bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lithics in the Maya Region: Exploring Gendered Trends in Research in the Last Decade
Authors: Horowitz Rachel A. , Brouwer Burg Marieka
Published: April 2024

Even though lithics in the Maya region have traditionally been relegated to appendices and tool-type lists, much has been done to move beyond this descriptive approach in the last decade. In this article we highlight general themes of lithic studies in the Maya region since 2011, including economic production and exchange, the role of lithics in ritual practice, and the use of previously understudied raw materials and lithic forms, such as ground stone. Employing a temporal scope that encompasses the Maya and their preceramic predecessors, we explore gendered patterns of research within lithic studies from a feminist perspective and discuss the impacts that gender disparities have on academic thought.
Dependency Theory and Its Revival in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Ellner Steve
Published: April 2024

This essay reviews the following works:

El giro dependentista latinoamericano: Los orígenes de la teoría marxista de la dependencia. Edited by Juan Cristóbal Cárdenas Castro and Raphael Lana Seabra. Santiago: Ariadna, 2022. Pp. 426. Open access e-book: https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/57860. ISBN: 9566095570.

Teorías del imperialismo y la dependencia desde el Sur Global. Edited by Néstor Kohan. Buenos Aires: Amauta Insurgente and Cienflores, 2022. Pp. 388. Free e-book online. ISBN: 9874066040.

The Dialectics of Dependency. By Ruy Mauro Marini. Edited by Amanda Latimer and Jaime Osorio. Translated by Amanda Latimer. New York: Monthly Review, 2022. Pp. 202. $26.00 paperback, $89.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9781583679821

Dependency, Neoliberalism and Globalization in Latin America. By Carlos Eduardo Martins. Translated by Jacob Lagnado. Chicago: Haymarket, 2020. Pp. ix + 349. $28.00 paperback. ISBN: 9781642593594.

Rethinking Development: Marxist Perspectives. By Ronaldo Munck. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021. Pp. xxiv + 213. $139.99 paperback, $139.99 hardcover, $109.00 e-book. ISBN: 9783030738136.

Reproducción del capital, Estado y sistema mundial: Estudios desde la teoría marxista de la dependencia. By Jaime Osorio. Bogotá: Universidad Nacional de Colombia, 2020. Pp. 264. $1.99 e-book. ISBN: 9587831144.

Teoría marxista de la dependencia: Historia, fundamentos, debates y contribuciones. By Jaime Osorio. Los Polvorines: Ediciones UNGS, 2016. Pp. 336. Free e-book online. ISBN: 9789876302333.

Debates latinoamericanos: Indianismo, desarrollo, dependencia y populismo. By Maristella Svampa. Buenos Aires: Edhasa, 2018. Pp. 572. Free e-book online. ISBN: 6124760932.
Propriété et gestion des entreprises chez Rawls. L’ébauche rawlsienne des entreprises sous la démocratie de propriétaires et sous le socialisme démocratique
Authors: Ternier Camille
Published: April 2024

John Rawls est souvent perçu comme un partisan de politiques redistributives visant à apaiser les conséquences d'une économie capitaliste qu'il ne remettrait pas en cause. Cet article montre qu'il s'agit là d'un préjugé et donne un aperçu de la transformation du paysage des entreprises qu'impliquerait une société juste aux yeux de Rawls. Nous commentons les régimes économiques qu'il esquisse dans son œuvre et rappelons que le libéralisme égalitaire a en vérité des implications profondes et souvent insoupçonnées en ce qui concerne la propriété et la gestion des entreprises. Pour Rawls, la démocratie de propriétaires implique que les citoyens possèdent tout au long de leur vie des parts sociales dans les entreprises tandis que le socialisme libéral suppose la nationalisation des moyens de production et la socialisation de leur gestion.
La contrainte faite vertu. Sens et enjeux du mot coactus chez Spinoza
Authors: Lantoine Jacques-Louis
Published: April 2024

L'opposition entre contrainte et libre nécessité a conduit nombre de commentateurs de Spinoza à concevoir la libération éthique comme une reconquête de soi contre les aliénations causées par l'extériorité, et à confondre plus ou moins explicitement contrainte et contrariété de la puissance d'agir. L'analyse du mot coactus dans le texte spinoziste montre que les modes finis ne peuvent être et ne peuvent se libérer que par et dans la contrainte, qui n'est pas forcément contrariante. Une telle analyse rejoint celles des sociologues Émile Durkheim et Pierre Bourdieu.
Milk processing systems of the Mongolian nomadic Khalkha groups in eastern Mongolia and technique transmission from West Asia
Authors: Hirata Masahiro
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this paper is to understand the milk processing system practiced in the Mongolian nomadic Khalkha groups of Su'qbaatar and Dornod Provinces in eastern Mongolia through a field survey, to compare it with surrounding areas of Qentiy and Dundgowi Provinces, and then to analyze the transmission of processing techniques by further comparison with those of Syria, Jordan, Iran and Iraq in West Asia. The milk processing techniques of fermentation, cream separation and additive coagulation are all used in Su'qbaatar and Dornod Provinces. In fermentation processes, the technique of alcohol fermentation with churning is mainly used for cow milk to process alcoholic sour milk, followed by further processing to spirit, butter oil and non-matured dry cheese. In cream separation processes, the technique of heating/cream separation is used, in which cream is first separated from milk and non-matured dry cheese is processed from skim milk. In additive coagulation processes, the technique of fermented milk coagulation which utilizes lactic acid fermented whey as a coagulant is used to process non-matured dry cheese. These techniques are widely shared in the eastern part of Mongolia. It is characteristic of Su'qbaatar Province that the processing of cow milk is dominated by the technique of fermentation processes, mainly alcohol fermentation with churning. It is presumed that the technique of churning sour milk transmitted from West Asia to eastern Mongolia, and then the function of churning originally for butter processing was converted to allow for alcohol fermentation under the cooler environment in North Asia.
Pornography, “Serious Rape,” and Statistics: A Reply to Dr. Kutchinsky
Authors: Childress Steven Alan
Published: April 2024

Apparently there are lies, damned lies, statistics, and then Childress's review essay. My essay has “transmitted false information,” as Dr. Berl Kutchinsky puts it (1992:447), as well as fomenting “considerable confusion” about the outcome of various population studies on pornography and violence (ibid.). Yet since Kutchinsky points to no erroneous figures or data that I cited, other than assuming I misunderstood his own studies, at bottom the misinformation is a “false inconclusiveness verdict on the criminological pornography research” (p. 453). Worse, my essay is censorial because it calls for further study when, apparently, such testing wastes everyone's time as the matter has been definitively settled by Kutchinsky's own research.
First record of two gobioid fishes (Perciformes: Gobiidae) from Indian waters
Authors: Ragul Sivakumar , Manoj Aravind , Mahadevan Gopalan , Murugan Arumugam , Larson Helen
Published: April 2024

The present research documents new distributional records of two gobioid fishes, Acentrogobius vanderloosi Allen, 2015 and Pseudogobius fulvicaudus Huang, Shao, and Chen, 2014 from the southeastern coast of India. Indian coastal waters provide suitable habitats for many gobioid fishes due to its varied ecosystems. The confusion over the identity of a number of gobioid fishes in India suggests the need for more studies on these fishes to better understand their diversity, taxonomy, and geographical distribution. The present record of these species from the southeastern coast of India expands the known distribution of these species.
Assessing regional intracortical myelination in schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorders using the optimized T1w/T2w-ratio
Authors: Jørgensen Kjetil Nordbø , Nerland Stener , Slapø Nora Berz , Norbom Linn B. , Mørch-Johnsen Lynn , Wortinger Laura Anne , Barth Claudia , Andreou Dimitrios , Maximov Ivan I. , Geier Oliver M. , Andreassen Ole A. , Jönsson Erik G. , Agartz Ingrid
Published: April 2024

Background

Dysmyelination could be part of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia spectrum (SCZ) and bipolar disorders (BPD), yet few studies have examined myelination of the cerebral cortex. The ratio of T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI) correlates with intracortical myelin. We investigated the T1w/T2w-ratio and its age trajectories in patients and healthy controls (CTR) and explored associations with antipsychotic medication use and psychotic symptoms.

Methods

Patients with SCZ (n = 64; mean age = 30.4 years, s.d. = 9.8), BPD (n = 91; mean age 31.0 years, s.d. = 10.2), and CTR (n = 155; mean age = 31.9 years, s.d. = 9.1) who participated in the TOP study (NORMENT, University of Oslo, Norway) were clinically assessed and scanned using a General Electric 3 T MRI system. T1w/T2w-ratio images were computed using an optimized pipeline with intensity normalization and field inhomogeneity correction. Vertex-wise regression models were used to compare groups and examine group × age interactions. In regions showing significant differences, we explored associations with antipsychotic medication use and psychotic symptoms.

Results

No main effect of diagnosis was found. However, age slopes of the T1w/T2w-ratio differed significantly between SCZ and CTR, predominantly in frontal and temporal lobe regions: Lower T1w/T2w-ratio values with higher age were found in CTR, but not in SCZ. Follow-up analyses revealed a more positive age slope in patients who were using antipsychotics and patients using higher chlorpromazine-equivalent doses.

Conclusions

While we found no evidence of reduced intracortical myelin in SCZ or BPD relative to CTR, different regional age trajectories in SCZ may suggest a promyelinating effect of antipsychotic medication.
AN ASYMPTOTIC THEORY FOR JUMP DIFFUSION MODELS
Authors: Jeong Minsoo , Park Joon Y.
Published: April 2024

This paper presents an asymptotic theory for recurrent jump diffusion models with well-defined scale functions. The class of such models is broad, including general nonstationary as well as stationary jump diffusions with state-dependent jump sizes and intensities. The asymptotics for recurrent jump diffusion models with scale functions are largely comparable to the asymptotics for the corresponding diffusion models without jumps. For stationary jump diffusions, our asymptotics yield the usual law of large numbers and the standard central limit theory with normal limit distributions. The asymptotics for nonstationary jump diffusions, on the other hand, are nonstandard and the limit distributions are given as generalized diffusion processes.
Glastonbury Festival: Medical Care at the World’s Largest Greenfield Music Festival
Authors: Bennett Jack F. , Cottrell David J.
Published: April 2024

Introduction:

Music festivals have become an increasingly popular form of mass-gathering event, drawing an increasing number of attendees across the world each year. While festivals exist to provide guests with an enjoyable experience, there have been instances of serious illness, injury, and in some cases death. Large crowds, prolonged exposure to loud music, and high rates of drug and alcohol consumption can pose a dangerous environment for guests as well as those looking after them.

Methods:

A retrospective review of electronic patient records (EPRs) at the 2022 Glastonbury Festival was undertaken. All patients who attended medical services on-site during the festival and immediately after were included. Patient demographics, diagnosis, treatment received, and discharge destination were obtained and analyzed.

Results:

A total of 2,828 patients received on-site medical care. The patient presentation rate (PPR) was 13.47 and the transport-to-hospital rate (TTHR) was 0.30 per 1,000 guests. The most common diagnoses were joint injuries, gastrointestinal conditions, and blisters. Only 164 patients (5.48%) were diagnosed as being intoxicated. Overall, 552 patients (19.52%) were prescribed a medication to take away and 268 (9.48%) had a dressing for a minor wound. One patient (0.04%) underwent a general anesthetic and no patients required cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Most patients were discharged back to the festival site (2,563; 90.66%).

Discussion:

Minor conditions were responsible for many presentations and most patients only required mild or non-invasive interventions, after which they could be safely discharged back to the festival. Older adults were diagnosed with a different frequency of conditions compared to the overall study population, something not reported previously. Intoxicated patients only accounted for a very small amount of the medical workload.
Trade liberalization and the choice of pollution abatement
Authors: Haibara Takumi
Published: April 2024

It is well known that a consumer price-neutral reform of consumption taxes and import tariffs is welfare-improving. This paper shows that such price controls are inferior to quantity controls in terms of welfare improvement. The paper next turns to a comparison of different abatement strategies. Whether or not policy changes should fix private abatement or public abatement relates to the level of earmarking, and depends on the relationship between private production and public abatement. There are cases in which increased public abatement only improves welfare by more than both increased private and public abatement together. The paper recommends that environmental earmarking in the form of public abatement should be delivered to cushion price hikes and sustain private energy consumption.
The making of a goddess: rethinking the history of the cult of Zhunti (Cundī) in China
Authors: Lei Tianyu
Published: April 2024

The cult of Zhunti 准提/準提 (Sanskrit: Cundī) is a unique religious and cultural phenomenon in China. However, the scholarship devoted to its history has long been dominated by two problematic models—the model of ‘Sinification’, according to which the goddess Zhunti is a Chinese Buddhist deity borrowed from an Indian source, and the ‘evolution’ model that depicts the persistence of the Zhunti cult as a continuous and gradual process. I challenge these views and instead argue that, far from being a foreign transplant, Zhunti is a deity ‘made in China’ and there is no evidence of continuity in the development of the cult from the Liao to Ming–Qing times. To justify these assertions, I re-examine the development of the cult of Zhunti by exploring its vicissitudes throughout history and highlighting the ‘Chinese creations’ that were produced during the process of the making of the goddess Zhunti.
The roads to managed competition for mixed public–private health systems: a conceptual framework
Authors: Henriquez Josefa , van de Ven Wynand , Melia Adrian , Paolucci Francesco
Published: April 2024

Health systems’ insurance/funding can be organised in several ways. Some countries have adopted systems with a mixture of public–private involvement (e.g. Australia, Chile, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand) which creates two-tier health systems, allowing consumers (groups) to have preferential access to the basic standard of care (e.g. skipping waiting times). The degree to which efficiency and equity are achieved in these types of systems is questioned. In this paper, we consider integration of the two tiers by means of a managed competition model, which underpins Social Health Insurance (SHI) systems. We elaborate a two-part conceptual framework, where, first, we review and update the existing pre-requisites for the model of managed competition to fit a broader definition of health systems, and second, we typologise possible roadmaps to achieve that model in terms of the insurance function, and focus on the consequences on providers and governance/stewardship.
Entwicklung der Rechenflüssigkeit in der 5. Klasse und relevante Einflussfaktoren
Authors: Reinck Carolin , Goagoses Naska , Hillenbrand Clemens
Published: April 2024

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Rechenflüssigkeit ist die Fähigkeit, in einem umgrenzten Zeitraum möglichst viele richtige Lösungen bei der Berechnung von einfachen Additions-, Subtraktions-, Multiplikations- und Divisionsaufgaben mit einstelligen Zahlen zu erzielen. Eine gute Rechenflüssigkeit geht mit einer reduzierten Belastung des Arbeitsgedächtnisses einher und führt zu besseren Leistungen bei anspruchsvolleren mathematischen Kompetenzen (u.a. Bruchrechnung). Trotz dieser hohen Bedeutung liegen bisher kaum Befunde aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum vor. Methode: Die vorliegende Untersuchung erhebt die Rechenflüssigkeit innerhalb der fünften Jahrgangsstufe zu vier Messzeitpunkten. Der Einfluss von Intelligenz, Leseflüssigkeit, Lernverhalten (eingeschätzt durch die Lehrkraft), Geschlecht sowie sozioökonomischer Status wird analysiert. Ergebnisse und Diskussion: Die Forschungsergebnisse zeigen, dass sich die Rechenflüssigkeit in der fünften Jahrgangsstufe signifikant steigert.Der größte Teil der Varianz wird einerseits durch die frühere Rechenflüssigkeit erklärt, als auch durch die Leseflüssigkeit als signifikanter Prädiktor. Zukünftige Studien sollten die Bedeutung der Rechenflüssigkeit für weitere mathematische Kompetenzen in der Sekundarstufe sowie den Einfluss von spezifischen Prädiktoren betrachten.
A Shorter Version of the Revised Francis Psychological Type and	Emotional Temperament Scales (FPTETS-R)
Authors: Village Andrew , Francis Leslie J.
Published: April 2024

Abstract: The Francis Psychological Type and Emotional Temperament Scales (FPTETS) operationalize the psychological-type model of personality alongside emotional temperament. The scales have been widely used in research as continuous variables that explain a wide range of religious beliefs and attitudes. The full instrument consists of five 10-item scales so a shorter version would be useful in longer surveys where completion time needs to be minimized. This study uses data from 700 Church of England clergy who completed the revised version of the FPTETS to reduce the 10-item scales to 6-item scales. Ant colony optimization was found to be a better way of selecting the final items than reliability optimization alone because it balanced individual scale reliabilities with maintaining the factor structure of the overall instrument. The selected scales were validated using data from 1,194 lay people from the Church of England, and two samples of 884 clergy and 2,765 lay people from the Episcopal Church (USA). The short scales are commended for use where the need is for continuous scale scores rather than producing psychological typologies.
Quasi‐5‐Day Oscillations During Arctic Major Sudden Stratospheric Warmings From 2005 to 2021
Authors: Ma Zheng , Gong Yun , Zhang Shaodong , Xiao Qiao , Huang Chunming , Huang Kaiming
Published: April 2024

Traveling quasi‐5‐day oscillations (Q5DOs) with different wavenumbers are independently observed in the mesosphere and the lower thermosphere during many recent sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events, but their common activities during SSWs are still unclear. Based on the geopotential height data measured by the Aura/Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) from August 2004 to March 2021, we statistically investigate the characteristics of the Q5DOs during eight Arctic major SSW events. The amplitudes of the Q5DOs are obtained by a new fitting method, which inhibits the effect of rapid changes in stationary planetary waves during SSWs. Our results reveal a robust feature that Q5DOs were enhanced during all interested SSW events. Our analysis indicates that eastward and westward propagating Q5DOs can be simultaneously enhanced during SSWs. Additionally, the wavenumbers of the enhanced Q5DOs are found to be associated with the geometry of polar vortices. Extremely strong westward Q5DOs with wavenumber 2 are consistently observed during split‐type major SSWs.
Pn‐Wave Receiver Function
Authors: Zhang Liangyu , Tian Xiaobo
Published: April 2024

The receiver function (RF) method is the most widely adopted method for imaging crustal structures using earthquake data. Through attenuation during long‐distance propagation, high‐frequency components are scarce in teleseismic waveforms, resulting in low‐frequency RFs and low‐resolution crustal images. The Pn‐wave contains more high‐frequency components because of the short epicentral distance. To improve the resolution of crustal structure studies, we propose the Pn‐wave receiver function (PnRF) method. Unlike other near‐earthquake phases, the Pn‐wave can be considered a plane wave in the crust beneath seismic stations, and interference from other phases can be avoided at epicentral distances of 5–15°. PnRFs calculated from both numerical synthetic data and observational data at broadband seismic stations show that all converted waves are present in PnRFs at the predicted time according to the theory of plane waves. PnRFs calculated by observational data of a dense nodal array clearly show not only the converted wave from the Moho but also the converted wave from the crustal interface, which is too weak to be observed in tele‐RFs because the Pn‐wave has a larger incident angle and higher frequency than the teleseismic P‐wave. When used in conjunction with dense nodal array observations, the PnRF method has the potential to image crustal structures with a high resolution close to that of the deep seismic reflection method.
Integrating transcriptomics and machine learning for immunotherapy assessment in colorectal cancer
Authors: Xiang Jun , Liu Shihao , Chang Zewen , Li Jin , Liu Yunxiao , Wang Hufei , Zhang Hao , Wang Chunlin , Yu Lei , Tang Qingchao , Wang Guiyu
Published: April 2024

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly prevalent and lethal malignancy worldwide. Although immunotherapy has substantially improved CRC outcomes, intolerance remains a major concern among most patients. Considering the pivotal role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in tumor progression and treatment outcomes, profiling the TME at the transcriptomic level can provide novel insights for developing CRC treatment strategies. Seventy-seven TME-associated signatures were acquired from previous studies. To elucidate variations in prognosis, clinical features, genomic alterations, and responses to immunotherapy in CRC, we employed a non-negative matrix factorization algorithm to categorize 2595 CRC samples of 27 microarrays from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Three machine learning techniques were employed to identify a signature specific to immunotherapy. Subsequently, the mechanisms by which this signature interacts with TME subtypes and immunotherapy were investigated. Our findings revealed five distinct TME subtypes (TMESs; TMES1–TMES5) in CRC, each exhibiting a unique pattern of immunotherapy response. TMES1, TMES4, and TMES5 had relatively inferior outcomes, TMES2 was associated with the poorest prognosis, and TMES3 had a superior outcome. Subsequent investigations revealed that activated dendritic cells could enhance the immunotherapy response rate, with their augmentation effect closely associated with the activation of CD8+T cells. We successfully classified CRC into five TMESs, each demonstrating varying response rates to immunotherapy. Notably, the application of machine learning to identify activated dendritic cells helped elucidate the underlying mechanisms contributing to these differences. We posit that these TMESs hold promising clinical implications for prognostic evaluation and guidance of immunotherapy strategies, thereby providing valuable insights to inform clinical decision-making.
Comfort with LGB people and attitudes toward same-sex parenting in Continental American Hispanic Nations
Authors: Salinas-Quiroz Fernando , Balkcom Julian H. , Hermosa-Bosano Carlos , Olaya-Torres Adriana , Costa Pedro Alexandre
Published: April 2024

Negative attitudes toward Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) individuals leads to a perceived inability of LGB individuals to foster ‘appropriate’ family relationships, inciting negative attitudes specifically toward same-sex parenting. Intergroup and interpersonal relationships play a critical role in fostering attitudes toward others wherein type of contact, frequency, degree of closeness in the relationship, and the positivity/negativity of interactions are potential mediator of these relations, Moreover, the mechanism behind co-constructing positive relationships with sexual and gender minorities is comfort with contact with LGB individuals. The present study explored the effects of interpersonal contact and the mediator role of comfort with LGB people in explaining attitudes toward same-sex parenting in Spanish-speaking countries in North, Central, and South America. These countries are of particular interest given the dearth of research in the region on attitudes toward same-sex parenting as well as the varying degrees of acceptance of and protections for same-sex parented families. A non-probabilistic sample of 1955 heterosexual cisgender participants from 14 countries was asked to complete a series of sociodemographic questions, a questionnaire about their interpersonal contact/comfort experiences with LGB people, and the Attitudes Toward Gay and Lesbian Parenting Scale. Results showed that comfort was vital in fostering accepting attitudes toward Same-Sex Parenting across countries. Findings also suggested that comfort with LGB people has a particularly powerful influence in regions with less legal and cultural acceptance of LGB individuals. Policies are not enough to instill widespread change: we must encourage, facilitate, and supervise the formation of relationships with LGB people.
Designing of high entropy alloys with high hardness: a metaheuristic approach
Authors: Poonia Ansh , Kishor Modalavalasa , Ayyagari Kameswari Prasada Rao
Published: April 2024

The near-infinite compositional space of high-entropy-alloys (HEAs) is a huge resource-intensive task for developing exceptional materials. In the present study, an algorithmic framework has been developed to optimize the composition of an alloy with chosen set of elements, aiming to maximize the hardness of the former. The influence of phase on hardness prediction of HEAs was thoroughly examined. This study aims to establish generalized prediction models that aren’t confined by any specific set of elements. We trained the HEA identification model to classify HEAs from non-HEAs, the multi-labeled phase classification model to predict phases of HEAs also considering the processing route involved in the synthesis of the alloy, and the hardness prediction model for predicting hardness and optimizing the composition of the given alloy. The purposed algorithmic framework uses twenty-nine alloy descriptors to compute the composition that demonstrates maximum hardness for the given set of elements along with its phase(s) and a label stating whether it is classified as HEA or not.
Computation of expected values of some connectivity based topological descriptors of random cyclooctane chains
Authors: Yousaf Shamaila , Iqbal Zaffar , Tariq Saira , Aslam Adnan , Tchier Fairouz , Issa Abudulai
Published: April 2024

Cyclooctane is a cycloalkane consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms arranged in a closed ring structure. Cyclooctane chains can be found in various organic compounds and are significant in the field of organic chemistry due to their diverse reactivity and properties. The atom-bond connectivity index ($$\mathcal{A}\mathcal{B}\mathcal{C}$$

A
B
C

), the geometric-arithmetic index ($$\mathcal{G}\mathcal{A}$$

G
A

), the arithmetic–geometric index ($$\mathcal{A}\mathcal{G}$$

A
G

) and the forgotten index ($$\mathcal{F}$$
F
) are four well-studied molecular descriptors that have found applications in QSPR and QSAR studies. These topological descriptors have shown significant correlations with different physiochemical properties of octane isomers. In this work, the expected values of four degree based topological descriptors for random cyclooctane chains are calculated. An analytical comparison is given between the expected values of $$\mathcal{A}\mathcal{B}\mathcal{C}$$

A
B
C

, $$\mathcal{G}\mathcal{A}$$

G
A

, $$\mathcal{A}\mathcal{G}$$

A
G

, and $$\mathcal{F}$$
F
indices of random cyclooctane chains.
Exploring the possible relationship between skin microbiome and brain cognitive functions: a pilot EEG study
Authors: Wang Po-Chun , Rajput Daniyal , Wang Xin-Fu , Huang Chun-Ming , Chen Chun-Chuan
Published: April 2024

Human microbiota mainly resides on the skin and in the gut. Human gut microbiota can produce a variety of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that affect many physiological functions and most importantly modulate brain functions through the bidirectional gut-brain axis. Similarly, skin microorganisms also have identical metabolites of SCFAs reported to be involved in maintaining skin homeostasis. However, it remains unclear whether these SCFAs produced by skin bacteria can affect brain cognitive functions. In this study, we hypothesize that the brain’s functional activities are associated with the skin bacterial population and examine the influence of local skin-bacterial growth on event-related potentials (ERPs) during an oddball task using EEG. Additionally, five machine learning (ML) methods were employed to discern the relationship between skin microbiota and cognitive functions. Twenty healthy subjects underwent three rounds of tests under different conditions—alcohol, glycerol, and water. Statistical tests confirmed a significant increase in bacterial population under water and glycerol conditions when compared to the alcohol condition. The metabolites of bacteria can turn phenol red from red–orange to yellow, confirming an increase in acidity. P3 amplitudes were significantly enhanced in response to only oddball stimulus at four channels (Fz, FCz, and Cz) and were observed after the removal of bacteria when compared with that under the water and glycerol manipulations. By using machine learning methods, we demonstrated that EEG features could be separated with a good accuracy (> 88%) after experimental manipulations. Our results suggest a relationship between skin microbiota and brain functions. We hope our findings motivate further study into the underlying mechanism. Ultimately, an understanding of the relationship between skin microbiota and brain functions can contribute to the treatment and intervention of diseases that link with this pathway.
Fast high quality computational ghost imaging based on saliency variable sampling detection
Authors: Liu Xuan , Hu Jun , Ju Mingchi , Wang Yingzhi , Han Tailin , Huang Jipeng , Zhou Cheng , Zhang Yongli , Song Lijun
Published: April 2024

Fast computational ghost imaging with high quality and ultra-high-definition resolution reconstructed images has important application potential in target tracking, biological imaging and other fields. However, as far as we know, the resolution (pixels) of the reconstructed image is related to the number of measurements. And the limited resolution of reconstructed images at low measurement times hinders the application of computational ghost imaging. Therefore, in this work, a new computational ghost imaging method based on saliency variable sampling detection is proposed to achieve high-quality imaging at low measurement times. This method physically variable samples the salient features and realizes compressed detection of computational ghost imaging based on the salient periodic features of the bucket detection signal. Numerical simulation and experimental results show that the reconstructed image quality of our method is similar to the compressed sensing method at low measurement times. Even at 500 (sampling rate $$0.76\%$$

0.76
%

) measurement times, the reconstructed image of the method still has the target features. Moreover, the $$2160\times 4096$$

2160
×
4096

(4K) pixels ultra-high-definition resolution reconstructed images can be obtained at only a sampling rate of $$0.11\%$$

0.11
%

. This method has great potential value in real-time detection and tracking, biological imaging and other fields.
A physics based machine learning model to characterize room temperature semiconductor detectors in 3D
Authors: Banerjee Srutarshi , Rodrigues Miesher , Ballester Manuel , Vija Alexander H. , Katsaggelos Aggelos K.
Published: April 2024

Room temperature semiconductor radiation detectors (RTSD) for X-ray and $$\gamma$$
γ
-ray detection are vital tools for medical imaging, astrophysics and other applications. CdZnTe (CZT) has been the main RTSD for more than three decades with desired detection properties. In a typical pixelated configuration, CZT have electrodes on opposite ends. For advanced event reconstruction algorithms at sub-pixel level, detailed characterization of the RTSD is required in three dimensional (3D) space. However, 3D characterization of the material defects and charge transport properties in the sub-pixel regime is a labor intensive process with skilled manpower and novel experimental setups. Presently, state-of-art characterization is done over the bulk of the RTSD considering homogenous properties. In this paper, we propose a novel physics based machine learning (PBML) model to characterize the RTSD over a discretized sub-pixelated 3D volume which is assumed. Our novel approach is the first to characterize a full 3D charge transport model of the RTSD. In this work, we first discretize the RTSD between a pixelated electrodes spatially into 3 dimensions—x, y, and z. The resulting discretizations are termed as voxels in 3D space. In each voxel, the different physics based charge transport properties such as drift, trapping, detrapping and recombination of charges are modeled as trainable model weights. The drift of the charges considers second order non-linear motion which is observed in practice with the RTSDs. Based on the electron–hole pair injections as input to the PBML model, and signals at the electrodes, free and trapped charges (electrons and holes) as outputs of the model, the PBML model determines the trainable weights by backpropagating the loss function. The trained weights of the model represents one-to-one relation to that of the actual physical charge transport properties in a voxelized detector.
Experimental characterization and finite element investigation of SiO2 nanoparticles reinforced dental resin composite
Authors: Jaleh Babak , Kashfi Mohammad , Feizi Mohazzab Behnaz , Shakhsi Niaee Morteza , Vafaee Fariborz , Fakhri Parisa , Golbedaghi Reza , Fausto Rui
Published: April 2024

In this study, a commercial dental resin was reinforced by SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) with different concentrations to enhance its mechanical functionality. The material characterization and finite element analysis (FEA) have been performed to evaluate the mechanical properties. Wedge indentation and 3-point bending tests were conducted to assess the mechanical behavior of the prepared nanocomposites. The results revealed that the optimal content of NPs was achieved at 1% SiO2, resulting in a 35% increase in the indentation reaction force. Therefore, the sample containing 1% SiO2 NPs was considered for further tests. The morphology of selected sample was examined using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), revealing the homogeneous dispersion of SiO2 NPs with minimal agglomeration. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to investigate the crystalline structure of the selected sample, indicating no change in the dental resin state upon adding SiO2 NPs. In the second part of the study, a novel approach called iterative FEA, supported by the experiment wedge indentation test, was used to determine the mechanical properties of the 1% SiO2-dental resin. Subsequently, the accurately determined material properties were assigned to a dental crown model to virtually investigate its behavior under oblique loading. The virtual test results demonstrated that most microcracks initiated from the top of the crown and extended through its thickness.
Effect of CHST11, a novel biomarker, on the biological functionalities of clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Hu Weijing , Chen Yongquan , Zhang Lin , Guo Xiaoling , Wei Xin , Shao Yuan , Wang Dongwen , Wu Bo
Published: April 2024

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common malignant tumor, and the role of carbohydrate sulfotransferase 11 (CHST11) in this cancer remains unclear. Here, by using bioinformatics methods, we comprehensively analyzed the relationship between CHST11 and clinical significance, immune infiltration, functional enrichment, m6A methylation, and protein–protein interaction networks. We found that CHST11 expression was significantly higher in ccRCC samples than in normal tissues. Additionally, CHST11 levels correlated with the clinicopathological features of ccRCC patients and functioned as a prognostic factor for patient survival. Functional analysis revealed the involvement of CHST11 in metabolic pathways. Immune infiltration and m6A methylation analysis suggested the association of CHST11 with immune cell abundance in the tumor microenvironment and specific methylation patterns in ccRCC. The in vitro analysis of the clinical samples and ccRCC cell lines demonstrated that the overexpression of CHST11 promotes ccRCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while its suppression has the opposite effect. Thus, CHST11 may play a remarkable role in the occurrence and progression of ccRCC. Functionally, CHST11 promotes the aggressiveness of ccRCC cells. These findings provide insights into the role of CHST11 in ccRCC progression.

Registry and the Registration No. of the study/trial: No. 2021K034.
Patients with unmet social needs are at higher risks of developing severe long COVID-19 symptoms and neuropsychiatric sequela
Authors: Eligulashvili Anna , Darrell Megan , Gordon Moshe , Jerome William , Fiori Kevin P. , Congdon Seth , Duong Tim Q.
Published: April 2024

This study investigated long COVID of patients in the Montefiore Health System COVID-19 (CORE) Clinics in the Bronx with an emphasis on identifying health related social needs (HRSNs). We analyzed a cohort of 643 CORE patients (6/26/2020–2/24/2023) and 52,089 non-CORE COVID-19 patients. Outcomes included symptoms, physical, emotional, and cognitive function test scores obtained at least three months post-infection. Socioeconomic variables included median incomes, insurance status, and HRSNs. The CORE cohort was older age (53.38 ± 14.50 vs. 45.91 ± 23.79 years old, p < 0.001), more female (72.47% vs. 56.86%, p < 0.001), had higher prevalence of hypertension (45.88% vs. 23.28%, p < 0.001), diabetes (22.86% vs. 13.83%, p < 0.001), COPD (7.15% vs. 2.28%, p < 0.001), asthma (25.51% vs. 12.66%, p < 0.001), lower incomes (53.81% vs. 43.67%, 1st quintile, p < 0.001), and more unmet social needs (29.81% vs. 18.49%, p < 0.001) compared to non-CORE COVID-19 survivors. CORE patients reported a wide range of severe long-COVID symptoms. CORE patients with unmet HRSNs experienced more severe symptoms, worse ESAS-r scores (tiredness, wellbeing, shortness of breath, and pain), PHQ-9 scores (12.5 (6, 17.75) vs. 7 (2, 12), p < 0.001), and GAD-7 scores (8.5 (3, 15) vs. 4 (0, 9), p < 0.001) compared to CORE patients without. Patients with unmet HRSNs experienced worse long-COVID outcomes compared to those without.
Existence of common fuzzy fixed points via fuzzy F-contractions in b-metric spaces
Authors: Kanwal Shazia , Waheed Sana , Rahimzai Ariana Abdul , Khan Ilyas
Published: April 2024

The main goal of this study is to establish common fuzzy fixed points in the context of complete b-metric spaces for a pair of fuzzy mappings that satisfy F-contractions. To strengthen the validity of the derived results, non-trivial examples are provided to substantiate the conclusions. Moreover, prior discoveries have been drawn as logical extensions from pertinent literature. Our findings are further reinforced and integrated by the numerous implications that this technique has in the literature. Using fixed point techniques to approximate the solutions of differential and integral equations is very useful. Specifically, in order to enhance the validity of our findings, the existence result of the system of non-linear Fredholm integral equations of second-kind is incorporated as an application.
Investigation of class-F power amplifier in the presence of the second and fourth harmonics of input voltage
Authors: Rostami Parastoo , Sheikhi Akram
Published: April 2024

In this paper, a thorough theoretical investigation of high-efficiency class-F power amplifier (PA) is undertaken to drive, considering the second and fourth harmonics of input voltage. The precise analytical expressions of the gate-source voltage, drain current, output power, and efficiency are extracted. Maximum normalized output power and maximum drain efficiency from the initial phase and amplitude of the second and fourth harmonics of input gate-voltage can be achieved. The simulation of class-F PA using a GaN CGH40010F transistor has been done to validate the theoretical analysis. Addition of the fourth harmonic gate voltage along with the second harmonic improves the output power and efficiency of the PA by 0.7 dBm and 4.1%. Based on the simulation with realistic elements, a highly efficient PA operating from 1.8 to 2.2 GHz is implemented. The fabricated PA provides an efficiency of 72–87.6%, PAE of 65–80% and an output power of 39.3–41 dBm.
Genome-scale chromatin binding dynamics of RNA Polymerase II general transcription machinery components
Authors: Kupkova Kristyna , Shetty Savera J , Hoffman Elizabeth A , Bekiranov Stefan , Auble David T
Published: April 2024

A great deal of work has revealed, in structural detail, the components of the preinitiation complex (PIC) machinery required for initiation of mRNA gene transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II). However, less-well understood are the in vivo PIC assembly pathways and their kinetics, an understanding of which is vital for determining how rates of in vivo RNA synthesis are established. We used competition ChIP in budding yeast to obtain genome-scale estimates of the residence times for five general transcription factors (GTFs): TBP, TFIIA, TFIIB, TFIIE and TFIIF. While many GTF-chromatin interactions were short-lived ( < 1 min), there were numerous interactions with residence times in the range of several minutes. Sets of genes with a shared function also shared similar patterns of GTF kinetic behavior. TFIIE, a GTF that enters the PIC late in the assembly process, had residence times correlated with RNA synthesis rates. The datasets and results reported here provide kinetic information for most of the Pol II-driven genes in this organism, offering a rich resource for exploring the mechanistic relationships between PIC assembly, gene regulation, and transcription.
Avalanche properties at the yielding transition: from externally deformed glasses to active systems
Authors: Villarroel Carlos , Düring Gustavo
Published: April 2024

We investigated the yielding phenomenon under different scenarios of deformation in the quasistatic limit using numerical simulations of soft particles.
A density functional theory analysis of the C–H activation reactivity of iron(iv)-oxo complexes with an ‘O’ substituted tetramethylcyclam macrocycle
Authors: Kaur Lovleen , Mandal Debasish
Published: April 2024

As equatorial nitrogen atoms are replaced by oxygen atoms, [Fe(iv)OTMC] complexes become more reactive in C–H activation. The reaction follows exchange-enhanced mediated two-state reactivity patterns. Reactivity is dominated by electron acceptor orbital energy, which decreases with O-enrichment.
Impact of metal coordination and pH on the antimicrobial activity of histatin 5 and the products of its hydrolysis
Authors: Dzień Emilia , Wątły Joanna , Kola Arian , Mikołajczyk Aleksandra , Miller Adriana , Matera-Witkiewicz Agnieszka , Valensin Daniela , Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena
Published: April 2024

The antimicrobial activity of histatin 5 and the products of its hydrolysis – its N-terminal fragment (histatin 5–8) and C-terminal one (histatin 8) and their metal complexes depends on pH. Zn(ii) coordination changes the structure of histatin 5–8 and increase its antimicrobial potency.
Regulating the type of nitrogen to improve the performance of Co–N/C with a confinement effect in peroxymonosulfate activation for the effective degradation of organic pollutants
Authors: Cong Yanqing , Ye Lingjie , Zheng Qiuang , Wang Yudi , Shao Yifan , Ren Xuhua , Lv Shi-Wen
Published: April 2024

Three Co–N/C-based catalysts with different types of nitrogen are prepared and employed to activate peroxymonosulfate for tetracycline degradation.
New 2-pyridone-based donor–acceptor dyes: the effect of the donor group position, type of π-linker and acid–base characteristics of the medium on the photophysical properties
Authors: Sorokin Saveliy P. , Ievlev Mikhail Yu. , Ershov Oleg V.
Published: April 2024

Synthesis of a series of new donor–acceptor dyes based on 2-pyridone and the study of the effect of the position of the donor group, the type of π-linker and the acid–base characteristics of the medium on their photophysical properties.
Induced pluripotent stem cells in cartilage tissue engineering: a literature review
Authors: Owaidah Amani Y.
Published: April 2024

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a long-term, persistent joint disorder characterized by bone and cartilage degradation, resulting in tightness, pain, and restricted movement. Current attempts in cartilage regeneration are cell-based therapies using stem cells. Multipotent stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs), have been used to regenerate cartilage. However, since the discovery of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in 2007, it was seen as a potential source for regenerative chondrogenic therapy as it overcomes the ethical issues surrounding the use of ESCs and the immunological and differentiation limitations of MSCs. This literature review focuses on chondrogenic differentiation and 3D bioprinting technologies using hiPSCS, suggesting them as a viable source for successful tissue engineering. Methods: A literature search was conducted using scientific search engines, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases with the terms ‘Cartilage tissue engineering’ and ‘stem cells’ to retrieve published literature on chondrogenic differentiation and tissue engineering using MSCs, ESCs, and hiPSCs. Results: hiPSCs may provide an effective and autologous treatment for focal chondral lesions, though further research is needed to explore the potential of such technologies. Conclusions: This review has provided a comprehensive overview of these technologies and the potential applications for hiPSCs in regenerative medicine.