bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Generative Modelling of Cortical Receptor Distributions from Cytoarchitectonic Images in the Macaque Brain
Authors: Nebli Ahmed , Schiffer Christian , Niu Meiqi , Palomero-Gallagher Nicola , Amunts Katrin , Dickscheid Timo 
Published: July 2024

AbstractNeurotransmitter receptor densities are relevant for understanding the molecular architecture of brain regions. Quantitative in vitro receptor autoradiography, has been introduced to map neurotransmitter receptor distributions of brain areas. However, it is very time and cost-intensive, which makes it challenging to obtain whole-brain distributions. At the same time, high-throughput light microscopy and 3D reconstructions have enabled high-resolution brain maps capturing measures of cell density across the whole human brain. Aiming to bridge gaps in receptor measurements for building detailed whole-brain atlases, we study the feasibility of predicting realistic neurotransmitter density distributions from cell-body stainings. Specifically, we utilize conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (cGANs) to predict the density distributions of the M2 receptor of acetylcholine and the kainate receptor for glutamate in the macaque monkey’s primary visual (V1) and motor cortex (M1), based on light microscopic scans of cell-body stained sections. Our model is trained on corresponding patches from aligned consecutive sections that display cell-body and receptor distributions, ensuring a mapping between the two modalities. Evaluations of our cGANs, both qualitative and quantitative, show their capability to predict receptor densities from cell-body stained sections while maintaining cortical features such as laminar thickness and curvature. Our work underscores the feasibility of cross-modality image translation problems to address data gaps in multi-modal brain atlases.
Clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of tumor-associated macrophages in cervical cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lin Xinmei , Zhan Jijie , Guan Ziting , Zhang Jingwei , Li Tian , Zhong Li , Zhang Changlin , Li Miao 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Objectives
The role of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in cervical cancer (CC) remains controversial. Here, we report a meta-analysis of the association between TAMs infiltration and clinical outcomes.

Methods
PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CNKI were searched systematically from inception until December 20, 2023. Studies involving TAMs and prognosis, clinical, or pathological features were included. Quality assessments of the selected studies were assessed. The fixed-effect or random-effects model, standard mean difference (SMD), odds ratios (OR), or hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used as the effect size estimate.

Results
26 eligible studies with 2,295 patients were identified. Our meta-analysis revealed that TAMs were overexpressed in CC (OR = 12.93, 95% CI = 7.73–21.61 and SMD = 1.58, 95% CI = 0.95–2.21) and that elevated TAM levels were strongly associated with lymph node metastasis (LNM) (SMD = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.90–2.01) and FIGO stages (SMD = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.08–0.85). Subgroup analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between LNM and TAMs density in tumor stroma, but not in cancer nests (SMD = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.31–0.58). Furthermore, in early stage, a stronger correlation exists between LNM and TAM density (SMD = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.75–1.66). In addition, it revealed that patients with high TAMs expression had poorer overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.55 95% CI = 1.59–4.07) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.40–3.35).

Conclusions
Our analyses suggest that a high density of TAMs predicts adverse outcomes in CC.
Hot and Fresh: Evidence of Climate-Related Suboptimal Water Conditions for Seagrass in a Large Gulf Coast Estuary
Authors: Beck Marcus W. , Flaherty-Walia Kerry , Scolaro Sheila , Burke Maya C. , Furman Bradley T. , Karlen David J. , Pratt Christopher , Anastasiou Christopher J. , Sherwood Edward T. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractSeagrasses have long been a focal point for management efforts aimed at restoring ecosystem health in estuaries worldwide. In Tampa Bay, Florida (USA), seagrass coverage has declined since 2016 by nearly a third (11,518 acres), despite sustained reductions of nitrogen loads supportive of light environments for growth. Changing physical water quality conditions related to climate change may be stressing seagrasses beyond their optimal growth ranges, requiring an assessment to determine if this decline can be linked to climate stress. Three ambient water quality datasets of varying sampling designs and coverage were evaluated to characterize physicochemical environments in Tampa Bay and the potential relationships with seagrass change. Tampa Bay has become hotter and fresher with water temperature increasing by 0.03–0.04 °C per year and salinity decreasing by 0.04–0.06 ppt per year, translating to an increase of 1.3 to 1.7 °C and a decrease of 1.6 to 2.6 ppt over the last 50 years. Additionally, the number of days when temperature was above 30 °C or salinity was below 25 ppt has increased on average across all bay segments by 48 and 37 days, respectively, since 1975. These changes varied spatially and seasonally, with the most dramatic changes observed in the upper bay. Generalized Additive Models provided a weight-of-evidence that recent seagrass declines are somewhat associated with hotter and fresher conditions. Trends in warming and increased precipitation in the region are likely to continue, further creating suboptimal conditions for seagrasses in Tampa Bay. These results should compel resource managers to consider the likelihood that reduced resilience of estuarine resources due to shifting ecological baselines driven by additional climate change drivers will complicate long-standing management paradigms. While conventional management approaches that focus on limiting nutrient loads should be continued, their future effectiveness may be confounded by climate change drivers and warrant additional, complementary interventions and continuous monitoring data to support ecosystem health into the future.
Variable Effects of Experimental Sea-level Rise Conditions and Invasive Species on California Cordgrass
Authors: Gonzalez Julie A. , Ferner Matthew C. , Grosholz Edwin D. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractSea-level rise (SLR) will produce unprecedented changes in tidal marsh systems that already cope with daily tidal fluctuation, disturbances from storms, and salinity changes from droughts and runoff events. Additionally, negative impacts from non-native invasive species may alter marsh plants’ ability to respond to SLR stressors like increased inundation and salinity. Increasingly, tidal marsh communities must tolerate both changes in the physical environment from SLR and increased risk of invasion by non-native species. To assess the response of a threatened tidal marsh cordgrass (Spartina foliosa) to both stressors, we implemented a field experiment in San Francisco Bay, CA, USA, exposing cordgrass to a treatment that extended tidal inundation projected with SLR using a recently developed in situ method. At one of two field sites, we also enclosed the cordgrass with or without the invasive European green crab, Carcinus maenas. We found that cordgrass responded negatively to longer inundation, although these effects varied by site and year. In higher inundation treatments, cordgrass survival increased with increasing surface elevation of the plot. Cordgrass survival was lower in the presence of invasive green crabs relative to controls. We did not find interacting effects of responses to increased inundation and invasive species presence, which highlights the need to consider how latent or sequential effects of multiple stressors may affect ecosystems. This study demonstrates significant biological responses to invasive species presence and increased inundation. Evaluating relative effects and timing of multiple stressors, especially those induced by climate change and invasive species, will help us to manage threatened ecological communities in a changing world.
An evaluation of CNN models and data augmentation techniques in hierarchical localization of mobile robots
Authors: Cabrera Juan José , Céspedes Orlando José , Cebollada Sergio , Reinoso Oscar , Payá Luis 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis work presents an evaluation of CNN models and data augmentation to carry out the hierarchical localization of a mobile robot by using omnidirectional images. In this sense, an ablation study of different state-of-the-art CNN models used as backbone is presented and a variety of data augmentation visual effects are proposed for addressing the visual localization of the robot. The proposed method is based on the adaption and re-training of a CNN with a dual purpose: (1) to perform a rough localization step in which the model is used to predict the room from which an image was captured, and (2) to address the fine localization step, which consists in retrieving the most similar image of the visual map among those contained in the previously predicted room by means of a pairwise comparison between descriptors obtained from an intermediate layer of the CNN. In this sense, we evaluate the impact of different state-of-the-art CNN models such as ConvNeXt for addressing the proposed localization. Finally, a variety of data augmentation visual effects are separately employed for training the model and their impact is assessed. The performance of the resulting CNNs is evaluated under real operation conditions, including changes in the lighting conditions. Our code is publicly available on the project website https://github.com/juanjo-cabrera/IndoorLocalizationSingleCNN.git.
A Novel Equal Area-Equal Width-Equal Bin Numbers Technique Using Salp Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Maximizing the Success Rate of Ball Bearing Assembly
Authors: Nagarajan Lenin , Mahalingam Siva Kumar , Cep Robert , Ramesh Janjhyam Venkata Naga , Elangovan Muniyandy , Mohammad Faruq 
Published: July 2024

AbstractIn this work, an algorithmic technique is used to minimize the excess parts and maximize the success rate of selective assembly. In this study, a unique method known as Equal Area-Equal Width-Equal Bin Numbers is introduced to group the parts of a ball bearing assembly by taking into account their range of tolerance. A full factorial design is used to conduct the experiments, and the salp swarm optimization (SSO) algorithm is employed to evaluate the best bin combinations and identify the possibility of making the maximum number of assemblies. Computational results showed a 13.16 percent increase in success rate when compared to prior research when employing the proposed method. Comparing the computational outcomes versus those obtained by the Antlion optimization and Genetic algorithms validates the adoption of the SSO algorithm. A paired T-test is performed to assess the statistical significance of the findings. The convergence plot further supports the superiority of the SSO algorithm.
Food safety concerns and purchase choices among poor households in the urbanising global south: the case of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Haque Md. Latiful , Oosterveer Peter , Vignola Raffaele 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis article looks into the daily food shopping practices of poor urban households in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A practice theory-based approach is used to explore their coping strategies in response to food safety concerns. By applying an exploratory sequential mixed-method approach, two groups of shoppers are compared: recently arrived migrants and established residents, as recently arrived migrants are expected to face an unfamiliar food shopping environment and therefore need to reconsider their daily food shopping practices. The results describe the elements of food shopping practices: food items, retail outlets, affordability, social networks, and relations to work. We identified the absence of freshness, undesirable substances, and the need for more information about the production process as the primary food safety concerns. Among both shopper groups, the harmful consequence of applying the chemical 'formalin' to food is considered the most prominent food safety concern. Major coping strategies include identifying (un)safe food, proactive selection, and establishing and maintaining social relationships. The two groups have similarities and differences in using skills and competencies to mitigate their food safety concerns in everyday shopping practices. Recently arrived migrants have to adapt to urban lifestyles and reconfigure their food safety concerns into their daily food shopping practices.
Numerical Simulation of Bioconvection Maxwell Nanofluid Flow due to Stretching/Shrinking Cylinder with Gyrotactic Motile Microorganisms: A Biofuel Applications
Authors: Khan Shan Ali , Ramzan Aleena , Ali Muhammad , Imran Muhammad , Machado José Mendes , Kedzia Krzysztof , Jan Ahmed Zubair 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe bioconvection effects with nanofluid are major application in biofuels. This analysis aimed to observe the bioconvection effect in unsteady two-dimensional Maxwell nanofluid flow containing gyrotactic motile microorganisms across a stretching/shrinking cylinder evaluating the consequences of thermal radiation and activation energy. The Cattaneo-Christov double diffusion theory is also observed. Nanofluids are quickly perceptive into many solicitations in the latest technology. The current research has noteworthy implementations in the modern nanotechnology, microelectronics, nano-biopolymer field, biomedicine, biotechnology, treatment of cancer therapy, cooling of atomic reactors, fuel cells, and power generation. By using the proper similarity transformation, the partial differential equations that serve as the basis for the current study are gradually reduced to a set of highly nonlinear forms of ordinary differential equations, which are then numerically, approached using a well-known shooting scheme and the bvp4c tool of the MATLAB software. Investigated is the profile behavior of the flow regulating parameters for the velocity field, thermal field, and volumetric concentration of nanoparticles and microorganisms. From the results, it is concluded that velocity is reduced with a larger bioconvection Rayleigh number. The thermal field is increased with a larger amount of thermal Biot number and thermal radiation. The concentration of nanoparticles increases with an increment in the thermophoresis parameter. Furthermore, the microorganism’s field is decreased with a larger Lewis number. The findings demonstrate that by optimizing the concentration of nanoparticles and microorganisms, the thermal efficiency of biofuels can be significantly improved. This leads to more sustainable and efficient energy production. By optimizing the concentration of nanoparticles and microorganisms in biofuels, the thermal properties can be significantly improved, leading to more efficient combustion processes. This can reduce the overall cost and increase the yield of biofuels. Improved cooling systems for medical imaging devices such as MRI machines can be developed using nanofluids, ensuring better performance and patient safety.
Self-Compassion is Associated with Improved Well-Being and Healthier Cortisol Profiles in Undergraduate Students
Authors: Cowand Alexandra , Amarsaikhan Unurzaya , Ricks Rachel F. , Cash Elizabeth D. , Sephton Sandra E. 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Objectives
Stress is highly prevalent in college students. Self-compassion, the tendency to respond in a caring manner to one’s own suffering or failures, reduces psychological distress and promotes mental health. Self-compassion may also influence physiological manifestations of stress; however, research is limited. Among undergraduate students over the course of an academic semester, we explored the associations of self-compassion with stress-related psychological variables including measures of affect, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. We also examined daily patterns of salivary cortisol over four days: diurnal slope, mean, and day-to-day cortisol rhythm stability.

Method
This sample of undergraduate students from introductory psychology courses in a large United States Midwestern university was predominantly non-Hispanic White (71.2%) and female (86.4%). All data were collected prior to final exams. After providing baseline psychosocial data, participants engaged in a 2-week mindfulness intervention: They were provided an iPod loaded with audio tracks based on the well-known Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction intervention, but received no face-to-face instruction. Fifty-nine participants provided self-report demographic and medical data and completed the saliva sampling regimen over the first 4 days of the intervention. Diurnal salivary cortisol was assessed immediately after waking and again at bedtime over four consecutive days.

Results
Hierarchical multiple regressions replicated previous findings showing that self-compassion is associated with higher positive and lower negative affect, lower perceived stress, and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Regression models controlling for oral contraception and tobacco use revealed a positive association of self-compassion with healthy cortisol profiles marked by steeper diurnal cortisol slopes and increased regularity of the inter-daily cortisol slope.

Conclusions
These results confirm that self-compassion may be protective against the psychological and physiological manifestations of stress in college. Kind and compassionate responses to one’s own struggles may shield students from the adverse effects of stress. The potential mechanisms underlying these associations are worthy of future research.

Preregistration
This study is not preregistered.
A discussion on benchmarking unconventional configurations with conventional aircraft: the box-wing study case
Authors: Abu Salem Karim , Palaia Giuseppe , Carrera Erasmo 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis article is intended to introduce an alternative approach to comparative analyses between innovative aeronautical technologies and established state-of-the-art references. Commonly, the tendency is to use a ‘like-for-like’ comparative approach with respect to current technologies -defined as reference benchmarks- that is, to evaluate the possible incremental improvements that can be achieved by introducing a specific technological innovation. However, when innovations that potentially introduce step improvements or new functions compared to the state of the art are evaluated, typically referred to as ‘breakthrough’, this approach may not be the most formally sound one, and it may introduce bias and misjudgements. In the field of aircraft design, using the same top-level requirements and figures of merit as those used for conventional aircraft to initialise and steer the design of unconventional configurations, could undermine the exploitation of their operating and functional potential. The soundness of the comparative approach is of paramount importance, especially in the very early stages of the development of disruptive technologies and unconventional aircraft configurations. In this paper, with the supporting example of the application of the box-wing configuration to medium-range transport aircraft, a general discussion is offered on the necessity of leaving aside the ‘like-for-like’ benchmark approach when investigating the potential of disruptive aircraft innovations. This argumentation does not only refer to the case study proposed as an example, but is generally extendable to aeronautical innovations that may introduce operating and functional novelties compared to current technologies.
Non-Perceptual Representational Immersion in Video Games: a Response to David Chalmers’ Reality+
Authors: Cartlidge James 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis article criticises David Chalmers’ ‘Reality+’ by interrogating its distinction of virtual reality (VR) from 2D, non-VR video games, a distinction made on the grounds that VR is immersive and these types of video games are not because immersion is a distinct characteristic of 3D perceptually represented VR. Building on the Balcerak Jacksons’ account of ‘representational immersion’, which they acknowledge has ‘perceptual’ and ‘non-perceptual’ elements, I develop an account of ‘non-perceptual representational immersion’ and use it to critique Chalmers’ treatment of VR, immersion, and video games, indirectly problematizing his central ontological claim that ‘virtual reality is genuine reality’ and the reflections he makes about future society which rest upon it. I argue that video games are rich in non-perceptual representational immersion, which includes the representation of non-perceptual information about the structure and behaviour of a virtual world and its systems, the non-perceptual cognitive states that are generated in the player by the virtual world, and the immersion which comes from the constitutively cognitive nature of the player’s engagement with the virtual world, a cognitive engagement construed in an enactive sense. These are just as crucial to the phenomenon of digital immersion as perception. Immersion generally is a much more complicated phenomenon than Chalmers allows for, and it is better conceived as taking place on a spectrum which includes both 3D and 2D experiences of virtual worlds, not as hinging on 3D perceptual representation. I use ‘immersive simulation’ games as a case study.
Prestress force and moving force identification in prestressed concrete bridges via Lagrangian polynomial-based load shape function approach
Authors: Jeyamohan Kunaratnam , Chan Tommy H. T. , Nguyen Khac-Duy , Thambiratnam David P. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPrecise determination of prestress force in prestressed concrete bridges (PCBs) is essential for estimating the bridge’s load-carrying capacity to ensure the safety of the bridge and its users. Similarly, identifying moving forces is equally important for determining the outcome of overloading traffic and risk assessment of the PCBs. The implementation of prestress force and moving force identification in real-world PCBs using existing methods continues to face challenges. These include errors arising from the incorporation of practical uncertainties, requirement for substantial computational effort, and the need for many sensors. This paper introduces a time-domain inverse force identification method for prestress force and moving force, utilizing limited sensors to address these challenges. It relies exclusively on displacement responses for input, requiring the measurement (translational and rotational displacements) from three locations. A novel approach employing a Lagrangian polynomial-based Hermitian interpolation function is proposed to construct the load shape function from a limited number of responses, reducing computational effort and improving the accuracy. The approach incorporates changes in flexural rigidity resulting from strengthening or deterioration, which eliminates the need to reconstruct the prestressed bridge-vehicle system matrix during every step of force identification. To validate the proposed approach, an experimental study was conducted on a simply supported short-span box-girder bridge model, incorporating vehicle excitation. In addition, a numerical medium-span PCB was employed, featuring moving force, to verify the proposed prestress force and moving force identification method. Experimental and numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for identifying the prestress force and moving force in PCBs with good accuracy using the responses from three locations. In the end, this study will assist bridge managers in evaluating the performance of PCBs to ensure the safety of bridge users, leading to substantial cost savings in bridge maintenance.