bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prodromal Alzheimer's disease can affect activities of daily living for adults with Down syndrome
Authors: Listwan Tracy A. , Krinsky‐McHale Sharon J. , Kovacs Cynthia M. , Lee Joseph H. , Pang Deborah I. , Schupf Nicole , Tycko Benjamin , Zigman Warren B. , Silverman Wayne 
Published: March 2024

AbstractINTRODUCTIONAlzheimer's disease (AD) affecting adults with Down syndrome (DS‐AD), like late‐onset AD (LOAD) in the neurotypical population, has preclinical, prodromal, and more advanced stages. Only tasks placing high demands on cognition are expected to be affected during the prodromal stage, with activities of daily living (ADLs) typically being spared. However, cognitive demands of ADLs could be high for adults with DS and may be affected during prodromal DS‐AD.METHODSCognitively stable cases that subsequently developed prodromal DS‐AD were identified within a set of archived data from a previous longitudinal study. Measures of ADLs and multiple cognitive domains were examined over time.RESULTSClear declines in ADLs accompanied cognitive declines with prodromal DS‐AD while stability in all measures was verified during preclinical DS‐AD.DISCUSSIONOperationally defining prodromal DS‐AD is essential to disease staging in this high‐risk population and for informing treatment options and timing as new disease‐modifying drugs become available.Highlights
Cognitive and functional stability were demonstrated prior to the onset of prodromal DS‐AD.
ADL declines accompanied cognitive declines as adults with DS transitioned to prodromal AD.
Declines in ADLs should be a defining feature of prodromal AD for adults with DS.
Better characterization of prodromal DS‐AD can improve AD diagnosis and disease staging.
Improvements in DS‐AD diagnosis and staging could also inform the timing of interventions.
Midlife sensory and motor functions improve prediction of blood‐based measures of neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease in late middle‐age
Authors: Paulsen Adam J. , Pinto A. Alex , Schubert Carla R. , Chappell Richard J. , Chen Yanjun , Engelman Corinne D. , Ferrucci Luigi , Hancock Laura M. , Johnson Sterling C. , Merten Natascha 
Published: March 2024

AbstractINTRODUCTIONWe assessed whether midlife sensory and motor functions added to prediction models using the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia Score (CAIDE) and Framingham Risk Score (FRS) improve risk predictions of 10‐year changes in biomarkers of neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease.METHODSLongitudinal data of N = 1529 (mean age 49years) Beaver Dam Offspring Study participants from baseline, 5‐year, and 10‐year follow‐up were included. We tested whether including baseline sensory (hearing, vision, olfactory) impairment and motor function measures improves CAIDE or FRS risk predictions of 10‐year incidence of biomarker positivity of serum‐based neurofilament light chain (NfL) and amyloid beta (Aβ)42/Aβ40 using logistic regression.RESULTSAdding sensory and motor measures to CAIDE‐only and FRS‐only models significantly improved NfL and Aβ42/Aβ40 positivity predictions in adults above the age of 55.DISCUSSIONIncluding midlife sensory and motor function improved long‐term biomarker positivity predictions. Non‐invasive sensory and motor assessments could contribute to cost‐effective screening tools that identify individuals at risk for neurodegeneration early to target interventions and preventions.Highlights
Sensory and motor measures improve risk prediction models of neurodegenerative biomarkers
Sensory and motor measures improve risk prediction models of AD biomarkers
Prediction improvements were strongest in late midlife (adults >55 years of age)
Sensory and motor assessments may help identify high‐risk individuals early
Assessing the utility of SoilGrids250 for biogeographic inference of plant populations
Authors: Miller Tony , Blackwood Christopher B. , Case Andrea L. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractInclusion of edaphic conditions in biogeographical studies typically provides a better fit and deeper understanding of plant distributions. Increased reliance on soil data calls for easily accessible data layers providing continuous soil predictions worldwide. Although SoilGrids provides a potentially useful source of predicted soil data for biogeographic applications, its accuracy for estimating the soil characteristics experienced by individuals in small‐scale populations is unclear. We used a biogeographic sampling approach to obtain soil samples from 212 sites across the midwestern and eastern United States, sampling only at sites where there was a population of one of the 22 species in Lobelia sect. Lobelia. We analyzed six physical and chemical characteristics in our samples and compared them with predicted values from SoilGrids. Across all sites and species, soil texture variables (clay, silt, sand) were better predicted by SoilGrids (R2: .25–.46) than were soil chemistry variables (carbon and nitrogen, R2 ≤ .01; pH, R2: .19). While SoilGrids predictions rarely matched actual field values for any variable, we were able to recover qualitative patterns relating species means and population‐level plant characteristics to soil texture and pH. Rank order of species mean values from SoilGrids and direct measures were much more consistent for soil texture (Spearman rS = .74–.84; all p < .0001) and pH (rS = .61, p = .002) than for carbon and nitrogen (p > .35). Within the species L. siphilitica, a significant association, known from field measurements, between soil texture and population sex ratios could be detected using SoilGrids data, but only with large numbers of sites. Our results suggest that modeled soil texture values can be used with caution in biogeographic applications, such as species distribution modeling, but that soil carbon and nitrogen contents are currently unreliable, at least in the region studied here.
Rich specialized insect damage on Pliocene leaves from the Mahuadanr Valley (India) growing under a warm climate with weak seasonality
Authors: Adroit Benjamin , Hazra Taposhi , Denk Thomas , Kumar Sarkar Subhankar , Khan Mahasin Ali 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPlant‐insect interactions play a crucial role in shaping terrestrial ecosystems, influencing abundance and distribution of plant species. In the present study, we investigated leaf‐mining patterns on fossil leaves from Pliocene strata of the Mahuadanr Valley, Jharkhand, eastern India, deposited under a seasonal tropical climate, and reported complex interactions between plants and insects. We identified 11 distinct mining morphotypes. These morphotypes were mainly found on Dipterocarpaceae, Fabaceae, Lauraceae, and Moraceae; similar mining traces were also observed in the contemporary vegetation surrounding the fossil site. Although mining richness was relatively high, only 2.6% of all leaves in the fossil assemblage were mined. We compared mining richness and abundance values with previously reported values for galling. While richness was slightly lower for galling, almost 50% of all fossil leaves were galled. A literature survey on mining and galling patterns in modern vegetation suggests that there is no global explanation for richness of mining or gall‐inducing insects. Thus, low nutrient availability in the ancient forest, dominance of semideciduous leaves with hard texture, and different habitats in the same forest ecosystem, such as well‐drained forests and riparian stands, may all have favored different types of specialized plant–insect interactions.
Scorpionfish adjust skin pattern contrast on different backgrounds
Authors: John Leonie , Santon Matteo , Michiels Nico K. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe two scorpionfish species Scorpaena maderensis and S. porcus are well camouflaged ambush predators that rapidly change body colouration to adjust to background colour in less than 1 min. We tested whether individuals of both species also adjust body pattern to that of the background. We placed fish on backgrounds of different pattern granularity and quantified the change in fish body pattern over 1 min. We used calibrated image analysis to analyse the patterns from the visual perspective of a prey fish species using a granularity (pattern energy) analysis and an image clustering approach. In our experiment, fish did not change their most contrasting pattern components as defined by the dominant marking size, but changed their average marking size. Moreover, fish responded with a change in pattern in contrast to the different experimental backgrounds, especially when compared to the acclimation phase. These results indicate that scorpionfish have one main pattern that can be adjusted by modulating its internal contrast. A reduction in pattern contrast could thereby improve background matching, while an increase could promote camouflage via disruptive colouration.
Cofiring of renewable biodiesel fuels inside natural gas flame for enhancement of thermal properties of flame and NOx reduction
Authors: Pourhoseini S.H. , Shams Z. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis study investigates the co‐combustion of palm oil biodiesel fuel, as a renewable alternative for diesel fuel, inside natural gas flame to enhance the flame thermal specifications and NOx reduction. A power natural gas burner with a maximum heat capacity of 418,400 kJ/h was installed at the inlet of a laboratory furnace and biodiesel fuel was injected inside natural gas burner with a 100 μm in diameter solid cone nozzle. Flame temperature, thermal radiation, Infrared radiation, and CO, CO2 and NOx emission were measured. The results revealed that biodiesel injection increases the flame size and turns the non‐luminous blue flame into yellow‐colored flame. Furthermore, higher flash point and Sauter Mean Diameter of biodiesel promote the thermal decomposition of fuel droplets and increase the concentrations of Intermediate Soot Particles in the flame which in turn increases the flame emissivity coefficient and consequently flame thermal radiation. Also, the oxygen content of biodiesel fuel has an important role in the complete combustion of Intermediate Soot Particles to CO2 which increases the heat release of biodiesel combustion and raises the flame temperature. The average enhancement in thermal radiation and flame temperature were 5.6% and 43.38%, respectively. Finally, although biodiesel injection increases the flame temperature, it also increases the flame surface reaction and eliminates the hot spot region in the flame. Therefore, the rate of heat generation per unit volume of flame decreases and this decreases the rate of NOx emission as much as 10.84%.
A multi‐level approach to predict the seismic response of rigid rocking structures using artificial neural networks
Authors: Banimahd Seyed Amir , Giouvanidis Anastasios I. , Karimzadeh Shaghayegh , Lourenço Paulo B. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis paper explores the use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for the rocking problem. The paper adopts rigid rocking blocks of different sizes and slenderness, which undergo rocking motion without sliding and bouncing when subjected to recorded earthquakes. This research focuses on the cases where the blocks overturn or safely return to their initial (rest) position at the end of the ground shaking. An ANN model is trained to efficiently categorise the response into overturning or safe rocking using the structural parameters, ground motion characteristics, and the coefficient of restitution as input. The results show the substantial contribution of velocity and frequency characteristics of the ground motion to overturning. In addition, ANN is used to predict the response amplitude and identify the most critical input variables that govern safe rocking. The analysis reveals that rocking amplitude is governed by a combination of duration, frequency, and intensity characteristics of the ground excitation. Interestingly, the maximum incremental velocity (MIV), a novel intensity measure for the rocking literature, shows a substantial correlation with the rocking amplitude. In this context, this paper proposes closed‐form expressions using the most influential input variables to provide a quick, yet adequately accurate, response prediction. Finally, this study pays special attention to the contribution of the coefficient of restitution, which, in general, is less critical to the peak safe rocking response, while it becomes more important to the overturning response.
Investigating the impact factors of dust emission efficiency over gobi with portable wind tunnel field experiments
Authors: Liang Linhao , Ma Shaoxiu , Zhang Weimin , Tan Lihai , Chen Shuyi , Tsunekawa Atsushi 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe contribution of the gobi to dust emission in arid northwestern China is largely uncertain due to the lack of studies on the surface properties of gobi. The dust emission efficiency (
) as a comprehensive characterization of surface properties is an essential parameter for quantifying dust emission. However, the main influencing factors of dust emission efficiency are still unclear, as it is a big challenge to do a comprehensive field experiment and get the long‐term continuous field data in gobi due to its harsh environment. Here, we are aiming at quantitively identifying the main factors of dust emission efficiency by using a portable wind tunnel for field experiments over the gobi surface in Dunhuang Mogao grottoes. Results showed that (1) the abundance of bombardment sand regulates the relationship between
and friction wind velocity (
). The
decreases as a power function with increasing
, and the correlation is weak (R2 = 0.41, P < 0.05) in the shortage of bombardment sand. In contrast,
increases with
following a power function, and the correlation is strong (R2 = 0.91, P < 0.05) when bombardment sand is enriched. (2) The surface dust content of the gobi dominates the
, which increases exponentially with the increased dust content. Relative to
, the surface dust content has a bigger contribution to
. (3) The gobi in Northwest China could be an underestimated dust source, as it has an enriched dust content and a higher
than sandy desert. Therefore, the quantitative monitoring and further research of dust emissions in the gobi should be strengthened.
A methodical approach for the design of thermal energy storage systems in buildings: An eight‐step methodology
Authors: Rahnama Samira , Khatibi Mahmood , Maccarini Alessandro , Farouq Mahmoud Murtala , Ahranjani Parham Mirzaei , Fabrizio Enrico , Ferrara Maria , Bogatu Dragos‐Ioan , Shinoda Jun , Olesen Bjarne W. , Kazanci Ongun B. , Bazdar Elaheh , Nasiri Fuzhan , Zeng Chao , Wei Xu , Haghighat Fariborz , Afshari Alireza 
Published: March 2024

AbstractRecent research focuses on optimal design of thermal energy storage (TES) systems for various plants and processes, using advanced optimization techniques. There is a wide range of TES technologies for diverse thermal applications, each with unique technical and economic characteristics. Matching an application with the most suitable TES system remains challenging. This study proposes an eight‐step design methodology guiding the process from describing the thermal process to defining the most appropriate TES based on constraints and requirements. The steps include specifying the thermal process, system design parameters, storage characteristics, integration parameters, key performance indicators, optimization method, tools, and design robustness. Seven already‐designed TES systems are evaluated to assess the methodology's effectiveness, where the design procedures have been adapted to the proposed steps. Case studies involve various applications with both sensible and latent TES systems, demonstrating the applicability of the proposed design procedure. A significant diversity exists among the design cases regarding the design objective, input, design, and output parameters. Nevertheless, the design procedure in each case can be deconstructed into the outlined design steps. The last design step has been excluded from all case studies due to insufficient information regarding the robustness of the design process. The paper demonstrates how a methodical approach can be applied to examine the TES design and the integration. The design steps proposed in this study can serve as a foundation for developing a more systematic approach for designing TES systems in future works, resulting in simplifying the design process.
Forecasting the realized volatility of agricultural commodity prices: Does sentiment matter?
Authors: Bonato Matteo , Cepni Oguzhan , Gupta Rangan , Pierdzioch Christian 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWe analyze the out‐of‐sample predictive power of sentiment for the realized volatility of agricultural commodity price returns. We use high‐frequency intra‐day data covering the period from 2009 to 2020 to estimate realized volatility. Our baseline forecasting model is a heterogeneous autoregressive (HAR) model, which we extend to include sentiment. We further enhance this model by incorporating various key realized moments such as leverage, realized skewness, realized kurtosis, realized upside (“good”) volatility, realized downside (“bad”) volatility, realized jumps, realized upside tail risk, and realized downside tail risk. In order to setup a forecasting model, we use (i) forward and backward stepwise predictor selection and (ii) a model‐based averaging algorithm. The forecasting models constructed through these algorithms outperform both the baseline HAR‐RV model and the HAR‐RV‐sentiment model. We conclude that, for the agricultural commodities studied in our research, realized moments play a more significant role in forecasting realized volatility compared to sentiment.
Sophisticated and small versus simple and sizeable: When does it pay off to introduce drifting coefficients in Bayesian vector autoregressions?
Authors: Feldkircher Martin , Gruber Luis , Huber Florian , Kastner Gregor 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWe assess the relationship between model size and complexity in the time‐varying parameter vector autoregression (VAR) framework via thorough predictive exercises for the euro area, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It turns out that sophisticated dynamics through drifting coefficients are important in small data sets, while simpler models tend to perform better in sizeable data sets. To combine the best of both worlds, novel shrinkage priors help to mitigate the curse of dimensionality, resulting in competitive forecasts for all scenarios considered. Furthermore, we discuss dynamic model selection to improve upon the best performing individual model for each point in time.
Valorization of spent coffee ground and coffee silverskin as a source of nutrients and bioactive compounds
Authors: Santanatoglia Agnese , Alessandroni Laura , Mannozzi Cinzia , Marconi Riccardo , Piatti Diletta , Sagratini Gianni , Vittori Sauro , Caprioli Giovanni 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn a world where a greener approach is increasingly necessary, it is mandatory to reduce waste production and reuse residues from the company's supply chain. Spent Coffee grounds (SCG) and Coffee Silverskin (CS) are two important by‐products of coffee production, being sources of important dietary fibers and bioactive compounds, which is why some authors have proposed their reuse in the nutraceutical, food and cosmetic industries. However, their nutrients chemical content has been insufficiently studied. Therefore, the aim of the present review was to investigate the main components, such as carbohydrates, dietary fibers, lipids, and bioactive compounds of SCG and CS. In addition, the most common extraction methods to obtain these aforementioned nutrients were evaluated.
Free vascularized fibula leads to hallux toe flexion deformity due to ischemic muscle contracture of flexor hallucis longus
Authors: Wu Hao , Hu Yuehao , Wang Zilin , Liu Yige , Han Jing , Zhang Chenping , Zhai Zanjing , Liu Jiannan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the incidence of toe flexion deformity after fibular free flap transplantation and to analyze the etiology of the deformity.MethodsFifty patients underwent vascularized fibular free flap transplantation were retrospectively included. Statistical analysis examined correlations between deformity occurrence and resected fibula length and residual distal fibula length using the χ2 test. Doppler ultrasound and anatomical evaluations were conducted.ResultsFlexion deformity of the first toe was observed in all patients (100%), exacerbated by ankle dorsiflexion. χ2 test revealed no significant correlation between fibula length, distal residual fibula length, and flexion deformity. Doppler ultrasound revealed elevated echoes and blurred textures in the flexor hallucis longus post‐fibular transplantation, while anatomical evaluation confirmed the peroneal artery as its primary nutrient supplier.ConclusionThis study reports a 100% incidence of toe flexion deformity post‐transplantation. The deformity correlated strongly with ischemic contracture of the flexor hallucis longus.
Subcutaneous implantation of nodular goiter after transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach: A case study and review of literature
Authors: Weng Yu‐Jing , Kwan Kristine J. S. , Chen De‐Biao , Hu Ben‐ling , Jiang Jiang , Min Lei , Ai Qing , Chen Wei‐chun , Huang Zhi‐Heng 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundExtrathyroid implantation or dissemination of thyroid tissue secondary to a thyroid procedure is rare. Most of these belonged to thyroid carcinoma with metastatic potential and uncommon for benign pathologies.MethodsWe report the case of a 31‐year‐old female who was identified to have multiple subcutaneous implantation of thyroid tissue 5 years after transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach. A comprehensive literature search on implantation of thyroid tissue secondary to thyroid procedures was performed.ResultsAccidental tearing of the capsule during previous surgery may lead to the subcutaneous implantation. Through literature review, a total 29 articles with 47 patients were identified. 33.3% were benign lesions, and implantation was mostly secondary to fine needle aspiration biopsy (46.5%).ConclusionsSubcutaneous or port site implantation after endoscopic thyroid surgery may occur in benign thyroid pathologies and therefore, oncologic principles must be strictly followed during surgery regardless of its histopathological nature.