bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-model workload specifications and their application to cyber-physical systems
Authors: Burns Alan , Baruah Sanjoy
Published: May 2024

To address the question of how to deliver time-sensitive software for cyber-physical systems (CPS) requires a range of modelling and analysis techniques to be developed and integrated. A number of these required techniques are unique to time-sensitive software where timeliness is a correctness property rather than a performance attribute. This paper focuses on how to obtain worst-case estimates of the software’s execution time; in particular, it considers how workload models are derived from assumptions about the system’s run-time behaviour. The specific contribution of this paper is the exploration of the notion that a system can be subject to more than one workload model. Examples illustrate how such multi-models can lead to improved schedulability and hence more efficient CPS. An important property of the approach is that the derived analysis exhibits model-bounded behaviour. This ensures that the maximum load on the system is never higher than that implied by the individual models.
Similarity solutions in elastohydrodynamic bouncing
Authors: Bertin Vincent
Published: May 2024

We investigate theoretically and numerically the impact of an elastic sphere on a rigid wall in a viscous fluid. Our focus is on the dynamics of the contact, employing the soft lubrication model in which the sphere is separated from the wall by a thin liquid film. In the limit of large sphere inertia, the sphere bounces and the dynamics is close to the Hertz theory. Remarkably, the film thickness separating the sphere from the wall exhibits non-trivial self-similar properties that vary during the spreading and retraction phases. Leveraging these self-similar properties, we establish the energy budget and predict the coefficient of restitution for the sphere. The general framework derived here opens many perspectives to study the lubrication film in impact problems.
Bayesian inference of vorticity in unbounded flow from limited pressure measurements
Authors: Eldredge Jeff D. , Le Provost Mathieu
Published: May 2024

We study the instantaneous inference of an unbounded planar flow from sparse noisy pressure measurements. The true flow field comprises one or more regularized point vortices of various strength and size. We interpret the true flow's measurements with a vortex estimator, also consisting of regularized vortices, and attempt to infer the positions and strengths of this estimator assuming little prior knowledge. The problem often has several possible solutions, many due to a variety of symmetries. To deal with this ill posedness and to quantify the uncertainty, we develop the vortex estimator in a Bayesian setting. We use Markov-chain Monte Carlo and a Gaussian mixture model to sample and categorize the probable vortex states in the posterior distribution, tailoring the prior to avoid spurious solutions. Through experiments with one or more true vortices, we reveal many aspects of the vortex inference problem. With fewer sensors than states, the estimator infers a manifold of equally possible states. Using one more sensor than states ensures that no cases of rank deficiency arise. Uncertainty grows rapidly with distance when a vortex lies outside of the vicinity of the sensors. Vortex size cannot be reliably inferred, but the position and strength of a larger vortex can be estimated with a much smaller one. In estimates of multiple vortices their individual signs are discernible because of the nonlinear coupling in the pressure. When the true vortex state is inferred from an estimator of fewer vortices, the estimate approximately aggregates the true vortices where possible.
The effect of particle geometry on squirming in a heterogeneous medium
Authors: Demir E. , van Gogh B. , Palaniappan D. , Nganguia H.
Published: May 2024

Biological microorganisms and artificial micro-swimmers often locomote in heterogeneous viscous environments consisting of networks of obstacles embedded into viscous fluid media. In this work, we use the squirmer model and present a numerical investigation of the effects of shape on swimming in a heterogeneous medium. Specifically, we analyse the microorganism's propulsion speed as well as its energetic cost and swimming efficiency. The analysis allows us to probe the general characteristics of swimming in a heterogeneous viscous environment in comparison with the case of a purely viscous fluid. We found that a spheroidal microorganism always propels faster, expends less energy and is more efficient than a spherical microorganism in either a homogeneous fluid or a heterogeneous medium. Moreover, we determined that above a critical eccentricity, a spheroidal microorganism in a heterogeneous medium can swim faster than a spherical microorganism in a homogeneous fluid. Based on an analysis of the forces acting on the squirmer, we offer an explanation for the decrease in the squirmer's speed observed in heterogeneous media compared with homogeneous fluids.
Observed meltwater-induced flexure and fracture at a doline on George VI Ice Shelf, Antarctica
Authors: Banwell Alison F. , Willis Ian C. , Stevens Laura A. , Dell Rebecca L. , MacAyeal Douglas R.
Published: May 2024

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations and ground-based timelapse photography obtained over the record-high 2019/2020 melt season are combined to characterise the flexure and fracture behaviour of a previously formed doline on George VI Ice Shelf, Antarctica. The GNSS timeseries shows a downward vertical displacement of the doline centre with respect to the doline rim of ~60 cm in response to loading from a central meltwater lake. The GNSS data also show a tens-of-days episode of rapid-onset, exponentially decaying horizontal displacement, where the horizontal distance between the doline rim and its centre increases by ~70 cm. We interpret this event as the initiation and/or widening of a fracture, aided by stress perturbations associated with meltwater loading in the doline basin. Viscous flexure modelling indicates that the meltwater loading generates tensile surface stresses exceeding 75 kPa. This, together with our timelapse photos of circular fractures around the doline, suggests the first such documentation of meltwater-loading-induced ‘ring fracture’ formation on an ice shelf, equivalent to the fracture type proposed as part of the chain-reaction lake drainage process involved in the 2002 breakup of the Larsen B Ice Shelf.
Normalizing Relations from the Cold War to the Present: Continuing War, Pursuing Peace, and Building Empire
Authors: Demmer Amanda C. , Nichols Christopher McKnight
Published: May 2024

“Normalization of relations” is a phrase of recent origin, widely used by scholars, politicians, and journalists. Defining normalization, however, is remarkably difficult. While we know a great deal about specific instances of normalization, we lack a sustained study of normalization itself, a gap this article begins to address. Using case studies of U.S. relations with China, Vietnam, and Cuba, this article examines the idea of normalization, its history, and its consequences. Focusing on pivotal moments in which “normalization” was at stake, we argue that in the American rendering, normalization was a process that unfolded in three phases. In turn, normalizing relations became a key nonmilitary means through which U.S. officials escalated and then deescalated the Cold War. Like other facets of U.S. diplomacy of the postwar period, normalization policies were premised on many of the assumptions and institutions of the “liberal international order” and have endured into the twenty-first century.
Mind the Gap: Why Wealthy Voters Support Brexit
Authors: Green Jane , Pahontu Raluca L.
Published: May 2024

Wealth provides self-insurance against financial risk, reducing risk aversion. We apply this insurance mechanism to electoral behaviour, arguing that a voter who desires a change to the status quo and who is wealthy is more likely to vote for change than a voter who lacks the same self-insurance. We apply this argument to the case of Brexit in the UK, which has been widely characterized as a vote by the ‘economically left-behind’. Our results show that individuals who lacked wealth are less likely to support leaving the EU, explaining why so many Brexit voters were wealthy, in terms of their property wealth. We corroborate our theory using two panel surveys, accounting for unobserved individual-level heterogeneity, and by using a survey experiment. The findings have implications for the potential broader role of wealth-as-insurance in electoral behaviour and for understanding the Brexit case.
Successful control of Echinococcosis in Argentina and Chile through a One Health approach, including vaccination of the sheep intermediate host
Authors: Poggio Thelma Veronica , Chacon Tomas , Larrieu Edmundo
Published: May 2024

Cystic echinococcosis control in South American countries requires a comprehensive integrative ‘One Health’ approach. While insular nations have seen successful in their elimination programmes, South American countries face persistent challenges in hostile environments, with Echinococcus granulosus s.l., posing a significant public health concern. Vaccination of intermediate hosts has demonstrated the efficacy of the EG95 vaccine in reducing transmission rates. For example, since 2009, Rio Negro Province in Argentina has added, with marked success, the EG95 vaccine to the control programme, supplementing dog deworming. The Aysen Region of Chile has also reported encouraging preliminary results in reducing cyst prevalence in vaccinated sheep after 3 years of vaccination. The challenges in aligning control strategies with socio-cultural factors, especially in indigenous communities, underlines the need for context-specific strategies. The Rio Negro programme demonstrated commendable compliance, underlining the importance of community engagement in achieving lasting success. The most promising strategies for effective echinococcosis control involved dog deworming and the routine vaccination of sheep and/or goats, underscoring the importance of sustained implementation until all grazing animals have been replaced. For lasting success, these interventions need to be combined with a robust surveillance system.
The liminal (vowel) space of womanhood: Fundamental frequency, formants, and the intersex body in Brazil
Authors: Dauphinais Civitello Ashlee
Published: May 2024

Despite the significance of intersex constituencies for explaining the social nature of sex and gender, intersex linguistic and social practices remain a yet unexplored frontier within sociolinguistics. This article examines fundamental frequency (F0) and vowel formant (F1–F3) production by participants with Turner Syndrome (TS), one of the most common intersex chromosomal conditions, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This analysis demonstrates significant differences in fundamental frequency and F3 among different participant groups. I argue that height, growth hormone, and chromosomes are fundamental in constructing womanhood for TS women. Along with relevant ethnographic data, these results call for a re-examination of the body within linguistic and anthropological understandings of ‘womanhood’ and ‘femaleness’. This article highlights the ways these biological factors intersect with gendered perceptions of age and maturity, which can have real-world effects on linguistic practice and the social life of intersex individuals. (Brazilian Portuguese, fundamental frequency, gender, intersex, Turner Syndrome, vowel formants, critical intersex studies)*
A multi-stage localization framework for accurate and precise docking of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)
Authors: Yilmaz Abdurrahman , Temeltas Hakan
Published: May 2024

Autonomous navigation has been a long-standing research topic, and researchers have worked on many challenging problems in indoor and outdoor environments. One application area of navigation solutions is material handling in industrial environments. With Industry 4.0, the simple problem in traditional factories has evolved into the use of autonomous mobile robots within flexible production islands in a self-decision-making structure. Two main stages of such a navigation system are safe transportation of the vehicle from one point to another and reaching destinations at industrial standards. The main concern in the former is roughly determining the vehicle’s pose to follow the route, while the latter aims to reach the target with high accuracy and precision. Often, it may not be possible or require extra effort to satisfy requirements with a single localization method. Therefore, a multi-stage localization approach is proposed in this study. Particle filter-based large-scale localization approaches are utilized during the vehicle’s movement from one point to another, while scan-matching-based methods are used in the docking stage. The localization system enables the appropriate approach based on the vehicle’s status and task through a decision-making mechanism. The decision-making mechanism uses a similarity metric obtained through the correntropy criterion to decide when and how to switch from large-scale localization to precise localization. The feasibility and performance of the developed method are corroborated through field tests. These evaluations demonstrate that the proposed method accomplishes tasks with sub-centimeter and sub-degree accuracy and precision without affecting the operation of the navigation algorithms in real time.
Applications of artificial intelligence and cognitive science in design
Authors: Han Ji , Childs Peter R.N. , Luo Jianxi
Published: May 2024

Artificial intelligence and cognitive science are two core research areas in design. Artificial intelligence shows the capability of analysing massive amounts of data which supports making predictions, uncovering patterns and generating insights in varying design activities, while cognitive science provides the advantage of revealing the inherent mental processes and mechanisms of humans in design. Both artificial intelligence and cognitive science in design research are focused on delivering more innovative and efficient design outcomes and processes. Therefore, this thematic collection on “Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science in Design” brings together state-of-the-art research in artificial intelligence and cognitive science to showcase the emerging trend of applying artificial intelligence techniques and neurophysiological and biometric measures in design research. Three promising future research directions: 1) human-in-the-loop AI for design, 2) multimodal measures for design, and 3) AI for design cognitive data analysis and interpretation, are suggested by analysing the research papers collected. A framework for integration of artificial intelligence and cognitive science in design, incorporating the three research directions, is proposed to inspire and guide design researchers in exploring human-centred design methods, strategies, solutions, tools and systems.
Posthumous Harm and Changing Desires
Authors: Asker Andrea S.
Published: May 2024

The desire-satisfactionist defense of the existence of posthumous harm faces the problem of changing desires. The problem is that, in some cases where desires change before the time of their objects, the principle underlying the desire-satisfactionist defense of posthumous harm yields implausible results. In his prominent desire-satisfactionist defense of posthumous harm, David Boonin proposes a solution to this problem. First, I argue that there are two relevantly different versions of the problem of changing desires, and that Boonin's proposed solution addresses only one of them. Second, I argue that modifying the underlying principle is a better approach to overcoming the problem of changing desires since it addresses both versions of the problem. I defend this approach against objections by showing that the problems raised are problems for the principle as a general theory of harm, not for the principle as part of the desire-satisfactionist defense of posthumous harm.
Proteomic characterization of the different stages of seed germination in Cupressus gigantea
Authors: Li Jianxin , Zhang Subin , Lei Pei , Eh Tong-Ju , Zhang Yu , Jin Guangze , Dong Kun , Xu Qijiang , Luo Qiuxiang , Meng Fanjuan
Published: May 2024

Seed germination is a pivotal period of plant growth and development. This process can be divided into four major stages, swelling absorption, seed coat dehiscence, radicle emergence and radicle elongation. Cupressus gigantea, a tree native to Tibet, China, is characterized by its resistance to stresses such as cold, and drought, and has a high economic and ecological value. Nevertheless, given its unique geographic location, its seeds are difficult to germinate. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the mechanisms involved in seed germination in this species to improve the germination efficiency of its seeds, thereby protecting this high-quality resource. Here, our findings indicate that seed germination was enhanced when exposed to a 6-h/8-h light/dark photoperiod, coupled with a temperature of 20°C. Furthermore, the application of exogenous GA3 (1 mg/ml, about 2.9 mM) stimulated the germination of C. gigantea seeds. Subsequently, proteomics was used to detect changes in protein expression during the four stages of seed germination. We identified 34 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), including 13 at the radicle pre-emergence stage, and 17 at the radicle elongation stage. These DEPs were classified into eight functional groups, cytoskeletal proteins, energy metabolism, membrane transport, stress response, molecular chaperones, amino acid metabolism, antioxidant system and ABA signalling pathway. Most of them were found to be closely associated with amino acid metabolism. Combined, these findings indicate that, along with temperature and light, exogenous GA3 can increase the germination efficiency of C. gigantea seeds. Our study also offers insights into the changes in protein expression patterns in C. gigantea seeds during germination.
Maximum chordal subgraphs of random graphs
Authors: Krivelevich Michael , Zhukovskii Maksim
Published: May 2024

We find asymptotics of the maximum size of a chordal subgraph in a binomial random graph
$G(n,p)$
, for
$p=\mathrm{const}$
and
$p=n^{-\alpha +o(1)}$
.
The word frequency effect in first- and second-language reading by Chinese and Dutch bilinguals
Authors: Sui Longjiao , Woumans Evy , Duyck Wouter , Dirix Nicolas
Published: May 2024

High-frequency words are processed faster than low-frequency words, known as the word frequency effect (FE). Although the FE has been studied in various writing systems as well as in first- (L1) and second-language (L2) reading, existing theoretical hypotheses are mainly based on findings in alphabetic languages. To date, no study has investigated theoretical explanations of the FE such as the learning hypothesis, the lexical entrenchment hypothesis and the rank hypothesis apply to Chinese–English bilinguals. The present study, therefore, compared the FEs in Chinese– and Dutch–English bilinguals during natural paragraph reading in their L1 and L2, using eye-tracking measures. Chinese bilinguals exhibited a larger FE in L2 than in L1. They displayed smaller L1 FEs and much steeper L2 FE curves than Dutch bilinguals. These findings are not entirely consistent with the existing FE hypotheses, and the present study discusses theoretical accounts in light of the observed results.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Perceived Stress in South Korean Twins
Authors: Jo Gwanwoo , Hur Yoon-Mi
Published: May 2024

Researchers have proposed that culture significantly influences perceived stress (PS). To date, however, twin studies on PS have been conducted mostly in western, individualistic cultures, which demonstrate that PS due to controllable (personal) life events is more heritable than PS due to uncontrollable (network) life events. This study aimed to investigate genetic and environmental influences on PS in South Korean twins. South Korea practices a dominant collectivist culture. In total, 1372 twin individuals (mean age = 22.4 ± 2.5 years) completed an online survey on PS, which consisted of the scales, Friendship, Academic Stress, Future Career, Family Conflicts, and Family Financial Difficulties (FFD). Friendship, Academic Stress, and Future Career can be considered PS due to personal life events, and Family Conflict and FFD, PS due to network life events. The general sex-limitation model-fitting analysis revealed the absence of qualitative or quantitative sex differences in genetic and environmental influences. Specifically, additive genetic influences were predominant for Friendship (63%), Academic Stress (67%), and Future Career (57%) for both sexes, with the remaining variance attributable to nonshared environmental influences. In contrast, shared environmental influences were largest for Family Conflict (47% for both genders) and FFD (64% for males, 63% for females) with no significant genetic effects. Despite known cultural differences in the means and variances of PS, South Korean twins exhibited significant genetic effects in PS due to personal life events and large shared environmental effects in PS due to network life events, which is similar to western samples.
Antarctic Meteorites Are Going, Going, May Soon Be Gone
Authors: Scharping Nathaniel
Published: May 2024

If warming ice gobbles up meteorites, science may lose a cheap source of space rocks.
Meeting the need for effective and standardized neonatology training: a pan-European Master’s Curriculum
Authors: Santoro Deanna , Zibulsky Devin A. , Roehr Charles C. , Langhammer Florian , Vento Max , Szczapa Tomasz , Fauchère J.-C. , Dimitriou Gabriel , Rabe Heike , Mader Silke , Zimmermann Luc J. I. , Murray Deirdre M. , Smith Susan , Hall Mike , Künzel Manfred , Wellmann Sven
Published: May 2024

Neonatology is a pediatric sub-discipline focused on providing care for newborn infants, including healthy newborns, those born prematurely, and those who present with illnesses or malformations requiring medical care. The European Training Requirements (ETR) in Neonatology provide a framework for standardized quality and recognition of equality of training throughout Europe. The latest ETR version was approved by the Union of European Medical Specialists (UEMS) in April 2021. Here, we present the curriculum of the European School of Neonatology Master of Advanced Studies (ESN MAS), which is based on the ETR in Neonatology and aims to provide a model for effective and standardized training and education in neonatal medicine. We review the history and theory that form the foundation of contemporary medical education and training, provide a literature review on best practices for medical training, pediatric training, and neonatology training specifically, including educational frameworks and evidence-based systems of evaluation. The ESN MAS Curriculum is then evaluated in light of these best practices to define its role in meeting the need for a standardized empirically supported neonatology training curriculum for physicians, and in the future for nurses, to improve the quality of neonatal care for all infants.

Impact statement

A review of the neonatology training literature was conducted, which concluded that there is a need for standardized neonatology training across international contexts to keep pace with growth in the field and rapidly advancing technology. This article presents the European School of Neonatology Master of Advanced Studies in Neonatology, which is intended to provide a standardized training curriculum for pediatricians and nurses seeking sub-specialization in neonatology. The curriculum is evaluated in light of best practices in medical education, neonatology training, and adult learning theory.
Predicting the risk of pancreatic cancer in adults with new-onset diabetes: development and internal–external validation of a clinical risk prediction model
Authors: Clift Ash Kieran , Tan Pui San , Patone Martina , Liao Weiqi , Coupland Carol , Bashford-Rogers Rachael , Sivakumar Shivan , Hippisley-Cox Julia
Published: May 2024

Background

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that people aged 60+ years with newly diagnosed diabetes and weight loss undergo abdominal imaging to assess for pancreatic cancer. More nuanced stratification could lead to enrichment of these referral pathways.

Methods

Population-based cohort study of adults aged 30–85 years at type 2 diabetes diagnosis (2010–2021) using the QResearch primary care database in England linked to secondary care data, the national cancer registry and mortality registers. Clinical prediction models were developed to estimate risks of pancreatic cancer diagnosis within 2 years and evaluated using internal–external cross-validation.

Results

Seven hundred and sixty-seven of 253,766 individuals were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within 2 years. Models included age, sex, BMI, prior venous thromboembolism, digoxin prescription, HbA1c, ALT, creatinine, haemoglobin, platelet count; and the presence of abdominal pain, weight loss, jaundice, heartburn, indigestion or nausea (previous 6 months). The Cox model had the highest discrimination (Harrell’s C-index 0.802 (95% CI: 0.797–0.817)), the highest clinical utility, and was well calibrated. The model’s highest 1% of predicted risks captured 12.51% of pancreatic cancer cases. NICE guidance had 3.95% sensitivity.

Discussion

A new prediction model could have clinical utility in identifying individuals with recent onset diabetes suitable for fast-track abdominal imaging.
Novel protein-truncating variants of a chromatin-modifying gene MSL2 in syndromic neurodevelopmental disorders
Authors: Lu Xiaona , Ng Kim , Pinto e Vairo Filippo , Collins James , Cohn Ronald , Riley Kacie , Agre Katherine , Gavrilova Ralitza , Klee Eric W. , Rosenfeld Jill A. , Jiang Yong-hui
Published: May 2024

Numerous large scale genomic studies have uncovered rare but recurrent pathogenetic variants in a significant number of genes encoding epigenetic machinery in cases with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) especially autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These findings provide strong support for the functional importance of epigenetic regulators in neurodevelopment. After the clinical genomics evaluation of the patients using exome sequencing, we have identified, three novel protein-truncating variants (PTVs) in the MSL2 gene (OMIM: 614802) which encodes a chromatin modifying enzyme. MSL2 modifies chromatin through both mono-ubiquitination of histone 2B on lysine 34 (K34) and acetylation of histone H4 on lysine 16 (K16). We reported first time the detailed clinical features associated with 3 MSL2 PTVs. There are 15 PTVs (13 de novo) reported from the large genomics studies (12 cases) or ClinVar (3 cases) of NDD, ASD, and developmental disorders (DD) but the specific clinical features for these cases are not described. Taken together, our descriptions of dysmorphic face and other features support the causal role of MSL2 in a likely syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder and add MSL2 to a growing list of epigenetic genes implicated in ASD.
Optometrist-delivered selective laser trabeculoplasty in the HES – a training protocol and early service evaluation
Authors: Konstantakopoulou Evgenia , Varia Jay , Parmar Janisha , Nathwani Neil , Hau Scott , Low Wing Shing , Edwards Laura A. , Laber Emma , Bhalla Minak , Gazzard Gus , Jayaram Hari
Published: May 2024

Over the last decade, the delivery of glaucoma care in the UK has changed dramatically, with more non-medical ophthalmic practitioners involved in the care of glaucoma patients. Optometrists and other non-medical professionals are now involved in the delivery of laser treatments in the Hospital Eye Service (HES), but there is currently no standardised national training framework for non-medical clinicians. Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology have developed and delivered an education and training programme for the delivery of lasers, including Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) by non-medical ophthalmic practitioners. The training programme is based on medical education principles, is informed by previous qualitative research into the role of ophthalmic practitioners in the delivery of laser treatments and is expected to have multidisciplinary benefits for ophthalmic healthcare. Clinical audit data indicate that optometrists can deliver safe SLT treatments, adhering to local protocols.
Directed physiological networks in the human prefrontal cortex at rest and post transcranial photobiomodulation
Authors: Shahdadian Sadra , Wang Xinlong , Liu Hanli
Published: May 2024

Cerebral infra-slow oscillation (ISO) is a source of vasomotion in endogenic (E; 0.005–0.02 Hz), neurogenic (N; 0.02–0.04 Hz), and myogenic (M; 0.04–0.2 Hz) frequency bands. In this study, we quantified changes in prefrontal concentrations of oxygenated hemoglobin (Δ[HbO]) and redox-state cytochromecoxidase (Δ[CCO]) as hemodynamic and metabolic activity metrics, and electroencephalogram (EEG) powers as electrophysiological activity, using concurrent measurements of 2-channel broadband near-infrared spectroscopy and EEG on the forehead of 22 healthy participants at rest. After preprocessing, the multi-modality signals were analyzed using generalized partial directed coherence to construct unilateral neurophysiological networks among the three neurophysiological metrics (with simplified symbols of HbO, CCO, and EEG) in each E/N/M frequency band. The links in these networks represent neurovascular, neurometabolic, and metabolicvascular coupling (NVC, NMC, and MVC). The results illustrate that the demand for oxygen by neuronal activity and metabolism (EEG and CCO) drives the hemodynamic supply (HbO) in all E/N/M bands in the resting prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, to investigate the effect of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), we performed a sham-controlled study by delivering an 800-nm laser beam to the left and right prefrontal cortex of the same participants. After performing the same data processing and statistical analysis, we obtained novel and important findings: tPBM delivered on either side of the prefrontal cortex triggered the alteration or reversal of directed network couplings among the three neurophysiological entities (i.e., HbO, CCO, and EEG frequency-specific powers) in the physiological network in the E and N bands, demonstrating that during the post-tPBM period, both metabolism and hemodynamic supply drive electrophysiological activity in directed network coupling of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Overall, this study revealed that tPBM facilitates significant modulation of the directionality of neurophysiological networks in electrophysiological, metabolic, and hemodynamic activities.
Trade-off analysis between gm/ID and fT of GNR-FETs with single-gate and double-gate device structure
Authors: Ahmad Md Akram , Kumar Pankaj , Mech Bhubon Chandra , Kumar Jitendra
Published: May 2024

This study examines the operational parameters of field-effect transistors (FETs) using single-gate (SG) and double-gate (DG) graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) within the analog/RF domain. A detailed exploration is conducted through an atomistic pz orbital model, derived from the Hamiltonian of graphene nanoribbons, employing the nonequilibrium Green’s function formalism (NEGF) for analysis. The atomic characteristics of the GNRFETs channel are accurately described by utilizing a tight-binding Hamiltonian with an atomistic pz orbital basis set. The primary focus of the analysis revolves around essential analog/RF parameters such as transconductance, transconductance generation factor (TGF), output resistance, early voltage, intrinsic gain, gate capacitance, cut-off frequency, and transit time. Furthermore, the study assesses the gain frequency product (GFP), transfer frequency product (TFP), and gain transfer frequency product (GTFP) to evaluate the balance between transistor efficiency, gain, and cut-off frequency. The research outcomes indicate that double-gate GNRFETs exhibit superior analog/RF performance in comparison to their single-gate counterparts. However, both types of devices demonstrate cut-off frequencies in the gigahertz range. The extensive data presented in this study provides valuable insights into the characteristics of SG and DG GNRFETs, particularly in terms of the figure-of-merit (FoM) for analog/RF performance, offering a comprehensive analysis of the trade-offs in analog applications. In addition, the analysis has been extended be performing a high-performance hybrid 6T static random-access memory (SRAM) to get the impact in their circuit level variation as well as improvement in their circuit performance.
CeO2 nanoparticle dose and exposure modulate soybean development and plant-mediated responses in root-associated bacterial communities
Authors: Reichman Jay R. , Slattery Matthew R. , Johnson Mark G. , Andersen Christian P. , Harper Stacey L.
Published: May 2024

Agricultural soils are increasingly undergoing inadvertent and purposeful exposures to engineered CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs), which can impact crops and root-associated microbial communities. However, interactions between NP concentration and exposure duration on plant-mediated responses of root-associated bacterial communities are not well understood. Soybeans seedlings were grown in soil with uncoated NPs added at concentrations of 0, 1 or 100 mg kg−1. Total soil exposure durations were either 190 days, starting 106 days before planting or 84 days with NP amendments coinciding with planting. We assessed plant development, bacterial diversity, differential abundance and inferred functional changes across rhizosphere, rhizoplane, and root tissue compartments. Plant non-monotonic dose responses were mirrored in bacterial communities. Most notably, effects were magnified in the rhizoplane under low-dose, short-exposures. Enriched metabolic pathways were primarily related to biosynthesis and degradation/utilization/assimilation, rather than responses to metals or oxidative stress. Our results indicate that plant-mediated bacterial responses were greater than direct NP impacts. Also, we identify needs for modeling non-monotonic legume stress responses that account for coinfection with mutualistic and parasitic bacteroids. Our findings provide new insights regarding effects of applications of soil amendments such as biosolids containing NPs or nano-enabled formulations used in cultivation of legumes and other crops.
The severity of COVID-19 upon hospital admission is associated with plasma omega-3 fatty acids
Authors: Fernandes Ligia P. , Murai Igor H. , Fernandes Alan L. , Sales Lucas P. , Rogero Marcelo M. , Gualano Bruno , Barroso Lúcia P. , Milne Ginger L. , Pereira Rosa M. R. , Castro Inar A.
Published: May 2024

Fatty acids are precursors of inflammatory oxylipins. In the context of COVID-19, an excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines is associated with disease severity. The objective was to investigate whether the baseline omega 3/omega 6 fatty acids ratio and the oxylipins were associated with inflammation and oxidative stress in unvaccinated patients with COVID-19, classified according to the severity of the disease during hospitalization. This Prospective population-based cohort study included 180 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The patients were classified into five groups according to the severity of their disease. Group 1 was the least severe and Group 5 was the most severe. Three specific types of fatty acids—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (AA)—as well as their enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxylipins were determined using chromatography coupled mass spectrometry. There was no difference in the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids between the groups (p = 0.276). However, the EPA/AA ratio was lower in Group 4 compared to Group 1 (p = 0.015). This finding was associated with an increase in both C-Reactive Protein (p < 0.001) and Interleukin-6 (p = 0.002). Furthermore, the concentration of F2-Isoprostanes was higher in Group 4 than in Group 1 (p = 0.009), while no significant changes were observed for other oxylipins among groups. Multivariate analysis did not present any standard of biomarkers, suggesting the high complexity of factors involved in the disease severity. Our hypothesis was confirmed in terms of EPA/AA ratio. A higher EPA/AA ratio upon hospital admission was found to be associated with lower concentration of C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6, leading to a better prognosis of hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients. Importantly, this beneficial outcome was achieved without any form of supplementation. The trial also provides important information that can be further applied to reduce the severity of infections associated with an uncontrolled synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04449718—01/06/2020. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04449718.
Multi-objective optimization of wire electrical discharge machining process using multi-attribute decision making techniques and regression analysis
Authors: Seidi Masoud , Yaghoubi Saeed , Rabiei Farshad
Published: May 2024

Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is one of the most important non-traditional machining methods that is widely used in various industries. The present research work is concerned with the influences of process variables on quality of machined specimen obtained from WEDM process. The process parameters to manufacture mold structure included wire feed speed, wire tension and generator power, and in the current research, the effects of these variables on the aim factors, namely dimensional accuracy, hardness and roughness of product surface have been investigated, simultaneously. In order to obtain the optimal experiment, the multi-objective optimization with discrete solution area has been employed. Method based on the removal effects of criteria (MEREC) and weighted aggregates sum product assessment (WASPAS) techniques have been used with the aim of weighting the objective functions and discovering the best practical experiment. In the following, the regression analysis has been employed to study the effects of variables on response factors. A good correlation between the results gained from two analysis methods was observed. Based on MEREC-WASPAS hybrid technique, the weights of roughness, hardness and dimensional accuracy of machined part were calculated to about 89%, 9% and 2%, respectively. In the selected optimal experiment, the amount of wire feed speed, wire tension and generator power variables were considered to, in turn, 2 cm/s, 2.5 kg, and 10%.
Amphibian tolerance to arsenic: microbiome-mediated insights
Authors: Cordeiro Isabella Ferreira , Lemes Camila Gracyelle de Carvalho , Sanchez Angélica Bianchini , da Silva Ana Karla , de Paula Camila Henriques , de Matos Rosilene Cristina , Ribeiro Dilson Fagundes , de Matos Jéssica Pereira , Garcia Camila Carrião Machado , Beirão Marina , Becker C. Guilherme , Pires Maria Rita Silvério , Moreira Leandro Marcio
Published: May 2024

Amphibians are often recognized as bioindicators of healthy ecosystems. The persistence of amphibian populations in heavily contaminated environments provides an excellent opportunity to investigate rapid vertebrate adaptations to harmful contaminants. Using a combination of culture-based challenge assays and a skin permeability assay, we tested whether the skin-associated microbiota may confer adaptive tolerance to tropical amphibians in regions heavily contaminated with arsenic, thus supporting the adaptive microbiome principle and immune interactions of the amphibian mucus. At lower arsenic concentrations (1 and 5 mM As3+), we found a significantly higher number of bacterial isolates tolerant to arsenic from amphibians sampled at an arsenic contaminated region (TES) than from amphibians sampled at an arsenic free region (JN). Strikingly, none of the bacterial isolates from our arsenic free region tolerated high concentrations of arsenic. In our skin permeability experiment, where we tested whether a subset of arsenic-tolerant bacterial isolates could reduce skin permeability to arsenic, we found that isolates known to tolerate high concentrations of arsenic significantly reduced amphibian skin permeability to this metalloid. This pattern did not hold true for bacterial isolates with low arsenic tolerance. Our results describe a pattern of environmental selection of arsenic-tolerant skin bacteria capable of protecting amphibians from intoxication, which helps explain the persistence of amphibian populations in water bodies heavily contaminated with arsenic.
Antibacterial activity of Hungarian varietal honeys against respiratory pathogens as a function of storage time
Authors: Nagy-Radványi Lilla , Balázs Viktória L. , Kocsis Béla , Csikós Eszter , Ángyán Virág D. , Szabó Péter , Biró Viktória , Kocsis Marianna , Farkas Ágnes
Published: May 2024

Today, antibiotic therapies that previously worked well against certain bacteria due to their natural sensitivity, are becoming less effective. Honey has been proven to inhibit the biofilm formation of some respiratory bacteria, however few data are available on how the storage time affects the antibacterial effect. The activity of black locust, goldenrod, linden and sunflower honeys from three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022) was analyzed in 2022 against Gram-negative (Haemophilus influenzae, H. parainfluenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive (Streptococcus pneumoniae) bacteria using in vitro microbiological methods. After determining the physicochemical parameters of honey, broth microdilution was applied to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of each honey type against each bacterium, and crystal violet assay was used to test their antibiofilm effect. The possible mechanism of action was explored with membrane degradation test, while structural changes were illustrated with scanning electron microscopy. Honeys stored for one or two years were darker than fresh honeys, while older honeys had significantly lower antibacterial activity. The most remarkable inhibitory effect was exerted by linden and sunflower honeys, and P. aeruginosa proved to be the most resistant bacterium. Based on our results, honey intended for medicinal purposes should be used as fresh as possible during a treatment.
The amoeboid migration of monocytes in confining channels requires the local remodeling of the cortical actin cytoskeleton by cofilin-1
Authors: Ullo Maria F. , D’Amico Anna E. , Lavenus Sandrine B. , Logue Jeremy S.
Published: May 2024

Within the bloodstream, monocytes must traverse the microvasculature to prevent leukostasis, which is the entrapment of monocytes within the confines of the microvasculature. Using the model cell line, THP-1, and VCAM-1 coated channels to simulate the microvasculature surface, we demonstrate that monocytes predominantly adopt an amoeboid phenotype, which is characterized by the formation of blebs. As opposed to cortical actin flow in leader blebs, cell movement is correlated with myosin contraction at the cell rear. It was previously documented that cofilin-1 promotes cortical actin turnover at leader bleb necks in melanoma cells. In monocytes, our data suggest that cofilin-1 promotes the local upregulation of myosin contractility through actin cytoskeleton remodeling. In support of this concept, cofilin-1 is found to localize to a single cell edge. Moreover, the widespread upregulation of myosin contractility was found to inhibit migration. Thus, monocytes within the microvasculature may avoid entrapment by adopting an amoeboid mode of migration.
Fatty acid composition and biophysical characteristics of the cell membrane of feline spermatozoa
Authors: Prochowska Sylwia , Bonarska-Kujawa Dorota , Bobak Łukasz , Eberhardt Maria , Niżański Wojciech
Published: May 2024

Sperm membrane composition and biophysical characteristics play a pivotal role in many physiological processes (i.e. sperm motility, capacitation, acrosome reaction and fusion with the oocyte) as well as in semen processing (e.g. cryopreservation). The aim of this study was to characterize the fatty acid content and biophysical characteristics (anisotropy, generalized polarization) of the cell membrane of domestic cat spermatozoa. Semen was collected from 34 adult male cats by urethral catheterization. After a basic semen evaluation, the fatty acid content of some of the samples (n = 11) was evaluated by gas chromatography. Samples from other individuals (n = 23) were subjected to biophysical analysis: membrane anisotropy (which is inversely proportional to membrane fluidity) and generalized polarization (describing lipid order); both measured by fluorimetry at three temperature points: 38 °C, 25 °C and 5 °C. Spermatozoa from some samples (n = 10) were cryopreserved in TRIS egg yolk-glycerol extender and underwent the same biophysical analysis after thawing. Most fatty acids in feline spermatozoa were saturated (69.76 ± 24.45%), whereas the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content was relatively low (6.12 ± 5.80%). Lowering the temperature caused a significant decrease in membrane fluidity and an increase in generalized polarization in fresh spermatozoa, and these effects were even more pronounced following cryopreservation. Anisotropy at 38 °C in fresh samples showed strong positive correlations with viability and motility parameters after thawing. In summary, feline spermatozoa are characterized by a very low PUFA content and a low ratio of unsaturated:saturated fatty acids, which may contribute to low oxidative stress. Cryopreservation alters the structure of the sperm membrane, increasing the fluidity of the hydrophobic portion of the bilayer and the lipid order in the hydrophilic portion. Because lower membrane fluidity in fresh semen was linked with better viability and motility after cryopreservation, this parameter may be considered an important factor in determination of sperm cryoresistance.
Efficient reverse water gas shift reaction at low temperatures over an iron supported catalyst under an electric field
Authors: Yamaoka Masaki , Tomozawa Keidai , Sumiyoshi Koki , Ueda Tadaharu , Ogo Shuhei
Published: May 2024

The development of high-performance Fe-based catalysts is attractive because Fe is a cost-effective and earth-abundant element. Application of an external electric field and an appropriate catalytic support to an Fe-based catalyst enabled the reverse water–gas shift reaction to proceed with high activity, selectivity, and durability even at the low temperature of 423 K. The Fe-supported catalyst showed superior CO selectivity (≈ 100%) compared to the Co- or Ni-supported catalyst. The apparent activation energy (5.9 kJ mol−1) over the Fe/Ce0.4Al0.1Zr0.5O2 catalyst under an electric field was much lower than that without an electric field (61.4 kJ mol−1).