bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Centralized Model Predictive Control with Prediction Horizon Tuning for Multi-Vehicle Platoon
Authors: Alizadehghobadi Shila 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

In the context of autonomous vehicles, proper lane merging is critical as it can reduce the traffic bottleneck and lead to a safer road transportation. To obtain a collision-free and efficient lane merging, advanced control algorithm needs to be designed to smoothly coordinate multiple vehicles to form a platoon or join the one that already exists. Model Predictive Control (MPC) is such a controller capable of accurately forecasting future states of multiple vehicles by optimizing their control inputs while satisfying the constraints. Duration over which the future states of the vehicles are predicted is called prediction horizon, a key component in designing the controller. The effect of prediction horizon on the efficiency of platooning using the MPC controllers is not known yet. In this study, a centralized MPC is used to investigate the effect of prediction horizon and number of vehicles on the efficiency of lane merging in a multi-vehicle platoon formation. The model is developed for platoon configurations with 2, 4, and 6 vehicles. It is shown that the feasibility of this approach strongly depends on the reference velocity and minimum prediction horizon. This minimum horizon varies with the number of vehicles merging into the platoon. Furthermore, the results suggest that tuning the prediction horizon near an optimal value can minimize the acceleration and braking intensity, thereby reducing energy consumption by 30-50%.
Complex Hydrogen Bonding Leads to Cooperativity Between Antiparallel Polyproline Ii Helices
Authors: Laurents Douglas , Sánchez Rubén López , Mompeán Miguel 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Hydrogen bond cooperativity (HBC) is the phenomenon where the collective strengthening of hydrogen bonds in a network exceeds the sum of individual interactions due to mutual polarization and non-additive electrostatic effects. HBC has been well-studied in traditional protein secondary structures such as α-helices and β-sheets, where it critically stabilizes amyloid structures. In the last 20 years, several natural proteins have been characterized which contain several aligned and hydrogen-bonded polyproline II (PPII) helices. HBC has been recently reported for these PPII helices when they are arranged in parallel, but its existence in the more abundant antiparallel PPII helical assembly is still unknown.. By employing a battery of computational approaches validated through experimental observables, we report that both canonical CO···HN and non-canonical CO···HαCα hydrogen bonds exhibit mutual reinforcement, revealing a complex hydrogen bonding scheme that allows HBC in antiparallel PPII helices. These findings have fundamental relevance for our understanding of protein conformational stability and implications for PPII helices as a structural building block for protein design.
Effects of NMDAR2B-mediated Hippocampal Neuron Protection on Cognitive Function in Rats with Depression
Authors: Liu Longfei , Li Peifan , Hu Yongxue , Shan Qing , Li Hongping , Wei Yuhan , Wang Yiming 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Background
To observe the changes in cognitive function of depressive model rats after fluoxetine intervention, and further explore the correlation between fluoxetine's influence on cognitive function in depressive model rats and the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B subunit (NMDAR2B) in the hippocampus, as well as its impact on hippocampal neurons.
Methods
The depression model was established using Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS) combined with solitary confinement, followed by fluoxetine intervention upon successful establishment. Neurobehavioral assessments were conducted to evaluate the rats' emotions, cognition, and learning abilities. Molecular docking technology was employed to observe the affinity between fluoxetine and the NMDAR2B subunit. Proteomic analysis was performed to detect changes in NMDAR2B protein, and histopathological staining was used to observe pathological alterations in neurons in the rat hippocampus. Finally, statistical analysis of the data was conducted.
Results
After modeling, the rats exhibited depressive-like behaviors, impaired cognitive learning and memory abilities, significantly reduced expression and concentration of NMDAR2B protein, pathological damage to neurons in the hippocampus, decreased number of Nissl bodies, markedly reduced dendritic spine density, damaged synaptic structures with decreased synaptic vesicles. Following fluoxetine intervention, these conditions showed varying degrees of recovery. Correlation analysis revealed that the cognitive and learning abilities of rats were impaired, accompanied by a significant decrease in dendritic spine density and a decline in the expression of the NMDAR2B protein.
Conclusions
Fluoxetine may exert neuroprotective effects by regulating the expression of NMDAR2B protein in the hippocampus, thereby improving the cognitive function of depressed rats.
Reliability and Validity of The Turkish Version of The Trust in Physician Scale in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: BAŞGÖZ Bilgin Bahadır , ÇETİN Mustafa , KÖKER Gökhan , SOLMAZ İhsan , YILDIRIM Mehmet Serdar , NAHARCI Mehmet İlkin 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Background
Trust is at the core of the patient-physician relationship. The Trust in Physician Scale (TPS) was specifically developed to measure such interpersonal trust and has high validity and reliability. In this study, we aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Turkish TPS (TPS-TR) among community-dwelling older adults.
Methods
This prospective study enrolled community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older. The TPS-TR and other scales and questionnaires of generalized anxiety disorder-7 scale (GAD-7), patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and multidimensional trust in health care systems scale (MTHCSS) subscale-1 “trust in health care providers” were administered to all participants. We assessed the internal consistency, item-total correlations, temporal stability, and criterion-related and convergent validity of TPS-TR.
Results
The study included 230 individuals. TPS-TR demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.866) and remarkable test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.903). The lowest item-to-total correlation was observed for item 5, with a value of 0.375, which was also considered acceptable (> 0.20). TPS-TR was strongly correlated with the MTHCSS subscale-1 (p < 0.001), suggesting high criterion-related validity. TPS-TR showed a negative correlation with the presence of depressive symptoms (p = 0.002), whereas no correlation between the presence of anxiety (p > 0.05).
Conclusion
The results of our study showed that the TPS-TR has high reliability and validity in measuring the interpersonal trust of community-dwelling older adults in their physicians.
Direct Coupling Analysis and the Attention Mechanism
Authors: Caredda Francesco , Pagnani Andrea 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Proteins are involved in nearly all cellular functions, encompassing roles in transport, signaling, enzymatic activity, and more. Their functionalities crucially depend on their complex three-dimensional arrangement. For this reason, being able to predict their structure from the amino acid sequence has been and still is a phenomenal computational challenge that the introduction of AlphaFold solved with unprecedented accuracy. However, the inherent complexity of AlphaFold's architectures makes it challenging to understand the rules that ultimately shape the protein's predicted structure. This study investigates a single-layer unsupervised model based on the attention mechanism. More precisely, we explore a Direct Coupling Analysis (DCA) method that mimics the attention mechanism of several popular Transformer architectures, such as AlphaFold itself. The model's parameters, notably fewer than those in standard DCA-based algorithms, can be directly used for extracting structural determinants such as the contact map of the protein family under study. Additionally, the functional form of the energy function of the model enables us to deploy a multi-family learning strategy, allowing us to effectively integrate information across multiple protein families, whereas standard DCA algorithms are typically limited to single protein families. Finally, we implemented a generative version of the model using an autoregressive architecture, capable of efficiently generating new proteins in silico.
Neural Dynamics of Deception: Insights from fMRI studies of Brain States
Authors: Jiang Weixiong , Li Lin , Xia Yulong , Farooq Sajid , Li Gang , Li Shuaiqi , Xu Jinhua , He Sailing , Huang Shoujun , Yuan Jing , Kong Dexing 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Deception, a complex human behavior, demands greater cognitive engagement than honest responses. Recent studies have shown that dynamic brain states can rapidly shift in response to external stimuli and cognitive demands, offering insights into the brain's temporal and spatial dynamics. However, the specific brain state dynamics associated with deception remain unclear. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the brain states associated with lie-telling, inverse-telling, and truth-telling, focusing on their dynamic attributes and spatial patterns to better understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying deception. We identified six representative brain states and analyzed their dynamic attributes across these tasks. Notably, two distinct states—termed "truth-preferred" and "lie-preferred"—exhibited significant differences in fractional occupancy and average dwelling time. The truth-preferred state showed higher occupancy and dwelling time during truth-telling, while the lie-preferred state demonstrated these characteristics during lie-telling. Using the average z-score BOLD signals of these two states, we applied generalized linear models (GLM) with elastic net regularization, achieving a classification accuracy of 88.46%, with a sensitivity of 92.31% and a specificity of 84.62% in distinguishing deception from truth-telling. Our findings revealed representative brain states associated with lie-telling, inverse-telling, and truth-telling, particularly highlighting two brain states specifically associated with truthful and deceptive behaviors. These results suggest that the spatial characteristics and dynamic attributes of certain brain states may serve as biomarkers of cognitive engagement in deceptive tasks.
Survival and Prognostic Factors of Laryngeal Cancer Patients in Colombia: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Navarro Pilar Carola Pinillos , Figueroa-Bohórquez David , Navas Antonio José Cuesta , Montoya Julio , Buitrago Giancarlo , Pachón Paloma Beltrán , Pavia Sergio Zúñiga 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Background
Laryngeal cancer is the second most common head and neck cancer worldwide, primarily affecting males with an average age of diagnosis at 65. Although international statistics on this cancer are well-documented, Colombia's national data is limited, hindering public health policy development. Were explored key clinical and sociodemographic findings of Colombian patients with laryngeal cancer undergoing surgical treatment from 2012 to 2017.
Materials and Methods
A retrospective cohort study using population records from a health administrative database was conducted. The cohort consists of all patients aged ≥ 18 with a diagnosis of laryngeal cancer who underwent surgical treatment from January 1st 2012 to December 31st 2017.
Results
Of the 1,546 patients analyzed, 74.3% were male, and 6.7% underwent major laryngeal surgery. Three-year overall survival was 78.5%, and differences in survival were noted based on age, gender, comorbidities, surgical procedure, and adjuvant therapy. The data revealed that survival significantly decreased with increasing age and was lower among male patients. Advanced surgical procedures were associated with reduced survival, suggesting that early diagnosis and intervention are crucial. Higher comorbidity scores were linked to poorer outcomes, highlighting the importance of holistic patient management. Adjuvant chemotherapy was also linked to lower survival rates.
Conclusions
The study's findings underscore the need for comprehensive cancer registries and support efforts to understand the disease's burden and plan targeted interventions. This work provides the first national insight into the prognosis of surgically managed laryngeal cancer patients in Latin America, aiding healthcare strategies and decision-making for this condition.
Frailty and Neurocognitive Impairments in Chinese Survivors of Childhood Cancer
Authors: Wei Yihui , Deng Weishang , To Kenneth Kin-Wah , Lam Teddy Tai-Ning , Tso Winnie Wan-Yee , Chan Agnes Sui-Yin , Ness Kirsten K , Li Chi Kong , Cheung Yin Ting 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of frailty and the association between frailty and neurocognitive impairments among Chinese survivors of childhood cancer.
Methods
A total of 185 survivors of childhood cancer were recruited from a long-term follow-up clinic in Hong Kong (response rate: 94.4%; 48.1% female; mean age 28.9 years, standard deviation = 6.7 years). Frailty was assessed using the Fried frailty criteria. Neurocognitive outcomes were evaluated using a performance-based test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of frailty. Multivariable generalized linear models were used to explore the associations between frailty and cognitive outcomes.
Results
The proportions of survivors with frailty and pre-frailty were 22.7% and 27.0%, respectively. “Frail” survivors were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at a younger age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87–0.99, P = 0.041) and to have coexisting chronic health conditions (OR = 4.63, 95% CI: 1.68–12.80, P = 0.003) than “non-frail” and “pre-frail” survivors. Survivors with frailty exhibited worse attention detectability (unstandardized point estimate [Est] = 4.57, standard error [SE] = 1.69, P = 0.007), omissions (Est = 3.68, SE = 1.15, P = 0.001), and cognitive flexibility (Est = 8.08, SE = 3.08, P = 0.009) than “non-frail” and “pre-frail” survivors.
Conclusions
More than one fifth of the participating Chinese survivors of childhood cancer were identified as phenotypically frail. Frailty was associated with worse performance in attention and executive function.
Implications for Cancer Survivors:
The findings highlight the needs for regular monitoring and early interventions that can modify the aging pathway in the cancer continuum, to mitigate frailty and improve psychosocial outcomes during long-term cancer survivorship.
Increasing boreal fires reduce future global warming and sea ice loss
Authors: Blanchard-Wrigglesworth Edward , DeRepentigny Patricia , Frierson Dargan 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Biomass burning can affect climate via the emission of aerosols and their subsequent impact on radiation, cloud microphysics, and surface and atmospheric albedo. Boreal biomass burning emissions have strongly increased during the last decade and are expected to continue increasing as the climate warms. Climate models simulate aerosol processes, yet historical and future Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) simulations have no active fire component, and biomass burning emissions are prescribed as external forcings. Here we show that CMIP6 used future boreal emission scenarios with unrealistic near-zero trends that have a large impact on climate trends. By running sensitivity experiments with ramped up boreal emissions based on observed trends, we find that increasing boreal emissions reduce global warming by 12% and Arctic warming by 38%, reducing the loss of sea ice. Tropical precipitation shifts southward as a result of the hemispheric difference in boreal aerosol forcing and subsequent temperature response. These changes stem from the impact of aerosols on clouds, increasing cloud droplet number concentration, cloud optical depth, and low cloud cover, reducing surface shortwave flux over northern latitudes. Our results highlight the importance of realistic boreal emissions in climate model simulations and the need for improved understanding of boreal emission trends and aerosol-climate interactions.
Two renaissance stoneslabs from Sztum and Boreczno with reprsentations of armoured men
Authors: Żurek Magdalna , Gawroński Radosław Andrzej 
Published: November 2024

Among the tombstones preserved in the territory of former East Prussia, two Renaissance effigies deserve attention: the slab showing Johannes von Schönaich kept at Boreczno (Ducal Prussia) and the other one of Achatius von Zehmen from the church of Sztum (Royal Prussia). The deceased belonged to the local gentry and were depicted in similar poses. The authors discuss the appearance of both stone slabs, trying to compare the visible armour representations with surviving examples from the period in question and, on this basis, identify one of the tombstones as belonging to Johannes von Schönaich (IV, died 1549), one of the six representatives of the family bearing that name who lived in the 15th and 16th centuries at Boreczno.
Associations between Physical Performance Tests with Cognitive Changes: The Moderating Effect of Cognitive Status
Authors: Lim Zhi Hao , Yu Junhong , Kuparasundram Sangita , Mahendran Rathi , Ng Ted Kheng Siang 
Published: November 2024

Introduction/Objective:
Age-related cognitive decline has been linked with risk factors,
including physical performance. Prior studies investigating such associations were typically
conducted in clinical settings within Western populations with a frequent focus on late neurocognitive
diagnostic stages (i.e., Alzheimer’s disease), reducing their generalizability to the Asian population
and early neurocognitive stages. To address these knowledge gaps, our study investigated
longitudinal associations between physical performance measures at baseline and cognitive
change in global cognition, executive functioning (EF) based and non-executive functioning (non-
EF) based cognitive domains within the Singaporean population. The moderating role of early neurocognitive
status, namely mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively normal (CN), was also
examined.

Methods:
This paper examined data from 347 participants (CN = 284; MCI = 63) who participated
in the Community Health and Intergenerational (CHI) study at baseline and follow-up. Data
from a neurocognitive battery and three physical performance tests, namely the timed-up and go
(TUG), fast gait speed (FGS) and 30-second chair-stand test (30s-CST), were analysed using multivariate
linear regression models.

Results:
Only one significant association between FGS scores and cognitive change in Semantic
Fluency was observed; other associations were not significant. Cognitive status also significantly
moderated associations between TUG/30s-CST tasks with several neurocognitive tests.

Conclusion:
The lack of significant longitudinal associations between baseline physical performance
measures and cognitive change differed from findings in the literature. Nevertheless, the
moderating role of cognitive status further highlighted the need to account for cognitive status
when exploring such associations within a heterogeneous group of older adults without dementia.
Influence of Partnership Relationships on Long-Term Neurological Rehabilitation in Germany: Protocol for a Qualitative Retrospective Study
Authors: von Bosse Alexa , König Peter , Jansen Eva 
Published: November 2024

Background
Acquired neurological diseases entail significant changes and influence the relationship between a patient and their significant other. In the context of long-term rehabilitation, those affected collaborate with health care professionals who are expected to have a positive impact on the lives of the affected individuals.

Objective
This study aims to examine the changes in the relationship between the patient and their loved ones due to acquired neurological disorders and the influence of health care professionals on this relationship.

Methods
Through sociogenetic type building, we will identify different types of patient-caregiver dyads and their effects on health care professionals and vice versa. The results will then be integrated into a model based on the theory of symbolic interactionism and Baxter’s Relational Dialectics Theory.

Results
This study is not funded and was approved by the ethics committee of the German Society for Nursing Science, and it complies with the Declaration of Helsinki. The data collection started in June 2024 based on narrative couple interviews and is running. We assume that patients and their relatives will demonstrate heterogeneity as individuals, as well as in their interactions within the dyad, regarding certain orientations such as coping with illness, motivation for therapy, and coping strategies.

Conclusions
Our findings address a biopsychosocial perspective that enhances treatment approaches in neurological long-term care. Understanding the influence of professionals on dyadic couple relationships can improve rehabilitation effectiveness by tailoring therapeutic approaches to various patient types, relatives, and dyadic relationship constellations. This fosters patient- and family-centered therapy in line with holistic care.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)
DERR1-10.2196/63949
Feeding Behavior of Brown Planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) on Pigmented Rice Monitored by Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG)
Authors: Witjaksono Witjaksono , Aldawood Abdulrahman Saad , Kristamtini Kristamtini , Sumarno Sumarno , Andriyanto Rofiq , Soffan Alan 
Published: November 2024

Rice is one of the essential daily commodity for most of Asian. However, the brown plant hopper (BPH; Nilaparvata lugens) infestation had been threatening the increasing demand of rice production. Evaluating resistance level of rice cultivars against BPH will help in managing BPH infestation. The feeding behavior monitoring of brown plant hopper (BPH; Nilaparvata lugens) by using an electrical penetration graph (EPG) was conducted to evaluate the resistance level of several rice cultivars against BPH, including pigmented rice (black rice cv. Sembada hitam; red rice cv. Sembada merah); and the commonly consumed white rice (cv. Ciherang). The EPG instrument allowed the monitoring of BPH feeding behaviors by quantifying three unique waveforms, namely, N3, N4, and N5, which represent BPH feeding activities in areas near phloem tissues, in phloem tissues, and in xylem tissues, respectively. EPG monitoring of BPH feeding activities in black rice revealed the absence of the N3 and N4 waveforms. Red rice showed the N3 waveform but not the N4 waveform. White rice showed all three waveforms occurring with high numbers and long total durations. The absence of the N4 waveform in the two pigmented rice cultivars indicated the failure of BPH to access phloem tissues. Overall, the results revealed that the resistance of rice against BPH based on feeding activity could be ordered as follows: black rice > red rice > white rice. This report provides essential information on the resistance mechanism of pigmented rice cultivars against BPH.