bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Panulirus stimpsoni and checklist of Panulirus lobsters in Malaysian waters: morphological and molecular insights
Authors: Ng Wei-Ling , Chen Cheng-Ann , Leaw Chui Pin , Teng Sing Tung , Nurhasan Raymie bin , Chan Tin-Yam
Published: December 2024

Panulirus stimpsoni is restricted to southern China, Vietnam, and Japan but has been rarely reported in tropical Gulf of Thailand. In Malaysia, only six species were previously reported. This study (1) reports the seventh Malaysian species – a new record of P. stimpsoni with morphological and genetic data; (2) establishes a checklist of Malaysian Panulirus species. Surveys from 2021 to 2022 sampled lobsters across Malaysia by SCUBA or from fishermen. Seven species were identified and a modified key of Malaysian species was constructed. The COI gene was used for genetic identification and phylogenetic tree reconstruction with maximum likelihood (ML). The best model was GTR + I + G. The ML tree comprised Clades I and II with sequences clustering by species and strong support. Most Peninsular Malaysian lobsters were P. polyphagus while P. versicolor dominated Sabah. Information on P. stimpsoni's full fishery potential, distribution, ecology, and biology is limited. Further research is needed to ensure conservation and management as data are only available for six previously reported species. Further studies are required to discover sustainable use approaches for all Panulirus species, particularly P. stimpsoni, given limited ecological understanding.
Childhood sexual abuse and lifetime depressive symptoms: the importance of type and timing of childhood emotional maltreatment
Authors: Hutson Lauren M. , Dan Rotem , Brown Aliza R. , Esfand Shiba M. , Ruberto Valerie , Johns Emily , Null Kaylee E. , Ohashi Kyoko , Khan Alaptagin , Du Fei , Teicher Martin H. , Pizzagalli Diego A.
Published: December 2024

Background

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and emotional maltreatment are salient risk factors for the development of major depressive disorder (MDD) in women. However, the type- and timing-specific effects of emotional maltreatment experienced during adolescence on future depressive symptomatology in women with CSA have not been explored. The goal of this study was to fill this gap.

Methods

In total, 203 women (ages 20–32) with current depressive symptoms and CSA (MDD/CSA), remitted depressive symptoms and CSA (rMDD/CSA), and current depressive symptoms without CSA (MDD/no CSA) were recruited from the community and completed self-report measures. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and a detailed maltreatment history was collected using the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure (MACE). Differences in maltreatment exposure characteristics, including multiplicity and severity of maltreatment, as well as the chronologies of emotional maltreatment subtypes were compared among groups. A random forest machine-learning algorithm was utilized to assess the impact of exposure to emotional maltreatment subtypes at specific ages on current depressive symptoms.

Results

MDD/CSA women reported greater prevalence and severity of emotional maltreatment relative to rMDD/CSA and MDD/no CSA women [F(2,196) = 9.33, p < 0.001], specifically from ages 12 to 18. The strongest predictor of current depressive symptoms was parental verbal abuse at age 18 for both MDD/CSA women (variable importance [VI] = 1.08, p = 0.006) and MDD/no CSA women (VI = 0.68, p = 0.004).

Conclusions

Targeting emotional maltreatment during late adolescence might prove beneficial for future intervention efforts for MDD following CSA.
Longitudinal evaluation of the early auditory gamma-band response and its modulation by attention in first-episode psychosis
Authors: Sklar Alfredo L. , Matinrazm Sayna , Esseku Annika , López-Caballero Fran , Curtis Mark , Seebold Dylan , Torrence Natasha , Fishel Vanessa , Coffman Brian A. , Salisbury Dean F.
Published: December 2024

Background

Executive control over low-level information processing is impaired proximal to psychosis onset with evidence of recovery over the first year of illness. However, previous studies demonstrating diminished perceptual modulation via attention are complicated by simultaneously impaired perceptual responses. The present study examined the early auditory gamma-band response (EAGBR), a marker of early cortical processing that appears preserved in first-episode psychosis (FEP), and its modulation by attention in a longitudinal FEP sample.

Methods

Magnetoencephalography was recorded from 25 FEP and 32 healthy controls (HC) during active and passive listening conditions in an auditory oddball task at baseline and follow-up (4–12 months) sessions. EAGBR inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) and evoked power were measured from responses to standard tones. Symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Results

There was no group difference in EAGBR power or ITPC. While EAGBR ITPC increased with attention in HC, this modulation was impaired among FEP. Diminished EAGBR modulation in FEP persisted at longitudinal follow-up. However, among FEP, recovery of EAGBR modulation was associated with reduced PANSS negative scores.

Conclusion

FEP exhibit impaired executive control over the flow of information at the earliest stages of sensory processing within auditory cortex. In contrast to previous work, this deficit was observed despite an intact measure of sensory processing, mitigating potential confounds. Recovery of sensory gain modulation over time was associated with reductions in negative symptoms, highlighting a source of potential resiliency against some of the most debilitating and treatment refractory symptoms in early psychosis.
Configuring possibilities for people living with dementia at home: day programmes as ‘technologies in practice’
Authors: Symonds-Brown Holly , Ceci Christine , Duggleby Wendy
Published: December 2024

There is a need for new imaginaries of care and social health for people living with dementia at home. Day programmes are one solution for care in the community that requires further theorisation to ensure an empirical base that is useful for guiding policy. In this article we contribute to the theorising of day programmes by using an ethnographic case study of one woman living with dementia at home using a day programme. Data were collected through observations, interviews and artefact analysis. Peg, whose case story is central in this article, was observed over a period of nine months for a total of 61 hours at the day programme, as well as 16 hours of observation at her home and during two community outings. We use a material semiotic approach to thinking about the day programme as a health ‘technology in practice’ to challenge the taken-for-granted ideas of day programmes as neutral, stable, bounded spaces. The case story of Peg is illustrative of how a day programme and its scripts come into relation with an arrangement of family care and life at home with dementia. At times the configuration of this arrangement works to provide a sort of stabilising distribution of care and space to allow Peg and her family to go on in the day-to-day life with dementia. At other times the arrangement creates limits to the care made possible. We argue that how we conceptualise and study day programmes and their relations to home and the broader care infrastructure matters to the possibilities of care they can enact.
Original position arguments: an axiomatic characterization
Authors: De Coninck Thijs , Van De Putte Frederik
Published: December 2024

We study original position arguments in the context of social choice under ignorance. First, we present a general formal framework for such arguments. Next, we provide an axiomatic characterization of social choice rules that can be supported by original position arguments. We illustrate this characterization in terms of various well-known social choice rules, some of which do and some of which do not satisfy the axioms in question. Depending on the perspective one takes, our results can be used to argue against certain rules, against Rawlsian theories of procedural fairness, or in support of richer, multidimensional models of individual choice.
How can managed entry agreements contribute to coverage decisions in Latin America?
Authors: García Martí Sebastián , Pichon-Riviere Andrés , Augustovski Federico , Espinoza Manuel
Published: December 2024

Context

Healthcare stakeholders in Latin America, including payers, manufacturers, and patients, seek to expedite access to technologies. However, uncertainty sometimes surrounds their true benefits and budgetary implications. Managed entry agreements (MEAs) are proposed to address this uncertainty by redistributing risks among key actors.

Objectives

The objective of Health Technology Assessment International’s 2023 Latin American Policy Forum was to examine the potential utility of MEA in technology reimbursement and decision-making processes in the region.

Methods

This article is based on a background document, a survey, and the deliberative work of the country representatives and others who participated in the Policy Forum.

Results

Interest in MEA in Latin America is increasing, with financial agreements being more prevalent than those based on clinical outcomes. During the Policy Forum, potential barriers to MEA implementation were identified, such as the lack of legal frameworks, insufficient reliable data, and, in some cases, distrust among stakeholders. Some potential solutions were also identified, including early stakeholder involvement to enhance dialogue and understanding, and piloting shorter-duration MEA to facilitate the revision of agreement terms, especially in situations of epidemiological uncertainty.

Conclusions

The Policy Forum served as a valuable platform for discussing the importance of flexible MEA implementation that acknowledges data uncertainty, promotes transparent dialogue to incorporate opinions and values from all stakeholders, and develops legal frameworks to support effective technology access schemes in Latin America.
The Normative Biography: International Higher Education Fever among China's Middle-class Families
Authors: Wang Zhe , Hu Xuerui
Published: December 2024

This paper explores the international higher education (IHE) fever gripping China's middle-class families. Drawing on data gathered from 69 qualitative interviews with Chinese middle-class international students whose education is financially supported by their families, the paper points out that the desire for IHE is influenced by the pursuit of the “normative biography,” a term conceptualized by the authors to refer to the societal expectations that prescribe the specific life milestones and sequences that young middle-class adults should follow on their life trajectories. IHE is perceived as an important pathway to help such young adults meet these social expectations. Moreover, parental support for IHE is not only an educational investment but also assists offspring in conforming to the normative biography. This paper enriches the understanding of how educational practices are influenced by broader sociocultural contexts in contemporary China.
A plan to transform primary and community care at Catalonia based on a process improvement methodology
Authors: Sales Coll Marc , Manjón Sara , Salabert Jeroni , Pladevall Clara , Algar Daniel , Benaque Alba , Soler Júlia , Ochoa de Echagüen Aguilar Anna
Published: December 2024

Aim:

This article outlines the implementation and deployment strategy defined by the Catalan healthcare system which sought to promote a plan to strengthen and transform primary care in order to provide high-quality healthcare services whilst making an optimal use of resources across the Catalan region.

Background:

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catalan healthcare system initiated a plan to enhance primary care services. The Lean methodology has been used extensively in other sectors for process improvement. More recently, it has been adopted in large hospitals, showing good results, so Lean was selected as the most appropriate method to achieve this project’s goal. The Process Office of the Catalan Health System, which is made up of experts in Lean methodology, has been involved in defining and deploying the strategy to all 374 Primary Care Teams (PCTs) within the Catalan healthcare system.

Methods:

The deployment strategy was executed in four phases (each consisting of a number of sessions): (1) explaining the project’s goals and training the professionals in the methodology; (2) assessing the current status regarding the processes with the various PCTs; (3) identifying and implementing improvement projects; and (4) defining key performance indicators to monitor the impact of the projects.

Findings:

As a conclusion, this project has allowed to successfully define and implement a standard at a strategic and deployment level of a project for primary care improvement that may be replicated in other regions. The key elements to ensure success have been the following: leadership, implementation of an improvement methodology, standardization of sessions, and involvement and training of front-line professionals.
Isaiah Berlin and the Aesthetics of Liberalism Introduction: An Aesthetic Approach to Intellectual History? Isaiah Berlin and the Ethos of Liberalism
Authors: Cherniss Joshua L. , Collins Sarah
Published: December 2024

As a collection of methods oriented toward the artefacts of human expression and the minds that shaped those expressions, intellectual history seems well placed to mobilize the category of the aesthetic, yet the aesthetic is rarely a focus on methodological discussions. The special forum that this article introduces explores what an “aesthetic approach” to intellectual history might look like. It focuses on the work of leading twentieth-century liberal Isaiah Berlin (1909–97), whose amorphous role in the history of intellectual history means that his work offers a parallax view on important questions of method and approach. In introducing this special forum, this article situates Isaiah Berlin’s distinctive approach and varied work as a historian of ideas and defender of liberalism within several larger contexts. One is Berlin’s response to tendencies in post-World War II British philosophy, and his turn to the history of ideas—an understanding of this area of study as requiring essentially aesthetic qualities of judgment, imagination, pattern recognition, and empathetic entry into the perspectives of others. A second is the development of other, more influential approaches to the history of ideas, to which Berlin’s approach is briefly contrasted. A third is the ideological struggles of the Cold War; in this last connection, we explore the affinities between Berlin’s awareness, and affirmation, of the aesthetic and the ethical in his articulation of liberalism.
Fair processes for financing universal health coverage?
Authors: Hausman Daniel M.
Published: December 2024

Although the fair financing report, ‘Open and Inclusive: Fair Processes for Financing Universal Health Coverage’, has many sage things to say about democratic deliberative processes, its title belies its content: the report does not offer any assessment of processes for financing universal health coverage. What it does instead is scrutinise processes for deciding how to finance universal health coverage without any linkage to substantive questions concerning financing, and, moreover, the discussion is not narrowly focused on fairness.
Labour market risks and preferences for EU unemployment insurance: the effect of automation, globalization and migration concerns
Authors: Nicoli Francesco , Sacchi Stefano , Burgoon Brian , Buzzelli Gregorio
Published: December 2024

Societies are experiencing deep and intertwined structural changes that may unsettle perceptions European citizens have of their economic and employment security. In turn, such perceptions likely alter people’s political positions. For instance, those worried by labour market competition may prefer greater social protection to compensate for the accrued risk, or prefer more closed economies where external borders provide protection (or perceived protection). We develop expectations about how such distinct reactions can emerge from distinct labour-market risks of globalization, or automation, or migration. We test these expectations using a conjoint experiment in 13 European countries on European-level social policy. Results broadly corroborate our expectations on how different concerns about sources of labour market competition yield support for different features of European-level social policy.
Comment on “Resolving the Tropical Pacific/Atlantic Interaction Conundrum” by Feng Jiang et al. (2023)
Authors: Richter Ingo , Keenlyside Noel , Tozuka Tomoki , Okumura Yuko , Wang Chunzai , Chang Ping , Kido Shoichiro , Tokinaga Hiroki
Published: December 2024

Jiang et al. (2023), https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl103777 argue that the apparent impact of the equatorial Atlantic on El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a statistical artifact, and that the 6‐month lead correlation reported in previous studies stems from early developing ENSO events driving the equatorial Atlantic zonal mode (AZM) in boreal summer and maturing in winter. Closer examination, however, reveals that most AZM events develop too early to be driven by developing ENSO, and that the influence of decaying ENSO events has to be considered too. Thus, while early developing ENSO events may play a role, they do not fully explain observed AZM behavior. Our aim is not to argue for or against an AZM influence on ENSO, but rather to show that Jiang et al.’s analysis is insufficient to resolve this issue. More analysis will be needed for a deeper understanding of Atlantic‐Pacific interaction.
Magnetic Dipolarizations and Energetic Electron Flux Variations at the Nightside Geostationary Orbit
Authors: Shukhtina M. A. , Sergeev V. A. , Nikolaev A. V. , Artemyev A. , Angelopoulos V. , Rodriguez J. V.
Published: December 2024

We consider energetic electron (EE, 30–600 keV) flux variations, connected with magnetic dipolarizations, at geosynchronous orbit. Two types of these variations, due to injections and drift shell crossing (DSC), have been known since the 1960s, but no methods to separate them were suggested. To reach this goal we apply the hodogram Je(Bz) technique (EE flux vs. local magnetic field) to data of three spacecraft, GOES‐15 observing a sharp dipolarization and thus being in the injection region, and GOES‐13, GOES‐14, being inside the drifting electron cloud (DEC). Analysis of 45 sharp dipolarizations and corresponding EE flux variations in 2013–2017 showed that hodograms look quite different (a) inside and outside of the injection region and (b) for medium (30–200 keV) and high (200–600 keV) energies, allowing to identify the variation type as either DSC or true injection. EE fluxes and energy spectra were compared inside the injection region and in the DEC 4 hours eastward. EE fluxes are well correlated before the injection, but strongly scattered at its peak suggesting a highly structured drifting injected cloud. Spectra at the injection peak appeared similar, demonstrating hardening with increased geomagnetic activity. The best correlations between different injection and dipolarization measures are observed between peak Je values and ∆(MPB)1/2, where MPB is the ground mid‐latitude positive bay index; correlations of approximately 0.7 are attained inside the injection region, being lower in the DEC. The peak injected EE flux increases by ∼1–1.5 orders of magnitude with increase in dipolarization strength from low to high geomagnetic activity.
Oblique Rifting in the Southern Tibetan Plateau Revealed From 3‐D High‐Resolution Seismic Travel‐Time Tomography Around the India–Eurasia Continental Collision Zone
Authors: Li Jiawei , Pei Shunping , Sun Quan , Liu Hanlin , Liu Wei , Hua Qian , Li Lei
Published: December 2024

The India–Eurasia continental collision zone (IECCZ) is an ideal setting for studying plate collision processes, plateau uplift mechanisms, and orogenic activities. Several models have attempted to explain the north–south (N‒S) collision and east–west (E‒W) extension based on geological and geophysical observations. Among them, the subduction of the subducted Indian lower crust (SILC) and the deep geometric shape of the southern Tibetan rifts are still controversial. To address these issues, we selected P‐ and S‐wave arrival times from 35,193 earthquakes recorded by 575 permanent and temporary stations and applied an improved double‐difference tomography method to obtain high‐resolution 3‐D P‐ and S‐wave velocity structures of the crust and uppermost mantle and relocated earthquake event locations around the IECCZ. The N‒S velocity profiles display a northward‐subducting high‐velocity layer stretching from the 20–40 km depth range in the Himalayan belt to the 50–60 km depth range beneath the northern Lhasa terrane (NL), suggesting that the eclogitized SILC extended beyond the Indus–Yarlung suture, reaching the NL. Additionally, the E‒W velocity profile at the SILC front reveals a discrete high‐velocity layer at depths of 40–60 km beneath the Longgar, Tingri–Nyima, Xianza–Dinggye, and Yadong–Gulu rifts, implying that the SILC experienced tearing. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the seismicity, large‐earthquake source mechanisms near the Moho, and tomographic images of the study area, we proposed a new dynamic model of the India–Eurasia collision and N–S‐trending rifts. The significant characteristic of this model is that the rifts cut through the crust obliquely, not vertically.
Seasonal and Inter‐Annual Variability in the Polar Vortex and Snowfall on Mars
Authors: Alsaeed N. R. , Hayne P. O. , Concepcion V.
Published: December 2024

The polar vortices of Mars are characterized by strong zonal winds that isolate cold air above the pole, allowing CO2 to condense out of the atmosphere through snowfall and direct deposition. Due to their key role in seasonal variability of the atmosphere, it is important to understand the different factors that affect the strength, shape, and stability of the polar vortices and processes such as snowfall that occur within. We used atmospheric retrievals of temperature and CO2 ice cloud opacity from the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) on board NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) to characterize and analyze patterns in the polar vortices and CO2 ice clouds for Mars years (MY) 29–36. We couple the MCS data with a one‐dimensional snowfall model to determine CO2 snow precipitation rates and analyze patterns in the amounts and distribution of snowfall. We characterize the elliptical nature of both vortices and find that there is significant shrinking and warming of the polar vortex during regional dust storms in the summer hemisphere, which occur more frequently during northern winter. We also find that snowfall in the north pole exceeds that in the south and accounts for ∼1% of surface CO2 deposition, with a notable pause in snowfall during the solstice. We also find measurable variability in snowfall driven by both regional and global dust storms and persistent yearly patterns in the spatial distribution of snow clouds.
VIM-AS1, which is regulated by CpG methylation, cooperates with IGF2BP1 to inhibit tumor aggressiveness via EPHA3 degradation in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Han Su-hyang , Ko Je Yeong , Jung Sungju , Oh Sumin , Kim Do Yeon , Kang Eunseo , Kim Myung Sup , Chun Kyung-Hee , Yoo Kyung Hyun , Park Jong Hoon
Published: December 2024

Early tumor recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a challenging area, as the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. While microvascular invasion is linked to early recurrence, established biomarkers for diagnosis and prognostication are lacking. In this study, our objective was to identify DNA methylation sites that can predict the outcomes of liver cancer patients and elucidate the molecular mechanisms driving HCC aggressiveness. Using DNA methylome data from HCC patient samples from the CGRC and TCGA databases, we pinpointed hypermethylated CpG sites in HCC. Our analysis revealed that cg02746869 acts as a crucial regulatory site for VIM-AS1 (vimentin antisense RNA1), a 1.8 kb long noncoding RNA. RNA sequencing of HCC cells with manipulated VIM-AS1 expression revealed EPHA3 as a pathogenic target of VIM-AS1, which performs an oncogenic function in HCC. Hypermethylation-induced suppression of VIM-AS1 significantly impacted HCC cell dynamics, particularly impairing motility and invasiveness. Mechanistically, reduced VIM-AS1 expression stabilized EPHA3 mRNA by enhancing the binding of IGF2BP1 to EPHA3 mRNA, leading to increased expression of EPHA3 mRNA and the promotion of HCC progression. In vivo experiments further confirmed that the VIM-AS1‒EPHA3 axis controlled tumor growth and the tumor microenvironment in HCC. These findings suggest that the downregulation of VIM-AS1 due to hypermethylation at cg02746869 increased EPHA3 mRNA expression via a m6A-dependent mechanism to increase HCC aggressiveness.
Astrocyte–neuron crosstalk through extracellular vesicle-shuttled miRNA-382-5p promotes traumatic brain injury
Authors: Hu Qing , Wu Xun , Guo Chengxuan , Wang Tinghao , Guo Hao , Wang Jin , Wang Bodong , Cui Wenxing , Bai Hao , Zhou Jinpeng , Li Leiyang , Han Liying , Cao Liang , Ge Shunnan , Gao Guodong , Wang Ting , Wu Zhenyong , Guo Wei , Qu Yan , Feng Jing , Liu Haixiao
Published: December 2024

Although astrocytes undergo functional changes in response to brain injury and may be the driving force of subsequent neuronal death, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Here, we showed that extracellular vesicle (EV)-shuttled miRNA-382-5p may serve as a biomarker for the severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI), as the circulating EV-miRNA-382-5p level was significantly increased in both human patients and TBI model mice. Mechanistically, astrocyte-derived EVs delivered the shuttled miRNA-382-5p to mediate astrocyte–neuron communication, which promoted neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction by inhibiting the expression of optic atrophy-1 (OPA1). Consistent with these findings, genetic ablation of neuronal OPA1 exacerbated mitochondrial damage and neuronal apoptosis in response to TBI. Moreover, engineered RVG-miRNA-382-5p inhibitor-EVs, which can selectively deliver a miRNA-382-5p inhibitor to neurons, significantly attenuated mitochondrial damage and improved neurological function after TBI. Taken together, our data suggest that EV-shuttled miRNA-382-5p may be a critical mediator of astrocyte-induced neurotoxicity under pathological conditions and that targeting miRNA-382-5p-OPA1 signaling has potential for clinical translation in the treatment of traumatic brain injury.
A dry Venusian interior constrained by atmospheric chemistry
Authors: Constantinou Tereza , Shorttle Oliver , Rimmer Paul B.
Published: December 2024

Venus’s climatic history provides powerful constraints on the location of the inner edge of the liquid-water habitable zone. However, two very different histories of water on Venus have been proposed: one where Venus had a temperate climate for billions of years with surface liquid water and the other where a hot early Venus was never able to condense surface liquid water. Here we offer a constraint on Venus’s climate history by inferring the water content of its interior. By calculating the present rate of atmospheric destruction of H2O, CO2 and OCS, which must be restored by volcanism to maintain atmospheric stability, we show that Venus’s interior is dry. Venusian volcanic gases have at most a 6% water mole fraction, which is substantially drier than terrestrial magmas degassed at similar conditions. The dry interior is consistent with Venus ending its magma ocean epoch desiccated and thereafter having had a long-lived dry surface. Volcanic resupply to Venus’s atmosphere, therefore, indicates that the planet has never been liquid-water habitable.
An unmanned aerial vehicle captured dataset for railroad segmentation and obstacle detection
Authors: R. S. Rampriya , Al-Shehari Taher , Nathan Sabari , A. Jenefa , R. Suganya , P. Shunmuga Perumal , Alfakih Taha , Alsalman Hussain
Published: December 2024

Safety is crucial in the railway industry because railways transport millions of passengers and employees daily, making it paramount to prevent injuries and fatalities. In order to guarantee passenger safety, computer vision, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and artificial intelligence will be essential tools in the near future for routinely evaluating the railway environment. An unmanned aerial vehicle captured dataset for railroad segmentation and obstacle detection (UAV-RSOD) comprises high-resolution images captured by UAVs over various obstacles within railroad scenes, enabling automatic railroad extraction and obstacle detection. The dataset includes 315 raw images, along with 630 labeled and 630 masked images for railroad semantic segmentation. The dataset consists of 315 original images captured by the UAV for object detection and obstacle detection. To increase dataset diversity for training purposes, we applied data augmentation techniques, which expanded the dataset to 2002 augmented and annotated images for obstacle detection cover six different classes of obstacles on railroad lines. Additionally, we provide the original 315 images along with a script for augmentation, allowing users to generate their own augmented data as needed, offering a more sustainable and customizable option. Each image in the dataset is accurately annotated with bounding boxes and labeled under six categories, including person, boulder, barrel, branch, jerry can, and iron rod. This comprehensive classification and detailed annotation make the dataset an essential tool for researchers and developers working on computer vision applications in the railroad domain.
Nutritional sex-specificity on bacterial metabolites during mosquito (Aedes aegypti) development leads to adult sex-ratio distortion
Authors: Romoli Ottavia , Serrato-Salas Javier , Gapp Chloé , Epelboin Yanouk , Figueras Ivern Pol , Barras Frédéric , Gendrin Mathilde
Published: December 2024

Mosquitoes rely on their microbiota for B vitamin synthesis. We previously found that Aedes aegypti third-instar larvae cleared of their microbiota were impaired in their development, notably due to a lack of folic acid (vitamin B9). In this study, we found that diet supplementation using a cocktail of seven B vitamins did not improve mosquito developmental success, but rather had a significant impact on the sex-ratio of the resulting adults, with an enrichment of female mosquitoes emerging from B vitamin-treated larvae. A transcriptomic analysis of male and female larvae identified some sex-specific regulated genes upon vitamin treatment. When treating germ-free larvae with individual B vitamins, we detected a specific toxic effect related to biotin (vitamin B7) exposure at high concentrations. We then provided germ-free larvae with varying biotin doses and showed that males are sensitive to biotin toxicity at a lower concentration than females. Gnotobiotic larvae exposed to controlled low bacterial counts or with bacteria characterised by slower growth, show a male-enriched adult population, suggesting that males require less bacteria-derived nutrients than females. These findings indicate that during larval development, mosquitoes have sex-specific nutritional requirements and toxicity thresholds, which impact the sex ratio of adults.
In situ bulk hydrogen intercalation in a mirror-symmetric Ru/WO3−x nanoarray boosts neutral electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia
Authors: Fu Hongchuan , Lu Song , Xin Yu , Xiao Shoukang , Chen Liyu , Li Yingwei , Shen Kui
Published: December 2024

An unprecedented mirror-symmetric Ru/MSN-WO3−x nanoarray is successfully constructed. The hydrogen intercalation endows Ru/MSN-HyWO3−x with a dynamic proton-concentrated microenvironment, which accelerates the hydrogenation of nitrate to ammonia.
Silica nanoparticles enhance plant disease resistance by modulating the endophyte community structure in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) roots
Authors: Wang Lei , Pan Taowen , Li Sicong , Wang Yi , White Jason C. , Xing Baoshan , Cai Kunzheng
Published: December 2024

Silica nanoparticles adjust tomato root endophytic bacterial communities and improve tomato disease resistance.
Emerging investigator series: a state-of-the-art review on large-scale desalination technologies and their brine management
Authors: P. Prabakar , Thampan Dyuthi , Karthika S. , Ravichandran Manthiram Karthik , Subramanian Aishwarya , Nagarajan Aditya Mosur , Hussain Rayhan , Sivagami Krishanasamy
Published: December 2024

Freshwater scarcity, caused by population growth and climate change, has boosted the demand for desalination technologies.
A shape-reconfigurable electronic composite for stimulus customizable detection via neutral plane shifting
Authors: Gong Dohyeon , Roh Yeonwook , Lee Jae-Hyun , Hwang Suhyeon , Kim Changhwan , Ji Kyungbin , Kwon Gibeom , Back Inryeol , Shin Dongwook , Lim Daseul , Hong Insic , Lee Doohoe , Koh Je-Sung , Kang Daeshik , Han Seungyong
Published: December 2024

A shape-reconfigurable electronic composite implements a 3D sensor that can selectively detect external force in particular directions, via neutral plane shifting controlled by the properties of a stiffness-tunable polymer.
Enzyme-free detection of creatinine as a kidney dysfunction biomarker using TiO2 flow-through membranes
Authors: Khaliq Nilem , Ali Ghafar , Rasheed Muhammad Asim , Khan Maaz , Muhammad Wazir , Schmuki Patrik , Karim Shafqat
Published: December 2024

Electrochemical oxidation of creatinine via TiO2 nanotube flow-through membranes (TNTsM).
Correction: Broadening spectral responses and achieving environmental stability in SnS2/Ag-NPs/HfO2 flexible phototransistors
Authors: Khan Muhammad Farooq , Sadaqat Sana , Khan Muhammad Asghar , Rehman Shania , Subhani Waqas Siddique , Ouladsmane Mohamed , Rehman Malik Abdul , Ali Fida , Lipsanen Harri , Sun Zhipei , Eom Jonghwa , Ahmed Faisal
Published: December 2024

Correction for ‘Broadening spectral responses and achieving environmental stability in SnS2/Ag-NPs/HfO2 flexible phototransistors’ by Muhammad Farooq Khan et al., Nanoscale, 2024, 16, 3622–3630, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3NR04626E.
Viologen doping induced charge storage in carbon nitride for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production
Authors: Bu Fankai , Yuan Runzhi , Zhang Zejun , Wang Jun , Liu Junying , Yong Yang-Chun
Published: December 2024

The rapid recombination of photogenerated charges is the primary bottleneck hindering photocatalytic hydrogen generation with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4).
Light-intensity dependence of visible-light CO2 reduction over Ru(ii)-complex/Ag/polymeric carbon nitride hybrid photocatalysts
Authors: Nakada Ryuichi , Zhang Chao , Onodera Jo , Tanaka Toshiya , Okazaki Megumi , Zhang Guigang , Maeda Kazuhiko
Published: December 2024

This study provides insights into optimizing selective CO2 reduction to HCOOH over hybrid photocatalysts that consist of Ru(ii) complex cocatalyst and Ag-loaded polymeric carbon nitride, based on the light-intensity dependent photocatalytic activity.
Construction of a Z-scheme heterojunction with camellia-like MnCo2O4/TiO2 for photogenerated cathodic protection
Authors: Sun Yanan , Wang Xiutong , Sun Congtao , Yao Shengxun , Wang Mingxing , Pu Jiayan , Nan Youbo , He Jingshun , Chen Xi , Huang Yanliang , Du Fanglin
Published: December 2024

A photogenerated cathodic protection system powered by solar energy has been proposed to reduce metal corrosion in the ocean.
A functional hydrogel dressing based on glycyrrhizic acid with low-swelling and moisturizing properties for enhancing infected wound repair
Authors: Wang Ji , Wang Wei , Li Kejun , Wu Yanhua , Yang Xiaoting , Zhou Jiping , Zhang Zhijie , Jiang Yongjun
Published: December 2024

The HGP@EGCG hydrogel with suitable adhesion, low swelling, and good moisture retention is developed by self-assembly and physical and chemical crosslinking. It can eradicate bacteria, promote angiogenesis, and accelerate wound healing in rats.
Optical memory effect in a dynamic gadolinium–tetracyanidoplatinate coordination polymer for sensing deviations in temperature and humidity
Authors: Wyczesany Maciej , Heczko Michał , Reczyński Mateusz , Sieklucka Barbara , Chorazy Szymon
Published: December 2024

Gd(iii)–Pt(ii) coordination-metallophilic frameworks combine charge-transfer luminescence with water vapor sorption properties and reversible thermal dehydration. This results in optical tristability applicable for sensing temperature and humidity.
Reassessing the Benefits of Audiovisual Integration to Speech Perception and Intelligibility
Authors: O'Hanlon Brandon , Plack Christopher J. , Nuttall Helen E.
Published: December 2024

Purpose:

In difficult listening conditions, the visual system assists with speech perception through lipreading. Stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) is used to investigate the interaction between the two modalities in speech perception. Previous estimates of audiovisual benefit and SOA integration period differ widely. A limitation of previous research is a lack of consideration of visemes—categories of phonemes defined by similar lip movements when produced by a speaker—to ensure that selected phonemes are visually distinct. This study aimed to reassess the benefits of audiovisual lipreading to speech perception when different viseme categories are selected as stimuli and presented in noise. The study also aimed to investigate the effects of SOA on these stimuli.

Method:

Sixty participants were tested online and presented with audio-only and audiovisual stimuli containing the speaker's lip movements. The speech was presented either with or without noise and had six different SOAs (0, 200, 216.6, 233.3, 250, and 266.6 ms). Participants discriminated between speech syllables with button presses.

Results:

The benefit of visual information was weaker than that in previous studies. There was a significant increase in reaction times as SOA was introduced, but there were no significant effects of SOA on accuracy. Furthermore, exploratory analyses suggest that the effect was not equal across viseme categories: “Ba” was more difficult to recognize than “ka” in noise.

Conclusion:

In summary, the findings suggest that the contributions of audiovisual integration to speech processing are weaker when considering visemes but are not sufficient to identify a full integration period.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27641064
ZTF SN Ia DR2: Study of Type Ia supernova light-curve fits
Authors: Rigault M. , Smith M. , Regnault N. , Kenworthy W. D. , Maguire K. , Goobar A. , Dimitriadis G. , Johansson J. , Amenouche M. , Aubert M. , Barjou-Delayre C. , Bellm E. C. , Burgaz U. , Carreres B. , Copin Y. , Deckers M. , de Jaeger T. , Dhawan S. , Feinstein F. , Fouchez D. , Galbany L. , Ginolin M. , Graham M. J. , Kim Y.-L. , Kowalski M. , Kuhn D. , Kulkarni S. R. , Müller-Bravo T. E. , Nordin J. , Popovic B. , Purdum J. , Rosnet P. , Rosselli D. , Racine B. , Ruppin F. , Sollerman J. , Terwel J. H. , Townsend A.
Published: December 2024

Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) cosmology relies on the estimation of light-curve parameters to derive precision distances, which are used to infer cosmological parameters such as H0, ΩM, ΩΛ, and w. The empirical SALT2 light-curve modeling that relies on only two parameters, a stretch x1 and a color c, has been used by the community for almost two decades. We study the ability of the SALT2 model to fit the nearly 3000 cosmology-grade SN Ia light curves from the second release of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) cosmology science working group. While the ZTF data were not used to train SALT2, the algorithm models the ZTF SN Ia optical light curves remarkably well, except for light-curve points prior to −10 d from maximum, where the training critically lacks data. We find that the light-curve fitting is robust against the considered choice of phase range, but we show that the [ − 10; +40] d range is optimal in terms of statistics and accuracy. We do not detect any significant features in the light-curve fit residuals that could be connected to the host environment. Potential systematic uncertainties associated tp population differences related to the SN Ia host properties might thus not be accountable for by the inclusion of addition of light-curve parameters. However, a small but significant inconsistency between residuals of blue and red SN Ia strongly suggests the existence of a phase-dependent color term, with potential implications for the use of SNe Ia in precision cosmology. We thus encourage further work in this area to explore this possibility, and we emphasize that SN Ia cosmology must include a SALT2 retraining to accurately model the light curves and avoid biasing the derivation of cosmological parameters.
Constraining the inner boundaries of COCONUT through plasma β and Alfvén speed
Authors: Brchnelova M. , Gudiksen B. , Carlsson M. , Lani A. , Poedts S.
Published: December 2024

Context. Space weather modelling has been gaining importance due to our increasing dependency on technology sensitive to space weather effects, such as satellite services, air traffic and power grids. Improving the reliability, accuracy and numerical performance of space weather modelling tools, including global coronal models, is essential to develop timely and accurate forecasts and to help partly mitigate the space weather threat. Global corona models, however, require accurate boundary conditions, for the formulations of which we have very limited observational data. Unsuitable boundary condition prescriptions may lead to inconsistent features in the solution flow field and spoil the code’s accuracy and performance.

Aims. In this paper, we develop an adjustment to the inner boundary condition of the COolfluid COrona uNstrUcTured (COCONUT) global corona model to better capture the dynamics over and around the regions of stronger magnetic fields by constraining the plasma β and the Alfvén speed.

Methods. Using data from solar observations and solar atmospheric modelling codes such as Bifrost, we find that the baseline homogeneous boundary condition formulations for pressure and density do not capture the plasma conditions physically accurately. We develop a method to adjust these prescribed pressure and density values by placing constraints on the plasma β and the Alfvén speed that act as proxies.

Results. We demonstrate that we can remove inexplicable fast streams from the solution by constraining the maximum Alfvén speed and the minimum plasma β on the boundary surface. We also show that the magnetic topology is not significantly affected by this treatment otherwise.

Conclusions. The presented technique shows the potential to ease the modelling of solar maxima, especially removing inexplicable features while, at the same time, not significantly affecting the magnetic field topology around the affected regions.
Impact of nuclear mass models on r-process nucleosynthesis and heavy element abundances in r-process-enhanced metal-poor stars
Authors: Chen Meng-Hua , Li Li-Xin , Liang En-Wei , Wang Ning
Published: December 2024

Because we lack experimental data on extremely neutron-rich nuclei, theoretical values derived from nuclear physics models are essential for the rapid neutron-capture process (r-process). Metal-poor stars enriched by the r-process offer valuable cases for studying the impact of nuclear physics models on r-process nucleosynthesis. This study analyzes four widely used nuclear physics models in detail: the finite-range droplet model, the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov, the Duflo-Zuker, and the Weizsäcker-Skyrme model. Theoretical values predicted by the Weizsäcker-Skyrme model are found to agree well with experimental data, and the deviations are significantly smaller than those predicted by other models. The heavy element abundances observed in r-process-enhanced metal-poor stars can be accurately reproduced by r-process nucleosynthesis simulations using the Weizsäcker-Skyrme model, particularly for the rare-earth elements. This suggests that nuclear data provided by a nuclear physics model such as that of Weizsäcker-Skyrme are both essential and crucial for r-process nucleosynthesis studies.
Mass evolution of broad-line regions to explain the luminosity variability of broad Hα in the tidal disruption event ASASSN-14li
Authors: Zhang XueGuang
Published: December 2024

We propose an oversimplified model to explain the different variability trends in the observed broad Hα emission line luminosity, LHα(t), and the tidal disruption event (TDE) model-determined bolometric luminosity, Lbol(t), of the TDE ASASSN-14li. Assuming that broad emission line regions (BLRs) in the central accretion disk are related to materials accreted onto the central black hole of a TDE, the mass evolution of central BLRs, MBLRs(t), can be determined as the maximum mass, MBLRs, 0, of central BLRs minus the corresponding accreted mass in a TDE. Meanwhile, through the simple linear dependence of broad Balmer emission line luminosity on the mass of BLRs, the mass evolution of central BLRs, MBLRs(t), can be applied to describe the observed LHα(t). Although our proposed model is oversimplified – with only one free model parameter, MBLRs, 0 – with MBLRs, 0 ∼ 0.02 M⊙, it describes the observed LHα(t) in the TDE ASASSN-14li well. Meanwhile, the oversimplified model also roughly describes the observed LHα(t) in the TDE ASASSN-14ae. The reasonable descriptions of the observed LHα(t) in ASASSN-14li and ASASSN-14ae indicate that our oversimplified model is probably efficient enough to describe mass evolutions of MBLRs related to central accreted debris in TDEs.