bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Barley cover crops outperform brown mustard for early-season weed control in New Mexico chile pepper
Authors: Toth Caroline R. , Schutte Brian J. 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and brown mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] are winter cover crops known to produce allelochemicals that suppress plant growth. Incorporating barley or brown mustard residues into the soil before planting a spring-seeded cash crop may suppress early-season weeds in the cash crop; however, the comparative levels of weed suppression offered by barley and brown mustard cover crops incorporated into soil have not been determined. This study analyzed the relative capacities of barley and brown mustard cover crops to suppress early-season weeds of spring-seeded chile pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Reductions in weed density or hand-hoeing time as a result of barley and/or brown mustard cover crop treatment were determined in two chile pepper fields in New Mexico over two growing seasons. For cover crop species that suppressed weeds in multiple site-years, a controlled environment study clarified possible growth stages adversely affected by determining the effects of cover crop–amended soil on the germination and seedling development of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson). Field study results indicated barley reduced early-season weed densities of chile pepper by up to 80% compared with the noncover control. Barley also reduced hoeing time in 3 of 4 site-years without affecting chile pepper fruit yield. Mustard cover crops reduced weed density in only 1 site-year (56% reduction relative to noncover control) and did not decrease hoeing time. The controlled environment study indicated that soil amended with barley slowed germination of A. palmeri without inhibiting seedling development. The results of this study indicate that a barley cover crop is more effective than brown mustard for early-season weed control of chile pepper in the southwestern United States.
Comparing conventional and action video game training in visual perceptual learning
Authors: Yeh Maggie S. , Li Tan , Huang Jinfeng , Liu Zili 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Action video game (AVG) playing has been found to transfer to a variety of laboratory tasks in visual cognition. More recently, it has even been found to transfer to low-level visual "psychophysics tasks. This is unexpected since such low-level tasks have traditionally been found to be largely “immune” to transfer from another task, or even from the same task but a different stimulus attribute, e.g., motion direction. In this study, we set out to directly quantify transfer efficiency from AVG training to motion discrimination. Participants (n = 65) trained for 20 h on either a first-person active shooting video game, or a motion direction discrimination task with random dots. They were tested before, midway, and after training with the same motion task and an orientation discrimination task that had been shown to receive transfer from AVG training, but not from motion training. A subsequent control group (n = 18) was recruited to rule out any test–retest effect, by taking the same tests with the same time intervals, but without training. We found that improvement in motion discrimination performance was comparable between the AVG training and control groups, and less than the motion discrimination training group. We could not replicate the AVG transfer to orientation discrimination, but this was likely due to the fact that our participants were practically at chance for this task at all test points. Our study found no evidence, in either accuracy or reaction time, that AVG training transferred to motion discrimination. Overall, our results suggest that AVG training transferred little to lower-level visual skills, refining understanding of the mechanisms by which AVGs may affect vision.
Protocol registration The accepted stage 1 protocol for this study can be found on the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/zdv9c/?view_only=5b3b0c161dad448d9d1d8b14ce91ab11.
The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 01/12/22. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ZDV9C
An evaluation of online information acquisition in US news deserts
Authors: Greene Kevin T. , Pisharody Nilima , Guevara Alonso , Evans Nathan , Shapiro Jacob N. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractA growing concern is that as local newspapers disappear, communities lose trusted gatekeepers and develop information voids, creating openings for misinformation to thrive. Previous work has not evaluated whether residents of news deserts have developed different information acquisition habits. We fill this gap by directly comparing information consumption and referral patterns inside and outside of news deserts in a novel dataset of engagement with online media by millions of users on the Edge browser. We find little evidence that those in news deserts consume more low-quality sites or are more likely to be referred to low-quality sites from search engines or social media. We find some evidence that those in news deserts do consume more national news than locations with local media outlets. These results contribute to our understanding of how the loss of local newspapers has impacted online information acquisition.
Variable resolution machine learning optimization of antennas using global sensitivity analysis
Authors: Pietrenko-Dabrowska Anna , Koziel Slawomir 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe significance of rigorous optimization techniques in antenna engineering has grown significantly in recent years. For many design tasks, parameter tuning must be conducted globally, presenting a challenge due to associated computational costs. The popular bio-inspired routines often necessitate thousands of merit function calls to converge, generating prohibitive expenses whenever the design process relies on electromagnetic (EM) simulation models. Surrogate-assisted methods offer acceleration, yet constructing reliable metamodels is hindered in higher-dimensional spaces and systems with highly nonlinear characteristics. This work suggests an innovative technique for global antenna optimization embedded within a machine-learning framework. It involves iteratively refined kriging surrogates and particle swarm optimization for generating infill points. The search process operates within a reduced-dimensionality region established through fast global sensitivity analysis. Domain confinement enables the creation of accurate behavioral models using limited training data, resulting in low CPU costs for optimization. Additional savings are realized by employing variable-resolution EM simulations, where low-fidelity models are utilized during the global search stage (including sensitivity analysis), and high-fidelity ones are reserved for final (gradient-based) tuning of antenna parameters. Comprehensive verification demonstrates the consistent performance of the proposed procedure, its superiority over benchmark techniques, and the relevance of the mechanisms embedded into the algorithm for enhancing search process reliability, design quality, and computational efficiency.
The circulatory levels and bone expression of MIR21, 34a, 155 and their target genes in a section of Egyptian Population
Authors: El-Tahan Rasha A , Oriquat Ghaleb A , Sorour Islam , Salem Sherif M , Kamel Maher A , Michel Trez N , Abu-Samra Nehal 
Published: November 2024

AbstractBone tissue is constantly regenerated and repaired through a finely balanced process known as bone remodeling. Many miRNAs act as regulators of the signaling pathways involved in bone metabolic processes to maintain tissue homeostasis. This study aimed to assess the circulating levels of MIR21, MIR34a, and MIR155 in human serum and their bone expression, and the expression of bone turnover-related genes which can reflect the bone quality. This prospective study was conducted on 60 patients (30 males and 30 females) indicated for surgical interventions for neural decompression +/- fixation. Relative quantification of expression of MIR21, miR34a, and MIR155 and bone related genes was assayed using PCR. The serum levels of osteocalcin and Serum Bone Alkaline Phosphatase (sBAP) were assayed using a human ELISA kit. The main finding of the present work was the strong positive association between the circulating levels of only miR21 and MIR155 and their bone expression in the population under study and with bone markers and target genes Also, a positive association was found between both bone expression and circulating MIR21 levels with age and sBAP. These results suggest that the circulating levels of these microRNAs as early markers for the predication of bone quality.
Comparison of AI software tools for automated detection, quantification and categorization of pulmonary nodules in the HANSE LCS trial
Authors: Kondrashova Rimma , Klimeš Filip , Kaireit Till Frederik , May Katharina , Barkhausen Jörg , Stiebeler Susanne , Sperl Jonathan , Dettmer Sabine , Wacker Frank , Vogel-Claussen Jens 
Published: November 2024

AbstractParticipant management in a lung cancer screening (LCS) depends on the assigned Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS) category, which is based on reliable detection and measurement of pulmonary nodules. The aim of this study was to compare the agreement of two AI-based software tools for detection, quantification and categorization of pulmonary nodules in an LCS program in Northern Germany (HANSE-trial). 946 low-dose baseline CT-examinations were analyzed by two AI software tools regarding lung nodule detection, quantification and categorization and compared to the final radiologist read. The relationship between detected nodule volumes by both software tools was assessed by Pearson correlation (r) and tested for significance using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The consistency of Lung-RADS classifications between Software tool 1 (S1, Aview v2.5, Coreline Soft, Seoul, Korea) and Software tool 2 (S2, Prototype ‘’ChestCTExplore’’, software version ToDo, Siemens Healthineers, Forchheim, Germany) was evaluated by Cohen’s kappa (κ) and percentual agreement (PA).The derived volumes of true positive nodules were strongly correlated (r > 0.95), the volume derived by S2 was significantly higher than by S1 (P < 0.0001, mean difference: 6mm3). Moderate PA (62%) between S1 and S2 was found in the assignment of Lung-RADS classification (κ = 0.45). The PA of Lung-RADS classification to final read was 75% and 55% for S1 and S2, but the incorporation of S1 into the initial nodule detection and segmentation must be considered here. Significant nodule volume differences between AI software tools lead to different Lung-RADS scores in 38% of cases, which may result in altered participant management. Therefore, high performance and agreement of accredited AI software tools are necessary for a future national LCS program.
Heat-inactivated Streptococcus pneumoniae augments circadian clock gene expression in zebrafish cells
Authors: Morales Fénero Camila , Sacksteder Raina E. , Diamos Andrew G. , Kimmey Jacqueline M. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe circadian clock is a cell-autonomous process that regulates daily internal rhythms by interacting with environmental signals. Reports across species show that infection can alter the expression of circadian genes; however, in teleosts, these effects are influenced by light exposure. Currently, no reports analyze the direct effects of bacterial exposure on the zebrafish clock. Using zebrafish Z3 cells, we demonstrate that exposure to heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae (HK-Spn) augments the expression of core repressive factors in a light- and time-dependent manner. In constant darkness, HK-Spn highly upregulated cry1a, per3, and per1b expression. In the presence of light, HK-Spn exposure rapidly and strongly upregulated per2 and cry1a, and this was proportionally increased with light intensity. The combinatorial effect of light and HK-Spn on per2 and cry1a was not duplicated with H2O2, a known byproduct of light exposure. However, the ROS inhibitor N-acetyl cysteine was sufficient to block HK-Spn augmentation of per2, cry1a, and per3. These findings demonstrate that exposure to an inactive bacteria influences the expression of zebrafish clock genes under different light conditions.
Ultrasound identification of the cementoenamel junction and clinical correlation through ex vivo analysis
Authors: Qi Baiyan , Fu Lei , Abdelrehim Tamer , Chang Jason J. , Chang Harrison , Chen Casey , Jokerst Jesse V. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractAccurately identifying periodontal landmarks via acoustic imaging is increasingly important. Here, we evaluated the accuracy of cementoenamel junction (CEJ) identification using ultrasound by comparing it to clinical methods in 153 extracted human teeth. The distance between the CEJ to a reference point was measured using two clinical methods (visual examination and tactile sensation) as well as ultrasound imaging. Statistical analyses were performed across all teeth and sub-groups, including tooth types (incisors, cuspids, and molars/premolars), and two classifications: A- vs. B- (visually detectable or undetectable CEJ, respectively); and CL-S vs. CL-D (shallow or deep cervical lesions). In A- or CL-S teeth, ultrasound measurements highly agreed with clinical measurements, showing a 1.72-mm 95% CI for A- and 1.99-mm 95% CI for CL-S compared to visual examination, and a 1.77-mm 95% CI for A- and a 2.10-mm 95% CI for CL-S compared to tactile sensation, respectively. For 80% of A- and 76% of CL-S teeth, the difference between ultrasound and visual examination was within ± 20%. For 81% of A- and 80% of CL-S teeth, the difference between ultrasound and tactile sensation was within ± 20%. The variance of ultrasound versus clinical CEJ identifications showed a significant correlation (r = 0.6607) to the cervical lesion depth. The errors between ultrasound and clinical measurements show no significant bias across different tooth types.
Crossmodal correspondences between visual and speech angularity and tactile jaggedness of response key
Authors: Suzuki Yusuke , Ueno Naoki , Nakahashi Keigo , Nagai Masayoshi 
Published: November 2024

AbstractSeveral studies reported various crossmodal correspondences related to tactile features. These previous studies have investigated tactile-related correspondences through explicit matching or subjective evaluation tasks, which required participants to recognize relationships between tactile and other sensory features or rate tactile materials on scales with adjective labels related to visual or auditory features. However, these tasks are prone to occur the experimenter-expectancy effects and arbitrary categorization of tactile materials by the labels, making it difficult to assess implicit and non-arbitrary aspects of crossmodal correspondences. To address this, we used a speeded classification task to examine whether the angularity/roundedness of visual and auditory stimuli correspond to tactile jaggedness/fluffiness. Participants distinguished between angularity or roundedness (Experiment 1: visual shapes; Experiment 2: speech sounds) by pressing right- or left-positioned response keys with task-irrelevant jaggedness or fluffiness without prior instruction on which key represented jaggedness/fluffiness. Results showed faster keypresses for jagged/fluffy responses to angular/rounded stimuli, suggesting an implicit correspondence between these sensory features except for the experimenter-expectancy effects and the influence of the labels. Unlike previous studies that examined the correspondence with simple tactile features (e.g., weight, size), our findings suggest that even complex tactile-quality features, such as jaggedness/fluffiness, implicitly correspond to visual and auditory angularity/roundedness.
Protective effect of mesenchymal stromal cells in diabetic nephropathy: the In vitro and In vivo role of the M-Sec-tunneling nanotubes
Authors: Barutta Federica , Corbetta Beatrice , Bellini Stefania , Gambino Roberto , Bruno Stefania , Kimura Shunsuke , Hase Koji , Ohno Hiroshi , Gruden Gabriella 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in the development of podocyte injury in diabetic nephropathy (DN). Tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs) are long channels that connect cells and allow organelle exchange. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can transfer mitochondria to other cells through the M-Sec-TNTs system. However, it remains unexplored whether MSCs can form heterotypic TNTs with podocytes, thereby enabling the replacement of diabetes-damaged mitochondria. In this study, we analysed TNT formation, mitochondrial transfer, and markers of cell injury in podocytes that were pre-exposed to diabetes-related insults and then co-cultured with diabetic or non-diabetic MSCs. Furthermore, to assess the in vivo relevance, we treated DN mice with exogenous MSCs, either expressing or lacking M-Sec, carrying fluorescent-tagged mitochondria. MSCs formed heterotypic TNTs with podocytes, allowing mitochondrial transfer, via a M-Sec-dependent mechanism. This ameliorated mitochondrial function, nephrin expression, and reduced apoptosis in recipient podocytes. However, MSCs isolated from diabetic mice failed to confer cytoprotection due to Miro-1 down-regulation. In experimental DN, treatment with exogenous MSCs significantly improved DN, but no benefit was observed in mice treated with MSCs lacking M-Sec. Mitochondrial transfer from exogenous MSCs to podocytes occurred in vivo in a M-Sec-dependent manner. These findings demonstrate that the M-Sec-TNT-mediated transfer of mitochondria from healthy MSCs to diabetes-injured podocytes can ameliorate podocyte damage. Moreover, M-Sec expression in exogenous MSCs is essential for providing renoprotection in vivo in experimental DN.
The effect of different mission profiles and ambient temperature on the lifetime of boost converter IGBT with a robust controller in a hybrid electric vehicle
Authors: Salim Majid , Safarzadeh Omid 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe reliability of power electronic converters is one of the essential issues in designing of electric vehicles. This paper estimates the lifetime of the boost converter switch by Semikron and Coffin‐Manson models for two common failure mechanisms of Bond wire and Base plate solder, respectively. Four mission profiles based on the Artemis standard are applied to hybrid electrical vehicle model to determine unidirectional output power. Kharitonov's theory is used to design a robust controller to handle the uncertainty raised by different power cycles of the electric vehicle and the parameters of the converter during simulation. Stability of converter is achieved during simulation by identifying simple proportional integral controller coefficients with Kharitonov's theorem. A prototype 230 W boost converter is designed and utilized to validate average model and switch loss calculation relationships. The lifetime results indicate that the number of cycles, and the average and the maximum junction temperature have a more impact than the duration of the drive cycle on the lifetime of the converter. A mixed mission profile is considered to investigate the effect of sudden change in driving modes and speed on total consumed life and lifetime to enhance the study's applicability. Lifetime of switch is decreased significantly in mixed mode in comparison with other mission profiles in the same driving time. Furthermore, the motorway mission profile has 53%, 39.6%, and 160% less total consumed life in comparison with the urban, rural and mixed mission profiles, respectively. In addition, the effect of ambient temperature changes on IGBT lifetime has been investigated for four mission profiles. While motorway had the least total consumed life in 25°C, the urban had better performance in comparison with other mission profiles from 25 to 55°C.
Feasibility study of analogue filters based on memristor
Authors: Gao Shan , Chandrasekaran Sridhar , Purnama Irwan , Simanjuntak Firman Mangasa 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThis paper reports the critical parameters in fitting the Al:HfO2 memristor and exploits the memristor symbol derived from this fitting to design filter circuits. Memristor‐based filters can obtain at least two different filter ranges with the same filtering effect as conventional filters. Multistate resistance can be achieved by controlling the filamentary gap; adjusting the initial gap in the high resistance state from 1 to 0.1 nm could vary the cut‐off frequency of the filters from 230 MHz to 1.54 GHz. Memristor‐based band‐pass filter is also simulated by cascading a low‐pass filter and a high‐pass filter; the results show that a cut‐off frequency of 5.46 to 22.22 GHz can be tuned by adjusting the initial gap of a low resistance state from 0.4 nm down to 0.2 nm. Replacing the resistor in a conventional filter with a memristor allows the filter to have a variable range; this would solve the limitation where the conventional analogue filters have only a single filter range due to the fixed values of their constituent elements.
Aldosteron-Synthase-Inhibitoren
Authors: van der Giet Markus 
Published: November 2024

ZUSAMMENFASSUNGEs ist ein alter Traum: Die Bildung von Aldosteron in der Nebennierenrinde blockieren, um dessen blutdrucksteigernde Effekte in den Griff zu bekommen. In den vergangenen Jahren konnten erste selektive Inhibitoren der Aldosteronsynthase (ASI) entwickelt werden, die sich bereits in ersten klinischen Studien als effektiv gezeigt haben. Es haben sich klare Hinweise darauf ergeben, dass sich mit diesen Substanzen die Aldosteronbildung hemmen lässt, ohne sonstige Substanzen in der Nebenniere negativ zu beeinflussen. Neben einer robusten Blutdrucksenkung haben sich weitere protektive Eigenschaften durch die Beeinflussung einer Albuminurie gezeigt. In diesem Beitrag wird die Rolle von Aldosteron in der Blutdruckregulation zusammengefasst. Zudem werden die ersten klinischen Studien vorgestellt, in denen die Aldosteronbildung gezielt reduziert werden konnte.
Bialy-Mironov type rigidity for centrally symmetric symplectic billiards
Authors: Baracco Luca , Bernardi Olga , Nardi Alessandra 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
The aim of the present paper is to establish a Bialy–Mironov type rigidity for centrally symmetric symplectic billiards. For a centrally symmetric C
2 strongly-convex domain D with boundary

∂
D

, assume that the symplectic billiard map has a (simple) continuous invariant curve

δ
⊂

P

of rotation number

1

/

4

(winding once around

∂
D

) and consisting only of 4-periodic orbits. If one of the parts between δ and each boundary of the phase-space is entirely foliated by continuous invariant closed (not null-homotopic) curves, then

∂
D

is an ellipse. The differences with Birkhoff billiards are essentially two: it is possible to assume the existence of the foliation in one of the parts of the phase-space detected by the curve δ, and the result is obtained by tracing back the problem directly to the totally integrable case.