bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative toxicity of copper and zinc contaminated wastewater irrigation on growth, physiology, and mineral absorption of wheat
Authors: Ullah Sana , Naeem Asif , Praspaliauskas Marius , Vaskeviciene Irena , Hosney Ahmed , Barcauskaite Karolina
Published: January 2025

A comparative pot study was performed to assess the toxic effects of copper (Cu) and/or zinc (Zn) contaminated wastewater (WW) irrigation on the growth, physiology, and element concentration of wheat grown for two months. The treatments included irrigation with uncontaminated wastewater (WW) as control, Cu‐contaminated WW (CuWW), Zn‐contaminated WW (ZnWW), and Cu + Zn contaminated WW (CuZnWW) in a completely randomized design. Compared to ZnWW, irrigation with CuWW or CuZnWW had severe effects on growth, physiology, and mineral absorption by wheat. Irrigation with CuWW or CuZnWW reduced shoot length, root length, root and shoot dry weights by 44–45%, 54–56%, 5–6%, and 33–34%, respectively, against WW control. Similarly, these treatments diminished chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, and SPAD by 33–34%, 59–60%, 49–51%, and 26–27%, respectively. Conversely, contaminated irrigation improved the total polyphenols, polyphenolic acids, total flavonoids, and antiradical activity, however, a maximum increase in these parameters up to 65% was observed when irrigated with ZnWW. Pearson correlation showed that the decline in growth and physiology of wheat was negatively correlated with shoot metal concentration and uptake. Dehydrogenase activity is severely hampered by CuWW or CuZnWW and to a lesser extent by ZnWW as well. These results suggest that irrigation with contaminated WW adversely affects wheat growth and physiology, however, ZnWW is found to be less toxic to wheat crops than Cu. Thereby, this data highlights the need for a tailored approach to prioritize the metal (Zn) with lower toxicity during the use of WW in irrigation practice.

Practitioner Points

Cu‐contaminated wastewater (20 ppm Cu) substantially reduced the growth and physiology of wheat. Zn (80 ppm) contaminated wastewater was found lesser toxic compared to Cu.

Wheat irrigation with contaminated wastewater increased biologically active compounds in wheat shoot.

Contaminated wastewater affected minerals concentration in the root and shoot part of wheat.

Dehydrogenase activity in soil is less affected by Zn‐contaminated wastewater.

Irrigation with wastewater and leftover crop residues resulted in the accumulation of organic matter in soil.
Unlocking the Blue Frontier: Saline Water Footprint as a Path to Sustainability
Authors: Harsha J
Published: January 2025

The world population is projected to grow to 9.77 billion by 2050 as against 7.55 billion as of 2017 and a large part of the population increase is going to occur in the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The addition of 2 more billion by 2050 will increase the pressure on already scarce freshwater across the globe due to the concomitant demand for freshwater required for growing additional food, water, and energy. The fraction of freshwater is a mere 2.53% of global water whereas the rest 97.47% is saline water. So, water is not scarce on earth if saline water is considered useful. With current unsustainable water management approaches, the freshwater crisis scenario could turn catastrophic. Hence, to avert the dire freshwater crisis by 2050 and beyond, this article introduces a novel water management strategy called “saline water footprint” as an integrated strategy outside the realm of freshwater. Saline water footprint is the next step of freshwater footprint and a futuristic sustainable solution that considers seawater constituting 97.47% volume of global water as a useful resource. This article explores various opportunities and limitations and then recommends a saline water footprint strategy as the sustainable and integrated strategy to enhance global saline water use to avert the coming cataclysmic freshwater crisis by 2050 and beyond.
Evaluating the Sapien® XT Valve in Native Right Ventricular Outflow Tracts After Tetralogy of Fallot Repair: Mid- and Long-Term Results
Authors: Odemis Ender , Celikyurt Aydin , Kizilkaya Mete Han , Demir İbrahim Halil
Published: January 2025

Although the long-term outcomes of the surgical grafts are well defined and reported, the data regarding the mid-and long-term results of the balloon-expandable percutaneous valves in the native right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) is limited. We retrospectively evaluated 42 patients who underwent PPVI (Sapien® XT valve) to native RVOT due to severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR) and/or moderate to severe pulmonary stenosis (PS) between August 2015 and November 2020. The median patient age at the time of PPVI was 13.4 years (6.1–36.5 years). The median body weight of the patients was 42 kg (15–110 kg). The rate of patients who were followed up without the need for percutaneous or surgical intervention was 97.4% at the end of year 1, 89.3% at the end of year 3, and 85.8% at the end of year 5. At the end of year 6, the proportion of patients requiring no procedure remained constant, with year 5 at 85.8%, but decreased to 70.2% at the end of year 7. Although the early results are very encouraging, it is seen that PPVI in patients with RVOT in the long term brings some problems. The most important of these is tricuspid valve problems, which were not considered before the procedure. Patients requiring reintervention due to pulmonary regurgitation show similar characteristics to surgical valves’ long-term results.
Simultaneous Treatment of Pseudo-gynecomastia and Lateral Chest in Patients with Massive Weight Loss
Authors: Affara Moaz Fathy Khalifa Fayez , Badawy Mohamed Samir , Reyad Khaled Ahmed , Mabrouk Amr
Published: January 2025

Background

Pseudogynecomastia in MWL patients is characterized by excess skin in chest, lateral chest, axilla and upper abdomen without enlargement of the breast glandular component. The aim of this work was to study long-term aesthetic outcomes of correction of severe pseudogynecomastia post-weight loss with inferior pedicle technique with some refinements.

Methodology

This prospective study included 15 patients underwent chest contouring after massive weight loss within period of 2 years between January 2022 and January 2024. All patients were subjected to local examination (position of nipple–areola complex and degree of ptosis and chest anthropometry) and photographic assessment, and pre- and postoperative results were compared. Patient satisfaction survey was done.

Results

The ages ranged from 20 to 45 years (mean 32.67 years), the previous weight ranged with mean 158.8, the mean current weight was 87.53, and the mean BMI was 28.49. The time of weight loss ranged from 8 to 48 months (mean 20.07 months), and the duration of weight stability ranged from 6 to 24 months with mean 10.0 months. Regarding the complications, no major complications required readmission, four patients had minor complications (26.7%), one (6.7%) case had asymmetry of the NAC, one (6.7%) case had minor hematoma, one (6.7%) case had seroma, and one (6.7%) case had partial wound dehiscence. The overall satisfaction rate was high.

Conclusion

Patient satisfaction with male chest contouring for pseudogynecomastia following significant weight loss is excellent. In this study, we provide a reliable technique for management of pseudogynecomastia in post-MWL with good outcomes.

Level of Evidence IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Speech therapy for exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction
Authors: Vreim Kristine , Karlsen Tom , Carlsen Petter Helø , Nistad Valgjerd Helene , Røksund Ola Drange , Halvorsen Thomas , Vollsæter Maria , Heimdal John-Helge , Clemm Hege , Engan Mette
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Exercise- Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO) can lead to disabling exercise related dyspnea and hamper participation in physical activity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of a standardized speech therapy protocol as treatment for EILO.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with EILO at our institution were invited to participate. We compared laryngeal findings obtained during a continuous laryngoscopy exercise (CLE) test and questionnaire based self-reported breathing symptoms, before vs. after the treatment intervention. The laryngeal obstruction was characterized using a standardized CLE scoring system (0–12 points).

Results

A total of 28 patients were evaluated. Following speech therapy, the mean reduction in the CLE score was 1.5 (95% confidence interval: 1.1–2.0) points, with the improvement primarily associated with decreased glottic-level obstruction. Twenty-four (86%) patients reported reduced symptoms during exercise. A moderate correlation was observed between changes in CLE scores and subjective symptom improvements.

Conclusion

This study suggests that a standardized speech therapy protocol reduces observed laryngeal obstruction during the CLE test, with the most notable improvement occurring at the glottic level, alongside a parallel reduction in self-reported symptoms of EILO.
Comparison of background characteristics and neuropathology findings between medico-legal autopsy cases with traumatic axonal injury, vascular axonal injury, or absence of axonal injury in β-amyloid precursor protein stain
Authors: Narayan Gaia , Oura Petteri
Published: January 2025

In forensic neuropathology, the β-amyloid precursor protein (β-APP) immunostain is used to diagnose axonal injury (AI). The two most common aetiologies are traumatic (TAI) and ischaemic (vascular; VAI). We aimed to identify background characteristics and neuropathology findings that are suggestive of TAI, VAI, or no AI in neuropathologically examined medico-legal autopsy cases. The dataset comprised 166 cases from Finland over the period 2016—2023. The diagnosis of AI was based on β-APP stain (TAI, VAI, or no AI). Data on background characteristics and neuropathology findings were collected from cause-of-death investigation documents. Prevalence ratios were calculated for each variable to enable comparisons between the AI categories. The sample were 71.7% males; median age was 41 years (range 0—96). There were 26 cases with TAI, 44 with VAI, and 96 with no AI. The variables that showed statistical significance and had at least two-fold prevalence among TAI cases compared to VAI cases were: a documented recent injury; and presence of any extracranial/cranial/intracranial injury (including subdural haemorrhage [SDH], subarachnoid haemorrhage [SAH], intracerebral/ventricular haemorrhage [ICVH], or contusion) in autopsy or neuropathology. Correspondingly, variables indicating TAI over no AI were: a documented recent injury; postinjury survival ≥ 24 h; and presence of any extracranial/cranial/intracranial injury (including SDH, SAH, ICVH, contusion), herniation, or infarction in autopsy or neuropathology. Postinjury survival < 30 min was identified as an indicator of no AI over TAI. Finally, variables indicating VAI over no AI were: postinjury survival ≥ 24 h; lack of external injury to the head; and presence of SDH, brain oedema, herniation, or infarction in autopsy or neuropathology. In conclusion, we report several differences in characteristics and findings between cases diagnosed with TAI, VAI, and no AI. Our findings may help estimate the likelihood and potential aetiology of AI based on background characteristics and other neuropathology findings.
Angulation of the dural venous sinuses in the posterior cranial fossa: an anatomical study and its implications for venous circulation
Authors: Cardona Juan J. , Samrid Rarinthorn , Kim Chung Yoh , Tabira Yoko , Dumont Aaron S. , Iwanaga Joe , Tubbs R. Shane
Published: January 2025

The purpose of the current study was to determine the angulation of the dural venous sinuses in soft tissue, to evaluate differences between types of tissue, and to discuss the potential influence of these angulations on intracranial venous hemodynamics and related pathologies. Angulations formed in different segments of the transverse, sigmoid, and superior sagittal sinuses were measured in 13 adult human cadaveric heads (26 sides). After the soft tissues were removed, measurements were also taken from the underlying bone. The overall angulation of the transverse sinus was assessed using two reference points, while the lengths and widths of the dural venous sinuses were measured using microcalipers. Statistical analyses were performed considereing sides, sex, and types of tissue. The mean angulation of the superior sagittal sinuses - transverse sinus junction was 116 degrees. The mean angulations of the transverse sinus - sigmoid sinus junction in medial and superior views were 108 degrees and 114 degrees, respectively. The mean angulations of the entire transverse sinus at two different points were 45 degrees and 44 degrees, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in angulation in some variables when they were adjusted for sides and sex, but not types of tissue. Angulation is a paramount factor in venous hemodynamics. Certain angulations of the dural venous sinuses differed significantly between sides and sexes, but not between types of tissue. Future research should investigate the effects of these angulations on intracranial venous circulation and their relevance to related pathologies.
Does Product Market Competition Promote or Reduce Firms’ Corporate Social Responsibility Behavior? How Stakeholder Attention Shapes Responsiveness to Stakeholders
Authors: Wang Yichen , Marquis Christopher
Published: January 2025

Does product market competition (PMC) promote or reduce firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) behavior? While some studies suggest that CSR is a differentiation strategy that leads to a positive relationship between PMC and CSR, others consider CSR a discretionary cost that firms in competitive markets should avoid. Drawing on instrumental stakeholder theory and research on organizational attention, we aim to clarify the extent to which CSR provides a competitive advantage for firms by exploring how different types of stakeholder attention—both between different stakeholder groups and within a specific stakeholder group—affect the PMC–CSR relationship. We test our framework using data on Chinese private (i.e., non-state-owned) companies on major Chinese stock exchanges from 2008 to 2017. Overall, our analyses highlight that stakeholder attention affects how firms assess the tension between the benefits and costs of CSR and that the contingent effect of different stakeholder attention varies within and between stakeholder groups.
A survey on resource scheduling approaches in multi-access edge computing environment: a deep reinforcement learning study
Authors: Ismail Ahmed A. , Khalifa Nour Eldeen , El-Khoribi Reda A.
Published: January 2025

Multi-access edge computing (MEC) brings many services closer to user devices, alleviating the pressure on resource-constrained devices. It enables devices to offload compute-intensive tasks to nearby MEC servers. Hence, improving users’ quality of experience (QoS) by reducing both application execution time and energy consumption. However, to meet the huge demands, efficient resource scheduling algorithms are an essential and challenging problem. Resource scheduling involves efficiently allocating and managing MEC resources. In this paper, we survey the state-of-the-art research regarding this issue and focus on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) solutions. DRL algorithms reach optimal or near-optimal policies when adapted to a particular scenario. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first survey that specifically focuses on the use of RL and DRL techniques for resource scheduling in multi-access computing. We analyze recent literature in three research aspects, namely, content caching, computation offloading, and resource management. Moreover, we compare and classify the reviewed papers in terms of application use cases, network architectures, objectives, utilized RL algorithms, evaluation metrics, and model approaches: centralized and distributed. Furthermore, we investigate the issue of user mobility and its effect on the model. Finally, we point out a few unresolved research challenges and suggest several open research topics for future studies.
Material selection in the construction industry: a systematic literature review on multi-criteria decision making
Authors: Bajwa Asad Ur Rehman , Siriwardana Chandana , Shahzad Wajiha , Naeem Muhammad Ahmad
Published: January 2025

Material choice is critical for ensuring sustainability in the construction industry. Higher carbon embodiment materials contribute towards greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Decisions on sustainable material selection depend on multiple criteria and variables, thus creating a difficulty to determine the best choice. Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques have the potential to address this challenge. However, there is limited data that reviews MCDM in choosing building and construction materials. This study aims to review the MCDM methods employed in the sustainable selection of building materials within the construction industry. This systematic literature review (SLR) incorporates meta-analysis and thematic mapping through applying “PRISMA framework” and “Bibliometrix”, respectively. This study explored and analysed the records published from 2010 to 2023. This work identified the critical steps for addressing decision problems in building material selection: Establishing criteria, ranking the hierarchy, comparing the selection criteria, and enabling consistency indices. Moreover, one of the most used MCDM methods, i.e. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was particularly found particularly useful for the selection criteria and weight assignment of variables regarding the waste, recycled, and composite materials. The involvement of several criteria and alternatives raised the complexity of decision problems, leading to the use of Hybrid MCDM. Hybrid MCDM techniques possess the capacity guide informed decisions for the sustainable material selection in the construction industry.
The Trade Theory of Money: External Exchange and the Origins of Money
Authors: Fauvelle Mikael
Published: January 2025

For over a century, scholars have debated the merits of two competing theories for the origins of money. The commodity theory of money has traditionally held that money developed as a medium of exchange in order to increase the economic efficiency of barter economies. Alternatively, chartalist explanations have given causal primacy to the role of state taxation in standardizing money as a unit of account. Recently, skepticism over the existence of barter economies in either contemporary societies or ancient history has led to the increased popularity of the state-centric chartalist approach. Evidence from many pre-state societies around the world, however, shows that commodity money was often used in long-distance trade networks where systems of debt and reciprocity would have been impractical. This paper draws on evidence from two such exchange systems, the “interior world” of pre-Columbian western North America and the Bronze Age of western Europe, to argue that money can come about to facilitate exchange between strangers and across borders. As such, I suggest that the commodity theory of money is more accurately explained by the importance of exchange in external rather than internal economic systems. I propose that a trade theory of money can explain the origins of money in pre-state societies without relying on the “myth of barter”.
Lower bounds on weighted moments of primes in short intervals in number fields
Authors: de la Bretèche Régis , Kuperberg Vivian
Published: January 2025

We consider an analog of a conjecture of Montgomery and Soundararajan on the moments of primes in short intervals in number fields; this analog was discussed and heuristically derived in a paper of the second author, Rodgers, and Roditty-Gershon. Adapting work of the first author and Fiorilli in the integer case, we establish lower bounds on a weighted version of these moments which agree with the conjectured values.
Notes on valuation theory for Krasner hyperfields
Authors: Linzi Alessandro
Published: January 2025

The main aim of this article is to study and develop valuation theory for Krasner hyperfields. In analogy with classical valuation theory for fields, we generalise the formalism of valuation rings to describe equivalence of valuations on hyperfields. After proving basic results and discussing several examples, we focus on the valued hyperfields that Krasner originally defined in 1957. We find that these must have a particular additive structure which in turn implies the existence of a valuation a’la Krasner. We note that given such a valued hyperfield, the valuation induced by its additive structure does not have to be equivalent to the initially given valuation. We discuss the cases in which it does.
A Taxonomy for Process Improvement and Innovation Systems
Authors: Fehrer Tobias , Moder Linda , Röglinger Maximilian
Published: January 2025

Business process improvement and innovation (PII) are crucial for adapting to dynamic market conditions and maintaining competitive advantage. Until now, PII has required many resources due to primarily relying on manual methods. With the increasing use of process data in process mining and artificial intelligence gaining momentum in emulating and augmenting human creativity, there is an opportunity to explore information systems that facilitate PII. However, a holistic understanding of the PII field has yet to be developed. To address this gap, this paper presents a taxonomy for how PII systems create improved process designs, an assessment of the state of the art of existing research based on a comprehensive literature review, and an analysis of PII system archetypes. The taxonomy serves as a theoretical lens for analyzing PII systems, helping researchers and practitioners to determine relevant design options and to identify promising research opportunities building upon previous work.
Optical Fiber Hydrogen Sensor Based on π-Phase-Shifted Grating and Sputtered Pd/Hf Composite Film
Authors: Zhang Fan , Buchfellner Fabian , Hu Wenbin , Ao Wenxin , Bian Qiang , Roths Johannes , Yang Minghong
Published: January 2025

A novel optical fiber hydrogen sensor based on the π-phase-shifted grating and partial coated Pd/Hf composite film is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this paper. The hydrogen sensitive Pd/Hf film with the length of 4 mm is successfully deposited in the π-phase-shifted grating region by the magnetron sputtering process and rotating fixture technology. Since the hydrogen sensitivity between the notch and flank wavelengths of the π-phase-shifted grating is different due to the partial coating only on the π-phase-shifted grating region, the relative shift between the notch and flank wavelengths is employed to characterize the hydrogen concentration in this paper. The hydrogen calibration results show that the sensor shows the good response and repeatability. At the temperature of 20 °C and the hydrogen concentration of 2%, the wavelength distance shifts of 200 nm and 500 nm Pd/Hf coatings are 12.6 pm and 33.5 pm, respectively.
High risk of drug-resistant tuberculosis in IGRA-negative contacts: should preventive treatment be considered?
Authors: Brehm Thomas Theo , Köhler Niklas , Grobbel Hans-Peter , Welling Jürgen , Mandalakas Anna Maria , Fava Vinicius , Schurr Erwin , Lange Christoph
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Deciding whether to provide preventive treatment to contacts of individuals with multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis is complex.

Methods

We present the diagnostic pathways, clinical course and outcome of tuberculosis treatment in eight siblings from a single family. Tuberculosis disease was diagnosed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture and molecular detection of M. tuberculosis-specific DNA from bronchopulmonary specimens using GeneXpert® MTB/RIF. M. tuberculosis infection was diagnosed by an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA; QuantiFERON®-TB Gold Plus). Whole exome sequencing for genetic predisposition to mycobacterial infection was performed in one patient.

Results

Six of eight siblings aged 16–20 years from a migrant family of Somali origin were diagnosed with pulmonary MDR tuberculosis over a 12-month period. The remaining male siblings, aged 11 and 14 years, were asymptomatic during contact investigation. Chest radiographs, computed tomography (CT) scans, sputum cultures and nucleic acid amplification tests were negative, and the IGRA did not detect M. tuberculosis infection. A repeat CT scan eight months later was unremarkable, and repeated sputum cultures remained negative. In the absence of sufficient evidence of M. tuberculosis infection, no preventive treatment was offered. At month seven of consistent clinical observation, both children were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis; the older with advanced disease and subsequent post-tuberculosis lung disease. Whole exome sequencing revealed no Mendelian variant associated with susceptibility to mycobacterial infection.

Conclusion

When significant risk of tuberculosis transmission exists, close contacts of MDR tuberculosis patients should be offered preventive treatment with levofloxacin despite a negative IGRA test result.
The role of TCNQ for surface and interface passivation in inverted perovskite solar cells
Authors: Abicho Samuel , Hailegnaw Bekele , Mayr Felix , Cobet Munise , Yumusak Cigdem , Sergawi Asefa , Yohannes Teketel , Kaltenbrunner Martin , Scharber Markus Clark , Workneh Getachew Adam
Published: January 2025

The noticeable growth in the power conversion efficiency of solution-processed organo-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (OIHPSCs) incited the photovoltaic community to look for limitations that hurdle the commercialization process. The surface and interface defects between the perovskite and electron transport layers are among the main challenges that cause significant non-radiative recombination losses, thereby they result in poor performance and stability. In this work, tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), a strong electron acceptor molecule, is applied at the interface between the photoactive perovskite and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) layers to modify the interface, and enhance device performance and stability. Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements were used to characterize the role of the TCNQ passivation in reducing non-radiative recombination of charge carriers. Current density versus voltage (J-V) measurements show improvement in devices open-circuit voltage (Voc), short-circuit current density (Jsc), and fill factor (FF) for devices with TCNQ interface passivation, which is attributed to suppressed non-radiative recombination. In addition, a noticeable improvement in the device’s stability was observed. This study reveals the dual role of TCNQ passivation in improving the photoelectric properties and stability of ambient air processed perovskite devices with the pin architecture.
Sexual risk orders as a tactic to counter sexual violence against women and girls
Authors: Whitten Dan , Neyroud Eleanor , Neyroud Peter
Published: January 2025

Research question

Sexual Risk Orders (SRO) have been advocated as a means to prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). This is despite significant detriment to the fundamental rights of the legally innocent and a lack of empirical assessment that can speak to preventative efficacy. This study asks; do SROs serve to prevent sexual-harm?

Data

The Police National Computer (PNC) was used to identify two samples of SRO subjects. Legal Services’ data from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) was used to construct a counterfactual group, for whom SRO was considered but not obtained. PNC was used to identify arrests as a proxy for offending and a harm index applied.

Methods

Before-after and between-group comparisons are used, along with an interrupted-time-series analysis, to assess the relationship between SRO and sexual-harm prevention. Rank-ordering of harm caused by alleged sexual-offenders in London enables an estimate of how precisely SROs are used against the highest-harm offenders.

Findings

SROs are associated with a significant 84.5% reduction in sexual-harm. This increases to a 93.1% reduction in the case of high-harm offenders, controlling for time incarcerated. Despite this, SROs are rarely used and are not systematically targeted against the most harmful offenders.

Conclusions

Within the limitations of the methodology we conclude that the evidence supports SRO use as a primary tactic to counter VAWG. Preventative impact may be maximised by increasing use, actively targeting SROs at the highest-harm offenders and considering use at an earlier stage of a subjects sexual-offending. A randomised trial is the next logical step to augment causal inference.
Transformer models for quantum gate set tomography
Authors: Yu King Yiu , Sarkar Aritra , Rimbach-Russ Maximilian , Ishihara Ryoichi , Feld Sebastian
Published: January 2025

Quantum computation represents a promising frontier in the domain of high-performance computing, blending quantum information theory with practical applications to overcome the limitations of classical computation. This study investigates the challenges of manufacturing high-fidelity and scalable quantum processors. Quantum gate set tomography (QGST) is a critical method for characterizing quantum processors and understanding their operational capabilities and limitations. This paper introduces Ml4Qgst as a novel approach to QGST by integrating machine learning techniques, specifically utilizing a transformer neural network model. Adapting the transformer model for QGST addresses the computational complexity of modeling quantum systems. Advanced training strategies, including data grouping and curriculum learning, are employed to enhance model performance, demonstrating significant congruence with ground-truth values. We benchmark this training pipeline on the constructed learning model, to successfully perform QGST for 2 and 3 gates on single-qubit and two-qubit systems, with over-rotation error and depolarizing noise estimation with comparable accuracy to pyGSTi. This research marks a pioneering step in applying deep neural networks to the complex problem of quantum gate set tomography, showcasing the potential of machine learning to tackle nonlinear tomography challenges in quantum computing.
Genotypic detection of clindamycin resistance in locally isolated Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Thamer Samah A. , Al-Ugaili Dhafar N.
Published: January 2025

The emergence of Staphylococcus aureus and its ability to confer cross-resistance to clindamycin has complicated the treatment and increase the possible ratio of morbidity and mortality. There are numerous potential causes resulted in the variations in the resistance rate. This study aimed to detect the molecular basis for clindamycin resistance among multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus local isolates. According to previous results of our work in press, polymerase chain reaction technique were used to test the existence of ermABC and msrA genes in ten of the clindamycin multidrug resistant S. aureus isolates using specific primers. Molecular detection revealed the presence of the virulence genes (ermABC and msrA genes) in all of the tested S. aureus isolates and the results of PCR amplification for spa gene in S. aureus isolates showed bands of different sizes (250–350 bp). After sequencing and comparing sequences to the spa genotyping database, the results indicated that there were six different spa typing, including t042 (2 isolates; 20%), t304 (1 isolate; 10%), t044 (2 isolates; 20%), t037 (2 isolate; 10%), t18072 (1 isolate; 10%) and t1028 (1 isolate; 10%). Depending on the types of spa produced, the number of repetitions might range from four (t1028) to nine (t304 and t18072). Spa types t042 and t044 were the most prevalent among the studied isolates. ermABC and msrA distribution may be increased as a result of the excessive use of clindamycin make Staphylococcus aureus resistant to it.
Yeast cultures improve lactation performance by influencing rumen microbial composition in dairy goats
Authors: Ge Liyan , Bai Shuying , Shen Huijun , Sha Kela , Shao Yuexin , Shi Huaiping
Published: January 2025

This study evaluated the effects of dietary yeast culture (YC) supplementation on rumen microbiota and lactation performance in dairy goats. Twenty mid-lactation dairy goats were selected and divided into two groups: the control (CON) group was fed a basal diet; the YC group was supplemented with 10 g of YC in 1 kg of basal diet. The administration of YC was associated with a significant increase in dry matter intake, milk yield, milk protein yield, and milk lactose yield in dairy goats (P < 0.05). Additionally, serum total protein, albumin, creatinine, glucose, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels were increased (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was an increase in rumen pH and NH3-N levels (P < 0.05), while volatile fatty acid levels were observed to decrease (P < 0.05). The study found no significant difference in the α-diversity of bacteria and fungi between the YC and CON groups (P > 0.05). However, 15 bacterial genera and 13 fungal genera were upregulated (P < 0.05), while 4 bacterial genera and 11 fungal genera were downregulated (P < 0.05) in the YC group. The relative abundance of pathogenic fungi Dipodascus and Gibberella decreased (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that the bacterial genera were not significantly correlated with lactation performance (P > 0.05), whereas fungal genera Dipodascus and Gibberella were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with lactation performance. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that YC can influence the rumen microbial composition, reduce the abundance of harmful fungi in the rumen, and improve lactation performance in dairy goats, suggesting that the addition of YC to dairy goat diets has good application prospects.
A CLUB GUESSING TOOLBOX I
Authors: INAMDAR TANMAY , RINOT ASSAF
Published: January 2025

Club guessing principles were introduced by Shelah as a weakening of Jensen’s diamond. Most spectacularly, they were used to prove Shelah’s
$\textsf{ZFC}$
bound on
$2^{\aleph _\omega }$
. These principles have found many other applications: in cardinal arithmetic and PCF theory; in the construction of combinatorial objects on uncountable cardinals such as Jónsson algebras, strong colourings, Souslin trees, and pathological graphs; to the non-existence of universals in model theory; to the non-existence of forcing axioms at higher uncountable cardinals; and many more.

In this paper, the first part of a series, we survey various forms of club guessing that have appeared in the literature, and then systematically study the various ways in which a club guessing sequence can be improved, especially in the way the frequency of guessing is calibrated.

We include an expository section intended for those unfamiliar with club guessing and which can be read independently of the rest of the article.
SAUL KRIPKE (1940–2022)
Authors: ARTEMOV SERGEI , BURGESS JOHN P. , FITTING MELVIN , HATTIANGADI ANANDI
Published: January 2025

Saul Aaron Kripke, the most influential philosopher and logician of his generation, died on September 15, 2022, at the age of 81.
Inquiring for yourself for others
Authors: Winokur Benjamin
Published: January 2025

Why should you inquire for yourself as a novice in a domain of inquiry when, for most questions within most domains, there are established experts to consult instead? In the face of this question, recent discussants of “autonomous-yet-novice” inquiry have sought to defend its epistemic value for the inquirer. Here I argue that autonomous-yet-novice inquiry can also be epistemically beneficial for agents other than the inquirer herself. Paradigm cases are those in which one agent improves her zetetic skills or virtues through an encounter or interaction with a more skillful or virtuous autonomous-yet-novice inquirer.
Should we respond correctly to our reasons?
Authors: Schmidt Sebastian
Published: January 2025

It has been argued that rationality consists in responding correctly to reasons. Recent defenses of the normativity of rationality assume that this implies that we always ought to be rational. However, this follows only if the reasons rationality requires us to correctly respond to are normative reasons. Recent meta-epistemological contributions have questioned whether epistemic reasons are normative. If they were right, then epistemic rationality wouldn’t provide us with normative reasons independently of wrong-kind reasons to be epistemically rational. This paper spells out this neglected challenge for the normativity of epistemic rationality by connecting the two bodies of literature. Moreover, it generalizes this challenge to the rationality of desire, intention, and emotion. The upshot is that we can only answer the normative question about rationality if we debate about blame and accountability for holding different kinds of irrational attitudes, as well as about the sources of mental normativity.
The epistemic dangers of journalistic balance
Authors: Terzian Giulia
Published: January 2025

The newsroom routine prescribing that public interest disagreements be covered in a balanced fashion is a cornerstone of informative journalism, particularly in the Anglo-American world. Balanced reporting has been frequently criticised by journalism and communication scholars on multiple grounds; most notoriously, for its tendency to devolve into false balance, whereby a viewpoint conflict is improperly portrayed as a dispute between epistemic equals. Moreover, a widely shared intuition is that peddlers of false balance are deserving of blame. This seems right; if the charge is to stick, however, we need a more detailed understanding of exactly why falsely balanced journalism is so problematic. This article fills some of these gaps by drawing on discussions in argumentation theory, to reconstruct the kind of inferential pattern set off by balanced reporting; social epistemology, to examine the kind of evidence produced by tokens of this format; and theories of pragmatic enrichment, to identify the mechanisms leading recipients to unwarranted conclusions about the reported topic.
Sexist Beliefs in a Sexist World: Exploring the Causal Role of Sexism in Sexist Beliefs
Authors: Brinkerhoff Anna
Published: January 2025

The claim that prejudice causes prejudiced beliefs is a familiar one. Call it the causal claim. In this paper, I turn to sexism and sexist beliefs to explore the causal claim within the context of current debates in the ethics of beliefs about moral encroachment on epistemic rationality. My goal is to consider and arbitrate between plausible ways of fleshing out the idea that the non-doxastic dimensions of sexism (including its motivational and affective components as well as its structural and institutional varieties) cause sexist beliefs in a normatively significant way – that is, in a way that can render those beliefs epistemically deficient. I suggest that, in conjunction with the assumption that sexist beliefs are epistemically irrational, each position in the ethics of belief debate lends itself to a different interpretation of the causal claim: purism about epistemic rationality supports a narrow interpretation, while revisionism supports a broad one. After developing each interpretation, I argue that – at the heart of the disagreement between them – is a different story about the normative significance of the fact that evidence about an unfortunate truth has a sexist provenance. Along the way, I consider what it means for evidence to be “stacked in favor” of sexist beliefs.
Numerical simulation of effects of phase separation on viscous fingering in radial Hele-Shaw flows
Authors: Deki Yuka F. , Suzuki Ryuta X. , Chou Chi-Chian , Ban Takahiko , Mishra Manoranjan , Nagatsu Yuichiro , Chen Ching-Yao
Published: January 2025

The Hele-Shaw–Cahn–Hilliard model, coupled with phase separation, is numerically simulated to demonstrate the formation of anomalous fingering patterns in a radial displacement of a partially miscible binary-fluid system. The composition of injected fluid is set to be less viscous than the displaced fluid and within the spinodal or metastable phase-separated region, in which the second derivative of the free energy is negative or positive, respectively. Because of phase separation, concentration evolves non-monotonically between the injected and displaced fluids. The simulations reveal four areas of the concentration distribution between the fluids: the inner core; the low-concentration grooves/high-concentration ridges; the isolated fluid fragments or droplets; the mixing zone. The grooves/ridges and the fragments/droplets, which are the unique features of phase separation, form in the spinodal and metastable regions. Four typical types of patterns are categorized: core separation (CS); fingering separation (FS); separation fingering (SF); lollipop fingering, in the order of the dominance of phase separation, respectively. For the patterns of CS and FS, isolated fluid fragments or droplets around the inner core are the main features. Fingering formation is better maintained with droplets in the SF pattern if the phase separation is relatively weaker than viscous fingering (VF). Even continuous fingers are well preserved in the case of dominant VF; phase separation results in lollipop-shaped fingers. The evolving trend of the patterns is in line with the experiments. These patterns are summarized in a pattern diagram, mainly by the magnitude of the second derivative of the free energy profile.
Lateral asymmetry in the articulation of British English speech sounds: An electropalatographic study
Authors: Miller Naomi , Reyes-Aldasoro Carlos , Verhoeven Jo
Published: January 2025

This study investigated lateral asymmetry in the linguopalatal speech sounds of British English by means of electropalatography. This instrumental technique visualizes tongue–palate contact during speech production and allows for the quantification of contact patterns. The first and main objective of the study was to establish a method of measuring asymmetry that would be more sensitive than the approach used previously and would facilitate statistical analysis. The method employed a modified index of asymmetry and controlled for the overall amount of tongue–palate contact. The secondary objective was to use the proposed method to quantify asymmetry in the production of the linguopalatal consonants of British English, focusing on asymmetry observed in the region of the palate corresponding to the place of articulation. Regression analysis of 22,004 speech sounds, produced by four native speakers, indicated that the approximant /l/ is the most asymmetrical speech sound, followed by the central approximants /j, r/. Although fricatives had been hypothesized to be highly asymmetrical, they were not consistently more asymmetrical than plosives. In terms of the place of articulation of speech sounds, velar sounds were less asymmetrical than alveolars. It was possible to account for some of these findings by referring to the unilateral productions of approximants.
Adapting to the emotional complexity of palliative care communication: Palliative care clinicians’ experiences
Authors: Niederhauser Anna , Egloff Martina , Eychmueller Steffen , Zambrano Sofia C.
Published: January 2025

Objectives

Communication is essential to medical care and is key in improving patient outcomes. We aimed to understand clinicians’ emotions when communicating with patients in palliative care (PC) and the evolution of their communication skills.

Methods

Between October and November 2021, 231 Swiss PC clinicians participated in an online cross-sectional survey (65% nurses, 35% physicians). Three questions invited participants to reflect on the development of their communication skills and on their emotions when communicating with patients in PC. Answers to these questions were analyzed thematically.

Results

Constantly adapting to complex emotions in communication was the overarching theme. Three main themes further allowed for an understanding of different communication challenges: emotions as a dynamic compass, not always under control, and evolving comfort and competence through personal and professional growth. In evolving comfort and competence, 6 strategies helped clinicians overcome fears and improve their confidence in communication: learning by doing and formal training, integrating life experiences and gaining insight from private life, taking time, collaborating and connecting with peers, acknowledging individuality, and connecting with one’s own and patients’ emotions.

Significance of results

Participants described powerful emotional experiences when communicating with patients in PC, underscoring the emotional labor involved in PC communication. Our study highlights the need to re-conceptualize emotions as a valuable resource rather than a hindrance in clinical practice. The interplay between personal and professional identities in shaping communication skills, emphasizes the importance of emotional competence as a core professional skill. As clinicians often develop these skills individually, our findings suggest a need for earlier integration of emotional competence training in medical education, along with ongoing support through collaboration, and improved allocation of time resources, to enhance clinician well-being and patient care.
When death is desired: A case of MAiD & the CL psychiatrist
Authors: Ganguly Amvrine , James Monique , Alici Yesne
Published: January 2025

Objectives

Since physician-assisted dying (PAD) has become a part of the clinical dialogue in the United States (US) and other Western countries, it has spawned controversy in the moral, ethical, and legal realm, with significant cross-country variation. The phenomenon of PAD includes 2 practices: Euthanasia and medical aid in dying (MAiD). Although euthanasia has been allowed in different parts of the world, in the US it is illegal. MAiD has been enacted into law in some jurisdictions. As the practice involves people at the end of life (EOL), often with cancer, and sometimes struggling with psychiatric symptoms; they gain added salience in the field of Consultation-Liaison (CL) Psychiatry in general and Psycho-Oncology in particular.

Methods

The current paper reviews a case where a patient did request for MAiD and successfully carried it through, this case became more salient, as the CL Psychiatry department was intimately linked at various stages of care for the patient.

Results

In describing the case several other aspects of EOL care issues were touched upon, and the various debates as well as treatment modalities, for an individual requesting for medical aid in dying were described.

Significance of results

MAiD will possibly remain a sensitive and controversial topic of discussion across the spectrum of healthcare, and as responsible and compassionate advocates for the patients, clinicians need to engage more with the debate surrounding it and facilitate informed decision making. We believe that the present case will throw light on to this enigmatic practice and help in furthering the dialogue surrounding MAiD.