bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiological signs of stone impaction add no value in predicting spontaneous stone passage
Authors: Popiolek Marcin , Lidén Mats , Georgouleas Petros , Sahlén Klara , Sundqvist Pernilla , Jendeberg Johan
Published: August 2024

Stone size and location are key factors in predicting spontaneous stone passage (SSP), but little attention has been paid to the influence of radiological signs of stone impaction (RSSI). This research aims to determine whether RSSI, alongside stone size, can predict SSP and to evaluate the consistency of ureteral wall thickness (UWT) measurements among observers. In this retrospective study, 160 patients with a single upper or middle ureteral stone on acute non-enhanced computed tomography (NCCT) were analysed. Patient data were collected from medical records. Measurements of RSSI, including UWT, ureteral diameters, and average attenuation above and below the stone, were taken on NCCT by four independent readers blind to the outcomes. The cohort consisted of 70% males with an average age of 51 ± 15. SSP occurred in 61% of patients over 20 weeks. The median stone length was 5.7 mm (IQR: 4.5–7.3) and was significantly shorter in patients who passed their stones at short- (4.6 vs. 7.1, p < 0.001) and long-term (4.8 vs. 7.1, p < 0.001) follow-up. For stone length, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for predicting SSP was 0.90 (CI 0.84–0.96) and only increased to 0.91 (CI 0.85–0.95) when adding ureteral diameters and UWT. Ureteral attenuation did not predict SSP (AUC < 0.5). Interobserver variability for UWT was moderate, with ± 2.0 mm multi-reader limits of agreement (LOA). The results suggest that RSSI do not enhance the predictive value of stone size for SSP. UWT measurements exhibit moderate reliability with significant interobserver variability.
First-line treatment with KN046, chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: an open-label, dose escalation, and dose expansion phase Ib trial
Authors: Zhao Qi , Su Xi , Xue Jiao , Liu Yandong , Zhu Jiaxing , Cai Xuwei , Qin Songbing
Published: August 2024

There is growing evidence to suggest that radiotherapy might enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. This study aimed to assess the possibility of KN046, a bispecific antibody targeting PD-L1 and CTLA-4, combined with chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In this open-label, phase Ib trial, patients with advanced ESCC were administered chemotherapy with palliative radiotherapy, and KN046 in the predefined escalation dosages of 1, 3, or 5 mg/kg (every 3 weeks during chemotherapy cycles and every 2 weeks during KN046 maintenance). The chemotherapy regimen constituted cisplatin (75 mg/m2 i.v., d1) and paclitaxel (135–175 mg/m2 ivgtt., d1). Radiotherapy specifics, including site, timing, dose, and fragmentation pattern, were at the investigator’s discretion. The primary outcome was dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). From May 2019 to April 2021, 25 patients were enrolled across the dosage groups: 3 in 1 mg/kg, 12 in 3 mg/kg, and 10 in 5 mg/kg. No DLT was observed during the dose escalation. The objective response rate was 41.7% (95%CI 22.1–63.4), while the disease control rate was 87.5% (95%CI 67.6–97.3). At a median follow-up of 11.8 months, the median progression-free survival was 7.8 months (95%CI 5.2–9.7) and median overall survival was 15.9 months (95%CI 8.4-NE). Serious adverse events were reported in 48.0% of patients, predominantly leukopenia (16%), immune-mediated enterocolitis (12%), immune-mediated pneumonitis (8%), and neutropenia (8%). Combining KN046 with chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy might be feasible, showing a favorable safety profile and notable efficacy in advanced ESCC patients.
TIGIT expression in renal cell carcinoma infiltrating T cells is variable and inversely correlated with PD-1 and LAG3
Authors: Perales Oscar , Jilaveanu Lucia , Adeniran Adebowale , Su David G. , Hurwitz Michael , Braun David A. , Kluger Harriet M. , Schoenfeld David A.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but many patients do not respond to therapy and the majority develop resistant disease over time. Thus, there is increasing need for alternative immunomodulating agents. The co-inhibitory molecule T-cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) may play a role in resistance to approved immune checkpoint inhibitors and is being investigated as a potential therapeutic target. The purpose of this study was to quantify TIGIT positivity in tumor-infiltrating T cells in RCC.

Methods

We employed tissue microarrays containing specimens from primary RCC tumors, adjacent normal renal tissue, and RCC metastases to quantify TIGIT within tumor-infiltrating CD3+ T cells using quantitative immunofluorescent analysis. We also compared these results to TIGIT+ CD3+ levels in four other tumor types (melanoma, non-small cell lung, cervical, and head and neck cancers).

Results

We did not observe significant differences in TIGIT positivity between primary RCC tumors and patient-matched metastatic samples. We found that the degree of TIGIT positivity in RCC is comparable to that in lung cancer but lower than that in melanoma, cervical, and head and neck cancers. Correlation analysis comparing TIGIT positivity to previously published, patient-matched spatial proteomic data by our group revealed a negative association between TIGIT and the checkpoint proteins PD-1 and LAG3.

Conclusion

Our findings support careful evaluation of TIGIT expression on T cells in primary or metastatic RCC specimens for patients who may be treated with TIGIT-targeting antibodies, as increased TIGIT positivity might be associated with a greater likelihood of response to therapy.
Rare case of simultaneous occurrence of chronic neutrophil leukemia and T lymphoblastic lymphoma: case report and literature review
Authors: Wang Shi-xuan , Wang Fang , Tu Ye-chao , Zhou Yu-lan , Tu Song-tao , Wang Jie-yu , Lv Ke-bing , Li Fei
Published: August 2024

Chronic neutrophil leukemia (CNL) is a rare and life-threatening disease. Cases of CNL combined with lymphoma are rare. Here, we report a case of CNL with T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (T-ALL/LBL) in a 28-year-old male. After a regimen of ruxolitinib, VICLP (Vincristine, Idarubicin, Cyclophosphamide, Prednisone, Peg-asparaginase) regimen, high-dose cytarabine, and methotrexate regimens, the patient’s bone marrow condition partially resolved. However, when the disease relapsed four months later, despite attempts with selinexor, venetoclax, and CAG(aclarubicin hydrochloride, Algocytidine, Granulocyte Stimulating Factor) chemotherapy, the leukocytes and peripheral blood primitive cells reduced, but the bone marrow did not achieve remission. This pathogenesis may be related to microenvironmental immune escape under prolonged inflammatory stimulation and gene disruption affecting protein function due to colony-stimulating factor 3 receptor gene (CSF3R) mutations. For this type of disease, early intervention may delay disease progression.
Stereoscopic Micro-PIV measurement of the flow dynamics in a spherical dimple
Authors: Rohwer Lukas , Deponte Hannes , Augustin Wolfgang , Scholl Stephan
Published: August 2024

One way to increase the thermal efficiency of heat exchangers is to structure the heat transfer surfaces with dimples, resulting in an enlarged surface area and intensified turbulence in the fluid flow. The increased turbulence also causes higher wall shear stress, which potentially suppresses the deposition of particles and supports a self-cleaning of the surface. For a deeper understanding of these phenomena, the flow dynamics inside the dimple were observed experimentally with Stereoscopic Micro-Particle Image Velocimetry (Stereo µPIV). The formation of an unsteady oscillating vortex, which leads to an asymmetric trail downstream of the dimple, is visualized. The significant influence of the dimple geometry on heat transfer enhancement is shown, and the most beneficial geometric ratio of the spherical dimple regarding its ability to increase turbulence is identified. A comparison of the local flow velocities with the results of the numerically and experimentally observed patterns of the deposited particles caused by the dimple’s self-cleaning effect shows a good match.
A very fast high-order flux reconstruction for Finite Volume schemes for Computational Aeroacoustics
Authors: Ramírez Luis , Fernández-Fidalgo Javier , París José , Deligant Michael , Khelladi Sofiane , Nogueira Xesús
Published: August 2024

Given the small wavelengths and wide range of frequencies of the acoustic waves involved in Aeroacoustics problems, the use of very accurate, low-dissipative numerical schemes is the only valid option to accurately capture these phenomena. However, as the order of the scheme increases, the computational time also increases. In this work, we propose a new high-order flux reconstruction in the framework of finite volume (FV) schemes for linear problems. In particular, it is applied to solve the Linearized Euler Equations, which are widely used in the field of Computational Aeroacoustics. This new reconstruction is very efficient and well suited in the context of very high-order FV schemes, where the computation of high-order flux integrals are needed at cell edges/faces. Different benchmark test cases are carried out to analyze the accuracy and the efficiency of the proposed flux reconstruction. The proposed methodology preserves the accuracy while the computational time relatively reduces drastically as the order increases.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) alleviates inflammation and damage induced by experimental colitis
Authors: Ariturk Leman Arslan , Cilingir Sumeyye , Kolgazi Meltem , Elmas Merve , Arbak Serap , Yapislar Hande
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic gastrointestinal disorders associated with significant morbidity and complications. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) induced colitis model, focusing on inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal membrane permeability.

Methods

Wistar albino rats were divided into Control, Colitis, and Colitis + DHA groups (n = 8–10/group). The Colitis and Colitis + DHA groups received TNBS intrarectally, while the Control group received saline. DHA (600 mg/kg/day) or saline was administered via gavage for six weeks. Macroscopic and microscopic evaluations of colon tissues were conducted. Parameters including occludin and ZO-1 expressions, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were measured in colon tissues.

Results

Colitis induction led to significantly higher macroscopic and microscopic damage scores, elevated TOS levels, reduced occludin and ZO-1 intensity, decreased mucosal thickness, and TAS levels compared to the Control group (p < 0.001). DHA administration significantly ameliorated these parameters (p < 0.001). MPO, MDA, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels were elevated in the Colitis group but significantly reduced in the DHA-treated group (p < 0.001 for MPO, MDA; p < 0.05 for TNF-α and IL-6).

Conclusion

DHA demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by reducing reactive oxygen species production, enhancing TAS capacity, preserving GSH content, decreasing proinflammatory cytokine levels, preventing neutrophil infiltration, reducing shedding in colon epithelium, and improving gland structure and mucosal membrane integrity. DHA also upregulated the expressions of occludin and ZO-1, critical for barrier function. Thus, DHA administration may offer a therapeutic strategy or supplement to mitigate colitis-induced adverse effects.
PAX8 expression in cancerous and non-neoplastic tissue: a tissue microarray study on more than 17,000 tumors from 149 different tumor entities
Authors: Gorbokon Natalia , Baltruschat Sarah , Lennartz Maximilian , Luebke Andreas M. , Höflmayer Doris , Kluth Martina , Hube-Magg Claudia , Hinsch Andrea , Fraune Christoph , Lebok Patrick , Bernreuther Christian , Sauter Guido , Marx Andreas H. , Simon Ronald , Krech Till , Clauditz Till S. , Jacobsen Frank , Burandt Eike , Steurer Stefan , Minner Sarah
Published: August 2024

PAX8 plays a role in development of the thyroid, kidney, and the Wolffian and Mullerian tract. In surgical pathology, PAX8 immunohistochemistry is used to determine tumors of renal and ovarian origin, but data on its expression in other tumors are conflicting. To evaluate PAX8 expression in normal and tumor tissues, a tissue microarray containing 17,386 samples from 149 different tumor types and 608 samples of 76 different normal tissue types was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. PAX8 results were compared with previously collected data on cadherin 16 (CDH16). PAX8 positivity was found in 40 different tumor types. The highest rate of PAX8 positivity was found in thyroidal neoplasms of follicular origin (98.6–100%), gynecological carcinomas (up to 100%), renal tumors (82.6–97.8%), and urothelial neoplasms (2.3–23.7%). Important tumors with near complete absence of PAX8 staining (< 1%) included all subtypes of breast cancers, hepatocellular carcinomas, gastric, prostatic, pancreatic, and pulmonary adenocarcinomas, neuroendocrine neoplasms, small cell carcinomas of various sites, and lymphomas. High PAX8 expression was associated with low tumor grade in 365 non-invasive papillary urothelial carcinomas (p < 0.0001) but unrelated to patient outcome and/or tumor phenotype in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, high-grade serous ovarian cancer, and endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. For determining a renal tumor origin, sensitivity was 88.1% and specificity 87.2% for PAX8, while sensitivity was 85.3% and specificity 95.7% for CDH16. The combination of PAX8 and CDH16 increased specificity to 96.8%. In conclusion, PAX8 immunohistochemistry is a suitable diagnostic tool. The combination of PAX8 and CDH16 positivity has high specificity for renal cell carcinoma.
Extracellular vesicles miR-574-5p and miR-181a-5p as prognostic markers in NSCLC patients treated with nivolumab
Authors: Genova Carlo , Marconi Silvia , Chiorino Giovanna , Guana Francesca , Ostano Paola , Santamaria Sara , Rossi Giovanni , Vanni Irene , Longo Luca , Tagliamento Marco , Zullo Lodovica , Dal Bello Maria Giovanna , Dellepiane Chiara , Alama Angela , Rijavec Erika , Ludovini Vienna , Barletta Giulia , Passiglia Francesco , Metro Giulio , Baglivo Sara , Chiari Rita , Rivoltini Licia , Biello Federica , Baraibar Iosune , Gil-Bazo Ignacio , Novello Silvia , Grossi Francesco , Coco Simona
Published: August 2024

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), although patient survival is still unsatisfactory. Accurate predictive markers capable of personalizing the treatment of patients with NSCLC are still lacking. Circulating extracellular vesicles involved in cell-to-cell communications through miRNAs (EV-miRs) transfer are promising markers. Plasma from 245 patients with advanced NSCLC who received nivolumab as second-line therapy was collected and analyzed. EV-miRnome was profiled on 174/245 patients by microarray platform, and selected EV-miRs were validated by qPCR. A prognostic model combining EV-miR and clinical variables was built using stepwise Cox regression analysis and tested on an independent patient cohort (71/245). EV-PD-L1 gene copy number was assessed by digital PCR. For 54 patients with disease control, EV-miR changes at best response versus baseline were investigated by microarray and validated by qPCR. EV-miRNome profiling at baseline identified two EV-miRs (miR-181a-5p and miR-574-5p) that, combined with performance status, are capable of discriminating patients unlikely from those that are likely to benefit from immunotherapy (median overall survival of 4 months or higher than 9 months, respectively). EV-PD-L1 digital evaluation reported higher baseline copy number in patients at increased risk of mortality, without improving the prognostic score. Best response EV-miRNome profiling selected six deregulated EV-miRs (miR19a-3p, miR-20a-5p, miR-142-3p, miR-1260a, miR-1260b, and miR-5100) in responding patients. Their longitudinal monitoring highlighted a significant downmodulation already in the first treatment cycles, which lasted more than 6 months. Our results demonstrate that EV-miRs are promising prognostic markers for NSCLC patients treated with nivolumab.
Enhancing CAR T cells function: role of immunomodulators in cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Rehman Maheen , Qaiser Ariba , Khan Hassan Sardar , Manzoor Sobia , Ashraf Javed
Published: August 2024

CAR T-cell therapy is a promising immunotherapy, providing successful results for cancer patients who are unresponsive to standard and traditional therapeutic approaches. However, there are limiting factors which create a hurdle in the therapy performing its role optimally. CAR T cells get exhausted, produce active antitumor responses, and might even produce toxic reactions. Specifically, in the case of solid tumors, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells fail to produce the desired outcomes. Then, the need to use supplementary agents such as immune system modifying immunomodulatory agents comes into play. A series of the literature was studied to evaluate the role of immunomodulators including a phytochemical, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved targeted drugs, and ILs in support of their achievements in boosting the efficiency of CAR-T cell therapy. Some of the most promising out of them are reported in this article. It is expected that by using the right combinations of immunotherapy, immunomodulators, and traditional cancer treatments, the best possible cancer defying results may be produced in the future.
Cooler Is Better: The Role of Temperature in the Reproductive Biology of Persian Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Studied in a Hungarian-Bred Cultivar
Authors: Fotirić Akšić Milica , Ercisli Sezai , Meland Mekjell , Bujdosó Géza
Published: August 2024

The aim was to determine the growth of pollen tubes throughout the transmitting tissue and the process of fertilization in open, optimal and over pollination on the 3rd, 6th and 9th day after pollination of pistillate flowers, together with apomixis. The experiment was carried out over 2 years in Lovasberény, Fejér district, Hungary, which differed in temperature conditions. The average number of pollen tubes in the locule of the ovary was significantly higher in 2017 (1.3%) than in 2019 (1%). A higher percentage of fruit set was recorded in 2017 compared to 2019. The percentage of apomictic fruits from variant of unpollination was higher in 2017 (10%) than in 2019 (3.7%). Based on these results it can be concluded that pollen tube growth and post-fertilization processes together with apomixis of cultivar ‘AK’ are better adaptable to lower temperatures. These findings may help us to move walnut production to the north or to higher altitudes, where the climate is more continental.
An effective multi-modal adaptive contextual feature information fusion method for Chinese long text classification
Authors: Xu Yangshuyi , Liu Guangzhong , Zhang Lin , Shen Xiang , Luo Sizhe
Published: August 2024

Chinese long text classification plays a vital role in Natural Language Processing. Compared to Chinese short texts, Chinese long texts contain more complex semantic feature information. Furthermore, the distribution of these semantic features is uneven due to the varying lengths of the texts. Current research on Chinese long text classification models primarily focuses on enhancing text semantic features and representing Chinese long texts as graph-structured data. Nonetheless, these methods are still susceptible to noise information and tend to overlook the deep semantic information in long texts. To address the above challenges, this study proposes a novel and effective method called MACFM, which introduces a deep feature information mining method and an adaptive modal feature information fusion strategy to learn the semantic features of Chinese long texts thoroughly. First, we present the DCAM module to capture complex semantic features in Chinese long texts, allowing the model to learn detailed high-level representation features. Then, we explore the relationships between word vectors and text graphs, enabling the model to capture abundant semantic information and text positional information from the graph. Finally, we develop the AMFM module to effectively combine different modal feature representations and eliminate the unrelated noise information. The experimental results on five Chinese long text datasets show that our method significantly improves the accuracy of Chinese long text classification tasks. Furthermore, the generalization experiments on five English datasets and the visualized results demonstrate the effectiveness and interpretability of the MACFM model.
Application of artificial intelligence in turbomachinery aerodynamics: progresses and challenges
Authors: Zou Zhengping , Xu Pengcheng , Chen Yiming , Yao Lichao , Fu Chao
Published: August 2024

Turbomachinery plays a vital role in energy conversion systems, with aerodynamic issues being integral to its entire lifecycle, spanning the period of design, validation, and maintenance. Conventionally, the reliance on skilled aerodynamic engineers has been pivotal in the successful development of turbomachines. However, in the current era of burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) technology, researchers are increasingly turning to AI to replace human expertise and decision-making in these aerodynamic issues and to solve previously intractable aerodynamic problems. This paper presents a systematic literature review of the latest advancements in applying AI to turbomachinery aerodynamics, encompassing the design, validation, and maintenance of compressors and turbines. It underscores how AI is revolutionizing the research paradigm of turbomachinery aerodynamics. AI’s powerful learning capability facilitates more precise and convenient aerodynamic analyses and inspires innovative aerodynamic design ideas that go beyond the capabilities of classical design techniques. Additionally, AI’s autonomous decision-making capability can be employed for aerodynamic optimization and active flow control of turbomachines, generating optimal aerodynamic solutions and complex control strategies that surpass human brains. As a main contribution, we provide a detailed exposition of the future intelligent turbomachinery research and development (R &D) system, along with highlighting potential challenges such as physics embedding, interactive 3D design optimization, and real-time prognoses. It is anticipated that harnessing AI’s full potential will lead to a comprehensive AI-based turbomachinery R &D system in the future.
The Efficacy of the Sensorimotor Training Program on Sensorimotor Development, Auditory and Visual Skills of Schoolchildren Aged 5–8 Years
Authors: Stephens-Sarlós Erzsébet , Stephens Patrick , Szabo Attila
Published: August 2024

Background

Around 800 million young children worldwide have cognitive-developmental limitations due to issues related to biological, environmental, and psychosocial factors. These problems lead to educational challenges, limited skill development, and higher unemployment rates. Therefore, timely interventions addressing the underlying problems in institutional settings are critically important.

Objective

The authors created the “Sensorimotor Training Program” (STP) as a critical intervention to develop skills essential for starting school. This experimental study aimed to investigate the impact of the STP in an institutional setting, targeting the specific auditory and visual skills crucial for kindergarten and primary school learning.

Methods

The STP comprises 120 training sessions focused on sensorimotor maturation. Seven hundred and seventy-two children aged 5–8 participated in the study, with 704 in the experimental and 68 in the control group, each containing a relatively balanced ratio of boys to girls. The study spanned six to eight months, with three to five weekly sessions.

Results

The intervention resulted in significant improvements in sensorimotor development in the experimental compared to the control group [p < .001, effect size (d) = .483; auditory skills r = .605 p < .001, d = .366; visual skills r = .542, p < .001, d = .294]. The intervention group also improved compared to its baseline measurements.

Conclusion

These results show that implementing the STP in school settings can improve sensorimotor development, impacting auditory and visual skills in children aged 5–8. These intervention-based improvements are above and beyond biological maturation.
Teaching in a collaborative mathematic learning activity with and without a social robot
Authors: Ekström Sara , Pareto Lena , Ljungblad Sara
Published: August 2024

There is a growing interest in whether social robots, which are embodied and exhibit human-like behaviour, can be used for teaching and learning. Still, very few studies focus on the teacher’s role. This study focuses on how a teacher acted in a learning-by-teaching activity with 20 children. In this small-scale field experiment, the teacher’s interactions and teaching actions were observed when the teacher scaffolded a learning activity where children played a collaborative digital mathematics game to strengthen their mathematical reasoning and conceptual understanding of arithmetic. When playing, the children were acting as tutors for a tutee, according to the learning-by-teaching principle. In one scenario, the tutee was a younger child; in the other, the tutee was a social robot. Twenty 30-minute game-playing sessions are observed, video-recorded, and transcribed. The study explores the teacher’s interactions and teaching actions in the two scenarios and discusses the results from the perspective of the teacher’s role, social norms, and teacher digital competence. The interaction and thematic analyses show similarities and characteristic differences in the teacher’s interaction patterns in the two scenarios. The teaching actions are similar on a structural level and differ regarding the types and distribution of teaching actions. In the child-child scenario, the teacher directs most teaching actions to both players, and the actions are didactic (mathematical) scaffolding. In contrast, in the child-robot scenario, the teacher only addresses the tutor, and the scaffolding is socially oriented. Implications for a teaching practice involving social robots as learning companions are discussed regarding teachers’ presence and participation, types of social robot knowledge that go beyond digital competence, and new challenges introduced by using social robots as learning companions in the classroom. The study contributes new insights into the teacher’s role and actions when teaching with a social robot in a collaborative learning situation, which is relevant for educational research and teaching practice.
Using expansive learning to design and implement video-annotated peer feedback in an undergraduate general education module
Authors: Gatrell Dave , Mark KaiPan , Au-Yeung Cypher , Leung Ka Yee
Published: August 2024

Existing studies have measured the effect of video-based feedback on student performance or satisfaction. Other issues are underacknowledged or merit further investigation. These include sociocultural aspects which may shape the design and implementation of video-based feedback, the ways students use technology to engage in feedback, and the processes through technology may transform learning. This study investigates the design and implementation of a video-annotated peer feedback activity to develop students’ presentation skills and knowledge of climate science. It explores how their use of a video annotation tool re-mediated established feedback practices and how the systematic analysis of contradictions in emerging practices informed the subsequent redesign and reimplementation of the approach. Employing a formative intervention design, the researchers intervened in the activity system of a first-year undergraduate education module to facilitate two cycles of expansive learning with an instructor and two groups of Hong Kong Chinese students (n = 97, n = 94) across two semesters. Instructor interviews, student surveys, and video annotation and system data were analysed using Activity Theory-derived criteria to highlight contradictions in each system and suggest how these could be overcome. The findings highlight the critical importance of active instructor facilitation; building student motivation by embedding social-affective support and positioning peer feedback as an integrated, formative process; and supporting students’ use of appropriate cognitive scaffolding to encourage their interactive, efficient use of the annotation tool. Conclusions: In a field dominated by experimental and quasi-experimental studies, this study reveals how an Activity Theory-derived research design and framework can be used to systemically analyse cycles of design and implementation of video-annotated peer feedback. It also suggests how the new activity system might be consolidated and generalised.
Decoding educational augmented reality research trends: a topic modeling analysis
Authors: Ozyurt Hacer , Ozyurt Ozcan
Published: August 2024

This study aims to examine the temporal evolution and changes of research interests and trends in the educational augmented reality (AR) literature. To this end, 3718 articles published in the 2003–2022 period and indexed in the Scopus database were analyzed through machine learning-based semantic topic modeling and descriptive analysis. The findings indicate a notable upswing in studies on educational AR, particularly since 2015. The articles were categorized into eleven primary themes through topic modeling analysis. The three most prevalent topics in terms of volume are “Augmented Reality in Education and Cultural Heritage”, “Medical Education and Patient Care”, and “Enhancing Safety and Information in Food Consumption”. Observations across different times reveal that “Augmented Reality in Electrical and Electronic Systems” and “Gesture-Based Instruction and Maintenance” were studied in the initial periods. Since 2015, there has been a notable increase in applications falling under the “Serious Games” category. The least voluminous and slowest-evolving topics are identified as “Serious Games for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder”, “Augmented Reality in Chemistry and Biology Laboratories”, and “Augmented Reality for Safe and Efficient Driving”. Considering the recent momentum gained by these topics, it is anticipated that they will become popular topics for future studies. This study represents a significant milestone as the first and most comprehensive research using machine learning in its field, not only explaining the current state of the field but also providing valuable information for future research efforts.
Right and Duty: Investment Risk Under Different Renewable Energy Support Policies
Authors: Alcorta Peio , Espinosa Maria Paz , Pizarro-Irizar Cristina
Published: August 2024

Renewable energy projects are subject to risk due to the uncertainty of future electricity prices and the amount of energy produced. Public support usually consists of some form of guarantee, either on the price received per MWh supplied or the return on investment per MW installed. This support reduces the investor’s risk, which is then assumed by the regulator. However, most of these policies do not only grant the investor the right to receive a guaranteed payment but also limit its potential benefits (i.e., impose an obligation). We propose a model with analytical solutions in which, considering the randomness of the market price, as well as that of the energy production, we quantify the risk removed under different types of regulations and assign a value to both the rights and the obligations that each policy entails. Finally, we apply the model to the case of Spain, which has undergone several changes in its green energy support system in recent years. Our results indicate that in the context of low electricity prices, the obligations imposed by most of these policies are negligible compared to the rights received. By contrast, in the context of high electricity prices and increasingly competitive renewable energy sources, the assumed obligations become more notable to the point of the support policy becoming a liability. Nevertheless, a sufficiently risk-averse investor may be incentivized by a policy with negative expected regulatory costs.
Try to esCAPE from Cybersecurity Incidents! A Technology-Enhanced Educational Approach
Authors: Pirta-Dreimane Rūta , Brilingaitė Agnė , Roponena Evita , Parish Karen , Grabis Jānis , Lugo Ricardo Gregorio , Bonders Mārtiņš
Published: August 2024

Incorporating gamification elements and innovative approaches in training programs are promising for addressing cybersecurity knowledge gaps. Cybersecurity education should combine hard and soft skill development when building the capacity to manage cyber incidents requiring timely communication, team collaboration, and self-efficacy in risk assessment and incident mitigation. The paper presents a design and evaluation of the technology-enhanced cybersecurity education approach CAPE which works as a hybrid escape room. It combines a virtualized infrastructure simulating the business environment and the physical environment where game participants play the role of the incident response team at the organization’s premises. The CAPE could be applied as a student-centered approach in the educational environment. The work employed a multiple-methods research approach to design a gamified approach and investigate crisis communication, collaboration, self-regulation, and technical competences in incident management scenarios. The design science methodology empowered the game’s construction with an attack surface covering physical and digital security. The undergraduate students participated in the pilot execution and completed the psychological questionnaires. The results were analyzed using statistical methods. Results of the CAPE execution showed a positive impact on student performance and increased interest in cybersecurity. The designed approach promoted field-specific competence development. The results demonstrated the significance of psychological aspects related to incident management.

Graphical abstract
Holocene ecosystem and temperature development inferred from invertebrate remains in Zminje Jezero (Dinaric Alps, Montenegro)
Authors: Schmidhauser Noé R. M. M. , Finsinger Walter , Cagliero Eleonora , Heiri Oliver
Published: August 2024

Lake Zminje Jezero (1535 m a.s.l.) in Montenegro was studied for chironomid and other aquatic invertebrate remains in a sediment sequence dating back to 12,000 calibrated 14C years before present (cal yr BP), providing, to our knowledge, the first lake-sediment record studied for chironomids and other associated chitinous aquatic invertebrate remains in the Dinaric Alps. Changes in chironomid and other invertebrate remains along the record make it possible to constrain changes of relevant environmental variables for aquatic invertebrates in the lake including temperature, oxygen availability, trophic status and water depth. The results suggest moderate changes in trophic conditions with chironomid assemblages indicating meso- to eutrophic conditions during the analysed interval. Invertebrate assemblages were typical for lakes with relatively high oxygen availability with a minor trend during the middle to late Holocene to conditions observed in lakes that are more hypoxic. A change in temperature is suggested in the earlier part of the record when the share of chironomid taxa adapted to warmer conditions increased, at the Younger Dryas to Holocene transition, whereas later no particularly pronounced shifts in temperature-sensitive taxa were observed. July air temperatures were estimated based on chironomid assemblages using a transfer function based on calibration data consisting of 117 lakes sampled in the Swiss Alps and northern Switzerland. The results suggest that temperatures rapidly increased by 5 °C at the onset of the Holocene (11,500 cal yr BP) leading to a relatively warm early to mid-Holocene and thereafter slightly decreased during the late Holocene. Reconstructed temperatures are discussed together with a previously published pollen record for our study site and are broadly consistent with other chironomid-based temperature reconstructions from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. From ca. 3000 cal yr BP sedimentation rates increased and from ca. 500 cal yr BP onwards pollen data suggest that the vegetation and lake catchment were affected by human activities, possibly influencing chironomid and other invertebrate assemblages in the lake and thereby also reconstructed temperatures. Overall, our results show that combining analyses of chironomid and other invertebrate assemblages can provide valuable insights into long-term environmental changes and can provide temperature reconstructions for small mountain lakes in the Balkans, such as Zminje Jezero.
Probabilistic maximization of time-dependent capacities in a gas network
Authors: Heitsch Holger , Henrion René , Tischendorf Caren
Published: August 2024

The determination of free technical capacities belongs to the core tasks of a gas network owner. Since gas loads are uncertain by nature, it makes sense to understand this as a probabilistic problem provided that stochastic modeling of available historical data is possible. Future clients, however, do not have a history or they do not behave in a random way, as is the case, for instance, in gas reservoir management. Therefore, capacity maximization becomes an optimization problem with uncertainty-related constraints which are partially of probabilistic and partially of robust (worst case) type. While previous attempts to solve this problem were devoted to models with static (time-independent) gas flow, we aim at considering here transient gas flow subordinate to the isothermal Euler equations. The basic challenge addressed in the manuscript is two-fold: first, a proper way of formulating probabilistic constraints in terms of the differential equations has to be provided. This will be realized on the basis of the so-called spherical-radial decomposition of Gaussian random vectors. Second, a suitable characterization of the worst-case load behaviour of future customers has to be found. It will be shown, that this is possible for quasi-static flow and can be transferred to the transient case. The complexity of the problem forces us to constrain ourselves in this first analysis to simple pipes or to a V-like structure of the network. Numerical solutions are presented and show that the differences between quasi-static and transient solutions are small, at least in these elementary examples.
Selected Mesoamerican Crops – Anti-Obesity Potential and Health Promotion. A Review
Authors: Hernández-Pérez Talía , Paredes-López Octavio
Published: August 2024

Mesoamerica is the center of origin of a great number of food crops that nowadays are part of a healthy diet. Pre-Columbian civilizations utilized more than 90% of these foods as ingredient or in main dishes, as well as for remedies and religious ceremonies. Since several years ago, Mesoamerican foods have been recognized by their outstanding concentration of bioactive compounds, including, phenolic compounds, pigments, essential fatty acids, amino acids, peptides, carbohydrates and vitamins, which provide a great number of health benefits. As a result of their unique composition, these ancient crops have several positive effects, such as hypoglycemic, antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, neuroprotective, anti-diarrheal, and anti-hypercholesterolemic capacity. Hence, this review is focused mainly in the anti-obesity and antioxidant potential of some of the most cultivated, harvested, as well as commercialized and consumed, food crops native of Mesoamerica, like, nopal and its fruit (Opuntia ficus indica spp.), chia (Salvia hispanica L.), pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.) and cacao (Theobroma cacao).
Ad Hoc Adaptations to Climate Change in Coastal Communities
Authors: Castro Brianna
Published: August 2024

Climate change disproportionately impacts coastal residents in the United States. Existing studies document institutional efforts to adapt to sea level rise through projects like seawalls, beach nourishment, and property acquisitions to protect communities from rising seas. Such studies capture institutional adaptations, but do not include ad hoc adaptations by homeowners impacted by climate change. How are homeowners adapting to climate hazards? This paper analyzes ethnographic and interview data from 100 households in two coastal counties in North Carolina, a state with one of the most climate vulnerable shorelines in the country. This analysis of homeowner response considers ad hoc adaptations along the North Carolina coast. Results show that homeowners recognize climate hazards and regularly adapt on their own within the context of institutionally maintained flood protection infrastructure and transportation access to the places where they live. Residents are aware of and attempt to access support for home adaptations when programs or funds are available to them after disasters and do so with varying levels of success, though the more pervasive adaptations to chronic stress are not supported by government programs or insurance mechanisms. Ad hoc adaptations may provide short-term protection from climate hazards but have questionable long-term efficacy as sea levels rise and storm strength and frequency increases. Leaving communities and households to adapt on their own as chronic climate hazards outpace institutional response exacerbates existing inequalities by relying on residents with different levels of resources and agency to adapt.
Learning variational autoencoders via MCMC speed measures
Authors: Hirt Marcel , Kreouzis Vasileios , Dellaportas Petros
Published: August 2024

Variational autoencoders (VAEs) are popular likelihood-based generative models which can be efficiently trained by maximising an evidence lower bound. There has been much progress in improving the expressiveness of the variational distribution to obtain tighter variational bounds and increased generative performance. Whilst previous work has leveraged Markov chain Monte Carlo methods for constructing variational densities, gradient-based methods for adapting the proposal distributions for deep latent variable models have received less attention. This work suggests an entropy-based adaptation for a short-run metropolis-adjusted Langevin or Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) chain while optimising a tighter variational bound to the log-evidence. Experiments show that this approach yields higher held-out log-likelihoods as well as improved generative metrics. Our implicit variational density can adapt to complicated posterior geometries of latent hierarchical representations arising in hierarchical VAEs.
Having a concept has a cost
Authors: Deigan Michael
Published: August 2024

Having a concept usually has some epistemic benefits. It might give one means to knowing certain facts, for example. This paper explores the possibility that having a concept can have an epistemic cost. I argue that it typically does, even putting aside our contingent limitations, assuming that there is epistemic value in understanding others from their own perspectives.
Memory-based reference and immunity to error through misidentification
Authors: García-Carpintero Manuel
Published: August 2024

Wittgenstein distinguished between two uses of ‘I’, one “as object” and the other “as subject”, a distinction that Shoemaker elucidated in terms of a notion of immunity to error through misidentification (‘IEM’); in their use “as subject”, first-personal claims are IEM, but not in their use “as object”. Shoemaker argued that memory judgments based on “personal”, episodic memory are only de facto IEM, not strictly speaking IEM, while Gareth Evans disputed it. In the past two decades research on memory has produced very significant results, which have changed the philosophical landscape. As part of it, several new arguments have been made for and against the IEM of personal memories. The paper aims to defend the Shoemaker line by critically engaging with some compelling recent contributions.
Precision breeding in agriculture and food systems in the United Kingdom
Authors: Watson Oli , Hayta Sadiye
Published: August 2024

In recent years there have been major advances in precision breeding technologies, such as gene editing, that offer promising solutions to revolutionise global crop production and tackle the pressing issues in food systems. The UK has leading expertise in genomics, and research is already taking place to develop crops with improved resilience to climate change, resistance to disease and less reliance on chemical inputs. In March 2023, the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act received Royal Assent and passed into UK law. It provides a framework from which to build more proportionate regulations for plants and animals made using genetic technologies which contain genetic changes that could also arise through traditional breeding—known as ‘Precision Bred Organisms’. New legislation and the utilization of UK world-leading research could help to enhance the efficiency of breeding systems and enable the development of plants and animals that are healthier, better for the environment and more resilient to climate change.
NGO ‘Screen-Being’ and Stakeholder Engagement: A ‘Wicked Problem’?
Authors: Letiche Hugo , Cordery Carolyn , de Loo Ivo
Published: August 2024

Ample survey research and content analysis has established that NGO internet presence is qualitatively weak and characterized by the dominance of asymmetrical communication. We argue that the emergent communicative and social paradigm of on-line interaction forms what could be defined as a wicked problem. NGOs, seen as a ‘sender’ of information, may well face a crisis of accountability determined by the very nature of the media; whereas the NGOs’ ‘information receivers’ often are deprived of the very possibility of stakeholder relatedness. In the internet-based/on-screen ‘universe’, information and electronic flow are assumed to be continual, which supersedes the entity logic crucial to NGO accountability and legitimacy. In designing their social media presence, NGOs may, therefore, face an impossible challenge.

Informed by Stéphane Vial’s analysis of the nature of on-line interactive media, we evaluate these conundrums. Then, inspired by Lucas Introna and Fernando Ilharco, we question the dialogic potential to ‘screen-being’. While the shift from an ‘actor-centric’ to ‘flow-oriented’ paradigm of ‘screen-being’ is inherent to digital communication, it destabilizes the entity-grounded accountability of NGO legitimacy. Hence, we end with explicating the risks to dialogic relatedness of ‘sceen being’ for NGOs. By so doing, we challenge the oft vocalized perspective that NGOs ‘just’ have to increase their digital communications in order to improve their relations with various stakeholders.