bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Platelet lysate for the treatment of osteoarthritis: a systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies
Authors: Valtetsiotis K. , Di Martino A. , Brunello M. , D’Agostino C. , Poluzzi R. , Ferri R. , Mora P. , Traina F. , Faldini C.
Published: June 2024

Intra-articular injection-based therapy is often used aside conservative treatment and lifestyle modifications to manage knee osteoarthritis (KO) patients. Conventional injections contain steroids and hyaluronic acid, while more recently multipotential adult stem cell, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and platelet lysate (PL) injections have been used to promote cartilage regeneration or repair. The aim of the current study is to analyse current evidence on PL injections for the treatment of KO and to determine if these are effective and how these perform compared to other injection regimens. The databases of Scopus, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched on 30 June 2023. Risk of bias was assessed using the SYRCLE tool for animal studies and Cochrane RoB 2 as well as ROBINS-I tool for human studies. Studies were included if these were in English, any year, and regarded animals with osteoarthritis (OA) or human adult patients with OA. In vitro trials and non-adult human studies were excluded. Results on OA symptom stage and severity, and pain were recorded. The research retrieved three human studies (n = 48, n = 25, n = 58) and four animal studies: one rabbit, two studies, and one rat study. PL was found to decrease KO symptoms at follow-up ≤ 1 year with respect to baseline levels and when compared to hyaluronic acid or platelet-rich plasma. Symptoms returned 6 months–1 year after the final administration, with studies showing peak efficacy at approximately 6 months. Animal studies showed clinical improvements, reduction of lameness, and partial effect on the cartilage regeneration of the seven studies, two had a high risk of bias, four were associated to some concerns, and one had low risk. A major source of bias in these studies was the use of questionnaires and scoring that could be subject to interpretation. Overall, PL was well-tolerated and showed efficacy comparable to PRP; when pain control was assessed, it showed similar efficacy compared to hyaluronic acid. These findings may support its use in clinical trials to confirm these initial findings; future research should also focus on the comparison with other non-surgical treatments, on a more detail of the potential regenerative properties, and to optimise the treatment schedule.
Effects on the design of aeronautical fuel cell systems by inclusion of reliability requirements
Authors: Schorr Markus , Voth Viola , Gentner Christoph
Published: June 2024

The change towards carbon neutrality in air traffic involves a huge reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This goal is beyond reach by the step wise improvement of conventional technologies. Hence, at present a solution which gains much of attraction are electric motors and electric aircraft systems in combination with fuel cells which can be run by green hydrogen. For a holistic comparison of various concepts the consideration of reliability aspects is required even at an early stage of design. In the scope of this work methods from reliability and safety engineering will be introduced and set in context of aeronautical fuel cell systems. On that basis the consequences arising by the requirement of redundancy are investigated on a system level approach. For this purpose, a model of an aeronautical fuel cell system will be set up in order to simulate a generic flight envelope at stationary points. The fuel cell system is chosen to be central-monolithic and its components are sized for the propulsion of a regional aircraft. With the aid of the system simulation, various failure scenarios are investigated from which mitigation strategies can be derived. Finally, the baseline design will be improved in terms of redundancy in order to last in a generic failure scenario. A comparison between the baseline and improved design shows that the additional redundancy comes with the cost of 4.6% weight increase and a 2.5% drop in cruise efficiency.
Hemodialysis water reuse within a circular economy approach. What can we add to current knowledge? A point of view
Authors: Tarrass Faissal , Benjelloun Meryem , Piccoli Giorgina Barbara
Published: June 2024

The ongoing climate change and the ecological challenges call for sustainable medicine and, in our field, sustainable kidney care. Dialysis is life-saving and resource-consuming, and high water consumption is one of the main concerns. Circular water economy, meaning reuse and recycling of water, and recovering resources can help reducing emissions and enhancing resilience to climate change. Several actions are possible including reusing reverse osmosis reject water, employable for gardening, aquaponics or even simply for toilet flushing, or in sterilization settings, reusing spent dialysate, at least for toilet flushing, but with wider use if microbiologically purified, recovering thermal energy from spent dialysate, that can probably be done with simple devices, or using phosphate-rich spent dialysate for producing fertilizers, namely struvite. All these options may be economically sound, and all help reducing the final dialysis carbon footprint. There is room for open-minded innovative approaches to improve water-related sustainability in hemodialysis, ultimately reducing ecological impact and increasing availability.

Graphical abstract
An Exact Solution to the Inverse Problem of Steady Free-Surface Flow over Topography
Authors: Blyth M. G.
Published: June 2024

A simple exact solution is presented to the inverse problem in steady, two-dimensional idealised flow over topography that seeks the bottom profile given knowledge of the free-surface data. Attention is focused on the case when a uniform stream flows over a localised obstacle, although the solution is not restricted to this case. The inverse problem is formulated as a Stieltjes integral equation which is solved exactly using a Fourier transform. The solution requires the analytic continuation of two real functions representing the surface speed and the angle between the surface velocity vector and the horizontal. Some example surface profiles and their corresponding bottom topographies are discussed. Although the solution requires the prescription of the surface as a function of the velocity potential, it is shown to closely resemble the corresponding profile in physical space, even for quite large surface displacements, while significant discrepancy occurs at the bottom. Inference of the bottom profile from discrete surface data is accomplished by way of polynomial interpolation and rational approximation in the complex plane for the sample case of a hydraulic fall.
Compressed development, decompression, and diverging convergence in South Korea: which varieties of capitalism in contemporary Korea?
Authors: Lee Keun , Kim Djun Kil
Published: June 2024

South Korea has achieved compressed growth and convergence of its income level to that of typical advanced economies. This paper adopts a narrow definition of compressed development as a form of late development that lacks political democracy and open markets, and then defines decompression as the process of democratization and economic liberalization. This paper applies this framework of “compressed development, decompression, and diverging convergence” to analyze the dynamics of Korean capitalism since the 1980s after the death of the modernizer-dictator, President Park. First, the middle class emerged in Korea in the 1980s as a result of compressed growth since the 1960s and served as a key intermediary in linking economic growth to democratization. The process of political decompression, or democratization, was peaceful because it was demanded and led not by the working class but by the middle class. Second, an ill-managed first wave of economic decompression (liberalization) led to a financial crisis, and then, the post-crisis reforms (the second, more radical decompression) imposed by the IMF planted the institutional seeds for convergence with Anglo-American capitalism. Third, Korea is experiencing the end of the East Asian miracle, as evidenced by slowing growth and rising inequality, and is undergoing a multifaceted convergence toward different varieties of capitalism. In terms of life expectancy and crime rates, Korea joins Japan, Italy, and Spain in the “safe capitalism” group, while it is an extreme outlier in terms of its large gender wage gap and long working hours. In terms of unemployment and long-term employment rates, Korea is closer to the Anglo-American model, but closer to Europe in terms of the degree of active (or passive) labor market policies and legal protection against layoffs. Korea seems to be realizing “divergent convergence” as it remains distinct from any particular form of Western capitalism.
Lessons from Developing a Rubric for Evaluating Need Statements on Health Technology Innovation Projects
Authors: Denend Lyn , Venook Ross , Pamnani Ravinder D. , Sheth Kunj , Towles Joseph
Published: June 2024

In design-oriented biomedical engineering courses, some instructors teach need-driven methods for health technology innovation that use a “need statement” to reflect a student team’s hypothesis about the most fruitful direction for their project. While need statements are of the utmost importance to the projects, we were not aware of any comprehensive rubric for helping instructors evaluate them. Leveraging resources such as the Biodesign textbook along with input from faculty teaching health technology design at our university, we created a rubric for evaluating the construction of need statements. We then introduced the rubric to undergraduate students in a 3-week intersession course in fall 2023. Afterward, we used the rubric to compare the de-identified final need statements from 2023 to the de-identified final need statements from students in the course in 2022 and 2021. Our assumption that need statements from 2023 would score better against the rubric than those from previous years proved not to be the case. However, we gleaned valuable lessons about the role of rubrics in supporting student learning and increasing alignment among faculty, as well as insights about rubric development and areas for future study. In this article, we also share the initial version of the rubric so that other instructors can adapt and improve upon it for their own courses.
Utilizing Repetitive Sampling in the Construction of a Control Chart for Lindley Distribution with Time Truncation
Authors: Sriramachandran G. V. , Gadde Srinivasa Rao , Aslam Muhammad
Published: June 2024

The monitoring of the process relies on the average product lifetime, which adheres to the Lindley distribution and employs a truncated life test-based attribute control chart. Control limits for these charts are determined through a repetitive sampling procedure. Two inner and outer control limits are established based on the desired average run length (ARL). Tables are generated for varying ARL values by adjusting shift values while keeping the shape parameter of the Lindley distribution constant. The effectiveness of the control charts is assessed through application to real-time data, and the performance of the proposed chart is evaluated using simulation data. A comparative analysis is conducted with single sampling scheme based on ARL values, and the results are presented and discussed.
Guidelines for Early Mobilisation of Intubated Patients in Intensive Care Unit: Clinical Pathology Evidence-Base Perspective
Authors: Nwose Ezekiel Uba , Bwititi Phillip Taderera , Wang Lexin
Published: June 2024

Intensive care unit (ICU) patients can be immobilised over long periods due to their conditions, and the subsequent management inclusive of mechanical ventilation, which is also associated with complications. Hence, early mobilization of intubated patients (EMIP) may be beneficial but there are various barriers including the lack of consensus guidelines. Based on a brief scoping literature review, this article notes of perhaps one consensus guidelines developed from a systematic review in 2014 followed by a meeting of experts from ICU but there are other guidelines, recommendations, and strategies. However, there still exists the challenge of consensus guidelines for early mobilization. Barriers and/or facilitators, evaluation of optimal intervention dosage, good communication, and use of necessary assistive equipment have also been identified. Some resource limited countries lack physiotherapists and equipment, and these services are therefore provided mostly by nurses and junior doctors, which calls for tailored guidelines. Prominent note in the guidelines is oximetry but not blood gas measurement and another note are the limitations caused by vasoactive agents. Perhaps, the cost and invasive nature of the blood gas analyses are concerns and this is significant for resource limited countries. However, this test and alternatives need considerations in the guidelines. There is agreement on safe early mobilisation of intubated patients (EMIP), but this requires developing to tailor for resource limited countries. The vasoactive agents affect blood gases, hence evidence-base blood gases and acid–base analyses are necessary to integrate in monitoring intubated patients in ICU. Given the four criteria (cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, and ‘others’) and challenges in the existing guidelines, some laboratory tests are recommended as additional items to the ‘others’ criterion to improve on potential points of imprecision and risk of bias.
Cavitation mitigation via curvilinear barriers in centrifugal pump
Authors: Khan Zakir , Weiguo Zhao
Published: June 2024

Cavitation is a significant problem in hydraulic machinery that leads to the deterioration of hydraulic performance, material damage, and flow instability. While current methods partially address cavitation instability, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the control mechanisms. This study focuses on controlling cavitation flow instability in a centrifugal pump by proposing an active method using obstacles on the blade's surface. A low-specific speed centrifugal pump was chosen as the research object, and a three-dimensional unsteady full-flow channel numerical simulation was conducted. The findings indicate that in the absence of cavitation, the wake vortex induced by obstacles increases energy loss in the centrifugal pump, resulting in a slight drop in efficiency. However, when cavitation occurs, the obstacles effectively improve the flow field, reduce the vortex strength near the back of the blade in the flow channel, and significantly reduce the growth rate of cavitation volume. This reduction is observed in both the cavitation volume and its first derivative. Thus, the obstacles optimize the flow structure, reduce vortex strength, and slow the growth rate of cavitation. The main control mechanism involves inducing high-pressure waves to collapse cavities and improving flow transition characteristics. To solve the inverse problem of cavitation control with obstacles inside a centrifugal pump, dimensionless geometric parameters are studied to determine better suppression effects.
Reliability of tele-assessment of five repetition sit to stand and timed up and go tests in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain
Authors: Ozsoy Ismail , Uz Ahmet Lutfi
Published: June 2024

Background

Telerehabilitation has become a frequently preferred option in the follow-up and treatment processes of non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) in recent years. One of the most important components in the rehabilitation of patients with NSLBP is a comprehensive assessment. Physical performance assessments such as the Five Repetition Sit to Stand Test (5xSTS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) stand out as tests often used in clinical measurements in patients with NSLBP.

Aims

This study aimed to assess reliability of tele-assessment of 5xSTS and TUG tests in patients with NSLBP.

Methods

Patients with NSLBP with low back pain for at least 3 months were included in the study. All tests were performed face-to-face and remotely. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were used to determine the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results

Inter-rater reliability results between face-to-face and tele-assessment were excellent for both 5xSTS (ICC = 0.966) and TUG (ICC = 0.900). In addition, the intra-rater reliability results obtained between face-to-face and tele-assessment showed excellent for both 5xSTS (ICC = 0.979) and TUG (ICC = 0.958).

Conclusions

This study suggests that these tests can be used reliably at home or remotely in different settings as well as in the clinic.
ESPR chronicles: unveiling environmental and pollution science trends across time
Authors: Prajapati Saurabh , Pandya Chintan
Published: June 2024

This study explores current research trends in environmental studies, emphasizing the importance of addressing climate change through effective strategies and highlighting the crucial role of circular economy principles and resource management in achieving sustainability goals. It aims to investigate emerging patterns and analyze the altmetric impact of published research in the field of environment and pollution. Environmental Science and Pollution Research (ESPR), a research journal published by Springer since January 1994, serves as a cornerstone for scholarly discourse in this field. The first volume of ESPR was released in January 1994, and since then, all of the information has been indexed by significant databases like OCLC WorldCat Discovery Service, SCOPUS, and DIMENSIONS, amongst others. ESPR is one of the leading journals with a five-year impact factor of 5.4 and 1.01 SJR Q1 quartile as of 2023, with an h-index of 179. The journal has published influential articles that garnered high altmetric scores, indicating online attention and engagement, although there is a notable disparity between altmetric scores and total citations. Most of the highly cited articles cover various topics, including eutrophication, electrochemical advanced oxidation processes, insecticides, and phytoremediation. Most publications fall under environmental sciences, followed by pollution and contamination. Chinese institutions have substantially contributed to the journal, indicating a strong emphasis on environmental and pollution research in China. Our findings reveal significant growth in publication output and citation rates, alongside a notable disparity between traditional citation metrics and altmetrics, underscoring the need for comprehensive impact assessment methodologies.
Noninvasive quantitative ultrasound fatty liver evaluation of hepato-renal index in pediatric patients using 3D-slicer
Authors: Battaglia Caterina , Conti Giuliana , Manti Francesco , Pelaia Giulia , Zaffino Paolo , Cosentino Carlo , Concolino Daniela , Console Domenico , Castaldo Lucy , Sestito Simona , Laganà Domenico
Published: June 2024

Aim

Hepato-renal index (HRI) calculated by ultrasound images has been shown to be an effective, noninvasive tool to screen patients with steatosis. The aim of this study was to non-invasively explore a new method for the calculation, directly on DICOM images, of HRI in pediatric patients using 3D Slicer, a free and open-source software for medical image analysis, especially used for artificial intelligence data annotation. Previous studies in literature were based on non-medical image format (such as png and tiff) and analyzed by using ImageJ, a popular image analysis software.

Materials and methods

DICOM images were collected retrospectively between November 2022 and December 2023 at a tertiary institution on any patient under 18 years referred to US assessment of suspected steatosis. The HRI was measured on sagittal images with a clear visualization of both the liver and the kidney by 3D Slicer. The HRI was calculated as the ratio of average pixel intensity values between the two ROIs. Also, we correlated the index with the qualitative operator assessment grade of steatosis made by two expert radiologists with more than 15 years of experience.

Results

49 patients (59% male, age 11.6 ± 2.6 year) were recruited. Of these, 29 (59%) had qualitative ultrasound confirmation of the diagnosis. The Bland–Altman plots showed a good agreement between the HRI indexes calculated with the standard tool ImageJ and 3D Slicer. Furthermore, the quantitative HRI calculated by the two software showed a correlation (Spearman’s coefficient = 0.52, P < 0.0001) with the qualitative operator measurement.

Conclusions

For the first time, an estimation of HRI directly on DICOM images was executed by using 3D Slicer, obtained quantitative information directly from clinically approved image format.
Abductive Reasoning in Science
Authors: Dellsén Finnur
Published: June 2024

In abductive reasoning, scientific theories are evaluated on the basis of how well they would explain the available evidence. There are a number of subtly different accounts of this type of reasoning, most of which are inspired by the popular slogan 'Inference to the Best Explanation.' However, these accounts disagree about exactly how to spell out the slogan so as to avoid various problems for abductive reasoning. This Element aims, firstly, to give an opinionated overview both of the many accounts of abductive reasoning that have been proposed and the problems that have motivated them; and, secondly, to critically evaluate these accounts in a way that points toward a systematic view of the nature and purpose of abductive reasoning in science. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Cultural Selection
Authors: Lewens Tim
Published: June 2024

Humans learn in ways that are influenced by others. As a result, cultural items of many types are elaborated over time in ways that build on the achievements of previous generations. Culture therefore shows a pattern of descent with modification reminiscent of Darwinian evolution. This raises the question of whether cultural selection-a mechanism akin to natural selection, albeit working when learned items are passed from demonstrators to observers-can explain how various practices are refined over time. This Element argues that cultural selection is not necessary for the explanation of cultural adaptation; it shows how to build hybrid explanations that draw on aspects of cultural selection and cultural attraction theory; it shows how cultural reproduction makes problems for highly formalised approaches to cultural selection; and it uses a case-study to demonstrate the importance of human agency for cumulative cultural adaptation.
Role of clay cation exchange capacity, location of charge, and clay mineralogy on potassium availability in Indian Vertisols
Authors: Gurav Priya P. , Ray S.K. , Datta S.C. , Choudhari P.L. , Hartmann Christian
Published: June 2024

Precise information on the location of charge in clay minerals and their charge density in smectite-dominant soils is rare. The present study was undertaken with three benchmark Vertisols to establish the relationship between the clay cation exchange capacity (CEC), charge density, as well as the location of charge in smectitic soil clay minerals and their relationship with potassium (K) fixation and release. Potassium fractions and their threshold levels in the Vertisols were determined by standard methods. Soils were segregated into silt, total clay and fine clay fractions for X-ray diffraction analysis and fine clay fractions were used to determine the CEC using standard methods. The Hofmann-Klemen effect (HK) and modified Greene-Kelly test was done with the fine clay to determine the CEC of the tetrahedral sheet. Subsequently, the CEC of the octahedral sheet was calculated as the difference between total CEC and the tetrahedral CEC. The results showed that ~60–64% of the total CEC is attributed to the tetrahedral layers. The tetrahedral CEC that is proportional to the tetrahedral charge density was significant and negatively correlated with K release threshold values and all fractions of K. The tetrahedral CEC contributed more toward the K fixation and release than the octahedral CEC. The study shows that the dominant presence of high-charge smectites in the fine clay fractions of these Vertisols contributed to the tetrahedral CEC and consequently to the charge density of these soils, which implied a tendency to fix K easily and release it with greater difficulty compared to soils with low-charge smectites.
Absence of syntactic passive in creoles: Evidence from French-based Mauritian Creole
Authors: Syea Anand
Published: June 2024

This article examines passive-type constructions in Mauritian Creole, arguing that they are topic, not passive constructions. I claim that their initial argument (the displaced object) occupies the specifier position of a Topic Phrase, not the structural subject position. This proposal is motivated by the fact that nothing at the surface identifies the displaced object as a grammatical subject, except its position relative to an auxiliary or verb. The topic analysis is supported by both semantic restrictions relating to specificity and animacy and syntactic restrictions relating to distribution (word order) and coordination. It is also supported by the fact that these same restrictions do not apply in unaccusatives, a structurally similar type of construction. The important contribution of this article is that passive-type constructions in Mauritian Creole are ‘apparent’ rather ‘real’ passives, with the wider implication being that creoles, like many languages, do not use canonical passives to express passive meaning.
The Making and Unmaking of a Presidency: Envisioning Empire in British Bencoolen, 1685–1825
Authors: Bains Tiraana
Published: June 2024

The English, and later British, settlement of Bencoolen was first established in 1685 and remained in British hands, barring French wartime occupation, until 1825, when it was handed over to the Dutch in a territorial exchange. Bencoolen was even elevated to the status of a Presidency in the second half of the eighteenth century. Why did the English East India Company and British officials maintain a presence in Bencoolen for so long? This article makes the case that multiple, overlapping visions of commercial and agrarian transformation, including projects focused on pepper and sugar cultivation, sustained British efforts to govern and maintain Bencoolen as part of a larger, trans-oceanic network of territories. Such visions of Bencoolen's economic and imperial potential evolved in sync with equally persistent concerns about Bencoolen's failure to become a thriving settlement. Yet even amid constant anxieties about producing enough pepper, maintaining a sizeable population, and generating sufficient revenue, numerous British imperial agents located in London and Calcutta as well as Sumatra argued over whether the settlement was likely to remain a permanent failure and how the problems that dogged it might be resolved. Thus, even in moments when Bencoolen appeared to be a failed outpost on the periphery of a growing British Empire, its success or lack thereof commanded the attention of British ministers and East India Company servants. In calling for Bencoolen's elevation, subordination, or even abolition as a settlement, Britons contributed to a wide-ranging discussion of what constituted a valuable colony and, indeed, empire.
Persistence of spectral projections for stochastic operators on large tensor products
Authors: Mackay Robert S.
Published: June 2024

It is proved that for families of stochastic operators on a countable tensor product, depending smoothly on parameters, any spectral projection persists smoothly, where smoothness is defined using norms based on ideas of Dobrushin. A rigorous perturbation theory for families of stochastic operators with spectral gap is thereby created. It is illustrated by deriving an effective slow two-state dynamics for a three-state probabilistic cellular automaton.
“To Separate Myself from Them, I Think I Will Feel Great Sadness”: Transnational Fatherhood and Border Regimes in Central Mexico
Authors: Lee Alison Elizabeth , Macías-Ayala Mario Alberto
Published: June 2024

Studies of fatherhood in Latin America demonstrate an uneven shift from traditional, patriarchal fatherhood to a more reflexive version that incorporates elements of active, relational fatherhood. This hybrid fatherhood emerged from the transition of Fordism to flexible accumulation, a transformation that coincided with massive migration from Central Mexico to the United States. Migration scholars have demonstrated the fluidity of masculine identities, men’s strategies to father across borders, and how US immigration enforcement shapes gendered subjectivities and power relations in transnational families. Building off these insights, we examine how return migrant men in rural central Mexico navigated changing meanings and practices of fatherhood. Their hybrid strategies reflect the inherent contradictions of a border regime that limited circular migration to the United States and their interest in maintaining close emotional attachments to children. Transnational fathers’ connections to reproduction reveal another way that affect articulates with capital accumulation and borders.
Puerto Rico in the News
Authors: del Moral Solsiree
Published: June 2024

This essay reviews the following works:

The Politics of Language in Puerto Rico Revisited. By Amílcar Antonio Barreto. Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 2020, Pp. xii + 248. $80.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9781683401131.

Almost Citizens: Puerto Rico, the US Constitution, and Empire. By Sam Erman. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2019, Pp. xv + 275. $30.99 paperback. ISBN: 9781108233866.

Colonial Migrants at the Heart of Empire: Puerto Rican Workers on U.S. Farms. By Ismael García-Colón. Oakland: University of California Press, 2020, Pp. xvii + 326. $29.95 paperback. ISBN: 9780520325791.

Early Puerto Rican Cinema and Nation Building: National Sentiments, Transnational Realities, 1897–1940. By Naida García-Crespo. Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University, 2019, Pp. ix + 226. $34.95 paperback. ISBN: 9781684481170.

Policing Life and Death: Race, Violence, and Resistance in Puerto Rico. By Marisol Lebrón. Oakland: University of California Press, 2019, Pp. xv + 301. $29.95 paperback. ISBN: 9780520300170.

Solidarity across the Americas: The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and Anti-Imperialism. By Margaret M. Power. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2023, Pp. vii + 298. $32.95 paperback. ISBN: 9781469674056.
Does learning from language family help? A case study on a low-resource question-answering task
Authors: Pandya Hariom A. , Bhatt Brijesh S.
Published: June 2024

Multilingual pre-trained models make it possible to develop natural language processing (NLP) applications for low-resource languages (LRLs) using the model of resource-rich languages (RRLs). However, the structural characteristics of the target languages can impact task-specific learning. In this paper, we investigate the influence of structural diversities of languages on the system’s overall performance. Specifically, we propose a customized approach to leverage task-specific data of low-resource language families via transfer learning from RRL. Our findings are based on question-answering tasks using the XLM-R, mBERT, and IndicBERT transformer models and Indic languages (Hindi, Bengali, and Telugu). On the XQuAD-Hindi dataset, the few-shot learning using Bengali improves the benchmark mBERT (F1/EM) score by +(10.86/7.87) and XLM-R score by +(3.84/4.42). Few-shot learning using Telugu has also improved the mBERT score by +(10.42/7.36) and +(3.04/2.72) for XLM-R. In addition, our model has demonstrated benchmark-compatible performance in a zero-shot setup with single-epoch task learning. This approach can be adapted for other NLP tasks for LRLs.
Automatic generation of nominal phrases for Portuguese and Galician
Authors: Domínguez Vázquez María José , Simões Alberto , Bardanca Outeiriño Daniel , Caíña Hurtado María , Iglesias Allones José Luis
Published: June 2024

This paper presents XeraWord, an innovative tool for automatically generating nominal phrases. XeraWord can be used for different tasks, ranging from teaching languages to the creation of examples in lexicography, or even for the development of resources for natural language processing. In this area, Xera was the first experiment, allowing the automatic generation of nominal phrases in three languages: German, French and Spanish. This tool was extended to support other languages, namely, Portuguese and Galician.

We start by presenting the theory behind the development of Xera and its new version, XeraWord, namely, the applied base methodology, and the natural language processing resources used to support it. Then, TraduWord, a tool specifically developed to construct resources for new languages, is presented. This tool allows the semi-automatic translation of the data required for the nominal phrase generation. For this, we discuss its advantages and disadvantages, analysing the quality of the translated resources, as well as the amount of manual work required to validate and correct these resources.
Nucleation regions in the Large-Scale Structure I: A catalogue of cores in nearby rich superclusters
Authors: Zúñiga Johan M. , Caretta César A. , Andernach Heinz
Published: June 2024

We applied a Density-Based Clustering algorithm on samples of galaxies and galaxy systems belonging to 53 rich superclusters from the Main SuperCluster Catalogue to identify the presence of “central regions’’, or cores, in these large-scale structures. Cores are defined here as large gravitationally bound galaxy structures, comprised of two or more clusters and groups, with sufficient matter density to survive cosmic expansion and virialize in the future. We identified a total of 105 galaxy structures classified as cores, which exhibit a high density contrast of mass and galaxies. The Density-based Core Catalogue, presented here, includes cores that were previously reported in well-known superclusters of the Local Universe, and also several newly identified ones. We found that 83% of the rich superclusters in our sample have at least one core. While more than three cores with different dynamical state are possible, the presence of a single core in the superclusters is more common. Our work confirms the existence of nucleation regions in the internal structure of most rich superclusters and points to the fact that these cores are the densest and most massive features that can be identified in the cosmic web with high probability for future virialization.
ARITHMETIC PROPERTIES OF AN ANALOGUE OF t-CORE PARTITIONS
Authors: TALUKDAR PRANJAL
Published: June 2024

An integer partition of a positive integer n is called t-core if none of its hook lengths is divisible by t. Gireesh et al. [‘A new analogue of t-core partitions’, Acta Arith.199 (2021), 33–53] introduced an analogue
$\overline {a}_t(n)$
of the t-core partition function. They obtained multiplicative formulae and arithmetic identities for
$\overline {a}_t(n)$
where
$t \in \{3,4,5,8\}$
and studied the arithmetic density of
$\overline {a}_t(n)$
modulo
$p_i^{\,j}$
where
$t=p_1^{a_1}\cdots p_m^{a_m}$
and
$p_i\geq 5$
are primes. Bandyopadhyay and Baruah [‘Arithmetic identities for some analogs of the 5-core partition function’, J. Integer Seq.27 (2024), Article no. 24.4.5] proved new arithmetic identities satisfied by
$\overline {a}_5(n)$
. We study the arithmetic densities of
$\overline {a}_t(n)$
modulo arbitrary powers of 2 and 3 for
$t=3^\alpha m$
where
$\gcd (m,6)$
=1. Also, employing a result of Ono and Taguchi [‘2-adic properties of certain modular forms and their applications to arithmetic functions’, Int. J. Number Theory1 (2005), 75–101] on the nilpotency of Hecke operators, we prove an infinite family of congruences for
$\overline {a}_3(n)$
modulo arbitrary powers of 2.
Oral DHA supplementation and retinopathy of prematurity: the Joinville DHA Clinical Trial
Authors: Cagliari Patrícia Zanotelli , Hoeller Vinícius Ricardo Franzoi , Kanzler Émelli Louise Rüncus , Carraro Melody Cristina Mansani , Corrêa Zaine Glaci Duarte , Blazius Gleici , Marghetti Pietra Giovanna , Lenz Gabriela Bruns , Mastroeni Silmara Salete de Barros Silva , Mastroeni Marco Fabio
Published: June 2024

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of blindness in premature infants. The condition is associated with DHA deficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effect of DHA supplementation on the occurrence of ROP in infants receiving oral oil drops. It is part of the Joinville DHA study, a non-parallel-group cohort study conducted from March 2020 to January 2023 at a public maternity hospital in Brazil. Infants born before 33 weeks of gestational age or with a birth weight ≤ 1500 g were recruited. Among 155 infants, 81 did not receive and 74 received DHA supplementation until complete vascularisation of the peripheral retina. There was a higher incidence of infants with ROP in the unsupplemented group (58·6 %) compared with the DHA group (41·4 %), but this difference was NS (P = 0·22). Unadjusted logistic regression analysis showed that patent ductus arteriosus and neonatal corticosteroids were significantly (P < 0·05) associated with ROP in both groups. In the DHA group, surfactant use was also associated with ROP (P = 0·003). After adjusting for important covariates, patent ductus arteriosus and neonatal corticosteroids continued to be significant for infants in the unsupplemented group (OR = 3·99; P = 0·022 and OR = 5·64; P = 0·019, respectively). In the DHA group, only surfactant use continued to be associated with ROP (OR = 4·84; P = 0·015). In summary, DHA supplementation was not associated with ROP. Further studies are necessary to better understand the relationship between DHA supplementation, ROP and associated comorbidities.
The amino acid sensor methionyl-tRNA synthetase is required for methionine-induced milk protein synthesis in a domestic pigeon model
Authors: Lu Panpan , Zhong Chen , Zhao Hongwei , Li Fuyong , Wang Xiaofan , Wang Xiuqi , Yan Huichao , Gao Chunqi
Published: June 2024

This study was conducted to investigate whether methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MetRS) is a mediator of methionine (Met)-induced crop milk protein synthesis via the janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) signalling pathway in breeding pigeons. In Experiment 1, a total of 216 pairs of breeding pigeons were divided into three groups (control, Met-deficient, and Met-rescue groups). In Experiments 2 and 3, forty pairs of breeding pigeons from each experiment were allocated into four groups. The second experiment included a control group and three MetRS inhibitor (REP8839) groups. The third experiment included a Met-deficient group, Met-sufficient group, REP8839 + Met-deficient group and REP8839 + Met-sufficient group. Experiment 1 showed that Met supplementation increased crop development, crop milk protein synthesis, the protein expression of MetRS and JAK2/STAT5 signalling pathway, and improved squab growth. Experiment 2 showed that crop development, crop milk protein synthesis and the protein expression of MetRS and the JAK2/STAT5 signalling pathway were decreased, and squab growth was inhibited by the injection of 1·0 mg/kg body weight REP8839, which was the selected dose for the third experiment. Experiment 3 showed that Met supplementation increased crop development, crop milk protein synthesis and the expression of MetRS and JAK2/STAT5 signalling pathway and rescued squab growth after the injection of REP8839. Moreover, the co-immunoprecipitation results showed that there was an interaction between MetRS and JAK2. Taken together, these findings indicate that MetRS mediates Met-induced crop milk protein synthesis via the JAK2/STAT5 signalling pathway, resulting in improved squab growth in breeding pigeons.
Comparison of protein digestibility of human milk and infant formula using the INFOGEST method under infant digestion conditions
Authors: Komatsu Yosuke , Wada Yasuaki , Shibasaki Takuya , Kitamura Yohei , Ehara Tatsuya , Nakamura Hirohiko , Miyaji Kazuhiro
Published: June 2024

Many improvements have been made to bring infant formula (IF) closer to human milk (HM) regarding its nutritional and biological properties. Nevertheless, the protein components of HM and IF are still different, which may affect their digestibility. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the protein digestibility of HM and IF using the infant INFOGEST digestion method. Pooled HM and a commercial IF were subjected to the infant INFOGEST method, which simulates the physiological digestion conditions of infants, with multiple directions, i.e. the curd state, gel images of SDS-PAGE, molecular weight distribution, free amino acid concentrations and in vitro protein digestion rate. HM underwent proteolysis before digestion and tended to have a higher protein digestion rate with finer curds during gastric digestion, than the IF. However, multifaceted analyses showed that the protein digestibility of HM and IF was not significantly different after gastrointestinal digestion. In conclusion, the infant INFOGEST method showed that the digestibility of HM and IF proteins differed to some extent before digestion and after gastric digestion, but not at the end of gastrointestinal digestion. The findings of this study will contribute to the refinement of IF with better protein digestibility in infant stomach.
PHILOSOPHY IN DIO CHRYSOSTOM, ON ANACHÔRÊSIS (ORATION 20)
Authors: Jażdżewska Katarzyna
Published: June 2024

This article uncovers the intellectual traditions behind Dio Chrysostom's Oration 20: On Anachôrêsis. The examination reveals a variety of subtexts and traditions with which Dio engages, and shows that at its core the text inspects three types of lives promoted by three philosophical schools: Epicurean, Stoic and Peripatetic. They are never referred to directly, however, which raises questions concerning Dio's strategy of not acknowledging the sources of the ideas with which he engages. The article also develops our understanding of anachôrêsis and the controversies surrounding it in pagan antiquity.
Cestode diversity in shrews from islands in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk
Authors: Kornienko S.A. , Dokuchaev N.E.
Published: June 2024

A comparative analysis of taxonomic diversity on shrew cestodes among four islands in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk (Sakhalin, Kunashir, Hokkaido, and Moneron) was performed. Cestode species shared among the islands were identified and their host specificity was investigated. On Sakhalin Island, 33 species of the families Hymenolepididae, Dilepididae and Mesocestoididae were recorded in four shrew species (Sorex caecutiens, S. gracillimus, S. minutissimus and S. unguiculatus). In S. caecutiens, S. gracillimus, and S. unguiculatus on Kunashir Island, 22 species of the same families were found and, on Hokkaido Island, 23 species of the families Hymenolepididae and Dilepididae were recorded. On Moneron Island, three species of cestodes were registered in S. tundrensis. The Sakhalin–Hokkaido–Kunashir complex of shrew cestodes includes eastern-Palearctic, trans-Palearctic and endemic species. High endemism (~22%) of shrew tapeworms in the Sakhalin–Kunashir–Hokkaido Islands was noted as compared to continental territories. The different numbers of cestode species in S. unguiculatus (31), S. caecutiens (29), S. gracillimus (19) and S. minutissimus (1) were found. It was concluded that the cestodes species diversity of shrews of Sakhalin–Kunashir–Hokkaido depended primarily on the history of island formation, their modern physical and geographical features, the abundance of definitive and intermediate cestodes hosts and, to a lesser extent, on the size and remoteness of the islands from the mainland and the diversity of host species.
Systematics and life cycles of four avian schistosomatids from Southern Cone of South America
Authors: Oyarzún-Ruiz P. , Thomas R. , Santodomingo A. , Zamorano-Uribe M. , Moroni M. , Moreno L. , Muñoz-Leal S. , Flores V. , Brant S.
Published: June 2024

Relative to the numerous studies focused on mammalian schistosomes, fewer include avian schistosomatids particularly in the southern hemisphere. This is changing and current research emerging from the Neotropics shows a remarkable diversity of endemic taxa. To contribute to this effort, nine ducks (Spatula cyanoptera, S.versicolor, Netta peposaca), 12 swans (Cygnus melancoryphus) and 1,400 Physa spp. snails from Chile and Argentina were collected for adults and larval schistosomatids, respectively. Isolated schistosomatids were preserved for morphological and molecular analyses (28S and COI genes). Four different schistosomatid taxa were retrieved from birds: Trichobilharzia sp. in N. peposaca and S. cyanoptera that formed a clade; S.cyanoptera and S. versicolor hosted Trichobilharzia querquedulae; Cygnus melancoryphus hosted the nasal schistosomatid, Nasusbilharzia melancorhypha; and one visceral, Schistosomatidae gen. sp., which formed a clade with furcocercariae from Argentina and Chile from previous work. Of the physid snails, only one from Argentina had schistosomatid furcocercariae that based on molecular analyses grouped with T. querquedulae. This study represents the first description of adult schistosomatids from Chile as well as the elucidation of the life cycles of N.melancorhypha and T. querquedulae in Chile and Neotropics, respectively. Without well-preserved adults, the putative new genus Schistosomatidae gen. sp. could not be described, but its life cycle involves Chilina spp. and C. melancoryphus. Scanning electron microscopy of T. querquedulae revealed additional, undescribed morphological traits, highlighting its diagnostic importance. Authors stress the need for additional surveys of avian schistosomatids from the Neotropics to better understand their evolutionary history.
First Corinthians 6.1–6: Roman Court or Private Arbitration?
Authors: Ziv Roi
Published: June 2024

First Corinthians 6.1–6 is consistently read as a Pauline criticism directed against members of the Pauline ekklēsia in Corinth, taking each other to Roman courts. I argue that this understanding of 1 Cor 6.1–6 is implausible in light of practices of Roman law in the provinces and in the colonies. Within a formal court procedure, the Corinthians would not have had the freedom to appoint their own judges, as Paul's language implies. I suggest instead that it is private arbitration which Paul criticises. Papyri dealing with private arbitration and mediation support this reading. Much of Paul's legal terminology in the passage is found in these papyri, making private arbitration a highly plausible suggestion. The suggested reading points to the community's good social ties with the pagan population in the city. It also depicts Paul as working within the framework of Roman law rather than against it. The article exemplifies the benefits of integrating up-to-date studies of Roman law in New Testament Studies.
Deeds of Will on Papyrus and the Use of the Term διαθήκη in the Letters of Paul
Authors: Popa Romeo
Published: June 2024

The numerous testaments on papyrus provide a valuable basis for an investigation of legal language around διαθήκη in the Pauline letters. Of particular importance is the ancient practice of revoking wills, which I consider to be the legal frame of reference for the recipients of the Pauline letters to grasp expressions like καινὴ/παλαιὰ διαθήκη. In the Corinthian correspondence the conformity to the current legal practice is evident, but in Galatians Paul turns the whole procedure upside down, manipulating in the construction of his argument not only the practice of testamentary cancellation, but also the traditional connection of Abraham with circumcision. We are compelled to a text-internal solution of the problem in Gal 3.15–17 by the fact that the papyrological evidence shows clearly that no other type of document than the ordinary revocable διαθήκαι can be taken into consideration. This approach is not compilatory, as it is often the case when dealing with documentary papyri applied to New Testament texts, but heuristic, with the purpose of elaborating new exegetical insights in old controversies.