bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can large language models be sensitive to culture suicide risk assessment?
Authors: Levkovich Inbar , Shinan-Altman S. , Elyoseph Zohar
Published: November 2024

Suicide remains a pressing global public health issue. Previous studies have shown the promise of Generative Intelligent (GenAI) Large Language Models (LLMs) in assessing suicide risk in relation to professionals. But the considerations and risk factors that the models use to assess the risk remain as a black box. This study investigates if ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 integrate cultural factors in assessing suicide risks (probability of suicidal ideation, potential for suicide attempt, likelihood of severe suicide attempt, and risk of mortality from a suicidal act) by vignette methodology. The vignettes examined were of individuals from Greece and South Korea, representing countries with low and high suicide rates, respectively. The contribution of this research is to examine risk assessment from an international perspective, as large language models are expected to provide culturally-tailored responses. However, there is a concern regarding cultural biases and racism, making this study crucial. In the evaluation conducted via ChatGPT-4, only the risks associated with a severe suicide attempt and potential mortality from a suicidal act were rated higher for the South Korean characters than for their Greek counterparts. Furthermore, only within the ChatGPT-4 framework was male gender identified as a significant risk factor, leading to a heightened risk evaluation across all variables. ChatGPT models exhibit significant sensitivity to cultural nuances. ChatGPT-4, in particular, offers increased sensitivity and reduced bias, highlighting the importance of gender differences in suicide risk assessment. The findings suggest that, while ChatGPT-4 demonstrates an improved ability to account for cultural and gender-related factors in suicide risk assessment, there remain areas for enhancement, particularly in ensuring comprehensive and unbiased risk evaluations across diverse populations. These results underscore the potential of GenAI models to aid culturally sensitive mental health assessments, yet they also emphasize the need for ongoing refinement to mitigate inherent biases and enhance their clinical utility.
Single-party regime, cooptation, and strategic social spending in developing countries
Authors: Zheng Li
Published: November 2024

How regime types affect the provision of social spending in the context of developing countries? This article provides a novel political-economic approach, arguing that single-party regimes are more likely to spend on pensions than other types of autocratic states to co-opt the large number of critical members although the regime type does not affect the general welfare spending across autocratic states. The theory emphasizes the effect of institutional and power structure heterogeneity across autocracies in shaping the incentives and strategies that the ruling elites co-opt and respond to the demands of the ruling coalition across different autocratic regimes. Using panel, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression with lagged dependent variable along with several empirical strategies, it finds the evidence supporting this argument with a new dataset from 1990 to 2012. The study provides new insights on how autocratic institutions especially the party utilize strategic social policies to resolve the elite-level dictator dilemma for regime survival that are absent in other autocratic types.
Exploring the Dynamic Interactions Between the Southern San Andreas Fault and a Normal Fault Under the Salton Sea
Authors: Bazán Flores Luis Iván , Kyriakopoulos Christodoulos , Oglesby David D. , Meltzner Aron J. , Rockwell Thomas K. , Fletcher John M. , Brothers Daniel
Published: November 2024

We investigate the dynamic interactions between the Southern San Andreas Fault (SSAF) and a proximal normal fault (NF) beneath the Salton Sea in southern California. The NF, positioned near the SSAF terminus at Bombay Beach, exhibits 11–15 displacement events across 14 stratigraphic sequences, with a range of 0.2–1.4 m of vertical offset since ∼2–3 ka. Notably, four of these events may align temporally with SSAF earthquakes, raising questions about the possible interplay between the two faults. Utilizing dynamic rupture models, we analyze the coseismic interactions between the SSAF and NF, addressing under what conditions the SSAF induces slip on the NF. Our findings reveal that a suite of SSAF ruptures, particularly those propagating from north to south, can trigger slip on the normal fault and replicate observed vertical offsets. If the SSAF extends beneath the Salton Sea, earthquakes originating south of the NF intersection are less likely to trigger normal fault slip, although we cannot exclude this possibility. Some SSAF ruptures do not trigger discernible slip on the NF, rendering such events undetectable in the stratigraphic record. Our research contributes toward discussions regarding the seismic hazard in southern California, shedding light on the interplay between the SSAF and NF.
Earthward‐Tailward Asymmetry of Plasma Temperature in Reconnection Outflow in Earth's Magnetotail
Authors: Beyene Fekireselassie , Angelopoulos Vassilis , Runov Andrei , Artemyev Anton
Published: November 2024

To explore the asymmetry in ion and electron heating at Earth's magnetotail at mid‐tail distances ( −30 ), we analyze near‐simultaneous observations of reconnection outflows from two opposite sides of reconnection sites at those distances using Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) and Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) data. We report a pronounced temperature asymmetry between the earthward and tailward reconnection outflows. The asymmetry is more significant for electrons than for ions: Earthward moving ions are only three times hotter than tailward ones, but earthward moving electrons are 5–20 times hotter than tailward ones. The closed field‐line topology on the earthward side of the reconnection region, as opposed to the open topology on the tailward side, is likely a critical contributor to this asymmetry. These findings cast light on the underlying mechanisms of particle heating and energization in magnetotail reconnection, highlighting the significant role of Earth's dipolar magnetic field. This study offers insights for refining magnetic reconnection models, emphasizing the importance of incorporating realistic magnetic field topologies to accurately simulate the heating and energization processes observed in space plasma environments.
Martian Ionosphere‐Thermosphere Coupling in Longitude Structures: Statistical Results for the Main Ionization Peak Height
Authors: Chen Yiding , Liu Libo , Le Huijun , Zhang Ruilong
Published: November 2024

The Martian ionosphere‐thermosphere (I‐T) coupling is variable due to complex variations of the driving factors such as atmospheric tides and crustal magnetic fields. In this study, variability of the I‐T coupling in longitude structures was investigated using a series of data segments of the MGS ionospheric measurements. Measurements in each data segment can cover different longitudes, and the solar forcing and local solar time just change a little. Ionospheric and thermospheric longitude variations are statistically correlated. Ionospheric peak electron density (NmM2) decreases while ionospheric main peak height (hmM2) increases with increasing neutral scale height (Hn) along longitudes. These correlated longitude variations are consistent with the photochemical coupling that Hn longitude disturbances induce ionospheric longitude structure through photochemical processes. Statistically, NmM2 is a better indicator than hmM2 for the Hn disturbances in the lower thermosphere. Hn longitude variation intensity is a crucial factor affecting the photochemical I‐T coupling in longitude structures; it is closely related to NmM2 longitude variation intensity and tends to decline with increasing altitudes. The I‐T coupling in longitude structures tends to decline near the terminator, which is in line with the declining longitude variation of Hn with increasing altitudes since hmM2 significantly increases near the terminator. Moreover, it tends to enhance at high solar activity level due to increased photoionization rate. The I‐T coupling in longitude structures also shows seasonal dependence, as seasonal variation of hmM2 can affect the Hn longitude variation intensity nearby the ionospheric main peak.
Dynamic Rupture Modeling of Large Earthquake Scenarios at the Hellenic Arc Toward Physics‐Based Seismic and Tsunami Hazard Assessment
Authors: Wirp Sara Aniko , Gabriel Alice‐Agnes , Ulrich Thomas , Lorito Stefano
Published: November 2024

The Mediterranean Hellenic Arc subduction zone (HASZ) has generated several 8 earthquakes and tsunamis. Seismic‐probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment typically utilizes uniform or stochastic earthquake models, which may not represent dynamic rupture and tsunami generation complexity. We present an ensemble of ten 3D dynamic rupture earthquake scenarios for the HASZ, utilizing a realistic slab geometry. Our simplest models use uniform along‐arc pre‐stresses or a single circular initial stress asperity. We then introduce progressively more complex models varying initial shear stress along‐arc, multiple asperities based on scale‐dependent critical slip weakening distance, and a most complex model blending all aforementioned heterogeneities. Thereby, regional initial conditions are constrained without relying on detailed geodetic locking models. Varying epicentral locations in the simplest, homogeneous model leads to different rupture speeds and moment magnitudes. We observe dynamic fault slip penetrating the shallow slip‐strengthening region and affecting seafloor uplift. Off‐fault plastic deformation can double vertical seafloor uplift. A single‐asperity model generates a 8 scenario resembling the 1303 Crete earthquake. Using along‐strike varying initial stresses results in 8.0–8.5 dynamic rupture scenarios with diverse slip rates and uplift patterns. The model with the most heterogeneous initial conditions yields a 7.5 scenario. Dynamic rupture complexity in prestress and fracture energy tends to lower earthquake magnitude but enhances tsunamigenic displacements. Our results offer insights into the dynamics of potential large Hellenic Arc megathrust earthquakes and may inform future physics‐based joint seismic and tsunami hazard assessments.
Impact of Horizontal Model Resolution on Mixing and Dispersion in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Ntaganou Nektaria , Chassignet Eric P. , Bozec Alexandra
Published: November 2024

In this paper, the importance of model horizontal resolution in mixing and dispersion is investigated by comparing two data‐assimilative high‐resolution simulations (4 and 1 km), one of which is submesoscale‐permitting. By employing both Eulerian and Lagrangian metrics, upper‐ocean differences between the mesoscale‐resolving and submesoscale‐permitting simulations are examined in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, a region of high mesoscale and submesoscale activity. Mixing in both simulations is explored by conducting Lagrangian experiments to track the generation of Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs) and their associated transport barriers. Finite‐time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) fields show higher separation rates of fluid particles in the submesoscale‐permitting case, which indicate more vigorous mixing with differences being more pronounced in the shelf regions (depths ≤ 500 m). The extent of the mixing homogeneity is examined using probability density functions (PDFs) of FTLEs with results suggesting that mixing is heterogeneous in both simulations, but some homogeneity is exhibited in the submesoscale‐permitting case. The FTLE fields also indicate that chaotic advection dominates turbulent mixing in both simulations regardless of the horizontal resolution. In the submesoscale‐permitting experiment, however, smaller scale LCSs emerge as noise‐like filaments that suggest a larger turbulent mixing component than in the mesoscale‐resolving experiment. The impact of resolution is then explored by investigating the spread of oil particles at the location of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The Overlooked Role of Moist Northerlies as a Source of Summer Rainfall in the Hyperarid Atacama Desert
Authors: Vicencio Veloso José , Böhm Christoph , Schween Jan H. , Löhnert Ulrich , Crewell Susanne
Published: November 2024

In the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, the persistent absence of water preserves the record of environmental change, making it an invaluable proxy for studying the evolution of life on Earth. Due to the scarcity of in situ measurements and difficulties in satellite remote sensing, information on precipitation characteristics is limited even for the present climate. Guided by a case study of extreme precipitation in late January 2019, we derive a conceptual framework to explain how moisture transport combined with the diurnal circulation produces rainfall. We found a synoptic‐scale weather pattern that we named “moist northerlies” (MNs) based on surface observations, reanalysis, and high‐resolution simulation. During an MN event, moisture transport from the tropical Pacific is observed in the lower free‐troposphere in the forefront of an 850 hPa low‐pressure offshore Atacama. The diurnal circulation along the western Andean slope transports the moist free tropospheric air above the marine boundary layer inland, triggering clouds and storms. A trough over the southeast Pacific and a southward displaced Bolivian High seem to drive the MNs dynamically. Long‐term observations (1960–2020) show that most of the rainy days in the hyperarid core (75%) are triggered by MNs, occurring more frequently during neutral/La Niña conditions and phases 7‐8‐1 of the Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO). A trend analysis (1991–2020) reveals that summer water vapor along the west coast of South America has increased rapidly due to the MNs, enhancing summer rainfall in Atacama. The implications of climate change and other climate variability modes are discussed.
Enhanced Interannual Variability of the Spring High‐Temperature Events Over Northeast China and the Associated Mechanisms
Authors: Wen Qixin , Chen Huopo
Published: November 2024

The spring‐high temperature events (SHTE) over northeast China (NEC) and the related local atmospheric factors including cloud cover, radiation flux, and soil moisture exhibited an increased interannual variability after 1992/93. Correlation analyses reveal that both the North Atlantic quadrupole sea surface temperature anomalies (NAQSSTA) and the spring Siberian snow depth (SSSD) had a stronger linkage with SHTE since the early 1990s. Additionally, the interannual variability of SSSD also showed an interdecadal increase, which is a key factor in the changes of interannual variability of SHTE. Further analyses showed that the NAQSSTA could excite Rossby wave via increasing low‐level atmospheric baroclinicity during 1993–2017. One branch of the wave trains propagated eastward and the other branch propagated northeastward through the Siberian high latitudes, which eventually reached NEC together and resulted in local anomalous anticyclonic circulation and sinking motion. The latter branch could contribute to the low geopotential height and cyclonic anomalies over the Siberian high latitudes, which further favored the increase of snow depth there. Subsequently, the positive snow anomalies facilitate the more occurrences of SHTE by exacerbating the meridional thickness gradient between the polar region and mid‐latitudes and then limiting the Arctic cold air to invade into the south. Meanwhile, the positive polar‐Eurasian pattern (POL) associated with higher SSSD could guide the Rossby wave train originating from the North Atlantic to propagate northeastward, which is consistent with the SHTE‐related wave train path after 1992/93. Model results further reproduce the physical processes that linking the NAQSSTA with SHTE.
Warming Asian Drylands Inducing the Delayed Retreat of East Asian Summer Monsoon and Intensifying Autumn Precipitation in Northern China
Authors: Zhang Jie , Syed Sidra , Wu Yuyang , Liu Jiang
Published: November 2024

In the early 21st century, there was an increase in precipitation during the retreat period of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). This study aims to explore the precipitation changes and their possible causes in the context of climate change. The findings indicate that the increased precipitation primarily occurred in the Yellow—Huai River valley during the early autumn. This corresponds to a delayed retreat of the EASM with a northward shift of 0.9°N after 2002. Notably, this anomalous changes in the EASM are associated with the significant warming in two Asian dryland regions. The warming of the central Asian dryland strengthens the midlatitude high‐pressure belt and the anomaly anticyclone over northeast Asia, which restrains the development of wave troughs and westerly cold air activity. Similarly, the warming China‐Mongolia dryland enhances the anomaly anticyclone over northeast Asia through the dry soil moisture feedback and reduced latitudinal temperature gradient. These two Asian drylands thereby hold the northward shift of the westerly jet stream and the northwest extension of the Japan Sea high and the western Pacific subtropical high. These changes result in maintaining the northward EASM circulation and driving the northwest water vapor flux from the northwest Pacific, leading to moisture convergence in northern China. The China‐Mongolia dryland warming also increases the land‐sea thermal contrast, which induces a dipole pattern over East Asia and drives the northward water vapor flux from the South Sea. As a result, the rapidly warming drylands restrict westerly activity and EASM retreat, ultimately leading to increased precipitation.
Dynamic Controls on the Asymmetry of Mouth Bars: Role of Alongshore Currents
Authors: Li Haiwei , van der Vegt Maarten , Liu Feng , Yang Qingshu
Published: November 2024

Mouth bar formation is critical for channel avulsions and progradation of river deltas. The morphology of mouth bars results from different hydrodynamic forcings such as river jets, tides, and wind waves. Here we study the asymmetry of mouth bars due to alongshore currents. Adopting a numerical model, we study how alongshore propagating tides and net alongshore currents cause asymmetric mouth bar formation. The results indicate that alongshore propagating tides shift the depocenter of the mouth bar in the direction of the alongshore currents during peak ebb. Net alongshore currents shift the depocenter to its down‐current side. The main channels are oriented in the opposite direction of peak flood flows (with tides) or in the direction of the net alongshore currents (without tides). Systems highly influenced by alongshore tidal flows tend to form more and wider distributary channels which are oriented toward the direction of the alongshore ebb flows. With increased river discharge and sediment influx, the number of bifurcations and channels increases while the mouth bar is less asymmetric. We developed a predictor showing that the mouth bar asymmetry is directly proportional to alongshore currents divided by river jet velocities and the width of the river mouth. Our findings provide insights into the evolution of river deltas and contribute to the management of mouth bars and channels.
Mathematical Model of a Rectangular Double Negative Meta‐Structure for 5G Applications
Authors: Alam M. J. , Latif S. I.
Published: November 2024

This article introduces the mathematical formulation of a proven rectangular double negative (DNZ) metamaterial (MTM) structure using a lumped element circuit model in terms of RLC components for millimeter‐wave (mmWave) 28 GHz applications. The structure is developed on a 0.254 mm‐thick substrate material: Rogers RT/duroid 5880 with an area of 8.7 mm2. The model accounts for different losses inherent in the system; a series resistance to take into account the losses in the conductor and a shunt resistance to describe the losses in the dielectric substrate, addressing the finite conductivity of conducting materials, the finite resistivity of the dielectric material, and the presence of a dielectric substrate with metallic rings on top. By incorporating these factors, it is possible to precisely predict the resonance frequency associated with this specific structure, however limits the formulation from being applied to other shapes. Numerical validation demonstrates a good agreement with analytical predictions, affirming the model's reliability. The study provides a robust analytical foundation and numerical validation for the double negative metamaterial unit cell, advancing the mmWave 5G wireless technology field.
Dental team barriers and enablers for the dental management of adults with severe obesity: a qualitative analysis
Authors: Malik Zanab , McBride Kate A. , Williams Kathryn , Cockrell Deborah , Collins Clare E.
Published: November 2024

Background

Broad challenges regarding the dental management of people with severe obesity experienced by general dentists have been minimally explored. The perspectives of the dental team regarding these multifaceted issues are currently unknown and they potentially impede the delivery of optimal dental care to this population and contribute to poor oral and general health.

Aims

Our qualitative study aimed to identify and explore barriers and enablers in the dental management of adults with severe obesity among dental professionals and support staff in Australia.

Methods

Focus groups and semi-structured interviews (n = 34 participants) were conducted with dental professionals (n = 23) and support staff (n = 11). Recordings were transcribed verbatim and synthesised using thematic, inductive analysis.

Results

Multiple barriers to adequate provision of dental care for people living with severe obesity in both general and specialist dental settings were identified. Key themes emerged related to the clinical challenges reported by participants in providing dental management for people living with severe obesity, appropriateness of existing bariatric dental service provision and safety of care. Enablers to access were identified, including increased availability of bariatric dental chairs, environmental modifications, education of both patients and the entire dental team and for guideline development.

Conclusion

The current study explored multiple barriers to optimal dental management of people living with severe obesity in both general and specialist dental settings. Enablers should be used to inform future practice. The optimisation of existing bariatric dental service provision requires urgent review with solutions guided by systemic change. Study findings suggest a review of current health systems, economics, access barriers, policies and procedures and education and training beyond the individual level are needed. Future directions to improve the dental management of people living with severe obesity are proposed.
G9a/DNMT1 co-targeting inhibits non-small cell lung cancer growth and reprograms tumor cells to respond to cancer-drugs through SCARA5 and AOX1
Authors: Exposito Francisco , Redrado Miriam , Serrano Diego , Calabuig-Fariñas Silvia , Bao-Caamano Aida , Gallach Sandra , Jantus-Lewintre Eloisa , Diaz-Lagares Angel , Rodriguez-Casanova Aitor , Sandoval Juan , San Jose-Eneriz Edurne , Garcia Javier , Redin Esther , Senent Yaiza , Leon Sergio , Pio Ruben , Lopez Rafael , Oyarzabal Julen , Pineda-Lucena Antonio , Agirre Xabier , Montuenga Luis M. , Prosper Felipe , Calvo Alfonso
Published: November 2024

The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has significantly improved with recent therapeutic strategies; however, many patients still do not benefit from them. As a result, new treatment approaches are urgently needed. In this study, we evaluated the antitumor efficacy of co-targeting G9a and DNMT1 enzymes and its potential as a cancer drug sensitizer. We observed co-expression and overexpression of G9a and DNMT1 in NSCLC, which were associated with poor prognosis. Co-targeting G9a/DNMT1 with the drug CM-272 reduced proliferation and induced cell death in a panel of human and murine NSCLC cell lines. Additionally, the transcriptomes of these cells were reprogrammed to become highly responsive to chemotherapy (cisplatin), targeted therapy (trametinib), and epigenetic therapy (vorinostat). In vivo, CM-272 reduced tumor volume in human and murine cell-derived cancer models, and this effect was synergistically enhanced by cisplatin. The expression of SCARA5 and AOX1 was induced by CM-272, and both proteins were found to be essential for the antiproliferative response, as gene silencing decreased cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the expression of SCARA5 and AOX1 was positively correlated with each other and inversely correlated with G9a and DNMT1 expression in NSCLC patients. SCARA5 and AOX1 DNA promoters were hypermethylated in NSCLC, and SCARA5 methylation was identified as an epigenetic biomarker in tumors and liquid biopsies from NSCLC patients. Thus, we demonstrate that co-targeting G9a/DNMT1 is a promising strategy to enhance the efficacy of cancer drugs, and SCARA5 methylation could serve as a non-invasive biomarker to monitor tumor progression.
Molecular mechanism of parental H3/H4 recycling at a replication fork
Authors: Nagae Fritz , Murayama Yasuto , Terakawa Tsuyoshi
Published: November 2024

In chromatin replication, faithful recycling of histones from parental DNA to replicated strands is essential for maintaining epigenetic information across generations. A previous experiment has revealed that disrupting interactions between the N-terminal tail of Mcm2, a subunit in DNA replication machinery, and a histone H3/H4 tetramer perturb the recycling. However, the molecular pathways and the factors that regulate the ratio recycled to each strand and the destination location are yet to be revealed. Here, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of yeast DNA replication machinery, an H3/H4 tetramer, and replicated DNA strands. The simulations demonstrated that histones are recycled via Cdc45-mediated and unmediated pathways without histone chaperones, as our in vitro biochemical assays supported. Also, RPA binding regulated the ratio recycled to each strand, whereas DNA bending by Pol ε modulated the destination location. Together, the simulations provided testable hypotheses, which are vital for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of histone recycling.
Oncogenic EML4-ALK assemblies suppress growth factor perception and modulate drug tolerance
Authors: Gonzalez-Martinez David , Roth Lee , Mumford Thomas R. , Guan Juan , Le Anh , Doebele Robert C. , Huang Bo , Tulpule Asmin , Niewiadomska-Bugaj Magdalena , Bivona Trever G. , Bugaj Lukasz J.
Published: November 2024

Drug resistance remains a challenge for targeted therapy of cancers driven by EML4-ALK and related fusion oncogenes. EML4-ALK forms cytoplasmic protein condensates, which result from networks of interactions between oncogene and adapter protein multimers. While these assemblies are associated with oncogenic signaling, their role in drug response is unclear. Here, we use optogenetics and live-cell imaging to find that EML4-ALK assemblies suppress transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling by sequestering RTK adapter proteins including GRB2 and SOS1. Furthermore, ALK inhibition, while suppressing oncogenic signaling, simultaneously releases the sequestered adapters and thereby resensitizes RTK signaling. Resensitized RTKs promote rapid and pulsatile ERK reactivation that originates from paracrine ligands shed by dying cells. Reactivated ERK signaling promotes cell survival, which can be counteracted by combination therapies that block paracrine signaling. Our results identify a regulatory role for RTK fusion assemblies and uncover a mechanism of tolerance to targeted therapies.
Atomically resolved imaging of the conformations and adsorption geometries of individual β-cyclodextrins with non-contact AFM
Authors: Grabarics Márkó , Mallada Benjamín , Edalatmanesh Shayan , Jiménez-Martín Alejandro , Pykal Martin , Ondráček Martin , Kührová Petra , Struwe Weston B. , Banáš Pavel , Rauschenbach Stephan , Jelínek Pavel , de la Torre Bruno
Published: November 2024

Glycans, consisting of covalently linked sugar units, are a major class of biopolymers essential to all known living organisms. To better understand their biological functions and further applications in fields from biomedicine to materials science, detailed knowledge of their structure is essential. However, due to the extraordinary complexity and conformational flexibility of glycans, state-of-the-art glycan analysis methods often fail to provide structural information with atomic precision. Here, we combine electrospray deposition in ultra-high vacuum with non-contact atomic force microscopy and theoretical calculations to unravel the structure of β-cyclodextrin, a cyclic glucose oligomer, with atomic-scale detail. Our results, established on the single-molecule level, reveal the different adsorption geometries and conformations of β-cyclodextrin. The position of individual hydroxy groups and the location of the stabilizing intramolecular H-bonds are deduced from atomically resolved images, enabling the unambiguous assignment of the molecular structure and demonstrating the potential of the method for glycan analysis.
Climate change alters the future of natural floristic regions of deep evolutionary origins
Authors: Minev-Benzecry Samuel , Daru Barnabas H.
Published: November 2024

Biogeographic regions reflect the organization of biotas over long evolutionary timescales but face alterations from recent anthropogenic climate change. Here, we model species distributions for 189,269 vascular plant species of the world under present and future climates and use this data to generate biogeographic regions based on phylogenetic dissimilarity. Our analysis reveals declines in phylogenetic beta diversity for years 2040 to 2100, leading to a future homogenization of biogeographic regions. While some biogeographic boundaries will persist, climate change will alter boundaries separating biogeographic realms. Such boundary alterations will be determined by altitude variation, heterogeneity of temperature seasonality, and past climate velocity. Our findings suggest that human activities may now surpass the geological forces that shaped floristic regions over millions of years, calling for the mitigation of climate impacts to meet international biodiversity targets.
Sulfate residuals on Ru catalysts switch CO2 reduction from methanation to reverse water-gas shift reaction
Authors: Chen Min , Liu Longgang , Chen Xueyan , Qin Xiaoxiao , Zhang Jianghao , Xie Shaohua , Liu Fudong , He Hong , Zhang Changbin
Published: November 2024

Efficient heterogeneous catalyst design primarily focuses on engineering the active sites or supports, often neglecting the impact of trace impurities on catalytic performance. Herein, we demonstrate that even trace amounts of sulfate (SO42−) residuals on Ru/TiO2 can totally change the CO2 reduction from methanation to reverse-water gas shift (RWGS) reaction under atmospheric pressure. We reveal that air annealing causes the trace amount of SO42− to migrate from TiO2 to Ru/TiO2 interface, leading to the significant changes in product selectivity from CH4 to CO. Detailed characterizations and DFT calculations show that the sulfate at Ru/TiO2 interface notably enhances the H transfer from Ru particles to the TiO2 support, weakening the CO intermediate activation on Ru particles and inhibiting the further hydrogenation of CO to CH4. This discovery highlights the vital role of trace impurities in CO2 hydrogenation reaction, and also provides broad implications for the design and development of more efficient and selective heterogeneous catalysts.
Dependence of cyanobacterium growth and Mars-specific photobioreactor mass on total pressure, pN2 and pCO2
Authors: Verseux Cyprien , Ramalho Tiago P. , Bohuon Emma , Kunst Nils , Lang Viktoria , Heinicke Christiane
Published: November 2024

In situ resource utilization systems based on cyanobacteria could support the sustainability of crewed missions to Mars. However, their resource-efficiency will depend on the extent to which gases from the Martian atmosphere must be processed to support cyanobacterial growth. The main purpose of the present work is to help assess this extent. We therefore start with investigating the impact of changes in atmospheric conditions on the photoautotrophic, diazotrophic growth of the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7938. We show that lowering atmospheric pressure from 1 bar down to 80 hPa, without changing the partial pressures of metabolizable gases, does not reduce growth rates. We also provide equations, analogous to Monod’s, that describe the dependence of growth rates on the partial pressures of CO2 and N2. We then outline the relationships between atmospheric pressure and composition, the minimal mass of a photobioreactor’s outer walls (which is dependent on the inner-outer pressure difference), and growth rates. Relying on these relationships, we demonstrate that the structural mass of a photobioreactor can be decreased – without affecting cyanobacterial productivity – by reducing the inner gas pressure. We argue, however, that this reduction would be small next to the equivalent system mass of the cultivation system. A greater impact on resource-efficiency could come from the selection of atmospheric conditions which minimize gas processing requirements while adequately supporting cyanobacterial growth. The data and equations we provide can help identify these conditions.
Efficacy of xanomeline and trospium chloride in schizophrenia: pooled results from three 5-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, EMERGENT trials
Authors: Kaul Inder , Sawchak Sharon , Claxton Amy , Sauder Colin , Hassman Howard H. , Kakar Rishi , Walling David P. , Citrome Leslie , Zhu Haiyuan , Miller Andrew C. , Brannan Stephen K.
Published: November 2024

In the 5-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled EMERGENT-1 (NCT03697252), EMERGENT-2 (NCT04659161), and EMERGENT-3 (NCT04738123) trials, xanomeline and trospium chloride (formerly known as KarXT) significantly improved symptoms of schizophrenia and was generally well tolerated. We pooled data from the EMERGENT trials to further characterize the efficacy of xanomeline/trospium and provide sufficient statistical power to analyze responses in participant subgroups. In pooled analyses, xanomeline/trospium significantly improved Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score at week 5 versus placebo (least squares mean difference, –9.9; 95% confidence interval, –12.4, –7.3; p < 0.0001; Cohen’s d effect size, 0.65). PANSS subscale and Clinical Global Impression–Severity scores also improved significantly with xanomeline/trospium versus placebo. Subgroup analyses consistently favored xanomeline/trospium over placebo regardless of differences in participant age, sex, race, body mass index, and baseline PANSS total score. These results add to existing evidence demonstrating robust and reliable improvements in symptoms with xanomeline/trospium across a broad spectrum of people with schizophrenia.
A benchmark for domain adaptation and generalization in smartphone-based human activity recognition
Authors: Napoli Otávio , Duarte Dami , Alves Patrick , Soto Darlinne Hubert Palo , de Oliveira Henrique Evangelista , Rocha Anderson , Boccato Levy , Borin Edson
Published: November 2024

Human activity recognition (HAR) using smartphone inertial sensors, like accelerometers and gyroscopes, enhances smartphones’ adaptability and user experience. Data distribution from these sensors is affected by several factors including sensor hardware, software, device placement, user demographics, terrain, and more. Most datasets focus on providing variability in user and (sometimes) device placement, limiting domain adaptation and generalization studies. Consequently, models trained on one dataset often perform poorly on others. Despite many publicly available HAR datasets, cross-dataset generalization remains challenging due to data format incompatibilities, such as differences in measurement units, sampling rates, and label encoding. Hence, we introduce the DAGHAR benchmark, a curated collection of datasets for domain adaptation and generalization studies in smartphone-based HAR. We standardized six datasets in terms of accelerometer units, sampling rate, gravity component, activity labels, user partitioning, and time window size, removing trivial biases while preserving intrinsic differences. This enables controlled evaluation of model generalization capabilities. Additionally, we provide baseline performance metrics from state-of-the-art machine learning models, crucial for comprehensive evaluations of generalization in HAR tasks.
Assessing temporal dynamics of nitrogen surplus in Indian agriculture: district scale data from 1966 to 2017
Authors: Goyal Shekhar Sharan , Kumar Rohini , Bhatia Udit
Published: November 2024

Nitrogen (N) is essential for agricultural productivity, yet its surplus poses significant environmental risks. Currently, over half of applied nitrogen is lost, resulting in resource wastage, contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. Excess nitrogen persists in the environment, contaminating soil and water bodies for decades. Quantifying detailed historical N-surplus estimation in India remains limited, despite national and global-scaled assessments. Our study develops a district-level dataset of annual agricultural N-surplus from 1966-2017, integrating 12 different estimates to address uncertainties arising from multiple data sources and methodological choices across major elements of the N surplus. This dataset supports flexible spatial aggregation, aiding policymakers in implementing effective nitrogen management strategies in India. In addition, we verified our estimates by comparing them with previous studies. This work underscores the importance of setting realistic nitrogen management targets that account for inherent uncertainties, paving the way for sustainable agricultural practices in India, reducing environmental impacts, and boosting productivity.
Narrative predicts cardiac synchrony in audiences
Authors: Hammond Hugo , Armstrong Michael , Thomas Graham A. , Dalmaijer Edwin S. , Bull David R. , Gilchrist Iain D.
Published: November 2024

Audio-visual media possesses a remarkable ability to synchronise audiences’ neural, behavioural, and physiological responses. This synchronisation is considered to reflect some dimension of collective attention or engagement with the stimulus. But what is it about these stimuli that drives such strong engagement? There are several properties of media stimuli which may lead to synchronous audience response: from low-level audio-visual features, to the story itself. Here, we present a study which separates low-level features from narrative by presenting participants with the same content but in separate modalities. In this way, the presentations shared no low-level features, but participants experienced the same narrative. We show that synchrony in participants’ heart rate can be driven by the narrative information alone. We computed both visual and auditory perceptual saliency for the content and found that narrative was approximately 10 times as predictive of heart rate as low-level saliency, but that low-level audio-visual saliency has a small additive effect towards heart rate. Further, heart rate synchrony was related to a separate cohorts’ continuous ratings of immersion, and that synchrony is likely to be higher at moments of increased narrative importance. Our findings demonstrate that high-level narrative dominates in the alignment of physiology across viewers.
In-vitro and In-silico evaluation of antimicrobial and antibiofilm effect of Neem oil and Calcium hydroxide nanoparticles against Mutans Streptococci and Enterococcus faecalis isolated from endodontic infections
Authors: Nageeb Wedad M. , Adam Sherouk Hussein , Hashem Nasr , Abdelsalam Nelly
Published: November 2024

Different Streptococcal species including Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus and Enterococcus faecalis are commonly isolated in root canal infections including refractory, recurrent, and persistent cases. Calcium hydroxide (Ca (OH)2) has been widely used in endodontics as an intracanal medicament. However, using new antimicrobial herbal alternatives offers promising potentials which can be additionally enhanced by using nanoparticles (NPs). In this study, we evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy and antibiofilm effect of Neem oil including its NPs preparations and we compare the effect of conventional Ca (OH)2 to Ca (OH)2 NPs using standard disc diffusion method and quantitative microtitre dish biofilm formation assay against common pathogens isolated from root canal samples. Molecular docking was used to test the binding of 10 Streptococcal macromolecules to 5 candidate neem active constituents. Neem NPs 0.125 mg/ml showed better antibacterial effect than both Neem 15 mg/ml and Neem 0.15 mg/ml. Ca (OH)2 NPs 0.125 mg/ml also showed better antibacterial effect than each of Ca (OH)2 10 mg/ml and Ca (OH)2 0.1 mg/ml. Best biofilm mass inhibition was achieved by Neem oil 0.15 mg/ml at 74.55% ( IQ: 67.36–87.65) and Neem NPs 0.0125 mg/ml at 59.33% (IQ: 51-–75.27). For Ca (OH)2, the best biofilm mass inhibition was observed with Ca (OH)2 NPs 0.125 mg/ml at 54.7% (IQ: 42.37– 77.25). Both neem oil and neem NPs show promising antibacterial and antibiofilm potential against Mutans Streptococci group at low concentrations and hence are good candidates for use as endodontic medications. In silico analysis shows that both Sitosterol and Gedunin appear to be important active constituents of neem and possible drug candidates. Additionally, Ca (OH)2 NPs showed significantly higher antimicrobial effect against Mutans streptococci group than conventional Ca (OH)2 preparations.
A deep learning approach for ovarian cancer detection and classification based on fuzzy deep learning
Authors: El-Latif Eman I. Abd , El-dosuky Mohamed , Darwish Ashraf , Hassanien Aboul Ella
Published: November 2024

Different oncologists make their own decisions about the detection and classification of the type of ovarian cancer from histopathological whole slide images. However, it is necessary to have an automated system that is more accurate and standardized for decision-making, which is essential for early detection of ovarian cancer. To help doctors, an automated detection and classification of ovarian cancer system is proposed. This model starts by extracting the main features from the histopathology images based on the ResNet-50 model to detect and classify the cancer. Then, recursive feature elimination based on a decision tree is introduced to remove unnecessary features extracted during the feature extraction process. Adam optimizers were implemented to optimize the network’s weights during training data. Finally, the advantages of combining deep learning and fuzzy logic are combined to classify the images of ovarian cancer. The dataset consists of 288 hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained whole slides with clinical information from 78 patients. H&E-stained Whole Slide Images (WSIs), including 162 effective and 126 invalid WSIs were obtained from different tissue blocks of post-treatment specimens. Experimental results can diagnose ovarian cancer with a potential accuracy of 98.99%, sensitivity of 99%, specificity of 98.96%, and F1-score of 98.99%. The results show promising results indicating the potential of using fuzzy deep-learning classifiers for predicting ovarian cancer.
Decoding viewer emotions in video ads
Authors: Antonov Alexey , Kumar Shravan Sampath , Wei Jiefei , Headley William , Wood Orlando , Montana Giovanni
Published: November 2024

Understanding and predicting viewers’ emotional responses to videos has emerged as a pivotal challenge due to its multifaceted applications in video indexing, summarization, personalized content recommendation, and effective advertisement design. A major roadblock in this domain has been the lack of expansive datasets with videos paired with viewer-reported emotional annotations. We address this challenge by employing a deep learning methodology trained on a dataset derived from the application of System1’s proprietary methodologies on over 30,000 real video advertisements, each annotated by an average of 75 viewers. This equates to over 2.3 million emotional annotations across eight distinct categories: anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise, and neutral, coupled with the temporal onset of these emotions. Leveraging 5-second video clips, our approach aims to capture pronounced emotional responses. Our convolutional neural network, which integrates both video and audio data, predicts salient 5-second emotional clips with an average balanced accuracy of 43.6%, and shows particularly high performance for detecting happiness (55.8%) and sadness (60.2%). When applied to full advertisements, our model achieves a strong average AUC of 75% in determining emotional undertones. To facilitate further research, our trained networks are freely available upon request for research purposes. This work not only overcomes previous data limitations but also provides an accurate deep learning solution for video emotion understanding.
Experimental evidence of phase transition of silica polymorphs in basaltic eucrites: implications for thermal history of protoplanetary crust
Authors: Kanemaru Rei , Imae Naoya , Yamaguchi Akira , Nakato Aiko , Isa Junko , Kimura Makoto , Nishido Hirotsugu , Usui Tomohiro , Mikouchi Takashi
Published: November 2024

Silica polymorphs occur under various pressures and temperature conditions, and their characteristics can be used to better understand the complex metamorphic history of planetary materials. Here, we conducted isothermal heating experiments of silica polymorphs in basaltic eucrites to assess their formation and stability. We revealed that each silica polymorph exhibits different metamorphic responses: (1) Quartz recrystallizes into cristobalite when heated at ≥ 1040 °C. (2) Monoclinic (MC) tridymite recrystallizes into no other polymorphs when heated at ≤ 1070 °C. (3) Silica glass recrystallizes into quartz when heated at 900–1010 °C, and recrystallize into cristobalite when heated at ≥ 1040 °C. These results suggest that MC tridymite in eucrites does not recrystallize into other polymorphs during the reheating events, nor does it recrystallize from other silica phases below the solidus temperature of eucrite (~ 1060 °C). Additionally, we found that pseudo-orthorhombic (PO) tridymite crystallizes from quenched melts in the samples heated at ≥ 1070 °C. Previously, cristobalite has been considered as the initial silica phase, which crystallizes from eucritic magma. Our findings suggest that the first crystallizing silica minerals may not always be cristobalite. These require a reconsideration of the formation process of silica minerals in eucrites.