bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EARBench: Towards Evaluating Physical Risk Awareness for Task Planning of Foundation Model-based Embodied AI Agents
Authors: Wu Baoyuan , Zhu Zihao , Wu Bingzhe , ZHANG Zhengyou , Han Lei , Liu Qingshan
Published: February 2025

Embodied artificial intelligence (EAI) integrates advanced Al models into physical entities for real-world interaction. The emergence of foundation models as the "brain" of EAI agents for high-level task planning has shown promising results. However, the deployment of these agents in physical environments presents significant safety challenges. For instance, a housekeeping robot lacking sufficient risk awareness might place a metal container in a microwave, potentially causing a fire. To address these critical safety concerns, comprehensive pre-deployment risk assessments are imperative. This study introduces the first embodied AI risk benchmark (EARBench), a novel framework for automated physical risk assessment in EAI scenarios. EARBench employs a multi-agent cooperative system that leverages various foundation models to generate safety guidelines, create risk-prone scenarios, make task planning, and evaluate safety systematically. Utilizing this framework, we construct EARDataset, comprising diverse test cases across various domains, encompassing both textual and visual scenarios. Our comprehensive evaluation of state-of-the-art foundation models reveals alarming results: all models exhibit high task risk rates (TRR), with an average of 95.75% across all evaluated models. Notably, even GPT-4o, widely regarded as one of the most advanced models, demonstrates a TRR of 94.03%, underscoring the pervasive lack of risk identification and avoidance capabilities in complex physical environments. To address these challenges, we further propose two prompting-based risk mitigation strategies. While these strategies demonstrate some efficacy in reducing TRR, the improvements are limited, still indicating substantial safety concerns. This study provides the first large-scale assessment of physical risk awareness in EAI agents. Our findings underscore the critical need for enhanced safety measures in EAI systems and provide valuable insights for future research directions in developing safer embodied artificial intelligence system. Data and code are available at https://github.com/zihao-ai/EARBench.
National age-specific food baskets for a healthy, sustainable, affordable, and inclusive global dietary transition
Authors: Wang Zhen , Deng Zhongci , Hu Yuanchao , He Pan , Bryan Brett
Published: February 2025

Dietary transitions face substantial economic and cultural barriers, with the absence of age-specific nutritional guidelines further impeding progress. Designing diets that are healthy and sustainable, while being affordable, culturally inclusive, and appropriate for specific age groups and countries, remains a significant challenge. Here, we use constrained nonlinear optimization models and fine-grained national age-specific intake data to design targeted food baskets that address the aforementioned challenges associated with global dietary transitions. We demonstrate that, while substantial structural changes in diets (2.98 – 3.40x) would be necessary for most countries, these national age-specific food baskets—considering preferences and economic conditions—can ensure that all age groups can meet nutritional needs and reduce diet-related disease risk, with little or no increase in food expenditure. Our research offers innovative recommendations for healthy, sustainable, affordable, and inclusive global dietary transitions across different countries and age groups, offering a feasible pathway forward for the global food system.
Flame Retardant Flexible Pressure Sensor Textile based on T-ZnO
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Zou Pengyang , Song Haoyu , Liu Zihao , Xu Jianzhong , Meng Weihua
Published: February 2025

Firefighters cannot feel and operate objects sensitively during work due to the thick protective cloth. Here, we report a flexible pressure sensor based on T-ZnO and flame retardant textile for fine operation during fire fight. In order to reduce the effects of residual stresses of the interface between sensor and protective clothing, cotton textile was used as substrate and the thickness of the sensor system was controlled in this work. We design 3 × 3 sensors array for complicated object operation. The thickness of the whole textile system is 1.3 mm, while the sensitive layer is 70 μm. The sensor system is composed of flame retardant textile, textile substrates, graphene electrodes and tetrapod-like zinc oxide (T-ZnO). Flame retardant textile showed excellent flame retardancy with peak heat release rate of 130.19 kW/m2 and total heat release of 3.20 MJ/m2, which was decrease by 37.58% and 31.33% compared to pure textile. The sensitivity of the sensor is 5.5 mV/N as detecting 0.2-2 N force. Moreover, the sensor shows outstanding repeatability in different frequencies and long term of pressure. Toroidal and crossed object were measured to illustrate the pressure position sensing ability. The sensor system was adhered on fire fighter's glove, the pressure of operating screwdriver and pliers on flame was sensed successfully.
Internet of Things and 5G are The Revolution to the Banking Industry Using Neuro-Fuzzy Technique
Authors: Paul Taraknath
Published: February 2025

Industry 5.0 is the key to a revolution in the banking industry, the driving forces are the Internet of Things (IoT) and fifth-generation (5G) high-speed coµµunication technology. The article aiµs to propose a 5GIoT business µodel in the banking revolution with a neuro-fuzzy technique that will enhance banking services and operations. The developed µodel is based on the online survey of nuµerous custoµer categories, including international and national bankers, students, IT professionals, housewives and others. The survey’s data is used to verify the banking business µodel using Machine Learning & Neuro-fuzzy techniques. This µodel deals with instant loans, collateral µonitoring, overspending by banks, Credit cards, Card readers, Autoµatic Trailer Machine (ATM), Real-Tiµe Data Sharing and online payµents easily. The ML µodel is fed with 403 survey data and perforµs well with an accuracy of 79.2% on the Python platform.
Attentional cueing effects are reversed during locomotion
Authors: Djebbara Zakaria , Huynh Dylan , Koselevs Aleksandrs , Chen Yiru , Fich Lars , Gramann Klaus
Published: February 2025

Everyday human cognition and behaviour evolved in dynamic and ever-changing environments, but static paradigms still dominate experimental research despite concerns about generalisability of the results. In the case of attention, traditional stationary studies show that pre-orienting attention with spatial cues leads to faster, more accurate responses. However, how movement and environmental features shape such attentional processes in everyday behaviour remains unknown. Here we show that active movement through curved corridors reverses the typical spatial attention effect, with faster response times and higher accuracy for stimuli incongruent to implicit spatial cues provided by the movement direction, contradicting previous findings from static settings. We found that early (N1) and late (P3) attention-related electrophysiological responses were modulated by environmental features and motor demands. The posterior N1-component, reflecting visuo-spatial attention, showed decreasing amplitudes as turning angles and motor-control demands increased for congruent stimuli appearing on the side of the turning direction. Similarly, the P3-complex varied with motor and visual processing demands for congruent stimuli, showing decreased amplitudes as motor-control demands increased. We propose that congruent stimuli, displayed against a dynamically changing visual context, increase pulvino-cortical processing load and slowing early visual processing that affect behavioural responses. Incongruent stimuli, however, are displayed against a predictable context allowing faster target processing. These findings challenge attentional mechanisms' assumed consistency across static and dynamic settings, revealing instead their dependence on behavioural and environmental context. We advocate for naturalistic paradigms, arguing that moving beyond static experiments could reshape core views on cognition and behaviour.
Longitudinal Analysis in Mecp2-het Female Mice Reveals Atypical Nociceptive Behaviours
Authors: Cuitavi Javier , Martínez-Rodríguez Elena , Abellán-Álvaro María , García-Arencibia Moisés , Santos Mónica , Hipólito Lucía , Forte Anabel , Agustín-Pavón Carmen , Torres-Pérez Jose V.
Published: February 2025

Rett Syndrome (RTT), a neurodevelopmental disorder predominantly affecting females, is characterised by evolving symptoms impacting motor and sensory domains. Herein, we present a study of longitudinal analyses, from 2- to 6-month of age, of Mecp2 heterozygous (Mecp2-het) female mice to comprehensively explore pain perception in RTT. Interestingly, we found a significant variability in the timing and progression of symptom onset among Mecp2-het females, with individuals classified as either early- or late-symptomatic based on the emergence of hallmark neurological features such as clasping and gait abnormalities. This variability pinpoints the heterogeneity of the disease model and highlights the need to stratify Mecp2-het females by symptom onset in future studies to account for the diverse trajectories of disease progression. Additionally, our results reveal a shift from pre-symptomatic hypersensitivity in the von Frey test to apparent hyposensitivity, intricately linked with the onset of motor symptoms. Further, we found decreased neuronal activation in 6-month-old Mecp2-het females after the hot plate test in the periaqueductal gray, as measured by FOS expression. Similarly, there is a lower expression of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) in this area when compared to wild-type siblings. Taken together, our results suggest that both motor impairment and central deficits in the modulation of endogenous analgesia contribute to aberrant sensitivity in Mecp2-het mice. Our study emphasises the presymptomatic phase as crucial for understanding sensory abnormalities in Mecp2-het mice and highlights the challenges in identifying pain in RTT patients.
Shank3 forms a complex with Gal-3 and ZBP-1 to alleviate PANoptosis in TIA of female ovariectomized mice
Authors: Zhang Lei , Luo Yaowen , Zhang Jimeng , cheng junkai , Yue Zheming , Zhang Min , Li Xiaobing , Bai Jing , Li Juan , Gou Maorong , Yuan Yunchao , Zhu Lian , Zhou Yuefei , Li Xia , Gao Dakuan
Published: February 2025

Selective neuron death or loss, which induced by specific pathogen- and damage-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs and DAMPs), was the main reason results in high morbidity, disability, and mortality of transient ischemic attack (TIA) in man and postmenopausal women. Shank3, a key postsynaptic density, is correlated with synaptic dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammatory, apoptosis and poor outcomes in ischemic stroke, although its role in menopausal women TIA remains elusive. Here we discovered that Shank3 direct binds Gal-3, a positive regulator of aging and inflammation, then regulates innate immune sensors ZBP-1, to drive inflammatory signaling and inflammatory cell death, PANoptosis, during TIA. Base on the defeminization TIA models (a stable female mouse OVX + TIA model was first established as well as an in vitro cultured primary neuron desexualization + tOGD/R model), blockade of Shank3 amplify neuron PANoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation, arouse persistent behavioral deficits and infarction formation, which does not appear in de-estrogen combination with TIA damage mice. We also observed that Shank3, Gal-3 and ZBP-1 were members of a large multi-protein complex along with Caspase 3, 7, 8, 9, 1, NLRP 3, GSDMD, GSDME, RIPK 1, RIPK 3 and MLKL that drove neuronal-special PANoptosis. In addition, administration of a natural inflammatory inhibitor, D-allose, used for food sweetener, produces anti-PANoptosis effects via activating Shank3 but inhibiting Gal-3 and ZBP-1. Collectively, our findings establish a previously unknown regulatory connection and molecular interaction among Shank3, Gal-3 and ZBP-1 as a driver of neuron-specific PANoptosis in postmenopausal female TIA, and reveal activate of Shank3, such as, D-allose, maybe a potential strategy to halt neuronal loss during TIA.
Impact Of Thyroid Dysfunction And Diabetes On Fibrosis And Steatosis Stages In Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Wagih Mohamed , farghly Maysa I. , Elsebaie Eman , mohamed Nessren , El-Mankhly Eman
Published: February 2025

Background
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common metabolic disorder intricately linked to diabetes and thyroid dysfunction. Hypothyroidism, characterized by elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), may disrupt lipid metabolism and exacerbate insulin resistance, contributing to NAFLD progression. Investigating the combined impact of diabetes and thyroid dysfunction on fibrosis and steatosis stages in NAFLD is essential for optimizing disease management.
Methods
This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Suez General Hospital from March to September 2024 and included 400 patients with NAFLD . Participants were stratified into four groups: Group A: 100 diabetic patients without thyroid dysfunction; Group B: 100 non-diabetic patients without thyroid dysfunction; Group C: 100 diabetic patients with thyroid dysfunction; and Group D: 100 non-diabetic patients with thyroid dysfunction. Clinical assessment, laboratory investigations, fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) scores, and abdominal ultrasonography were performed for all participants, and transient elastography (FibroScan®) for those with FIB-4 scores > 3.25.
Results
Significant differences were observed in the distribution of BMI, liver enzymes, and fibrosis stages across the groups (P < 0.001, for all). Group C exhibited the highest prevalence of advanced fibrosis (F2–F3), while severe steatosis (S3) was predominant in Group D. Hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism were associated with elevated FIB-4 scores and advanced steatosis (p = 0.033), highlighting the impact of thyroid dysfunction on NAFLD progression.
Conclusion
Diabetes and thyroid dysfunction can exacerbate NAFLD severity, emphasizing the need for integrated management strategies targeting these comorbidities to mitigate fibrosis and steatosis progression.
Multi-omics-based prognostic prediction for locally advanced hypopharyngeal cancer treated with postoperative chemoradiotherapy: a dual-center study
Authors: Dong Sixue , Yao Zian , Zhang Zhiyuan , Wang Jiazhou , Ying Guo , Tao Lei , Ou Xiaomin , Hu Weigang , Hu Chaosu
Published: February 2025

Purpose
This study aimed to predict the progression-free survival (PFS) of the patients who were diagnosed with hypopharyngeal cancer and received postoperative chemoradiotherapy by using multi-omics method which integrating clinical factors, dosimetric and radiomic features.
Materials and methods
This study retrospectively collected the pretreatment T1-weighted MR imaging data of 88 hypopharyngeal cancer patients with postoperative chemoradiotherapy, including 56 cases from one center (training and testing cohorts) and 32 cases from another center (external validation cohort), and the gross tumor volumes (GTV) were countered for all cases. A Python-based library, pyradiomics was used to extract the radiomics features from each GTV. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to identify the most important features for classifier establishment. On the other hand, complete radiotherapy data are retained for 48 patients among them, and the planning tumor volumes (PTV) were countered for radiotherapy planning. The dose distribution features extracted by using pyradiomics and the dosimetric parameters were combined with the radiomics features to establish the classifiers. The probabilities of positive sample calculated from the best classifier, the radiomics and multi-omics signatures were obtained for establish the Cox proportional hazards models.
Results
The ensemble learning (EL) model was selected as the superior model with the higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values than other classifier during the radiomics-only analysis, and the EL model with stacking technique showed the best performance, yielding AUC values of 0.93, 0.79, and 0.78 for the training, testing, and external validation cohorts, respectively. Furthermore, the multi-omics analysis integrating radiomics and dosiomics improved the effectiveness of the EL model with AUC values of 0.98 and 0.88 for the training and testing cohorts, respectively. Furthermore, the C-index of the Cox proportional hazards models resulted in a 0.099 improvement in the testing cohort when employing the multi-omics signature versus the radiomics signature.
Conclusion
Regarding the patients with hypopharyngeal cancer receiving postoperative chemoradiotherapy, the multi-omics-based prognostic prediction could achieve a more robust predictive capability than the radiomics-only study. This approach warrants further validation through prospective studies.
Association between the Oxidative Balance Score and testosterone levels in males from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2016
Authors: Lv Yinchun , Zhang Dongsheng , Li Siying , Nie Yutong , Li Xue , Huang Qiaorong , Lu Ran , Ye Junman , Meng Wentong , Chen Xiaolong , Mo Xianming
Published: February 2025

Backgroud:
Limited research has explored the combined influence of dietary and lifestyle factors on testosterone levels. The Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) is a method used to evaluate the level of systemic oxidative stress. It indicates that higher scores are associated with greater exposure to antioxidants.This study aims to investigate the probable association between OBS and testosterone levels.
Methods
A total of 5168 male participants from the 2013 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included in this study. The OBS was computed using 20 dietary and lifestyle factors. There were three existence forms of testosterone, including total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), and bioavailable testosterone (BAT). The weighted multivariable linear regression, subgroup analyses and restricted cubic splines (RCS) were employed to examine the relationship between OBS and testosterone levels. Additionally, mediation analyses were performed to investigate the potential involvement of oxidative stress inflammation and oxidative stress.
Results
After accounting for potential confounding factors, a significant positive correlation was observed between OBS and TT, FT, and BAT, and the beta estimates (95% CI) were 0.005 (0.002, 0.008), 0.004 (0.001, 0.007), and 0.005 (0.002, 0.008), respectively. No statistically significant interaction effects were detected in the subgroup analyses. RCS results suggested TT, FT and BAT exhibited a linear positive relationship with an increase in OBS (all p for nonlinear > 0.05). Moreover, WBC counts and albumin mediated the association between OBS and TT by 9.78%, and 10.79%, respectively in model 3.
Conclusion
There is a positive association between OBS and testosterone levels in males, and this relationship may be partially mediated by inflammation and oxidative stress. Therefore, dietary and lifestyle-related antioxidant therapy for males with low testosterone concentrations should receive attention.
Comparison between transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach and gasless endoscopic thyroidectomy trans-subclavian approach: A comparative study
Authors: Zheng Haitao
Published: February 2025

Purpose
This study aimed to compare the safety and surgical completeness of the gasless endoscopic thyroidectomy trans-subclavian approach (GETTSA) with the transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma undergoing unilateral thyroidectomy and central lymph node dissection.
Methods
Data of patients who underwent TOETVA from March 2019 to August 2023 and GETTSA from August 2022 to August 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to adjust for differences in baseline clinicopathological characteristics.
Results
After PSM, 400 patients (TOETVA: 200, GETTSA: 200) remained in the study population. The TOETVA group had longer operative time [TOETVA: 157.5 (140–180) vs. GETTSA: 109 (90–130) min, P < 0.001] and greater postoperative drainage volume [TOETVA: 80 (66.25–108.75) vs. GETTSA: 50 (40–55) mL, P < 0.001] than the GETTSA group. The groups showed no significant differences in the mean number of metastatic central lymph nodes [TOETVA: 0 (0–0) vs. GETTSA: 0 (0–1), P = 0.085] and rate of transient vocal cord palsy (TOETVA: 1.5% vs. GETTSA: 1.0%, P = 1.000). However, the mean number of retrieved central lymph nodes significantly differed between the groups [TOETVA: 6 (4–9) vs. GETTSA: 5 (3–8), P = 0.008].
Conclusion
TOETVA and GETTSA for well-selected patients are safe procedures with good cervical cosmetic outcomes. However, TOETVA has better cosmetic effects and allows for more thorough removal of lymph nodes in the central compartment. GETTSA offers advantages such as shorter operative time, lower hospitalization cost, faster postoperative recovery, and fewer postoperative swallowing disorders.
Investigated of Neural Mechanisms Involved in Choking During Soccer Players' Decision-making
Authors: Bohloul Akbar , Shahbazi Mehdi , Borujeni Shahzad Tahmasebi , Tabrizi Yousef Moghadas
Published: February 2025

Purpose: Soccer players on the pitch have to make decisions under pressure, which can lead to wrong decisions and reduced performance. Few research has investigated the neural mechanisms underlying this reduced performance and choking. the aim of the study investigated of neural mechanisms involved in choking during soccer players’ decision-making.
Methods: Eighteen soccer players from Tehran Youth Premier League participated in this study. Decision-making task included images of 3 simulated soccer conditions on a monitor including neutral (no pressure), result pressure, and monitoring pressure. During all these stages, the alpha wave of the involved areas in decision-making (Fp1, Fp2, F3, F z, F4, C3, C z, C4) was evaluated by EEG.
Results: The results of repeated-measures analysis of variance showed significant difference in Fp1, Fp2, Fp3, F z, C3, C z and C4 under all the three pressures. Subsequently, the Bonferroni post hoc test showed a significant decrease in alpha wave activity of all the above areas under the result and monitoring pressure conditions compared to neutral one (no pressure).
Conclusion: According to the neural evidence in the OFC, DLPFC, and ACC, under monitoring and outcome pressure conditions, the choking was respectively due to self-focus and over-arousal and thus caused dysfunction in the player’s decision-making. Therefore, soccer coaches are advised to ask players to practice and make the right decisions during training sessions by emphasizing concentration, attention, and control of arousal in under pressure conditions so that the experienced players of these training conditions can perform better in matches.
Simple rapid examination maneuver for lumbar spine disorders
Authors: Faraj Muneer K. , Ismail Mustafa
Published: February 2025

Background
Timely and appropriate diagnosis of disorders in the lumbar spine in a general practice setting due to limited time and other resources is an issue at hand. This article presents a rapid examination maneuver that is fast, positive, and reliable for common disorders in the lumbar spine as an initial screening tool and may obviate the need for more advanced imaging at least in the shorter term.
Methods
A new examine and screen maneuver was developed and tested for its utility in the diagnosis of the pathology responsible for lumbar spine MSA. Maneuver steps included localization of pain, inquiry about radiating pain, forward flexion, rapid rise to standing, and trunk rotation. Diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity and specificity were determined relative to MRI studies affecting spinal stenosis, radiculopathy and instability.
Results
In the 509 participants, the rapid examination maneuver was useful for initial screening, with a balanced distribution of pain locations and almost half reporting radiating pain. Although statistical analyses failed to show significant associations between the pain characteristics and specific lumbar pathologies, it allowed for focused clinical attention and hence its potential value in the primary care setting.
Conclusion
Rapid physical examination is useful and time-effective in primary care, with a possible improvement in reduced dependency on urgent advanced imaging. This maneuver may be included to improve the management of the patient and efficiency in diagnosis.
Elevated Micro- and Nanoplastics Detected in Preterm Human Placentae
Authors: Jochum# Michael , Garcia# Marcus , Hammerquist Alexandra , Howell Jacquelyne , Stanford Myla , Liu Rui , Olewine Marian , Hayek Eliane El , Phan Emily , Showalter Lori , Shope Cynthia , Suter Melissa , Campen Matthew , Aagaard Kjersti , Barrozo Enrico
Published: February 2025

Recent analytical advancements have uncovered increasing micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in environmental, dietary, and biological domains, raising concerns about their health impacts. Preterm birth (PTB), a leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, may be influenced by MNP exposure, yet this relationship remains unexplored. This study quantified 12 MNP polymers in placentae from term (n=87) and preterm (n=71) deliveries using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Cumulative MNP concentrations were 28% higher in PTB placentae (mean ±SD: 224.7 ± 180.7 µg/g vs. 175.5 ± 137.9 µg/g; p=0.038). Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PU), and polycarbonate (PC) were significantly elevated in PTB, and PET, PU, and PC inversely correlated with gestational age and birth weight. Logistic regression identified PVC and PC as independent predictors of PTB. These findings suggest total and specific MNPs are associated with PTB, providing actionable insights and emphasizing the importance of minimizing exposure during pregnancy.
Assessment of Pollutant Emissions and Combustion Efficiency due to Inserting Aerodynamic Solid Body in High-Temperature Flame Regions
Authors: Ahmadkhah Anvar
Published: February 2025

This study evaluates a method of using a solid body with a special aerodynamic shape to redistribute the burner's peak temperature region in the flame. This method extends the low-temperature range and suppresses thermal nitric oxide formation by numerical simulation. The model used for this purpose is a 7-fin fan blade with a bluff body for generating the wake region downstream of the cylindrical combustion chamber. The results are validated using the static temperature reported in the published paper for the burner without inserting a solid body in the flame region. There was a good agreement between experimental data and those calculated by applying the model for industrial application. The results cover the fin blades’ axial distance and fins' axial length parameters in the wake region. Also, the right fins’ axial distance and axial length in the downstream combustion flow were calculated by extracting the maximum axial length of the wake region. The burner's efficiency improved by 2.5% when installing a solid body burner. Moreover, NOx emission was investigated for 130 cases of numerical models related to the fins' axial length and axial distance parameters. The results indicated a decrease of 33.6% in NOx parts per million value, which was calculated for the selected inserting solid body burner in the flame region.
Robust Beamforming Design for NOMA System Assisted by STAR-RIS
Authors: Li Kunyu , Zhang Guoping , Xu Hongbo , Huang Xingxing , Wang Ze , Yin Fanrui
Published: February 2025

STAR-RIS represents an innovative technology that can simultaneously transmit and reflect signals, thereby extending the coverage from half space to full space. In practical situations, hardware failures at the base station's transmission and reception ends inevitably lead to distorted noise and performance degradation. To address this issue, this study proposes a revolutionary non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system aided by STAR-RIS and explores the robust beamforming design of communication systems in the context of transceiver hardware damage. This work focuses on the joint optimization of active beamforming, transmission and reflection beamforming, power allocation factors, and decoding order for the purpose of optimizing the achievable total rate. A location-based matching algorithm has been introduced to facilitate subchannel allocation, allowing reflection and transmission users to be grouped on designated subchannels while determining the decoding order through optimizing the total channel gain. Furthermore, active beamforming optimization is done using the successive convex approximation approach, while transmission and reflection beamforming are optimized using the convex upper bound approach. Finally, optimize the power distribution coefficients. Numerical simulations indicate that the STAR-RIS-NOMA system exhibits greater resilience to hardware failures compared to the traditional non-robust RIS-NOMA system, which neglects the impact of hardware damage.
Investigation of Meteorological Condition during the Air Dynasty Helicopter Crash in Nepal Using the WRF Model
Authors: Pudasainee Saroj , Acharya Ram Hari , Talchabhadel Rocky , Shrestha Dibas , Dawadi Binod
Published: February 2025

Mountain flight in Nepal remains a considerable challenge because of the rugged terrain. Many accidents have been attributed to unfavorable weather conditions related to the region’s complex geography. However, detailed meteorological analyses of these accidents have often been lacking. This research aims to investigate the prevailing meteorological conditions and reliable forecasts that may have developed over the complex topography of the high-hills during the Airbus helicopter H15 (AS350B3e), 9N-AMI accident dated 27 February 2019 in Koshi Province, Nepal. The crash resulted in the deaths of all seven Nepalese, including the Captain and the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Government of Nepal (GoN), just minutes after takeoff from Pathivara, en-route to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Kathmandu. To explore the meteorological factors involved in this tragic incident, weather conditions at the time of crash were evaluated using surface and satellite observations, along with output from the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model. The prevailing weather conditions during the crash, including low ceiling with cloud base, light to moderate snowfall, poor visibility, below-freezing temperatures, and a high amount of water droplets, suggest possible icing on rotor which could be a major contributing factor to the fatal crash. These findings demonstrate that the WRF-ARW model can effectively simulate weather conditions and may be a valuable tool for improving aviation safety in such challenging environments.
Concurrent validity of the CIQ for assessing social frailty among community-dwelling older adults
Authors: Koyama Shingo , Suzuki Mizue , Kawamura Kohei , Kunieda Yota
Published: February 2025

Background/Purpose: The community integration questionnaire (CIQ) is one of the assessment tools used to evaluate the state of social participation. We aimed to determine whether or not the CIQ can estimate social frailty status defined by the social frailty screening index in community-dwelling older adults.
Method: A cross-sectional study was performed in community-dwelling older adults aged 65 and above. We investigated the CIQ, and social frailty using the social frailty screening index. To assess the relationship between social frailty and the CIQ, we performed a partial correlation analysis and receiver operating characteristics curves.
Results: One hundred and ninety-four participants were enrolled (mean age [standard deviation] was 76.3 [5.5] years). A partial correlation analysis showed that family integration (r = 0.189) had a low positive correlation with the social frailty score. Social integration (r = −0.209), productivity (r = −0.417), the CIQ total score (r = −0.204), and the combination of social integration and productivity (r= −0.403) had a low to moderate positive correlation with the social frailty score. The cutoff values for estimating social frailty were 6/7 (AUC: 0.560) for home integration, 6/7 (AUC: 0.633) for social integration, 2/3 (AUC: 0.709) for productivity, 18/19 (AUC: 0.629) for the CIQ total score, and 11/12 (AUC: 0.721) for the combination of social integration and productivity.
Conclusion and implications: These results suggest that the CIQ is a useful tool associated with social frailty.
PreAFTrack: Multi-Object Tracking Based on Adaptive Feature Matching from Detection Results
Authors: Zhang Mandun , Hou Chenyue , Pang Yonghui , Shi Jiale , Zhang Yiqi , Huang Xiangsheng
Published: February 2025

Most two-stage detection and tracking methods currently adopt IoU distance and appearance features when matching target detection results with trajectory predictions. However, this approach has shortcomings in two main aspects: 1. The selection of feature extraction networks often relies on established methods, such as Re-ID-related methods, which are typically complex and significantly slow down algorithm processing speed. 2. Feature extraction networks lack consistency when extracting single-frame features, leading to difficulties in matching incomplete objects with previous features when occlusions occur, resulting in incorrect updates of target identities. To address these limitations, this study introduces a lightweight feature extraction network that combines current target features with preceding information for fusion. This network enhances data processing speed while obtaining smooth object features with temporal coherence. Moreover, considering variations in feature granularity among different targets, various feature matching approaches are employed to handle detection boxes under different conditions, maximizing information efficiency and conserving computational resources. An adaptive multi-feature extraction method is also proposed to accommodate diverse requirements across different scenarios. The matching strategy developed allows the tracker to serve as a universal and practical solution for various tracking scenarios within a unified framework, eliminating the need for manual parameter tuning. The effectiveness of PreAFTrack is demonstrated through comprehensive evaluations on three major MOT datasets: MOT17, MOT20, and DanceTrack.
Bridging Known and Unknown Dynamics: Machine Learning Inference From Sparse Observations
Authors: Lai Ying-Cheng , Zhai Zheng-Meng , Huang Jun-Yin , Stern Benjamin
Published: February 2025

In applications, an anticipated issue is where the system of interest has never been encountered before and sparse observations can be made only once. Can the dynamics be faithfully reconstructed? We address this challenge by developing a hybrid transformer and reservoir-computing scheme. The transformer is trained without using data from the target system, but with essentially unlimited synthetic data from known chaotic systems. The trained transformer is then tested with the sparse data from the target system, and its output is further fed into a reservoir computer for predicting its long-term dynamics or the attractor. The power of the proposed hybrid machine-learning framework is demonstrated using various prototypical nonlinear systems, where the dynamics can be faithfully reconstructed even with 80% sparsity. The framework provides a paradigm of reconstructing complex and nonlinear dynamics in the extreme situation where training data do not exist and the observations are random and sparse.
The Hidden Risks of Cervical Cancer Screening: When Negative Cotesting May Not Be Enough
Authors: AKTAŞ Özgür , BULUTLAR Eralp , Denizli Ayşe Betül Albayrak , GİRAY Burak , KOCAKUŞAK Canan KABACA
Published: February 2025

Purpose
According to the 2019 ASCCP (American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology) guideline, the immediate and 5-year risks of CIN-3+ (CIN-3 or cancer) for women with unknown HPV results or with current negative HPV-DNA and Pap smear results are 0.01% and 0.12%, respectively. Cotesting is therefore recommended after 5 years. However, if the samples were taken without adequate anamnesis or reliable naked eye cervical examination during screening, are these risks still low? On another note, could self-sampling screening be a methodological trap? Our aim is to determine the immediate CIN3 + risk in patient groups whose previous HPV history is unknown, whose current cotest result is negative, and who have abnormal cervical appearance (erosion, increased vascularity, etc.) on naked eye examination or a history of postcoital bleeding.
Methods
Patients who underwent colposcopy biopsy at Zeynep Kamil Women and Children Diseases Education and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences between January 2016 and December 2018 and whose cotest results were negative were examined. Patients with known previous HPV test results, history of colposcopy or excisional procedure were excluded. All biopsies were reported by gynecopathologists. IBM SPSS version 25 program was used for statistical analysis.
Results
Of the 112 patients included in the study, 36.6% had contact bleeding (postcoital bleeding) in their anamnesis, and 63.4% underwent colposcopic examination due to abnormal cervical appearance on naked eye examination. Of the colposcopic biopsies, CIN1 was reported in 13.4%, CIN3 in 0.9%, and invasive cancer in 0.9%. In the statistical analysis of the groups with CIN3 + and ≤ CIN1 lesions, no difference was found regarding age, menopausal status, colposcopy indications, and findings. In total, the risk of immediate CIN3 + lesions was calculated as 1.8%. When asymptomatic (abnormal cervical appearance) and symptomatic (contact bleeding) groups were evaluated separately, the risk of CIN3 + lesions was 2.8% and 0.0%, respectively.
Conclusion
Even when cervical specimens from patients with an unknown previous HPV test result and a negative current cotest result are obtained without reliable naked-eye examination (e.g., self-sampling screening), the immediate risk of CIN3 + would not exceed the 4% threshold for requiring a colposcopy examination specified in the new guideline. However, it would be more appropriate to recommend a cotest to this patient group after 1 year instead of 5 years.
Hafez, a Secure E-Voting System Based on Simorgh Communication System
Authors: MIrzaei Ebad , Dehkordi Massoud Hadian
Published: February 2025

Electronic voting (e-voting) is an electronic concept for casting and counting ballots.This process is a practical and efficient method of voting and is capableof safely handling large data in real-time. However, there is a growing concernregarding network security and connection privacy in the e-voting process. Creatingan e-voting system that can simultaneously guarantee anonymity, verifiability,and transparency is a challenging and complicated task. Recently, considerableefforts have been made to design blockchain-based e-voting systems. Blockchainallows designing a new generation of software capable of storing data in a safeand transparent manner. The primary challenge of blockchain-based e-votingsystems is maintaining the anonymity of users. It is also a challenging issue tosimultaneously create coercion-resistance, end-to-end verifiability and soundnessproperties in an e-voting system. Simorgh [1] is a safe communication systembased on blockchain. Simorgh uses smart contracts and mediator authenticationnodes (a decentralized concept) to create a safe connection between the senderand the receiver. Here, we introduce Hafez∗e-voting system, which is based onthe communication structure of Simorgh and designed according to the capabilitiesof blockchain technology. Hafez has all the features required for an e-votingsystem and can play the role of a suitable alternative to traditional e-voting.
RETRACTED: Evaluating the Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Thymus vulgaris Extracts: In Vitro Assessment of Solvent Effects on 5-LOX Inhibition and In Silico Analysis of Bioactive Compounds Interacting with COX Enzymes
Authors: Boutalaka Meryem , Bahi Salma El , Maghat Hamid , Lakhlifi Tahar , Bouachrine Mohammed
Published: February 2025

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
The potential role of non-classical monocytes in preventing malarial parasitemic recurrence in a mouse model
Authors: Fang Jiaqin , Chen Suilin , Gao Yuanli , Fan Yongling , Guo Shuai , Li Xiuxiu , Li Hangyu , Zhou Jian , Xu Wenyue , Liu Taiping
Published: February 2025

Background
Frequent recurrence is responsible for persistent Plasmodium infection after the acute stage. Our previous study demonstrated that phagocytic cells are essential for controlling Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi AS (P. chabaudi) recurrence. Nevertheless, the specific type of phagocytic cells involved in controlling P. chabaudi recurrence, as well as their underlying molecular mechanisms of action, remain elusive.
Methods
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was employed to analyze splenic phagocytic cells during both the acute and recurrent phases of P. chabaudi infection. The frequencies of red pulp macrophages (RPMs), classical monocytes (CMs), and non-classical monocytes (NCMs) were detected by flow cytometry. Low-dose clodronate liposomes (CLs) and CCR2−/− mice were used to investigate the protective role and origin of NCMs.
Results
Using scRNA-seq, we found that NCMs declined during the acute stage of P. chabaudi blood-stage infection, and then expanded rapidly in the recurrence stage. The changing trend of NCMs was confirmed by flow cytometry. To explore the potential role of NCMs in controlling parasitemic recurrence, NCMs were reduced by a low-dose of CLs during the recurrence stage, which significantly elevated the P. chabaudi parasitemia. Additionally, no significant difference in the proportion of splenic NCMs or CMs within the monocyte population was observed between the infected CCR2−/− mice and their control littermates, suggesting that the transition from CMs to NCMs may not occur in this model.
Conclusions
In summary, our results indicate that NCMs potentially play a protective role in preventing malarial parasitemic recurrence, offering valuable insights into immune-based interventions against Plasmodium infection and potentially contributing to the prevention of malaria transmission.
Economic And Environmental Sustainability In Silvofishery Of Mangrove Ecosystem In Ogan Komering Ilir Protected Forest, Ogan Komering Ilir Regency, Indonesia
Authors: Utomo Budi , Sumarmi Sumarmi , Utaya Sugeng , Bachri Syamsul
Published: February 2025

The Ogan Komering Ilir Protected Forest (OKIPF) area in South Sumatra, Indonesia, has experienced significant degradation due to land conversion into ponds, which has hurt the mangrove ecosystem and the socioeconomic life of the local community. Silvofishery is implemented to curb the rate of illegal conversion while improving the welfare of the surrounding community. This study aims to determine the impact of silvofishery implementation on economic sustainability and the sustainability of mangrove forests. This study uses a quantitative descriptive approach, which was conducted by the survey. The subjects of the economic sustainability study were Pond farmers, The head of the farmer group, The head of the KPH, The Head of the BPDAS HL, and The Social Forestry Facilitator. At the same time, The Object of the study is the sustainability of the mangrove environment, vegetation, and species with high economic value. At the same time, they were sampling vegetation and species with high economic value using a 100–200 meter transect perpendicular to the coastline. The sample was selected purposively, with as many as 65 respondents. Data collection was carried out through observation, documentation, and interviews. Data analysis used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to evaluate the ecological conditions of the mangrove forest. Analysis of income, revenue-cost ratio, break-even point, net present value, net benefit-cost ratio, and internal rate of return to assess the economic sustainability of silvofishery. Percentage analysis and poverty threshold to determine the welfare of pond farmers. The study results indicate that the silvofishery system contributes to the restoration of the mangrove ecosystem and increased biodiversity. The economic sustainability of the silvofishery system is seen in the increase in farmer income and the feasibility of long-term investment and strengthened one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine the difference between traditional ponds and silvofishery system ponds. The study results show that silvofishery can improve the welfare of pond farmers. Implementing the silvofishery system offers a promising solution to overcome the dilemma between short-term economic needs and long-term ecological sustainability. The practice of silvofishery system cultivation can bring economic and environmental benefits simultaneously. This study introduces a new perspective by showing the integrated benefits of the silvofishery system. It recommends stakeholder commitment and cooperation to promote the silvofishery system as a sustainable cultivation model.
Formation of Heterostructured Silicon Thick Films in Atmospheric-Pressure Very High-Frequency Plasma Toward the Application to Lithium Ion Battery Anode
Authors: Hamzens Afif , Mochizuki Shota , Naufal Farrel Dzaudan , Hiromoto Koki , Ohmi Hiromasa , Kakiuchi Hiroaki
Published: February 2025

The superiority of silicon (Si) film performance as anode material in the rechargeable battery technologies is tormented by the huge volume expansion during cycle. The combined structure of a microcrystalline Si with high porous/defect density and an isotropic amorphous Si has been proposed as a feasible solution. Our own deposition process using atmospheric-pressure (AP) plasma excited by very high-frequency (VHF) power has managed to create a non-composite Si film with gradient phase along thickness direction. This work investigates the formation of heterostructured Si thick film and its capability toward the application to the Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) anode. It is highly indicated that a slower gas flow rate and/or a larger power input cause the nanoparticle formation in the AP-VHF plasma to occur more actively, which significantly influenced the development of a crystalline layer with a high density of grain boundaries. The promising electrochemical performance imply a great potential of heterostructured Si as LIBs anode.
A New Approach to Balance the Chemical Reaction Equations by Applying Gauss,Gauss-Jordan Methods and Cramer’s Rule and Verification of the Same by Computational Programming Softwares
Authors: Choudhary Majid Ali , Khan Md Ajmal , Arifuddin Mohammed
Published: February 2025

This study is undertaken to balance the chemical reaction, i.e., combustion of hydrocarbons, by using a system of linear equations with the Gauss and Gauss-Jordan elimination method and Cramer’s Rule. It was earlier reported that these reactions are not possible to balance mathematically. The results of the present study show that these reactions can be balanced by using the linear equations protocol. Furthermore, the results of the present study were verified by using various computational programming tools or software, such as MATLAB, Python (Jupyter Notebook), and Lindo. The above methods are also applied to get the various hydrocarbon combustion reactions to prove the generality of the present study. Thus, it is anticipated that the present study results will open a gateway in the area of balancing chemical reactions by using mathematical protocols 1 and their computational counterparts, and in the future, it may be possible to mathematically handle any chemical reaction with given reactants and products.
MSC Classification: 15A06 , 15A52 , 15A12 , 65F05 , 65F3