bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation analysis between positivity rate of immunoglobulin G antibodies against pertussis toxin among community-based populations and reported pertussis incidence in Shandong, China: A seven-year seroepidemiological study
Authors: Zhang Yan , Li Manshi , Feng Lei , Tao Zexin , Yuan Xinyu , Liu Guifang , Xu Aiqiang , Zhang Li
Published: September 2024

Background
The reported annual incidence of pertussis in China has shown a marked increase over the past decade, but it may be still underestimated. The purpose of this study was to understand the seroepidemiologic characteristics of pertussis in community-based populations and to assess the level of pertussis infection in the population.
Methods
Between 2017 and 2023, one or two cities in each of the eastern, central and western regions of Shandong Province were selected as survey sites, and a total of six age groups of healthy individuals were enrolled by multistage stratified random sampling to carry out the survey. The serum level of pertussis toxin (PT) IgG (PT-IgG) antibody was quantified by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results
A total of 9,238 subjects were enrolled, and the mean positive rate of PT-IgG antibody was 8.05% (95%CI: 7.50%~8.60%), with the highest in 2019 (10.70%, 95% CI: 9.19%~12.21%) and the lowest in 2020 (6.32%, 95% CI: 4.98%~7.66%). The highest positive rate was found in the age group of less than 3 years old (11.46%, 95%CI: 9.87%~13.05%), and the lowest rate was found in the 3 ~ 5 years group (5.40%, 95%CI: 4.28%~6.52%). There was a significant difference in the positive rate between age groups (χ2 = 43.098, P < 0.001). Comparison of trends in recent infection rates and reported incidence rates in the population, that showed a very strong linear correlation in the annual distribution (r = 0.821, P = 0.023), and a extremely weak linear correlation in age distribution (r = 0.086, P = 0.872). Estimated infection rates (/100,000) among people aged ≥ 3 years ranged from 5,257 (95%CI: 3,918 ~ 6,596) to 24,449 (95%CI: 22,157 ~ 26,740) by years, with estimated infection rates in eastern region (31,544.44-fold) and in older age group (292,340.00-fold for ≥ 20 years old group, 216,388.89-fold for 17 ~ 19 years old group) differed significantly from the reported incidence rate.
Conclusions
The annual distribution trend of reported pertussis incidence rate aligns with the infection rate observed among community populations, the actual level of infection is likely to be seriously underestimated. Therefore there is a need to emphasize surveillance and consider additional booster immunizations for adolescents and adults.
The Intrusion Detection and Recovery of Deauthentication Frame In WPA3 SAE
Authors: Btoush Alaa , Abadleh Ahmad , Alkasasbeh Anas A. , Alghamdi Mansoor
Published: September 2024

As wireless communication technologies advance, protecting networks from emerging threats becomes increasingly important. This paper focuses on deauthentication detection and recovery in the context of WPA3 SAE (WIFI Protected Access 3 - Simultaneous Authentication of Equals), a widely used protocol for securing wireless networks. Deauthentication attacks, which forcibly disconnect legitimate users, seriously threaten the integrity and availability of network services. The primary contributions of this paper center on developing a robust detection method for distinguishing between normal network behavior and deauthentication attack activities. also delves into the design and implementation of proactive recovery mechanisms that allow for the rapid restoration of network services following a deauthentication attack. The observed results indicate that there is a significant and immediate impact on network functionality during an active authentication attack. One noticeable consequence is preventing new customers from successfully joining the network. Another consequence is that the increased number of EAPOL frames is the result of unresponsive client behavior. And the AP's attempt to complete the handshake.
Spectroscopic study of tunable white light stimulation from organic dyes infused in silica
Authors: Rashmi Rashmi , Dikshit Ashutosh Kumar , Dwivedi Y.
Published: September 2024

The present article reports the stimulation of white emission and spectroscopic investigations of composite material having organic molecules (Coumarin 102 and Rhodamine 6G) infused porous nano-silica matrix coated with a hydrophobic layer and a polymer layer. Electron microscopy reveals the formation of ~ 70 nm particles with a surface area of ~ 112 m2/g and pore volume of ~ 0.440 cm3/g, as the BET surface analyzer estimated. A nano-silica composite containing fluorescent dye molecules in an appropriate ratio produces complementary colours (blue/yellow), allowing the achievement of bright white light emission and the feasibility of white light tuning. The chromaticity coordinates were estimated to be (0.35, 0.33) on excitation with 405 nm LED. The radiative decay time of ~ 4.3ns for C102 was estimated using time-resolved emission spectroscopy, which was found to be a function of Rh6G (~ 4.8ns) concentration. The critical transfer distance and rate of transfer were reported for different concentrations. The thermal stability of the composite against the optical performance in the temperature range of 273 K to 325 K was also reported. We demonstrated synthesized materials as coating materials on the blue LED, which emits blue-dominated white light and latent fingerprinting. The details of photophysics and analysis are explained in the present article.
Anomalies of Rare Earth Elements and Heavy Metals in Modern Sediments of Small Lakes in the North of Karelia (Arctic): Geology and Technogenesis Influence
Authors: Slukovskii Zakhar , Dauvalter Vladimir , Shelekhova Tatyana
Published: September 2024

Lake sediments are used as indicators of the water body condition and changes that have recently occurred in it and in the it's catchment. The work examined two small lakes in Northwestern Russia (Arctic). Sediment cores were collected from the center of each lakes and separated into 1 cm layers. An ICP-mass spectrometer was used to determine the chemical composition. It was found both reservoirs have sediments containing organic matter (up to 61%). In both lakes, increased relative to the background of the region and the average content in the Earth's crust of rare earth elements, Th, V, Cr, etc. were detected. It was established that in the sediments of Lake Aprelskoe the total concentration of rare earth elements (1916 mg/kg) exceeds or is at one level with similar values for rare earth elements in lakes near cities and industrial enterprises. An analysis of the geological conditions of the study area (Karelia, Finland) showed that the source of anomalies of rare earth and other elements in the studied lakes may be bedrock containing increased concentrations of Y, Ce, La and other elements. However, an analysis of the geochemistry of the studied sediments also showed a technogenic influence on the lakes: an increase in the concentrations of Pb, Sd, Cd, Ni and Cu in the uppermost layers of sediments of lakes was established. Suspected sources of pollution are metallurgical plants in the neighboring region and the effect of long-range transport of metals due to the burning of coal around the world.
Assessing Hydrogeological Hazards in the Post-Mining Region in Saint-Vaast, Belgium: Insights from Three Decades of SAR Data and Piezometric Analysis
Authors: Choopani Atefe , Declercq Pierre-Yves. , Ronchi Benedicta , Devleeschouwer Xavier
Published: September 2024

This study assesses hydrogeological hazards in the Saint-Vaast region, Belgium, impacted by three decades of deformation post-coal mine closure. Using Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PS-InSAR) applied to 30 years of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data along with geological investigations and 13 years of piezometric well data, we analysed subsurface dynamics leading to environmental hazards in the region. We focused on identifying key periods of significant deformation pattern changes. The soft Wealden terrains (Lower Cretaceous) are characterized by alternating sandstones, clay, and sand facies, composing the sedimentary roof of an old mine drainage adit dug at 30 meters depth. The presence of this mined adit structure is contributing to the current vulnerability of the region. Especially, when the abandoned mine drainage adit was filled with water following the cessation of pumping. Due to an increase in the water level in the Wealden aquifer below the gallery, natural groundwater flow paths and pressures have increased over time. At least two significant mudflow outbursts, in 2009 and 2018, occurred. This study shows that both events were correlated with changes in water level and deformation. Moreover, results suggest a new phase of rising water levels and ground uplift due to increased pressure in the Wealden aquifer. A crucial outcome of this research is the assessment of the potential for another similar incident soon, informed by the correlation analysis of water level and ground displacement time series.
Towards a Generalized Bayesian Model of Reconstructive Memory
Authors: Xu Zihao , Hemmer Pernille , Zhang Qiong
Published: September 2024

Prior knowledge has long been known to shape reconstruction from memory. An individual stimulus from a category is often remembered to be closer to the center of that category than its true location. This effect, together with more complex memory effects that involve prior knowledge at multiple levels of abstraction, has been successfully explained by the Category Adjustment Model (CAM) and its extensions. However, recent experimental results diverge from CAM's predictions showing that reconstructive memory for atypical category examples is influenced by the category center less than that of typical category examples. To unify these findings, we propose a generalized Bayesian model of reconstructive memory, called the generalized CAM model (g-CAM). We demonstrate through simulations that g-CAM can account for previously known effects of reconstructive memory, while additionally capturing recent empirical findings involving atypical category examples.
Gross anatomy of the visual processing centers of Hieroglyphus banian
Authors: Sivaraju C , Joseph Joby
Published: September 2024

Hieroglyphus banian (H. banian) is a grasshopper, endemic to South Asia. The optic lobe has been characterized to a great extent in orthoptera, predominantly using Locust species like Schistocerca gregaria, Schistocerca americana, and Locusta migratoria, which are closely related to each other. In this work, we characterize the anatomical features of the optic lobe and associated pathway in the grasshopper species H. banian using tract-tracing immunohistochemistry and intracellular fills. All the areas of the visual pathway that have been reported in the other orthoptera species could be identified in H. banian. These species exhibited similar structure and connectivity as visible in our immunohistochemistry and tract tracing results. However, two new centers in the protocerebrum with prominent innervations from the optic lobe could be identified.
Tear film lipid layer thickness and blink dynamics in patients with blepharospasm
Authors: Paik Ji-Sun , Kwon Min Jeong , Nam Ga Hee , Han Kyungdo , Whang Woong-Joo , Hwang Ho Sik , Yang Suk-Woo , Kim Hyun-Seung , Na Kyung Sun , Cho Won-Kyung
Published: September 2024

Background
To elucidate the changes in the tear film lipid layer and blink dynamics among patients with benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) after botulinum toxin A injection.
Methods
We reviewed the medical records of patients with dry eye disease (DED) and BEB treated with botulinum toxin A (BoT A) injections. Data on demographics, lipid layer thickness (LLT), meiboscore, and blink dynamics measured using a LipiView II interferometer before and 2 months after BoT A were collected.
Results
Each 28 eyes from 28 patients with BEB and age- and sex-matched patients with DED were included. When comparing blink dynamics, complete blink rate was significantly higher in the pre-injection BEB group compared to the DED group (5.25 ± 4.32 times/20s vs 2.43 ± 2.82 times/20s, p = 0.0055). In tear film lipid profiles analyzed in BEB patients at pre-injection and 2-month follow-up after injection, average LLT significantly increased after injection (72.4 ± 22.7 nm to 83.0 ± 22.2 nm, p = 0.0215). Diabetes and young age were associated factors influencing the LLT increase.
Conclusions
Blink patterns measured by the interferometer in patients with BEB may overestimate complete blinking and may be misunderstood as a normal pattern. Although BoTA injection may relieve the symptoms of BEB, interpretation of the blink pattern and LLT should be carefully performed by ophthalmologists.
Transcriptome assembly, gene expression, and SSR marker analysis in drought- tolerant peanut cultivar L14
Authors: Tien Nguyen Quang Duc , Kha Hoang , Loc Nguyen Hoang
Published: September 2024

Through transcriptomic sequencing and analysis of the drought-tolerant peanut cultivar L14, we obtained a high-quality transcriptome assembly and annotation of over 71,000 unigenes with an average N50 length of 1484 bp. Based on BLAST searches against the Non-redundant, Uniprot, KEGG, Pfam, GO, and Hayai-Annotation Plants databases, putative functions were assigned to 47,820 unigenes (68% of the total). Important candidate genes involved in abiotic stress tolerance were identified. To understand the transcriptional regulation of the drought tolerance pathway in peanut, transcript expression of genes belonging to the APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor, LEAs, Phospholipase D and C families from the transcriptomic data were analyzed using a heatmap. Furthermore, the expression of LEA5 was analyzed by RT-PCR under treatment with varying concentrations of PEG 6000. This study provides additional valuable information about the transcriptome and genes related to drought tolerance, helping to better understand the molecular mechanism underlying drought tolerance in peanuts, which may aid in efforts to improve this crop.
Latinx Sexual Minority Individuals, Linguistic Acculturation, and Behavioral Health: Evidence of a Healthy Migrant Effect
Authors: Hodges James C. , Oh Sehun , Salas-Wright Christopher P.
Published: September 2024

Purpose: Stress-based theories suggest that sexual minority Latinx migrants are at increased risk of adverse behavioral health outcomes. However, a body of descriptive evidence shows migrants exhibit improved health outcomes. Responding to calls for intersectional investigations of the ‘healthy migrant effect,’ we quantitatively examine whether sexual minority status moderates the relationship between English proficiency (a proxy for acculturation) and behavioral health.
Methods: We used pooled cross-sectional data from the Latinx respondents to the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. We used logistic regression models to examine the association of the level of English proficiency with past-year major depressive episode (MDE) and past-year substance use disorder (SUD) and used interactions to examine the moderating effect of sexual minority status.
Results: For both MDE and SUD, sexual minority Latinx individuals with lower levels of English proficiency had lower odds of reporting adverse outcomes than sexual minority individuals with higher levels of English proficiency and did not have significantly different outcomes than their heterosexual counterparts. The direction of these relationships did not change when stratified by gender.
Conclusions: There appears to be a healthy migrant effect with regard to sexual minority Latinx individuals and behavioral health outcomes. This also suggests that acculturation may be a uniquely important risk factor for this population. Preventative efforts should be targeted at this group to avoid the development of behavioral health concerns.
“You’re just in crisis mode…frantic to get through the next day”: an IPA analysis of adjustment experiences amongst advanced oesophago-gastric cancer carers
Authors: Ghiglieri Cara , Dempster Martin , Graham-Wisener Lisa
Published: September 2024

Background Oesophago-gastric cancer is a complex and debilitating illness that often requires substantial support from informal carers. While the psychosocial impact of caring is well-documented, the specific experiences and adjustment processes of carers supporting individuals with advanced oesophago-gastric cancer remain unexplored. This study aimed to comprehensively explore these carers’ adjustment experiences, identifying opportunities for improved care and support.Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten purposefully recruited bereaved oesophago-gastric cancer carers in the UK. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.Results Carers faced a demanding adjustment process, requiring them to adapt to an unfamiliar illness trajectory and manage complex nutritional needs amid rapid disease progression. Significant changes in roles, routines, and responsibilities often left them feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to maintain their own needs. Nevertheless, seeking knowledge, building supportive connections, and focusing on the present, enabled them to facilitate a more positive adjustment experience.Conclusions The findings underscore the need for comprehensive, tailored support for advanced oesophago-gastric cancer carers, both during the caring period and after bereavement.
How to Measure Fracture Toughness of Soft Materials: A Comparison of Six Different Approaches using Blood Clot as a Model Material
Authors: Lohr Matthew , Bechtel Grace , Dortdivanlioglu Berkin , Rausch Manuel
Published: September 2024

Soft materials are an important class of materials. They play critical roles both in nature, in the form of soft tissues, and in industrial applications. Quantifying their mechanical properties is an important part of understanding and predicting their behavior, thus optimizing their use. However, there are often no agreed-upon standards for how to do so. This also holds true for quantifying their fracture toughness; that is, their resistance to crack propagation. The goal of our work is to fill this knowledge gap using blood clot as a model material. In total, we compared three general approaches, some with multiple different implementations. The first approach is based on Griffith's definition of the critical energy release rate. The second approach makes use of the J-Integral. The last approach uses cohesive zones. We applied these approaches to 12 pure shear experiments with notched samples (some approaches were supplemented with unnotched samples). Finally, we compared these approaches by their intra- and inter-approach variability, the complexity of their implementation, and their computational cost. Overall, we found that the simplest method was also the most consistent and the least costly one: the Griffith-based approach, as proposed by Rivlin and Thomas in 1953.
2000 MSC: 0000, 1111
A Fire Management Intelligent System for the Brazilian Cerrado Biome based on a Deep Learning Two Phase Detection Method
Authors: Borges Natalia , Fonseca Livia , Barreto Priscila Solis , Alchieri Eduardo , Caetano Marcos , Resende Paulo , Brandão Leonardo , Vieira Lucas
Published: September 2024

The significant advancements in the fields of image processing and machine learning to implement systems for early accurately smoke and fire detection still present research challenges for certain biomes. The cerrado is a fire-prone ecosystem that covers a large area in South America, where videobased fire smoke detection using cameras could be more efficient than sensor based systems. This work presents the SEMFOGO-DF fire monitoring system, a solution composed of a distributed processing architecture and a deep-learning computer vision algorithm for smoke detection and emergency alert generation. The solution performs smoke detection in image sequences using a two-phase algorithm that includes automatic zoom operations to confirm smoke predictions. The first phase analyzes image sequences and classifies regions of the image with a high probability of fire and in the second phase, a smoke classification is conducted on a zoomed image. The proposed solution underwent an experimental evaluation in the Brazilian Federal District, which is situated in the Midwest region of Brazil. Experimental results show that the two-phase algorithm can consistently reduce the number of false alerts generated by the first phase alone, with a relatively low reduction in the detection rate. The development of the solution also allowed the creation of two novel datasets. The first dataset consists of image sequences of the cerrado biome, annotated with smoke contours. The second dataset includes zoomed images of the cerrado landscape, annotated with labels indicating smoke and nonsmoke occurrences. These datasets provide a robust representation of the cerrado biome and have the potential to aid other research groups working on similar developments.
High-Intensity Interval Training Protectively Modulates Doxorubicin- Induced Changes in Cardiac Mitochondrial Dynamics and Autophagy Process
Authors: Choobineh Siroos , Ebrahimi Khadijeh , Soori Rahman
Published: September 2024

Purpose
Clinical use of doxorubicin (DOX) in cancer treatment is limited due to the most serious cardiotoxicity side effects. Limited studies have been conducted on the protective effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DCT). The study aimed to explore the protective impact of HIIT on DCT by analyzing genes associated with the autophagy process and mitochondrial dynamics (such as Beclin1, LC3II, DRP1, FIS1, OPA1, and MFN2).
Methods
Wistar rats (N = 24) were randomly divided into Control, DOX (20 mg/kg body weight), HIIT (8 weeks, 7 sets of 4 minutes 80–90% VO2max isolated with 3-minute periods of 65–75% VO2max) and 4), and HIIT + DOX groups. DOX treatment was completed after the last session of HIIT, and the left ventricular tissue was harvested 72 hours after it. Gene expression assessment was done using the RT-PCR test. The data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance with Tukey's post hoc test (α < 0.05).
Results
DOX induction non-significantly increased Drp1 and Fis1 mRNA levels (p < 0.05). It also significantly decreases LC3II, Beclin1, and MNF2 mRNA levels and increases OPA1 mRNA levels (p < 0.05). Also, HIIT per se and before DOX induction not only significantly decreased Drp1, Fis1, and OPA1 mRNA levels but also led to an increase in LC3II and Beclin1 mRNA levels. HIIT per se and before DOX induction also non-significantly increased MNF2 mRNA level (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
Therefore, HIIT appears to be an appropriate protective strategy against DCT by attenuating the DOX-induced disturbances in the mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy process.
HIF-1α affects invasion and metastasis of prostate cancer by regulating invadopodia formation
Authors: Song Liangdong , Zhu Huixuan , Zhang Jindong , Luo Yu , Wei Chengcheng , Li Yunfan , Han Kun , Su Shuai , Wang Delin
Published: September 2024

Background
Prostate cancer is an important disease that threatens the health of middle-aged and older men. In tumor diseases, HIF-1α can affect tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis by regulating the expression of various types of molecules and thus activating related signaling pathways. In this study, we explored the mechanisms by which HIF-1α affects prostate cancer invasion and metastasis.
Method
Exploration of the mechanisms by which HIF-1α affects prostate cancer invasion and metastasis using transcriptome sequencing. Detection of invadopodia-related molecules using Western blot. The formation of invadopodia in prostate cancer cells and the localization of HIF-1α and TKS5 were detected using immunofluorescence. Detection of extracellular matrix degradation by invadopodia in prostate cancer using gelatin degradation assays. Validation of the interaction of HIF-1α with TKS5 using Co-IP.
Results
HIF-1α is highly expressed in prostate cancer. HIF-1α can affect the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of prostate cancer. We found that HIF-1α was associated with cell motility as well as extracellular matrix degradation in prostate cancer, suggesting that HIF-1α may promote prostate cancer invasion and metastasis by affecting the formation of invadopodia. Degradation of extracellular matrix by prostate cancer cells was reduced after knockdown of HIF-1α, as was the formation of invadopodia. The results of Western blot showed that the expression of TKS5 and MMP9 was decreased after knockdown of HIF-1α. The results of Co-IP and immunofluorescence suggested that HIF-1α could interact with TKS5 near the nuclear membrane.
Conclusion
In the present study, we demonstrated that HIF-1α was able to influence the invasive and metastatic ability of prostate cells by affecting the expression of TKS5 and thus the formation of invadopodia. We also found that HIF-1α was able to interact with TKS5 near the nuclear membrane. These results provide a new direction for the exploration of invadopodia in the prostate cancer.
Reactive Fluorescent and Colorimetric Probe for Highly Selective and Sensitive Detection of Hg 2+ in Real Water Samples
Authors: Yang Jiarui , Zhang Kaiqiang , Zhao Yong , Song Yanxi , Wu Yihan , Li Hongqi
Published: September 2024

Construction of efficient chemosensors for highly specific and sensitive detection of mercury ions remains a great challege. In this work a highly selective and sensitive probe CY was designed and synthesized by using coumarin fluorophore as the matrix and thioacetal moiety as the reactive recognition site for Hg2+. By virtue of the thiophilicity of Hg2+, probe CL could be hydrolyzed to deprotect and the thioacetal was tansformed to the acyl group after the addition of Hg2+, the blue-green fluorescence was quenched and meanwhile the solution changed from light green to yellow. The detection limit of probe CY for Hg2+ was as low as 6.8 nM, and it could completely react with Hg2+ within 3 min. Moreover, probe CY exhibited good resistance against interference from competitive metal ions and biothiols, high stability in pH 1–12 and applicability for fluorogenic and chromogenic dual-modal detection of Hg2+ in real water samples over a broad range of pH 5–10.
Triton X-100 Mediated One-pot Solution Phase Synthesis of Au@PtCo/C Nanoparticles with Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Performance in Fuel Cells
Authors: Mukherjee Prateekshita , Das Sumanta , Sutar Sanjay , Swami Anita , Sahu Akhila
Published: September 2024

Au doped PtCo/C (Au@PtCo/C) as an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst is synthesized using a facile single step solution phase synthesis method with Triton X-100 as a mediator guiding the shape and size of the metal nanoparticles. The spherical shaped nanoparticles of 2–4 nm were uniformly dispersed over the porous carbon support accounting for an electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) of 52 m2/gPt. It was observed that at 0.9V, the mass activity (Im) of Au@PtCo/C catalyst is 0.57 A/mgPt which is 4 times higher in relation to commercial Pt/C catalyst. While evaluating in real time PEMFC configuration under acidic environment, this catalyst delivers a peak power density of 1.33 W/cm2 at a current density of 3.43 A/cm2 with H2/O2 feeds under ambient pressure, thus emerging as a promising electrocatalyst for fuel cell applications.
Fabrication of Spin-1/2 Heisenberg Antiferromagnetic Chains via Combined On-surface Synthesis and Reduction for Spinon Detection
Authors: Yu Ping , Su Xuelei , Ding Zhihao , Hong Ye , Ke Nan , Yan KaKing , Li Can , Jiang Yifan
Published: September 2024

Spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chains are excellent one-dimensional platforms for exploring quantum magnetic states and quasiparticle fractionalization. Understanding its quantum magnetism and quasiparticle excitation at the atomic scale is crucial for manipulating the quantum spin systems. Here, we report the fabrication of spin-1/2 Heisenberg chains through on-surface synthesis and in-situ reduction. A closed-shell nanographene is employed as a precursor for Ullman coupling to avoid radical fusing, thus obtaining oligomer chains. Following exposure to atomic hydrogen and tip manipulation, closed-shell polymers are transformed into spin-1/2 chains with controlled lengths by reducing the ketone groups and subsequent hydrogen desorption. The spin excitation gaps are found to decrease in power-law as the chain lengths, suggesting its gapless feature. More interestingly, the spinon dispersion is extracted from the inelastic spectroscopic spectra, agreeing well with the calculations. Our results demonstrate the great potential of fabricating desired quantum systems through a combined on-surface synthesis and reduction approach.
Processing of acoustically degraded emotional prosody in Alzheimer’s disease and primary progressive aphasia: a cohort study
Authors: Jiang Jessica , Johnson Jeremy CS , Requena-Komuro Maï-Carmen , Benhamou Elia , Sivasathiaseelan Harri , Chokesuwattanaskul Anthipa , Nelson Annabel , Nortley Ross , Weil Rimona S , Volkmer Anna , Marshall Charles R , Bamiou Doris-Eva , Warren Jason D , Ha Chris JD
Published: September 2024

Background: Prosody refers to nonverbal speech features including pitch, intonation, stress, duration and intensity. These features are critical for successful communication, conveying emotions and distinguishing sentence structures. Previous research suggests that emotional prosody perception is impaired in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). However, no previous research has investigated how emotional prosody perception is affected in these patient groups under non-ideal listening conditions such as those encountered in everyday listening. Here, we aimed to examine the perception of emotional prosody in patients with AD and PPA syndromes under both clear and degraded (noise-vocoded) speech conditions.
Methods: We recruited 18 patients with AD, nine with logopenic variant PPA (lvPPA), 11 with non-fluent/agrammatic variant PPA (nfvPPA), and 11 with semantic variant PPA (svPPA), along with 24 healthy controls. Participants listened to numerical speech stimuli portraying three emotions (anger, surprise, sadness) in clear and noise-vocoded forms, and for each speech token were asked to identify the emotion being conveyed. We noise-vocoded the stimuli at three levels to generate easy, medium, and hard listening conditions. Performance was correlated with questionnaire measures of socio-emotional functioning.
Results: All patient groups showed significant impairments in identifying clear emotional prosody compared to healthy controls. These deficits were exacerbated under noise-vocoded speech conditions, with all patient groups performing significantly worse than healthy controls and patients with lvPPA performing significantly worse than those with svPPA. There was no interaction between level of noise-vocoding and participant group, but across groups, participants performed more poorly with more degradation. Significant correlations were observed both for clear and noise-vocoded emotional prosody identification with social cognition measures; however, these correlations were seen more consistently for performance on noise-vocoded emotional prosody than clear speech.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that emotional prosody identification is impaired in AD and PPA patients, and that these deficits are particularly prominent under non-ideal (noise-vocoded) listening conditions. These findings open a window on a dimension of real-world emotional communication that has often been overlooked in dementia, with particular relevance to social cognition, and begin to suggest a novel candidate paradigm for investigating and quantifying this systematically.
Psychometric properties of the Arabic Fear of Happiness Scale-5 items (FHS-5) in a non-clinical sample of Arabic-speaking adults
Authors: Khoury Marie Anne El , Malaeb Diana , Sakr Fouad , Dabbous Mariam , Fekih-Romdhane Feten , Hallit Souheil , Obeid Sahar
Published: September 2024

Background: Research suggests that some people believe excessive happiness can lead to negative consequences, based on cultural beliefs and empirical evidence. The fear of Happiness Scale (FHS) was developed to assess people aversion toward happiness. This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the FHS in a sample of Lebanese population.
Methods: The FHS was translated to Arabic following a conventional forward-backward translation procedure and was administered to a sample of 484 Lebanese adults along with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-5) for convergent validity. The factor structure was studied by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
Results: Results suggested a good fit of the one-factor model of the FHS scale with good internal consistency (ω = .95 / α = .95) and excellent convergent (= .80). Measurement invariance was established across sex groups, with no significant difference being reported between males and females in terms of FHS scores (13.27 ± 7.52 vs 13.36 ± 7.04; t(482) = -.12; p = .904). Finally, adequate convergent validity was tested and found to be adequate, with FHS scores found to be correlated negatively with wellbeing and positively with depression and anxiety.
Conclusion: This study suggests that the Arabic version of the Fear of Happiness Scale is a valuable tool for researchers and clinicians working with Arabic-speaking populations. It is anticipated that the Arabic FHS will be advantageous for healthcare professionals and researchers working with Arabic-speaking people around the world.
A streamlined, resource-efficient immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry method for quantifying plasma amyloid-β biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Karikari Thomas , Chen Yijun , Zeng Xuemei , Olvera-Rojas Marcos , Sehrawat Anuradha , Lafferty Tara , Pascoal Tharick , Villemagne Victor , Solis-Urra Patricio , Triviño-Ibañez Eva , Gómez-Rí Manuel , Cohen Ann , Ikonomovic Milos , Esteban-Cornejo Irene , Erickson Kirk , Lopez Oscar , Yates Nathan
Published: September 2024

High-performance, resource-efficient methods for plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) quantification in Alzheimer’s disease are lacking; existing mass spectrometry-based assays are resource- and time-intensive. We developed a streamlined mass spectrometry method with a single immunoprecipitation step, an optimized buffer system, and ≤75% less antibody requirement. Analytical and clinical performances were compared with an in-house reproduced version of a well-known two-step assay. The streamlined assay showed high dilution linearity (r²>0.99) and precision (< 10% coefficient of variation), low quantification limits (Aβ1–40: 12.5 pg/ml; Aβ1–42: 3.125 pg/ml), and high signal correlation (r²~0.7) with the two-step immunoprecipitation assay. The novel single-step assay showed more efficient recovery of Aβ peptides via fewer immunoprecipitation steps, with significantly higher signal-to-noise ratios, even at plasma sample volumes down to 50 µl. Both assays had equivalent performances in distinguishing non-elevated vs. elevated brain Aβ-PET individuals. The new method enables simplified yet robust evaluation of plasma Aβ biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease.
Excellent energy storage properties in lead-free ferroelectric ceramics via heterogeneous structure design
Authors: Yang Zupei , Chai Qizhen , Liu Zhaobo , Deng Zhongqi , Peng Zhanhui , Chao Xiaolian , Huang Houbing , Zhang Shujun
Published: September 2024

Dielectric capacitors with ultrahigh power density have emerged as promising candidates for essential energy storage components in electronic and electrical systems. They enable enhanced integration, miniaturization, and lightweight design. However, the development of dielectric materials for cutting-edge energy storage applications has been significantly limited by their low recoverable energy storage density (Wrec) and energy efficiency (η), especially at moderate electric fields. In this study, we fabricated 0.85K0.5Na0.5NbO3-0.15Sr0.7Nd0.2ZrO3 ceramics with an outstanding energy storage performance (Wrec ~7 J cm− 3, η ~ 92% at 500 kV cm− 1; Wrec ~14 J cm− 3, η ~ 89% at 760 kV cm− 1). The exceptional energy storage performance can be primarily attributed to the heterogeneous structure, where orthorhombic and tetragonal polar nanoregions are embedded in a cubic matrix, accounting for the delayed polarization saturation. This work provides a good paradigm for designing dielectric materials with ultrahigh energy storage density and excellent energy efficiency at a moderate applied electric field, aligning with the stringent demands for advanced energy storage applications.
The Incidence of Osteoporosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Under 65 – A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Tibbetts Katherine Quesada , Mhaskar Rahul , Prakash Neelesh
Published: September 2024

Introduction:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have a heightened prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) and the development of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis screening guidelines only recommend DEXA scans for females 65 and older and males 70 and older. We set out to analyze the incidence of low bone mineral density in HCC patients under 65 years old and encourage implementation of DEXA screenings for this patient population.Method:In this retrospective cohort study, 170 patients under 65 years old with an HCC diagnosis were analyzed. The use of Hounsfield units (HU) from L1 non-contrast CT scans is a reliable predictor of T-scores from DEXA scans and was used to predict BMD in patients, with scores of less than 165 HU indicative of osteopenia and less than 98 indicative of osteoporosis.Results:The median HU score of patients was 137.2, and the mean score was 142.6 (Min: 55.4; Max: 303.1). Approximately 75% of patients had an HU score of less than 165, indicating a high likelihood of suffering from low BMD. Approximately 20% of low BMD patients were identified as within a range of osteoporosis.Conclusions:HCC patients under 65 have an increased incidence of bone demineralization.We suggest that BMD in HCC patients is an important prognostic tool and parameter to document, as studies have shown that HCC patients with high BMD have longer overall survival than patients with low BMD. Future prospective studies using DEXA scans to assess BMD should be completed to verify the risk of osteoporosis.
The emerging role of a novel grading system to evaluate environmental information disclosure (EID) performance: empirical analysis of Chinese listed pharmaceutical companies
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , Wang Zikang , Bian Ying
Published: September 2024

Background: Corporate environmental information disclosure (EID) refers to the public disclosure of various types of environmental information, such as pollution monitoring datasets and corporate environmental behaviors. This information can pose unpredictable market risks or affect investors' interests. With increasing global attention to environmental issues, more listed companies, essential elements in stock markets, are publishing corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports, either voluntarily or due to regulatory requirements. Therefore, a systematic methodology to quantitatively evaluate EID performance of listed companies is valuable for further research and applications.
Methods: We presented a novel grading system that covers seven sections with different weights to evaluate the EID performance of companies. Given recent evidence that China is emerging as the second-largest pharmaceutical market globally, Chinese listed pharmaceutical companies, as core components of the entire pharmaceutical supply chain in China, deserve further study. We selected Chinese listed pharmaceutical companies on A-shares as the research object and evaluated their EID performance over the past decade (2012-2021) using our grading system. This evaluation was based on necessary documentation (e.g., annual reports, CSR reports) downloaded from open-access databases. Additionally, we conducted a preliminary investigation to identify potential driving factors of EID performance using bivariate correlation analysis.
Results: We obtained an overall landscape of the EID performance of Chinese listed pharmaceutical companies over the past decade (2012-2021) and identified three potential driving factors of EID performance: “year of report,” “registered capitalization,” and “total market capitalization.” We also identified the company with the best EID performance over the past decade and provided a systematic description of its EID management system as a case study.
Limitation: Firstly, the grading system has a relatively narrow scope of application, which may present difficulties for grading companies outside the pharmaceutical field. Additionally, as a new methodology, parallel comparative analysis with existing methods is needed for future studies.
Conclusions: We succeeded in closing the gap in precise EID methodology by presenting a novel grading system suitable for quantitatively evaluating the EID performance of listed pharmaceutical companies. Our statistical evidence highlights three potential driving factors behind EID performance. Lastly, we address a main challenge for the universal improvement of EID management in Chinese listed companies, which could serve as a foundation for further optimization of domestic regulations in China.
Sauna and Mindfulness: How Sauna Bathing Affects Psychological States and Traits Related to Bodily Sensations and Emotions
Authors: Hitsuwari Jimpei , Hayashi Takechika , Katarina Woodman , Du Meiyi , Morita Misaki , Takiguchi Shota , Yamashita Yutaka , Nomura Michio
Published: September 2024

Despite its popularity, little psychological and cognitive science research has investigated sauna bathing, especially among healthy individuals. This study empirically examines the connection between sauna bathing and psychological factors related to bodily sensations and emotional experiences. Two experiments were conducted with healthy subjects. In Study 1, we recruited 180 participants and categorized them into three groups (regular sauna, irregular sauna, and no sauna conditions). The participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire which asked about mindfulness and positive emotions. Study 2 was a field study conducted with 28 participants using a sauna at a spa facility. Before and after bathing, the participants answered a questionnaire similar to that used in Study 1. Twelve participants who took sauna baths and 16 of the participants who did not take sauna baths were included in the analysis. Study 1 showed that sauna bathers had a higher ability of bodily sensory imagery and a higher aesthetic evaluation of haiku poetry. Study 2 showed that sauna bathing increased the observing trait of mindfulness. Although the relationship between sauna bathing and bodily sensations or emotional experiences has been mentioned by sauna users and books, this is the first time that it has been empirically demonstrated. These results are considered to be caused by the increased sensitivity of bodily sensations and the heightened parasympathetic nervous system owing to the high and low temperatures. However, more detailed mechanisms are expected to be elucidated in the future.
IgG4-Related Disease: Leading International Co-Authorship Networks and Future Research Directions
Authors: Ogasawara Naruaki
Published: September 2024

Aim
This study aims to analyze the structure of co-author networks in IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) research from 2000 to 2023, using data from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection. The goal is to identify collaborative relationships, key researchers, and trends within the research community over time.
Method
I conducted a comprehensive network analysis of 5,310 articles on IgG4-RD published between 2000 and 2023, as indexed in the WoS Core Collection. The analysis was performed using Python (Version 3.10.5) within the PyCharm integrated development environment (IDE) (Software Version 2022.1.3). Macro-level indicators, including network density, clustering coefficient, number of components, and average path length, were used to assess the overall network structure. Micro-level indicators, such as degree centrality, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality, were employed to evaluate the influence and connectivity of individual researchers within the network.
Result
The co-authorship network analysis revealed a fragmented structure with isolated clusters of researchers throughout the studied periods: 2000–2009, 2010–2019, and 2020–2023. Network density remained low, reflecting limited direct collaborations among researchers, while high clustering coefficients indicated the formation of tight-knit collaborative groups. The number of components decreased slightly over time, suggesting a gradual improvement in connectivity. Key researchers, including John H. Stone, Mitsuhiro Kawano, and Kazuichi Okazaki, consistently exhibited high centrality metrics, highlighting their pivotal roles in bridging research clusters and fostering collaboration in IgG4-RD.
Conclusion
The analysis of IgG4-RD research co-authorship networks from 2000 to 2023 reveals a field characterized by strong localized collaboration but overall low network cohesion. While key researchers have played significant roles in connecting various clusters, the network's fragmented nature suggests opportunities for enhancing broader collaborative efforts. Improving international and interdisciplinary connections could foster more comprehensive research and accelerate advancements in the understanding and treatment of IgG4-RD.
Journey of Platelet concentrates in Periodontal Regeneration – A review
Authors: Tanu Sahney  , Shivam Singh  , Mondeep Baruah  , Christina L. Pachuau
Published: September 2024

Platelet concentrates are the derivatives of blood which helps in haemostasis and wound healing after periodontal regenerative procedures and are enriched with growth factors are well-known to boost the healing process and have started to be in trend and utilized clinically in periodontal surgical procedures. These are prepared from the patient’s own blood throughout which the activated platelets become close and form a fibrin matrix scaffold that releases growth factors and cytokines which plays a key role in tissue regeneration; including cell proliferation and differentiation, extracellular matrix synthesis, chemotaxis and angiogenesis. Its autologous nature provides an advantage to the patients as it reduces treatment cost and minimizes the risk of cross-infection. Despite its exclusive application in promoting healing, there is data paucity on the role of platelet concentrates on bone regeneration. Therefore, this review aims to explore the potential bone regenerative effect of platelet concentrates that would be beneficial as one of the alternative options in periodontal regenerative procedures. Even though the application of platelet concentrates has shown promising outcomes, there is a need for further studies to discover the potential of platelet concentrates in bone regeneration.
This review highlights various types of platelet concentrates, and their clinical applications within the treatment of periodontal diseases.