bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study on emotion recognition bias in different regional groups
Authors: Lukac Martin , Zhambulova Gulnaz , Abdiyeva Kamila , Lewis Michael 
Published: May 2023

AbstractHuman-machine communication can be substantially enhanced by the inclusion of high-quality real-time recognition of spontaneous human emotional expressions. However, successful recognition of such expressions can be negatively impacted by factors such as sudden variations of lighting, or intentional obfuscation. Reliable recognition can be more substantively impeded due to the observation that the presentation and meaning of emotional expressions can vary significantly based on the culture of the expressor and the environment within which the emotions are expressed. As an example, an emotion recognition model trained on a regionally-specific database collected from North America might fail to recognize standard emotional expressions from another region, such as East Asia. To address the problem of regional and cultural bias in emotion recognition from facial expressions, we propose a meta-model that fuses multiple emotional cues and features. The proposed approach integrates image features, action level units, micro-expressions and macro-expressions into a multi-cues emotion model (MCAM). Each of the facial attributes incorporated into the model represents a specific category: fine-grained content-independent features, facial muscle movements, short-term facial expressions and high-level facial expressions. The results of the proposed meta-classifier (MCAM) approach show that a) the successful classification of regional facial expressions is based on non-sympathetic features b) learning the emotional facial expressions of some regional groups can confound the successful recognition of emotional expressions of other regional groups unless it is done from scratch and c) the identification of certain facial cues and features of the data-sets that serve to preclude the design of the perfect unbiased classifier. As a result of these observations we posit that to learn certain regional emotional expressions, other regional expressions first have to be “forgotten”.
Reducing mitochondrial ribosomal gene expression does not alter metabolic health or lifespan in mice
Authors: Reid Kim , Daniels Eileen G. , Vasam Goutham , Kamble Rashmi , Janssens Georges E. , Hu Iman M. , Green Alexander E. , Houtkooper Riekelt H. , Menzies Keir J. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractMaintaining mitochondrial function is critical to an improved healthspan and lifespan. Introducing mild stress by inhibiting mitochondrial translation invokes the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) and increases lifespan in several animal models. Notably, lower mitochondrial ribosomal protein (MRP) expression also correlates with increased lifespan in a reference population of mice. In this study, we tested whether partially reducing the gene expression of a critical MRP, Mrpl54, reduced mitochondrial DNA-encoded protein content, induced the UPRmt, and affected lifespan or metabolic health using germline heterozygous Mrpl54 mice. Despite reduced Mrpl54 expression in multiple organs and a reduction in mitochondrial-encoded protein expression in myoblasts, we identified few significant differences between male or female Mrpl54+/− and wild type mice in initial body composition, respiratory parameters, energy intake and expenditure, or ambulatory motion. We also observed no differences in glucose or insulin tolerance, treadmill endurance, cold tolerance, heart rate, or blood pressure. There were no differences in median life expectancy or maximum lifespan. Overall, we demonstrate that genetic manipulation of Mrpl54 expression reduces mitochondrial-encoded protein content but is not sufficient to improve healthspan in otherwise healthy and unstressed mice.
A case-based reasoning system for neonatal survival and LOS prediction in neonatal intensive care units: a development and validation study
Authors: Kermani Farzaneh , Zarkesh Mohammad Reza , Vaziri Mostafa , Sheikhtaheri Abbas 
Published: May 2023

AbstractEarly prediction of neonates' survival and Length of Stay (LOS) in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) is effective in decision-making. We developed an intelligent system to predict neonatal survival and LOS using the "Case-Based Reasoning” (CBR) method. We developed a web-based CBR system based on K-Nearest Neighborhood (KNN) on 1682 neonates and 17 variables for mortality and 13 variables for LOS and evaluated the system with 336 retrospectively collected data. We implemented the system in a NICU to externally validate the system and evaluate the system prediction acceptability and usability. Our internal validation on the balanced case base showed high accuracy (97.02%), and F-score (0.984) for survival prediction. The root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for LOS was 4.78 days. External validation on the balanced case base indicated high accuracy (98.91%), and F-score (0.993) to predict survival. RMSE for LOS was 3.27 days. Usability evaluation showed that more than half of the issues identified were related to appearance and rated as a low priority to be fixed. Acceptability assessment showed a high acceptance and confidence in responses. The usability score (80.71) indicated high system usability for neonatologists. This system is available athttp://neonatalcdss.ir/. Positive results of our system in terms of performance, acceptability, and usability indicated this system can be used to improve neonatal care.
Cholesterol efflux capacity is increased in subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia in a retrospective case–control study
Authors: Sanz Juana Maria , D’Amuri Andrea , Sergi Domenico , Angelini Sharon , Fortunato Valeria , Favari Elda , Vigna Giovanni , Zuliani Giovanni , Dalla Nora Edoardo , Passaro Angelina 
Published: May 2023

AbstractFamilial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is characterized by an increase in Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) and by premature Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). However, it remains to be fully elucidated if FH impairs cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC), and whether CEC is related to lipoprotein subfraction distribution. This study aimed at comparing FH patients and age, sex and BMI matched controls in terms of LDL and HDL subfraction distribution as well as CEC. Forty FH patients and 80 controls, matched for age, sex and BMI, were enrolled in this case–control study. LDL and HDL subfractions were analyzed using the Quantimetrix Lipoprint System. CEC was evaluated as aq-CEC and ABCA1-CEC. FH subjects showed a significantly higher concentration of all LDL subfractions, and a shift from large to small HDL subfraction pattern relative to controls. FH subjects with previous CVD event had smaller LDL lipoproteins than controls and FH subjects without previous CVD event. Both aq-CEC and ABCA1-CEC were increased in FH patients with respect to controls. To conclude, FH subjects had a metabolic profile characterized not only by higher LDL-C but also by shift from large to small HDL subfraction phenotype. However, FH subjects showed an increase CEC than controls.
A study on computer vision for facial emotion recognition
Authors: Huang Zi-Yu , Chiang Chia-Chin , Chen Jian-Hao , Chen Yi-Chian , Chung Hsin-Lung , Cai Yu-Ping , Hsu Hsiu-Chuan 
Published: May 2023

AbstractArtificial intelligence has been successfully applied in various fields, one of which is computer vision. In this study, a deep neural network (DNN) was adopted for Facial emotion recognition (FER). One of the objectives in this study is to identify the critical facial features on which the DNN model focuses for FER. In particular, we utilized a convolutional neural network (CNN), the combination of squeeze-and-excitation network and the residual neural network, for the task of FER. We utilized AffectNet and the Real-World Affective Faces Database (RAF-DB) as the facial expression databases that provide learning samples for the CNN. The feature maps were extracted from the residual blocks for further analysis. Our analysis shows that the features around the nose and mouth are critical facial landmarks for the neural networks. Cross-database validations were conducted between the databases. The network model trained on AffectNet achieved 77.37% accuracy when validated on the RAF-DB, while the network model pretrained on AffectNet and then transfer learned on the RAF-DB results in validation accuracy of 83.37%. The outcomes of this study would improve the understanding of neural networks and assist with improving computer vision accuracy.
On nature-inspired design optimization of antenna structures using variable-resolution EM models
Authors: Koziel Slawomir , Pietrenko-Dabrowska Anna 
Published: May 2023

AbstractNumerical optimization has been ubiquitous in antenna design for over a decade or so. It is indispensable in handling of multiple geometry/material parameters, performance goals, and constraints. It is also challenging as it incurs significant CPU expenses, especially when the underlying computational model involves full-wave electromagnetic (EM) analysis. In most practical cases, the latter is imperative to ensure evaluation reliability. The numerical challenges are even more pronounced when global search is required, which is most often carried out using nature-inspired algorithms. Population-based procedures are known for their ability to escape from local optima, yet their computational efficiency is poor, which makes them impractical when applied directly to EM models. A common workaround is the utilization of surrogate modeling techniques, typically in the form of iterative prediction-correction schemes, where the accumulated EM simulation data is used to identify the promising regions of the parameter space and to refine the surrogate model predictive power at the same time. Notwithstanding, implementation of surrogate-assisted procedures is often intricate, whereas their efficacy may be hampered by the dimensionality issues and considerable nonlinearity of antenna characteristics. This work investigates the benefits of incorporating variable-resolution EM simulation models into nature-inspired algorithms for optimization of antenna structures, where the model resolution pertains to the level of discretization density of an antenna structure in the full-wave simulation model. The considered framework utilizes EM simulation models which share the same physical background and are selected from a continuous spectrum of allowable resolutions. The early stages of the search process are carried out with the use of the lowest fidelity model, which is subsequently automatically increased to finally reach the high-fidelity antenna representation (i.e., considered as sufficiently accurate for design purposes). Numerical validation is executed using several antenna structures of distinct types of characteristics, and a particle swarm optimizer as the optimization engine. The results demonstrate that appropriate resolution adjustment profiles permit considerable computational savings (reaching up to eighty percent in comparison to high-fidelity-based optimization) without noticeable degradation of the search process reliability. The most appealing features of the presented approach—apart from its computational efficiency—are straightforward implementation and versatility.
Bayesian network analysis of antidepressant treatment trajectories
Authors: Turner Rosanne J. , Hagoort Karin , Meijer Rosa J. , Coenen Femke , Scheepers Floortje E. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractIt is currently difficult to successfully choose the correct type of antidepressant for individual patients. To discover patterns in patient characteristics, treatment choices and outcomes, we performed retrospective Bayesian network analysis combined with natural language processing (NLP). This study was conducted at two mental healthcare facilities in the Netherlands. Adult patients admitted and treated with antidepressants between 2014 and 2020 were included. Outcome measures were antidepressant continuation, prescription duration and four treatment outcome topics: core complaints, social functioning, general well-being and patient experience, extracted through NLP of clinical notes. Combined with patient and treatment characteristics, Bayesian networks were constructed at both facilities and compared. Antidepressant choices were continued in 66% and 89% of antidepressant trajectories. Score-based network analysis revealed 28 dependencies between treatment choices, patient characteristics and outcomes. Treatment outcomes and prescription duration were tightly intertwined and interacted with antipsychotics and benzodiazepine co-medication. Tricyclic antidepressant prescription and depressive disorder were important predictors for antidepressant continuation. We show a feasible way of pattern discovery in psychiatry data, through combining network analysis with NLP. Further research should explore the found patterns in patient characteristics, treatment choices and outcomes prospectively, and the possibility of translating these into a tool for clinical decision support.
Caste-specific expressions and diverse roles of takeout genes in the termite Reticulitermes speratus
Authors: Fujiwara Kokuto , Karasawa Akimi , Hanada Takumi , Tobo Mutsuaki , Kaneko Tousuke , Usui Mizuna , Maekawa Kiyoto 
Published: May 2023

AbstractAcquisition of novel functions caused by gene duplication may be important for termite social evolution. To clarify this possibility, additional evidence is needed. An important example is takeout, encoding juvenile hormone binding protein. We identified 25 takeouts in the termite Reticulitermes speratus genome. RNA-seq revealed that many genes were highly expressed in specific castes. Two novel paralogs (RsTO1, RsTO2) were tandemly aligned in the same scaffold. Real-time qPCR indicated that RsTO1 and RsTO2 were highly expressed in queens and soldiers, respectively. Moreover, the highest RsTO1 expression was observed in alates during queen formation. These patterns were different from vitellogenins, encoding egg-yolk precursors, which were highly expressed in queens than alates. In situ hybridization showed that RsTO1 mRNA was localized in the alate-frontal gland, indicating that RsTO1 binds with secretions probably used for the defence during swarming flight. In contrast, increased RsTO2 expression was observed approximately 1 week after soldier differentiation. Expression patterns of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, whose product functions in the terpenoid synthesis, were similar to RsTO2 expression. In situ hybridization indicated RsTO2-specific mRNA signals in the soldier-frontal gland. RsTO2 may interact with terpenoids, with a soldier-specific defensive function. It may provide additional evidence for functionalization after gene duplication in termites.
Efficiency of botulinum toxin injection into the arm on postural balance and gait after stroke
Authors: Lee Junhee , Park Ji Eun , Kang Byung Heon , Yang Seung Nam 
Published: May 2023

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to clarify the association between improvement of spasticity in hemiplegic patient’s upper extremity with Botulinum toxin injection and improvement in postural balance and gait function. For this prospective cohort study, sixteen hemiplegic stroke patients with upper extremity spasticity were recruited. The plantar pressure with gait parameters, postural balance parameters, Modified Ashworth Scale, and Modified Tardieu Scale were evaluated before, 3 weeks and 3 months after Botulinum toxin A (BTxA) injection. Spasticity of hemiplegic upper extremity before, and after BTxA injection were significantly changed. Plantar pressure overload in affected side was reduced after BTxA injection. The mean X-speed and the horizontal distance decreased in postural balance analysis with eyes-opened test. Improvement in hemiplegic upper extremity spasticity showed positive correlation with gait parameters. In addition, improvement in hemiplegic upper extremity spasticity was positively correlated with change in balance parameters in postural balance analysis with eyes-closed and dynamic tests. This study focused on the effect of stroke patient’s hemiplegic upper extremity spasticity on their gait and balance parameters and identified that the BTxA injection on hemiplegic patient’s spastic upper extremity improve postural balance and gait function.
16p11.2 deletion mice exhibit compromised fronto-temporal connectivity, GABAergic dysfunction, and enhanced attentional ability
Authors: Openshaw Rebecca L. , Thomson David M. , Bristow Greg C. , Mitchell Emma J. , Pratt Judith A. , Morris Brian J. , Dawson Neil 
Published: May 2023

AbstractAutism spectrum disorders are more common in males, and have a substantial genetic component. Chromosomal 16p11.2 deletions in particular carry strong genetic risk for autism, yet their neurobiological impact is poorly characterised, particularly at the integrated systems level. Here we show that mice reproducing this deletion (16p11.2 DEL mice) have reduced GABAergic interneuron gene expression (decreased parvalbumin mRNA in orbitofrontal cortex, and male-specific decreases in Gad67 mRNA in parietal and insular cortex and medial septum). Metabolic activity was increased in medial septum, and in its efferent targets: mammillary body and (males only) subiculum. Functional connectivity was altered between orbitofrontal, insular and auditory cortex, and between septum and hippocampus/subiculum. Consistent with this circuit dysfunction, 16p11.2 DEL mice showed reduced prepulse inhibition, but enhanced performance in the continuous performance test of attentional ability. Level 1 autistic individuals show similarly heightened performance in the equivalent human test, also associated with parietal, insular-orbitofrontal and septo-subicular dysfunction. The data implicate cortical and septal GABAergic dysfunction, and resulting connectivity changes, as the cause of pre-attentional and attentional changes in autism.
Single-cell gene and isoform expression analysis reveals signatures of ageing in haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells
Authors: Mincarelli Laura , Uzun Vladimir , Wright David , Scoones Anita , Rushworth Stuart A. , Haerty Wilfried , Macaulay Iain C. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractSingle-cell approaches have revealed that the haematopoietic hierarchy is a continuum of differentiation, from stem cell to committed progenitor, marked by changes in gene expression. However, many of these approaches neglect isoform-level information and thus do not capture the extent of alternative splicing within the system. Here, we present an integrated short- and long-read single-cell RNA-seq analysis of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. We demonstrate that over half of genes detected in standard short-read single-cell analyses are expressed as multiple, often functionally distinct, isoforms, including many transcription factors and key cytokine receptors. We observe global and HSC-specific changes in gene expression with ageing but limited impact of ageing on isoform usage. Integrating single-cell and cell-type-specific isoform landscape in haematopoiesis thus provides a new reference for comprehensive molecular profiling of heterogeneous tissues, as well as novel insights into transcriptional complexity, cell-type-specific splicing events and consequences of ageing.
Cocoa plantations are associated with deforestation in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
Authors: Kalischek Nikolai , Lang Nico , Renier Cécile , Daudt Rodrigo Caye , Addoah Thomas , Thompson William , Blaser-Hart Wilma J. , Garrett Rachael , Schindler Konrad , Wegner Jan D. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractCôte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the world’s largest producers of cocoa, account for two thirds of the global cocoa production. In both countries, cocoa is the primary perennial crop, providing income to almost two million farmers. Yet precise maps of the area planted with cocoa are missing, hindering accurate quantification of expansion in protected areas, production and yields and limiting information available for improved sustainability governance. Here we combine cocoa plantation data with publicly available satellite imagery in a deep learning framework and create high-resolution maps of cocoa plantations for both countries, validated in situ. Our results suggest that cocoa cultivation is an underlying driver of over 37% of forest loss in protected areas in Côte d’Ivoire and over 13% in Ghana, and that official reports substantially underestimate the planted area (up to 40% in Ghana). These maps serve as a crucial building block to advance our understanding of conservation and economic development in cocoa-producing regions.
Transport and eruption of mantle xenoliths creates a lagging problem
Authors: Russell James K. , Jones Thomas J. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractMantle-derived xenoliths entrained by low viscosity magmas indicate transport through great thicknesses of orogenic (≲50-80 km) and cratonic ($$\lesssim$$
≲
20 km) mantle lithosphere. The size and density of xenoliths dictate that, relative to the ascending magma, they continuously settle during transport. This creates a lag time between when the initial sampling magma reaches the Earth’s surface and the arrival of the xenoliths. The magnitude of this lag time depends on xenolith properties, sampling depth and the magma ascent velocity. Here, using settling calculations, we develop this lag time concept and show how eruption durations and volumes can impact the distribution, abundance, and properties (e.g., sample depths, size) of xenoliths. Lag times can account for heterogenous xenolith distributions within volcanic deposits, the potential biased sampling of the mantle lithosphere, and can constrain minimum eruption volumes required to transport and erupt the deepest sourced xenoliths such as those producing diamondiferous kimberlites.
Halogenation triggering rules in hybrid materials for fluorescence and dielectric phase transitions
Authors: Wang Jun-Qin , Teri Gele , Ni Hao-Fei , Luo Qing-Feng , Wang Xiao-Ping , Fu Da-Wei , Zhang Yi , Guo Qiang 
Published: May 2023

Three hybrid materials, (TMBPA)CdCl2Br (TMBPA-ClBr), (TMBPA)2CdBr4 (TMBPA-Br), and (TMIPA)2CdI4 (TMIPA-I), which exhibit dielectric and excellent photoluminescence properties, and the phase-transition temperature is controlled by the halogen modulation effect.
Crystal structure and magnetic properties of EuZrO3 solid solutions
Authors: Li Sihui , Konishi Shinya , Kito Takuya , Fujita Koji , Tanaka Katsuhisa 
Published: May 2023

The stable magnetic structure of EuZrO3 solid solution is tuned with the change of lattice volume. In particular, the ferromagnetic state is stabilized by the increase in lattice volume, which experimentally verifies the theoretical prediction.