bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of cerebral small vessel disease on the integrity of cholinergic system in mild cognitive impairment patients: a longitudinal study
Authors: Qiu Tiantian , Hong Hui , Zeng Qingze , Xu Xiaopei , Wang Yanyan , Zhu Lixin , Zhang Lige , Li Kaicheng , Dai Shouping , Li Xiaodong , Xie Fei , Zhang Yusong , Luo Xiao ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: February 2024

AbstractWe aimed to investigate the effect of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) on cholinergic system integrity in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. Nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) volume and cholinergic pathways integrity was evaluated at baseline, 1-, 2-, and 4-year follow-ups in 40 cognitively unimpaired (CU) participants, 29 MCI patients without SVD, and 23 MCI patients with SVD. We compared cholinergic markers among three groups and examined their associations with SVD burden in MCI patients. We used linear mixed models to assess longitudinal changes in cholinergic markers over time among groups. Mediation analysis was employed to investigate the mediating role of cholinergic system degeneration between SVD and cognitive impairment. Increased mean diffusivity (MD) in medial and lateral pathways was observed in MCI patients with SVD compared to those without SVD and CU participants. Both MCI groups showed decreased NBM volume compared to CU participants, while there was no significant difference between the two MCI groups. Longitudinally, compared to CU participants, MCI patients with SVD displayed a more rapid change in MD in both pathways, but not in NBM volume. Furthermore, SVD burden was associated with cholinergic pathway disruption and its faster rate of change in MCI patients. However, mediation analyses showed that cholinergic pathways did not mediate significant indirect effects of SVD burden on cognitive impairment. Our findings suggest that SVD could accelerate the degeneration of cholinergic pathways in MCI patients. However, they do not provide evidence to support that SVD could contribute to cognitive impairment through cholinergic system injury.
Investigating the impact of external load on muscle synergies during bipedal squats
Authors: Kenville Rouven , Clauß Martina , Maudrich Tom 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Purpose
A broad functional movement repertoire is crucial for engaging in physical activity and reducing the risk of injury, both of which are central aspects of lifelong health. As a fundamental exercise in both recreational and rehabilitative training regimes, the bipedal squat (SQBp) incorporates many everyday movement patterns. Crucially, SQBp can only be considered functional if the practitioner can meet the coordinative demands. Many factors affect coordinative aspects of an exercise, most notably external load. Since compound movements are assumed to be organized in a synergistic manner, we employed muscle synergy analysis to examine differences in muscle synergy properties between various external load levels during SQBp.

Methods
Ten healthy male recreational athletes were enrolled in the present study. Each participant performed three sets of ten SQBp on a smith machine at three submaximal load levels (50%, 62.5%, and 75% of 3 repetition maximum) across three non-consecutive days. Muscle activity was recorded from 12 prime movers of SQBp by way of electromyography (EMG). Muscle synergies were analyzed in terms of temporal activation patterns, i.e., waveform, as well as the relative input of each muscle into individual synergies, i.e., weight contribution.

Results
Waveforms of muscle synergies did not differ between loads. Weight contributions showed significant differences between load levels, albeit only for the gastrocnemius muscle in a single synergy.

Conclusion
Taken together, our results imply mostly stable spatiotemporal composition of muscle activity during SQBp, underlining the importance of technical competence during compound movement performance in athletic and rehabilitative settings.
Reconsidering high intensity zones: its role in intervertebral disk degeneration and low back pain
Authors: Sima Stone , Chen Xiaolong , Sheldrick Kyle , Kuan Jeff , Diwan Ashish D. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Purpose
High intensity zones (HIZ) in the lumbar intervertebral disk (IVD) can be associated with degenerative changes which may ultimately manifest as low back pain (LBP). However, the relationship between the prevalence of HIZ and lumbar degenerative parameters is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of HIZ in the lumbar spine, analyze the independent relationship between HIZ and lumbar degenerative parameters measured on MRI and X-ray and determine the association between HIZ and the presence of LBP.

Methods
A retrospective review of MRI data, X-ray data, and radiology reports for 136 consecutively recruited patients, above 18-years-age and with both lumbar MRI and X-ray scans was conducted. 57 patients with HIZ were identified. Patients without HIZ (n = 79) made up the control group.

Results
HIZ was prevalent in 41.9% of patients and in 11.0% of all lumbar IVDs. The odds of developing HIZ were 6.4 (Exp(B) 6.4, 95%CI [3.157–12.988]) and 3.0 (Exp(B) 3.0, 95%CI [1.603, 5.674]) times higher in IVDs with disk bulge/protrusion and nucleus degeneration, respectively. Odds of HIZ was also increased in disks with larger IVD angle (Exp(B) 1.1, 95%CI [1.034, 1.169]). The odds of patients presenting to imaging with LBP was 3.0 (OR 3.0, 95%CI [1.478–6.338]) times higher in the HIZ compared to the control group.

Conclusions
HIZ was prevalent in 41.9% of participants that were recruited in this study. Nucleus degeneration, disk bulge/protrusion and increased IVD angle were found to be independently associated with HIZ and since there is an increased likelihood of LBP, we posit that HIZ is likely a symptomatic and clinically meaningful diagnostic tool in the assessment of LBP.
A refinement of the Hille–Wintner comparison theorem and new nonoscillation criteria for half-linear differential equations
Authors: Jaroš Jaroslav 
Published: February 2024

AbstractA refinement of the Hille–Wintner comparison theorem is obtained for two half-linear differential equations of the second order. As a consequence, some new nonoscillation tests for such equations are derived by means of this improved comparison technique. In most of our results coefficients and their integrals do not need to be nonnegative and are allowed to oscillate in any neighborhood of infinity.
Plant Adaptation and Phosphorus Limitation in Tropical Forests: A Theoretical and Empirical Assessment
Authors: Aoyagi Ryota , Imai Nobuo , Turner Benjamin L. , Kitayama Kanehiro 
Published: February 2024

AbstractEcosystem dynamics are shaped by plant adaptation to environmental stress, yet the conditions under which this occurs remain poorly understood. We developed a theoretical framework to predict how strategies used by tropical trees to cope with low-phosphorus (P) availability (that is, traits related to P uptake, and use) influence growth under P limitation. We then tested this framework against data on tree species in Borneo and a meta-analysis of results from pantropical nutrient addition experiments. Our theoretical framework predicts that plant traits associated with low-P environments, including enhanced P allocation to leaves, efficient P resorption, and root phosphatase activity, alleviate the negative effects of P scarcity more strongly for “inefficiently” growing plants, represented by large trees and old-growth forests, compared with saplings or secondary forests. In agreement with this prediction, changes in traits related to low-P environments increased the potential relative growth rate of large trees more than small trees in Borneo. Finally, theoretical expectation was supported by a meta-analysis which revealed stronger P limitation in saplings and secondary forests than in old-growth forests. Together, these findings provide a novel framework to interpret the relationship between resource constraints and plant performance and reinforce the importance of accounting for plant adaption to predict ecosystem responses to P limitation in tropical forests.
An Update on Agricultural Wastes Used as Natural Adsorbents or Coagulants in Single or Combined Systems for the Removal of Dyes from Wastewater
Authors: Tsoutsa Eleftheria K. , Tolkou Athanasia K. , Kyzas George Z. , Katsoyiannis Ioannis A. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractOver a billion people in developing countries do not have access to clean water. Industries such as textiles, tanneries, and plastics release wastewater with toxic dyes that require treatment to remove the color. Adsorption and coagulation are known methods for removing dyes from wastewater. The production of natural adsorbents and coagulants involves the use of waste from agricultural products, which makes them cost-effective and environmentally friendly. They can be modified to achieve high dye removal rate. Natural adsorbents and coagulants are more eco-friendly than synthetic materials such as activated carbon and alum, because they can achieve similar levels of removal efficiency while being biodegradable and reusable. The combination of two methods can help to reduce the required dosage of adsorbent and coagulant and simultaneously improve the rate of dye removal. The purpose of this review is to evaluate and contrast the efficacy of recent natural agricultural adsorbents and coagulants, as they are environmentally friendly and abundant in nature. Additionally, it aims to introduce novelty by reviewing the combined coagulation/flocculation and adsorption systems in the treatment process for removing dyes, utilizing adsorbents and coagulants derived from agricultural wastes. As it turns out, the most examined dyes for removal were Methylene Blue and Congo Red and as adsorbents were used banana peels, orange peels, and nut. Furthermore, Moringa oleifera is used as a coagulant in both single and combined systems. Regarding adsorption, it was observed that banana peels could remove different dyes with high efficiency.
Similarities in the Electrographic Patterns of Delayed Cerebral Infarction and Brain Death After Aneurysmal and Traumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Dreier Jens P. , Lemale Coline L. , Horst Viktor , Major Sebastian , Kola Vasilis , Schoknecht Karl , Scheel Michael , Hartings Jed A. , Vajkoczy Peter , Wolf Stefan , Woitzik Johannes , Hecht Nils 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
While subarachnoid hemorrhage is the second most common hemorrhagic stroke in epidemiologic studies, the recent DISCHARGE-1 trial has shown that in reality, three-quarters of focal brain damage after subarachnoid hemorrhage is ischemic. Two-fifths of these ischemic infarctions occur early and three-fifths are delayed. The vast majority are cortical infarcts whose pathomorphology corresponds to anemic infarcts. Therefore, we propose in this review that subarachnoid hemorrhage as an ischemic-hemorrhagic stroke is rather a third, separate entity in addition to purely ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes. Cumulative focal brain damage, determined by neuroimaging after the first 2 weeks, is the strongest known predictor of patient outcome half a year after the initial hemorrhage. Because of the unique ability to implant neuromonitoring probes at the brain surface before stroke onset and to perform longitudinal MRI scans before and after stroke, delayed cerebral ischemia is currently the stroke variant in humans whose pathophysiological details are by far the best characterized. Optoelectrodes located directly over newly developing delayed infarcts have shown that, as mechanistic correlates of infarct development, spreading depolarizations trigger (1) spreading ischemia, (2) severe hypoxia, (3) persistent activity depression, and (4) transition from clustered spreading depolarizations to a negative ultraslow potential. Furthermore, traumatic brain injury and subarachnoid hemorrhage are the second and third most common etiologies of brain death during continued systemic circulation. Here, we use examples to illustrate that although the pathophysiological cascades associated with brain death are global, they closely resemble the local cascades associated with the development of delayed cerebral infarcts.
Satellite Image Representations for Quantum Classifiers
Authors: Zollner Johann Maximilian , Walther Paul , Werner Martin 
Published: February 2024

AbstractExisting quantum hardware is limited in the number of bits and length of the series of operations. Nevertheless, by shifting parts of the computation on classical hardware, hybrid quantum-classical systems utilize quantum hardware for scaled-down machine learning approaches, which is quantum machine learning. Due to the theoretically possible computational speed-up of quantum computers compared to classical computers and the increasing volume and speed of data generated in earth observation, attempts are now being made to use quantum computers for satellite image processing. However, satellite imagery is too large and high dimensional, and transformations that reduce the dimensionality are necessary to fit the classical data in the limited input domain of quantum circuits. This paper presents and compares several dimensionality reduction techniques as part of hybrid quantum-classical systems to represent satellite images with up to $$256\times 256\times 3$$

256
×
256
×
3

values with only 16 values. We evaluate the representations of two benchmark datasets with supervised classification by four different quantum circuit architectures. We demonstrate the potential use of quantum machine learning for satellite image classification and give a comprehensive overview of the impact of various satellite image representations on the performance of quantum classifiers. It shows that autoencoder models are best suited to create small-scale representations, outperforming commonly used methods such as principle component analysis.
Design of charge converting lipid nanoparticles via a microfluidic coating technique
Authors: Zöller Katrin , Haddadzadegan Soheil , Lindner Sera , Veider Florina , Bernkop-Schnürch Andreas 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIt was the aim of this study to design charge converting lipid nanoparticles (LNP) via a microfluidic mixing technique used for the preparation and coating of LNP. LNP consisting of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), cholesterol, N-(carbonyl-methoxypolyethyleneglycol-2000)-1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (MPEG-2000-DSPE), and various cationic surfactants were prepared at diverging flow rate ratios (FRR) via microfluidic mixing. Utilizing a second chip in the microfluidic set-up, LNP were coated with polyoxyethylene (9) nonylphenol monophosphate ester (PNPP). LNP were examined for their stability in different physiologically relevant media as well as for hemolytic and cytotoxic effects. Finally, phosphate release and charge conversion of PNPP-coated LNP were evaluated after incubation with alkaline phosphatase and on Caco2-cells. LNP produced at an FRR of 5:1 exhibited a size between 80 and 150 nm and a positive zeta potential. Coating with PNPP within the second chip led to LNP exhibiting a negative zeta potential. After incubation with 1 U/ml alkaline phosphatase for 4 h, zeta potential of the LNP containing 1,2-dioleoyloxy-3-trimethylammonium-propane chloride (DOTAP) as cationic component shifted from − 35 mV to approximately + 5 mV. LNP prepared with other cationic surfactants remained slightly negative after enzymatic phosphate cleavage. Manufacturing of LNP containing PNPP and DOTAP via connection of two chips in a microfluidic instrument proves to show efficient change in zeta potential from negative to positive after incubation with alkaline phosphatase.
Graphical abstract
Existence, uniqueness and regularity for a semilinear stochastic subdiffusion with integrated multiplicative noise
Authors: Li Zhiqiang , Yan Yubin 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWe investigate a semilinear stochastic time-space fractional subdiffusion equation driven by fractionally integrated multiplicative noise. The equation involves the $$\psi $$
ψ
-Caputo derivative of order $$\alpha \in (0,1)$$

α
∈
(
0
,
1
)

and the spectral fractional Laplacian of order $$\beta \in (\frac{1}{2},1]$$

β
∈
(

1
2

,
1
]

. The existence and uniqueness of the mild solution are proved in a suitable Banach space by using the Banach contraction mapping principle. The spatial and temporal regularities of the mild solution are established in terms of the smoothing properties of the solution operators.
Development of electron optical capabilities for manufacturing of large components by electron beam welding
Authors: Dutilleul T. , Widdison R. , Kyffin W. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractElectron beam welding (EBW) is a fast process that shows promise to be used for high-productivity welding of thick-section components in the nuclear industry. Nuclear AMRC has been working for many years on developing the use of EBW for small modular reactor (SMR) applications, such as joining thick-section pressure vessel components. The major strength of EB is the single-pass process that can radically reduce fabrication times. This is also one of the major issues with EB. The stress on the welding operator is high as any error generally means failure. In chamber EB operation, such as the Pro-beam K2000 system at Nuclear AMRC, once the chamber is closed, the only interaction between the operator and the work piece is through a camera or the electron beam. Tracking features of the material or the joint line is important to gather as much information on the situation as possible. Nuclear AMRC has used the functions of the Pro-beam multimode to gain reliability during welding. The seam tracker relies on electron optical image analysis to assess the deviation of the beam from the joint line, but it is the duty of the operator to assess whether the correction should be applied. The team has demonstrated that based on the results of the seam tracker, more work is necessary before welding. It was also demonstrated that the seam tracker can be further used to align the beam/gun to the joint and assess variations in a gap in the joint or a variation of working distance for further process reliability.
Evaluation of methods used for simulation of heat-affected zones in duplex stainless steels
Authors: Westin E. M. , Westerberg L. G. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe weldability of duplex stainless steels partly depends on the ferritization of the high-temperature heat-affected zone (HT-HAZ). This area is rather narrow, and it can be challenging to visualize and determine its actual impact on the properties. To address this, various methods were applied to study the grain growth and austenite reformation in the HT-HAZ of the lean duplex grade UNS S32101. Thermo-mechanical Gleeble® simulations were conducted at 1360 °C with different holding times and cooling rates. Subsequently, the grain size and ferrite content were measured on polished and etched cross-sections. Bead-on-plate welds were performed on the same heat of 6-mm plate thickness using the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. The shielding gas was Ar + 0–8% N2 to illustrate the effect of nitrogen additions on the HT-HAZ morphology. The arc was either stationary, welding at one spot for 0.5–120 s, or travelling at different speeds to generate varying heat inputs and temperature gradients. The thermo-mechanical simulations approximated the results obtained by travelling arc welding and allowed for a more comprehensive investigation. Stationary arc welding was not suitable for HT-HAZ studies as it quickly caused nitrogen depletion and resulted in significantly higher ferrite contents compared to the travelling arc welds.
Iterative dynamics-based mesh discretisation for multi-scale coastal ocean modelling
Authors: Old Chris , Sellar Brian , Angeloudis Athanasios 
Published: February 2024

AbstractFlow in coastal waters contains multi-scale flow features that are generated by flow separation, shear-layer instabilities, bottom roughness and topographic form. Depending on the target application, the mesh design used for coastal ocean modelling needs to adequately resolve flow features pertinent to the study objectives. We investigate an iterative mesh design strategy, inspired by hydrokinetic resource assessment, that uses modelled dynamics to refine the mesh across key flow features, and a target number of elements to constrain mesh density. The method is solver-agnostic. Any quantity derived from the model output can be used to set the mesh density constraint. To illustrate and assess the method, we consider the cases of steady and transient flow past the same idealised headland, providing dynamic responses that are pertinent to multi-scale ocean modelling. This study demonstrates the capability of an iterative approach to define a mesh density that concentrates mesh resolution across areas of interest dependent on model forcing, leading to improved predictive skill. Multiple design quantities can be combined to construct the mesh density, refinement can be applied to multiple regions across the model domain, and convergence can be managed through the number of degrees of freedom set by the target number of mesh elements. To apply the method optimally, an understanding of the processes being model is required when selecting and combining the design quantities. We discuss opportunities and challenges for robustly establishing model resolution in multi-scale coastal ocean models.
Solar Assisted Production of MgAl2O4 from Bayer Process Electrofilter Fines as Source of Al2O3
Authors: Fernández-González Daniel , Piñuela-Noval Juan , Ruiz-Bustinza Íñigo , González-Gasca Carmen , Gómez-Rodríguez Cristian , García-Quiñonez Linda Viviana , López-Liévano Adolfo , Fernández Adolfo , Verdeja Luis Felipe 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCompared with conventional high-temperature methods based on electricity and fossil fuels, concentrated solar energy route offers distinct advantages in terms of mitigating emissions of contaminants and shortening processing times. Nevertheless, solar-based route also encounters challenges in producing significant quantities of materials, although the deployment of this technology is still conditioned by the limited investigation in the field. This study presents a novel high-temperature process based on solar energy to produce MgAl2O4 spinel, which employs as source of Al2O3 a waste from the aluminum industry: waste alumina fines from the Bayer process. First, mixtures were prepared by mechanical mixing in a molar ratio 1:1 in agreement with the MgO–Al2O3 binary phase diagram. Then, synthesis of the MgAl2O4 spinel was conducted by static experiments (5 min) with direct application of concentrated solar energy (1150 W/cm2) at temperatures greatly exceeding 1800 °C as reported by ANSYS software. Wastes from three Bayer process factories were studied, which exhibited after the synthesis process a good crystallinity. The carbon dioxide emissions avoidance would range from the 200 to 500 tons of CO2/year in the case of a small plant producing 1000 tons/year to 5000 to 12,000 tons of CO2/year in the case of a commercial plant producing 25,000 tons/year, thus contributing to mitigate climate change. The proposed process might lead to smaller volume of wastes in the aluminum industry, while the MgAl2O4 may be used as raw material in the numerous fields based on the chemical, thermal, dielectric, mechanical and optical properties.
Graphical Abstract