bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting consumers’ preferences in purchasing organic vegetables using a theory of planned behavior
Authors: Aprilia A , Dewi H E , Pariasa I I , Hardana A E
Published: April 2024

Organic food consumption has increased, and health and environmental concerns are becoming particularly crucial for policymakers and individual consumers. Meanwhile, consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable practices for organic food production. This research aims to investigate the impact of sustainability and health values on consumer purchase intention and behaviour in selecting organic vegetables. In so doing, consumers of organic vegetables in East Java, Indonesia were chosen as respondents in this research by using the development of a theory of planned behavior. A structured questionnaire presented in Google form was used to survey 116 research respondents online, and the data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modeling. The respondents’ determination has been adjusted to the minimum requirement for the amount of data used in the analysis by taking into account the minimum R-squares and power statistics. The results indicate that the value of sustainability and health effects on purchase intention through mediating consumer attitudes. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, on the other hand, influence purchasing behaviour by negotiating purchase intention. The findings of this research are expected to strengthen the development of marketing strategies for organically processed products, especially vegetables, to gain potential consumers.
The development of an environmental resilience index for Selangor, Malaysia
Authors: Asmawi M Z , Yussof S H S Z , Ibrahim I , M Rani W N M W
Published: April 2024

Over the years, rapid urbanisation aided by advanced technologies and population increment has significantly altered the natural environment into concrete jungles resulting in adverse environmental degradation. In order to mould a sustainable, resilient and green future, global efforts and directives have been introduced, such as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, low-carbon cities, and others at international and local levels. Nevertheless, grassroots initiatives and actions are crucial in producing results. Presently, there is no mechanism to measure the relevant environmental components into a comprehensive system indicating Malaysia’s level of environmental resilience. Though the local governments have to report their development performance via MURNINET, a system developed by PLANMalaysia, this system does not include environmental resilience. As such, this study on the Environmental Resilience Index (ERI) was embarked on, proposing five environmental components that can be used by local authorities to assess environmental resilience. ERI covers environmental resources, built environment, climate conditions, natural disasters and environmental issues. On the other hand, this paper shares an ERI pilot analysis of the environmental resources of the study area, Selangor, Malaysia, consisting of 9 districts. The data used to analyse are majorly secondary data from official reports of responsible technical departments and agencies in Malaysia to ensure the validity and reliability of data. The output of this analysis was generated using ArcGIS software as it relates to the weightage of different components and sub-components. The results show that most districts in Selangor have an ERI level of moderate level, while three districts, namely Sabak Bernam, Sepang and Petaling, are categorised as having low ERI levels.
Gender roles and ethnicity in agricultural water management: a case study of Tinh Bien District, An Giang Province, Vietnam
Authors: Thai L H P , Duong N V , Pham V H T , Blake D J H
Published: April 2024

Women form a crucial part of Vietnam’s agricultural labor force and contribute to national economic development. Still, often the nature of their contribution is inadequately recognized by broad sectors of society. Due to entrenched gender roles and norms, women’s influence over agricultural activity decision-making at the household and institutional levels is limited and poorly acknowledged. This paper explores women’s participation at a household and local level in agricultural water resources management. This research draws upon field studies conducted in Tinh Bien district, An Giang province, Vietnam, a predominantly wetlands environment but with some prominent low hills that present different challenges for water management. The study employed focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, and participant observations to gather data at households and higher levels of governance. The findings highlight that despite being central to socio-economic production across multiple aspects of water wetlands management, women’s voices are overlooked for inclusion within management institutions. It was noted that Khmer minority women tend to be better represented at the household level than Kinh women, but both Khmer and Kinh women’s decision-making power over wetlands and water management at higher institutional levels is still limited.
Impact of innovative leadership in achieving sustainable development goals: a study conducted among selected small-scale industry units in Kerala, India
Authors: Gayathri H , Kumari Thriveni
Published: April 2024

The ability of a leader to inspire prodigious action in himself and those around him during periods of idea generation and innovation is known as innovation leadership. Innovative leaders may encourage those around them to make their big aspirations and creative ideas a reality. They are creative visionaries with huge dreams and innovative ideas. With sustainable development, business objectives can be achieved without compromising the resources required for future generations. It only concentrates on the expansion of resources to meet future needs over the long term. It is crucial to strike a balance between these two ideas because without sound leadership direction, social, human, and cultural progress cannot occur. This study attempts to provide a clear picture of the effects of innovative leadership on the achievement of sustainable development goals and the performance of the organisation. The sample units for this research are selected registered small-scale manufacturing entities from the Indian State of Kerala. This study shows a strong correlation between inventive leadership, long-term viability, and corporate success. Future studies in the field of innovative leadership will use this study as a model.
Study of sustainable solid waste management system of Carocok Beach Painan tourism area using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method
Authors: Aziz R , Ruslinda Y , Hukmi R
Published: April 2024

This study aims to assess the environmental impact and compare two scenarios of the solid waste management system of the Carocok Beach Tourism Area using the Life Cycle Assessment method. System boundaries include operational and technical aspects of waste management, the energy required, and emissions generated. The functional unit is 30.546 kg/day of waste treated. Scenario 1 is the existing conditions using a city-scale approach with a 1% reduction of waste at the source by scavengers, using a collection of motorized pedicabs, applying transportation to landfills by arm roll truck, and processing Integrated Solid Waste Treatment Plant by composting and landfilling with controlled landfill operation. Scenario 2 is the planning system with different phases of waste processing at the Recycling Center by composting and recycling with plastic chopping machines, producing handicrafts, and practices of sanitary landfill on landfilling. The impact assessment method uses the CML-IA method. The impact categories studied are Global Warming Potential (GWP), Acidification Potential (AP), and Eutrophication Potential (EP). Scenario 2 showed the best scenario because it has a smaller impact value for the three impact categories. However, to become a more sustainable management system, some improvement options recommended include a substitution of collection and vehicle fuel and waste processing using the Takakura method.
Agronomic performance and phenotypic variability of the F2 population derived from various types of okra varieties
Authors: Hayati P K D , Sutoyo  , Ardi  , Herawati N , Martinius  , Putri R E , Zaitialia M
Published: April 2024

Okra is a functional vegetable with high nutrient content and medicinal value potential. Evaluating genetic material from various genetic sources is a standard procedure in plant breeding programs. A field study was carried out to evaluate the agronomic traits of F2 populations derived from various types of varieties and assess the phenotypic variability of the traits. The research was conducted at the Research Station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Andalas University, from January to May 2021. The materials used are seeds from self-pollinated of 16 F1 populations with various varieties, i.e., hybrid, composite, introduced and local varieties. Data was collected based on an individual observation, and the data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that the entire population of the F2 derived from both hybrid or composite varieties, introduced or local varieties, has diverse agronomic traits, indicating their potential to be developed as parental inbred lines. All agronomic traits evaluated showed wide variability, indicating a high possibility to obtain plants with valuable and desirable traits. The exception was found for the optimum picking time; however, the optimum picking time 7, 8 or 9 DAA is sufficient to obtain fruit with higher fruit weight and fruit size.
Investigation of the Variability of Dry / Wet Meteorological conditions using the SPEI / SPI Index in the Selo Watershed, Period 1981-2020.
Authors: Nugroho S , Febriamansyah R , Ekaputra E G , Gunawan D
Published: April 2024

The significant impact of climate change is high variability in rainfall and an increase in extreme rainfall events. The impacts resulted in severe dry/wet conditions. Severe dry conditions can lead to crop failure due to lack of water availability, while severe wet conditions can indicate flooding. This paper aims to investigate the variability of dry/wet meteorological conditions in the Selo watershed. The investigation was carried out using the SPEI and SPI. The results show that wet/dry conditions do not have a clear pattern variability in the long term. Seasonal wet/dry conditions show a changing trend towards wetter conditions in all seasons. Spatially, the changes occur throughout the study area, with the most significant changes occurring in the upstream and downstream parts of the watershed. In the last two decades, wet conditions are more dominant to replace dry conditions that were more prominent in the previous two decades. Other analysis results conclude that there is no influence of air temperature in creating wet/dry conditions in the Selo watershed area. So that the characteristics of wet/dry conditions are very useful for considering the selection of agricultural adaptation strategies in dealing with variability and climate change in the Selo watershed area.
Effect of pasteurization time and temperature on bioactive compounds, antioxidant ability and color value of beverage produced from herbal extract (Passiflora foetida and embryo nelumbinis)
Authors: Tan N D , Le V T Y , Tuyen V T X , Khang T N
Published: April 2024

Herbal beverage is one of the natural products which are greatly preferred by customers. Passiflora foetida and Embryo Nelumbinis are two kinds of medicinal plants that possess many precious bioactive compounds that have the effect of supporting calmness, reducing stress, treating insomnia; and have been used in many folk remedies in Vietnam. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effects of heating temperature (75, 85 and 95°C) and pasteurization time (15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes) on the content of bioactive compounds (polyphenol, flavonoid, tannin, alkaloid and saponin), antioxidant ability (FRAP, DPPH) and color parameters (L*, a*, b* and ΔE) of product. The reseach was designed randomly with two factors and three replications. The content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of product were analyzed by standardization methods using spectrophotometer; and the color parameters were measured by the colorimeter. The result showed that the opitmal pasteurization temperature and time were 85°C and 30 minutes, at this heating process the product maintained high level of bioactive compounds and antioxidant ability. The content of polyphenol, flavonoid, tannin, saponin and alkaloid were 9.46 mgGAE/g, 4.44 mgQE/g, 4.85 mgTAE/g, 7.40 mgSE/g, 14.25 mgCE/g; the antioxidant capacity of product by DPPH and FRAP method were 64.50% and 28.25 μFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as LMFeSO4/g; the color parameters such as L*, a*, b* and ΔE were 31.58, -0.24, -0.47 and 61.25, respectively. The production process was successful in pilot equipment and the product can be used as one of the beverages for health strengthening.
Disaster resilience of flood in Kerala, India
Authors: Mohan C , Joy R
Published: April 2024

Kerala, the southern state in the Indian peninsula, has been affected by floods for the last three consecutive years. Changing weather patterns leading to heavy monsoon and development without considering the ecological vulnerabilities of the region has been pointed out as the reasons for flooding. Displaced communities, the destruction of agricultural and industrial enterprises, and health concerns have made disaster management a challenge for communities and governments alike. Even though there were lots of difficulties, the way Keralites came out of all these miseries and their adaptation was really inexplicable and always provided scope for research in that area. This paper focuses on examining the flooding pattern and impact of floods in Kerala, India and assessing the resilience capacity of the affected community. Self-developed questionnaires were used to gather data from the flood-affected population in the most flood-affected districts in Kerala. To gauge the respondents’ opinions, the questionnaire used a five-point variable Likert scale. When all was said and done, 260 valid questionnaires were successfully retrieved. The study found that communities show resilience to flood with partnership and decentralised management of disasters. The study could help recognise the strategies for building resilient communities through policy intervention and civil society participation.
Effectiveness of video and brochures on the improvement of students’ knowledge about Covid-19
Authors: Mappewali A , Omolu F A , Jumiyati S
Published: April 2024

Since the positive case for Covid-19 in Indonesia was first announced in March 2020, the Rector of the University of Muhammadiyah Palu started trying to prevent the spread of the virus to the academic community and society. Community awareness improvement is carried out through massive communication strategies, socialization, and education to the public regarding the implementation of Clean and Healthy Behavior using various media, including Video and Brochure. This research aims to determine the effectiveness of videos and brochures in improving university students’ knowledge about Covid-19. The research method used is a True-Experimental Design applying test as the research instrument. The tests (pretest and post-test) were administered to 100 respondents, who were divided into two groups. The result shows that videos and brochures significantly improved students’ knowledge about Covid-19. However, the brochure gives a better effect proved by Asym. Sig value (2-tailed) 0.317 higher than 0.05.
A facile way of controlling capillary condensation: particle-based crystal
Authors: Jiao Shichao , McCarthy Joseph J
Published: April 2024

To demonstrate a facile method to control capillary condensation via the design of confined geometric structures, we use a particle self-assembly technique to fabricate porous materials with well-defined pore sizes. Four groups of silica particles were synthesized using the modified Stober method, and these groups of particles were then arranged in closely packed structures. Quantitative predictions of capillary condensation were made based on the Kelvin equation and an approximation of the geometric structures of our closely packed samples. Experimental observations revealed that water uptake at 100% relative humidity reached 40%–50% relative to particle mass across sizes, closely aligning with theoretical predictions for small-particle systems, even though the geometry of some of the confined spaces corresponds to distances smaller than 10 nm. Despite deviation from theoretical predictions that are observed in larger particle systems, and which can be attributed primarily to practical limitations of attainable ordered structures at these scales, this fabrication method shows great potential for the creation of devices that allow facile control of capillary condensation in relevant applications such as vapor capture and humidity control.
Comparative analysis of characteristics and physical mechanisms for typical summer extreme precipitation in Pakistan
Authors: Hu Xiaoxue , Pan Hongzi , Ma Yuanyuan , Feng Guolin , Chen Yiting , Ma Qianrong , Ma Di
Published: April 2024

The 2022 floods in Pakistan resulted in severe losses and garnered global attention. This study aims to enhance the understanding of extreme precipitation (EP) events in Pakistan by examining the characteristics and mechanisms behind the persistent EP during summer, utilizing daily precipitation data from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). Results showed that the monsoon precipitation in 2010, 2020 and 2022 are the highest three years on record. Notably, these peak events in 2010 (concentrating in the north) and 2022 (concentrating in the south) spanned from July through August. Conversely, the extreme precipitation in August 2020 was concentrated in northern Pakistan. For the circulation patterns, the intensification of the South Asian High and the western Pacific subtropical high with a strong Indian monsoon is a unifying feature, but the Iranian high and monsoon low-pressure system on the south of Pakistan was different. Additionally, the EP in July 2010 and August 2022 were also influenced by the teleconnection associated with European Blocking. La Niña events and the negative-phase Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) also played a role in affecting summer EP, with the strongest La Niña occurring in 2010 and a notable triple-dip La Niña coinciding with a significant negative IOD phase in 2022. La Niña contributed to the formation of an anomalously strong anticyclone over the northwest Pacific and easterly winds along the southern Himalayas, impacting moisture transport to Pakistan. Conversely, the negative IOD phase amplified EP in Pakistan by enhancing the northward movement of convective systems and westerly winds over the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, reduced snow cover on the Tibetan Plateau in the springs of 2010 and 2022 likely induced a stronger thermal dynamical effect, acting as a heat source in summer and increasing precipitation in Pakistan.
A deep learning optimized LQR method for enhanced formation control with embedded systems
Authors: Wang Zhi , Ling Yun , Ma Min
Published: April 2024

To achieve higher accuracy throughout the formation control processes and enhance precision in dynamic environments, particularly for the formation control of follower vehicles with embedded systems, this paper proposes a method and framework for vehicle formation control. An Ackermann-model based Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) controller is developed for lateral distance control and a Proportional-Derivative (PD) controller for longitudinal distance control. To enhance the efficacy of the LQR controller, the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient Derivative (DDPG) method is introduced into the control system. The DDPG networks are trained in a simulation environment and can subsequently predict LQR parameters in real-time experiments. The practical application of the method is showcased, and the concluding remarks emphasize the potential and superior performance of our proposed formation control approach by experimental comparison with other controllers. This method can be implemented in small vehicles that possess limited computational resources and is also suitable for scenarios requiring dynamic motion control with higher tracking accuracy and stability.
A multi-modal nonlinear dynamic model to investigate time-domain responses of a micro-cantilever in fluids
Authors: Yilmaz Cagri
Published: April 2024

In this current work, a new nonlinear dynamic model based on the forced Van der Pol oscillator is introduced to demonstrate the time-domain sensitivities of the micro-cantilever to the varying properties of the surrounding fluids. Effects of diverse multi-frequency excitations on the hydrodynamically forced displacements are investigated for the Glycerol-water solutions with different concentrations. Driving forces at the eigenmode frequencies are applied simultaneously to actuate the micro-cantilever in multi-modal operations. The hydrodynamic force induces notable variations in the observables of high-frequency steady-state vibrations. To illustrate, the frequency of the displacements decreases with increasing dynamic viscosity and density of the fluids (among 55% and 85% Glycerol-water solutions) in bimodal- and trimodal-frequency excitations. Essentially, the observable responses are often used to distinguish the surrounding fluids in which the micro-cantilever operates. In addition, steady-state observables are achieved at only particular eigenmodes in single- and multi-frequency operations. It is highlighted that the periodic oscillations are obtained for the first and second eigenmodes with the highest value of forced Van der Pol parameter (μ = 1030). Clearly, higher eigenmodes require different values of the nonlinearity parameter to acquire periodic vibrations in multi-modal operations. In general, achieving steady-state observables is substantially critical in quantifying sensitivity to varying fluid properties. For instance, the vibration frequency of around 7.33 MHz and amplitude of around 0.03 pm are obtained at the first eigenmode for 75% Glycerol-water solution in tetra-modal operations. Note that femtometer amplitudes of deflections can be measured using quantum-enhanced AFM techniques. The frequency responses obtained in this work are compared with the measured ones in the literature and the results show satisfactory agreements. Therefore, a novel multi-modal nonlinear dynamic model enables to quantify observable sensitivity to micro-rheological properties at higher eigenmodes of the micro-cantilever.
Regional disparities in health and employment outcomes of China’s transition to a low-carbon electricity system
Authors: Yang Haozhe , Luo Qian , He Gang , Lin Jiang , Johnson Jeremiah , Garcia-Menendez Fernando , Deschenes Olivier , Mileva Ana , Deshmukh Ranjit
Published: April 2024

Understanding the costs and the spatial distribution of health and employment outcomes of low-carbon electricity pathways is critical to enable an equitable transition. We integrate an electricity system planning model (GridPath), a health impact model (InMAP), and a multiregional input–output model to quantify China’s provincial-level impacts of electricity system decarbonization on costs, health outcomes, employment, and labor compensation. We find that even without specific CO2 constraints, declining renewable energy and storage costs enable a 26% decline in CO2 emissions in 2040 compared to 2020 under the Reference scenario. Compared to the Reference scenario, pursuing 2 °C and 1.5 °C compatible carbon emission targets (85% and 99% decrease in 2040 CO2 emissions relative to 2020 levels, respectively) reduces air pollution-related premature deaths from electricity generation over 2020–2040 by 51% and 63%, but substantially increases annual average costs per unit of electricity demand in 2040 (21% and 39%, respectively). While the 2 °C pathway leads to a 3% increase in electricity sector-related net labor compensation, the 1.5 °C pathway results in a 19% increase in labor compensation driven by greater renewable energy deployment. Although disparities in health impacts across provinces narrow as fossil fuels phase out, disparities in labor compensation widen with wealthier East Coast provinces gaining the most in labor compensation because of materials and equipment manufacturing, and offshore wind deployment.
Toward a clearer understanding of what works to reduce gun violence: the role of falsification strategies
Authors: Swanson Sonja A , Miller Matthew
Published: April 2024

Strong epidemiologic evidence from ecological and individual-level studies in the United States supports the claim that access to firearms substantially increases the risk of dying by suicide, homicide, and firearm accidents. Less certain is how well particular interventions work to prevent these deaths and other firearm-related harms. Given the limits of existing data to study firearm violence and the infeasibility of conducting randomized trials of firearm access, it is important to do the best we can with the data we already have. We argue that falsification strategies are a critical—yet underutilized—component of any such analytical approach. The falsification strategies we focus on are versions of “negative controls” analyses in which we expect that an analysis should yield a null causal effect, and thus where not obtaining a null effect estimate raises questions about the assumptions underlying causal interpretation of a study’s findings. We illustrate the saliency of this issue today with examples drawn from studies published in leading peer-reviewed journals within the last 5 years. Collecting rich, high-quality data always takes time, urgent as the need may be. On the other hand, doing better with the data we already have can start right now.
Multigenerational association between smoking and autism spectrum disorder: findings from a nationwide prospective cohort study
Authors: Yim Gyeyoon , Roberts Andrea , Lyall Kristen , Ascherio Alberto , Weisskopf Marc G
Published: April 2024

Animal studies have shown that exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy can induce neurobehavioral anomalies in multiple subsequent generations. However, little work has examined such effects in humans. We examined the risk of grandchild autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in association with grandmother’s smoking during pregnancy, using data from 53 562 mothers and grandmothers and 120 267 grandchildren in Nurses’ Health Study II. In 1999, Nurses’ Health Study II participants with children reported on their mothers’ smoking. Grandchildren’s ASD diagnoses were reported by the mothers in 2005 and 2009. Among grandmothers, 13 383 (25.0%) smoked during pregnancy, and 509 (0.4%) grandchildren were diagnosed with ASD. The adjusted odds ratio for ASD for grandmother smoking during pregnancy was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.06-2.20). Results were similar with direct grandmother reporting in 2001 of her smoking during pregnancy from the Nurses’ Mothers Cohort Study subgroup (n = 22 167 grandmothers, n = 49 917 grandchildren) and were stronger among grandmothers who smoked ≥15 cigarettes per day during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio = 1.93 [95% CI, 1.10-3.40]; n = 1895 grandmothers, n = 4212 grandchildren). Results were similar when we adjusted for mother’s smoking during pregnancy. There was no association with grandfather’s smoking as reported by the grandmother. Our results suggest a potential persistent impact of gestational exposure to environmental insults across 3 generations.
The impact of adjusting for hysterectomy prevalence on cervical cancer incidence rates and trends among women aged 30 years or older—United States, 2001-2019
Authors: Gopalani Sameer V , Sawaya George F , Rositch Anne F , Dasari Sabitha , Thompson Trevor D , Mix Jacqueline M , Saraiya Mona
Published: April 2024

Hysterectomy protects against cervical cancer when the cervix is removed. However, measures of cervical cancer incidence often fail to exclude women with a hysterectomy from the population-at-risk denominator, underestimating and distorting disease burden. In this study, we estimated hysterectomy prevalence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys to remove the women who were not at risk of cervical cancer from the denominator and combined these estimates with the US Cancer Statistics data. From these data, we calculated age-specific and age-standardized incidence rates for women aged >30 years from 2001-2019, adjusted for hysterectomy prevalence. We calculated the difference between unadjusted and adjusted incidence rates and examined trends by histology, age, race and ethnicity, and geographic region using joinpoint regression. The hysterectomy-adjusted cervical cancer incidence rate from 2001-2019 was 16.7 per 100 000 women—34.6% higher than the unadjusted rate. After adjustment, incidence rates were higher by approximately 55% among Black women, 56% among those living in the East South Central division, and 90% among women aged 70-79 and ≥80 years. These findings underscore the importance of adjusting for hysterectomy prevalence to avoid underestimating cervical cancer incidence rates and masking disparities by age, race, and geographic region.

This article is part of a Special Collection on Gynecological Cancers.
Single-cell type annotation with deep learning in 265 cell types for humans
Authors: Dong Sherry , Deng Kaiwen , Huang Xiuzhen
Published: April 2024

Motivation

Annotating cell types is a challenging yet essential task in analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing data. However, due to the lack of a gold standard, it is difficult to evaluate the algorithms fairly and an overfitting algorithm may be favored in benchmarks. To address this challenge, we developed a deep learning-based single-cell type prediction tool that assigns the cell type to 265 different cell types for humans, based on data from approximately five million cells.

Results

We achieved a median area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.93 when evaluated across datasets. We found that inconsistent labeling in the existing database generated by different labs contributed to the mistakes of the model. Therefore, we used cell ontology to correct the annotations and retrained the model, which resulted in 0.971 median AUC. Our study reveals a limiting factor of the accuracy one may achieve with the current database annotation and points to the solutions towards an algorithm-based correction of the gold standard for future automated cell annotation approaches.

Availability and implementation

The code is available at: https://github.com/SherrySDong/Hierarchical-Correction-Improves-Automated-Single-cell-Type-Annotation. Data used in this study are listed in Supplementary Table S1 and are retrievable at the CZI database.
EpiCarousel: memory- and time-efficient identification of metacells for atlas-level single-cell chromatin accessibility data
Authors: Li Sijie , Li Yuxi , Sun Yu , Li Yaru , Chen Xiaoyang , Tang Songming , Chen Shengquan
Published: April 2024

Recent technical advancements in single-cell chromatin accessibility sequencing (scCAS) have brought new insights to the characterization of epigenetic heterogeneity. As single-cell genomics experiments scale up to hundreds of thousands of cells, the demand for computational resources for downstream analysis grows intractably large and exceeds the capabilities of most researchers. Here, we propose EpiCarousel, a tailored Python package based on lazy loading, parallel processing, and community detection for memory- and time-efficient identification of metacells, i.e. the emergence of homogenous cells, in large-scale scCAS data. Through comprehensive experiments on five datasets of various protocols, sample sizes, dimensions, number of cell types, and degrees of cell-type imbalance, EpiCarousel outperformed baseline methods in systematic evaluation of memory usage, computational time, and multiple downstream analyses including cell type identification. Moreover, EpiCarousel executes preprocessing and downstream cell clustering on the atlas-level dataset with 707 043 cells and 1 154 611 peaks within 2 h consuming <75 GB of RAM and provides superior performance for characterizing cell heterogeneity than state-of-the-art methods.

Availability and implementation

The EpiCarousel software is well-documented and freely available at https://github.com/biox-nku/epicarousel. It can be seamlessly interoperated with extensive scCAS analysis toolkits.
Meta-analysis of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation with or without intravascular ultrasound guidance
Authors: Yu Qian , Ahmed Osman , Gutti Subhash , Iyer Deepak , Kwak Daniel , Ahmed Syed Samaduddin , Said Adam , Angle J Fritz , Navuluri Rakesh , Lorenz Jonathan M , Patel Mikin
Published: April 2024

Objective

To conduct a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) during transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation.

Methods

MEDLINE and Embase databases were queried until July 2022 for comparative studies reporting procedure metrics for TIPS creation with or without IVUS guidance. Meta-analysis was performed with random-effects modelling for total procedural time, time to portal venous access, fluoroscopy time, iodinated contrast volume use, air kerma, dose area product, and number of needle passes. Intraoperative procedure-related complications were also reviewed.

Results

Of 95 unique records initially identified, 6 were eligible for inclusion. A total of 194 and 240 patients underwent TIPS with and without IVUS guidance. Pooled analyses indicated that IVUS guidance was associated with reduced total procedure time (SMD −0.76 [95% CI −1.02, −0.50] P < .001), time to portal venous access (SMD −0.41 [95% CI −0.67, −0.15] P = .002), fluoroscopy time (SMD, −0.54 [95% CI −1.02, −0.07]; P = .002), contrast volume use (SMD, −0.89 [95% CI −1.16, −0.63]; P < .001), air kerma (SMD, −0.75 [95% CI −1.11, −0.38]; P < .001) and dose area product (SMD, −0.98 [95% CI −1.77, −0.20]; P = .013). A total of 4.2 and 7.8 needle passes were required in the IVUS and non-IVUS group, respectively (SMD, −0.60 [95% CI −1.42, 0.21]; P = .134). Pooled complication rates were 15.2% (12/79) and 21.4% (28/131), respectively.

Conclusion

IVUS guidance during TIPS creation improves procedural metrics including procedural time, contrast usage, and radiation exposure.

Advances in Knowledge

(1) The use of IVUS during TIPS is associated with shorter procedural time, lower contrast usage, and radiation exposure. (2)The use of IVUS is not associated with higher complication rates.
Safety and efficacy of cryoablation of soft-tissue tumours: a systematic review
Authors: Bodard Sylvain , Marcelin Clement , Kastler Adrian , Dimopoulos Platon M , Petre Elena N , Frandon Julien , Razakamanantsoa Leo , Cornelis Francois H
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To assess the safety and efficacy of percutaneous cryoablation (CA) of soft-tissue tumours [desmoid tumours (DTs), vascular malformations (VMs), and abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE)].

Methods

This systematic review of studies published before January 2024 encompassed a detailed analysis of CA techniques and technical aspects for the treatment of soft-tissue tumours. Data concerning CA efficacy, complication rates, and other relevant metrics were extracted and included for analysis.

Results

The analysis included 27 studies totalling 554 CA procedures. For DT (13 studies, 393 sessions), CA showed an average pain reduction of 79 ± 17% (range: 57-100) and a lesion volume decrease of 71.5 ± 9.8% (range: 44-97). VM (4 studies, 58 sessions) had a 100% technical success rate and an average pain reduction of 72 ± 25% (range: 63-85). The average pain reduction for AWE (6 studies, 103 sessions) was 82 ± 13% (range: 62-100). Overall, the complication rate for CA was low, with minor adverse events (AEs) in about 20% of patients and major events in less than 5% of patients.

Conclusions

Showing substantial efficacy in pain reduction and lesion volume decrease, as well as low incidence of severe AE, CA presents as a highly effective and safe alternative for the treatment of soft-tissue tumours.

Advances in knowledge

CA is effective and safe in treating soft-tissue tumours, particularly DT, VM, and AWE.
Neurocomputational model of compulsivity: deviating from an uncertain goal-directed system
Authors: Kim Taekwan , Lee Sang Wan , Lho Silvia Kyungjin , Moon Sun-Young , Kim Minah , Kwon Jun Soo
Published: April 2024

Despite a theory that an imbalance in goal-directed versus habitual systems serve as building blocks of compulsions, research has yet to delineate how this occurs during arbitration between the two systems in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Inspired by a brain model in which the inferior frontal cortex selectively gates the putamen to guide goal-directed or habitual actions, this study aimed to examine whether disruptions in the arbitration process via the fronto-striatal circuit would underlie imbalanced decision-making and compulsions in patients.

Thirty patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder [mean (standard deviation) age = 26.93 (6.23) years, 12 females (40%)] and 30 healthy controls [mean (standard deviation) age = 24.97 (4.72) years, 17 females (57%)] underwent functional MRI scans while performing the two-step Markov decision task, which was designed to dissociate goal-directed behaviour from habitual behaviour. We employed a neurocomputational model to account for an uncertainty-based arbitration process, in which a prefrontal arbitrator (i.e. inferior frontal gyrus) allocates behavioural control to a more reliable strategy by selectively gating the putamen. We analysed group differences in the neural estimates of uncertainty of each strategy. We also compared the psychophysiological interaction effects of system preference (goal-directed versus habitual) on fronto-striatal coupling between groups. We examined the correlation between compulsivity score and the neural activity and connectivity involved in the arbitration process.

The computational model captured the subjects’ preferences between the strategies. Compared with healthy controls, patients had a stronger preference for the habitual system (t = −2.88, P = 0.006), which was attributed to a more uncertain goal-directed system (t = 2.72, P = 0.009). Before the allocation of controls, patients exhibited hypoactivity in the inferior frontal gyrus compared with healthy controls when this region tracked the inverse of uncertainty (i.e. reliability) of goal-directed behaviour (P = 0.001, family-wise error rate corrected). When reorienting behaviours to reach specific goals, patients exhibited weaker right ipsilateral ventrolateral prefronto-putamen coupling than healthy controls (P = 0.001, family-wise error rate corrected). This hypoconnectivity was correlated with more severe compulsivity (r = −0.57, P = 0.002).

Our findings suggest that the attenuated top-down control of the putamen by the prefrontal arbitrator underlies compulsivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Enhancing fronto-striatal connectivity may be a potential neurotherapeutic approach for compulsivity and adaptive decision-making.
More than 185 CAG repeats: a point of no return in Huntington’s disease biology
Authors: Belgrad Jillian , Khvorova Anastasia
Published: April 2024

This scientific commentary refers to ‘A CAG repeat threshold for therapeutics targeting somatic instability in Huntington’s disease’ by Aldous et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae063).
Catalyzing communities of research rigour champions
Authors: Brumback Audrey C , Ngiam William X Q , Lapato Dana M , Allison David B , Daniels Christin L , Dougherty Michael , Hazlett Haley F , Kerr Kara L , Pusek Susan , Rethlefsen Melissa L , Schrag Naomi ,   NINDS workshop Catalyzing Communities of Research Rigor Champions, Abrams Mathew , Adams Eryn , Allison David B , Alperin Juan Pablo , Bosch Gundula , Brumback Audrey , Centola Damon , Coolen Lique , Clyburne-Sherin April , Croker Jennifer , Crüwell Sophia , Daniels Christin , DeBolt Michaela , Dirnagl Ulrich , Dougherty Michael , Errington Timothy , Franko Maryrose , Hatch Anna , Jordan Kari , Kerr Kara , Kilicoglu Halil , Kording Konrad , Lapato Dana , Lee Carole , Lowenberg Daniella , Lundwall Rebecca , MacLeod Malcolm , Maldonaldo-Vlaar Carmen , Munafo Marcus , Nelson Alexandra , Nelson Nicole , Ngiam William , Nusser Sarah , Peng Roger , Polka Jessica , Poldrack Russell , Puri Ishwar , Pusek Susan , Raamana Pradeep Reedy , Reinagel Pamela , Rethlefsen Melissa , Ritt Jason , Ross Joseph , Salt Karen , Schrag Naomi , Steckler Thomas , Weissgerber Tracey , Whyte Alonzo , Williams Jason , Ye Hao
Published: April 2024

The biomedical sciences must maintain and enhance a research culture that prioritizes rigour and transparency. The US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke convened a workshop entitled ‘Catalyzing Communities of Research Rigor Champions’ that brought together a diverse group of leaders in promoting research rigour and transparency (identified as ‘rigour champions’) to discuss strategies, barriers and resources for catalyzing technical, cultural and educational changes in the biomedical sciences. This article summarizes 2 days of panels and discussions and provides an overview of critical barriers to research rigour, perspectives behind reform initiatives and considerations for stakeholders across science. Additionally, we describe applications of network science to foster, maintain and expand cultural changes related to scientific rigour and opportunities to embed rigourous practices into didactic courses, training experiences and degree programme requirements. We hope this piece provides a primer for the wider research community on current discussions and actions and inspires individuals to build, join or expand collaborative networks within their own institutions that prioritize rigourous research practices.
Structural connectivity at term equivalent age and language in preterm children at 2 years corrected
Authors: Barnes-Davis Maria E , Williamson Brady J , Kline Julia E , Kline-Fath Beth M , Tkach Jean , He Lili , Yuan Weihong , Parikh Nehal A
Published: April 2024

We previously reported interhemispheric structural hyperconnectivity bypassing the corpus callosum in children born extremely preterm (<28 weeks) versus term children. This increased connectivity was positively associated with language performance at 4–6 years of age in our prior work. In the present study, we aim to investigate whether this extracallosal connectivity develops in extremely preterm infants at term equivalent age by leveraging a prospective cohort study of 350 very and extremely preterm infants followed longitudinally in the Cincinnati Infant Neurodevelopment Early Prediction Study. For this secondary analysis, we included only children born extremely preterm and without significant brain injury (n = 95). We use higher-order diffusion modelling to assess the degree to which extracallosal pathways are present in extremely preterm infants and predictive of later language scores at 22–26 months corrected age. We compare results obtained from two higher-order diffusion models: generalized q-sampling imaging and constrained spherical deconvolution. Advanced MRI was obtained at term equivalent age (39–44 weeks post-menstrual age). For structural connectometry analysis, we assessed the level of correlation between white matter connectivity at the whole-brain level at term equivalent age and language scores at 2 years corrected age, controlling for post-menstrual age, sex, brain abnormality score and social risk. For our constrained spherical deconvolution analyses, we performed connectivity-based fixel enhancement, using probabilistic tractography to inform statistical testing of the hypothesis that fibre metrics at term equivalent age relate to language scores at 2 years corrected age after adjusting for covariates. Ninety-five infants were extremely preterm with no significant brain injury. Of these, 53 had complete neurodevelopmental and imaging data sets that passed quality control. In the connectometry analyses adjusted for covariates and multiple comparisons (P < 0.05), the following tracks were inversely correlated with language: bilateral cerebellar white matter and middle cerebellar peduncles, bilateral corticospinal tracks, posterior commissure and the posterior inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. No tracks from the constrained spherical deconvolution/connectivity-based fixel enhancement analyses remained significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Our findings provide critical information about the ontogeny of structural brain networks supporting language in extremely preterm children. Greater connectivity in more posterior tracks that include the cerebellum and connections to the regions of the temporal lobes at term equivalent age appears to be disadvantageous for language development.
Inferior parietal cortex represents relational structures for explicit transitive inference
Authors: Xu Biman , Wu Jing , Xiao Haoyun , Münte Thomas F , Ye Zheng
Published: April 2024

The human brain is distinguished by its ability to perform explicit logical reasoning like transitive inference. This study investigated the functional role of the inferior parietal cortex in transitive inference with functional MRI. Participants viewed premises describing abstract relations among items. They accurately recalled the relationship between old pairs of items, effectively inferred the relationship between new pairs of items, and discriminated between true and false relationships for new pairs. First, the inferior parietal cortex, but not the hippocampus or lateral prefrontal cortex, was associated with transitive inference. The inferior parietal activity and functional connectivity were modulated by inference (new versus old pairs) and discrimination (true versus false pairs). Moreover, the new/old and true/false pairs were decodable from the inferior parietal representation. Second, the inferior parietal cortex represented an integrated relational structure (ordered and directed series). The inferior parietal activity was modulated by serial position (larger end versus center pairs). The inferior parietal representation was modulated by symbolic distance (adjacent versus distant pairs) and direction (preceding versus following pairs). It suggests that the inferior parietal cortex may flexibly integrate observed relations into a relational structure and use the relational structure to infer unobserved relations and discriminate between true and false relations.