bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The performance of domain-based feature extraction on EEG, ECG, and fNIRS for Huntington’s disease diagnosis via shallow machine learning
Authors: Maddury Sucheer
Published: January 2024

Introduction: The early detection of Huntington’s disease (HD) can substantially improve patient quality of life. Current HD diagnosis methods include complex biomarkers such as clinical and imaging factors; however, these methods have high time and resource demands.

Methods: Quantitative biomedical signaling has the potential for exposing abnormalities in HD patients. In this project, we attempted to explore biomedical signaling for HD diagnosis in high detail. We used a dataset collected at a clinic with 27 HD-positive patients, 36 controls, and 6 unknowns with EEG, ECG, and fNIRS. We first preprocessed the data and then presented a comprehensive feature extraction procedure for statistical, Hijorth, slope, wavelet, and power spectral features. We then applied several shallow machine learning techniques to classify HD-positives from controls.

Results: We found the highest accuracy was achieved by the extremely randomized trees algorithm, with an ROC AUC of 0.963 and accuracy of 91.353%.

Discussion: The results provide improved performance over competing methodologies and also show promise for biomedical signals for early prognosis of HD.
Can water, energy, and food policies in support of solar irrigation enable gender transformative changes? Evidence from policy analysis in Bangladesh and Nepal
Authors: Khadka Manohara , Uprety Labisha , Shrestha Gitta , Shakya Shristi , Mitra Archisman , Mukherji Aditi
Published: January 2024

Solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) are emerging as a popular technology to address water, energy, and climate change challenges in South Asia while enhancing livelihoods and food security. SIPs are deemed to be a women-friendly renewable energy technology (RET) due to their design, operating system, and safety. While the gender dimensions of natural resources are well documented, the extent to which the water, energy, and food (WEF) policies—including policies to promote SIP technologies in the countries of South Asia—conceptualize and operationalize gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) is not well understood. Therefore, in this study, we reviewed 39 WEF sectoral policies of Bangladesh and Nepal by adopting a gender-transformative analysis approach to rank the policies on a continuum ranging from a scale of 0–3 (denoting gender-unaware, gender-aware, gender-responsive, and gender-transformative). We found that the governments in both countries commit to gender equality and women’s advancement in their WEF sector policies, institutions, and decision-making by ensuring gender and justice principles in their constitutions and national development frameworks. However, these higher-level aspirational principles are not always operationalized in the WEF sector policies. We found that the WEF policies are aware of the need to include GESI and social equity in sectoral programming, yet operational rules for their implementation often fail to challenge structural barriers. Such barriers hinder women and marginalized groups from participating in and benefiting from WEF policies, including the deployment of SIP technologies. This calls for a transformation not only in project implementation but also in the policymaking processes of WEF sectors in the South Asian region.
Feeding sunflower meal with pullets and laying hens even at a 30% inclusion rate does not impair the ileal digestibility of most amino acids
Authors: Such Nikoletta , Mezőlaki Ákos , Tewelde Kesete Goitom , Pál László , Horváth Boglárka , Poór Judit , Dublecz Károly
Published: January 2024

The use of locally available protein sources in poultry nutrition is challenging for feed manufacturers and farmers. Sunflower meal (SFM) is available in high quantities in several European countries and could be used as a poultry feedstuff at higher inclusion rates. However, its maximum inclusion rate in the diets of different poultry species and age categories is unknown. Pullets and laying hens can probably tolerate higher amounts of SFM, but only limited information is available on these poultry groups. Therefore, a digestibility trial was carried out with 8-week-old layer type pullets and 50-week-old laying hens. Beside a basal diet, SFM was fed at 10, 20 and 30% inclusion rates. Feeding SFM significantly improved the digestibility of essential amino acids (AA) of threonine, valine, lysine, tyrosine, glycine, aspartic acid, and arginine in the pullet diets. No such improvement was found in laying hens. Only the absorption of the two branch-chain AAs, leucin (pullets) and isoleucine (hens), declined due to SFM. The AA digestibility of the SFM itself was also calculated by linear regression. The coefficients were, in all cases, higher in hens than in pullets. Comparing the measured digestibility coefficients of SFM with table values, it can be concluded that high variance exists because of the differences in the methodology and the test animals in the digestibility trials. From the present trial, it can be concluded that SFM can entirely replace extracted soybean meal in pullet and layer diets, without negative effects on the protein digestion of birds.
Deliberacja jako zasada legitymizacji zaangażowania organizacji gospodarczych w sferze publicznej
Authors: Szczupaczyński Jerzy
Published: January 2024

The aim of this paper is to propose a supplement to the concept of stakeholder deliberation as a legitimation principle of companies’ engagement in the public sphere. The article proposes two solutions for deficiencies of deliberation construct: the concept of hypernorms, which refers to the Donaldson & Dunfee’ integrative social contracts theory, and the rule of differentiation of entitlements as far as stakeholder deliberation is concerned. The research result is the answer to the question about an applicability of the deliberation concept proposed by J. Habermas, which is commonly used by the CSR researchers
Mechanizmy kontroli władzy ustawodawczej nad rządem federalnym w Austrii. Rola i funkcje komisji śledczych Rady Narodowej
Authors: Miecznikowska-Jerzak Justyna
Published: January 2024

The paper aims to present the legal tools used by the Austrian legislature to exert control over the federal government and its members, particularly the role of the commission of inquiry and its position in the system. The assumed research hypothesis is that the scope and efficiency of legislative oversight of the executive in Austria have increased due to the strengthened position of the parliamentary minority. The key factor was the 2014 Constitutional Amendment allowing the opposition to propose issuing a commission of inquiry at the National Council. The paper consists of four parts. First, it describes the instruments of political control the Austrian parliament has at its disposal. Next, it analyses the application of the individual supervisory tools at the National Council in the years 2006–2021. The third part presents the procedure for issuing a commission of inquiry and its powers. The reflections are concluded by an analysis of the hitherto existing commissions of inquiry in the Second Republic in terms of their frequency, the scope of inquiry, proponents, and the duration and intensity of their work. The paper also seeks to answer the questions of the scrutiny potential of the National Council, the importance of commissions of inquiry in system practice in Austria and the possible political consequences of the changes to how the parliamentary commissions of inquiry are issued and how they function.
Civil Society and the Platform Society in the Age of Post-Representative Politics
Authors: Ceccarini Luigi , L. Newell James , Turato Fabio
Published: January 2024

The article explores the concept of civil society in connection with Web 2.0 and its transformative impact on society and politics, contrasting it with the earlier era of Web 1.0. Web 2.0, characterized by enhanced user interaction and content production, has given rise to a new media ecosystem that has reshaped the way people communicate, obtain information, and participate in the polity. The article highlights the emergence of popular social media platforms and how they have become integral to the platform society. These platforms have not only revolutionized online interactions but have also intersected with offline realms, including politics, commerce, and social relations. The article further explores the implications of Web 2.0 for civil society, contentious politics, and citizen engagement, examining the rise of protests, transnational movements, and the impact of digital resources on democracy and (digital) citizenship. Finally, the work discusses the potential of digital counter-democracy in the platform society and the need for democratic control in the digital age.
Youth Religious Socialization and Social Capital. A Case Study
Authors: Radu Bogdan Mihai , Angi Daniela
Published: January 2024

This research focuses on the role played by youth religious organizations in the shaping of young people’s social capital in Romania. Based on a series of interviews and focus groups with young people engaged in religious organizations and the leaders of those organizations, we find that youth religious socialization is an important process in creating or reinforcing social and political values, and thus, it may be conducive to social capital. Although nuanced comparisons across denominations are difficult to make due to the unavailability of data, a distinction seems to appear between Orthodox and Catholic religiously active youth. For example, while young people in Catholic organizations are encouraged to forge relationships with people outside their organizations (bridging social capital), those belonging to Orthodox groups tend to keep to themselves, and, at times, even employ a strict access policy for newcomers wanting to join (bonding social capital). Conclusions suggest the need to approach the effects of youth religious socialization in a nuanced way.
Zła baletnica czy dobry krawiec? O kondycji nauk o polityce i administracji w perspektywie III kryterium ewaluacji jakości działalności naukowej
Authors: Jacuński Michał
Published: January 2024

The article concerns the analysis of the impact of the discipline of political science and administration on the functioning of society and the economy in the perspective of third criterion of the evaluation of scientific disciplines. 75 impact descriptions for the years 2017–2021, submitted by 34 universities, were analysed. The author’s intention is: to discuss the results of the evaluation, to systematise the areas of influence of political science centres, to determine the scope and significance of the declared impact, to discuss the role of research units in creating the impact. In order to achieve the set goals, secondary data from the RAD-on system and the Ministry of Education and Science (MEiN) were used, as well as primary data, including information from representatives of the discipline and participant observation while preparing of evaluation at the home university and performing an expert work.
Real-Time Movie Recommendation: Integrating Persona-Based User Modeling with NMF and Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Lee Hyun-Chul , Kim Yong-Seong , Kim Seong-Whan
Published: January 2024

The proliferation of uncategorized information on the Internet has intensified the need for effective recommender systems. Recommender systems have evolved from content-based filtering to collaborative filtering and, most recently, to deep learning-based and hybrid models. However, they often face challenges such as high computational costs, reduced reliability, and the Cold Start problem. We introduce a persona-based user modeling approach for real-time movie recommendations. Our system employs Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) and Deep Learning algorithms to manage complex and sparse data types and to mitigate the Cold Start issue. Experimental results, based on criteria involving 50 topics and 35 personas, indicate a significant performance gain. Specifically, with 500 users, the precision@K for NMF was 86.01%, and for the Deep Neural Network (DNN), it was 92.67%. Tested with 900 users, the precision@K for NMF increased to 97.04%, and for DNN, it was 95.55%. These results represent an approximate 10% and 5% improvement in performance, respectively. The system not only delivers fast and accurate recommendations but also reduces computational overhead by updating the model only when user personas change. The generated user personas can be adapted for other recommendation services or large-scale data mining.
Research on a Web System Data-Filling Method Based on Optical Character Recognition and Multi-Text Similarity
Authors: Su Hailu , Kang Ruiqing , Fan Yunli
Published: January 2024

In the development of web systems, data uploading is a relatively important function. The traditional method of uploading data is to manually fill out forms, but when the data to be uploaded mostly exist in the form of form images, and the form content contains a lot of similar field information and irrelevant edge information, using traditional methods is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also prone to errors. This requires a technology that can automatically fill in complex form images. OCR is an optical character recognition technology that can convert images into digitized text data using computer vision methods. However, using this technology alone cannot complete the tasks of extracting relevant data and filling corresponding fields. To address this issue, this article proposes a method that combines OCR technology and Levenshtein multi-text similarity. This method can effectively solve the problem of data filling after parsing complex form images, and the application results of this method in web systems show that the filling accuracy for complex form images can reach over 90%.
Basin-Scale Daily Drought Prediction Using Convolutional Neural Networks in Fenhe River Basin, China
Authors: Chen Zixuan , Wang Guojie , Wei Xikun , Liu Yi , Duan Zheng , Hu Yifan , Jiang Huiyan
Published: January 2024

Drought is a natural disaster that occurs globally and can damage the environment, disrupt agricultural production and cause large economic losses. The accurate prediction of drought can effectively reduce the impacts of droughts. Deep learning methods have shown promise in drought prediction, with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) being particularly effective in handling spatial information. In this study, we employed a deep learning approach to predict drought in the Fenhe River (FHR) basin, taking into account the meteorological conditions of surrounding regions. We used the daily SAPEI (Standardized Antecedent Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index) as the drought evaluation index. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the CNN model in predicting drought events 1~10 days in advance. We evaluated the predictions made by the model; the average Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) between the predicted and true values for the next 10 days was 0.71. While the prediction accuracy slightly decreased with longer prediction lengths, the model remained stable and effective in predicting heavy drought events that are typically difficult to predict. Additionally, key meteorological variables for drought predictions were identified, and we found that training the CNN model with these key variables led to higher prediction accuracy than training it with all variables. This study approves an effective deep learning approach for daily drought prediction, particularly when considering the meteorological conditions of surrounding regions.
Motor Pathways Reorganization following Surgical Decompression for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Combined Navigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Clinical Outcome Study
Authors: Boaro Alessandro , Nunes Sonia , Bagattini Chiara , Di Caro Valeria , Siddi Francesca , Moscolo Fabio , Soda Christian , Sala Francesco
Published: January 2024

(1) Background: Degenerative cervical myelopathy is one of the main causes of disability in the elderly. The treatment of choice in patients with clear symptomatology and radiological correlation is surgical decompression. The application of navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) techniques has the potential to provide additional insights into the cortical and corticospinal behavior of the myelopathic cord and to better characterize the possible extent of clinical recovery. The objective of our study was to use nTMS to evaluate the effect of surgical decompression on neurophysiological properties at the cortical and corticospinal level and to better characterize the extent of possible clinical recovery. (2) Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study in which we assessed and compared nTMS neurophysiological indexes and clinical parameters (modified Japanese Orthopedic Association score and nine-hole pegboard test) before surgery, at 6 months, and at 12 months’ follow-up in a population of 15 patients. (3) Results: We found a significant reduction in resting motor threshold (RMT; average 7%), cortical silent period (CSP; average 15%), and motor area (average 25%) at both 6 months and 12 months. A statistically significant linear correlation emerged between recruitment curve (RC) values obtained at follow-up appointments and at baseline (r = 0.95 at 6 months, r = 0.98 at 12 months). A concomitant improvement in the mJOA score and in the nine-hole pegboard task was observed after surgery. (4) Conclusions: Our results suggest that surgical decompression of the myelopathic spinal cord improves the neurophysiological balance at the cortical and corticospinal level, resulting in clinically significant recovery. Such findings contribute to the existing evidence characterizing the brain and the spinal cord as a dynamic system capable of functional and reversible plasticity and provide useful clinical insights to be used for patient counseling.
The Commonality and Individuality of Human Brains When Performing Tasks
Authors: Huang Jie
Published: January 2024

It is imperative to study individual brain functioning toward understanding the neural bases responsible for individual behavioral and clinical traits. The complex and dynamic brain activity varies from area to area and from time to time across the entire brain, and BOLD-fMRI measures this spatiotemporal activity at large-scale systems level. We present a novel method to investigate task-evoked whole brain activity that varies not only from person to person but also from task trial to trial within each task type, offering a means of characterizing the individuality of human brains when performing tasks. For each task trial, the temporal correlation of task-evoked ideal time signal with the time signal of every point in the brain yields a full spatial map that characterizes the whole brain’s functional co-activity (FC) relative to the task-evoked ideal response. For any two task trials, regardless of whether they are the same task or not, the spatial correlation of their corresponding two FC maps over the entire brain quantifies the similarity between these two maps, offering a means of investigating the variation in the whole brain activity trial to trial. The results demonstrated a substantially varied whole brain activity from trial to trial for each task category. The degree of this variation was task type-dependent and varied from subject to subject, showing a remarkable individuality of human brains when performing tasks. It demonstrates the potential of using the presented method to investigate the relationship of the whole brain activity with individual behavioral and clinical traits.
Evaluation of Deformation and Settlement Properties of Cement-Stabilized Silt Mixed with EPS Beads of Various Sizes
Authors: Ali Sharafat , Yong Feng , Jamil Farhad , Mehmood Mudassir
Published: January 2024

The expansion of China’s highways and railways, as well as the growing demand for them, has focused attention on the impact of traffic loads on foundation settling, uneven deformation, and ground cracking. These effects have garnered considerable research attention, with particular emphasis placed on integrating innovative materials into the soil matrix. This investigation involved loading experiments utilizing a combination of lightweight soil, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and cement. Consolidation tests assessed the extent of deformation and settlement, incorporating varying proportions of EPS and cement. The test results show that when subjected to confined conditions, the stress–strain relationship curve assumes a hyperbolic shape closely linked to the e-p curve. This shape effectively captures the unique structural characteristics exhibited by lightweight soils. As the size of the EPS particles and the applied stress increase, a corresponding rise in the strain of the specimens is observed. Simultaneously, as the strain magnitude increases, the elastic modulus experiences a decline. Additionally, it is noted that this trend further increases as the doping of the cement with EPS particles increases. When the EPS volume ratio and cement mix ratio remain constant across different specimens, there is a decrease in structural strength as the size of the EPS increases. In lightweight soil, settlement can occur rapidly, with approximately 95% of total consolidation deformation happening within a few minutes, which suggests that the settlement is instantaneous and primarily consolidation settlement. The structural strength of lightweight soil shows a negative correlation with the size of EPS, implying that larger EPS size may lead to a reduction in strength. Therefore, it is recommended to consistently use EPS beads with a diameter of 3–4 mm during construction.
Acoustics Perception in Special-Shaped Spaces: A Systematic Review
Authors: Kong Xuejiao , Ma Hui , Kang Jian , Wang Chao
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this paper is to review the acoustic perception of special-shaped spaces. Peer-reviewed English-language journal articles published between 2003 and 2023 were searched in the Web of Science and Scopus databases by using the keywords “perception”, “acoustics”, “flat space”, “extra-large space”, “coupled space”, “long space”, and spatial function and their synonyms. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) Included articles should focus on the field of psychoacoustics. (2) Spaces should be clearly identified as one or more of the four special spaces described above. (3) Subjective evaluation methods for spatial acoustic perception should be used. Finally, a total of 31 studies were included. A standardised data extraction form was used to collect spatial information, subject information, sound environment information, and other information. The results show that comfort expresses positive perception results in all four different spaces, whereas annoyance is negative in both flat and extra-large spaces, and satisfaction shows the opposite results in flat and coupled spaces, whereas perceived reverberation is the specific dimension for coupled space. In addition, unique conclusions were obtained for each type of space and special cases in the spaces were individually characterised.
Development and Validation of a Concise Objectifiable Risk Evaluation Score for Non-Relapse Mortality after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Weise Gunnar , Massoud Radwan , Krause Rolf , Heidenreich Silke , Janson Dietlinde , Klyuchnikov Evgeny , Wolschke Christine , Zeck Gaby , Kröger Nicolaus , Ayuk Francis
Published: January 2024

We aimed to develop a concise objectifiable risk evaluation (CORE) tool for predicting non-relapse mortality (NRM) and overall survival (OS) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT). A total of 1120 adult patients who had undergone allo-HCT at our center between 2013 and 2020 were divided into training, first, and second validation cohorts. Objectifiable, patient-related factors impacting NRM in univariate and multivariate analyses were: serum albumin, serum creatinine, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), heart function (LVEF), lung function (VC, FEV1), and patient age. Hazard ratios were assigned points (0–3) based on their impact on NRM and summed to the individual CORE HCT score. The CORE HCT score stratified patients into three distinct low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups with two-year NRM rates of 9%, 22%, and 46%, respectively, and OS rates of 73%, 55%, and 35%, respectively (p < 0.001). These findings were confirmed in a first and a second recently treated validation cohort. Importantly, the CORE HCT score remained informative across various conditioning intensities, disease-specific subgroups, and donor types, but did not impact relapse incidence. A comparison of CORE HCT vs. HCT Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) in the second validation cohort revealed better performance of the CORE HCT score with c-statistics for NRM and OS of 0.666 (SE 0.05, p = 0.001) and 0.675 (SE 0.039, p < 0.001) vs. 0.431 (SE 0.057, p = 0.223) and 0.535 (SE 0.042, p = 0.411), respectively. The CORE HCT score is a concise and objectifiable risk evaluation tool for adult patients undergoing allo-HCT for malignant disease. External multicenter validation is underway.
Molecular Mechanisms of Prostate Cancer Development in the Precision Medicine Era: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Maekawa Shigekatsu , Takata Ryo , Obara Wataru
Published: January 2024

The progression of prostate cancer (PCa) relies on the activation of the androgen receptor (AR) by androgens. Despite efforts to block this pathway through androgen deprivation therapy, resistance can occur through several mechanisms, including the abnormal activation of AR, resulting in castration-resistant PCa following the introduction of treatment. Mutations, amplifications, and splicing variants in AR-related genes have garnered attention in this regard. Furthermore, recent large-scale next-generation sequencing analysis has revealed the critical roles of AR and AR-related genes, as well as the DNA repair, PI3K, and cell cycle pathways, in the onset and progression of PCa. Moreover, research on epigenomics and microRNA has increasingly become popular; however, it has not translated into the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Additionally, treatments targeting homologous recombination repair mutations and the PI3K/Akt pathway have been developed and are increasingly accessible, and multiple clinical trials have investigated the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this comprehensive review, we outline the status of PCa research in genomics and briefly explore potential future developments in the field of epigenetic modifications and microRNAs.
The Impact of Chemotherapy on Cardiovascular Mortality across Breast Cancer Subtypes
Authors: Ngô Toàn Minh , Lê Ánh Ngọc , Đinh Dương Phạm Hoàng
Published: January 2024

Breast cancer is associated with cardiovascular mortality as an adverse effect of chemotherapy. Considering the variances across breast cancer subtypes, this study aims to investigate the cardiovascular mortality patterns in each subtype. Methods: This retrospective study used the SEER database of chemotherapy-receiving breast cancer patients (diagnosed in 2013–2020). The study population was categorized by cancer subtype, stage, patient age, and cause of death (COD). The percentage of cardiovascular CODs, odds ratio (ORs), 5-year cumulative crude probability of death, and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of each group were analyzed. Results: Among 23,263 nonsurviving breast cancer patients, 5.8% died from cardiovascular disease, whereas the HER2+/HR+ and HER2+/HR− subtypes exhibited the highest ORs of cardiovascular death and percentages of cardiovascular CODs, at 8.21% and 6.55%, respectively. The cardiovascular SMR increased with advancing stages and decreasing patient age. The HER2+/HR- subtype had the highest cardiovascular SMR, at 0.83 (p < 0.05), followed by TNBC, at 0.78 (p < 0.05). The 5-year cumulative probability of cardiovascular CODs also showed the highest risk in the HER2+/HR- subtype (1.02 ± 0.11%) and the TNBC subtype (0.95 ± 0.07%). Conclusion: Breast cancer patients on chemotherapy face an elevated cardiovascular mortality risk, especially with aggressive subtypes (HER2-enriched, TNBC), advanced age, or HER2+/HR+ cancer receiving long-term treatment.
Positive Psychological Well-Being in Early Palliative Care: A Narrative Review of the Roles of Hope, Gratitude, and Death Acceptance
Authors: Bandieri Elena , Borelli Eleonora , Bigi Sarah , Mucciarini Claudia , Gilioli Fabio , Ferrari Umberto , Eliardo Sonia , Luppi Mario , Potenza Leonardo
Published: January 2024

In the advanced cancer setting, low psychological functioning is a common symptom and its deleterious impact on health outcomes is well established. Yet, the beneficial role of positive psychological well-being (PPWB) on several clinical conditions has been demonstrated. Early palliative care (EPC) is a recent value-based model consisting of the early integration of palliative care into standard care for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. While the late palliative care primary offers short-term interventions, predominantly pharmacological in nature and limited to physical symptom reduction, EPC has the potential to act over a longer term, enabling specific interventions aimed at promoting PPWB. This narrative review examines nine English studies retrieved from MEDLINE/PubMed, published up to October 2023, focusing on EPC and three dimensions of PPWB: hope, gratitude, and death acceptance. These dimensions consistently emerge in our clinical experience within the EPC setting for advanced cancer patients and appear to contribute to its clinical efficacy. The choice of a narrative review reflects the novelty of the topic, the limited existing research, and the need to incorporate a variety of methodological approaches for a comprehensive exploration.
Describing and Exploring Coping Strategies among Those Diagnosed with Cancer as an Adolescent or Young Adult: A YACPRIME Study
Authors: Wurz Amanda , Petrella Anika , Tulk Joshua , Sabiston Catherine M. , Schulte Fiona , Bender Jackie , D’Agostino Norma , Hou Sharon H. J. , Eaton Geoff , Chalifour Karine , Garland Sheila N.
Published: January 2024

A greater understanding of how young people cope with a cancer diagnosis is needed in order to inform age-appropriate supportive care. This paper describes the coping strategies used and explores relationships between coping strategies and personal, medical, and psychological variables among young adults (YAs) diagnosed with cancer. YAs (n = 547, mean age = 34.05 ± 6.00 years) completed an online survey, including the Brief COPE and measures of psychological functioning. Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations were computed. Acceptance, self-distraction, positive reframing, and planning were the most used coping strategies by this sample. There were small (r = −0.09) to large (r = 0.51) significant relationships between personal, medical, and psychological variables and selected coping strategies. Coping with a cancer diagnosis early in life remains poorly understood. Identifying additional correlates and exploring inter- and intrapersonal variation in coping strategy use is required.
Fish and Bivalve Therapeutants in Freshwater Mussel Captive Breeding—A First Summary of Practical Experiences in European Facilities
Authors: Denic Marco , Nakamura Keiko , Varela-Dopico Catarina , Strachan Ben , Daill Daniel , Gaehrken Jakob , Taylor John , Grunicke Felix
Published: January 2024

A significant part of freshwater mussel populations has strongly declined and many species are severely threatened nowadays. Captive breeding programs often form a central part of conservation strategies. As the life cycles of many mussel species include an obligate parasitic phase, host fish health is a crucial component of successful mussel breeding efforts. However, information about the safe application of fish therapeutants in mussel captive breeding is scarce. This article summarizes information about practical experiences in Europe. In total, eight different therapeutants were used to treat infestations of eight pathogens. Treatment success varied depending on pathogen and prevalence when treatments were initiated. Mussels did not seem to be affected by treatments, especially as long as they remained encysted. In a second step, Virkon S was applied to treat a fungal infection in tanks with brown trout (Salmo trutta) carrying encysted freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) glochidia and to disinfect juvenile mussel rearing containers. In both cases, mussels were not harmed and treated fish fully recovered. Results indicate that certain therapeutants can be used safely and successfully at different stages of breeding cycles. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of standard protocols, which would improve efficiency and the safety of treatments.
Emergence and Causality in Complex Systems: A Survey of Causal Emergence and Related Quantitative Studies
Authors: Yuan Bing , Zhang Jiang , Lyu Aobo , Wu Jiayun , Wang Zhipeng , Yang Mingzhe , Liu Kaiwei , Mou Muyun , Cui Peng
Published: January 2024

Emergence and causality are two fundamental concepts for understanding complex systems. They are interconnected. On one hand, emergence refers to the phenomenon where macroscopic properties cannot be solely attributed to the cause of individual properties. On the other hand, causality can exhibit emergence, meaning that new causal laws may arise as we increase the level of abstraction. Causal emergence (CE) theory aims to bridge these two concepts and even employs measures of causality to quantify emergence. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in quantitative theories and applications of CE. It focuses on two primary challenges: quantifying CE and identifying it from data. The latter task requires the integration of machine learning and neural network techniques, establishing a significant link between causal emergence and machine learning. We highlight two problem categories: CE with machine learning and CE for machine learning, both of which emphasize the crucial role of effective information (EI) as a measure of causal emergence. The final section of this review explores potential applications and provides insights into future perspectives.
A Comprehensive Framework for Measuring the Immediate Impact of TV Advertisements: TV-Impact
Authors: Arslan Afra , Tecimer Koray , Turgut Hacer , Bali Ömür , Yücel Arda , Alptekin Gülfem Isiklar , Orman Günce Keziban
Published: January 2024

Measuring the immediate impact of television advertisements (TV ads) on online traffic poses significant challenges in many aspects. Nonetheless, a comprehensive consideration is essential to fully grasp consumer reactions to TV ads. So far, the measurement of this effect has not been studied to a large extent. Existing studies have either determined how a specific focus group, i.e., toddlers, people of a certain age group, etc., react to ads via simple statistical tests using a case study approach or have examined the effects of advertising with simple regression models. This study introduces a comprehensive framework called TV-Impact. The framework uses a Bayesian structural time-series model called CausalImpact. There are additional novel approaches developed within the framework. One of the novelties of TV-Impact lies in its dynamic algorithm for selecting control variables which are supporting data sources and presumed to be unaffected by TV ads. In addition, we proposed the concept of Group Ads to combine overlapping ads into a single ad structure. Then, Random Forest Regressor, which is a commonly preferred supervised learning method, is used to decompose the impact into single ads. The TV-Impact framework was applied to the data of iLab, a venture company in Turkey, and manages its companies’ advertising strategies. The findings reveal that the TV-Impact model positively influenced the companies’ strategies for allocating their TV advertisement budgets and increased the amount of traffic driven to company websites, serving as an effective decision support system.
Efficient Management of Material Resources in Low-Carbon Construction
Authors: Mykytyuk Petro , Brych Vasyl , Manzhula Volodymyr , Borysiak Olena , Sachenko Anatoliy , Banasik Arkadiusz , Kempa Wojciech M. , Mykytyuk Yuliia , Czupryna-Nowak Aleksandra , Lebid Iryna
Published: January 2024

The sustainable implementation of resources and the transition to low-carbon construction is on the world’s daily agenda. This paper describes the development of criteria for the efficient management of material resources in low-carbon construction. Net income, gross profit, balance sheets, and equity are proposed as indicators that serve as criteria for assessing the efficient use of resources. Nonlinear regression models were the methodological basis for the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships of the volume of construction of transport structures. It was established that since construction companies do not purchase materials for storage, the cost of materials for use in low-carbon technological construction work is directly proportional to the cost of construction. The volume of production in the construction industry is determined by construction costs. More efficient use of low-carbon materials reduces cost and construction waste. In this paper, we have established the relationship between the indicator of efficiency for the functioning of the construction enterprises in Ukraine and the use of low-carbon materials for the construction of transport structures. The practical value of the obtained results for low-carbon construction management lies in proving the relationship between the performance indicators of the construction enterprise (net profit, gross profit, output volume, balance sheets, and equity capital) and the use of low-carbon material resources. Our results form the basis for future research into the use of a cost-based model for low-carbon economy transition in municipalities and regions.
Characteristics of Tight Gas Reservoirs in the Xujiahe Formation in the Western Sichuan Depression: A Systematic Review
Authors: Wei Jiongfan , Zhang Jingong , Yong Zishu
Published: January 2024

In current energy structure adjustments, the prominence of unconventional oil and gas resources continues to grow, with increasing attention being paid to tight gas, a major component of natural gas production. The Xujiahe Formation gas reservoir in the Western Sichuan Depression represents a typical tight gas reservoir and the study of its reservoir characteristics is a key focus for current and future exploration and development efforts. This review employs the PRISMA method to screen and integrate the primary findings of 26 documents spanning the period from 2008 to 2023, with the aim of providing a comprehensive overview of the progress and outcomes of research on the tight gas reservoir characteristics of the Xujiahe Formation in the Western Sichuan Depression. The selected research documents summarize the characteristics of the Xujiahe Formation tight gas reservoir in the Western Sichuan Depression from four perspectives: lithology, physical properties, reservoir space, and the main factors influencing reservoir quality. Through a review of these previous studies, it is evident that existing research has predominantly focused on the relationship between diagenesis and reservoir densification, indicating certain limitations. We also delve into the characteristics of tight gas sandstone reservoirs in the study area, considering their depositional systems, fracture development, cementation, and impact on the exploration and development of tight gas reservoirs. Additionally, we propose measures to stabilize and enhance tight gas production in the Xujiahe Formation in the Western Sichuan Depression. Moreover, we outline the next steps for further research and exploration.
Transcriptome Analysis Provides Insights into Catalpol Biosynthesis in the Medicinal Plant Rehmannia glutinosa and the Functional Characterization of RgGES Genes
Authors: Li Yuanjun , Zhai Xiaoru , Ma Ligang , Zhao Le , An Na , Feng Weisheng , Huang Longyu , Zheng Xiaoke
Published: January 2024

Rehmannia glutinosa, a member of the Scrophulariaceae family, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. The main bioactive component of R. glutinosa is catalpol. However, the biogenesis of catalpol, especially its downstream pathway, remains unclear. To identify candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of catalpol, transcriptomes were constructed from R. glutinosa using the young leaves of three cultivars, Beijing No. 3, Huaifeng, and Jin No. 9, as well as the tuberous roots and adventitious roots of the Jin No. 9 cultivar. As a result, 71,142 unigenes with functional annotations were generated. A comparative analysis of the R. glutinosa transcriptomes identified over 200 unigenes of 13 enzymes potentially involved in the downstream steps of catalpol formation, including 9 genes encoding UGTs, 13 for aldehyde dehydrogenases, 70 for oxidoreductases, 44 for CYP450s, 22 for dehydratases, 30 for decarboxylases, 19 for hydroxylases, and 10 for epoxidases. Moreover, two novel genes encoding geraniol synthase (RgGES), which is the first committed enzyme in catalpol production, were cloned from R. glutinosa. The purified recombinant proteins of RgGESs effectively converted GPP to geraniol. This study is the first to discover putative genes coding the tailoring enzymes mentioned above in catalpol biosynthesis, and functionally characterize the enzyme-coding gene in this pathway in R. glutinosa. The results enrich genetic resources for engineering the biosynthetic pathway of catalpol and iridoids.
Shatila as a Campscape: The Transformation of Bare Lives into “Agent Lives” in Shatila Stories
Authors: Fuentes-Antrás Francisco
Published: January 2024

Shatila camp in Beirut was founded in 1949 and now houses up to 40,000 refugees. In 2017, the Peirene Press publisher Meike Ziervogel and London-based Syrian editor Suhir Hedal travelled to the camp to hold a three-day creative writing workshop in which nine Syrian and Palestinian refugees participated. The result is Shatila Stories (2018), a brilliant piece of collaborative fiction translated from Arabic to English by Naswa Gowanlock. It is a hybrid between a novel and a short story collection, in which refugee voices are given the chance to speak up, share their stories, and negotiate their identities. This article examines Shatila Stories (2018) as a book that highlights Shatila as a campscape (Diana Martín). These stories show that the camp, as Adam Ramadan argues, is not empty of law and political life, but rather it is a meaningful space produced by who and what is in it, and how they interrelate and interact. Shatila Stories is, indeed, an effective platform that allows readers to understand how refugees’ conflicts and thoughts are processed and the ways in which refugees in Shatila accept and embody the camp’s liminality and their border subject identity to gain agency and resist the restrained passivity to which they are often relegated. Ultimately, my analysis pays attention to how these stories encourage the renegotiation of the refugees’ selfhood and counter Agamben’s perception of refugees as “bare lives” by portraying them as autonomous, active and humanized individuals in the eyes of the international reader.
Work Engagement and Burnout in a Private Healthcare Unit in Greece
Authors: Alexias George , Papandreopoulou Maria , Togas Constantinos
Published: January 2024

Work engagement represents a positive work-related state of mind characterized by three dimensions: Vigor (high levels of energy and mental resilience during work), Dedication (strong involvement in one’s work), and Absorption (complete-joyous immersion in one’s tasks). This study aimed to investigate work engagement and burnout in health professionals in a private healthcare unit in Greece. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 151 professionals, including doctors, nurses, administrative staff, and other health professionals involved in this setting. The study duration was four months (January–April 2022). The questionnaire covered sociodemographic and work-related information, along with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Regarding the subdimensions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, participants demonstrated a moderate score in Absorption and medium to high scores in Vigor and Dedication. In terms of burnout, they showed a low score in Depersonalization, a medium score in Emotional Exhaustion, and a high score in Personal Accomplishment. Those with nonpermanent employment contracts scored higher in all dimensions of burnout compared to those with permanent employment contracts. Vigor, Dedication, and Absorption correlated negatively with Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization and positively with Personal Accomplishment. Vigor negatively predicted Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment. In conclusion, healthcare professionals in the private healthcare sector in Greece demonstrate moderate work engagement and experience moderate burnout. There are differences in work engagement and burnout based on sociodemographic and work-related characteristics. Promoting work engagement (especially the dimension of Vigor) is essential to preventing and addressing burnout among healthcare professionals.
Determinants of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Retention among Transgender Women: A Sequential, Explanatory Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Andrzejewski Jack , Pines Heather A. , Morris Sheldon , Burke Leah , Bolan Robert , Sevelius Jae , Moore David J. , Blumenthal Jill
Published: January 2024

Transgender women (TW) face inequities in HIV and unique barriers to PrEP, an effective biomedical intervention to prevent HIV acquisition. To improve PrEP retention among TW, we examined factors related to retention using a two-phase, sequential explanatory mixed methods approach. In Phase I, we used data from a trial of 170 TW who were provided oral PrEP to examine predictors of 24-week retention. In Phase II, we conducted 15 in-depth interviews with PrEP-experienced TW and used thematic analysis to explain Phase I findings. In Phase I, more participants who were not retained at 24 weeks reported sex work engagement (18% versus 7%) and substantial/severe drug use (18% versus 8%). In Phase II, participants reported drug use as a barrier to PrEP, often in the context of sex work, and we identified two subcategories of sex work. TW engaged in “non-survival sex work” had little difficulty staying on PrEP, while those engaged in “survival sex work” struggled to stay on PrEP. In Phase I, fewer participants not retained at 24 weeks reported gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) use (56% versus 71%). In Phase II, participants prioritized medical gender affirmation services over PrEP but also described the bidirectional benefits of accessing GAHT and PrEP. TW who engaged in “survival sex work” experience barriers to PrEP retention (e.g., unstable housing, drug use) and may require additional support to stay in PrEP care.