar , Ohadi Hamid , Zwiller Val , Steinhauer Stephan , Alaeian Hadiseh
Published: October 2023

Cuprous oxide ($$\hbox {Cu}{}_2\hbox {O}$$

Cu

2

O

) has recently emerged as a promising material in solid-state quantum technology, specifically for its excitonic Rydberg states characterized by large principal quantum numbers (n). The significant wavefunction size of these highly-excited states (proportional to $$n^2$$

n
2

) enables strong long-range dipole-dipole (proportional to $$n^4$$

n
4

) and van der Waals interactions (proportional to $$n^{11}$$

n
11

). Currently, the highest-lying Rydberg states are found in naturally occurring $$\hbox {Cu}_2\hbox {O}$$

Cu
2

O

. However, for technological applications, the ability to grow high-quality synthetic samples is essential. The fabrication of thin-film $$\hbox {Cu}{}_2\hbox {O}$$

Cu

2

O

samples is of particular interest as they hold potential for observing extreme single-photon nonlinearities through the Rydberg blockade. Nevertheless, due to the susceptibility of high-lying states to charged impurities, growing synthetic samples of sufficient quality poses a substantial challenge. This study successfully demonstrates the CMOS-compatible synthesis of a $$\hbox {Cu}{}_2\hbox {O}$$

Cu

2

O

thin film on a transparent substrate that showcases Rydberg excitons up to $$n = 8$$

n
=
8

which is readily suitable for photonic device fabrications. These findings mark a significant advancement towards the realization of scalable and on-chip integrable Rydberg quantum technologies.
Predation of invasive silver carp by native largemouth bass is size-selective in the Illinois River
Authors: Lampo Eli G. , Vallazza Jon M. , Anderson Cory A. , Solomon Levi E. , Pendleton Richard M. , Holda Toby J. , Lamer James T.
Published: October 2023

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) are a nonnative, planktivorous, and highly invasive species of cyprinid located throughout the Mississippi River Basin. Although they co-occur with largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans), an abundant native predatory fish, their predator–prey relationship is poorly understood. This potential relationship warrants investigation as largemouth bass are large-gaped predators capable of exhibiting top-down control on planktivorous fishes. The objectives of this study were to determine if largemouth bass consume juvenile silver carp, and if there was a relationship between length of largemouth bass and length of silver carp consumed. Largemouth bass were collected from the La Grange Pool of the Illinois River using 60 Hz-pulsed DC electrofishing and their diets were analyzed (n = 389, total length = 70–578 mm). Evidence of silver carp was present in 18% of diets of largemouth bass that consumed fish. Lengths of consumed silver carp were estimated from the dimensions of their recovered chewing pads or pharyngeal teeth in the stomachs of largemouth bass. A significant relationship between length of largemouth bass and length of silver carp consumed (p < 0.001, F = 34.63, r2 = 0.61) was observed. Estimated total lengths of silver carp were 34–101 mm and were recovered from diets of largemouth bass that were 94–262 mm total length. These results indicate enhancement of native largemouth bass populations is unlikely to substantially reduce silver carp populations in the Illinois River or in other waterways where these species co-occur.
An African perspective on the Water-Energy-Food nexus
Authors: Simpson Gareth B. , Jewitt Graham P. W. , Mabhaudhi Tafadzwanashe , Taguta Cuthbert , Badenhorst Jessica
Published: October 2023

There is a need to address resource security and distributional justice in developing countries. People need water, energy, and food to sustain their livelihoods, grow economies, and achieve sustainable development. The interactions between these resource sectors form the crux of water-energy-food (WEF) nexus assessments. In this study, we have utilised the WEF Nexus Index to analyse the WEF nexus of 54 African nations. The results from the analysis were used to illustrate the opportunities and constraints for future development. Generally, African countries are performing sub-optimally in the WEF Nexus Index due to the insecurity of water, energy and/or food. The performance of countries varies with context, highlighting the need for contextual analysis in identifying challenges and potential solutions. Implementation of interventions for achieving WEF security needs to be planned from an integrated perspective to optimise synergies and minimize trade-offs. Implementation of the WEF nexus approach towards simultaneous security of WEF resources has potential to improve the WEF nexus. For example and for many African countries, policies that undergird investments in energy supply projects are needed to unlock available freshwater resources and meet food requirements—energy is shown to be a critical enabler of development. Such projects can be utilised to enhance the ability of farmers to manage water through drought-proofing rainfed agriculture, an increase in irrigation development, or both. WEF nexus-based studies, policies, and projects must be focused on the direct and indirect achievement of SDGs 1, 2, 6, 7, and 13, both in terms of access and availability, to ensure distributional justice, especially in the African context. Such actions, combined with broad public participation, can have a ripple effect on other SDGs such as SDGs 5, 10, and 17, thereby reducing inequalities and building partnerships to attain these aspirational goals. The assessment of Africa’s relatively low scores in terms of the WEF Nexus Index does not represent a negative narrative. Instead, it provides an entry point to identifying hotspots and understanding the underlying challenges, through which more detailed analyses can lead to identified solutions and policies. Many African countries are trapped in an environment that could be termed a ‘poverty-unemployment-inequality nexus’ (due to the interlinkages that exist between these ‘wicked’ problems). The WEF Nexus Index provides high-level insights into these opportunities.
Ideal water temperature environment for giant Marimo (Aegagropila linnaei) in Lake Akan, Japan
Authors: Nakayama Keisuke , Komai Katsuaki , Amano Motoshi , Horii Shintarou , Somiya Yuichiro , Kumamoto Etsuko , Oyama Yoichi
Published: October 2023

Aegagropila linnaei is a filamentous green algal species that often forms beautiful spherical shapes called "lake balls" or "Marimo". A. linnaei were once globally distributed around the world, but the population has been declining for several decades. Lake Akan, in Japan, is now the only lake in the world with a colony of giant Marimo (over 20 cm in diameter). Here we show the net growth rate of Marino resulting from photosynthesis and decomposition based on laboratory experiments, MRI analysis, and quantitative element analysis, which show the decomposition rate, the maximum annual Marimo diametric growth rate, and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, respectively. We found an explicit dependence of the decomposition rate of Marimo on the cumulative water temperature, with a threshold of 7 °C. MRI analysis showed a high correlation among a Marimo's diameter, surface thickness, and annual diametric growth rate. Moreover, the C/N ratio was high in the exterior side of the surface thickness, indicating that this layer is the main growth area for photosynthesis. These results suggest that the central cavity and the surface thickness represent the change in the growth environment such as water temperature and light intensity. Between the 1980s and the present, Between the 1980s and the present, the cumulative water temperature has increased from about 1250 to about 1600 °C-days. Therefore, the maximum surface thickness has decreased by approximately 1 cm, as estimated by water temperature records and annual diametric growth rates10. As a measure to preserve preferable conditions for colonies of giant Marimo in the face of global warming, the flow of low-temperature river water into Marimo colonies should be protected.
Dissociating different temporal stages of emotional word processing by feature-based attention
Authors: Schindler Sebastian , Vormbrock Ria , Helming Hanne , Straube Thomas
Published: October 2023

Negative emotional content is prioritized across different stages of information processing as reflected by different components of the event-related potential (ERP). In this preregistered study (N = 40), we investigated how varying the attentional focus allows us to dissociate the involvement of specific ERP components in the processing of negative and neutral words. Participants had to discriminate the orientation of lines overlaid onto the words, the word type (adjective/noun), or the emotional content (negative/neutral). Thus, attention was either not focused on words (distraction task), non-emotional aspects, or the emotional relevance of words. Regardless of the task, there were no significant differences between negative and neutral words for the P1, N1, or P2 components. In contrast, interactions between emotion and task were observed for the early posterior negativity (EPN) and late positive potential (LPP). EPN differences were absent during the distraction task but were present in the other two tasks. LPP emotion differences were found only when attention was directed to the emotional content of words. Our study adds to the evidence that early ERP components do not reliably separate negative and neutral words. However, results show that mid-latency and late stages of emotion processing are separable by different attention tasks. The EPN represents a stage of attentional enhancement of negative words given sufficient attentional resources. Differential activations during the LPP stage are associated with more elaborative processing of the emotional meaning of words.
Construction method for ecological protection of stone side slopes using composite vegetation concrete
Authors: Cheng Xiying , Yang Ruimin , Han Yi
Published: October 2023

Traditional ecological restoration technology has many challenges in dealing with the greening of steep rock slopes, especially in the case of serious soil erosion. In order to overcome these problems, this study aims to organically combine the traditional protection and reinforcement technology with the new vegetation restoration technology, and put forward a new ecological protection technology of composite vegetation concrete to realize the comprehensive protection and ecological restoration of rocky slopes. In this paper, by analyzing the mechanism and existing problems of ecological protection of rocky slopes, the design requirements of composite vegetation concrete are studied in detail, and the related construction technology is expounded. In the experiment, the vegetation coverage and incidence were systematically analyzed, and the results showed that some samples showed high vegetation coverage and low incidence. Comprehensive consideration shows that the average vegetation coverage rate is 93.7%, and the average incidence rate is only 5.21%, which all meet the corresponding standards. The composite vegetation concrete technology has a wide application prospect in stone slope protection, which significantly improves the slope vegetation coverage and compressive strength, and effectively promotes the slope greening and ecological sustainable development. Through this study, we aim to convey to readers that the comprehensive method of combining traditional and innovative technologies can achieve encouraging results in solving the problem of ecological restoration of steep rock slopes, and provide useful reference for engineering practice in similar environments.
Simulated biomechanical performance of morphologically disparate ant mandibles under bite loading
Authors: Klunk C. L. , Argenta M. A. , Rosumek F. B. , Schmelzle S. , van de Kamp T. , Hammel J. U. , Pie M. R. , Heethoff M.
Published: October 2023

Insects evolved various modifications to their mouthparts, allowing for a broad exploration of feeding modes. In ants, workers perform non-reproductive tasks like excavation, food processing, and juvenile care, relying heavily on their mandibles. Given the importance of biting for ant workers and the significant mandible morphological diversity across species, it is essential to understand how mandible shape influences its mechanical responses to bite loading. We employed Finite Element Analysis to simulate biting scenarios on mandible volumetric models from 25 ant species classified in different feeding habits. We hypothesize that mandibles of predatory ants, especially trap-jaw ants, would perform better than mandibles of omnivorous species due to their necessity to subdue living prey. We defined simulations to allow only variation in mandible morphology between specimens. Our results demonstrated interspecific differences in mandible mechanical responses to biting loading. However, we found no evident differences in biting performance between the predatory and the remaining ants, and trap-jaw mandibles did not show lower stress levels than other mandibles under bite loading. These results suggest that ant feeding habit is not a robust predictor of mandible biting performance, a possible consequence of mandibles being employed as versatile tools to perform several tasks.
Interference recommendation for the pump sizing process in progressive cavity pumps using graph neural networks
Authors: Starke Leandro , Hoppe Aurélio Faustino , Sartori Andreza , Stefenon Stefano Frizzo , Santana Juan Francisco De Paz , Leithardt Valderi Reis Quietinho
Published: October 2023

Pump sizing is the process of dimensional matching of an impeller and stator to provide a satisfactory performance test result and good service life during the operation of progressive cavity pumps. In this process, historical data analysis and dimensional monitoring are done manually, consuming a large number of man-hours and requiring a deep knowledge of progressive cavity pump behavior. This paper proposes the use of graph neural networks in the construction of a prototype to recommend interference during the pump sizing process in a progressive cavity pump. For this, data from different applications is used in addition to individual control spreadsheets to build the database used in the prototype. From the pre-processed data, complex network techniques and the betweenness centrality metric are used to calculate the degree of importance of each order confirmation, as well as to calculate the dimensionality of the rotors. Using the proposed method a mean squared error of 0.28 is obtained for the cases where there are recommendations for order confirmations. Based on the results achieved, it is noticeable that there is a similarity of the dimensions defined by the project engineers during the pump sizing process, and this outcome can be used to validate the new design definitions.
The effect of sequential combination of mirror therapy and robot-assisted therapy on motor function, daily function, and self-efficacy after stroke
Authors: Chen Yen-Wei , Li Kuan-Yi , Lin Chu-Hsu , Hung Pei-Hsuan , Lai Hui-Tzu , Wu Ching-Yi
Published: October 2023

Robot-assisted therapy and mirror therapy are both effective in promoting upper limb function after stroke and combining these two interventions might yield greater therapeutic effects. We aimed to examine whether using mirror therapy as a priming strategy would augment therapeutic effects of robot-assisted therapy. Thirty-seven chronic stroke survivors (24 male/13 female; age = 49.8 ± 13.7 years) were randomized to receive mirror therapy or sham mirror therapy prior to robot-assisted therapy. All participants received 18 intervention sessions (60 min/session, 3 sessions/week). Outcome measures were evaluated at baseline and after the 18-session intervention. Motor function was assessed using Fugl-Meyer Assessment and Wolf Motor Function Test. Daily function was assessed using Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Scale. Self-efficacy was assessed using Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaires and Daily Living Self-Efficacy Scale. Data was analyzed using mixed model analysis of variance. Both groups demonstrated statistically significant improvements in measures of motor function and daily function, but no significant between-group differences were found. Participants who received mirror therapy prior to robot-assisted therapy showed greater improvements in measures of self-efficacy, compared with those who received sham mirror therapy. Our findings suggest that sequentially combined mirror therapy with robot-assisted therapy could be advantageous for enhancing self-efficacy post-stroke.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03917511. Registered on 17/04/2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ NCT03917511.
Observed changes in wet days and dry spells over the IGAD region of eastern Africa
Authors: Omay Paulino Omoj , Muthama Nzioka J. , Oludhe Christopher , Kinama Josiah M. , Artan Guleid , Atheru Zachary
Published: October 2023

Changes in wet and dry patterns have an impact on rain-fed agriculture, crop productivity, and food security in Eastern Africa. The purpose of this research is to look into the changes in wet days and dry periods within the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region. Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Station Data (CHIRPS) and Multi Models Ensembles (MME) of 10 historical simulations and projections from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) models were employed as the data source. Several statistical approaches, as well as wet and dry spell thresholds, were used to calculate patterns of change in wet and dry spells on a decadal (10-year), 20, 30, and 41-year time scale. The results show the region exhibits decrease a decrease in the number of wet days and protracted dry spells in the 1980s, followed by an extraordinary (exceptional) increase in wet days in the subsequent decades (2011–2020) during March–May (MAM), June–September (JJAS), and October-December (OND). In Kenya, Somalia, southeastern Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti, the probability of surpassing 7, 14, 21, 28 days (1, 2, 3, 4 spells) was less than 5%. Furthermore, floods in 1997, 2018, 2019, and 2020, as well as droughts in 1983, 1984, 1985, and 2021, were triggered by an increase or decrease in the number of wet days and dry spells over most of the region. The number of wet days is projected to decrease by 10–20% during the MAM season across Sudan, South Sudan, and central and northern Ethiopia, JJAS is projected to increase by 30–50% across central and northern Sudan. However, during the OND season, increases are projected over Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) scenarios. These findings contributed to the advancement of scientific knowledge in the IGAD region, as well as decision-making, food security, and the development of adaptation and mitigation strategies. We encourage rain-fed agriculture, crop variety planning, and irrigation supplement.
Holistic and featural processing’s link to face recognition varies by individual and task
Authors: Leong Bryan Qi Zheng , Estudillo Alejandro J. , Hussain Ismail Ahamed Miflah
Published: October 2023

While it is generally accepted that holistic processing facilitates face recognition, recent studies suggest that poor recognition might also arise from imprecise perception of local features in the face. This study aimed to examine to what extent holistic and featural processing relates to individual differences in face recognition ability (FRA), during face learning (Experiment 1) and face recognition (Experiment 2). Participants performed two tasks: (1) The “Cambridge Face Memory Test-Chinese” which measured participants’ FRAs, and (2) an “old/new recognition memory test” encompassing whole faces (preserving holistic and featural processing) and faces revealed through a dynamic aperture (impairing holistic processing but preserving featural processing). Our results showed that participants recognised faces more accurately in conditions when holistic information was preserved, than when it is impaired. We also show that the better use of holistic processing during face learning and face recognition was associated with better FRAs. However, enhanced featural processing during recognition, but not during learning, was related to better FRAs. Together, our findings demonstrate that good face recognition depends on distinct roles played by holistic and featural processing at different stages of face recognition.
Retinal vascular occlusion risks during the COVID-19 pandemic and after SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Park Hyo Song , Kim Sunyeup , Lee Christopher Seungkyu , Byeon Suk Ho , Kim Sung Soo , Lee Seung Won , Kim Yong Joon
Published: October 2023

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been reported to affect vascular networks including the eye. However, evidence on the causal relationship between COVID-19 infection and retinal vascular occlusions remains limited. This study aimed to determine the change in retinal vascular occlusion incidence during COVID-19 era and whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection induces retinal vascular occlusion. Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and retinal artery occlusion (RAO) incidences during 2018–2019 and 2020–July 2021 were compared, those in confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients diagnosed from 2020 to January 2021 were calculated, and those in COVID-19 patients during 180 days prior and 180 days after diagnosis were assessed. Additionally, the standardized incidence ratio of RVOs in COVID-19 patients was analyzed. Incidence rates per 100,000 people/year of RVO during 2018–2019 and 2020–2021 was 102.0 and 98.8, respectively. RAO incidence rates during 2018–2019 and 2020–2021 were 11.7 and 12.0, respectively. In both confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients, the incidence of RVO and RAO did not change significantly from 180 days before to after diagnosis in the adjusted model. RVO incidence slightly decreased while RAO incidence increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 infection did not significantly increase RVO or RAO incidence.
An energetics tale of the 2022 mega-heatwave over central-eastern China
Authors: Zhang Tuantuan , Deng Yi , Chen Junwen , Yang Song , Dai Yongjiu
Published: October 2023

It remains a major challenge to attribute heatwave’s lifecycle characteristics quantitatively to interwoven atmospheric and surface actions. By constructing a process-resolving, energetics-based attribution framework, here we quantitatively delineate the lifecycle of the record-breaking 2022 mega-heatwave over central-eastern China from a local energetics perspective. It is found that the cloudlessness induced radiative heating and atmospheric dynamics dominate the total energy buildup during the developing stage, while the land-atmosphere coupling and atmospheric horizontal advection act most effectively to sustain and terminate the heatwave, respectively. A reduction in anthropogenic aerosols provides a persistent positive contribution during the event, suggesting that pollution mitigation measures may actually increase the amplitudes of future heatwaves. With this framework, initial efforts are made to unravel culprits in a model’s sub-seasonal prediction of this mega-heatwave, demonstrating the framework’s potential for efficiently detecting the origins of climate extremes and quantitatively assessing the impacts of mitigation policies for sustainable development.
Phenotypic but not genetically predicted heart rate variability associated with all-cause mortality
Authors: Tegegne Balewgizie S. , Said M. Abdullah , Ani Alireza , van Roon Arie M. , Shah Sonia , de Geus Eco J. C. , van der Harst Pim , Riese Harriëtte , Nolte Ilja M. , Snieder Harold
Published: October 2023

Low heart rate variability (HRV) has been widely reported as a predictor for increased mortality. However, the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to identify novel genetic loci associated with HRV and assess the association of phenotypic HRV and genetically predicted HRV with mortality. In a GWAS of 46,075 European ancestry individuals from UK biobank, we identified 17 independent genome-wide significant genetic variants in 16 loci associated with HRV traits. Notably, eight of these loci (RNF220, GNB4, LINCR-002, KLHL3/HNRNPA0, CHRM2, KCNJ5, MED13L, and C160rf72) have not been reported previously. In a prospective phenotypic relationship between HRV and mortality during a median follow-up of seven years, individuals with lower HRV had higher risk of dying from any cause. Genetically predicted HRV, as determined by the genetic risk scores, was not associated with mortality. To the best of our knowledge, the findings provide novel biological insights into the mechanisms underlying HRV. These results also underline the role of the cardiac autonomic nervous system, as indexed by HRV, in predicting mortality.
The impact of imputation quality on machine learning classifiers for datasets with missing values
Authors: Shadbahr Tolou , Roberts Michael , Stanczuk Jan , Gilbey Julian , Teare Philip , Dittmer Sören , Thorpe Matthew , Torné Ramon Viñas , Sala Evis , Lió Pietro , Patel Mishal , Preller Jacobus ,   AIX-COVNET Collaboration, Selby Ian , Breger Anna , Weir-McCall Jonathan R. , Gkrania-Klotsas Effrossyni , Korhonen Anna , Jefferson Emily , Langs Georg , Yang Guang , Prosch Helmut , Babar Judith , Escudero Sánchez Lorena , Wassin Marcel , Holzer Markus , Walton Nicholas , Lió Pietro , Rudd James H. F. , Mirtti Tuomas , Rannikko Antti Sakari , Aston John A. D. , Tang Jing , Schönlieb Carola-Bibiane
Published: October 2023

Background

Classifying samples in incomplete datasets is a common aim for machine learning practitioners, but is non-trivial. Missing data is found in most real-world datasets and these missing values are typically imputed using established methods, followed by classification of the now complete samples. The focus of the machine learning researcher is to optimise the classifier’s performance.

Methods

We utilise three simulated and three real-world clinical datasets with different feature types and missingness patterns. Initially, we evaluate how the downstream classifier performance depends on the choice of classifier and imputation methods. We employ ANOVA to quantitatively evaluate how the choice of missingness rate, imputation method, and classifier method influences the performance. Additionally, we compare commonly used methods for assessing imputation quality and introduce a class of discrepancy scores based on the sliced Wasserstein distance. We also assess the stability of the imputations and the interpretability of model built on the imputed data.

Results

The performance of the classifier is most affected by the percentage of missingness in the test data, with a considerable performance decline observed as the test missingness rate increases. We also show that the commonly used measures for assessing imputation quality tend to lead to imputed data which poorly matches the underlying data distribution, whereas our new class of discrepancy scores performs much better on this measure. Furthermore, we show that the interpretability of classifier models trained using poorly imputed data is compromised.

Conclusions

It is imperative to consider the quality of the imputation when performing downstream classification as the effects on the classifier can be considerable.
Origin and Historical Perspectives of Green Gasoline
Authors: Tiwari Hansnath , Samal Kulbhushan , Kumar Sanjeev , Gumpte Kapil , Geed Sachin Rameshrao
Published: October 2023

Green gasoline has been considered as a renewable energy source and has attracted significant attention as a clean fuel and alternative energy source. The depletion of fossil fuels and ecological environmental concerns have encouraged the development of renewable green gasoline as an energy source. Green gasoline has major advantages such as decreased emissions, flexibility, compatibility and increased energy security. Continuing research and development have been carried out emphasizing green gasoline production using a variety of feedstocks, processes and green gasoline products for sustainable bio-based energy. The development of catalysts, reactors and process plants depending on the feedstock has been the main focus of green gasoline production. This chapter provides an overview of the origin and historical perspectives of green gasoline, the development of processes involved in biomass conversion, technoeconomic aspects of green gasoline, commercial and environmental considerations and the current status of technologies for green gasoline production.
Recent Advances and Challenges in Biobutanol Production
Authors: Rao Raman , Dhull Paramjeet , Shilpa  , Kumar Sachin
Published: October 2023

In recent years, changes in crude oil prices and environment-related issues have compelled the scientific community to look towards renewable resources for the biological production of butanol. Butanol is considered an advanced biofuel owing to its environmentally friendly nature and superior qualities compared with ethanol. The production of butanol via biotechnological routes has some drawbacks, such as product inhibition, high cost of the substrate, low butanol productivity and incomplete knowledge of the microbial genome. To improve butanol productivity, it is necessary to have a deep knowledge of the functioning of genes in metabolic and regulatory pathways and to develop some advanced metabolic engineering tools. This chapter highlights genetic modifications to improve the solvent tolerance capacity of microbial strains, the development of effective microbial consortia for biomass fermentation and different fermentation types employed for high-titer butanol production. The chapter also sheds light on some globally adapted advanced fermentation techniques such as physiochemical and biological pretreatment methods, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) and consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) to enhance butanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. These potential solutions will strengthen the hope of having a cost-effective and energy-efficient butanol production process in the near future.
Conversion of Biomass to Green Gasoline: Feedstocks, Technological Advances and Commercial Scope
Authors: Ansari Khursheed B. , Shakeelur Rahman A. R.  , Khan Mohd Shariq , Farooqui Saleem Akhtar , Ansari Mohd Yusuf , Danish Mohammad
Published: October 2023

Biomass-driven energy has attracted considerable attention in recent decades as an alternative to petroleum fuel, particularly diesel and gasoline. Green gasoline production through the hydroprocessing of biomass/plant materials is one innovative approach that has brought biorefinery facilities to the forefront. Several biomass-based feedstocks, including wood chips, bagasse, vegetable oils and blends of bio-oil and petroleum oil, are being investigated for green gasoline production. Of these, vegetable oils produce kerosene and diesel-range hydrocarbons (C15–C20) along with gasoline, and the others mainly form gasoline. The aforementioned feedstocks are processed using a variety of techniques, such as gasification, pyrolysis, aqueous-phase processing, hydroprocessing, catalytic cracking and co-processing, to produce green gasoline that matches petroleum gasoline. Despite the availability of several options, only a few techniques have reached the pilot/commercial-scale level, hence a thorough understanding of the technologies involved along with their economics is needed. Biomass-based green gasoline production routes still require development and research leading to optimized conditions for handling most categories of feedstock. Conversion, operational, social and policy and regulatory challenges still exist for biomass-to-green gasoline conversion techniques. Only a few successful commercializations of biomass-to-green gasoline conversion have been proposed so far.
Green Gasoline: Integrated Production Processes, Future Perspectives and Technoeconomic Feasibility
Authors: Marghade Deepali , Bhange Vivek P. , Gabhane Jagdish W. , Agrawal Pratibha
Published: October 2023

The bioenergy derived from biomass is an indispensable part of sustainable energy strategies to satisfy present and future energy demands. Many conventional bioenergy production technologies are available and the selection of a particular technology is completely based on the category and composition of the biomass feedstock. These technologies face challenges to produce biofuel on a commercial scale and their relevance is limited to blending with petroleum-derived gasoline. The development of substantial coupled or integrated production technologies is vital with a view to perfecting the liquid gasoline production process analogous to conventional gasoline. New platform chemical-based conversion processes have also been studied thoroughly to produce alternative high octane number liquid fuels such as 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF). In this chapter, conventional thermochemical processing technologies for the conversion of biomass into green gasoline are discussed. The development, upgrading and bottlenecks of different processing technologies with various feedstocks are also discussed briefly. The production of furan-based chemicals such as DMF as a straight-run green gasoline is also considered. The technical and economic feasibility and future perspectives for the sustainable production of green gasoline are discussed.