bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bioactive, textural and sensory attributes of soft confections enriched with plant protein hydrolysates
Authors: Güneş Zeynep Saliha , Şişman Sebahat , Özarda Özlem , Gülseren İbrahim
Published: May 2024

Soft confections can serve as a reservoir for bioactive peptide delivery in both functional food and food supplement applications. In this study, pectin-based soft confections were fortified with proteolytic plant protein hydrolysates and the residual bioactivity of hydrolysates was studied after processing or simulated digestion. Cold press sunflower or hazelnut cakes were used in the manufacture of protein isolates based on an alkali extraction-isoelectric precipitation (AE-IP) method. Trypsin or bromelain were utilized in the proteolysis of the isolates and thus prepared liquid hydrolysates were used in confectionery manufacture. DPP-IV (dipeptidyl peptidase-IV) inhibitory activity (i.e., in vitro antidiabetic activity) and antioxidative activities were measured. In addition, sensory and textural attributes were investigated. In all cases, a significant concentration of hydrolysates were added to the confections (27%), which lead to significant changes in color, texture and sensory acceptance. The peptide profile and size distribution mostly altered such characteristics, while observed bioactivity was significant after processing. Simulated digestion enhanced DPP-IV inhibitory activity up to approx. 40%, whereas antioxidative performance decreased. While the applicability of the current findings is limited by hydrolysate solubility, ingredient interactions, and processing costs, the relevance of degree of hydrolysis (DH%), peptide characteristics and phenolic-peptide interactions on product quality and eventual bioactivity are being discussed.
Policy support strategies for organic farming extensification in Nigeria
Authors: Ume Chukwuma , Bahta Yonas T.
Published: May 2024

To achieve a more sustainable agricultural production system, the focus should extend beyond solely promoting the adoption of organic farming to include an emphasis on extensification. A synergistic approach involving Branding/informal certification, price premiums for organic produce, and government subsidies holds the potential to drive higher levels of organic farming extensification among smallholder producers. This study encompassed 415 organic growers engaged in varying degrees of organic farming. These participants were drawn from the Southeast region of Nigeria. Employing a multi-endogenous instrumental variable regression, the research uncovered compelling insights. Notably, it revealed that providing premiums for organic products and utilizing Branding or informal certification significantly supported growers' inclination to expanding the land area under organic agriculture. Conversely, government subsidies exhibited a negative influence on extensification rates. In light of these findings, it becomes imperative to envision a more robust future for organic farming in Nigeria that hinges on strategic investments in formal certifications, thereby facilitating enhanced integration of organic producers into larger domestic and global markets.
Effect of MELD-Na score on overall survival of periampullary cancer
Authors: Yılmaz Serkan , Yur Mesut
Published: May 2024

Periampullary cancers have a short overall survival (OS), and many prognostic factors have been studied for this purpose. They usually present with biliary obstruction, which negatively affects the liver, kidney, immune system, and cardiovascular system. This study aimed to investigate the effect of MELD-Na scores on OS in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy due to periampullary cancer. Patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy due to periampullary cancer between January 2010 and January 2021 were included in the study. After applying the exclusion criteria, 80 of the 124 patients were included in the study. The demographic, laboratory, and pathologic data of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. Univariate analysis showed that MELD-Na score at admission, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index, adjuvant treatment, portal vein resection, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), T-stage, and tumor location were significantly associated with OS (p < 0.1). In multivariate analysis, MELD-Na score at admission (HR: 1.051, 95% CI [1.004–1.101]; p = 0.033), adjuvant treatment (HR: 4.717, 95% CI [2.371–9.383]; p < 0.001), LVI (HR: 2.473, 95% CI [1.355–4.515]; p = 0.003), and tumor location (HR: 2.380, 95% CI [1.274–4.445]; p = 0.007) were independent risk factors for OS. MELD-Na score, adjuvant treatment, LVI, and tumor location were independent risk factors for the OS of periampullary cancer. The MELD-Na score may be used to predict OS for patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy due to periampullary cancer.
Blockchain and industrial symbiosis: a preliminary two-step framework to green circular supply chains
Authors: Ventura V. , La Monica M. , Bortolini M. , Cutaia L. , Mora C.
Published: May 2024

The strategic management of supply chains, by ensuring closed-loop manufacturing processes and a constant reduction of industrial waste, is an essential pillar of sustainability. This is the pattern behind the, so-called, circular supply chains. The effective adoption of this paradigm demands the supply chains actors to establish robust integration and relationships, so that waste and by‐products of an industry or industrial process become the raw materials for others. This circular network is defined as industrial symbiosis. Starting from a background on this topic, this working paper explores the potential of blockchain as enabling technology of Industry 4.0 to disseminate industrial symbiosis practices within the modern industrial scenario. A preliminary two-step framework, i.e., conceptual and operative, is presented including insights and win–win synergies showing the potential of blockchain technology in supporting informative flows of industrial symbiosis. Preliminary field experiences are suggested, along with existing limitations and perspectives on future research.
Cross-Sectional Melt Pool Geometry of Laser Scanned Tracks and Pads on Nickel Alloy 718 for the 2022 Additive Manufacturing Benchmark Challenges
Authors: Weaver Jordan S. , Deisenroth David , Mekhontsev Sergey , Lane Brandon M. , Levine Lyle E. , Yeung Ho
Published: May 2024

The Additive Manufacturing Benchmark Series (AM Bench) is a NIST-led organization that provides a continuing series of additive manufacturing benchmark measurements, challenge problems, and conferences with the primary goal of enabling modelers to test their simulations against rigorous, highly controlled additive manufacturing benchmark measurement data. To this end, single-track (1D) and pad (2D) scans on bare plate nickel alloy 718 were completed with thermography, cross-sectional grain orientation and local chemical composition maps, and cross-sectional melt pool size measurements. The laser power, scan speed, and laser spot size were varied for single tracks, and the scan direction was varied for pads. This article focuses on the cross-sectional melt pool size measurements and presents the predictions from challenge problems. Single-track depth correlated with volumetric energy density while width did not (within the studied parameters). The melt pool size for pad scans was greater than single tracks due to heat buildup. Pad scan melt pool depth was reduced when the laser scan direction and gas flow direction were parallel. The melt pool size in pad scans showed little to no trend against position within the pads. Uncertainty budgets for cross-sectional melt pool size from optical micrographs are provided for the purpose of model validation.
Experimental and numerical study of lateral vibration of a rotor–stator rubbing system
Authors: Taher Gehad A. F. , Rabeih El-Adl , El-Mongy Heba H.
Published: May 2024

In this paper, lateral vibration of a rotating system with rotor–stator rubbing is investigated experimentally and numerically. An experimental study is conducted using a simple test rig to model a horizontal rotating system with a fixed stator device to simulate rubbing. Furthermore, a lumped parameter model with two degrees of freedom is established with a viscoelastic contact model that considers the stiffness and damping properties of the stator. The fourth/fifth order Runge–Kutta technique is used to solve the nonlinear equations of motion of the rotor system. The effect of changing mass unbalance and radial clearance on the dynamic response is investigated experimentally and numerically. The observed results are presented in detail through bifurcation diagrams, frequency spectra, Poincaré’s points, orbit plots, and time waveforms. The experimental results show that changing the mass unbalance and radial clearance yield significant effects on the system response. The 2 × and 3 × harmonic components are found to serve as good indicators of increasing rub severity. The numerical results show the dynamic characteristics of rub responses such as periodic no-contact, periodic with contact, quasi-periodic, and chaotic responses. The response characteristics are very sensitive to the changes in system parameters and initial conditions. Both the experimental and numerical results show qualitatively that the lateral vibration response exhibits coexistence and alternation of periodic and chaotic responses. Also, quasiperiodic response shows up in some numerical case studies. The obtained results contribute toward a better diagnosis of rotor–stator rub fault in rotating machines.
Content validity of SarQoL, a quality of life questionnaire specific to sarcopenia
Authors: Demonceau C. , Voz B. , Bruyère O. , Reginster J-Y. , Beaudart C.
Published: May 2024

Background

The Sarcopenia & Quality of Life (SarQoL) questionnaire is a patient-reported outcome measure designed for assessing health-related quality of life in individuals with sarcopenia. Despite its wide acceptance in the scientific literature, its content validity has only been partially demonstrated so far.

Aims

To enhance the evidence supporting the content validity of the SarQoL questionnaire.

Methods

Following COSMIN methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 Belgian older adults who met the EWGSOP2 criteria for the diagnosis of sarcopenia and 11 experts in sarcopenia, with clinical or research background. Comprehensiveness, relevance and comprehensibility of SarQoL content were assessed through individual transcripts and were qualitatively analyzed thematically according to the seven dimensions of SarQoL.

Results

The majority of the concepts elicited during the semi-structured interviews fitted within existing SarQoL dimensions. Importantly, the different domains of SarQoL were consensually considered as relevant by patients and experts. Some new emergent concepts were identified by the participants. While many of them could be considered as enrichments of existing dimensions or sub-concepts, other new concepts (i.e. self-fulfilment, acceptance of the reduced condition, adaptation/use of strategies, depression) may highlight two potential dimensions not covered by SarQoL, i.e. patient empowerment and depression. Cognitive interviews also highlighted that SarQoL items and instructions were clear and comprehensible.

Conclusions

SarQoL, in its current form, demonstrates good evidence of content validity for assessing health-related quality of life in patients with sarcopenia. We do not recommend adding new items or dimensions to SarQoL. Instead, for researchers or clinicians who aim to specifically address self-empowerment or depression of sarcopenic populations, we suggest completing the assessment of quality of life by concurrently using additional validated scales of patient empowerment or depression.
What effect do mycotoxins, cell wall components, enzymes and other mold components and metabolites have on our health?
Authors: Hurraß Julia , Teubel Rabea , Fischer Guido , Heinzow Birger , Wiesmüller Gerhard A.
Published: May 2024

The AWMF (Association of the Scientific Medical Societies) mold guideline “Medical clinical diagnostics for indoor mold exposure”—Update 2023 [44] concludes that there is limited or presumed evidence of a link between indoor dampness/mold exposure and health problems. However, there is inadequate or insufficient evidence for an association between indoor dampness/mold exposure and the environmental medical syndromes sick building syndrome (SBS), multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Newly coined terms, such as biotoxicosis and mold and vapor hypersensitivity syndrome (MDHS) or volatoxins, suggest a nosological specificity of a pathophysiological connection for which, however, there is no evidence to date. The background to this assessment is presented in this paper.
Developing and Implementing a Training Programme for Medical Students to Become Peer Educators in Simulation-Based Education
Authors: Roche Adam F. , Jagiella-Lodise Olivia , Kirrane Rebecca , Condron Claire M.
Published: May 2024

Peer assisted learning is a useful strategy for medical students to learn from one another in a safe, structured capacity. As a pilot, we designed a training programme in collaboration with medical students to equip them with the knowledge, skills and abilities to act effectively as peer educators in simulation-based education.
Study of the engineering performance of pipes buried in the soil
Authors: Attia Mahmoud Ali , Radwan Amr Mohamed , Hammad Amal , Farag Ahmed
Published: May 2024

This paper investigates the response of a flexible buried pipe to traffic load using laboratory experiments and numerical analysis. A series of laboratory tests and numerical simulations were performed to examine the effect of surface pressure, loading width, pipe type, pipe thickness, and burial depth on model response. In the experiments, a load was applied to the surface of a tank in which a pipe was buried. To gain a better understanding of the pipe's behavior, numerical simulations were performed using the finite element method; PLAXIS 2-D software. The results show that there is a good agreement between numerical and experimental test results. Furthermore, experimental and numerical analysis show that increasing burial depth reduces pipe deflection, increases soil surface settlement, and decreases pipe pressure, whereas increasing surface pressure increases all of the above parameters. Finally, equations were developed based on all numerical and experimental results to predict maximum stress on the pipe crown.
A Two-Temperature Nonlocal Poro-Thermoelastic Solid Via Higher-Order Time-Derivatives Model with Phase Lag
Authors: Said Samia M. , Othman Mohamed I. A. , Eldemerdash Mohamed G.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The present study has depicted the effect of gravitational on a two-temperature nonlocal poro-thermoelastic solid.

Methods

The multi-phase-lag model and fractional derivatives are used to tackle the issue. Through normal mode analysis, analytical formulas for the variable fields are derived. Using appropriate boundary conditions, the physical fields are calculated and the numerical computations have been carried out with the help of MATLAB programming.

Results

Through a careful comparison of the numerical data, the impacts of gravity, fractional derivative order, and locatiy on the behavior of physical fields are described.

Conclusion

Physical variables are affected by nonlocal thermoelasticity, fractional derivative order as well as the gravity field.
A decision-making approach on control techniques for an inverted pendulum based on, neuro-fuzzy, indirect adaptive and PID controllers
Authors: de la Cruz-Alejo Jesus , Beatriz-Cuellar Hugo , Guillermo I. C. Alcocer , Ortega Agustin Mora
Published: May 2024

The operation of an inverted pendulum and its respective type of control are affected by the change of the values of its internal parameters. Changes with high uncertainty result in responses with undesirable outputs. In this work, a comparison is presented for the control of an inverted pendulum to determine the operation and characteristics of three types of control systems: Neuro-Fuzzy Control (NFC), Indirect Adaptive Control (IAC) and a Proportional Integral Derivative control (PID). The study considers several indices such as stabilization time, rise time, mean square error, overshoots, convergence, computational load, error, mathematical requirements, and performance indices for control systems. To demonstrate its operation, the controls are implemented in hardware, one for the NFC and another for the IAC under an Arduino UNO platform. The results indicate that the NFC and IAC controls do not generate a transient or impulse response, only a small delay and the rise and stabilization time are minimal. While PID presents a transient response and overshoot, as well as a stabilization time to reach the steady state response.
Exploring the use of projected videos to test action matching from different perspectives in dogs
Authors: Fugazza Claudia , Higaki Fumi
Published: May 2024

Dogs trained with the Do as I Do method can imitate human actions upon request, but their ability to match actions observed from different perspectives remains unknown. The use of 2D video stimuli may enable researchers to systematically manipulate the perspective from which demonstrations are observed, thereby widening the range of methods available to study cognitive skills related to imitation. In this study, we explore the possibility of using 2D stimuli to test action matching in dogs, including when demonstrations are seen from different perspectives. We examined two dogs’ imitative performance using videos projected on a screen; while, the owner interacted with the dog remotely through an online meeting software. The dogs were first trained to match human actions seen on a screen frontally, and then were tested when the projected demonstrations were seen frontally, from the side, and from above. Results revealed that both dogs matched the demonstrated actions from frontal and, notably, also from side perspectives, at least to some extent, consistent with familiarity of their daily interactions with humans. However, action matching from an above perspective presented challenges, indicating the potential influence of observational experience and highlighting the importance of perspective manipulation when investigating imitation abilities. These findings show that it is possible to use 2D videos to test imitation in dogs, thereby expanding the potential methodologies to study imitation and other related cognitive skills.
Long term trend of particulate matter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and its association with introduction of environmental policies
Authors: Carino Hailey , Walsh Sydney , Shakya Kabindra M.
Published: May 2024

Since the 1970s, air quality has improved at the national level in the United States, coincident with the introduction of the Clean Air Act and other air pollution regulations at a greater frequency. We present a case study from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—the sixth most populous city in the United States. The main objectives of this study are to analyze long-term trends of particulate matter (PM) from 1986 to 2021 in Philadelphia and to examine their association with the introduction of environmental policies relevant to air pollution at the federal, state, and local levels. We find that annual PM10 concentration decreased by 47% from 1986 to 2021 and annual PM2.5 concentration decreased by 31% from 2000 to 2021 in Philadelphia. We find that carbonaceous content (both elemental and organic carbon) has declined over the same period of 2000 to 2021, demonstrating its contribution to overall PM2.5 reduction in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, high PM concentrations occur in the summer months; however, seasonal patterns have changed for PM10 in the last decade (2011–2020). Overall, PM reductions occurred over all seasons, with the greatest reductions occurring for PM2.5 during summer months and for PM10 during winter months. The Clean Air Act contributed to the creation of many regulatory policies that address unhealthy levels of PM. The introduction of various environmental policies that target the transportation sector has contributed to the reduction of PM levels in Philadelphia. Air quality would continue being improved by implementing such environmental policies specific to the emissions sectors.
A Systematic Literature Review on Climate Change Adaptation Planning for Archaeological Site Management and the Prevalence of Stakeholder Engagement
Authors: Hotchkiss Courtney , Seekamp Erin
Published: May 2024

This article presents a systematic literature review of publications from 2014 to 2021 using “archaeological site” and “climate change” as keywords, in addition to several terms representing forms of stakeholder engagement. Articles were thematically coded to explore trends at the intersection of climate change, archaeology, and local and Traditional stakeholders. Results show that nearly half of the selected publications did not include local and Traditional stakeholder engagement in studies related to climate adaptation planning for archaeological sites. Synthesis of the results with insights gained from other literature on decolonizing archaeology showed that potential reasons for this gap include (1) the academic publishing culture, (2) archaeology as a predominantly Western discipline, and (3) increasingly available tools for climate change adaptation planning for archaeological sites. This article calls on the academic community to consider holistic stewardship using a landscape approach and to use climate change adaptation planning to elevate local and Traditional stakeholder input and values.
A Social Network Analysis of Traditional Labrets and Horizontal Relationships in the Salish Sea Region of Northwestern North America
Authors: Rorabaugh Adam N. , Shantry Kate A.
Published: May 2024

In the Salish Sea region, labret adornment with lip plugs signify particular identities, and they are interpreted as emblematic of both membership in horizontal relationships and achieved status for traditional cultures associated with labret wearing on the Northwest Coast (NWC) of North America. Labrets are part of a shared symbolic language in the region, one that we argue facilitated access to beneficial horizontal relationships (e.g., Angelbeck and Grier 2012; Rorabaugh and Shantry 2017). We employ social network analysis (SNA) to examine labrets from 31 dated site components in the Salish Sea region spanning between 3500 and 1500 cal BP. Following this period, the more widely distributed practice of cranial modification as a social marker of status developed in the region. The SNA of labret data shows an elaboration and expansion of antecedent social networks prior to the practice of cranial modification. Understandings of status on the NWC work backward from direct contact with Indigenous societies. Labret wearing begins at the Middle-Late Holocene transition, setting an earlier stage for the horizontal social relationships seen in the ethnohistoric period. These findings are consistent with the practice as signifying restricted group membership based on affinal ties and achieved social status.
Introduction
Authors: Popp Andrew
Published: May 2024

It is my pleasure to introduce Volume 25, No. 2 of Enterprise and Society. In this issue, we are pleased to present a special section on “Corporate Responses to Racial Unrest,” guest-edited by Michael Thate and Tyesha Maddox. The section commences with a scene-setting introduction from the guest editors, followed by three papers. The first is from Keith Hollingsworth on the aftermath of the Atlanta race riot of 1906, followed by Mattie Webb on an exercise in the art of the possible, waging the battle against Apartheid in South African workplaces. This section is rounded off by Sethulego Matebesi’s exploration of responses to civil society mobilization among South African mining companies. Taken together, these four essays break important new ground and indicate promising lines of future research.
Message in a bottle: Forecasting wine prices
Authors: Algieri Bernardina , Iania Leonardo , Leccadito Arturo , Meloni Giulia
Published: May 2024

Can we predict fine wine and alcohol prices? Yes, but it depends on the forecasting horizon. We make this point by considering the Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 and 50 Indices, the retail and wholesale alcohol prices in the United States for the period going from January 1992 to March 2022. We use rich and diverse datasets of economic, survey, and financial variables as potential price drivers and adopt several combination/dimension reduction techniques to extract the most relevant determinants. We build a comprehensive set of models and compare forecast performances across different selling levels and alcohol categories. We show that it is possible to predict fine wine prices for the 2-year horizon and retail/wholesale alcohol prices at horizons ranging from 1 month to 2 years. Our findings stress the importance of including consumer survey data and macroeconomic factors, such as international economic factors and developed markets equity risk factors, to enhance the precision of predictions of retail/wholesale (fine wine) prices.
Entrepreneurial Philanthropy at Cromford, Quarry Bank, and Saltaire Mills during the Industrial Revolution
Authors: Yates David
Published: May 2024

This article offers a spatial examination of entrepreneurial philanthropy at Cromford, Quarry Bank, and Saltaire mills during the industrial revolution. It argues that entrepreneurial philanthropy at these mills, with its new social relations, was influenced by both market competition and philanthropy, to the extent that active welfare provision was dependent on profitable enterprise and creation of wealth. It demonstrates that the extent and nature of philanthropy intended, implemented, and experienced at each of these entrepreneurial projects was determined by site-specific factors with unique effects in space and time. The article builds on existing research into the socially transformative impact of the industrial revolution by developing the concept of philanthropic space to enable a fresh assessment of the relationship between capital and welfare. It suggests that, within these communities, the development of philanthropic space addressed some of the causes and effects of discontent of the working classes associated with the ‘condition-of-England question’. In particular, the discipline of education became an increasingly important component of both enhanced philanthropic development by owners and the experience of workers, offering opportunities for self-improvement. At the same time, discipline and control were ostensibly paradoxical within, yet established and essential features of, philanthropic space.
Development of a water-soluble Vitamin D drink for enhanced absorption and serum levels
Authors: Liu Z.
Published: May 2024

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency have been found in general population but especially in women of childbearing age. Although Vitamin D can be obtained from food source (few naturally) and produced from skin sunlight exposure, it can come from a reliable source via supplementation. Supplementing 15 µg daily could meet the recommended dietary allowance for 19 years and older and 20 µg for 70 years older. Daily supplementation greater than 100 µg is not recommended. Unlike water-soluble vitamins B and C, Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble. This property of Vitamin D affects not only the delivery of it in drink but also absorption at the small intestine and bioavailability (i.e., serum level). This study focused on enhancing the solubility of vitamin D using a novel botanical solubilizer. Using rubusoside (RUB), isolated from stevia and other plants, Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol; VD3) was experimented for solubility enhancement. VD3 was processed with RUB to form the VD3-RUB structure in powder form. Solubility of this powder in physiologic solutions of water, gastric or intestinal fluid, stability over time, and dilutability for achieving desired supplementation levels were examined. The VD3-RUB complex structure in water solution was characterised for particle size and shape using dynamic light scattering techniques. VD3 in water solution after filtration was quantified on HPLC. VD3 was practically insoluble in water. However, in the presence of 10% w/v RUB as the botanical solubilizer, VD3 became soluble in water to a concentration of 4,500 µg/mL. This water-soluble concentrate appeared clear and was freely dilutable to a drink containing amounts of VD3 ranging from 15 µg to 100 µg. Particle size analysis indicated the presence of approximately 4 nm spherical particles. HPLC analysis of the water solution detected RUB and VD3. These drinks were stable and remained clear and transparent for at least eight weeks. A packet of water-soluble Vitamin D3 powder was also developed for addition to a glass of water in the amount of 15 µg VD3. The packet, similar to the instant coffee powder, produced an instant Vitamin D drink containing the recommended dietary allowance of 15 µg. The water-soluble VD3 powder was also dissolvable in simulated gastric fluid and intestinal fluid, and stable for at least two hours. This solubility enhancement could aid in absorption and improve oral bioavailability, seen in the work with oily ceramides(1) and insoluble curcumin(2). It is especially advantageous for making drinks as the solubilizer is generally regarded as safe by the US FDA.
Assessing two methods of webcam-based eye-tracking for child language research
Authors: Kandel Margaret , Snedeker Jesse
Published: May 2024

We assess the feasibility of conducting web-based eye-tracking experiments with children using two methods of webcam-based eye-tracking: automatic gaze estimation with the WebGazer.js algorithm and hand annotation of gaze direction from recorded webcam videos. Experiment 1 directly compares the two methods in a visual-world language task with five to six year-old children. Experiment 2 more precisely investigates WebGazer.js’ spatiotemporal resolution with four to twelve year-old children in a visual-fixation task. We find that it is possible to conduct web-based eye-tracking experiments with children in both supervised (Experiment 1) and unsupervised (Experiment 2) settings – however, the webcam eye-tracking methods differ in their sensitivity and accuracy. Webcam video annotation is well-suited to detecting fine-grained looking effects relevant to child language researchers. In contrast, WebGazer.js gaze estimates appear noisier and less temporally precise. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method and provide recommendations for researchers conducting child eye-tracking studies online.
Early childhood trauma exposure and neurocognitive and emotional processes: Associations in young children in a partial hospital program
Authors: Huffhines Lindsay , Parade Stephanie H. , Martin Sarah E. , Gottipaty Anjali , Kavanaugh Brian , Spirito Anthony , Boekamp John R.
Published: May 2024

Early childhood trauma has been linked to neurocognitive and emotional processing deficits in older children, yet much less is known about these associations in young children. Early childhood is an important developmental period in which to examine relations between trauma and executive functioning/emotion reactivity, given that these capacities are rapidly developing and are potential transdiagnostic factors implicated in the development of psychopathology. This cross-sectional study examined associations between cumulative trauma, interpersonal trauma, and components of executive functioning, episodic memory, and emotion reactivity, conceptualized using the RDoC framework and assessed with observational and performance-based measures, in a sample of 90 children (ages 4–7) admitted to a partial hospital program. Children who had experienced two or more categories of trauma had lower scores in episodic memory, global cognition, and inhibitory control as measured in a relational (but not computerized) task, when compared to children with less or no trauma. Interpersonal trauma was similarly associated with global cognition and relational inhibitory control. Family contextual factors did not moderate associations. Findings support examining inhibitory control in both relationally significant and decontextualized paradigms in early childhood, and underscore the importance of investigating multiple neurocognitive and emotional processes simultaneously to identify potential targets for early intervention.
GNET Derived Mass Balance and Glacial Isostatic Adjustment Constraints for Greenland
Authors: Barletta Valentina R. , Bordoni Andrea , Khan Shfaqat Abbas
Published: May 2024

Monitoring the Greenland mass balance (GMB) is crucial in the context of global sea level rise. Currently, three main methods are used to measure GMB, with the primary source of uncertainty arising from the glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) contribution. Here, we propose a novel approach based on a simple methodology that uses the entire Greenland GNSS network (GNET) as an instrument to monitor the present‐day mass changes. Our method is validated against GRACE‐derived GMB, and we find a very good agreement. This leads to an independent methodology for estimating present‐day mass changes from GNSS, bridging the gap between GRACE and GRACE‐FO in GMB estimates. Through a combined analysis of GMB from GRACE and GNET, we identify a consistency relation between the gravity and uplift signature of GIA, providing a new robust constraint for GIA models.
Magnetosheath Ion Field‐Aligned Asymmetry and Implications for Ion Leakage to the Foreshock
Authors: Liu Terry Zixu , Angelopoulos Vassilis , Zhang Hui , Vu Andrew , Raeder Joachim
Published: May 2024

The ion foreshock is highly dynamic, disturbing the bow shock and the magnetosphere‐ionosphere system. To forecast foreshock‐driven space weather effects, it is necessary to model foreshock ions as a function of upstream shock parameters. Case studies in the accompanying paper show that magnetosheath ions sometimes exhibit strong field‐aligned asymmetry toward the upstream direction, which may be responsible for enhancing magnetosheath leakage and therefore foreshock ion density. To understand the conditions leading to such asymmetry and the potential for enhanced leakage, we perform case studies and a statistical study of magnetosheath and foreshock region data surrounding ∼500 Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission bow shock crossings. We quantify the asymmetry using the heat flux along the field‐aligned direction. We show that the strong field‐aligned heat flux persists across the entire magnetosheath from the magnetopause to the bow shock. Ion distribution functions reveal that the strong heat flux is caused by a secondary thermal population. We find that stronger asymmetry events exhibit heat flux preferentially toward the upstream direction near the bow shock and occur under larger IMF strength and larger solar wind dynamic pressure and/or energy flux. Additionally, we show that near the bow shock, magnetosheath leakage is a significant contributor to foreshock ions, and through enhancing the leakage the magnetosheath ion asymmetry can modulate the foreshock ion velocity and density. Our results imply that likely due to field line draping and compression against the magnetopause that leads to a directional mirror force, modeling the foreshock ions necessitates a more global accounting of downstream conditions.
Biophysical Drivers of Seasonal Hysteresis of Urban Heat Islands Across Climates and Urban Landscapes
Authors: Li Congyuan , Zhang Ning , Ren Kaijun , Zhao Wenjing , Wu Jianping , Sun Yong
Published: May 2024

The phenomenon of seasonal hysteresis between urban heat islands (UHIs) and background surface temperature was reported in many studies, but a unifying explanation for the causes of its magnitude, shape and looping direction remained less clear, and the impacts of urban landscapes and background climate on such hysteresis were also the subject of enquiry. Here we performed a systematic study based on a long‐term offline simulation for surface energy budgets, surface air and skin temperature of the urban‐biosphere system in East China. It was carried out with an up‐to‐date land surface model — the CLM5‐LCZs (the Community Land Model version 5 (CLM5) coupled with a newly developed urban canopy model representing diverse urban landscapes with the local climate zones classification scheme). To isolate the causes of UHIs hysteresis, a simplified framework was constructed by combining a mathematical representation of grid/subgrid model outputs, the two‐resistance mechanism method and the time‐lagged cross correlation analysis. The results exhibited distinct hysteresis patterns of UHIs such as twisted, concave‐down, concave‐up and convex‐up curve across diverse background climates and urban landscapes. The basic shapes of hysteresis depict a gradual transition from concave/convex‐up to concave/convex‐down by characterized by a larger winter UHIs from a wetter and warmer climate to a drier and colder climate. Magnitude and seasonality of surface UHIs are separately dominated by the urban‐rural contrast of evapotranspiration and heat storage at daytime and nighttime, whereas across‐climate variations of daytime and nighttime surface UHIs hysteresis are regulated by the phase shift of convection efficiency and anthropogenic heat. Urban landscapes affect the hysteresis mainly by altering the amplitude rather than the shape of looping curves. Our work could provide a fuller picture of how to mitigate urban warming considering inter‐seasonal tradeoffs over a broader region.
Generative Adversarial Network for Real‐Time Flash Drought Monitoring: A Deep Learning Study
Authors: Foroumandi Ehsan , Gavahi Keyhan , Moradkhani Hamid
Published: May 2024

Droughts are among the most devastating natural hazards, occurring in all regions with different climate conditions. The impacts of droughts result in significant damages annually around the world. While drought is generally described as a slow‐developing hazardous event, a rapidly developing type of drought, the so‐called flash drought has been revealed by recent studies. The rapid onset and strong intensity of flash droughts require accurate real‐time monitoring. Addressing this issue, a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) is developed in this study to monitor flash droughts over the Contiguous United States (CONUS). GAN contains two models: (a) discriminator and (b) generator. The developed architecture in this study employs a Markovian discriminator, which emphasizes the spatial dependencies, with a modified U‐Net generator, tuned for optimal performance. To determine the best loss function for the generator, four different networks are developed with different loss functions, including Mean Absolute Error (MAE), adversarial loss, a combination of adversarial loss with Mean Square Error (MSE), and a combination of adversarial loss with MAE. Utilizing daily datasets collected from NLDAS‐2 and Standardized Soil Moisture Index (SSI) maps, the network is trained for real‐time daily SSI monitoring. Comparative assessments reveal the proposed GAN's superior ability to replicate SSI values over U‐Net and Naïve models. Evaluation metrics further underscore that the developed GAN successfully identifies both fine‐ and coarse‐scale spatial drought patterns and abrupt changes in the SSI temporal patterns that is important for flash drought identification.
Microtomographic Measurements of Total Air‐Water Interfacial Areas for Soils
Authors: Brusseau Mark L. , Araujo Juliana B. , Narter Matt , Marble Justin C. , Bigler Matt
Published: May 2024

Synchrotron X‐ray microtomography (XMT) was used to measure total air‐water interfacial areas (Aaw) as a function of water saturation (Sw) for several soils that comprise a range of physical and geochemical properties. Measurements were also conducted for glass beads and quartz sands for comparison. Apparent near‐linear Aaw‐Sw relationships are observed for the three sands and the three sandy soils. In contrast, the measured interfacial areas for two soils that contain greater proportions of silt and clay are strongly nonlinear functions of water saturation. The greater degree of nonlinearity observed for these two soils is due to their much greater particle‐size distributions (i.e., uniformity coefficients) and their concomitant greater range in pore sizes. Interfacial areas determined with the thermodynamic method were used to benchmark the XMT measurements. XMT‐measured interfacial areas compare well to the thermodynamic‐determined values for the sands and sandy soils. In contrast, the XMT‐measured interfacial areas for the two soils with larger particle‐size distributions are not fully congruent with the thermodynamic‐determined values. Both of these soils have large fractions of pore space comprising nominal pore diameters smaller than the resolution of the XMT imaging. These results suggest that air‐water interfacial area may not always be fully characterized by standard XMT for soils with large particle‐size distributions.
Kansas Prairie Streams Are Getting Choked, Maybe for Good
Authors: Hatfield Kimberly
Published: May 2024

A herculean effort to fight back woody plants in the Konza Prairie has largely failed. The outcome shows how difficult it can be to retore these ecosystems.
A head-mounted photoacoustic fiberscope for hemodynamic imaging in mobile mice
Authors: Zheng Xiaoyan , Na Shuai
Published: May 2024

A miniaturized photoacoustic fiberscope has been developed, featuring a lateral resolution of 9 microns and a lightweight design at 4.5 grams. Engineered to capture hemodynamic processes at single-blood-vessel resolution at a rate of 0.2 Hz, this device represents an advancement in head-mounted tools for exploring intricate brain activities in mobile animals.
Mechanisms of ligand recognition and activation of melanin-concentrating hormone receptors
Authors: He Qian , Yuan Qingning , Shan Hong , Wu Canrong , Gu Yimin , Wu Kai , Hu Wen , Zhang Yumu , He Xinheng , Xu H. Eric , Zhao Li-Hua
Published: May 2024

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a cyclic neuropeptide that regulates food intake, energy balance, and other physiological functions by stimulating MCHR1 and MCHR2 receptors, both of which are class A G protein-coupled receptors. MCHR1 predominately couples to inhibitory G protein, Gi/o, and MCHR2 can only couple to Gq/11. Here we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of MCH-activated MCHR1 with Gi and MCH-activated MCHR2 with Gq at the global resolutions of 3.01 Å and 2.40 Å, respectively. These structures reveal that MCH adopts a consistent cysteine-mediated hairpin loop configuration when bound to both receptors. A central arginine from the LGRVY core motif between the two cysteines of MCH penetrates deeply into the transmembrane pocket, triggering receptor activation. Integrated with mutational and functional insights, our findings elucidate the molecular underpinnings of ligand recognition and MCH receptor activation and offer a structural foundation for targeted drug design.
Complexity of many-body interactions in transition metals via machine-learned force fields from the TM23 data set
Authors: Owen Cameron J. , Torrisi Steven B. , Xie Yu , Batzner Simon , Bystrom Kyle , Coulter Jennifer , Musaelian Albert , Sun Lixin , Kozinsky Boris
Published: May 2024

This work examines challenges associated with the accuracy of machine-learned force fields (MLFFs) for bulk solid and liquid phases of d-block elements. In exhaustive detail, we contrast the performance of force, energy, and stress predictions across the transition metals for two leading MLFF models: a kernel-based atomic cluster expansion method implemented using sparse Gaussian processes (FLARE), and an equivariant message-passing neural network (NequIP). Early transition metals present higher relative errors and are more difficult to learn relative to late platinum- and coinage-group elements, and this trend persists across model architectures. Trends in complexity of interatomic interactions for different metals are revealed via comparison of the performance of representations with different many-body order and angular resolution. Using arguments based on perturbation theory on the occupied and unoccupied d states near the Fermi level, we determine that the large, sharp d density of states both above and below the Fermi level in early transition metals leads to a more complex, harder-to-learn potential energy surface for these metals. Increasing the fictitious electronic temperature (smearing) modifies the angular sensitivity of forces and makes the early transition metal forces easier to learn. This work illustrates challenges in capturing intricate properties of metallic bonding with current leading MLFFs and provides a reference data set for transition metals, aimed at benchmarking the accuracy and improving the development of emerging machine-learned approximations.
Pretraining of attention-based deep learning potential model for molecular simulation
Authors: Zhang Duo , Bi Hangrui , Dai Fu-Zhi , Jiang Wanrun , Liu Xinzijian , Zhang Linfeng , Wang Han
Published: May 2024

Machine learning-assisted modeling of the inter-atomic potential energy surface (PES) is revolutionizing the field of molecular simulation. With the accumulation of high-quality electronic structure data, a model that can be pretrained on all available data and finetuned on downstream tasks with a small additional effort would bring the field to a new stage. Here we propose DPA-1, a Deep Potential model with a gated attention mechanism, which is highly effective for representing the conformation and chemical spaces of atomic systems and learning the PES. We tested DPA-1 on a number of systems and observed superior performance compared with existing benchmarks. When pretrained on large-scale datasets containing 56 elements, DPA-1 can be successfully applied to various downstream tasks with a great improvement of sample efficiency. Surprisingly, for different elements, the learned type embedding parameters form a spiral in the latent space and have a natural correspondence with their positions on the periodic table, showing interesting interpretability of the pretrained DPA-1 model.
Compositional design and phase formation capability of high-entropy rare-earth disilicates from machine learning and decision fusion
Authors: Fan Yun , Bai Yuelei , Li Qian , Lu Zhiyao , Chen Dong , Liu Yuchen , Li Wenxian , Liu Bin
Published: May 2024

A key strategy for designing environmental barrier coatings is to incorporate multiple rare-earth (RE) components into β- and γ-RE2Si2O7 to achieve multifunctional performance optimization. However, the polymorphic phase presents significant challenges for the design of multicomponent RE disilicates. Here, employing decision fusion, a machine learning (ML) method is crafted to identify multicomponent RE disilicates, showcasing notable accuracy in prediction. The well-trained ML models evaluated the phase formation capability of 117 (RE10.25RE20.25Yb0.25Lu0.25)2Si2O7 and (RE11/6RE21/6RE31/6Gd1/6Yb1/6Lu1/6)2Si2O7, which are unreported in experiments and validated by first-principles calculations. Utilizing model visualization, essential factors governing the formation of (RE10.25RE20.25Yb0.25Lu0.25)2Si2O7 are pinpointed, including the average radius of RE3+ and variations in different RE3+ combinations. On the other hand, (RE11/6RE21/6RE31/6Gd1/6Yb1/6Lu1/6)2Si2O7 must take into account the average mass and the electronegativity deviation of RE3+. This work combines material-oriented ML methods with formation mechanisms of multicomponent RE disilicates, enabling the efficient design of superior materials with exceptional properties for the application of environmental barrier coatings.