bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eye movements in conceptual and non-conceptual thinking
Authors: Solstad Trygve , Kaspersen Eivind , Eggen Magnus
Published: October 2024

How to influence and assess whether students engage in conceptual thinking are longstanding methodological problems in mathematics education. Recently, eye-tracking technology has fueled a discussion on whether eye movement analysis can support valid inferences about mathematical thinking. This study investigates whether eye movement analysis can distinguish between conceptual and non-conceptual thinking in a geometric classification task where both modes of thinking lead to identical responses. Participants were asked to classify geometric shapes while we tracked their eye movements and to report their thinking verbally. Our findings indicate that self-reported conceptual thinking is characterised by fewer eye movements between task shapes and response shapes, and that self-reported non-conceptual thinking involves comparing the shapes’ similarity directly. A logistic regression model correctly classified the self-reported ways of thinking in 80.3% of the cases. We conclude that eye-tracking can contribute to making inferences about mathematical thought processes and facilitate research on how to engage students in conceptual thinking and development.
“I Do Not Believe We Should Disclose Everything to an Older Patient”: Challenges and Ethical Concerns in Clinical Decision-Making in Old-Age Care in Ethiopia
Authors: Mussie Kirubel Manyazewal , Kaba Mirgissa , Setchell Jenny , Elger Bernice Simone
Published: October 2024

Clinical decision-making in old-age care is a complex and ethically sensitive process. Despite its importance, research addressing the challenges of clinical decision-making in old-age care within this cultural context is limited. This study aimed to explore the challenges and ethical concerns in clinical decision-making in old-age care in Ethiopia. This qualitative study employed an inductive approach with data collected via semi-structured interviews with 20 older patients and 26 health professionals recruited from healthcare facilities in Ethiopia. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Our analysis identified three key themes. First, participants highlighted perceptions that older patients’ religious beliefs interfere with the clinical decisions both older patients and health professionals make. Second, older patients often receive limited information from health professionals about their diagnosis and treatment. Third, families of older patients appear to strongly influence clinical decisions made by older patients or health professionals. This research enhances the understanding of clinical decision-making in old-age care within Ethiopia, a context where such research is scarce. As a result, this study contributes towards advancing the deliberation of ethical dilemmas that health professionals who work with older patients in Ethiopia might face. A key implication of the study is that there is a need for more ethics and cultural competence training for health professionals working with older patients in Ethiopia.
Using desiccation-resistant eggs to explore the ecology of giant ostracods (subfamily Mytilocypridinae) in Australian salt lakes
Authors: Rahman Mahabubur , Chaplin Jennifer , Lawrie Angus , Pinder Adrian
Published: October 2024

Giant ostracods in the subfamily Mytilocypridinae are an important component of the biota of Australian salt lakes, which are predominantly temporary, and often located in remote arid areas. Mytilocypridines produce desiccation-resistant eggs to persist in these habitats during unfavourable conditions. In this study, we used mytilocypridine eggs collected from sediments in salt lakes in Western Australia to analyse aspects of the ecology of these ostracods. We conducted two rehydration trials, where sediment was collected from dry lakes or the dry margins of lakes, rehydrated in a laboratory setting, and selected mytilocypridine species hatched and raised in cultures. The first trial found that the eggs of mytilocypridine species were unevenly distributed in a dry lake and could be hatched even after 27 months of dry storage with no discernible loss of viability. The second trial assessed the capacity of selected mytilocypridines to hatch and develop into adults under different salinity treatments. One species, Australocypris insularis, hatched and developed across a very wide salinity range (0–100 g/L). Egg/sediment samples provide a means for testing species’ tolerance to physical and chemical variables throughout their entire life cycle, as well as for surveying the mytilocypridines in remote lakes that rarely hold water.
The Rhetoric of Healthcare and the Moral Debate About Theatre-Funded Hospitals in Early Modern Spain
Authors: Bergman Ted L. L.
Published: October 2024

While early modern Spain may seem a world away, it is an extremely rich and relevant context for gaining a better understanding of the Rhetoric of Health, specifically the power of metaphor, in the related spheres of policy-making and public debate. It was a time and place in which the urban populace’s physical well-being depended upon the fortunes of theatrical performances due to a system of alms for hospitals driven by ticket receipts. Anti-theatricalists argued that the immoral nature of theatrical performances made them spiritually and medically detrimental to society. Pro-theatricalists argued that plays were always a public good on balance because they raised much-needed funds for hospitals. Instead of producing a conflict between morality and public health, each side reinforced their connection until the two topics became nearly inseparable in the sphere of public debate. While pro-theatricalists mainly stayed with their arguments about funding hospitals, anti-theatricalists developed a new strategy of literalising the metaphor of theatre as a “plague of the republic” and arguing that immoral entertainment brought literal disease to the populace as a punishment from God. This exemplifies Stephen Pender’s observation of how, in an early modern medical context, “Rhetoric as a way of perceiving probabilities and adjusting one’s argument to the audience and circumstance offers a model of ethical action and interaction”. This article is organised chronologically to track specific adjustments to a specific public-health debate that rely upon moral metaphors of medicine. Each side wrangled over these metaphors in an effort to break a deadlock in a public-health policy debate with entertainment, finance, and morality at its centre. By the end of the seventeenth century, anti-theatricalists finally found their best rhetorical weapon in the literalisation of the “plague of the republic” metaphor, but it only offered a short-term solution to banning theatre contingent upon the ebb and flow of epidemics. Simultaneously, the finance structure of funding hospitals began to erase the role of hospitals from the longstanding debate about the morality of public theatre. The case of early modern Spain provides valuable lessons about the power of metaphor in the Rhetoric of Healthcare that are still applicable today.
Implicit Peer Triplets in Gradient-Based Solution Algorithms for ODE Constrained Optimal Control
Authors: Lang Jens , Schmitt Bernhard A.
Published: October 2024

It is common practice to apply gradient-based optimization algorithms to numerically solve large-scale ODE constrained optimal control problems. Gradients of the objective function are most efficiently computed by approximate adjoint variables. High accuracy with moderate computing time can be achieved by such time integration methods that satisfy a sufficiently large number of adjoint order conditions and supply gradients with higher orders of consistency. In this paper, we upgrade our former implicit two-step Peer triplets constructed in [Algorithms, 15:310, 2022] to meet those new requirements. Since Peer methods use several stages of the same high stage order, a decisive advantage is their lack of order reduction as for semi-discretized PDE problems with boundary control. Additional order conditions for the control and certain positivity requirements now intensify the demands on the Peer triplet. We discuss the construction of 4-stage methods with order pairs (3, 3) and (4, 3) in detail and provide three Peer triplets of practical interest. We prove convergence of order $$s-1$$

s
-
1

, at least, for s-stage methods if state, adjoint and control satisfy the corresponding order conditions. Numerical tests show the expected order of convergence for the new Peer triplets.
Return to work in younger patients with brain metastases who survived for 2 years or more
Authors: Nieder Carsten , Aanes Siv Gyda , Stanisavljevic Luka , Mannsåker Bård , Haukland Ellinor Christin
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The study’s purpose was to analyze return to work and other long-term outcomes in younger patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases, treated before they reached legal retirement age, i.e. younger than 65 years.

Methods

We included patients who survived greater than 2 years after their first treatment, regardless of approach (systemic therapy, neurosurgical resection, whole-brain or stereotactic radiotherapy). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who worked 2 years after their initial treatment for brain metastases. Outcomes beyond the 2-year cut-off were also abstracted from comprehensive electronic health records, throughout the follow-up period.

Results

Of 455 patients who received active therapy for brain metastases, 62 (14%) survived for > 2 years. Twenty-eight were younger than 65 years. The actuarial median survival was 81 months and the 5-year survival rate 53%. For patients alive after 5 years, the 10-year survival rate was 54%. At diagnosis, 25% of patients (7 of 28) were permanently incapacitated for work/retired. Of the remaining 21 patients, 33% did work 2 years later. However, several of these patients went on to receive disability pension afterwards. Eventually, 19% continued working in the longer run. Younger age, absence of extracranial metastases, presence of a single brain metastasis, and Karnofsky performance status 90–100 were common features of patients who worked after 2 years.

Conclusion

Long-term survival was achieved after vastly different therapeutic approaches, regarding both upfront and sequential management. Many patients required three or more lines of brain-directed treatment. Few patients continued working in the longer run.
The exponential HEAVY model: an improved approach to volatility modeling and forecasting
Authors: Xu Yongdeng
Published: September 2024

This paper proposes an Exponential HEAVY (EHEAVY) model, which specifies the dynamics of returns and realized measures of volatility in an exponential form. The model ensures positivity of volatility and allows for asymmetric effects without restrictions on parameters, hence is more flexible. A joint quasi-maximum likelihood estimation and closed-form multi-step ahead forecasting is derived. The EHEAVY model is applied to 31 assets from the Oxford-Man Institute’s realized library, and the empirical results demonstrate that return volatility dynamics are driven by the realized measure, while the asymmetric effect is captured by the return shock. The out-of-sample forecast results show that the EHEAVY model has superior forecasting performance compared the HEAVY, AHEAVY, and realized EGARCH models. The portfolio exercise further confirms the superior economic value of the EHEAVY model, as measured by the certain equivalent return and expected utility.
Een pre-transplantatie predictiemodel voor transplantaatoverleving bij Nederlandse kinderniertransplantaties
Authors: Oomen Loes , de Jong Huib , Bouts Antonia H. M. , Keijzer-Veen Mandy G. , Cornelissen Elisabeth A. M. , de Wall Liesbeth L. , Feitz Wout F. J. , Bootsma-Robroeks Charlotte M. H. H. T.
Published: October 2024

Samenvatting

Achtergrond

Een predictiemodel voor transplantaatoverleving, rekening houdend met kenmerken van donor en ontvanger, kan de klinische besluitvorming verbeteren. Het doel van dit onderzoek is het ontwikkelen van een predictiemodel voor kinderen op basis van pretransplantatieparameters.

Methoden

De data waren afkomstig van de Nederlandse Orgaantransplantatie Registratie (NOTR). Met logistische regressieanalyse, gecorrigeerd voor transplantatieperiode en posttransplantatietijd, werd een predictiemodel ontwikkeld. Voor interne validatie werden een derivatie (80%) en validatiecohort (20%) gedefinieerd. Modelkwaliteit werd gemeten met de area under the curve (AUC) van de receiver operating characteristic curve, de Hosmer-Lemeshow-toets en kalibratieplots.

Resultaten

Tussen 1966–2021 vonden 1428 niertransplantaties plaats. De tienjaarsoverleving steeg van 42% (vóór 1990) naar 92%. Het model omvatte 71.829 observaties van 554 niertransplantaties (1990–2021), met variabelen zoals leeftijd, retransplantatie, human leucocyte antigen mismatches en primaire nierziekte. AUC-waarden van 0,89; 0,79; 0,76 en 0,74 na een, vijf, tien en twintig jaar (p < 0,01) duiden op een groot voorspellend vermogen.

Conclusies

Dit pretransplantatie predictiemodel voorspelt nauwkeurig de niertransplantaatoverleving bij kinderen in Nederland.
To What Extent Are College Students’ Delay Discounting and Systematic Responding Rates Related to Time of Semester?
Authors: Baca-Zeff Sierra , Rodriguez Luis R. , Lee Yaeeun , Robertson Stephen H. , Rasmussen Erin B.
Published: October 2024

Researchers who use undergraduate participants may be concerned about variation in data quality at different times of the semester. For instance, students who are more self-controlled may get their course credit earlier in the semester whereas those who procrastinate may wait until the end. Therefore, a potential time-of-semester effect may influence research data. This study sought to examine the relation between time of semester and delay discounting (DD)—a process that refers to an individual’s sensitivity to delayed rewards. DD may also directly relate to the decision to participate in research. Undergraduate participants completed money (n = 149) and food (n = 150) DD measures. Patterns in DD were examined across the semester. The number of systematic responders (i.e., those that follow a hyperbolic discounting curve) was also examined to determine the extent to which inattentive or random responding might be related to time of semester. Regression analyses revealed that money DD was consistent and stable across the semester. Food DD, controlling for subjective hunger as a co-variate increased slightly, though significantly, at the end of the semester. The percentage of participants with systematic discounting remained high throughout the semester for money and food DD, however, food DD had more variability, particularly towards the middle of the semester. Therefore, for college students, monetary DD is consistent across time of semester, but food DD slightly increases as the semester ends.
LightDPH: Lightweight Dual-Projection-Head Hierarchical Contrastive Learning for Skin Lesion Classification
Authors: Hsu Benny Wei-Yun , Tseng Vincent S.
Published: October 2024

Effective skin cancer detection is crucial for early intervention and improved treatment outcomes. Previous studies have primarily focused on enhancing the performance of skin lesion classification models. However, there is a growing need to consider the practical requirements of real-world scenarios, such as portable applications that require lightweight models embedded in devices. Therefore, this study aims to propose a novel method that can address the major-type misclassification problem with a lightweight model. This study proposes an innovative Lightweight Dual Projection-Head Hierarchical contrastive learning (LightDPH) method. We introduce a dual projection-head mechanism to a contrastive learning framework. This mechanism is utilized to train a model with our proposed multi-level contrastive loss (MultiCon Loss), which can effectively learn hierarchical information from samples. Meanwhile, we present a distance-based weight (DBW) function to adjust losses based on hierarchical levels. This unique combination of MultiCon Loss and DBW function in LightDPH tackles the problem of major-type misclassification with lightweight models and enhances the model’s sensitivity in skin lesion classification. The experimental results demonstrate that LightDPH significantly reduces the number of parameters by 52.6% and computational complexity by 29.9% in GFLOPs while maintaining high classification performance comparable to state-of-the-art methods. This study also presented a novel evaluation metric, model efficiency score (MES), to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of models with scaling and classification performance. The proposed LightDPH effectively mitigates major-type misclassification and works in a resource-efficient manner, making it highly suitable for clinical applications in resource-constrained environments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that develops an effective lightweight hierarchical classification model for skin lesion detection.
Preliminary Trajectory Design for Mitigating Debris Utilizing Solar Sailing and Conventional Propulsion
Authors: Kim Kiduck
Published: September 2024

In this study, preliminary trajectory design for debris removal in low Earth orbit using solar sails is explored. Emphasis is placed on regions below 1000 km altitude, where the debris population is rapidly growing. The aim is to propose a mission concept capable of repetitively executing removal processes. The trajectory is intricately crafted, segmented into rendezvous, proximity operations, and deorbiting phases. Safety is prioritized by leveraging walking safety ellipses during proximity operations, ensuring efficient capture of targeted debris. Additionally, the feasibility and limitations of the mission concept are assessed through numerical simulations based on characteristic acceleration, a pivotal performance index of solar sails.
Integrating Bioinformatics and Experimental Validation to Identify Mitochondrial Permeability Transition-Driven Necrosis-Related lncRNAs that can Serve as Prognostic Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Endometrial Carcinoma
Authors: Zhou Ting , Li Haojia , Zhang Qi , Cheng Shuangshuang , Zhang Qian , Yao Yuwei , Dong Kejun , Xu Zheng , Shu Wan , Zhang Jun , Wang Hongbo
Published: October 2024

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a common malignant tumor in women with high mortality and relapse rates. Mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-driven necrosis is a novel form of programmed cell death. The MPT-driven necrosis related lncRNAs (MRLs) involved in EC development remain unclear. We aimed to predict the outcomes of patients with EC by constructing a novel prognostic model based on MRLs and explore potential molecular functions. A risk prognostic model was developed utilizing multi-Cox regression in conjunction with the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression algorithm, which was based on MRLs. The predictive efficacy of the model was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, as well as nomogram and concordance index (C-index) assessments. Patients were categorized into high- and low-risk groups based on their median risk scores. Notably, the high-risk group exhibited significantly poorer overall survival (OS) outcomes. Gene ontology (GO) and Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) demonstrated that Hedgehog and cell cycle pathways were enriched in the high-risk group. Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) displayed that patients in the high-risk group showed a high likelihood of immune evasion and less effective immunotherapy. A significant disparity in immune function was also observed between two groups. Based on the nine-MRLs, drug sensitivity analysis identified several anticancer drugs with potential efficacy in prognosis. Meanwhile, the results demonstrated that OGFRP1 plays a carcinogenic role by affecting mitochondrial membrane permeability in EC. Therefore, the risk model constructed by nine MRLs could be used to predict the clinical outcomes and therapeutic responses in patients with EC effectively.
Segmental range-of-motion by vertebral level in fused and unfused patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Anaspure Omkar S. , Baumann Anthony N. , Crawford Marc T. , Davis Pierce , Ndjonko Laura C. M. , Anari Jason B. , Baldwin Keith D.
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This study aims to understand global and segmental spinal ROM in surgical and nonsurgical AIS patients.

Methods

This systematic review examined segmental vertebral ROM in AIS patients using PubMed, SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, and Web of Science until October 8th, 2023. Inclusion criteria were articles on segmental motion in AIS patients, both operative and non-operative, under 18 years old.

Results

Seventeen articles met eligibility criteria from 2511 initially retrieved. All patients (n = 996) had AIS (549 non-operative; 447 were operative), with a frequency-weighted mean age of 15.1 ± 1.6 years and a baseline Cobb angle of 51.4 ± 13.3 degrees. Studies showed heterogenous segmental flexibility in the unfused spine, with the apical curve and upper thoracic segments being more rigid and lower segments more flexible at -5 disk segments from the apex. Most studies showed a predictable loss of motion in fused spinal regions postoperatively and a variable loss of global motion depending on the LIV and number of fused segments. A 7° global loss of total trunk flexion per level was observed with increasingly caudal LIV, starting at L1. Anterior vertebral body tethering (AVBT) preserved motion post-surgery but reduced coronal plane motion. AVBT saw less motion loss compared to posterior spinal fusion (PSF) but had higher revision and complication rates.

Conclusion

Preservation of spinal segments correlated with improved motion postoperatively. Increasing caudal LIV in PSF showed sagittal flexion loss. AVBT preserved more sagittal ROM than PSF but increased coronal motion loss, complications, and revision rates, with the largest benefit at LIV L4. Data on segmental motion are limited and further research on postoperative segmental ROM is required.
Enhancing water recycling adoption in South African residential properties: a multi-dimensional analysis for sustainable water management
Authors: Moghayedi Alireza
Published: September 2024

This paper investigates the challenges and adoption rates of water recycling systems as a sustainable water management strategy within residential properties in South Africa. Employing a quantitative approach, the research incorporates a comprehensive literature review and household surveys to discern the micro-social, technical, and socio-economic motivations and challenges influencing adoption rates and homeowners' willingness to embrace water recycling systems. Through structural equation modeling (SEM), a causal model is developed, illuminating the intricate nexus between influential constructs, their sub-constructs, and the degree of water recycling system adoption in South African residential contexts. The SEM results reveal significant relationships between property characteristics, motivations, and challenges, and their combined impact on adoption rates. The study identifies a lack of space, unclear savings on water payments, and insufficient information/awareness as primary micro-level obstacles to implementing water recycling systems in residential properties. Furthermore, it demonstrates that enhancing the efficiency of water recycling systems could substantially mitigate the negative impacts of these challenges. The study underscores the pivotal role of public awareness campaigns and homeowner education in augmenting the utilization of recycled water within residential settings. Recommendations emphasize the necessity of equipping homeowners with fundamental environmental and technical knowledge pertaining to water recycling and advocate for government incentives to encourage the adoption of water recycling systems in residential properties. These findings offer valuable insights for crafting data-driven decision-making frameworks aimed at bolstering the capacity for analyzing and implementing novel water reuse strategies, tailored to the specific capabilities and resources of urban authorities and communities.
Threshold transient growth as a criterion for turbulent mean profiles
Authors: Markeviciute Vilda K. , Kerswell Rich R.
Published: October 2024

Lozano-Duran et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 914, 2021, p. A8) have recently identified the ability of streamwise-averaged turbulent streak fields

${\mathcal {U}}(y,z,t)\hat {\boldsymbol {x}}$

in minimal channels to produce short-term transient growth as the key linear mechanism needed to sustain turbulence at

$Re_{\tau }=180$

. Here, in an attempt to extend this result to larger domains and higher

$Re_{\tau }$

, we model this streak transient growth as a two-stage linear process by first selecting the dominant streak structure expected to emerge over the eddy turnover time on the turbulent mean profile

$U(y)\hat {\boldsymbol {x}}$

, and then examining the secondary growth on this (frozen) streak field

${\mathcal {U}}(y,z)\hat {\boldsymbol {x}}$

. Choosing the mean streak amplitude and eddy turnover time consistent with simulations captures the growth thresholds found by Lozano-Duran et al. (2021) for sustained turbulence. In a larger domain at

$Re_{\tau }=180$

, the most energetic near-wall streaks observed in simulations are close to the predicted optimal streaks. This most energetic streak spacing, approaches the optimal streak at

$Re_{\tau }=550$

where the secondary growth possible on each also comes together. A key prediction from the model is that the threshold transient growth required to sustain turbulence decreases with increasing

$Re_{\tau }$

. More fundamentally, the work of Lozano-Duran et al. (2021) and our results suggest a subtle but significant revision of Malkus's (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 1, 1956, pp. 521–539) classic hypothesis concerning realisable turbulent mean profiles. The key property for a realisable turbulent mean profile could be the ability to generate sufficient short-term transient growth rather than dependence on its (long-term) linear stability characteristics, which was Malkus's original idea.
The ‘Goldilocks Grub’: reproductive responses to leafroller host development in Goniozus jacintae, a parasitoid of the light brown apple moth
Authors: Aspin Emma , Keller Michael A. , Hardy Ian C. W.
Published: October 2024

Many parasitoids alter their reproductive behaviour in response to the quality of encountered hosts. They make adaptive decisions concerning whether to parasitise a potential host, the number of eggs laid on an accepted host, and the allocation of sex to their offspring. Here we present evidence that Goniozus jacintae Farrugia (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), a gregarious ectoparasitoid of larval tortricids, adjusts its reproductive response to the size and developmental stage of larvae of the light brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Goniozus jacintae parasitises instars 3–6 of LBAM, but most readily parasitises the later, larger, instars. Brood sizes were bigger on larger hosts and brood sex ratios were female biased (proportion of males = 0.23) with extremely low variance (never >1 male in a brood at emergence), perhaps the most precise of all studied bethylids. Host size did not influence brood development time, which averaged 19.64 days, or the body size of male offspring. However, the size of females was positively correlated with host size and negatively correlated with brood size. The sizes of individual males and females were positively related to the average amount of host resource available to individuals within each brood, suggesting that adult body size is affected by scramble competition among feeding larvae. Average brood sizes were: 3rd instar host, 1.3 (SE ± 0.075); 4th instar, 2.8 (SE ± 0.18); 5th instar, 4.7 (SE ± 0.23); 6th instar, 5.4 (SE ± 0.28). The largest brood size observed was 8 individuals (7 females, 1 male) on the 6th instar of LBAM. These results suggest that later instars would give the highest yield to optimise mass-rearing of G. jacintae if used for augmentative biological pest control.
Divine Visibility in the Gospel of John
Authors: Irwin Luke
Published: October 2024

This article argues that John’s christology affirms the material visibility of God by reconciling the notion of an “unseen” God to the visibility of the Father that Jesus presents. Three pieces of evidence support this claim. The first is that “unseen” and “invisible” are not synonymous. A survey of Second Temple, biblical, and rabbinic literature reveals that one may not assume that all hellenized Jews embraced Platonist notions of invisibility. Second, Jesus presents the Father as visible, however restricted that visibility may be to Jesus’s person. Third, John’s use of Isaiah suggests that the visibility of God in the theophanies is consonant with God’s visibility in Jesus.
The Grenada Learning and Memory Scale: Psychometric features and normative data in Caribbean preschool children
Authors: Blackmon Karen , Evans Roberta , Mohammed Lauren , Burgen Kemi S. , Ingraham Erin , Punch Bianca , Isaac Rashida , Murray Toni , Noel Jesma , Belmar-Roberts Cora , Waechter Randall , Landon Barbara
Published: October 2024

Objective:

Neuropsychological assessment of preschool children is essential for early detection of delays and referral for intervention prior to school entry. This is especially pertinent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which are disproportionately impacted by micronutrient deficiencies and teratogenic exposures. The Grenada Learning and Memory Scale (GLAMS) was created for use in limited resource settings and includes a shopping list and face-name association test. Here, we present psychometric and normative data for the GLAMS in a Grenadian preschool sample.

Methods:

Typically developing children between 36 and 72 months of age, primarily English speaking, were recruited from public preschools in Grenada. Trained Early Childhood Assessors administered the GLAMS and NEPSY-II in schools, homes, and clinics. GLAMS score distributions, reliability, and convergent/divergent validity against NEPSY-II were evaluated.

Results:

The sample consisted of 400 children (190 males, 210 females). GLAMS internal consistency, inter-rater agreement, and test-retest reliability were acceptable. Principal components analysis revealed two latent factors, aligned with expected verbal/visual memory constructs. A female advantage was observed in verbal memory. Moderate age effects were observed on list learning/recall and small age effects on face-name learning/recall. All GLAMS subtests were correlated with NEPSY-II Sentence Repetition, supporting convergent validity with a measure of verbal working memory.

Conclusions:

The GLAMS is a psychometrically sound measure of learning and memory in Grenadian preschool children. Further adaptation and scale-up to global LMICs are recommended.
How Does Organized Convection Impact Explicitly Resolved Cloud Feedbacks in the Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium Model Intercomparison Project?
Authors: Stauffer Catherine L. , Wing Allison A.
Published: October 2024

In simulations of radiative‐convective equilibrium (RCE), and with sufficiently large domains, organized convection enhances top of atmosphere outgoing longwave radiation due to the reduced cloud coverage and drying of the mean climate state. As a consequence, estimates of climate sensitivity and cloud feedbacks may be affected. Here, we use a multi‐model ensemble configured in RCE to study the dependence of explicitly calculated cloud feedbacks on the existence of organized convection, the degree to which convection within a domain organizes, and the change in organized convection with warming sea surface temperature. We find that, when RCE simulations with organized convection are compared to RCE simulations without organized convection, the propensity for convection to organize in RCE causes cloud feedbacks to have larger magnitudes due to the inclusion of low clouds, accompanied by a much larger inter‐model spread. While we find no dependence of the cloud feedback on changes in organization with warming, models that are, on average, more organized have less positive, or even negative, cloud feedbacks. This is primarily due to changes in cloud optical depth in the shortwave, specifically high clouds thickening with warming in strongly organized domains. The shortwave cloud optical depth feedback also plays an important role in causing the tropical anvil cloud area feedback to be positive which is directly opposed to the expected negative or near zero cloud feedback found in prior work.
Association Between Extreme Heat and Outpatient Visits for Mental Disorders: A Time‐Series Analysis in Guangzhou, China
Authors: Zhang Hui , Li Xuezhu , Wang Siyue , Wu Tao , Yang Xinyi , Wang Ningfeng , Huang Lifeng , Feng Zhilang , He Zitong , Wang Qiong , Ling Li , Zhou Wensu
Published: October 2024

Previous evidence on heatwaves’ impact on mental health outpatient visits is limited, especially uncertainty on how different heatwave definitions affect this relationship. In this time‐series study, we assessed the association between heatwaves and outpatient visits for mental disorders in Guangzhou, China. Daily outpatient visits for mental disorders and its specific categories (schizophrenia, mood, and neurotic disorders) were sourced from the Urban Resident‐based Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI) and the Urban Employee‐based Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) claims databases in Guangzhou from 2010 to 2014. The study employed nine heatwave definitions, based on combinations of three daily mean temperature thresholds (90th, 92.5th, and 95th percentiles) and durations (2, 3, and 4 days). Using quasi‐Poisson generalized linear models (GLMs), we estimated the risks (at lag 0 day) and cumulative effects (lag 0–10 days) of heatwaves on mental disorder outpatient visits. Age, gender, types of medical insurance were considered as potential effect modifiers. We observed a positive association between heatwaves and increased total outpatient visits for mental disorders, both at lag 0 day and during lag 0–10 days. The impact of heatwave was significant at lag 0 day for schizophrenia, mood and neurotic disorders visits, it remained significant for neurotic and mood disorders visits during lag 0–10 days. Heatwave durations lasting more than 4 days were associated with higher relative risks of mental disorders at lag 0 day. Older adults had relatively higher effect estimations than younger individuals. This research highlights the effects of extreme heat on mental health.
Miniaturized on-chip spectrometer enabled by electrochromic modulation
Authors: Tian Menghan , Liu Baolei , Lu Zelin , Wang Yao , Zheng Ze , Song Jiaqi , Zhong Xiaolan , Wang Fan
Published: September 2024

Miniaturized on-chip spectrometers with small footprints, lightweight, and low cost are in great demand for portable optical sensing, lab-on-chip systems, and so on. Such miniaturized spectrometers are usually based on engineered spectral response units and then reconstruct unknown spectra with algorithms. However, due to the limited footprints of computational on-chip spectrometers, the recovered spectral resolution is limited by the number of integrated spectral response units/filters. Thus, it is challenging to improve the spectral resolution without increasing the number of used filters. Here we present a computational on-chip spectrometer using electrochromic filter-based computational spectral units that can be electrochemically modulated to increase the efficient sampling number for higher spectral resolution. These filters are directly integrated on top of the photodetector pixels, and the spectral modulation of the filters results from redox reactions during the dual injection of ions and electrons into the electrochromic material. We experimentally demonstrate that the spectral resolution of the proposed spectrometer can be effectively improved as the number of applied voltages increases. The average difference of the peak wavelengths between the reconstructed and the reference spectra decreases from 1.61 nm to 0.29 nm. We also demonstrate the proposed spectrometer can be worked with only four or two filter units, assisted by electrochromic modulation. In addition, we also demonstrate that the electrochromic filter can be easily adapted for hyperspectral imaging, due to its uniform transparency. This strategy suggests a new way to enhance the performance of miniaturized spectrometers with tunable spectral filters for high resolution, low-cost, and portable spectral sensing, and would also inspire the exploration of other stimulus responses such as photochromic and force-chromic, etc, on computational spectrometers.
Picotesla-sensitivity microcavity optomechanical magnetometry
Authors: Hu Zhi-Gang , Gao Yi-Meng , Liu Jian-Fei , Yang Hao , Wang Min , Lei Yuechen , Zhou Xin , Li Jincheng , Cao Xuening , Liang Jinjing , Hu Chao-Qun , Li Zhilin , Lau Yong-Chang , Cai Jian-Wang , Li Bei-Bei
Published: September 2024

Cavity optomechanical systems have enabled precision sensing of magnetic fields, by leveraging the optical resonance-enhanced readout and mechanical resonance-enhanced response. Previous studies have successfully achieved mass-produced and reproducible microcavity optomechanical magnetometry (MCOM) by incorporating Terfenol-D thin films into high-quality (Q) factor whispering gallery mode (WGM) microcavities. However, the sensitivity was limited to 585 pT Hz−1/2, over 20 times inferior to those using Terfenol-D particles. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a high-sensitivity and mass-produced MCOM approach by sputtering a FeGaB thin film onto a high-Q SiO2 WGM microdisk. Theoretical studies are conducted to explore the magnetic actuation constant and noise-limited sensitivity by varying the parameters of the FeGaB film and SiO2 microdisk. Multiple magnetometers with different radii are fabricated and characterized. By utilizing a microdisk with a radius of 355 μm and a thickness of 1 μm, along with a FeGaB film with a radius of 330 μm and a thickness of 1.3 μm, we have achieved a remarkable peak sensitivity of 1.68 pT Hz−1/2 at 9.52 MHz. This represents a significant improvement of over two orders of magnitude compared with previous studies employing sputtered Terfenol-D film. Notably, the magnetometer operates without a bias magnetic field, thanks to the remarkable soft magnetic properties of the FeGaB film. Furthermore, as a proof of concept, we have demonstrated the real-time measurement of a pulsed magnetic field simulating the corona current in a high-voltage transmission line using our developed magnetometer. These high-sensitivity magnetometers hold great potential for various applications, such as magnetic induction tomography and corona current monitoring.
The miRNA and PD-1/PD-L1 signaling axis: an arsenal of immunotherapeutic targets against lung cancer
Authors: Yadav Ritu , Khatkar Rinku , Yap Kenneth C-H , Kang Chloe Yun-Hui , Lyu Juncheng , Singh Rahul Kumar , Mandal Surojit , Mohanta Adrija , Lam Hiu Yan , Okina Elena , Kumar Rajiv Ranjan , Uttam Vivek , Sharma Uttam , Jain Manju , Prakash Hridayesh , Tuli Hardeep Singh , Kumar Alan Prem , Jain Aklank
Published: September 2024

Lung cancer is a severe challenge to the health care system with intrinsic resistance to first and second-line chemo/radiotherapies. In view of the sterile environment of lung cancer, several immunotherapeutic drugs including nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, and durvalumab are currently being used in clinics globally with the intention of releasing exhausted T-cells back against refractory tumor cells. Immunotherapies have a limited response rate and may cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in some patients. Hence, a deeper understanding of regulating immune checkpoint interactions could significantly enhance lung cancer treatments. In this review, we explore the role of miRNAs in modulating immunogenic responses against tumors. We discuss various aspects of how manipulating these checkpoints can bias the immune system’s response against lung cancer. Specifically, we examine how altering the miRNA profile can impact the activity of various immune checkpoint inhibitors, focusing on the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway within the complex landscape of lung cancer. We believe that a clear understanding of the host’s miRNA profile can influence the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors and significantly contribute to existing immunotherapies for lung cancer patients. Additionally, we discuss ongoing clinical trials involving immunotherapeutic drugs, both as standalone treatments and in combination with other therapies, intending to advance the development of immunotherapy for lung cancer.
Increased frequency of repeat expansion mutations across different populations
Authors: Ibañez Kristina , Jadhav Bharati , Zanovello Matteo , Gagliardi Delia , Clarkson Christopher , Facchini Stefano , Garg Paras , Martin-Trujillo Alejandro , Gies Scott J. , Galassi Deforie Valentina , Dalmia Anupriya , Hensman Moss Davina J. , Vandrovcova Jana , Rocca Clarissa , Moutsianas Loukas , Marini-Bettolo Chiara , Walker Helen , Turner Chris , Shoai Maryam , Long Jeffrey D. , Fratta Pietro , Langbehn Douglas R. , Tabrizi Sarah J. , Caulfield Mark J. , Cortese Andrea , Escott-Price Valentina , Hardy John , Houlden Henry , Sharp Andrew J. , Tucci Arianna
Published: October 2024

Repeat expansion disorders (REDs) are a devastating group of predominantly neurological diseases. Together they are common, affecting 1 in 3,000 people worldwide with population-specific differences. However, prevalence estimates of REDs are hampered by heterogeneous clinical presentation, variable geographic distributions and technological limitations leading to underascertainment. Here, leveraging whole-genome sequencing data from 82,176 individuals from different populations, we found an overall disease allele frequency of REDs of 1 in 283 individuals. Modeling disease prevalence using genetic data, age at onset and survival, we show that the expected number of people with REDs would be two to three times higher than currently reported figures, indicating underdiagnosis and/or incomplete penetrance. While some REDs are population specific, for example, Huntington disease-like 2 in Africans, most REDs are represented in all broad genetic ancestries (that is, Europeans, Africans, Americans, East Asians and South Asians), challenging the notion that some REDs are found only in specific populations. These results have worldwide implications for local and global health communities in the diagnosis and counseling of REDs.
Co-occurrence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours in middle-aged adults: findings from the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS)
Authors: Klompstra Leonie , Löf Marie , Björkelund Cecilia , Hellenius Mai-Lis , Kallings Lena V. , Orho-Melander Marju , Wennberg Patrik , Bendtsen Preben , Bendtsen Marcus
Published: October 2024

Middle-aged adults engaging in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are at higher risk of chronic diseases. However, little is known about the co-occurrence of these behaviors and their determinants. This cohort study examined the co-occurrence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (alcohol consumption, diet, physical inactivity, and smoking) in 30,154 middle-aged adults and their associations with sociodemographic factors, social support, and disease history. Alcohol use was measured by the AUDIT, diet by the MiniMeal-Q, and physical inactivity and smoking by single questions. Participants had a mean age of 58 years, with 51% being female. Of them, 14% had no unhealthy behaviors, 38% had one, 36% had two, 10% had three, and 2% had all four. The most common co-occurrence was between physical inactivity and poor diet (38%). Higher education decreased the likelihood of having three or four unhealthy behaviors, while financial difficulties, having no one around who appreciated one’s efforts, and suffering of a lung disease increased it. In conclusion, middle-aged adults exhibit varying levels of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Higher education is linked to reduced engagement in multiple unhealthy behaviors, whereas financial strain, lower quality of social support, and lung disease increase the risk.
Ameliorating effects of natural herbal supplements against water-borne induced toxicity of heavy metals on Nile tilapia, (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: Fatima Arzoo , Makhdoom Hussain Syed , Ali Shafaqat , Rizwan Muhammad , Al-Ghanim Khalid A. , Yong Jean Wan Hong
Published: September 2024

The efficacy of herbal supplements in mitigating heavy metals (HMs) toxicity was investigated using a widely grown fish, the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The experiment was conducted over two phases: during the stress phase, the experimental fishes were exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of HMs, including lead, cadmium, zinc, and copper for 15 days; following which during the feeding phase, herbal supplements were given for 70 days to ameliorate their effects. Seven groups were established: the control negative group (CON−ve), control positive group (CON+ve, without any treatment), and five groups with supplementation of 1% turmeric (TUR), cinnamon (CIN), ginger (GIN), garlic (GAR), and their mixture (MIX), respectively. A total of 315 fishes were distributed evenly in experimental tanks (15 fishes per tank, in triplicates). The results revealed that exposure to HMs led to significant (p < 0.05) alterations in all the tested parameters, i.e., liver damage and growth reduction. The herbal supplements, especially the MIX groups, ameliorated the harmful effects of HMs and restored fish growth, digestibility, carcass composition, and liver health. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the herbal supplements were effective in reducing the HMs-linked toxicity in Nile tilapia. Future studies pertaining to the mechanisms facilitated by the various herbal bioactive substances-linked tolerance to HMs in fishes are warranted.