Rapid Movement Research Articles

Cortical areas for planning sequences before and during movement.

Production of rapid movement sequences relies on preparation before (pre-planning) and during (online planning) movement. Here, we compared these processes and asked whether they recruit different cortical areas. Human participants performed three single-finger and three multi-finger sequences in a delayed movement paradigm while undergoing 7T functional MRI. During preparation, primary motor (M1) and somatosensory (S1) areas showed pre-activation of the first movement, even without increases in overall activation. During production, the temporal summation of activity patterns corresponding to constituent fingers explained activity in these areas (M1 and S1). In contrast, the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) and anterior superior parietal lobule (aSPL) showed substantial activation during the preparation (pre-planning) of multi-finger compared to single-finger sequences. These regions (PMd and aSPL) were also more active during production of multi-finger sequences, suggesting that pre- and online planning may recruit the same regions. However, we observed small but robust differences between the two contrasts, suggesting distinct contributions to pre- and online planning. Multivariate analysis revealed sequence-specific representations in both PMd and aSPL, which remained stable across both preparation and production phases. Our analyses show that these areas maintain a sequence-specific representation before and during sequence production, likely guiding the execution-related areas in the production of rapid movement sequences.Significance Statement Understanding how the brain orchestrates complex behavior remains a core challenge in human neuroscience. Here, we combine high-resolution neuroimaging and a carefully crafted design to study the neural control of rapid sequential finger movements, like typing or playing the piano. Advancing prior research, we show that the brain areas involved in planning these movements maintain those representations throughout the execution of the sequence. This representational stability across planning and execution suggests an intricate connection between these processes. Our results shed light on the nuanced contributions of different cortical areas to different aspects of coordinating skilled movement. This work is well placed to inform future research in animal models and the development of targeted interventions against movement disorders.

OGC SO46 - Improving outcomes after oesophagectomy: The benefits of full robotic-assisted minimally invasive oesophagectomy (RAMIO) demonstrated in the first 100 cases, at a high-volume UK unit

Abstract Background There is a rapid movement towards adoption of robotically assisted minimally invasive oesophagectomy (RAMIO) in the United Kingdom. Transition from an open or laparoscopic oesophagectomy to a RAMIO programme, which carries considerable financial and training cost, must ensure parity of oncological and perioperative outcomes. We sought to compare our centre’s results of the three standard approaches to two-phase oesophagectomy: Open/Open (Open); laparoscopic/robotic abdomen with open chest (Hybrid); and RAMIO. Method This prospective cohort study investigated the experience of five surgeons in a single high-volume UK institution. We analysed consecutive patients undergoing two-phase transthoracic oesophagectomy for oncological reasons between 2018 and 2024. The study period was divided into three cohorts: Open (2018-2020, n=61), Hybrid (2020-2023, n=82) and RAMIO (2023-2024, n=100). Patient demographics, tumour characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and oncological data were compared. Data were analysed using Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-squared statistical tests. Results No significant differences were observed in patient demographics or tumour stage between the groups. Comparison of Open vs. Hybrid vs. RAMIO demonstrated a significant reduction in major complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥III), 34.4% vs. 23.2% vs. 14% (p=0.0014); pulmonary complications, 36.1% vs. 25.4% vs. 13% (p=0.0004); anastomotic leak rate, 11.5% vs. 2.4% vs. 4.0%, (p=0.0370); median length of stay, 14 vs. 12 vs. 8 days (p=0.0001); and mortality, 4.9% vs. 1.2% vs. 0% (p=0.0133) all favouring the RAMIO group in sub-group analysis. Median lymph node yields were comparable across groups, 49 vs. 43 vs. 43 (p=0.0876). Conclusion This single-institution study demonstrates potential benefits of transitioning from open or hybrid to RAMIO for oesophagectomy. RAMIO was associated with significantly reduced pulmonary complications, major complications and a shorter length of hospital stay. Oncological outcomes were maintained across all 3 techniques. These findings have important patient, financial, and resource implications, and support the continued adoption of RAMIO in the UK.

Proposal of a catalogue of criteria for the identification and classification of metaphorical collocations

Abstract This article focuses on metaphorical collocations, a special subtype of lexical collocations in which the cohesion between the constituents is based on a lexicalised metaphor (see Reder 2006; Volungevičienė 2008; Konecny 2010a, 2010b, 2023). The word combinations in question can develop from originally free sequences into recurrent patterns appearing in several semantically related collocations if they occur repeatedly in similar contexts (see Stojić and Košuta 2020, 2021). A case in point is the German collocation die Zeit verfliegt and its equivalents in Croatian, English and Italian: vrijeme leti (‘time flies’), time flies (by), and il tempo vola (via) (‘time flies (away)’), which convey a rapid movement and the feeling of time rushing by. The various patterns often also reflect cultural concepts and experiences; for example, a pattern that conceptualises time as a resource could be anchored in a cultural idea that regards time as something valuable. Metaphorical collocations thus frequently reflect superordinate conceptual metaphors that are located at a cognitive level and common to more than one language community. Nevertheless, the concrete language-specific manifestations may vary, and in many cases show only partial equivalence. Unlike idioms, where metaphor has long been recognised as a fundamental semantic process (see, e.g., Casadei 1996: passim; Dobrovol’skij and Piirainen 2009: 19–29), collocations have not been thoroughly examined in this regard. It is therefore necessary to gain a more detailed insight into the semantic-cognitive processes underlying the creation of lexical combinations to draw conclusions regarding their relevance for the emergence of collocational sequences. This requires an analysis of extensive authentic language material, which will allow for the development of a catalogue of criteria that facilitates the identification and classification of these specific linguistic phenomena. This paper focuses on uncovering such processes based on a study carried out using SketchEngine in web corpora of German, Croatian, English, and Italian with the aim of creating a clear framework for the identification of metaphorical collocations by elaborating criteria that can serve as guidelines and by attempting a classification into subtypes. The proposed criteria and typology can contribute to the systematic investigation of metaphorical collocations and should also open up perspectives for future work in this field.

Research on an Algorithm for High-Speed Train Positioning and Speed Measurement Based on Orthogonal Time Frequency Space Modulation and Integrated Sensing and Communication

The Doppler effect caused by the rapid movement of high-speed rail services has a great impact on the accuracy of train positioning and speed measurement. Existing train positioning algorithms require a large number of trackside equipment and sensors, resulting in high construction and maintenance costs. Aiming to solve the above two problems, this article proposes a train positioning algorithm based on orthogonal time–frequency space (OTFS) modulation and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). Firstly, based on the OTFS, the positioning and speed measurement architecture of communication awareness integration is constructed. Secondly, a two-stage estimation (TSE) algorithm is proposed to estimate the delay Doppler parameters of HST. In the first stage, a low-complexity coarse grid search is used, and in the second stage, a refined off-grid search is used to obtain the delay Doppler parameters. Then, the time difference of arrival/frequency difference of arrival (TDOA/FDOA) algorithm based on multiple base stations is used to locate the target, the weighted least square method is used to calculate the location, and the Cramér–Rao lower bound (CRLB) for positioning and speed measurement is derived. The simulation results demonstrate that, compared to GNSS/INS and OFDM radars, the algorithm exhibits enhanced positioning and speed measurement accuracy.

BronchoTrack: Airway Lumen Tracking for Branch-Level Bronchoscopic Localization.

Localizing the bronchoscope in real time is essential for ensuring intervention quality. However, most existing vision-based methods struggle to balance between speed and generalization. To address these challenges, we present BronchoTrack, an innovative real-time framework for accurate branch-level localization, encompassing lumen detection, tracking, and airway association. To achieve real-time performance, we employ benchmark light weight detector for efficient lumen detection. We firstly introduce multi-object tracking to bronchoscopic localization, mitigating temporal confusion in lumen identification caused by rapid bronchoscope movement and complex airway structures. To ensure generalization across patient cases, we propose a training-free detection-airway association method based on a semantic airway graph that encodes the hierarchy of bronchial tree structures. Experiments on 11 patient datasets demonstrate BronchoTrack's localization accuracy of 81.72%, while accessing up to the 6th generation of airways. Furthermore, we tested BronchoTrack in an in-vivo animal study using a porcine model, where it localized the bronchoscope into the 8th generation airway successfully. Experimental evaluation underscores BronchoTrack's real-time performance in both satisfying accuracy and generalization, demonstrating its potential for clinical applications.

Enhancing maximum sustainable yield in a patchy prey–predator environment

In this paper, we investigate a prey–predator community of fish coexisting in a multi-patches model, where different fishing patches are interconnected through migration terms. Only the predator is caught, while the prey grows logistically on each patch. The main objective of our research is to compare the maximum sustainable yield achieved in two contrasting scenarios: unconnected patches and connected patches with rapid stock movements. We show that the total maximum sustainable yield for the connected patches can be greater than the sum of the maximum sustainable yield on each isolated patch. The analysis of the model allows us to establish the conditions under which one of the two cases is more favorable from the viewpoint of yield. As a result, we provide a complete classification for all possible cases. This valuable information can be used to assist decision-makers in selecting the best management strategy for a particular fishery.

Application of LS-RAPID to simulate the motion of two contrasting landslides triggered by earthquakes

Abstract Earthquake-triggered landslides are one of the most significant hazards worldwide. These landslides, involving small or large volumes, can develop debris flows or avalanches with high mobility and long runout distances. The motion processes of this type of landslide are also quite complicated. This study reproduced the motion processes of two landslides using the LS-RAPID program. The Aso-Bridge landslide occurred on April 16, 2016, and it featured rapid movement and a long runout distance. The Kataragai landslide occurred on April 9, 2018, and it traveled with a flow-like behavior. This work presents the features and mechanical parameters of these two landslides by means of survey investigations and laboratory experiments. We established pre-failure models and reproduced motion processes of these two landslides using the LS-PAPID program. Two indicators, consisting of the sliding speed and traveling morphology at different intervals, were considered to describe the motion processes. Results indicated that the resultant maximum sliding speeds of these two landslides were approximately 297.1 and 43.6 m/s, respectively, and that post-failure morphologies were consistent with those observed in field investigations.

Numerical modelling of radionuclide uptake by bluefin tuna along its migration routes in the Mediterranean Sea after a nuclear accident

A numerical model which simulates the adsorption of radionuclides by migrating bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea is described, in order to determine the level of contamination of these fish after a hypothetical nuclear accident and thus be able to assess the possible impact on human consumption. A 4–species foodweb model is incorporated into a Lagrangian model describing physical transport (advection, mixing, radioactive decay and interactions of radionuclides with sediments). Tuna is the last trophic level in the foodweb model and the equation providing the temporal evolution of radionuclide concentration in its flesh is solved along the fish trajectories, which were obtained through electronic tagging of fishes. The model was applied to the western Mediterranean, where several worst–case hypothetical accidents were simulated, both from a coastal nuclear power plant and from a vessel. Resulting 137Cs concentrations in migrating tuna were similar, or slightly higher, than reported background concentrations in these fishes and well below established safety levels. Maximum calculated concentrations in tuna flesh is in the order of 1 Bq/kg (wet weight). This is due to the rapid movement of the fishes, which spend only limited time over the most contaminated spots.

Unmanned aerial vehicle for magnetic detection of metallic landmines in military applications

Landmines significantly hinder the rapid movement of military forces and pose major obstacles during critical operations. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, offer several significant advantages for landmine detection. Most studies have tested drone-based systems at controlled sites and demonstrated their effectiveness in limited scenarios, with no examples of using these systems to detect landmines and relay the results to mine clearance machines (MCMs) for actual removal in real military operations. This study evaluated the use of UAVs equipped with magnetometers to detect metallic landmines in military applications. By conducting a series of controlled experiments, the research identified optimal flight conditions—2 m/s flight speed, 1 m survey interval, and 0.5 m sensor altitude—that balance accuracy and operational efficiency. The findings demonstrate that UAV-based magnetometer systems can significantly enhance mine clearance operations by providing near real-time data to MCMs. This approach offers a safer, faster, and more cost-effective alternative to traditional landmine detection methods by addressing the limitations of ground-based operations, such as high risk to human operators and inefficiency.

An Efficient DDoS Attack Detection and Prevention Model using fusion Heuristic Enhancement of Deep Learning Approach in FANET Sector

Problem OverviewA Flying Ad-hoc Network (FANET) is a decentralized communication network formed by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). However, it faces significant security challenges due to its decentralized nature and mobility. One of the most critical threats is the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack, which aims to overcome the network by flooding it with malicious actions, disrupting communication, and causing system failures. The primary challenge lies in detecting and mitigating such attacks in real-time, given the dynamic and complex nature of FANETs, where the rapid movement of UAVs complicates monitoring and defending mechanisms. MethodologyA novel detection and prevention model has been proposed to address the issue of DDoS attacks utilizing a hybrid heuristic-based machine learning approach tailored for FANET environments. The model begins by collecting necessary information using benchmark datasets to train and enhance the detection performance. The collected data is used for detecting the DDoS attack using Hybrid Deep Learning (HDL). The HDL model developed by combining Deep Temporal Convolutional Networks (DTCN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, offers a powerful solution. DTCNs excel at detecting short-term, rapidly changing patterns in network traffic, which is essential for recognizing the instant effects of topology changes in FANETs. At the same time, LSTMs are designed to handle long-term dependencies and can used to the evolving patterns of UAV movement and traffic behavior over time. Here, the hyper-parameters are optimized by proposing the Hybrid of Water Strider and Cuckoo Search (HWSCS). Water Strider optimization (WSA) and Cuckoo Search Optimizer (CSO) are combined in the HWSCS algorithm. This algorithm is a versatile and powerful tool for optimizing multifaceted systems across different fields. Its combination of local and global search abilities allows it to find optimal solutions in complicated environments, making it invaluable for tasks ranging from machine learning to network security and beyond. In network security, HWSCS is effective in optimizing the parameters of intrusion detection systems, particularly in detecting complex cyber threats like DDoS attacks, ensuring more accuracy while reducing false positives. After detecting the DDoS attack, it is prevented from communication by establishing the routing process. This routing process involves rerouting the network traffic away from the affected areas and towards secure servers, effectively isolating the attack and minimizing its impact on the network. Additionally, it allows for greater flexibility and adaptability in responding to evolving threats in realtime. Here, the attack mitigation is accomplished by finding the Optimal Link State Routing (OLSR), estimated by the hybrid HWSCS algorithm. This algorithm determines the most efficient path for redirecting traffic away from the targeted servers, preventing overload, and maintaining network stability. The integration of HWSCS with OLSR not only improves network security but also proves the importance of innovative solutions in protecting malicious activities. Lastly, the model's performance is validated and measured with different metrics. ResultsThe proposed model demonstrated superior performance compared to traditional models. It achieved a recall of 93.87, significantly higher than other approaches like 89.22 for MobileNet, 89.40 for DTCN, 88.44 for LSTM, and 88.35 for DTCN-LSTM. This improved detection accuracy, combined with the effective routing mechanism, ensures better prevention and mitigation of DDoS attacks in FANETs. The results confirm the model's ability to not only detect attacks but also minimize network disruption, providing a robust solution for maintaining secure and stable communication in FANET environments.

Cost and benefit of parafoveal information during reading acquisition as revealed by finger movement patterns

Contrary to expert readers, children learning to read have limited ability to preprocess letters in parafoveal vision. Parafoveal letters induce crowding cost: the features of neighboring letters interfere with target letter identification. We longitudinally studied the weight of parafoveal cost and benefit in two group of children (N = 42), during their first school year (Group 1) and at the end of second school year (Groupe 2). Using a novel digit-tracking method, a blurred text was presented and rendered unblurred by touching the screen, allowing the user to discover a window of visible text as the finger moved along it. We compared two conditions: (1) a large window, where crowding was enhanced by the presence of parafoveal information; (2) a small window, where crowding was suppressed by blurred parafoveal information. Finger kinematics were simultaneously recorded. We found that at the beginning of first-grade, digital fixations - brief slowing or stopping of the finger on a specific point - are significantly longer in the large compared to the small window condition, as parafoveal crowding increases text processing difficulty. This effect diminishes and disappears at the end of second-grade as reading performance improves. In the large window condition, longer digital saccades - rapid movements of the finger changing position - appear by the end of first grade suggesting that parafoveal exposure become more beneficial than harmful when children acquire basic reading skills. Our results show that in beginning readers, crowding has a cognitive cost that interfere with the speed of the learning reading process. Our findings are relevant to the field of education by showing that visual crowding in first grade should not be underestimated.

Research on Monitoring the Speed of Glacier Terminus Movement Based on the Time-Series Interferometry of a Ground-Based Radar System

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the largest glacier reserve outside the Antarctic and Arctic regions. Climate warming has affected the reserve of freshwater resources and led to frequent glacier disasters. However, due to its extreme environment of hypoxia and low pressure, it is extremely difficult to obtain data. Compared with other traditional monitoring methods such as makers and satellite remote sensing technology, Ground-Based (GB) radar systems have the advantages of convenient carrying and installation, sub-second level sampling, and sub-millimeter measurement accuracy. They can be used as an effective way to study the short-term rapid movement changes in glaciers. Based on a self-built GB radar system, monitoring experiments were conducted on two glacier termini on the TP. The movement speed of the Rongbuk glacier terminus on Mount Qomolangma was obtained through time-series interferometric measurement as 4.10 cm/day. When the altitude was about 5200 m, the glacier movement speed was 7.74 cm/day, indicating the spatial differences with altitude changes. And in another region, the movement speed of the Yangbulake glacier terminus on Mount Muztag Ata was 198.96 cm/day, indicating significant changes in glacier movement. The cross-validation of Sentinel-1 data during the same period proved the effectiveness of GB radar system interferometry in measuring glacier movement speed and also provided field validation data for remote sensing inversion.

EXPORT AND IMPORT MANAGEMENT OF ENGINEERING ENTERPRISES IN UKRAINE

The paper reviews the general business trends and proves the need for cooperation at the international level for enterprises. It has been established that export-import operations are a special form of the enterprise's foreign economic activity and are characterized by certain features. Therefore, the use of the "export-import management" category is suggested. The interpretation of export-import management as a special direction of the enterprise's activity which involves the effective organization of the interaction of all divisions and officials of the enterprise in order to ensure the rapid movement of goods or services across the border and the full implementation of signed agreements in order to achieve the commercial goals of the enterprise is presented. The institutional conditions for the development of export-import management and signs of its necessity are determined. The need to improve the efficiency of export-import operations due to such problems of their organization as the disorganization of management processes, the inconsistency of the processes of informatization and digitalization of business in different countries, the complexity of the procedures for obtaining the status of an authorized economic operator, the complexity of the conditions for the formalization of foreign economic contracts, a large number of criteria for the efficiency of export-import activity is emphasized. Partial criteria for the effectiveness of export-import management are suggested. The importance of export-import management in the development of machine-engineering enterprises has been proven. The main positive consequences that effective export-import management that can be provided for the machine-engineering industry have been determined. It was revealed that an important direction of export-import management of machine-engineering enterprises is the study of potential partners, in particular, their legal, technological, scientific-technical and organizational aspects of development. Special attention is paid to the use of export-import management measures by machine-engineering enterprises after the start of a full-scale invasion.

Blue Light Controlled Supramolecular Soft Robotics of Phenylazothiazole Amphiphiles for Rapid Macroscopic Actuations.

Nature preprograms sophisticated processes in operating molecular machines at the nanoscale, amplifying the molecular motion across multiple length-scales, and controlling movements in living organisms. Supramolecular soft robotics serve as a new alternative to hard robotics, are able to transform and amplify collective motions of the supramolecularly assembled molecular machines in attaining macroscopic motions, upon photoirradiation. By taking advantage of oriented supramolecular macroscopic soft scaffold, here the first rapid macroscopic movements of supramolecular robotic materials driven by visible light are presented. Head-tail amphiphilic structure is designed with the phenylazothiazole motif as the photoswitching core. Unidirectionally aligned nanostructures of the amphiphilic phenylazothiazoles are controlled by non-invasive blue light irradiation and bends toward the light source, demonstrating a fast macroscopic actuation of supramolecular robotic systems (up to 17°s-1) in aqueous media. Through meticulous X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy analyzes, macroscopic actuation mechanism is illustrated in a tight relation to molecular geometric transformations upon photoisomerization. By elucidating the key macroscopic actuation parameters, this paves the way for the next generation design of supramolecular soft robotic systems with enhanced biomimetic actuating functions.

Impact of proprioceptive cervical dizziness in chronic neck pain syndromes on gait and stance during active head-turn challenges.

An earlier observational study described selected patients with acute neck pain syndrome, who experienced short bursts of cervical vertigo elicited by rapid head movements. The current study on a larger cohort of 20 patients with chronic or frequently recurring neck pain syndrome and age-matched controls focused on two major questions: (1) Can head movements in subjects with exacerbations of neck pain and restrictions of neck mobility also elicit bursts of vertigo? (2) What is the impact on postural balance measured by analysis of body sway and locomotion? A detailed questionnaire was applied, posture and gait were evaluated by use of instrumented posturography-and gait analysis with and without slow or rapid horizontal head rotations in the yaw plane with and without sight/visual input. All patients reported some or frequent episodes of dizziness in the range of seconds only elicited by rapid, not by slow head movements. Postural sway in patients was unremarkable in undisturbed conditions without head movements, but specifically increased by rapid but not slow head turns. The latter is best explained by the lack of continuous control of velocity and amplitude of saccadic head movements. Gait analysis revealed a slowed and cautious gait pattern already at undisturbed condition that was even exaggerated during rapid head turns. These observations demonstrate that chronic or recurrent neck pain is associated with episodic experiences of dizziness and above results in both chronic and episodic alterations of stance and gait that resemble those described for patients with phobic postural vertigo/persistent postural perceptual dizziness, a functional gait disorder.

The frequency of injuries of Iranian male professional soccer players: a cross-sectional study.

Soccer is known to be a sport that carries a high risk of injuries due to its physical nature, involving intense contact and rapid movements like acceleration, deceleration, jumping, and sudden changes in direction. Compared to other sports, soccer is considered a contact sport with a heightened injury risk. The primary objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of sports injuries among professional soccer players. In this cross-sectional study, 56 male professional footballers participated to assess their injuries. The Pre-Competition Medical Assessment (PCMA) was utilized as the standard protocol for evaluating the athletes. The study examined variables such as injury type, player position on the field, and body mass index (BMI) in accordance with the FIFA-recommended PCMA guidelines. Student t-test was used to compare demographic characteristics injured and healthy athlete. Chi square and fisher exact tests were used to assess the association between player position, injury type and BMI classification. In this study, the mean age of the soccer players was 19.38 ± 1.30 years, with a history of participating in 3 to 60 matches. The highest incidence of injuries was recorded in the knee (48.21%) and ankle (30.36%), respectively. A significant relationship was found between the players' positions on the field and knee pain, with strikers experiencing more knee pain compared to players in other positions (p less than 0.04). However, no significant association was observed between the players' BMI and the occurrence of sports injuries (p greater than 0.05). Given the widespread occurrence of knee injuries among footballers, particularly in attacking players, proper planning and appropriate training protocols would be useful to prevent knee injuries and reduce treatment costs.

Towards robust visual odometry by motion blur recovery

IntroductionMotion blur, primarily caused by rapid camera movements, significantly challenges the robustness of feature point tracking in visual odometry (VO).MethodsThis paper introduces a robust and efficient approach for motion blur detection and recovery in blur-prone environments (e.g., with rapid movements and uneven terrains). Notably, the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) is utilized for motion blur detection, followed by a blur selection and restoration strategy within the motion frame sequence. It marks a substantial improvement over traditional visual methods (typically slow and less effective, falling short in meeting VO’s realtime performance demands). To address the scarcity of datasets catering to the image blurring challenge in VO, we also present the BlurVO dataset. This publicly available dataset is richly annotated and encompasses diverse blurred scenes, providing an ideal environment for motion blur evaluation.

Bismuth-Tin Core-Shell Particles From Liquid Metals: A Novel, Highly Efficient Photothermal Material that Combines Broadband Light Absorption with Effective Light-to-Heat Conversion.

This study presents a pioneering investigation of hybrid bismuth-tin (BiSn) liquid metal particles for photothermal applications. It is shown that the intrinsic core-shell structure of liquid metal particles can be instrumentalized to combine the broadband absorption characteristics of defect-rich nano-oxides and the high light-to-heat conversion efficiency of metallic particles. Even though bismuth or tin does not show any photothermal characteristics alone, optimization of the core-shell structure of BiSn particles leads to the discovery of novel, highly efficient photothermal materials. Particles with optimized structures can absorb 85% of broadband light and achieve over 90% photothermal conversion efficiency. It is demonstrated that these particles can be used as a solar absorber for solar water evaporation systems owing to their broadband absorption capability and become a non-carbon alternative enabling scalable applications. We also showcased their use in polymer actuators in which a near-infrared (NIR) response stems from theiroxide shell, and fast heating/cooling rates achieved by the metal core enable rapid response and local movement. These findings underscore the potential of BiSn liquid metal-derived core-shell particles for diverse applications, capitalizing on their outstanding photothermal properties as well as their facile and scalable synthesis conditions.

Development of automatic audio panning system for immersive sound through stage size-aware model and object-tracking

We investigated a novel AI-assisted automated 'immersive' audio panning system designed to track audio-related objects within a video clip. This system comprises four sequential steps: Object-Tracking, Stage dimension Estimation, XY-Coordinate Calculation, and Object Audio Rendering. The system is designed to overcome existing challenges arising from the rapid and frequent movement of target objects by employing a pre-trained object-tracking model and integrating depth information to ensure stability in subsequent tasks. Additionally, we introduce a stage size-aware model to extrapolate stage dimension using our manually collected dataset, formatted as (Image, Width, Depth), which facilitates model training. Consequently, the system calculates XY-Coordinate pairs, serving as panning values for conventional audio mixers or decoders to enable immersive audio reproduction. We anticipate that this video- and space-aware automatic panning system will be valuable for the rapid production of new media.

Cyanobacterial Blooms in City Parks: A Case Study Using Zebrafish Embryos for Toxicity Characterization

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes that play an important role in the ecology of aquatic ecosystems. However, they can also produce toxins with negative effects on aquatic organisms, wildlife, livestock, domestic animals, and humans. With the increasing global temperatures, urban parks, renowned for their multifaceted contributions to society, have been largely affected by blooms of toxic cyanobacteria. In this work, the toxicity of two different stages of development of a cyanobacterial bloom from a city park was assessed, evaluating mortality, hatching, development, locomotion (total distance, slow and rapid movements, and path angles) and biochemical parameters (oxidative stress, neurological damage, and tissue damage indicators) in zebrafish embryos/larvae (Danio rerio). Results showed significant effects for the samples with more time of evolution at the developmental level (early hatching for low concentrations (144.90 mg/L), delayed hatching for high concentrations (significant values above 325.90 mg/L), and delayed development at all concentrations), behavioral level (hypoactivity), and biochemical level (cholinesterase (ChE)) activity reduction and interference with the oxidative stress system for both stages of evolution). This work highlights the toxic potential of cyanobacterial blooms in urban environments. In a climate change context where a higher frequency of cyanobacterial proliferation is expected, this topic should be properly addressed by competent entities to avoid deleterious effects on the biodiversity of urban parks and poisoning events of wildlife, pets and people.