Browse Articles

Wearable co-thinking device to assist strawberry packaging task

Octopus motion in the ocean tracked by a deep-sea 3D camera

A Dynamically Induced Phase Transition in Na_<b>4</b>P_<b>2</b>S_<b>6</b>─Ultrafast Na^<b>+</b> Mobility Triggering Rotor Phase Formation

Advancing computational evaluation of adsorption via porous materials by artificial intelligence and computational fluid dynamics

Atomic Trajectories of a Bimolecular Reaction Visualized by Ultrafast Electron Diffraction

A deep learning model with machine vision system for recognizing type of the food during the food consumption

Macrocycle Side Chain Crowding Enables Tunable Curvature from Planar to Wrinkled and Wavy Hydrogen-Bonded Sheets

Prognostic and therapeutic relevance of IL2RG-related LncRNAs in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Effectiveness of cold-water immersion vs. massage in reducing delayed-onset muscle soreness and enhancing recovery following CrossFit® Murph Workout: Randomized rial

The Murph workout, one of the most challenging CrossFit® workouts, demands endurance and high intensity. This WOD (Workout of the Day) includes a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, and another 1-mile run, typically performed while wearing a weighted vest. Due to its high physical demands, athletes commonly experience Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), characterized by increased sensitivity, fatigue, and reduced muscle function. To minimize these effects and ensure proper recovery, it is essential to adopt strategies that restore muscle function, reduce pain, and allow athletes to return to training without an elevated risk of injury. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of massage therapy (MAS) or cold-water immersion (CWI) as a recovery intervention for DOMS in athletes following high-intensity physical activity during the CrossFit® Murph workout. For this purpose, thirty individuals with a minimum of six months of CrossFit® experience and familiarity with all exercises used in the study were recruited. Pain assessment questionnaires, including the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and the A-DOM questionnaire, along with a socioeconomic questionnaire, were administered before and after WOD. Additionally, pain assessments were conducted using algometry and thermographic imaging. After completing the WOD, participants were randomly assigned to one of two recovery interventions: MAS or CWI. The study results highlight the differential impacts of CWI and MAS on pain management and recovery dynamics following structured exercise. Our findings clearly demonstrate that CWI significantly reduces pain prevalence, both at rest and during exercise, as evidenced by the absence of pain reports from participants 48 hours after the intervention. While our study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of CWI and MAS for post-exercise recovery, limitations such as the non-blinded study design and small sample size may influence the generalizability of the findings.

Regiodivergent Interrupted Ni-Catalyzed Chain-Walking of Unsaturated Alcohol Side-Chains via Traceless Activating Groups

Use of an anatomical atlas in real-time EIT reconstructions of ventilation and pulsatile perfusion in preterm infants

Clade-specific elemental signatures across an Early Triassic marine fauna pave the way for deciphering the affinities of unidentifiable fossils

In palaeontology, the observation of morphological characters is at the heart of species determination. Nonetheless, since most fossils have undergone considerable morphological loss, distortion, and/or flattening throughout their taphonomic history, the use of visual techniques often remains limited. Complementary approaches such as geochemical analyses or molecular palaeontology are increasingly developed. However, them as well remain limited by the preservation state and diagenetic overprinting of the vast majority of fossils. Based on data obtained by state-of-the-art non-destructive synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence (µXRF) major-to-trace elemental mapping of Early Triassic Paris Biota fossils, we show here, at least within a single fossil fauna, the existence of a clade-specific elemental signature. Using complete multi-elemental µXRF spectra instead of elemental quantifications/concentrations, we set a data-formatting protocol that allows us to compare the morphology of the spectra. We then statistically demonstrate the existence of a geochemical discrimination between specimens of different clade despite intra-clade mineralogical variability, and build a “elemental-comparative taxonomic identification” model accordingly. The latter, that goes beyond the simple distinction of tissue nature or type of preservation, is all the more important as it appears to hold the potential to identify some hitherto unrecognizable specimens of the fossil record.

A Bifunctional Sulfone Reagent for Asymmetric Aminomethylative Sulfonylation of Dienes

Multi-Tier Tournaments: Matching and Scoring Players

We introduce a novel system of matching and scoring players in tournaments, called Multi-Tier Tournaments, illustrated by chess and based on the following rules: 1. Players are divided into skill-based tiers, based on their Elo ratings. 2. Starting with one or more mini-tournaments of the least skilled players (Tier 1), the winner or winners—after playing multiple opponents—move to the next-higher tier. 3. The winners progress to a final tier of the best-performing players from lower tiers as well as players with the highest Elo ratings. 4. Performance in each tier is given by a player’s Tournament Score (TS), which depends on his/her wins, losses, and draws (not on his/her Elo rating). Whereas a player’s Elo rating determines in which mini-tournament he/she starts play, TS and its associated tie-breaking rules determine whether a player moves up to higher tiers and, in the final mini-tournament, wins the tournament. This combination of players’ past Elo ratings and current TS’s provides a fair and accurate measure of a player’s standing among the players in the tournament. We apply a variation of Multi-Tier Tournaments to the top 20 active chess players in the world (as of February 2024). Using a dataset of 1209 head-to-head games, we illustrate the viability of giving lower-rated players the opportunity to progress and challenge higher-rated players. We also briefly discuss the application of Multi-Tier Tournaments to baseball, soccer, and other sports that emphasize physical rather than mental skills.

Synthesis and Structural Analysis of an Emissive Colloidal Argyrodite Nanocrystal: Canfieldite Ag₈SnS₆

Accuracy evaluation of smartphone-based GNSS position and speed tracking for ski-slope and safety management

Smartphones with integrated global navigation satellite system (GNSS) functionality are increasingly used in various apps beyond communication, including positioning, navigation, and tracking. This study explores the potential of smartphone GNSS data to improve ski slope safety through motion data analysis. Apps such as iSKI, Skitude, Slopes, and Strava measure speeds, distances, and altitude differences, generating valuable data on skiers’ movements. These data help ski resorts in planning and accident prevention by identifying high-risk areas based on movement patterns. We compared the accuracy of position and speed data from four apps across four smartphone models (two Android and two iOS) against a differential GNSS (dGNSS) reference system. Data were collected at two ski resorts during the winter of 2022/23, with smartphones recording at 1 Hz and dGNSS at 50 Hz. Analysis focused on downhill runs, excluding initial recording phases and vertical position data. Accuracy was assessed by calculating the Euclidean distance between the time-synchronized smartphone data and dGNSS reference data. High-end smartphones provided more accurate position data, with an average error of approximately 4 m, compared to 6 m for low-end models. Speed data were reliable across all devices, with an average error &lt;1.9 km/h. However, accuracy diminished with increasing speeds and varied based on location-specific environmental factors. Thus, although smartphone position data can evaluate non-exact position-dependent parameters, such as slope utilization and user density, more precise systems, such as dGNSS, are necessary for exact position-dependent evaluations. Speed data derived from cleaned position data are reliable for estimating skier speeds, and data from different apps can be combined if consistent calculation methods are used. Future advances in smartphone technology are expected to enhance data accuracy. Recommendations include using smartphone data in open terrain for better accuracy and exercising caution when interpreting absolute position data for accident prevention or other context-specific analyses.

Examining the diagnostic accuracy of artificial intelligence for detecting dental caries across a range of imaging modalities: An umbrella review with meta-analysis

The objective of this systematic review was to systematically collect and analyze multiple published systematic reviews to address the following research question “Are artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms effective for the detection of dental caries?”. A systematic search of five electronic databases, including the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, was conducted until October 15, 2024, with a language restriction to English. All fourteen systematic reviews which assessed the performance of AI algorithms for the detection of dental caries were included. From 137 primary original research studies within the systematic reviews, only 20 reported the data necessary for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity was 0.85 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.83 to 0.93), specificity was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85 to 0.95), and log diagnostic odds ratio was 4.37 (95% CI: 3.16 to 6.27). Area under the summary ROC curve was 0.86. Positive post-test probability was 79% and negative post-test probability was 6%. In conclusion, this meta-analysis has revealed that caries diagnosis using AI is accurate and its use in clinical practice is justified. Future studies should focus on specific subpopulations, depth of caries, and real-world performance validation to further improve the accuracy of AI in caries diagnosis.

Synthesis of High-Entropy Gradient Crystals via the Soret Effect during Bridgman Growth

A common polymorphism in the human immunoreceptor NKp65 determines ligand interaction, cell surface expression and function

Background The human immunoreceptor NKp65 is specifically expressed by a subset of human innate lymphocytes, i.e., innate lymphoid cells group 3 (ILC3) and activates cellular cytotoxicity upon interaction with its genetically linked ligand KACL. In the context of the present study, the relevance of a common polymorphism in the NKp65-coding KLRF2 gene was addressed. Methods Using biophysical methods such as flow cytometry and surface resonance spectroscopy, as well as immunological methods such as ELISA and immunoblots and cytotoxicity assays, the influence of polymorphism rs576601 on surface expression, binding kinetics to the ligand KACL, proteolytic cleavage, intracellular retention, and functional responsiveness of NKp65 was investigated. Results Polymorphism rs576601 entails the exchange of cytosine for adenine, resulting in a substitution of proline by threonine at amino acid position 131 within the C-type lectin-like ectodomain of NKp65. Here, we show that the NKp65-Thr131 variant is only weakly expressed on the cell surface as compared to the NKp65-Pro131 variant. This is due to an enhanced intracellular retention of NKp65-Thr131 but not due to proteolytic cleavage. In addition, the polymorphism rs576601 has a significant impact on the binding kinetics and affinity to the ligand KACL. On a functional level, the combination of reduced surface expression and affinity resulted in a drastically reduced cellular cytotoxicity of NKp65-Thr131+ effector cells towards KACL+ target cells. Conclusions The polymorphism rs576601 affects ligand interaction, cell surface expression and function of NKp65. Since the NKp65 ligand KACL is primarily expressed on keratinocytes, polymorphism rs576601 may impact on skin immunosurveillance by NKp65-expressing ILC3.

Scalable and Versatile Fabrication of Free-Standing Covalent Organic Framework Membranes with Tunable Microstructure for Molecular Separation