bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Automated gadget discovery in the quantum domain
Authors: Trenkwalder Lea M , López-Incera Andrea , Poulsen Nautrup Hendrik , Flamini Fulvio , Briegel Hans J 
Published: August 2023

AbstractIn recent years, reinforcement learning (RL) has become increasingly successful in its application to the quantum domain and the process of scientific discovery in general. However, while RL algorithms learn to solve increasingly complex problems, interpreting the solutions they provide becomes ever more challenging. In this work, we gain insights into an RL agent’s learned behavior through a post-hoc analysis based on sequence mining and clustering. Specifically, frequent and compact subroutines, used by the agent to solve a given task, are distilled as gadgets and then grouped by various metrics. This process of gadget discovery develops in three stages: First, we use an RL agent to generate data, then, we employ a mining algorithm to extract gadgets and finally, the obtained gadgets are grouped by a density-based clustering algorithm. We demonstrate our method by applying it to two quantum-inspired RL environments. First, we consider simulated quantum optics experiments for the design of high-dimensional multipartite entangled states where the algorithm finds gadgets that correspond to modern interferometer setups. Second, we consider a circuit-based quantum computing environment where the algorithm discovers various gadgets for quantum information processing, such as quantum teleportation. This approach for analyzing the policy of a learned agent is agent and environment agnostic and can yield interesting insights into any agent’s policy.
Towards a phenomenological understanding of neural networks: data
Authors: Tovey Samuel , Krippendorf Sven , Nikolaou Konstantin , Holm Christian 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
A theory of neural networks (NNs) built upon collective variables would provide scientists with the tools to better understand the learning process at every stage. In this work, we introduce two such variables, the entropy and the trace of the empirical neural tangent kernel (NTK) built on the training data passed to the model. We empirically analyze the NN performance in the context of these variables and find that there exists correlation between the starting entropy, the trace of the NTK, and the generalization of the model computed after training is complete. This framework is then applied to the problem of optimal data selection for the training of NNs. To this end, random network distillation (RND) is used as a means of selecting training data which is then compared with random selection of data. It is shown that not only does RND select data-sets capable of outperforming random selection, but that the collective variables associated with the RND data-sets are larger than those of the randomly selected sets. The results of this investigation provide a stable ground from which the selection of data for NN training can be driven by this phenomenological framework.
Recommendations for cradle-to-gate environmental product declarations (EPD) in ‘Buy Clean’ procurement based on CDOT’s experience
Authors: Senseney Christopher T , Harvey John , Butt Ali A , Meijer Joep 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
The use of environmental product declarations (EPDs) in procurement of construction materials has been of increasing interest to government agencies, and adoption in the United States has been driven in part by ‘Buy Clean’ legislation. Buy Clean encompasses green procurement policies that promote the purchase of construction materials and products with lower environmental impacts, considering the life-cycle impacts associated with those materials. Most EPDs for transportation infrastructure construction materials are ‘cradle-to-gate’, or representative of the material production stage of a product and not the entire life cycle; however, these EPDs can allow meaningful quantitative comparisons of environmental and sustainability indicators and serve as a mechanism for measuring improvements in environmental impacts during the production of materials. This paper describes how cradle-to-gate EPDs are used, presents a case study of initial implementation of an EPD policy by the Colorado Department of Transportation, and provides recommendations to address some of the challenges that agencies and stakeholders can face when developing or participating in new EPD programs. It is desired that the recommendations and case study presented in this paper will help provide pathways to agencies for the successful enactment of Buy Clean policies and enable mitigation of actual or perceived barriers to program implementation.
DPSP: a multimodal deep learning framework for polypharmacy side effects prediction
Authors: Masumshah Raziyeh , Eslahchi Changiz 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Motivation
Because unanticipated drug–drug interactions (DDIs) can result in severe bodily harm, identifying the adverse effects of polypharmacy is one of the most important tasks in human health. Over the past few decades, computational methods for predicting the adverse effects of polypharmacy have been developed.

Results
This article presents DPSP, a framework for predicting polypharmacy side effects based on the construction of novel drug features and the application of a deep neural network to predict DDIs. In the first step, a variety of drug information is evaluated, and a feature extraction method and the Jaccard similarity are used to determine similarities between two drugs. By combining these similarities, a novel feature vector is generated for each drug. In the second step, the method predicts DDIs for specific DDI events using a multimodal framework and drug feature vectors. On three benchmark datasets, the performance of DPSP is measured by comparing its results to those of several well-known methods, such as GNN–DDI, MSTE, MDF–SA–DDI, NNPS, DDIMDL, DNN, DeepDDI, KNN, LR, and RF. DPSP outperforms these classification methods based on a variety of classification metrics. The results indicate that the use of diverse drug information is effective and efficient for identifying DDI adverse effects.

Availability and implementation
The source code and datasets are available at https://github.com/raziyehmasumshah/DPSP.
Quantifying microplastic ingestion, degradation and excretion in insects using fluorescent plastics
Authors: Ritchie Marshall W , Cheslock Alexandra , Bourdages Madelaine P T , Hamilton Bonnie M , Provencher Jennifer F , Allison Jane E , MacMillan Heath A 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Plastic pollution is a growing threat to our natural environment. Plastic waste/pollution results from high emissions of both macro (&gt;5 mm) and microplastics (MPs; &lt;5 mm) as well as environmental fractioning of macroplastics into MPs. MPs have been shown to have a range of negative impacts on biota. Harmonized methods to accurately measure and count MPs from animal samples are limited, but what methods exist are not ideal for a controlled laboratory environment where plastic ingestion, degradation and elimination can be quantified and related to molecular, physiological and organismal traits. Here, we propose a complete method for isolating and quantifying fluorescent MPs by combining several previously reported approaches into one comprehensive workflow. We combine tissue dissection, organic material digestion, sample filtering and automated imaging techniques to show how fluorescently labelled MPs provided to insects (e.g. in their diet) in a laboratory setting can be isolated, identified and quantified. As a proof of concept, we fed crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) a diet of 2.5% (w/w) fluorescently labelled plastics and isolated and quantified plastic particles within the gut and frass.
The fast-food effect: costs of being a generalist in a human-dominated landscape
Authors: Guerrero-Sanchez Sergio , Frias Liesbeth , Saimin Silvester , Orozco-terWengel Pablo , Goossens Benoit 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Agricultural expansion in Southeast Asia has converted most natural landscapes into mosaics of forest interspersed with plantations, dominated by the presence of generalist species that benefit from resource predictability. Dietary shifts, however, can result in metabolic alterations and the exposure of new parasites that can impact animal fitness and population survival. Our study focuses on the Asian water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator), one of the largest predators in the Asian wetlands, as a model species to understand the health consequences of living in a human-dominated landscape in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We evaluated the effects of dietary diversity on the metabolism of monitor lizards and the impact on the composition of their parasite communities in an oil palm-dominated landscape. Our results showed that (1) rodent-dominated diets were associated with high levels of lipids, proteins and electrolytes, akin to a fast-food-based diet of little representativeness of the full nutritional requirements, but highly available, and (2) lizards feeding on diverse diets hosted more diverse parasite communities, however, at overall lower parasite prevalence. Furthermore, we observed that the effect of diet on lipid concentration differed depending on the size of individual home ranges, suggesting that sedentarism plays an important role in the accumulation of cholesterol and triglycerides. Parasite communities were also affected by a homogeneous dietary behaviour, as well as by habitat type. Dietary diversity had a negative effect on both parasite richness and prevalence in plantations, but not in forested areas. Our study indicates that human-dominated landscapes can pose a negative effect on generalist species and hints to the unforeseen health consequences for more vulnerable taxa using the same landscapes. Thus, it highlights the potential role of such a widely distributed generalist as model species to monitor physiological effects in the ecosystem in an oil palm-dominated landscape.
Responses to saltwater exposure vary across species, populations and life stages in anuran amphibians
Authors: Albecker Molly A , McCoy Michael W 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
To predict the impacts of environmental change on species, we must first understand the factors that limit the present-day ranges of species. Most anuran amphibians cannot survive at elevated salinities, which may drive their distribution in coastal locations. Previous research showed that coastal Hyla cinerea are locally adapted to brackish habitats in North Carolina, USA. Although Hyla squirella and Hyla chrysoscelis both inhabit coastal wetlands nearby, they have not been observed in saline habitats. We take advantage of naturally occurring microgeographic variation in coastal wetland occupancy exhibited by these congeneric tree frog species to explore how salt exposure affects oviposition site choice, hatching success, early tadpole survival, plasma osmolality and tadpole body condition across coastal and inland locations. We observed higher survival among coastal H. cinerea tadpoles than inland H. cinerea, which corroborates previous findings. But contrary to expectations, coastal H. cinerea had lower survival than H. squirella and H. chrysoscelis, indicating that all three species may be able to persist in saline wetlands. We also observed differences in tadpole plasma osmolality across species, locations and salinities, but these differences were not associated with survival rates in salt water. Instead, coastal occupancy may be affected by stage-specific processes like higher probability of total clutch loss as shown by inland H. chrysoscelis or maladaptive egg deposition patterns as shown by inland H. squirella. Although we expected salt water to be the primary filter driving species distributions along a coastal salinity gradient, it is likely that the factors dictating anuran ranges along the coast involve stage-, species- and location-specific processes that are mediated by ecological processes and life history traits.
Structures on the ventricular side of the prosthetic valve in extremely late mitral paravalvular leak: a case report
Authors: Nakajima Hiroyuki , Tokunaga Chiho , Yoshitake Akihiro , Takazawa Akitoshi 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Background
Mechanisms of paravalvular leak (PVL) after mitral valve replacement have not been fully delineated. Herein, we report a case of structures on the ventricular side of the mitral valve in a patient with an extremely late PVL.

Case summary
A 68-year-old female underwent aortic and mitral valve replacement with a mechanical valve 29 years ago. She was in good health for 28 years. However, exertional dyspnoea appeared 8 months ago. She was admitted to our hospital for congestive heart failure and haemolytic anaemia. Echocardiography showed severe regurgitation due to PVL of the mitral valve. The fluoroscopy showed that a circular calcification was found below the mitral prosthesis. The operation was performed through a median sternotomy. After the aortic cross-clamp, the aortic mechanical valve was removed. The ventricular side of the mitral valve was inspected with the endoscope through the aortic annulus before manoeuvers were performed in the mitral valve. A gap was seen between the prosthetic valve and annular tissue and subvalvular calcification. A bioprosthetic valve was placed with a modified collar-reinforcement technique using a xenopericardium strip. The postoperative course was uneventful. PVL and haemolysis completely disappeared.

Discussion
The ventricular side of the prosthetic valve could be observed before the mitral valve was removed. Not only the protruding circular calcification and displacement of the prosthetic valve to the atrial side but also the loss of adhesion and adhesive nature of the annular tissue played a definitive role in the late PVL occurrence and recurrence after percutaneous or surgical repair.
Dramatic recovery of left ventricular dysfunction in a patient with pseudoaldosteronism, hypokalaemia, and rhabdomyolysis: a case report
Authors: Ito Shinya , Hasebe Masashi , Inoko Moriaki 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Background
Excessive liquorice ingestion sometimes causes pseudoaldosteronism. The association between liquorice-induced pseudoaldosteronism and acute heart failure has not been well described.

Case summary
An 89-year-old woman was referred to the hospital due to muscle weakness with rhabdomyolysis and severe hypokalaemia. The electrocardiogram in the emergency department revealed pulseless ventricular tachycardia, thus, emergent defibrillation was delivered. Laboratory findings revealed severe hypokalaemia with metabolic alkalosis. Plasma renin activity and serum aldosterone were highly suppressed. Her medications included herbal medicines containing a great amount of liquorice. The patient was diagnosed with pseudoaldosteronism caused by liquorice over-ingestion. She developed acute pulmonary oedema with unexpected left ventricular (LV) dysfunction after the peak out of creatine kinase. She was managed with acute heart failure therapy, as well as optimal medical therapy. She accidentally developed an acute embolic stroke but fully recovered due to emergent thrombolytic therapy. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed banding late gadolinium enhancement in the basal-mid segments, which was inconsistent with takotsubo cardiomyopathy. As time passed, LV function unexpectedly improved, and congestive heart failure was completely compensated.

Discussion
Liquorice contains glycyrrhetinic acid that inhibits 11βHSD2. This invites the over-activation of mineralocorticoid receptors by cortisol in the kidneys and eventually causes hypokalaemia and hypertension. Acute heart failure caused by excessive liquorice ingestion is scarcely described. The triggering factors for LV dysfunction and acute congestive heart failure remain unclear. Rhabdomyolysis could affect massive catecholamine release and cause LV dysfunction.
Integrating rapid assessment, variable probability sampling, and machine learning to improve accuracy and consistency in mapping local spatial distribution of plant species richness
Authors: Perng Bo-Hao , Lam Tzeng Yih , Su Sheng-Hsin , Md Sabri Mohamad Danial Bin , Burslem David , Cardenas Dairon , Duque Álvaro , Ediriweera Sisira , Gunatilleke Nimal , Novotny Vojtech , O’Brien Michael J , Reynolds Glen 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Conserving plant diversity is integral to sustainable forest management. This study aims at diversifying tools to map spatial distribution of species richness. We develop a sampling strategy of using rapid assessments by local communities to gather prior information on species richness distribution to drive census cell selection by sampling with covariate designs. An artificial neural network model is built to predict the spatial patterns. Accuracy and consistency of rapid assessment factors, sample selection methods, and sampling intensity of census cells were tested in a simulation study with seven 25–50-ha census plots in the tropics and subtropics. Results showed that identifying more plant individuals in a rapid assessment improved accuracy and consistency, while transect was comparable to or slightly better than nearest-neighbor assessment, but knowing more species had little effects. Results of sampling with covariate designs depended on covariates. The covariate Ifreq, inverse of the frequency of the rapidly assessed species richness strata, was the best choice. List sampling and local pivotal method with Ifreq increased accuracy by 0.7%–1.6% and consistency by 7.6%–12.0% for 5% to 20% sampling intensity. This study recommends a rapid assessment method of selecting 20 individuals at every 20-m interval along a transect. Knowing at least half of the species in a forest that are abundant is sufficient. Local pivotal method is recommended at 5% sampling intensity or less. This study presents a methodology to directly involve local communities in probability-based forest resource assessment to support decision-making in forest management.
Social Isolation and Worsening Health Behaviors Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Choi Kyung Won , Waite Linda J , Finch Laura E , Kotwal Ashwin A 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Objectives
We examine the relationship between social isolation, poor health behaviors, and the perceived worsening of older adults’ health behaviors following the coronavirus outbreak. We assess the extent to which psychological pathways mediate the relationship between social isolation and worsening health behaviors.

Methods
Drawing on data from the National Social Life Health and Aging Project Round 3 (2015) and its coronavirus immune disease 2019 (COVID-19) substudy (2020; N = 2,549), we use generalized linear models to explore how indicators of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic—infrequent in-person contact with friends and family in 2020 and decreased in-person contact with friends and family since COVID-19 started—are associated with (1) poor health behaviors (low physical activity, drinks per week, smoking, and poor sleep) in 2020 and (2) perceived worsening of health behaviors (reports of decreased physical activity, increased drinking and smoking, and feeling less rested) since the pandemic started.

Results
Infrequent in-person contact was not associated with poor health behaviors. Decreases in in-person contact, on the other hand, were associated with worsening health behaviors. Older adults who reported decreases in in-person contact were more likely to perceive a decrease in physical activity, an increase in drinking, and feeling less rested. Emotional well-being, particularly loneliness compared to anxiety or depressive feelings, partially mediated the relationship between perceived worsening of health behaviors and a decrease in in-person contact with friends, and to a lesser extent, with family.

Discussion
Our study suggests that in-person contact may play a distinct role in shaping older adults’ well-being during the pandemic.
Modelling player ratings in One Day International cricket using the Modified Duckworth-Lewis method
Authors: Asif Muhammad , Yousaf Muhammad 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Accepted by: Phil Scarf
We present a player rating system for One-Day International (ODI) cricket using the Modified Duckworth-Lewis model. We used ball-by-ball data of 1764 uninterrupted One-Day International (ODI) matches played from January 2004 to June 2021 to estimate model parameters. The proposed method is then used to rate players who appeared in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2019. The method is novel because the rating depends on the state of the match, so that pressure and non-pressure situations are accounted for. The method also considers a pitch effect (high or low run scoring). Moreover, the batsman performance can be compared to all-rounder and bowling performances. The results rate Shakib Al Hassan of Bangladesh as the tournament’s best player, followed by R.G. Sharma (India) and J.J. Roy (England).
PFKFB3-Meditated Glycolysis via the Reactive Oxygen Species–Hypoxic Inducible Factor 1α Axis Contributes to Inflammation and Proliferation ofStaphylococcus aureusin Epithelial Cells
Authors: Gao Xing , Wang Zhenglei , Xu Yuanyuan , Feng Shiyuan , Fu Shaodong , Luo Zhenhua , Miao Jinfeng 
Published: August 2023

AbstractMastitis caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus is a significant concern in the livestock industry due to the economic losses it incurs. Regulating immunometabolism has emerged as a promising approach for preventing bacterial inflammation. To investigate the possibility of alleviating inflammation caused by S aureus infection by regulating host glycolysis, we subjected the murine mammary epithelial cell line (EpH4-Ev) to S aureus challenge. Our study revealed that S aureus can colonize EpH4-Ev cells and promote inflammation through hypoxic inducible factor 1α (HIF1α)–driven glycolysis. Notably, the activation of HIF1α was found to be dependent on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). By inhibiting PFKFB3, a key regulator in the host glycolytic pathway, we successfully modulated HIF1α-triggered metabolic reprogramming by reducing ROS production in S aureus–induced mastitis. Our findings suggest that there is a high potential for the development of novel anti-inflammatory therapies that safely inhibit the glycolytic rate-limiting enzyme PFKFB3.
Cash Transfers and Social Capital: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Malawi
Authors: Mesfin Hiwot , Cecchi Francesco 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
We examine the social capital implications of conditional and unconditional cash transfer (CCT) programs in Malawi, randomly assigning adolescent women and their households to either program or to a control group. Our results show that cash transfers have a positive aggregate effect on social capital, proxied by trust and gift giving. They also show positive intention-to-treat effects on both trust and gift giving in the short run but a negative spillover effect on gift giving in the long run. Moreover, we find that CCTs have greater positive effects on trust than the unconditional cash transfers (UCT). Further analyses reveal that adolescents with initial reciprocal beliefs drive the increase in trust. These results contribute to the current debate on whether CCTs or UCTs are better policy tools, adding the important ‘externality’ of social capital formation.