bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consensus on Alliance Quality in the Psychotherapeutic Dyad and Its Differentiating Effect on Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Adjustment Disorders
Authors: Prusiński Tomasz
Published: July 2023

The study aimed to analyze patient–therapist convergence in therapeutic alliance ratings. The author also tested if increasing patient–therapist consensus on alliance quality during psychotherapy was related to better treatment outcomes. The study included 20 patients and one psychotherapist, who was a person other than the researcher in this study. The patients, suffering from adjustment disorders, were undergoing individual outpatient treatment in private practice. Three estimations of alliance and two estimations of treatment outcomes were performed. Psychotherapeutic processes, lasting nearly a year and a half, were examined from their commencement to their natural completion. The hypotheses were verified using difference tests. Two-dimensional correlations were computed, and the outcomes of psychotherapy were estimated using a clinical significance index. The results revealed systematic patient–therapist discrepancies in alliance quality ratings at specific time points and the psychotherapist’s tendency to underrate alliance quality. Patient–therapist convergence in therapeutic alliance perceptions increased over the course of psychotherapy. The expected differences in treatment outcomes depending on convergence in alliance quality ratings were not found. Analysis results indicate that, in psychotherapy for patients with adjustment disorders, patient and therapist evaluations of alliance diverge, particularly in the early phases of treatment. Increasing consensus on alliance quality is observed. Similar convergence in alliance ratings was found in adjustment disorder patients with better and worse treatment outcomes.
Thermal stability of systems containing ammonium nitrate and sulfate salts: an experimental study
Authors: Kaniewski Maciej , Biegun Marcin , Hoffmann Józef
Published: July 2023

The overall effect of reactants in the form of sulfates of ammonium, calcium, copper(II), iron(III), manganese(II) and zinc on the thermal behavior of ammonium nitrate has been reported. Thermal stability assessment was performed with the use of thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis coupled with mass spectroscopy. Interestingly, sulfate anions present in the system were often not sufficient to properly inhibit the decomposition of ammonium nitrate. Sulfate ion and cation supplied with the selected compound significantly influence the studied process. Studied mixtures with ammonium sulfate and calcium sulfate were concluded to show the highest stability. Manganese and iron sulfate salts caused a significant acceleration of the initial thermal decomposition. The addition of these compounds led to visible changes in the process mechanism, which allowed them to be classified as catalysts of the decomposition of ammonium nitrate. Furthermore, small amounts of substances in the system, even those that are generally considered to be inhibitors, worsened the thermal stability of AN. Zinc and copper sulfates, under studied conditions, created double salts that were characterized by a higher thermal stability than pure ammonium nitrate. This property indicates the possibility of obtaining systems containing ammonium nitrate with significantly higher thermal stability, what could potentially have multiple useful applications.
Dual and Poly Use of Tobacco Products in a Sample of Pregnant Smokers: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Bertani André Luís , Tanni Suzana Erico , Godoy Irma
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Our aim was to assess the use of dual/poly tobacco in a sample of pregnant women. Design: cross-sectional survey.

Methods

Twenty prenatal care units in Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil. We evaluated 127 high-risk pregnant smokers during prenatal care. Those who were 12–38 weeks pregnant and were currently smoking conventional cigarettes. The study enrollment took place between January 2015 and December 2015. The dual/poly prevalence of tobacco products during pregnancy and the characteristics related to smoking in pregnant smokers through a specific questionnaire containing questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, gestational history, smoking history, secondhand smoke exposure, nicotine dependence, motivation stage and use of alternative forms of tobacco.

Results

Mean age was 26.9 ± 6.6 years, most had only elementary education and belonged to lower income economic groups. Twenty-five (19.7%) smoked conventional cigarettes only while 102 used conventional and alternative forms of tobacco products. Smoking pack-years was significantly lower in those only smoking conventional cigarettes than in dual/poly users. Proportion of patients with elevated degree of nicotine dependence was higher in conventional cigarettes users. On the other side, alcohol intake was higher in dual/poly smokers when compared to conventional cigarettes group. The alternative forms of smoking were associated with significantly higher occurrences of comorbidities as pulmonary, cardiovascular and cancer.

Conclusions for Practice

The prevalence of alternative forms users of smoking products is high during pregnancy. These data reinforce the importance of a family approach towards smoking in pregnant women and education about the risks of alternative forms of tobacco.
Grounding, necessity, and relevance
Authors: Hirèche Salim
Published: July 2023

Grounding necessitarianism (GN) is the view that full grounds necessitate what they ground. Although GN has been rather popular among philosophers, it faces important counterexamples: For instance, A = [Socrates died] fully grounds C = [Xanthippe became a widow]. However, A fails to necessitate C: A could have obtained together with B = [Socrates and Xanthippe were never married], without C obtaining. In many cases, the debate essentially reduces to whether A indeed fully grounds C–as the contingentist claims–or if instead C is fully grounded in A+, namely A plus some supplementary fact S (e.g. [Xanthippe was married to Socrates])–as the necessitarian claims. Both sides typically agree that A+ necessitates C, while A does not; they disagree on whether A or A+ fully grounds C. This paper offers a novel defence of the claim that, in these typical cases, unlike A+, A fails to fully ground C–thereby bringing further support to GN. First and foremost, unlike A+, A fails to fully ground C because it fails to contain just what is relevant to do so, in two distinct senses–explanatory and generative relevance. Second, going for A, rather than A+, as a full ground undermines not just grounding necessitarianism, but modally weaker views which even contingentists may want to preserve.
Improving our understanding of open access: how it relates to funding, internationality of research and scientific leadership
Authors: Bordons María , González-Albo Borja , Moreno-Solano Luz
Published: July 2023

As open publication has become a goal in scholarly communication, interest in how it relates to other features of the research process has grown. This paper focuses on the relationship between funding and open access (OA) in the Spanish National Research Council’s Web of Science publications in three scientific fields with different research practices, namely, Biology & Biomedicine (BIOL), Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) and Materials Science (MATE). Firstly, the three fields are characterised in relation to OA practices (OA status and OA routes) and acknowledged funding (funding status and funding origin). Secondly, the relationship between OA and funding is explored, and the role of additional influential factors, such as the internationality of research and national/foreign leadership of papers, is unravelled through logistic regression. BIOL shows a higher OA share (66%) than do the other two fields (around 33%). Funded research shows higher OA rates than unfunded research in the experimental fields, but not in HSS, where it is related to a shift towards more publications with article-processing charges. The internationality of research, measured through international collaboration or foreign funding, increases OA, albeit with differences across fields. Foreign-funded papers are more likely to be led by foreign researchers in all three fields, but a foreign first author increases the chances of OA publication in HSS only, perhaps because Spanish leaders in this field have not internalised the importance of OA. The research’s policy implications are reviewed.
Dissent in the sediment? Lake sediments as archives of short- and long-range impact of anthropogenic activities in northeastern Germany
Authors: Simon Marcel Pierre , Schatz Marlene , Böhm Leonard , Papp István , Grossart Hans-Peter , Andersen Thorbjørn Joest , Bálint Miklós , Düring Rolf-Alexander
Published: July 2023

The suitability of lake sediment cores to reconstruct past inputs, regional pollution, and usage patterns of pesticides has been shown previously. Until now, no such data exist for lakes in eastern Germany. Therefore, 10 sediment cores (length 1 m) of 10 lakes in eastern Germany, the territory of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), were collected and cut into 5–10-mm layers. In each layer, concentrations of trace elements (TEs) As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, S, and Zn, as well as of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), i.e., dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), were analyzed. A miniaturized solid–liquid extraction technique in conjunction with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used for the latter. The progression of TE concentrations over time is uniform. It follows a trans-regional pattern and is indicative of activity and policy making in West Germany before 1990 instead of those in the GDR. Of OCPs, only transformation products of DDT were found. Congener ratios indicate a mainly aerial input. In the lakes’ profiles, several regional features and responses to national policies and measures are visible. Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD) concentrations reflect the history of DDT use in the GDR. Lake sediments proved to be suitable to archive short- and long-range impacts of anthropogenic activity. Our data can be used to complement and validate other forms of environmental pollution long-term monitoring and to check for the efficiency of pollution countermeasures in the past.
New paths for modelling freshwater nature futures
Authors: Kramer Lilith , Teurlincx Sven , Rashleigh Brenda , Janssen Annette B. G. , Janse Jan H. , Brauman Kate A. , Földesi Csaba , van Wijk Dianneke , de Senerpont Domis Lisette N. , Patil Sopan D. , Rashidi Parinaz , Hamel Perrine , Rising James , Mooij Wolf M. , Kuiper Jan J.
Published: July 2023

Freshwater ecosystems are exceptionally rich in biodiversity and provide essential benefits to people. Yet they are disproportionately threatened compared to terrestrial and marine systems and remain underrepresented in the scenarios and models used for global environmental assessments. The Nature Futures Framework (NFF) has recently been proposed to advance the contribution of scenarios and models for environmental assessments. This framework places the diverse relationships between people and nature at its core, identifying three value perspectives as points of departure: Nature for Nature, Nature for Society, and Nature as Culture. We explore how the NFF may be implemented for improved assessment of freshwater ecosystems. First, we outline how the NFF and its main value perspectives can be translated to freshwater systems and explore what desirable freshwater futures would look like from each of the above perspectives. Second, we review scenario strategies and current models to examine how freshwater modelling can be linked to the NFF in terms of its aims and outcomes. In doing so, we also identify which aspects of the NFF framework are not yet captured in current freshwater models and suggest possible ways to bridge them. Our analysis provides future directions for a more holistic freshwater model and scenario development and demonstrates how society can benefit from freshwater modelling efforts that are integrated with the value-perspectives of the NFF.

Graphical abstract
Quality of life and symptom burden after rectal cancer surgery: a randomised controlled trial comparing patient-led versus standard follow-up
Authors: Hovdenak Ida , Thaysen Henriette Vind , Bernstein Inge Thomsen , Christensen Peter , Hauberg Ann , Iversen Lene Hjerrild , Johansen Christoffer , Larsen Susie Lindhardt , Laurberg Søren , Madsen Anders Husted , Madsen Mogens Rørbæk , Rasmussen Helle Vindfeldt , Thorlacius-Ussing Ole , Juul Therese
Published: July 2023

Purpose

After curatively intended rectal cancer (RC) surgery, new follow-up strategies are warranted, seeking more individualised care and targeting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and functional outcomes. The FURCA trial aimed to investigate the effect of patient-led follow-up on HRQoL and symptom burden 3 years after surgery.

Methods

RC patients from four Danish centres were randomised 1:1 to intervention (patient-led follow-up with patient education and self-referral to a specialist nurse) or control (standard follow-up with five routine doctor visits). Patients in both groups had a computed tomography (CT) at 1 and 3 years. The primary outcome (HRQoL) was assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – colorectal (FACT-C) score (Ward et al. in Qual Life Res. 8(3):181-95, 18). Secondary outcomes were functional measures, patient involvement and satisfaction and cancer recurrence at 3 years.

Results

From Feb 2016 to Aug 2018, 336 patients were included of whom 248 completed 3 years of follow-up. Between-group differences were found neither for the primary endpoint, nor for functional outcomes. The recurrence rate did not differ between the groups. Patient involvement and satisfaction were higher in the intervention group with statistical significance in almost half of the items.

Conclusions

We found no effect on HRQoL and symptom burden from patient-led follow-up, although it may improve patient-perceived involvement and satisfaction.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

The findings in this study suggest that patient-led follow-up is a more tailored approach to meet cancer survivors’ needs and might improve their ability to cope with survivorship.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier

R97-A6511-14-S23.
T-cell Cholesterol Accumulation, Aging, and Atherosclerosis
Authors: Bazioti Venetia , Halmos Benedek , Westerterp Marit
Published: July 2023

Purpose of Review

The majority of leukocytes in advanced human atherosclerotic plaques are T-cells. T-cell subsets exert pro- or anti-atherogenic effects largely via the cytokines they secrete. Tregulatory cells (Tregs) are anti-inflammatory, but may lose these properties during atherosclerosis, proposed to be downstream of cholesterol accumulation. Aged T-cells also accumulate cholesterol. The effects of T-cell cholesterol accumulation on T-cell fate and atherosclerosis are not uniform.

Recent findings

T-cell cholesterol accumulation enhances differentiation into pro-atherogenic cytotoxic T-cells and boosts their killing capacity, depending on the localization and extent of cholesterol accumulation. Excessive cholesterol accumulation induces T-cell exhaustion or T-cell apoptosis, the latter decreasing atherosclerosis but impairing T-cell functionality in terms of killing capacity and proliferation. This may explain the compromised T-cell functionality in aged T-cells and T-cells from CVD patients.

The extent of T-cell cholesterol accumulation and its cellular localization determine T-cell fate and downstream effects on atherosclerosis and T-cell functionality.
Glucose-dependent inflammatory responses in obese compared to lean individuals
Authors: Lundqvist Martin H. , Pereira Maria J. , Eriksson Jan W.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Obesity is characterized by chronic inflammation that may contribute to insulin resistance and promote type 2 diabetes. We have investigated whether inflammatory responses to glycemic and insulinemic variations are altered in obese individuals.

Methods

Eight obese and eight lean individuals without diabetes had undergone hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic-hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic clamps in a previous study. Using Proximity Extension Assay, 92 inflammatory markers were analyzed from plasma samples at fasting, hyperinsulinemia-euglycemia, hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.

Results

In all participants, hyperinsulinemia, hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia led to reductions of 11, 19 and 62 out of the 70 fully evaluable biomarkers, respectively. FGF-21 increased during both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia while IL-6 and IL-10 increased during hypoglycemia. In obese vs lean participants, Oncostatin-M, Caspase-8 and 4E-BP1 were more markedly suppressed during hypoglycemia, whereas VEGF-A was more markedly suppressed during hyperglycemia. BMI correlated inversely with changes of PD-L1 and CD40 during hyperinsulinemia, Oncostatin-M, TNFSF14, FGF-21 and 4EBP-1 during hypoglycemia and CCL23, VEGF-A and CDCP1 during hyperglycemia (Rho ≤ -0.50). HbA1c correlated positively with changes of MCP-2 and IL-15-RA during hyperinsulinemia (Rho ≥ 0.51) and inversely with changes of CXCL1, MMP-1 and Axin-1 during hypoglycemia (Rho ≤ -0.55). M-value correlated positively with changes of IL-12B and VEGF-A during hyperglycemia (Rho ≥ 0.51). Results above were significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Overall, hyperinsulinemia, hypo- and hyperglycemia led to suppression of several inflammatory markers and this tended to be more marked in individuals with obesity, insulin resistance and dysglycemia. Thus, acute glycemic or insulinemic variations do not seem to potentiate possible inflammatory pathways in the development of insulin resistance and disturbed glucose metabolism.
Heritability of morphological and behavioural traits in evolving robots
Authors: De Carlo Matteo , Ferrante Eliseo , Zeeuwe Daan , Ellers Jacintha , Eiben A. E.
Published: July 2023

In the field of evolutionary robotics, choosing the correct genetic representation is a complicated and delicate matter, especially when robots evolve behaviour and morphology at the same time. One principal problem is the lack of methods or tools to investigate and compare representations. In this paper we introduce and evaluate such a tool based on the biological notion of heritability. Heritability captures the proportion of phenotypic variation caused by genotypic variation and is often used to better understand the transmissibility of traits in real biological systems. As a proof of concept, we compare the heritability of various robot traits in two systems, one using a direct (tree based) representation and one using an indirect (grammar based) representation. We measure changes in heritability during the course of evolution and investigate how direct and indirect representation can be biased towards more exploration or exploitation throughout the course of evolution. The empirical study shows that heritability can be a useful tool to analyze different representations without running complete evolutionary processes using them.
Glioblastoma research on zebrafish xenograft models: a systematic review
Authors: Pliakopanou Alexandra , Antonopoulos Ilias , Darzenta Nikolia , Serifi Iliana , Simos Yannis Vasilios , Katsenos Andreas Panagiotis , Bellos Stefanos , Alexiou George Athanasios , Kyritsis Athanasios Petros , Leonardos Ioannis , Vezyraki Patra , Peschos Dimitrios , Tsamis Konstantinos Ioannis
Published: July 2023

Glioblastoma (GBM) constitutes the most common primary brain tumor in adults. The challenges in GBM therapeutics have shed light on zebrafish used as a promising animal model for preclinical GBM xenograft studies without a standardized methodology. This systematic review aims to summarize the advances in zebrafish GBM xenografting, compare research protocols to pinpoint advantages and underlying limitations, and designate the predominant xenografting parameters. Based on the PRISMA checklist, we systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and ZFIN using the keywords “glioblastoma,” “xenotransplantation,” and “zebrafish” for papers published from 2005 to 2022, available in English. 46 articles meeting the review criteria were examined for the zebrafish strain, cancer cell line, cell labeling technique, injected cell number, time and site of injection, and maintenance temperature. Our review designated that AB wild-type zebrafish, Casper transparent mutants, transgenic Tg(fli1:EGFP), or crossbreeding of these predominate among the zebrafish strains. Orthotopic transplantation is more commonly employed. A number of 50–100 cells injected at 48 h post-fertilization in high density and low infusion volume is considered as an effective xenografting approach. U87 cells are used for GBM angiogenesis studies, U251 for GBM proliferation studies, and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) to achieve clinical relevance. Gradual acclimatization to 32–33 °C can partly address the temperature differential between the zebrafish and the GBM cells. Zebrafish xenograft models constitute valuable tools for preclinical studies with clinical relevance regarding PDX. The GBM xenografting research requires modification based on the objective of each research team. Automation and further optimization of the protocol parameters could scale up the anticancer drug trials.
Rapid identification of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial endometrioid cancer in young women
Authors: Kuai Dan , Tang Qingtao , Tian Wenyan , Zhang Huiying
Published: July 2023

Purpose

We investigated endometrial hyperplasia (EH) and endometrial endometrioid cancer (EEC) and developed a nomogram model to predict the EH/EEC risk and improve patients’ clinical prognosis.

Methods

Data were collected from young females (age: ≤ 40 years) who complained of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) or abnormal ultrasound endometrial echoes. The patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts at a 7:3 ratio. The risk factors for EH/EEC were determined through the optimal subset regression analysis and a prediction model was developed. We used the concordance-index (C-index), and calibration plots in the training and validation sets to assess the prediction model. We drew the ROC curve in the validation set and calculated the area under the curve (AUC), as well as its accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value, and finally, converted the nomogram into a web page dynamic nomogram.

Results

Predictors included in the nomogram model were body mass index (BMI), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), anemia, infertility, menostaxis, AUB type, and endometrial thickness. The C-index of the model in the training and validation sets were 0.863 and 0.858. The nomogram model had good discriminatory power and was well-calibrated. According to the prediction model, the AUC of EH/EC, EH without atypia, and AH/EC were 0.889, 0.867, and 0.956, respectively.

Conclusions

The nomogram of EH/EC is significantly associated with risk factors, namely BMI, PCOS, anemia, infertility, menostaxis, AUB type, and endometrial thickness. The nomogram model can be used to predict the EH/EC risk and rapidly screen risk factors in a women population with high risk.
Real-time in vivo dose measurement using ruby-based fibre optic dosimetry during internal radiation therapy
Authors: Birajdar S. , Zhang W. , Santos A. , Hickson K. , Afshar Vahid S.
Published: July 2023

In vivo dosimetry (IVD) in a commonly used liver cancer treatment of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) has been done based on the post-treatment image-based dosimetry approach. Real-time IVD is necessary to verify the dose delivery and detect errors during the treatment for better patient outcomes. This study aims to develop a fibre optic dosimeter (FOD) for in vivo real-time dose rate measurement during internal beta radiation therapy, e.g., SIRT. A ruby fibre optic probe was prepared and studied the radioluminescence (RL) characteristics, including its major challenge of stem effect arising from Cherenkov radiation and luminescence from the irradiated fibre. The stem signal was suppressed adequately using the stem removal technique of optical filtering, and only 2.3 ± 1.1% stem signal was contributed to the measured RL signal. A linear dose rate response was observed during the exposure of the ruby probe to varying dose rates using a 6 MeV electron beam and a positron-emitting radionuclide fluorine-18. The ruby exhibited a temporally non-constant RL signal, which increased the RL signal by 0.84 ± 0.29 counts/sec2 during the irradiation of the maximum dose rate used in this study of 9 Gy/min for 2 min. The ability of ruby FOD to measure the absolute dose rate with sufficient stem effect suppression and the linear RL dose rate response indicates its suitability for real-time IVD during internal beta radiation therapy. Future work will investigate the time-dependent RL characteristic of ruby and validate post-treatment image-based dosimetry using ruby-based FOD.
Validated and selective potentiometric analysis of anti-coagulant edoxaban via a screen-printed electrode: green assessment by Eco-Scale and Complex-GAPI
Authors: Rizk Mohamed , Abou El-Alamin Maha Mahmoud , Abd Elkhalek Ola , Shallan Aliaa I.
Published: July 2023

Thromboembolism because of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) resulted in increasing the number of sudden deaths after recovery. So, patients were switched to edoxaban tosylate monohydrate (EDTM) therapy after low molecular weight heparin to shorten the hospitalization period. In response to increase the demand for EDTM, we developed a home-made screen-printed electrode to determine EDTM in its pure form and pharmaceutical dosage form. Optimized conditions were achieved with a screen-printed electrode utilizing EDTM-Phosphotungstic acid (EDTM-PTA) as an ion pair complex and a plasticizer dibutyl phthalate with a Nernstian slope of 58.78 ± 0.1 mV decade−1 at the concentrations ranging from 5.0 × 10–6 to 1.0 × 10–2 M EDTM (R2 = 0.9985). The detection limit was 4.3 × 10–6 M. Our method was proven to be eco-friendly after assessment by Eco-Scale and Complex-GAPI. The results obtained were validated according to ICH guidelines and were found to agree with those gained from the reference method.
The regulation of threshold levels for prohibited substances in the world anti-doping program
Authors: Duffy James , Henderson Therese , O’Brien John
Published: July 2023

Technological advancements in the equipment and laboratories used by anti-doping bodies means that minute levels of prohibited substances can be detected in an athlete's blood or urine. This had led to an increase in athletes testing positive for prohibited substances where the quantity of that substance in the athlete's sample is very low. This article will consider the role that decision limits and minimum reporting levels play with respect to prohibited substances identified in the World Anti-Doping Program. Recent CAS awards are analyzed to determine whether, and how, the issue of threshold requirements for prohibited substances should be further regulated.
The association of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) and Mediterranean diet with mental health, sleep quality and chronotype in women with overweight and obesity: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Shiraseb Farideh , Mirzababaei Atieh , Daneshzad Elnaz , Khosravinia Darya , Clark Cain C. T. , Mirzaei Khadijeh
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Mental and sleep disorders are global public health problems, especially in Middle Eastern countries, and are significantly associated with circadian rhythm. This study sought to investigate the association between the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) and Mediterranean diet scores and mental health, sleep quality, and circadian rhythm.

Methods

We enrolled 266 overweight and obese women, and depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS) score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Morning–Evening Questionnaire (MEQ), were assessed. The Mediterranean and DASH diet score was measured using a validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The physical activity was evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Analysis of variance and analysis of covariance, chi-square, and multinomial logistic regression tests were used as appropriate.

Results

Our results showed that there was a significant inverse association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and mild and moderate anxiety scores (p < 0.05). In addition, there was an inverse association between adherence to the DASH diet and the risk of severe depression and extremely severe stress scores (p < 0.05). Moreover, higher adherence to both dietary scores was associated with good sleep quality (p < 0.05). There was a significant relationship between circadian rhythm and the DASH diet (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

A significant association exists between a DASH and Mediterranean diet with sleep status, mental health, and chronotype in women of childbearing age with obesity and overweight.

Level of evidence

Level V, Cross-sectional observational study.
Efficacy of osteoporosis pharmacological treatments in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Beaudart Charlotte , Demonceau Céline , Sabico Shaun , Veronese Nicola , Cooper Cyrus , Harvey Nicholas , Fuggle Nicholas , Bruyère Olivier , Rizzoli René , Reginster Jean-Yves
Published: July 2023

Introduction

The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to systematically identify and review the efficacy of pharmacological treatments in men with osteoporosis.

Methods

Medline (via Ovid) and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched up to May 2023 for any randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the efficacy of osteoporotic treatment on the evolution of Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and incidence of fractures of men suffering from primary osteoporosis. If at least two studies used the same pharmacological treatment and evaluated the same outcome, a random effect model meta-analysis was applied to reported pooled mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

From the 1,061 studies identified through bibliographic search, 21 RCTs fitted the inclusion criteria. Bisphosphonates (k = 10, n = 2992 men with osteoporosis) improved all three BMD sites compared to placebo; lumbar spine: MD + 4.75% (95% CI 3.45, 6.05); total hip: MD + 2.72% (95% CI 2.06; 3.37); femoral neck: MD + 2.26% (95% CI 1.67; 2.85). Denososumab (k = 2, n = 242), Teriparatide (k = 2, n = 309) and Abaloparatide (k = 2, n = 248) also produced significant improvement of all sites BMD compared to placebo. Romosozumab was only identified in one study and was therefore not meta-analysed. In this study, Romosozumab increased significantly BMD compared to placebo. Incident fractures were reported in 16 RCTs but only four reported fractures as the primary outcome. Treatments were associated with a lower incidence of fractures.

Conclusions

Medications used in the management of osteoporosis in women appear to provide similar benefits in men with osteoporosis. Therefore, the algorithm for the management of osteoporosis in men could be similar to the one previously recommended for the management of osteoporosis in women.
A strategy for lightweight designing of a railway vehicle car body including composite material and dynamic structural optimization
Authors: Cascino Alessio , Meli Enrico , Rindi Andrea
Published: July 2023

Rolling stock manufacturers are finding structural solutions to reduce power required by the vehicles, and the lightweight design of the car body represents a possible solution. Optimization processes and innovative materials can be combined in order to achieve this goal. In this framework, we propose the redesign and optimization process of the car body roof for a light rail vehicle, introducing a sandwich structure. Bonded joint was used as a fastening system. The project was carried out on a single car of a modern tram platform. This preliminary numerical work was developed in two main steps: redesign of the car body structure and optimization of the innovated system. Objective of the process was the mass reduction of the whole metallic structure, while the constraint condition was imposed on the first frequency of vibration of the system. The effect of introducing a sandwich panel within the roof assembly was evaluated, focusing on the mechanical and dynamic performances of the whole car body. A mass saving of 63% on the optimized components was achieved, corresponding to a 7.6% if compared to the complete car body shell. In addition, a positive increasing of 17.7% on the first frequency of vibration was observed. Encouraging results have been achieved in terms of weight reduction and mechanical behaviour of the innovated car body.
Adversarial attacks on cooperative multi-agent deep reinforcement learning: a dynamic group-based adversarial example transferability method
Authors: Zan Lixia , Zhu Xiangbin , Hu Zhao-Long
Published: July 2023

Existing research shows that cooperative multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (c-MADRL) is vulnerable to adversarial attacks, and c-MADRL is increasingly being applied to safety-critical domains. However, the robustness of c-MADRL against adversarial attacks has not been fully studied. In the setting of c-MADRL, unlike the single-agent scenario, an adversary can attack multiple agents or all agents at each time step, but the attacker needs more computation to generate adversarial examples and will be more easily detected. Therefore, how the attacker chooses one or several agents instead of all agents to attack is a significant issue in the setting of c-MADRL. Aiming to address this issue, this paper proposes a novel adversarial attack approach, which dynamically groups the agents according to relevant features and selects a group to attack based on the group’s contribution to the overall reward, thus effectively reducing the cost and number of attacks, as well as improving attack efficiency and decreasing the chance of attackers being detected. Moreover, we exploit the transferability of adversarial examples to greatly reduce the computational cost of generating adversarial examples. Our method is tested in multi-agent particle environments (MPE) and in StarCraft II. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method can effectively degrade the performance of multi-agent deep reinforcement learning algorithms with fewer attacks and lower computational costs.
Towards a Better Understanding of Fractional Brownian Motion and Its Application to Finance
Authors: Zhuang Yuanying , Song Xiao
Published: July 2023

The aim of this work is to first build the underlying theory behind fractional Brownian motion and applying fractional Brownian motion to financial market. By incorporating the Hurst parameter into geometric Brownian motion in order to characterize the long memory among disjoint increments, geometric fractional Brownian motion model is constructed to model S &P 500 stock price index. The empirical results show that the fitting effect of fractional Brownian motion model is better than ordinary Brownian motion.
The Will-to-Live among Adult Workers
Authors: Neto Joana , Neto Félix
Published: July 2023

The will-to-live is a specific indicator of subjective well-being. This article aimed to test the psychometric features of the Will-to-Live Scale (WTLS) for adult workers, and the relations of different psycho-social variables with will-to-live. The sample included 402 full-time workers, aged between 18 and 65 years. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the one-dimensional model of the WTLS is good. Measurement invariance by gender and reliability were adequate. Subsequent analysis showed that the WTLS scores were significantly and negatively related to workplace loneliness, and positively associated with self-esteem and satisfaction with life. Satisfaction with job life was linked to increased will-to-live. Psychological measures accounted for a larger proportion of the explained variance in WTLS than the demographic measures.
Granger causality-based cluster sequence mining for spatio-temporal causal relation mining
Authors: Pavasant Nat , Morita Takashi , Numao Masayuki , Fukui Ken-ichi
Published: July 2023

We proposed a method to extract causal relations of spatial clusters from multi-dimensional event sequence data, also known as a spatio-temporal point process. The proposed Granger cluster sequence mining algorithm identifies the pairs of spatial data clusters that have causality over time with each other. It extended the cluster sequence mining algorithm, which utilized a statistical inference technique to identify the occurrence relation, with a causality inference based on the Granger causality. In addition, the proposed method utilizes a false discovery rate procedure to control the significance of the causality. Based on experiments on both synthetic and semi-real data, we confirmed that the algorithm is able to extract the synthetic causal relations from multiple different sets of data, even when disturbed with high level of spatial noise. False discovery rate procedure also helps to increase the accuracy even more under such case and also make the algorithm less-sensitive to the hyperparameters.
Experimental and statistical investigation on the performance of asphalt overlays reinforced with geocomposite in controlling the reflective cracks under different loadings and temperatures
Authors: Asadi Saeid , Shafabakhsh Gholamali
Published: July 2023

One of the easiest method to repair the old pavement is to apply an overlay on them. However, the deteriorated pavement affects the overlay performance by propagating the existing cracks upwards to the overlay due to the stress and strain concentration from the loading and temperature variations. Today, using the asphalt overlays reinforced with geosynthetic interlayers is one of the most effective methods to prevent the reflective cracking. This paper investigates the effects of the temperature, bending fatigue loading frequency and geocomposite tensile strength on the asphalt overlays performance experimentally. The crack initiation and its propagation rate were analyzed by the help of image processing technique and statistically. The obtained results revealed that the temperature has the greatest effect on the reflective cracking rate, so that by increasing the temperature from 20 to 40 °C in addition to increasing the crack growth rate and changing the vertical deformation under the load, the direction of crack formation changes, and besides the reflective cracks, the top-down cracks also appear. Furthermore at the higher loading frequency more than 10 Hz, even in samples reinforced with geocomposite, increasing the temperature from 0 to 20 and 40 °C will increase the crack growth rate between 5 and 30 times. The obtained coefficients of determination (R2) and Adjusted R2are equal to 0.9936 and 0.9907, respectively, indicating the satisfactory prediction of the model compared to the real observations.
Pyrogenic carbon accelerates iron cycling and hydroxyl radical production during redox fluctuations of paddy soils
Authors: Huang Danyu , Chen Ning , Lin Yuan , Ge Chenghao , Wang Xiaolei , Wang Dixiang , Zhu Changyin , Fang Guodong , Zhou Dongmei
Published: July 2023

Carbon materials (e.g., pyrogenic carbon (PyC)) are widely used in agricultural soils and can participate in various biogeochemical processes, including iron (Fe) cycling. In soils, Fe(II) species have been proposed as the main active contributor to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are involved in various biogeochemical processes. However, the effects of PyC on the transformation of different Fe species in soils and the associated production of ROS are rarely investigated. This study examined the influence of PyC (pyrolyzed at 300–700 °C) on Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycling and hydroxyl radical (·OH) production during redox fluctuations of paddy soils. Results showed that the reduction of Fe(III) in soils was facilitated by PyC during anoxic incubation, which was ascribed to the increased abundance of dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms (biotic reduction) and the electron exchange capacity of PyC (abiotic reduction). During oxygenation, PyC and higher soil pH promoted the oxidation of active Fe(II) species (e.g., exchangeable and low-crystalline Fe(II)), which consequently induced higher yield of ·OH and further led to degradation of imidacloprid and inactivation of soil microorganisms. Our results demonstrated that PyC accelerated Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycling and ·OH production during redox fluctuations of paddy soils (especially those with low content of soil organic carbon), providing a new insight for remediation strategies in agricultural fields contaminated with organic pollutants.

Graphical Abstract
Koopman Operators for Modeling and Control of Soft Robotics
Authors: Shi Lu , Liu Zhichao , Karydis Konstantinos
Published: July 2023

Purpose of Review

We review recent advances in algorithmic development and validation for modeling and control of soft robots leveraging the Koopman operator theory.

Recent Findings

We identify the following trends in recent research efforts in this area. (1) The design of lifting functions used in the data-driven approximation of the Koopman operator is critical for soft robots. (2) Robustness considerations are emphasized. Works are proposed to reduce the effect of uncertainty and noise during the process of modeling and control. (3) The Koopman operator has been embedded into different model-based control structures to drive the soft robots.

Because of their compliance and nonlinearities, modeling and control of soft robots face key challenges. To resolve these challenges, Koopman operator-based approaches have been proposed, in an effort to express the nonlinear system in a linear manner. The Koopman operator enables global linearization to reduce nonlinearities and/or serves as model constraints in model-based control algorithms for soft robots. Various implementations in soft robotic systems are illustrated and summarized in the review.
Enhancement of laser cut edge quality of ultra-thin titanium grade 2 sheets by applying an in-process approach using modulated Yb:YAG continuous wave fiber laser
Authors: Bartsch Alexander , Burger Moritz , Grad Marius , Esper Lukas , Schultheiß Ulrich , Noster Ulf , Schratzenstaller Thomas
Published: July 2023

Titanium is used in many areas due to its excellent mechanical, biological and corrosion-resistant properties. Implants often have thin and filigree structures, providing an ideal application for fine cutting with laser. In the literature, the main focus is primarily on investigating and optimizing the parameters for titanium sheets with thicknesses greater than 1 mm. Hence, in this study, the basic manufacturing parameters of laser power, cutting speed and laser pulse of a 200 W modulated fiber laser are investigated for 0.15 mm thick grade 2 titanium sheets. A reproducible, continuous cut could be achieved using 90 W laser-power and 2 mm/s cutting-speed. Pulse pause variations between 85 and 335 μs in 50 μs steps and a fixed pulse width of 50 μs show that a minimum kerf width of 23.4 μm, as well as a minimum cut edge roughness Rz of 3.59 μm, is achieved at the lowest pulse pause duration. An increase in roughness towards the laser exit side, independent of the laser pulse pause duration, was found and discussed. The results provide initial process parameters for cutting thin titanium sheets and thus provide the basis for further investigations, such as the influence of cutting gas pressure and composition on the cut edge.
Quantum Gravity in a Laboratory?
Authors: Huggett Nick , Linnemann Niels , Schneider Mike D.
Published: July 2023

The characteristic – Planck – energy scale of quantum gravity makes experimental access to the relevant physics apparently impossible. Nevertheless, low energy experiments linking gravity and the quantum have been undertaken: the Page and Geilker quantum Cavendish experiment, and the Colella-Overhauser-Werner neutron interferometry experiment, for instance. However, neither probes states in which gravity remains in a coherent quantum superposition, unlike – it is claimed – recent proposals. In essence, if two initially unentangled subsystems interacting solely via gravity become entangled, then theorems of quantum mechanics show that gravity cannot be a classical subsystem. There are formidable challenges to such an experiment, but remarkably, tabletop technology into the gravity of very small bodies has advanced to the point that such an experiment might be feasible in the near future. This Element explains the proposal and what it aims to show, highlighting the important ways in which its interpretation is theory-laden.
-Stable convergence of heavy-/light-tailed infinitely wide neural networks
Authors: Jung Paul , Lee Hoil , Lee Jiho , Yang Hongseok
Published: July 2023

We consider infinitely wide multi-layer perceptrons (MLPs) which are limits of standard deep feed-forward neural networks. We assume that, for each layer, the weights of an MLP are initialized with independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) samples from either a light-tailed (finite-variance) or a heavy-tailed distribution in the domain of attraction of a symmetric
$\alpha$
-stable distribution, where
$\alpha\in(0,2]$
may depend on the layer. For the bias terms of the layer, we assume i.i.d. initializations with a symmetric
$\alpha$
-stable distribution having the same
$\alpha$
parameter as that layer. Non-stable heavy-tailed weight distributions are important since they have been empirically seen to emerge in trained deep neural nets such as the ResNet and VGG series, and proven to naturally arise via stochastic gradient descent. The introduction of heavy-tailed weights broadens the class of priors in Bayesian neural networks. In this work we extend a recent result of Favaro, Fortini, and Peluchetti (2020) to show that the vector of pre-activation values at all nodes of a given hidden layer converges in the limit, under a suitable scaling, to a vector of i.i.d. random variables with symmetric
$\alpha$
-stable distributions,
$\alpha\in(0,2]$
.
Perceptions of the rabbit as a low investment ‘starter pet’ lead to negative impacts on its welfare: Results of two Danish surveys
Authors: Skovlund Cecilie Ravn , Forkman Björn , Lund Thomas Bøker , Mistry Belinda Glumsøe , Nielsen Søren Saxmose , Sandøe Peter
Published: July 2023

Concerns over compromised companion rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus) welfare are widespread. The welfare problems have been linked to the perception of rabbits as low investment ‘children’s pets.’ To test this hypothesis and investigate the current conditions for rabbits, data were gathered from two surveys in 2021: a nationally representative survey of Danish companion animal owners (Survey I) and a detailed social media-based survey of Danish rabbit owners (Survey II). Using logistic regression, three owner-related variables (whether a child/adult was responsible for care of the rabbit, owner-opinion on rabbits’ suitability as ‘starter pets’ and willingness-to-pay [WTP] for veterinary treatment) were employed to investigate the effect of rabbit status on owner-provision of selected husbandry conditions. The 76 (Survey I) and 4,335 (Survey II) responses suggested that most rabbits are acquired for children and are solitarily housed, and that many are kept in cages of an unsuitable size and not checked daily. Owners who perceived rabbits as ‘starter pets’ and with lower WTP were more likely to house rabbits in restricted space and to not provide continuous gnawing opportunities, ad libitum hay or routine healthcare. A child fulfilling the role of the rabbit’s main caretaker was also associated with inadequate housing type and fewer gnawing opportunities. Thus, many rabbits live in unsuitable conditions, and owners who perceive rabbits as low investment ‘children’s pets’ are more likely to not provide recommended resources. Changing owners’ perceptions of rabbits and promoting suitable husbandry through official education programmes and minimum requirements is important if there are to be improvements made to rabbit welfare.