Article
Automation & Control Systems
Zhensheng Yang, Wei Yan, Feng Li, Zhonghua Yu, Li Guo
Summary: A new method for evaluating onset times based on histogram distances measured with the Bhattacharyya coefficient is proposed in this study, offering an effective way to identify the onset of transient signals. Tests on three different types of AE signals demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this method, especially when the emission signal strength is low.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Javier Borraz-Leon, Markus J. Rantala, Indrikis A. Krams, Ana Lilia Cerda-Molina, Jorge Contreras-Garduno
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii may manipulate the appearance and behavior of human hosts to increase its spread. Infected individuals may exhibit different traits in appearance and sexual behavior compared to non-infected individuals. This study lays the groundwork for further research on the manipulation of human hosts by sexually transmitted pathogens and parasites.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Mikolaj Korzynski, Jan Miskiewicz, Julius Serbenta
Summary: A new method for measuring mass density along the line of sight has been proposed, based on precise measurements of variations in signal arrival times. The method is robust, independent of clock positions or states of motion, but requires extremely precise signal timing.
Article
Microbiology
Rafael Mello Galliez, Larissa Bomfim, Diana Mariani, Isabela de Carvalho Leitao, Anna Carla Pinto Castineiras, Cassia Cristina Alves Goncalves, Bianca Ortiz da Silva, Pedro Henrique Cardoso, Monica Barcelos Arruda, Patricia Alvarez, Rodrigo Brindeiro, Victor Akira Ota, Debora Gomes Marins Rodrigues, Luciana Jesus da Costa, Orlando da Costa Ferreira, Terezinha Marta Pereira Pinto Castineiras, Debora Souza Faffe, Amilcar Tanuri
Summary: This study demonstrated the effectiveness of the antigen rapid test for COVID-19 using nasal swabs in patients infected with the Omicron variant, showing a concordance with PCR in 93% of patients tested. The nasal swab yielded more reliable results than the oral swab when the antigen rapid diagnostic test (the Panbio COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic test) was used in patients infected with the Omicron variant.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Li Ai, Vafa Soltangharaei, Paul Ziehl
Summary: This paper develops an automatic ASR monitoring and evaluation approach by leveraging acoustic emission (AE) and a heterogeneous ensemble learning framework. Experimental results show that the proposed method can accurately classify AE signals into different ASR phases.
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Anand Srinivasan, Jayant Krishan, Sreekanth Bathula, Yelia S. Mayya
Summary: The study examines the theory of residence time of virusols in indoor air, finding that the mean residence time of virusols increases nonlinearly with viral load, ranging from around 100 to 150 seconds at low viral loads to about 1100 to 1250 seconds at high viral loads.
Article
Mathematics
Jose M. Machorro-Lopez, Jorge A. Hernandez-Figueroa, Francisco J. Carrion-Viramontes, Juan P. Amezquita-Sanchez, Martin Valtierra-Rodriguez, Saul E. Crespo-Sanchez, Jesus J. Yanez-Borjas, Juan A. Quintana-Rodriguez, Luis A. Martinez-Trujano
Summary: This article proposes a new method to determine the structural condition of concrete beams subjected to bending by processing acoustic emissions signals using wavelet transform. The method calculates the wavelet energy of each signal to assess the structural condition. Experimental validation shows promising results for the application of this method in real-life structures.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paul S. Sung, Emily Hosmer
Summary: This study investigated limb reaction, swing, and recovery step times following repeated trip perturbations in individuals with and without non-specific chronic low back pain (LBP). Results showed that the LBP group had significantly shorter recovery step times during the first trip and the initial limb reaction time of the LBP group was significantly correlated with three repeated swing times to avoid falls.
Article
Immunology
Davide Ferrari, Chiara Di Resta, Rossella Tomaiuolo, Eleonora Sabetta, Marina Pontillo, Andrea Motta, Massimo Locatelli
Summary: The study found that individuals previously infected with COVID-19 had significantly higher levels of antibodies after vaccination compared to those who had never been infected. Seropositivity persisted for at least 11 months after vaccination, suggesting that in times of vaccine shortage, priority should be given to individuals who have not been infected with the virus.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Edwin Eliel Escobar-Guevara, Maria Esther de Quesada-Martinez, Yhajaira Beatriz Roldan-Davila, Belkisyole Alarcon de Noya, Miguel Antonio Alfonzo-Diaz
Summary: This study evaluates the relationship between immune response to T. gondii and neurocognitive impairment in HIV-1/T. gondii co-infected patients at different stages of HIV-1 infection. The results show that co-infected patients have impaired immune response and poorer neurocognitive functions, even in the early stages of HIV-1 infection.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Paul S. Sung, Eric O'Sullivan, Moon Soo Park
Summary: The delayed reaction time of the non-dominant erector spinae muscle may indicate freedom from pain recurrence in the control group. While the asymmetry increased in the rectus abdominis and biceps brachii muscles in the LBP group, it decreased in the erector spinae muscle. Asymmetries in the trunk and biceps brachii muscles were evident in the LBP group and should be considered in rehabilitation strategies.
EUROPEAN SPINE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biology
A. Vanessa Bataller-Cervero, Pablo J. Bascuas, Juan Rabal-Pelay, Hector Gutierrez, Eduardo Piedrafita, Cesar Berzosa
Summary: The study evaluates the precision and velocity of ball throwing in goalball and analyzes the variables of core stability and balance. It also proposes a novel acoustic reaction time test to analyze defense performance. The results show a significant positive correlation between throwing speed and years of experience, height, dominant leg surface area, and non-dominant leg center of pressure mean velocity. This study provides a new evaluation test battery for goalball players and offers insights for future performance assessments.
Article
Psychology, Applied
Yan Liu, Rushdi Alsaleh, Tarek Sayed
Summary: Understanding the impact of mobile phone distraction on pedestrian behavior is crucial for safety and performance evaluations. This study found that distractions from mobile phone use significantly lengthen pedestrian reaction times, with males over 40 performing worse in road segment crosswalks with longer distraction durations. Factors such as traffic awareness levels also influence pedestrian reactions.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART F-TRAFFIC PSYCHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Claudia Barile, Caterina Casavola, Giovanni Pappalettera, Vimalathithan Paramsamy Kannan, Gilda Renna
Summary: The study investigates the interlaminar shear properties of plain weave fabric CFRP composites through SBS testing, finding that the testing temperature has minimal impact on the shear properties of the specimens. However, different damage progressions were observed between specimens tested at different temperatures. By analyzing acoustic emission activities and LZ complexity, it is possible to distinguish the sources of damage in CFRP specimens tested at different temperatures.
Article
Microbiology
Giulia Donato, Marisa Masucci, Katrin Hartmann, Marga G. A. Goris, Ahmed A. Ahmed, Joy Archer, Angela Alibrandi, Maria Grazia Pennisi
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence of Leptospira spp. in cats from southern Italy, finding a high infection rate. The spring season was identified as the only risk factor for urinary Leptospira DNA shedding, with laboratory abnormalities significantly associated with infection positivity.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jana Hlavacova, Jaroslav Flegr, Karel Rezabek, Pavel Calda, Sarka Kankova
Summary: The study found that the seropositivity of male partners for toxoplasmosis may increase the risk of infection in females, supporting the hypothesis of sexual transmission of T. gondii. Although the risk of transmission seems relatively low, it can occur during unprotected sexual intercourse, potentially at the time of conception.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jaroslav Flegr, Jan Toman, Martin Hula, Sarka Kankova
Summary: This study suggests that RhD polymorphism may be maintained by heterozygote advantage, and balancing selection may play an important role in human evolution.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Andrology
Jana Hlavacova, Jaroslav Flegr, Karel Rezabek, Pavel Calda, Sarka Kankova
Summary: This study compared the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in men with and without semen pathology, and examined the impact of infection on semen volume, sperm count, motility, and morphology. The results showed that toxoplasmosis affected certain semen parameters such as sperm concentration and motility, particularly in smokers. Additionally, tobacco smoking appeared to exacerbate the negative impact of toxoplasmosis on semen parameters.
Article
Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
Menelaos Apostolou, Bela Birkas, Caio Santos A. da Silva, Gianluca Esposito, Rafael Ming Chi S. Hsu, Peter Karl Jonason, Konstantinos Karamanidis, O. Jiaqing, Yohsuke Ohtsubo, Adam Putz, Daniel Sznycer, Andrew G. Thomas, Jaroslava Varella Valentova, Marco Antonio Correa Varella, Karel Kleisner, Jaroslav Flegr, Yan Wang
Summary: The research aimed to explore reasons for being single across eight different countries and found that factors such as perceived poor capacity to attract mates, desiring freedom of choice, and being in between relationships were common among single individuals worldwide. Significant effects of sex and age were observed for most factors, while differences in effect sizes of these factors were also noted between countries.
CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Jakub Polak, Kristyna Sedlackova, Marketa Janovcova, Sarka Peleskova, Jaroslav Flegr, Barbora Vobrubova, Daniel Frynta, Eva Landova
Summary: This study developed and validated Czech translations of the Spider Questionnaire (SPQ) and Spider Phobia Beliefs Questionnaire (SBQ). The results showed a wide distribution of spider fear in the Czech population and its association with disgust propensity and other sociodemographic characteristics.
Article
Parasitology
Jaroslav Flegr
Summary: Latent toxoplasmosis, a lifelong infection affecting a large segment of the human population, is found to have significant impact on the risk and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, while cat-keeping in multi-member families may serve as a vector for the transmission of the virus within households.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jaroslav Flegr, Lenka Priplatova, Jana Hlavacova, Blanka Sebankova, Emanuel Zdarsky, Sarka Kankova
Summary: Human populations, especially European, exhibit polymorphism in the RHD gene, with a significant fraction carrying no copy of the coding section, resulting in Rh-negative blood type. Studies have shown that RhD-positive heterozygotes and homozygotes differ in terms of physical health, indicating the importance of analyzing the effects of RHD genotypes rather than phenotypes in future research.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Retraction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Veronika Chvatalova, Blanka Sebankova, Hana Hrbackova, Petr Turecek, Jaroslav Flegr
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Robin Kopecky, Michaela Jirout Kosova, Daniel D. Novotny, Jaroslav Flegr, David Cerny
Summary: The moral question of autonomous vehicles revolves around the choice of algorithms for dealing with lethal collisions. The study found that people prefer altruistic strategies for AVs, with the preference being reinforced when the choice is made publicly. The strength of the altruistic preference varies depending on whether the choice is for society, oneself, or one's offspring. Public choices are more likely to lead to socially beneficial solutions.
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Robin Kopecky, Lenka Priplatova, Silvia Boschetti, Konrad Talmont-Kaminski, Jaroslav Flegr
Summary: Individuals infected with Toxoplasma gondii display differences in political beliefs and values compared to those who are not infected, with infected women exhibiting higher levels of tribalism and lower levels of cultural liberalism, while infected men show higher levels of economic equity.
EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Wen Han Tong, Jana Hlavacova, Samira Abdulai-Saiku, Sarka Kankova, Jaroslav Flegr, Ajai Vyas
Summary: Using histological and immunofluorescence stains, we identified Toxoplasma gondii cysts in thin smears of human semen. The presence of bradyzoite-specific gene transcription confirmed the encystment. This study expands previous findings of the parasite in semen of non-human host species and emphasizes the importance of further investigations into the potential sexual transmission of Toxoplasma gondii.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Katerina Sykorova, Vojtech Fiala, Jana Hlavacova, Sarka Kankova, Jaroslav Flegr
Summary: A study on women with red hair found that they are correlated with certain traits related to sexual life, such as higher sexual desire, more sexual activity, and more sexual partners. However, the study showed that the higher sexual desire of redheaded women is not the cause of their more active sexual behavior. The findings suggest that the apparently more liberated sexual behavior in redheaded women could be a result of potential mates' frequent attempts to have sex with them.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jaroslav Flegr, Ivana Kralova Lesna, Daniel Zahradnik
Summary: Computational prediction of T cell epitopes is crucial for vaccine development. Using Monte Carlo tests, we found that T cell-stimulating peptides have a significantly higher proportion of pentapeptides, hexapeptides, and heptapeptides not found in the human proteome. Our novel method for predicting T cell immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 peptides is four times more effective than previous approaches.
BIOLOGY METHODS & PROTOCOLS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jaroslav Flegr, Ashkan Latifi
Summary: COVID-19 infection and severity have negative impacts on patients' health and cognitive performance, while vaccination is associated with higher intelligence and precision of information processing. Age is associated with COVID-19 severity, with younger individuals more likely to contract the virus and older individuals more likely to have severe illness and receive vaccination.
BIOLOGY METHODS & PROTOCOLS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jaroslav Flegr, Pavel Flegr, Lenka Priplatova
Summary: This preregistered longitudinal study examined the risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and the severity of COVID-19. The study identified several factors, such as male sex, younger age, blood group B, and larger household size, that increased the risk of infection. On the other hand, factors such as mask-wearing, history of borreliosis, use of vitamin D supplements, and drinking rooibos tea were found to decrease the risk of infection.
BIOLOGY METHODS & PROTOCOLS
(2022)