bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A prospective, real-world, multinational study of febrile neutropenia (FN) occurrence in oncology patients receiving chemotherapy with intermediate risk of FN: a MASCC Neutropenia, Infection, and Myelosuppression Study Group initiative
Authors: Leon Rapoport Bernardo , Garcia-Morillo Marcial , Font Carme , Samoon Zarka , Jabbar Adnan Abdul , Kourie Hampig Raphael , Kayumba Aline , Esposito Francis , Popescu Razvan Andrei , García-Gómez Jesus , Heyman Liezl , Smit Teresa , Krendyukov Andriy , Mathieson Nicola , Cooksley Tim , Anderson Ronald , Klastersky Jean
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Limited knowledge is available on the incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN) in intermediate-risk patients and the rationale for use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in these patients. We aimed to estimate the rate at which patients associated with intermediate risk (10–20%) of FN would develop ≥ 1 episode of FN with a commonly used chemotherapy regimen in clinical practice.

Methods

This prospective, real-world, observational, multinational, multicenter study (December 2016–October 2019) recruited patients with solid tumors or Hodgkin’s/non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Patients receiving chemotherapy with intermediate risk of FN, but not G-CSF as primary prophylaxis were included and observed for the duration of the chemotherapy (≤ 6 cycles and ≤ 30 days after the last chemotherapy administration).

Results

In total, 364 patients (median age, 56 years) with 1601 cycles of chemotherapy were included in the analysis. The incidence of FN was 5% in cycle 1, 3% in cycles 2–3, and 1% in cycles 4–6. The rate of patients with ≥ 1 episode of FN was 9%, and 59% of FN events were reported during cycle 1. The rate of grade 4 neutropenia in cycle 1 was 11%, and 15% of patients experienced ≥ 1 episode of grade 4 neutropenia.

Conclusions

Overall, the incidence of FN was low, with a high incidence in cycle 1 and a decrease in the subsequent cycles. These results provide the real FN risk for common chemotherapy regimens in patients generally excluded from clinical trials. Prophylactic G-CSF in intermediate-risk patients could be considered as per clinician’s judgement.
Botulinum toxin and conservative treatment strategies in people with cervical dystonia: an online survey
Authors: Boyce Melani J. , McCambridge A. B. , Bradnam L. V. , Canning C. G. , De Oliveira C. Quel , Verhagen A. P.
Published: October 2023

Isolated cervical dystonia is a focal, idiopathic dystonia affecting the neck muscles. Treatment usually consists of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injections into the dystonic muscles. Our aim is to investigate the use of BoNT treatment and conservative treatments by people living with cervical dystonia. An online survey in English was conducted between June and August 2022. Participants were eligible to participate if they were living with cervical dystonia, were over 18 years old and could read and understand English. The survey consisted of demographic questions, characteristics of dystonia, questions relating to BoNT use and the perceived utility of conservative treatments. The data were analysed descriptively, and open-ended questions were grouped into similar topics represented by direct quotes. We received 128 responses from people with cervical dystonia, with an average age of 59 years and 77% women. Most participants (52%) described their cervical dystonia as mild to moderate with an average pain score of 5/10. Eighty-two (64%) participants were having regular BoNT injections, with overall positive perceived effects. Common activities reported to improve the symptoms were the use of heat packs, massage, relaxation, physiotherapy and participation in general exercise. Common coping strategies reported were getting sufficient rest, having the support of friends and family, and remaining engaged in enjoyable hobbies. We found that most participants received regular BoNT injections and that heat packs, exercise, massage, physiotherapy and relaxation were mostly perceived as effective in reducing the symptoms of cervical dystonia.
Formation of climate coalitions and preferential free trade: the case for participation linkage
Authors: Kuhn Thomas , Pestow Radomir , Zenker Anja
Published: October 2023

We study the endogenous formation of climate coalitions linked to a preferential free trade arrangement. In a multi-stage, micro founded strategic trade and participation game, coalition and fringe countries dispose of a discriminatory tariff on dirty imports as well as emission permits imposed on domestic producers. Permits are traded on a common permit market inside the coalition and on local markets outside, respectively. We provide an analytical solution for the general equilibrium and the policy game, in the three country case, while the participation game is solved by Monte Carlo simulation. Moreover, conditional probabilities are computed for the transition to coalitions of various sizes induced by free trade. Under various regimes analyzed, we find that preferential free trade can create strong incentives for building effective climate coalitions in terms of depth and breadth. This result even holds if fringe countries are given the option of trade cooperation as a retaliation devise and is driven by a favorable shift in the coalition’s terms of trade. As a policy implication, negotiations on international climate treaties and free trade arrangements should be interlinked.
A fast staffing algorithm for multistage call centers with impatient customers and time-dependent overflow
Authors: Manitz Michael , Piehl Marc-Philip
Published: October 2023

Ensuring customer satisfaction is one of the main objectives of a call center. We focus on the question of how many agents are necessary and how they should be allocated to maintain a service level threshold and reduce the expected waiting time of the customers. In this paper, we consider a multistage call center that consists of a front and a back office, impatient customers, and an overflow mechanism. Based on the performance evaluation of such a system using a continuous-time Markov chain, a configuration of agents is determined using a binary search algorithm. We focus on structural insights, e.g., convexity conditions, to obtain a quick solution for the staffing problem. Since monotonicity does not always hold, the approach is heuristic. The numerical results show the performance of the algorithm. The influence of the fraction requiring second-level service in the back office and the impatience rate for the minimum number of agents is shown.
Automatic captions on video calls: a must for the older adults
Authors: Nacimiento-García Eduardo , González-González Carina S. , Gutiérrez-Vela Francisco L.
Published: October 2023

In recent years, the use of video call or video conference tools has not stopped increasing, and especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of video calls increased in the educational and work spheres, but also in the family sphere, due to the risks of contagion in face-to-face meetings. Throughout the world, many older people are affected by hearing loss. Auditory functional diversity can make it difficult to enjoy video calls. Using automatic captions might help these people, but not all video calling tools offer this functionality, and some offer it in some languages. We developed an automatic conversation captioning tool using Automatic Speech Recognition and Speech to Text, using the free software tool Coqui STT. This automatic captioning tool is independent of the video call platform used and allows older adults or anyone with auditory functional diversity to enjoy video calls in a simple way. A transparent user interface was designed for our tool that overlays the video call window, and the tool allows us to easily change the text size, color, and background settings. It is also important to remember that many older people have visual functional diversity, so they could have problems reading the texts, thus it is important that each person can adapt the text to their needs. An analysis has been carried out that includes older people to analyze the benefits of the interface, as well as some configuration preferences, and a proposal to improve the way the text is displayed on the screen. Spanish and English were tested during the investigation, but the tool allows us to easily install dozens of new languages based on models trained for Coqui STT.
The kind of silence: managing a reputation for voluntary disclosure in financial markets
Authors: Gietzmann Miles B. , Ostaszewski Adam J.
Published: October 2023

We create a continuous-time setting in which to investigate how the management of a firm controls a dynamic choice between two generic voluntary disclosure decision rules (strategies) in the period between two consecutive mandatory disclosure dates: one with full and transparent disclosure termed candid, the other, termed sparing, under which values only above a dynamic threshold are disclosed. We show how parameters of the model such as news intensity, pay-for-performance and time-to-mandatory-disclosure determine the optimal choice of candid versus sparing strategies and the optimal times for management to switch between the two. The model presented develops a number of insights, based on a very simple ordinary differential equation characterizing equilibrium in a piecewise-deterministic model, derivable from the background Black–Scholes model and Poisson arrival of signals of firm value. It is shown that in equilibrium when news intensity is low a firm may employ a candid disclosure strategy throughout, but will otherwise switch (alternate) between periods of being candid and periods of being sparing with the truth (or the other way about). Significantly, with constant pay-for-performance parameters, at most one switching can occur.
Differential effects of microplastic exposure on leaf shredding rates of invasive and native amphipod crustaceans
Authors: Griffith Rose M. , Dickey James W. E. , Williams Hannah M. , Johnson Jack V. , Hardiman Gary , Dick Jaimie T. A.
Published: October 2023

There is growing concern surrounding the pervasive impacts of microplastic pollution, but despite increasing interest in this area there remains limited understanding of its disruption to biological communities and the ecosystem services they provide. One such service is the breakdown of leaf litter in freshwaters by invertebrate shredders, such as Gammarus spp., that directly and indirectly provides resources for many other species. This study investigates the effect of microplastic exposure on leaf consumption by two Gammarus species in Ireland, the native Gammarus duebeni celticus, and the invasive Gammarus pulex. Individuals were exposed to 40–48 μm polyethylene particles for 24 h at a range of concentrations (20–200,000 MP/L), with the amount of leaf consumption in that time frame recorded. Microplastics did not affect the feeding rate of either species at environmentally relevant concentrations, indicating that ecosystem services currently provided by our study species are sustainable. However, at higher microplastic concentrations the feeding rate of G. d. celticus was significantly reduced, whereas G. pulex remained unaffected, drawing attention to species-specific and native-invader differences in microplastic impacts. The results of our study further contribute to the observed pattern that invasive species, including various amphipod species, often display a higher tolerance to environmental stressors compared to their native counterparts. This research highlights the need for mitigation of ongoing and increasing microplastic pollution that could differentially influence key ecosystem services and functions.
Pruritus related to trastuzumab and pertuzumab in HER2 + breast cancer patients
Authors: Gu Stephanie , Dusza Stephen , Quigley Elizabeth , Haliasos Helen , Markova Alina , Marchetti Michael , Moy Andrea P. , Dang Chau , Modi Shanu , Lake Diana , Noor Sarah , Lacouture Mario E.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

The combination of trastuzumab and pertuzumab (HP) as part of a taxane-based regimen has shown benefit in the adjuvant and metastatic HER2 + breast cancer setting. In the CLEOPATRA trial, pruritus was reported in 11-17.6% of patients. The clinical phenotype and potential treatment strategies for this event have not been reported.

Methods

A retrospective review of 2583 patients receiving trastuzumab and pertuzumab for the treatment of HER2 + breast cancer from 11/23/2011 to 6/21/2021 was performed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Patient demographics, pruritus characteristics, and treatments as documented in the electronic medical record (EMR) were included in this analysis.

Results

Of 2583 pts treated with HP, 122 (4.72%) with pruritus were identified. On average, patients experienced pruritus 319.0 days (8-3171) after initiation of HP. The upper extremities (67.4%), back (29.3%), lower extremities (17.4%), and shoulders (14.1%) were the most commonly affected regions. Grade 1/2 pruritus (97.6%) occurred in most cases. Patients responded primarily to treatment with topical steroids (52.2%), antihistamines (29.9%), emollients (20.9%), and gabapentinoids (16.4%). Of those with pruritus, 4 patients (3.3%) required treatment interruption or discontinuation.

Conclusions

Pruritus is uncommon in patients on trastuzumab and pertuzumab, generally a chronic condition, with gabapentinoids or antihistamines representing effective therapies.
Early Initiation of SGLT2 Inhibitors in Acute Heart Failure: a Focus on Diuresis and Renal Protection
Authors: Hammer Andreas , Niessner Alexander , Sulzgruber Patrick
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Acute heart failure (AHF) represents a critical and life-threatening condition characterized by the sudden onset or exacerbation of symptoms, such as dyspnea and fluid retention, due to impaired cardiac function. Despite advances in the treatment of chronic heart failure (HF), the management of AHF remains challenging, with limited therapeutic options available. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have emerged as a promising drug class in AHF management.

Methods/Results

The objective of this article was to conduct a comprehensive review of the existing literature in the domain of SGLT2 inhibitors and their relevance in the context of AHF.

Conclusion

The existing evidence underscores the importance of SGLT2 inhibitors in enhancing decongestive therapy for AHF patients. Early initiation appears both practical and beneficial, leading to improved and sustained decongestion, a reduction in heart failure–related events, enhanced quality of life, and decreased mortality rates, all while maintaining a favorable safety profile. Consequently, it should be considered to initiate SGLT2 inhibitor treatment as early and as safely as possible to facilitate effective decongestion. However, careful patient selection and monitoring are essential when considering the use of these drugs in the management of AHF.
Impact of artificial topological changes on flow and transport through fractured media due to mesh resolution
Authors: Pachalieva Aleksandra A. , Sweeney Matthew R. , Viswanathan Hari , Stein Emily , Leone Rosie , Hyman Jeffrey D.
Published: October 2023

We performed a set of numerical simulations to characterize the interplay of fracture network topology, upscaling, and mesh refinement on flow and transport properties in fractured porous media. We generated a set of generic three-dimensional discrete fracture networks at various densities, where the radii of the fractures were sampled from a truncated power-law distribution, and whose parameters were loosely based on field site characterizations. We also considered five network densities, which were defined using a dimensionless version of density based on percolation theory. Once the networks were generated, we upscaled them into a single continuum model using the upscaled discrete fracture matrix model presented by Sweeney et al. (2019). We considered steady, isothermal pressure-driven flow through each domain and then simulated conservative, decaying, and adsorbing tracers using a pulse injection into the domain. For each simulation, we calculated the effective permeability and solute breakthrough curves as quantities of interest to compare between network realizations. We found that selecting a mesh resolution such that the global topology of the upscaled mesh matches the fracture network is essential. If the upscaled mesh has a connected pathway of fracture (higher permeability) cells but the fracture network does not, then the estimates for effective permeability and solute breakthrough will be incorrect. False connections cannot be eliminated entirely, but they can be managed by choosing appropriate mesh resolution and refinement for a given network. Adopting octree meshing to obtain sufficient levels of refinement leads to fewer computational cells (up to a 90% reduction in overall cell count) when compared to using a uniform resolution grid and can result in a more accurate continuum representation of the true fracture network.
Happy Together? On the Relationship Between Research on Retrieval Practice and Generative Learning Using the Case of Follow-Up Learning Tasks
Authors: Roelle Julian , Endres Tino , Abel Roman , Obergassel Niklas , Nückles Matthias , Renkl Alexander
Published: October 2023

Generative learning activities are assumed to support the construction of coherent mental representations of to-be-learned content, whereas retrieval practice is assumed to support the consolidation of mental representations in memory. Considering such functions that complement each other in learning, research on how generative learning and retrieval practice intersect appears to be very fruitful. Nevertheless, the relationship between these two fields of research is “expandable”—research on generative learning and retrieval practice has been pursued so far largely side by side without taking much note of each other. Against this background, the present article aims to give this relationship a boost. For this purpose, we use the case of follow-up learning tasks provided after learners have processed new material in an initial study phase to illustrate how these two research strands have already inspired each other and how they might do so even more in the future. In doing so, we address open- and closed-book formats of follow-up learning tasks, sequences of follow-up learning tasks that mainly engage learners in generative activities and tasks that mainly engage learners in retrieval practice, and discuss commonalities and differences between indirect effects of retrieval practice and generative learning activities. We further highlight what we do and do not know about how these two activity types interact. Our article closes with a discussion on how the relationship between generative learning and retrieval practice research could bear (more and riper) fruit in the future.
Shame, entitlement, and the systemic racism of mathematics “ability” grouping in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Pomeroy David , Azarmandi Mahdis , Ratima Matiu Tai , Tolbert Sara , Jones Kay-Lee , Riki Nathan , Karaka-Clarke Te Hurinui
Published: October 2023

Decades of research has documented the consequences of allocating school students into a hierarchy of classes with narrow ranges of mathematics attainment, a process known as streaming, tracking, setting, or “ability” grouping. The purported benefits of streaming are inconsistent and disputed, but the harms are clear, in particular, (1) the limiting curriculum often available in low streams and (2) the loss of self-confidence that results from being positioned in a low stream. Building on this foundation, we discuss streaming in mathematics as tied to systemic racism in Aotearoa New Zealand, where the harmful effects of streaming fall most heavily on Māori and Pasifika students. Previous analyses of race and streaming have focused primarily on the racial composition of streamed classes, bias in stream allocation, and racialised teacher expectations in streamed settings. In contrast, we focus on the emotional consequences of streaming, arguing that streaming produces racialised emotions of shame and entitlement as unintended but predictable consequences. We illustrate the racialised production of entitlement and shame through collaborative storying, interweaving our own biographies with a re-analysis of student interviews from two prior studies.
Computation offloading for ground robotic systems communicating over WiFi – an empirical exploration on performance and energy trade-offs
Authors: Ðorđević Milica , Albonico Michel , Lewis Grace A. , Malavolta Ivano , Lago Patricia
Published: October 2023

Context

Robotic systems are known to perform computation-intensive tasks with limited computational resources and battery life. Such systems might benefit from offloading heavy workloads to the Cloud; however, in some cases, this implies high network traffic that degrades performance and energy consumption.

Goal

In this study, we aim at evaluating the impact of different computation offloading strategies on performance and energy consumption in the context of autonomous robots.

Method

We conduct two controlled experiments involving a robotic mission based on the Turtlebot3 robot and ROS 1. The mission consists of three tasks that are recurrent in robotics and good candidates for computation offloading in research, namely, SLAM mapping, navigation stack, and object recognition. Each of the tasks is either executed on board or offloaded in a full-factorial experiment design. The obtained measures are then statistically analyzed.

Results

The results show that offloading the object recognition task causes a more significant decrease in resource utilization and energy consumption than both SLAM mapping and navigation. However, object recognition affects the volume of network traffic significantly to the extent that it can easily cause network congestion.

Conclusions

In the context of our experiments (i.e.,those involving small-scale ground ROS-based mobile robots operating under WiFi networks), offloading object recognition is beneficial in terms of performance and energy consumption. Nevertheless, large network bandwidth needs to be available for object recognition offloading. While the image resolution and frame rate have a significant impact on not only the network traffic but also energy consumption and performance, these parameters need to be carefully set so that the results of this task can be always received in time, which is particularly crucial in real-time systems.
Not a Good Fix: Constitutivism on Value Change and Disagreement
Authors: Klenk Michael , de Poel Ibo van
Published: October 2023

We examine whether Thomsonian constitutivism, a metaethical view that analyses value in terms of ‘goodness-fixing kinds,’ i.e. kinds that themselves set the standards for being a good instance of the respective kind, offers a satisfactory explanation of value change and disagreement. While value disagreement has long been considered an important explanandum, we introduce value change as a closely related but distinct phenomenon of metaethical interest. We argue that constitutivism fails to explain both phenomena because of its commitment to goodness-fixing kinds. Constitutivism explains away disagreement and at best explains the emergence of new values, not genuine change. Therefore, Thomsonian constitutivism is not a good fix for realist problems with explaining value disagreement, and value change.
Nitrogen fertilizer replacement values of organic amendments: determination and prediction
Authors: Westerik Dorien , Hoffland Ellis , Hijbeek Renske
Published: October 2023

The nitrogen fertilizer replacement value (NFRV) quantifies the value of organic amendments as a nitrogen (N) fertilizer, and is commonly defined as the extent to which organic fertilizer N can replace mineral fertilizer N. NFRVs can be calculated by comparing the crop N uptake from equal N application rates of mineral and organic fertilizer, or by comparing the N rates of both fertilizers needed to obtain equal crop N uptake. Currently, NFRVs are mainly known for animal manure, whereas other organic waste products may become available as fertilizer products in the future. In this study, a pot experiment with spring wheat was performed to (1) assess NFRVs of a range of organic amendments; (2) compare NFRVs based on equal N application with NFRVs based on equal N uptake; and (3) assess which product characteristics explain observed variation. Observed NFRVs varied between 6.2 and 78.8%, with the lowest value for raw food waste and the highest for fishmeal. NFRVs were overestimated when calculated based on equal N application rate (with on average 6.9% point), and more so at high N application rate (9.0% point). NFRVs should therefore be calculated based on equal N uptake from organic and mineral fertilizers. Nitrogen concentration of the organic fertilizer provided the best explanation of variation observed in NFRVs (R2 = 0.86). These findings give valuable insights into the large variation in value of organic waste streams as organic fertilizer and can support decisions on sustainable N application rates, to increase crop N uptake and reduce N losses to the environment.
Reliable and inexpensive dissolved oxygen sensing materials
Authors: Gießel Alexander , Ziebart Nandor , Lenk Felix , Walther Thomas
Published: October 2023

Bare, non-pretreated platinum wires and screen-printed platinum electrodes were used as both working and counter electrodes in the measurement of dissolved oxygen using a chronoamperometric method. The oxygen reduction current response in the diffusion state was used for a linear determination of air saturation. We evaluated the two different materials in general for their sensing performance such as conditioning time, accuracy, resolution and stability over 13 h of continuous mid-term measurement. A good performance was found for the wire electrodes in terms of accuracy with a current slope of 1.0–1.6 µA (% as)-1 and a resolution of 10–15 nA (Lowest Level of Detection = 0.1% as), but with an unstable current response result over the course of the measurement. The screen-printed electrodes have a resolution of 10–18 nA (Lowest Level of Detection = 0.6–0.8% as) and an accuracy of 620–660 nA (% as)-1 but they showed promising reproducibility and stability. Both materials require several hours of conditioning in the chronoamperometric method before a stable current response is achieved. For biotechnological applications, the platinum screen printed electrodes were evaluated in typical parameter settings (pH 4.0 and 7.4, salinity 0.1 to 10x phosphate buffered saline and temperature 12 to 42 °C) and showed correlations between the response time and stability and the temperature. No correlations were found between salinity, pH and the current response. In this paper, we present inexpensive electrode materials and a simple to implement chronoamperometric method for reliable direct measurement of dissolved oxygen in aqueous media.

Graphical abstract
Participation and Experiences in Extracurricular Activities for Autistic and Neurotypical Children
Authors: Farrell Callyn , Slaughter Virginia , McAuliffe Tomomi , Mulvihill Aisling
Published: October 2023

Participation in Organised Extracurricular Social Activities (OESA) can provide positive outcomes for children. This study investigated whether children aged 4 to 12 years diagnosed with autism differ in their OESA participation and experience compared to neurotypical peers. Parents of autistic children (n = 35) and those of neurotypical peers (n = 171) responded to questions that asked them to reflect on their child’s participation and experiences in OESAs. Parents of autistic children reported significantly less OESA participation compared to parents of neurotypical children. Additionally, when evaluating factors that facilitated OESA participation, parents of autistic children rated their child’s individual abilities and behaviour, the OESA’s features, and the social environment less positively, compared to parents of neurotypical children. OESA participation and experiences differ for autistic and neurotypical children. This study identifies factors that can be adjusted to mitigate this difference.
Automation, Alignment, and the Cooperative Interface
Authors: Jonker Julian David
Published: October 2023

The paper demonstrates that social alignment is distinct from value alignment as it is currently understood in the AI safety literature, and argues that social alignment is an important research agenda. Work provides an important example for the argument, since work is a cooperative endeavor, and it is part of the larger manifold of social cooperation. These cooperative aspects of work are individually and socially valuable, and so they must be given a central place when evaluating the impact of AI upon work. Workplace technologies are not simply instruments for achieving productive goals, but ways of mediating interpersonal relations. They are aspects of a cooperative interface i.e. the infrastructure by which we engage cooperative behavior with others. The concept of the cooperative interface suggests two conjectures to foreground in the social alignment agenda, motivated by the experience of algorithmic trading and social robotics: that AI impacts cooperation through its effects on social networks, and through its effects on social norms.
Trajectories to Suicide Following Intimate Partner Violence Victimization: Using Structural Equation Modelling to Examine Suicide and PTSD in Female Emergency Department Users
Authors: Rasmussen Victoria , Spangaro Jo , Steel Zachary , Briggs Nancy , Torok Michelle
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is known to increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Despite the urgent need to increase women’s safety and wellbeing, trajectories to suicide are not well understood and few studies have tested potentially important mediators, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), that could help to improve risk stratification and clinical responses.

Methods

This study used baseline data from a prospective cohort study (2019–2020) to examine differential effects of psychological, physical, sexual, and multiple IPV on suicidal ideation and suicide attempt and test whether pathways are mediated by PTSD. Simple random sampling – online/in-person in Australian emergency departments (EDs) – was used to survey consenting women with a recent suicide-related ED presentation. Structural equation modelling was used to test the pathways between recent and lifetime IPV, PTSD, and suicidal ideation and attempt.

Results

Of the 1,715 women (M = 30.24, SD = 11.91 years) who participated, 1,012 (59%) reported lifetime IPV exposure, with 608 (35%) reporting recent victimization (< 18 months). Presence of PTSD wholly mediated the effects of psychological, physical, and sexual IPV on ideation (p < .05). Multiple IPV was unique in its direct effects on ideation and attempt and these pathways were most consistent for recent IPV, compared with lifetime exposure (p < .05).

Conclusions

Pathway analysis identified two high-risk patient-populations: Women with recent multiple IPV and those with a diagnosis of PTSD following lifetime IPV exposure. Findings can be used to improve risk prediction and clinical intervention for patients living with mortality risk from partner- and self-directed violence.
Measuring users’ emotional responses in multisensory virtual reality: a systematic literature review
Authors: Magalhães Mariana , Coelho António , Melo Miguel , Bessa Maximino
Published: October 2023

Virtual reality and emotions have become inseparable concepts over the past few years, supported by the increasing number of studies relating them. However, these studies' methodologies are often poorly justified or dependent on the authors' subjective definition of emotion and its classification. Moreover, frequently, these studies only consider two stimuli, specifically audiovisual, despite being known the relevance of including a greater variety of sensory channels to improve the relationship between the individual and the virtual environment. So, to address these gaps, and considering the importance of multisensory stimulation, this paper aims to review the methods and instruments found in the literature regarding the analysis of the users' emotions in virtual reality. Also, we provide an overview of the main limitations of such studies. Little information can be found in the literature regarding the connection between the input stimulus and the users’ emotional responses. This corroborates the difficulty in creating and evaluating immersive virtual experiences when stimulating more than two human senses, typically audiovisual. Nevertheless, we address some clues on the impact of visual, auditory, haptic, smell, and taste elements to trigger specific emotions. Also, we address the association between the research area and the method used. Finally, the main gaps and challenges are discussed. We expect that the combination of these results acts as guidelines for designing richer multisensory virtual experiences. Moreover, we intend to contribute to future research on emotions-based immersive virtual reality by providing a review of the most suitable methodologies and instruments for specific contexts.
Parents and teachers’ compensatory strategies during COVID-19 school closures: A scoping review
Authors: De Gioannis Elena , Ballarino Gabriele , Cartagini Davide
Published: October 2023

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries decided to close schools in 2020 to slow down the spread of the virus. The abrupt closure of schools required teachers and families to adapt quickly to an online setting for school activities. The literature review presented here focuses on this adaptive process, summarising research on how parents and teachers tried to curtail the potentially detrimental effects of school closure and remote schooling on students’ learning, identifying the compensatory strategies adopted and analysing their impact on students’ learning experience and performance. The review highlights that the shift from in-person to remote learning led to significant learning losses, as well as to the emergence of new inequalities and the exacerbation of old ones. Teachers and parents played a pivotal role in minimising learning loss due to emergency remote teaching (ERT). Concerning parents, the three main types of strategies were related to: (1) parental socioeconomic and/or demographic factors; (2) parental involvement and support in learning activities; and (3) the family environment. Concerning teachers, two strategies emerged: (1) the implementation of activities favouring interaction between teachers and students and/or among students; and (2) ad-hoc teaching activities. In almost all cases, the compensatory strategies identified were positively associated with students’ learning experience, with a few exceptions.
Scalable methods for computing sharp extreme event probabilities in infinite-dimensional stochastic systems
Authors: Schorlepp Timo , Tong Shanyin , Grafke Tobias , Stadler Georg
Published: October 2023

We introduce and compare computational techniques for sharp extreme event probability estimates in stochastic differential equations with small additive Gaussian noise. In particular, we focus on strategies that are scalable, i.e. their efficiency does not degrade upon temporal and possibly spatial refinement. For that purpose, we extend algorithms based on the Laplace method for estimating the probability of an extreme event to infinite dimensional path space. The method estimates the limiting exponential scaling using a single realization of the random variable, the large deviation minimizer. Finding this minimizer amounts to solving an optimization problem governed by a differential equation. The probability estimate becomes sharp when it additionally includes prefactor information, which necessitates computing the determinant of a second derivative operator to evaluate a Gaussian integral around the minimizer. We present an approach in infinite dimensions based on Fredholm determinants, and develop numerical algorithms to compute these determinants efficiently for the high-dimensional systems that arise upon discretization. We also give an interpretation of this approach using Gaussian process covariances and transition tubes. An example model problem, for which we provide an open-source python implementation, is used throughout the paper to illustrate all methods discussed. To study the performance of the methods, we consider examples of stochastic differential and stochastic partial differential equations, including the randomly forced incompressible three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations.
Can China’s vehicular emissions regulation reduce air pollution?—a quasi-natural experiment based on the latest National Vehicular Emissions Standard (stage-VI)
Authors: Liu Xing-yuan , Xu Ling-xia , Wu Xiao-qing , Wen Hong-xing
Published: October 2023

The existing evidence on the environmental effects of vehicular emissions regulation almost comes from developed countries, but the effectiveness of this policy tool in developing countries, especially in China, remains unclear. This study, for the first time, examined the mitigating effects of China’s vehicular emissions regulation on air pollution at the prefecture level cities, by using the latest implementation of China’s National Vehicular Emissions Standard VI (CHINA-VI) as a quasi-natural experimental process of policy shocks. To this end, monthly data from 2018 to 2020 was applied to construct a difference-in-differences (DID) model. The results showed that pilot cities’ air quality index (AQI) significantly decreased by 4.74 compared to non-pilot cities after the implementation of CHINA-VI. Also, the concentration of PM2.5, PM10, and O3 has decreased by 3.6 μg∕m3, 6.4 μg∕m3, and 3.0 μg∕m3, respectively, which means the new China’s vehicular emissions regulation has comprehensively improved air quality. The findings are still valid after a series of robustness tests using different estimation methods such as PSM-DID and IV-2SLS. In addition, we also found heterogeneity in the environmental performance of CHINA-VI across cities. Specifically, cities with lower levels of green finance development and public environmental concern showed a greater emissions reduction effect, but smart cities showed a greater emissions reduction effect than non-smart cities.
Resources and tools for studying convergent evolution in different lineages of smut fungi
Authors: Steins Lena , Duhamel Marine , Klenner-Koch Sebastian , Begerow Dominik , Kemler Martin
Published: October 2023

Convergent evolution is the phenomenon of similar traits evolving independently in different lineages of the tree of life. Studying convergent evolution provides an excellent opportunity to understand natural selection for specific traits and physiological constraints to evolution that allow a broadened view on evolutionary mechanisms as a whole. Smut fungi, a polyphyletic group of plant-parasitic fungi with a specific infection and life cycle pattern, are a prime example of convergent evolution. Most notably, smut fungi in the genus Microbotryum that belongs to the subdivision Pucciniomycotina and smut fungi from the subdivision Ustilaginomycotina show strong similarities despite millions of years of independent evolution. However, the conceptual connections drawn between the two groups are scarce, thereby limiting the opportunities for exploring convergent evolution between these taxa. To facilitate knowledge exchange within the research community, we provide a summary of databases, molecular and biological tools and a brief introduction to the structure of populations and the characteristics of host specificity in both groups. Furthermore, we compare the life cycles and research emphases between the two groups. The comparisons are supplemented with an analysis of genome composition and gene function, which aims to advance research on the convergent evolution of smut fungi using existing data.
Crop diversification practices in Europe: an economic cross-case study comparison
Authors: Zabala J. A. , Martínez-García V. , Martínez-Paz J. M. , López-Becerra E. I. , Nasso M. , Díaz-Pereira E. , Sánchez-Navarro V. , Álvaro-Fuentes J. , González-Rosado M. , Farina R. , Di Bene C. , Huerta E. , Jurrius A. , Frey-Treseler K. , Lóczy D. , Fosci L. , Blasi E. , Lehtonen H. , Alcon F.
Published: October 2023

Crop diversification practices (CDPs) are alternative strategies aimed to achieve sustainable cropping systems and food production overcoming the agro-environmental impacts of conventional cropping systems such as monoculture. Thus, this paper aims to improve the knowledge of implementing CDPs in different European pedoclimatic regions by assessing the economic performance at the farm level. CDPs are compared with conventional cropping systems and clustered in terms of their gross margin (GM) results and variations. Farm-level assessment shows that CDPs provide positive economic results, representing an adaptive management strategy for ecological transition, without compromising economic sustainability. Particularly, the main findings show that (1) the impact of diversification depends more on crop type than on the selected CDPs, (2) most farms exhibited a low GM with low economic impact, and (3) there is a great likelihood that the CDPs facilitate the buildup of more resilient farming systems.
Reconceiving Reproduction: Removing “Rearing” From the Definition—and What This Means for ART
Authors: Hall Georgina Antonia
Published: October 2023

The predominant position in the reproductive rights literature argues that access to assisted reproductive technologies (ART) forms part of an individual’s right to reproduce. On this reasoning, refusal of treatment by clinicians (via provision) violates a hopeful parent’s reproductive right and discriminates against the infertile. I reject these views and suggest they wrongly contort what reproductive freedom entitles individuals to do and demand of others. I suggest these views find their origin, at least in part, in the way we define “reproduction” itself. This paper critically analyses two widely accepted definitions of human reproduction and demonstrates that both are fundamentally flawed. While the process of reproduction includes the biological acts of begetting and bearing a child, I argue that it does not extend to include rearing. This reworked definition has little impact in the realm of sexual reproduction. However, it has significant ethical implications for the formulation and assignment of reproductive rights and responsibilities in the non-sexual realm in two important ways. First, a claim to access ART where one has an intention to rear a child (but does not beget or bear) cannot be grounded in reproductive rights. Second, lacking an intention to rear does not extinguish the reproductive rights and responsibilities for those who collaborate in the process. I conclude that clinicians collaborate in non-sexual reproduction at the point of triggering conception (begetting) and therefore have the right to refuse to be involved in non-sexual reproduction, in some instances, as do all reproductive collaborators.
Forest Operations Using a Combi–Forwarder in Deciduous Forests
Authors: Stoilov Stanimir , Proto Andrea Rosario , Oslekov Delyan , Angelov Georgi , Papandrea Salvatore Francesco
Published: October 2023

In the last decade, technological innovation in the forest operations sector has allowed levels of mechanization alternative to agricultural tractors and animal logging. These machines are used to load logs from skid roads and move logs to the next pile, until the load space is fully loaded. Fortunately, in recent years the development of new technological progresses in forestry mechanization created an alternative operation on ground-based system with the use of a combi-forwarder for wood forwarding. These innovative machines have the advantage that only one machine can perform logs bunching and primary transport. Infact, pull stems by the winch from the stump to the road, after they have been cross-cutted by chainsaws, it loads by the forwarder’s crane the logs and transports them to the landing, where they are unloaded with the crane in piles.

The aim of the present study was to analyse the operational time consumption, to estimate the productivity of the combi–forwarder with a built-in single-drum winch in beech stands evaluating the forwarding and winching distances, log’s volume transported per turn by the machine, as well as the extracting costs. The study was conducted in low-intensity shelterwood cuttings in beech forest, located in Western Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria.

The mean productivity of the combi–forwarder was 7.09 m3 PMH− 1 and 6.11 m3 SMH− 1 close to that of the cable skidders and forwarders in similar conditions. The net costs for the studied combi–forwarder were calculated of 25.33 € per productive machine hour and 4.13 € per m3. The variable costs (70%) have a leading role, followed by labour costs (22%) and fixed costs (8%). The use of a combi-forwarders facilitates chainsaw operators, as some of the operations are carried out at the roadside in better working conditions: flat terrain and support of the crosscutting phase. The results from the study are useful to introduce and to integrate the combi–forwarders with shelterwood systems and to achieve economic and environmental efficiency of timber harvesting in deciduous forests.
Police Realistic Tactical Training Is Not Risk-Free: Stress-Induced Wide-QRS Paroxysmal Tachyarrhythmia in a Healthy Police Officer and Professional Athlete
Authors: Brisinda Donatella , Fenici Peter , Fenici Riccardo
Published: October 2023

The reported case, a spin-off of a wider ongoing national study investigating the individual stress reactions of police officers during realistic police tactical training, highlights the eventuality that stress-induced paroxysmal arrhythmias might occur and remain undetected without ECG monitoring as a standard practice. The ECG of a 41-year-old frontline police officer (and professional athlete of the State Police’s rugby team) was monitored with a wireless, textile-based, wearable device during stressful scenarios implying the use of force. ECG data were processed with the Kubios software to assess training-induced time-varying changes of heart rate variability parameters and of the parasympathetic, sympathetic, and stress indices. Multiparametric analysis of the heart rate variability quantified remarkable stress-induced increment of vagal withdrawal and of sympathetic dominance, with exceptionally high-stress index and sudden occurrence of a wide-QRS paroxysmal tachyarrhythmia (240 bpm) with concomitant operational failure. Subsequent exhaustive mandatory clinical assessment excluded any structural and arrhythmogenic cardiac abnormality. Although exceptional and to the best of our knowledge so far unique, the recording of a stress-induced paroxysmal wide-QRS arrhythmia occurring during realistic tactical training in a healthy police officer and highly fit athlete is worth to be shared as a caveat about the potential risk if eventually occurring in officers with unknown cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., for ischemic heart disease). Moreover, the demonstration that such a high level of stress may occur even in an experienced, healthy, and highly fit officer altering the physiologic dynamicity of brain–heart interaction with a negative consequence on the operational outcome strongly suggests that individual emotional reactions induced by stressful duty events must be safely experienced and assessed with realistic training, to adopt preventive coping strategies, to improve police officers’ efficiency in front of threats, and to lower the risk of inappropriate use of force with dramatic consequences on the street.