bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the association between work family conflict (WFC) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in an Australian community-based cohort study
Authors: Wang Tianying , Butterworth Peter , Cooklin Amanda , Strazdins Lyndall , Leach Liana
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Difficulties managing work and family demands are common and have been found to be associated with stress and poor mental health. However, very few studies have examined Work Family Conflict (WFC) in connection with diagnosable anxiety disorders (and none with Australian representative data). The current study investigated whether high WFC was significantly associated with a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) after controlling for a broad range of socio-demographic contextual factors, related psychosocial job, family and individual characteristics, and prior anxiety symptom history.

Methods

Data was analysed from an Australian population-based community cohort - the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life project. Eligible participants (N = 1159) were employed full-time or part-time, with data collected by both online questionnaire and face-to-face interview. Presence of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in the past 12-months was diagnosed by the GAD module in the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) (based on DSM-IV criteria) and severe anxiety symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) 7-item ‘other anxiety’ model.

Results

The findings consistently showed that those experiencing high WFC had higher odds of a GAD diagnosis (final adjusted model: CIDI: OR: 2.55, CI: 1.38–4.70) as well as clinical levels of anxiety symptoms (PHQ: OR:2.61, CI:1.44,4.72). This was the case after controlling for an extensive range of covariates.

Conclusions

This is one of the first studies to show that WFC is associated with greater likelihood of GAD. The challenge of juggling both work and family can have far-reaching impacts - not just increasing distress broadly, but also potentially increasing the likelihood of clinically diagnosable anxiety.
Suffering and prejudice: do negative emotions predict immigration concerns?
Authors: Deole Sumit S. , Huang Yue
Published: May 2024

This paper examines the role of individuals’ emotions in determining their concerns about international migration. For the empirical analysis, we exploit little-explored information in the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) data on individuals’ negative emotions, e.g., anger, fear, and sadness. We find that the frequency of experiencing negative emotions is positively associated with immigration concerns. Moreover, we show that the relationship varies across employment status, birth cohort, and social media usage. Our analysis also underscores the real-life consequence of emotions by demonstrating their positive association with support for far-right political parties among males, but not among females. Finally, we exploit the exogenous variation in negative emotions induced by the death of a parent to infer causality. Fixed effects regressions with instrumental variables exhibit a positive impact of negative emotions on immigration concerns among females, but no significant effects are found among males. Further investigation into channels driving these gender differences in results underscores gender differences in roles played by other concerns that often carry over to determine individuals’ immigration concerns, e.g., concerns about international terrorism.
Enhanced antimicrobial efficacy and energy efficiency of low irradiance 405-nm light for bacterial decontamination
Authors: Sinclair Lucy G. , Anderson John G. , MacGregor Scott J. , Maclean Michelle
Published: May 2024

Due to its increased safety over ultraviolet light, there is interest in the development of antimicrobial violet-blue light technologies for infection control applications. To ensure compatibility with exposed materials and tissue, the light irradiances and dose regimes used must be suitable for the target application. This study investigates the antimicrobial dose responses and germicidal efficiency of 405 nm violet-blue light when applied at a range of irradiance levels, for inactivation of surface-seeded and suspended bacteria. Bacteria were seeded onto agar surfaces (101–108 CFUplate−1) or suspended in PBS (103–109 CFUmL−1) and exposed to increasing doses of 405-nm light (≤ 288 Jcm−2) using various irradiances (0.5–150 mWcm−2), with susceptibility at equivalent light doses compared. Bacterial reductions ≥ 96% were demonstrated in all cases for lower irradiance (≤ 5 mWcm−2) exposures. Comparisons indicated, on a per unit dose basis, that significantly lower doses were required for significant reductions of all species when exposed at lower irradiances: 3–30 Jcm−2/0.5 mWcm−2 compared to 9–75 Jcm−2/50 mWcm−2 for low cell density (102 CFUplate−1) surface exposures and 22.5 Jcm−2/5 mWcm−2 compared to 67.5 Jcm−2/150 mWcm−2 for low density (103 CFUmL−1) liquid exposures (P ≤ 0.05). Similar patterns were observed at higher densities, excluding S. aureus exposed at 109 CFUmL−1, suggesting bacterial density at predictable levels has minimal influence on decontamination efficacy. This study provides fundamental evidence of the greater energy efficacy of 405-nm light for inactivation of clinically-significant pathogens when lower irradiances are employed, further supporting its relevance for practical decontamination applications.
Glutathione conjugation of sesquimustard: in vitro investigation of potential biomarkers
Authors: Cenk Muharrem , Bekiroğlu Ataş Havva , Sabuncuoğlu Suna
Published: May 2024

Sesquimustard (Q) is a powerful blistering agent that contains additional sulfur atoms. Sulfur mustard causes covalent bonding by alkylating nucleophilic groups of biologically important macromolecules such as lipids, proteins, DNA, or RNA. Most cells maintain relatively high amounts of a unique tripeptide called glutathione (GSH) (γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl glycine), which possesses a free thiol group, to prevent unwanted reactions caused by reactive chemical entities. Moreover, these thiol groups on cysteines (Cys) are the main target for alkylation. Although Q is the most potent vesicant among sulfur mustards, research studies identifying biomarkers of Q are very limited. Therefore, here in this study, we aimed to identify the GSH and Cys conjugates of Q using mass spectrometric methods and to observe the formation of these conjugates in HaCat cell culture following exposure to different doses. We identified four different conjugates of Q, which are bis-glutathionyl ethylthioethylthioethyl conjugate (GSH-ETETE-GSH), hydroxyethylthioethylthioethyl glutathione conjugate (HETETE-GSH), bis-cysteinyl ethylthioethylthioethyl conjugate (Cys-ETETE-Cys), and hydroxyethylthioethylthioethyl cysteine conjugate (HETETE-Cys). The identity of the conjugates was elucidated using liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). We also investigated changes in conjugate formation with exposure concentration and time elapsed after exposure in the cell culture. After exposure, GSH conjugates decreased until 1st hour, while Cys conjugates increased until 6th hour. We also observed that conjugate formation depended on the concentration of Q. This is the first study to elucidate the conjugates of Q dependent on GSH conjugation. As biomarkers are essential tools for evaluating exposure to Q, this study contributes to the limited number of studies identifying biomarkers for Q.
Schur–Weyl dualities for the rook monoid: an approach via Schur algebras
Authors: M. André Carlos A. , Legatheaux Martins Inês
Published: May 2024

The rook monoid, also known as the symmetric inverse monoid, is the archetypal structure when it comes to extend the principle of symmetry. In this paper, we establish a Schur–Weyl duality between this monoid and an extension of the classical Schur algebra, which we name the extended Schur algebra. We also explain how this relates to Solomon’s Schur–Weyl duality between the rook monoid and the general linear group and mention some advantages of our approach.
Exploring the impact of digital health literacy on quality of life in patients undergoing retrograde intrarenal surgery for kidney stone treatment: a prospective, single-center study
Authors: Keles Ahmet , Arikan Ozgur , Hamid-zada İlkin , Somun Umit Furkan , Baydili Kursad Nuri , Yildirim Asif
Published: May 2024

Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) is the recommended treatment for renal stones up to two cm in size. As digital health literacy (e-HL) has become increasingly important in promoting informed health decisions and healthy behaviors, it is necessary to investigate its impact on RIRS treatment outcomes. We aimed to explore the influence of patients’ e-HL level on their postoperative quality of life (QoL). We conducted an observational prospective study of 111 patients who underwent RIRS for renal pelvis stones. Before RIRS, we evaluated patients’ e-HL using the electronic health literacy scale (eHEALS). QoL was evaluated using the five-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) one month after RIRS. SFR was determined by a negative CT scan or asymptomatic patients with stone fragments < 3 mm. Adult individuals aged 18 years or older with typical calyceal anatomy met the eligibility criteria for enrollment. Exclusion criteria for the study included patients with ureteric stones, anomalous kidneys, or bilateral renal stones. The relationship between patients’ QoL and stone-free rate was explored using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The mean stone burden was 14 ± 3 mm (6–19 mm). The overall SFR was 83.3% after one month. The median EQ-5D-5L utility index and VAS score were 0.826 (0.41–1) and 70 (20–100) respectively, for the overall population. We found that poorer e-HL was associated with being older (p = 0.035), having less education (p = 0.005), and not having access to the internet (p < 0.001). A significant difference was observed between patients with sufficient e-HL and patients with limited e-HL in the self-care (p = 0.02) and anxiety/depression (p = 0.021) dimensions. To date, no study has examined the impact of patients’ e-HL levels on postoperative QoL in patients undergoing RIRS. This study also revealed that e-HL levels in patients undergoing RIRS were related to postoperative QoL, especially self-care and anxiety/depression dimensions, whereas there was no relationship between them and SFR.
Dynamic changes in evapotranspiration, canopy photosynthesis and expansive growth in open field under rapid fluctuating radiation
Authors: Hsiao Theodore C. , Xu Liu-Kang , Steduto Pasquale
Published: May 2024

In open fields, plants experience dynamic changes in environment, particularly radiation, temperature, wind, and humidity but their short-term responses have not been adequately characterized under natural conditions. In this study, we assessed causal effects of rapid radiation fluctuation on seven plant parameters in open fields of cotton and sweet corn canopies. The parameters are evapotranspiration (ET), canopy photosynthesis indicated by CO2 flux from air to canopy (FCO2), sensible heat energy flux (H), canopy conductance for water vapor (gcw), canopy surface temperature (Ts), shoot and leaf elongation rate, and stem diameter change. The energy and CO2 fluxes were measured with Bowen ratio/energy balance/CO2 gradient (BREB+) technique, using averaging time of 5 min. Shoot + leaf elongation and stem diameter change were monitored with position transducers using averaging time of 1 min. All parameters were all found to respond to change in radiation and transpiration within minutes or sooner. While radiation effects on canopy gas exchanges are expected, illuminating are the indirect but immediate effects on shoot + leaf growth and stem diameter change through radiation effects on transpiration and plant water status. A novel finding is that gcw also responded within minutes or sooner to radiation fluctuations and that FCO2 was related almost linearly to gcw. Results are discussed in terms of soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, and interpreted in terms of dynamic interactions between transpiration and plant water status. The clear inverse relationship between ET and elongation rate or stem diameter changes provides additional evidence supporting the validity of 5-min averaging for the BREB + technique.
A non-spherical nanoparticles system for the delivery of peptides using polymer grafted nanocellulose
Authors: Khine YeeYee , Li Yimeng , Ge Wei , Stenzel Martina H.
Published: May 2024

Peptide drugs are increasingly used to treat a variety of diseases ranging from cancer, and infections to cardiovascular diseases. However, peptides can suffer from low stability in the bloodstream. Entrapment of peptides into nano-sized carriers of various types has widely been explored, but all of them have spherical shapes. Nanocellulose can in contrast serve as a non-spherical nanoparticle with a high aspect ratio. After the isolation of nanocellulose by TEMPO-mediated oxidation, the material needs to be modified with polymers to generate nanoparticles with high water-solubility that can also favourably interact with peptide drugs. We have here chosen insulin as the model drug, which can strongly interact with cationic polymers. As it is known that cationic polymer may retain charged drugs too tightly, we have selected poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate) PDMAEA as a degradable polymer that undergoes self-hydrolysis to poly(acrylic acid) in water. This polymer was compared to poly(N-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl) acrylamide) PDMAPAA, which is a stable cationic polymer. The cationic polymer was co-grafted with poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) PHEA as a water-soluble neutral polymer using the three-component Passerini reaction. A combination of fluorescence and UV-Vis techniques were used to quantify the amount of polymer that was conjugated to the surface. The polymer-coated nanocellulose was labelled with the fluorescent cyanine dye Cy5 while insulin was labelled with Cy3 creating a FRET system that allows monitoring of the interaction between insulin and polymer in cell growth media. We observed that despite the self-hydrolysis of PDMAEA into a negatively charged polymer, the negatively charged insulin was not released in buffer solution according to the FRET studies. Only the addition of serum-supplemented cell growth media led to insulin release. The limited release was explained with the fact that insulin, as well as other peptides, have a mixture of negative and positive charges, with the pH value and the isoelectric point determining the balance between both. Negative-charged polymers can therefore still interact favourably with negatively charged peptides by interacting with cationic amino acids.

Graphical Abstract
Duration of labor in consecutive deliveries: a retrospective data analysis
Authors: Kreienbühl Jessica , Rüegg Ladina , Balsyte Dalia , Vonzun Ladina , Ochsenbein-Kölble Nicole
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Labor is shorter in multiparous women. However, there are no individualized data on differences in duration of labor for consecutive deliveries in the same parturient.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective data analysis from 2004 to 2021 at the University Hospital of Zurich and included all women with 2 or more vaginal deliveries of a singleton child in cephalic position, between 22 and 42 weeks of gestation. Descriptive statistics were performed with SPSS version 25.0 (IBM, SPSS Inc., USA). The primary endpoint was the ratio between durations of labor stages in consecutive deliveries of the same parturient.

Results

A total of 3344 women with 7066 births (2601 first [P0], 2987 s [P1], 1176 third [P2], and 302 fourth [P3]) were included. The ratio of duration of the active first stage of labor between P1 and P0 was 0.49 (95% CI 0.47–0.51, p < 0.001) meaning that the active first stage of labor was 51% shorter. The second stage of labor with a ratio of 0.26 (95% CI 0.24–0.27, p < 0.001) was 74% shorter in P1 compared to P0. Higher birthweight of the first child led to an even greater decrease in duration of the second stage of labor in P1 compared to P0 (p = 0.003). Neuraxial anesthesia was an independent risk factor for a longer duration of labor, irrespective of parity (p < 0.001). Birthweight and HC of the neonates did not significantly differ between the children born by the same women. However, higher birthweight in of the first child significantly augmented the rate of second stage of labor between P0 and P1 (p = 0.003).

Discussion

Up to the third delivery, duration of labor decreased with each consecutive delivery of the same parturient. An individualized assessment of the expected duration of labor in multiparous women should be encouraged.
Telehealth cognitive behaviour therapy for the management of sleep disturbance in women with early breast cancer receiving chemotherapy: a feasibility study
Authors: Carson Emma-Kate , Dhillon Haryana M. , Vardy Janette L. , Brown Chris , Nunes-Zlotkowski Kelly Ferrao , Della-Fiorentina Stephen , Khan Sarah , Parsonson Andrew , Roncoloato Felicia , Pearson Antonia , Barnes Tristan , Kiely Belinda E.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Sleep quality commonly deteriorates in people receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer (BC). We aimed to determine feasibility and acceptability of telehealth-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in people with early BC receiving (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods

Multi-centre, single arm, phase 2 feasibility trial. People with stage I-III BC received 4 sessions of telehealth CBT-I over 8 weeks, during chemotherapy. Participants completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and other Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) at baseline, post-program (week 9) and post-chemotherapy (week 24); and an Acceptability Questionnaire at week 9. Primary endpoint was proportion completing 4 sessions of telehealth CBT-I.

Results

In total, 41 participants were recruited: mean age 51 years (range 31–73). All 4 CBT-I sessions were completed by 35 (85%) participants. Acceptability of the program was high and 71% reported ‘the program was useful’. There was no significant difference in the number of poor sleepers (PSQI score ≥ 5) at baseline 29/40 (73%) and week 24 17/25 (68%); or in the mean PSQI score at baseline (7.43, SD 4.06) and week 24 (7.48, SD 4.41). From baseline to week 24, 7/25 (28%) participants had a ≥ 3 point improvement in sleep quality on PSQI, and 5/25 (20%) had a ≥ 3 point deterioration. There was no significant difference in mean PROM scores.

Conclusion

It is feasible to deliver telehealth CBT-I to people with early BC receiving chemotherapy. Contrary to literature predictions, sleep quality did not deteriorate. Telehealth CBT-I has a potential role in preventing and managing sleep disturbance during chemotherapy.

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) registration number: ACTRN12620001379909 and date 22/12/2020.
The prognostic value of immune-nutritional status in metastatic colorectal cancer: Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI)
Authors: Keskinkilic Merve , Semiz Huseyin Salih , Ataca Evrim , Yavuzsen Tugba
Published: May 2024

Backround and purpose

A low Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) value, which reflects immune nutrition and inflammation around the tumor, is associated with an unfavorable prognosis, and it was aimed to reveal its prognostic value in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods

In our retrospective cross-sectional study, patients with a diagnosis of metastatic colorectal disease without active infection, between January 2010 and December 2016 were included. The PNI values at the time of diagnosis were calculated according to the formula (10 × serum albumin (g/dL)) + (0.005 × total lymphocyte value).

Results

The mean PNI value of 253 patients included in the study was 46.6. While 53.75% (n = 136) of the patients had a PNI value of 46.6 and above, 46.25% (n = 117) had a PNI value below 46.6. The overall survival (OS) of the group with a PNI of 46.6 and above was statistically significantly longer (53.06 months vs 38.80 months, p = 0.039). The PFS duration of the group with PNI below 46.6 was 25.66 months, while the PFS duration of the group with PNI above 46.6 was not reached (p = 0.265).

Conclusion

PNI is a simple and inexpensive index that evaluates the immunonutritional status, and it is a prognostic marker that can be easily used in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer as in other cancer types.
Metaphyseal trauma of the lower extremities in major orthopedic surgery as an independent risk factor for deep vein thrombosis
Authors: Hartono Franky , Ananditya Tessi , Augustinus Yohanes , Hendra  , Gabriel Nicholas
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Major orthopedic surgeries of the lower extremities, which heavily injure the metaphyseal region, are strongly associated with the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This study aims to investigate the role of metaphyseal trauma as an independent risk factor for DVT.

Methods

Patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery of the hip and knee had their existing DVT risk factors recorded. Metaphyseal trauma was defined by the extent of bone injury during these surgeries. The samples were categorized into three surgery groups: total arthroplasty group (TA), hemiarthroplasty group (HA), and the open reduction internal fixation group (ORIF). Logistic regression test between significant existing risk factors and surgery groups determines the independent association between risk factors and DVT.

Result

The study found a 24.8% incidence of asymptomatic DVT in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgeries, with the highest prevalence (37.2%) in TA, which had the largest extent of metaphyseal trauma and the least existing DVT risk factors. TA showed 6.2 OR and 95% CI (p = 0.036) compared to the other existing risk factor in relation to DVT incidence.

Conclusion

Metaphyseal bone trauma in the hip and knee major orthopedic surgery is an independent risk factor for deep vein thrombosis.
Progressive Weakening of Granite by Piezoelectric Excitation of Quartz with Alternating Current
Authors: Rubio Ruiz Rafael Arturo , Pournoori Nazanin , Isakov Matti , Saksala Timo , Bjørge Ruben , Rack Alexander , Lukic Bratislav , Cohen Amitay , Levi-Hevroni David , Kane Pascal-Alexandre , Hokka Mikko
Published: May 2024

A promising solution to reduce energy usage and mitigate the wear of drilling and comminution tools during mining operations involves inducing vibrations within the piezoelectric phases dispersed in the structure of rocks using alternating current (AC). This paper presents experimental evidence of AC-induced weakening of Kuru granite, manifested as improvements in rock drillability and reductions of strength. Sievers’ J-miniature drill tests were used to assess surface drillability. The impact of AC treatment on the quasi-static strength of granite was assessed via three-point bending and indirect tension Brazilian disk tests. The influence of AC treatment on the dynamic tensile strength of the rock was determined using split Hopkinson bar tests, with the fragmentation process captured using in situ ultra-fast synchrotron X-ray phase contrast imaging. The quasi-static tests revealed no reduction in rock strength after the AC treatment. In contrast, reductions of 25% in hardness and 18% in dynamic tensile strength were observed. Fragmentation patterns differed between treated and non-treated rocks, with treated specimens exhibiting reduced macrocrack formation during loading.
Unravelling the influence of heterogeneities and abstraction on groundwater flow and solute transport in a fractured carbonate aquifer, Sicily, Italy
Authors: G. Pappalardo , I. Borsi , R. Rossetto , G. Tranchina , M. Bongiovanni , M. Farina , S. Mineo
Published: May 2024

The migration of a groundwater contaminant plume consisting of light nonaqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) along the Ionian coastline of Sicily, Italy, has been reported to follow a trajectory that is inconsistent with the regional hydraulic gradient. The influence of several faults affecting the fractured carbonate bedrock aquifer, and groundwater abstraction from a well, were hypothesized to be responsible for the anomalous trajectory of the contaminant plume. A conceptual hydrogeological model was developed for the study area that incorporated structural information derived from geophysical surveys and the mapping of fractures in bedrock outcrops. This conceptual model was incorporated into numerical groundwater flow and solute transport models to simulate the groundwater transport of the light nonaqueous phase liquids. Four model scenarios representing different levels of complexity were tested to assess the relative influence of geological heterogeneity and groundwater abstraction on the migration of the contaminant plume. Results show that underground major discontinuity systems, invoking the presence of the faults in the model domain accounted for the observed migration of the contaminant plume, act as conduits for groundwater flow. Conversely, groundwater abstraction from a well was found to result in relatively minor, localized impacts to the migration of the contamination plume. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating geological heterogeneity into groundwater modelling and environmental risk assessments associated with the storage of LNAPLs.
DTP: learning to estimate full-body pose in real-time from sparse VR sensor measurements
Authors: Zeng Qiang , Zheng Gang , Liu Qian
Published: May 2024

For virtual reality (VR) applications, estimating full-body pose in real-time is becoming increasingly popular. Previous works have reconstructed full-body motion in real time from an HTC VIVE headset and five VIVE Tracker measurements by solving the inverse kinematics (IK) problem. However, an IK solver may yield unnatural poses and shaky motion. This paper introduces Deep Tracker poser (DTP): a method for real-time full-body pose estimation in VR. This task is difficult due to the ambiguous mapping from the sparse measurements to full-body pose. The data obtained from VR sensors is calibrated, normalized and fed into the deep neural networks (DNN). To learn from sufficient data, we propose synthesizing a VR sensor dataset called AMASS-VR from the AMASS, a collection of various motion capture datasets. Furthermore, feet tracking loss is a common problem of VIVE Tracker. To improve the accuracy and robustness of DTP to the occlusion noise, we simulate the occlusion noise by Gaussian random noise. Then we synthesize an occlusion dataset AMASS-OCC and fine-tune DTP on that. We evaluate DTP by comparing with other popular methods in terms of the accuracy and computational cost. The results indicate that DTP outperforms others in terms of the positional error (1.04 cm) and rotational error (4.22 °). The quantitative and qualitative results show that DTP reconstructs accurate and natural full-body pose even under serious feet occlusion, which indicates the superiority of the DTP in modelling the mapping from sparse joint data to the full-body pose.
Human atherosclerotic plaque transcriptomics reveals endothelial beta-2 spectrin as a potential regulator a leaky plaque microvasculature phenotype
Authors: Rademakers Timo , Manca Marco , Jin Han , Orban Tanguy , Perisic Ljubica Matic , Frissen Hubertus J. M. , Rühle Frank , Hautvast Petra , van Rijssel Jos , van Kuijk Kim , Mees Barend M. E. , Peutz-Kootstra Carine J. , Heeneman Sylvia , Daemen Mat J. A. P. , Pasterkamp Gerard , Stoll Monika , van Zandvoort Marc A. M. J. , Hedin Ulf , Dequiedt Franck , van Buul Jaap D. , Sluimer Judith C. , Biessen Erik A. L.
Published: May 2024

The presence of atherosclerotic plaque vessels is a critical factor in plaque destabilization. This may be attributable to the leaky phenotype of these microvessels, although direct proof for this notion is lacking. In this study, we investigated molecular and cellular patterns of stable and hemorrhaged human plaque to identify novel drivers of intraplaque vessel dysfunction. From transcriptome data of a human atherosclerotic lesion cohort, we reconstructed a co-expression network, identifying a gene module strongly and selectively correlated with both plaque microvascular density and inflammation. Spectrin Beta Non-Erythrocytic 1 (sptbn1) was identified as one of the central hubs of this module (along with zeb1 and dock1) and was selected for further study based on its predominant endothelial expression. Silencing of sptbn1 enhanced leukocyte transmigration and vascular permeability in vitro, characterized by an increased number of focal adhesions and reduced junctional VE-cadherin. In vivo, sptbn1 knockdown in zebrafish impaired the development of the caudal vein plexus. Mechanistically, increased substrate stiffness was associated with sptbn1 downregulation in endothelial cells in vitro and in human vessels. Plaque SPTBN1 mRNA and protein expression were found to correlate with an enhanced presence of intraplaque hemorrhage and future cardiovascular disease (CVD) events during follow-up. In conclusion, we identify SPTBN1 as a central hub gene in a gene program correlating with plaque vascularisation. SPTBN1 was regulated by substrate stiffness in vitro while silencing blocked vascular development in vivo, and compromised barrier function in vitro. Together, SPTBN1 is identified as a new potential regulator of the leaky phenotype of atherosclerotic plaque microvessels.
Stress testing for IInd pillar life-cycle pension funds using hidden Markov model
Authors: Kabašinskas Audrius , Kopa Miloš , Šutienė Kristina , Lakštutienė Aušrinė , Malakauskas Aidas
Published: May 2024

This paper presents a stress testing technique based on a hidden Markov regime switching model and scenario generations. Firstly, we assume that investor’s risk preferences and beliefs are primarily observed in main world indices and then transmitted to other markets such as IInd pillar life-cycle pension funds. This enables both regime (market state) identification and regime-switching detection. Second, we apply stress to the transition matrix by increasing probabilities of moving to a worse market state, i.e., we increase the transition probabilities on the upper-right side of the main diagonal and decrease the diagonal probabilities correspondingly. Third, future scenarios (evolution) of returns of pension funds are generated using stressed transition matrices and basic risk and performance measures of the final wealth are presented. Finally, three different strategies for pension managers are considered and compared to each other. The results show how the best strategy depends on the stress level.
Simulated plant-mediated oxygen input has strong impacts on fine-scale porewater biogeochemistry and weak impacts on integrated methane fluxes in coastal wetlands
Authors: Zhou Yongli , O’Meara Teri , Cardon Zoe G. , Wang Jiaze , Sulman Benjamin N. , Giblin Anne E. , Forbrich Inke
Published: May 2024

Methane (CH4) emissions from wetland ecosystems are controlled by redox conditions in the soil, which are currently underrepresented in Earth system models. Plant-mediated radial oxygen loss (ROL) can increase soil O2 availability, affect local redox conditions, and cause heterogeneous distribution of redox-sensitive chemical species at the root scale, which would affect CH4 emissions integrated over larger scales. In this study, we used a subsurface geochemical simulator (PFLOTRAN) to quantify the effects of incorporating either spatially homogeneous ROL or more complex heterogeneous ROL on model predictions of porewater solute concentration depth profiles (dissolved organic carbon, methane, sulfate, sulfide) and column integrated CH4 fluxes for a tidal coastal wetland. From the heterogeneous ROL simulation, we obtained 18% higher column averaged CH4 concentration at the rooting zone but 5% lower total CH4 flux compared to simulations of the homogeneous ROL or without ROL. This difference is because lower CH4 concentrations occurred in the same rhizosphere volume that was directly connected with plant-mediated transport of CH4 from the rooting zone to the atmosphere. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the impacts of heterogeneous ROL on model predictions of porewater oxygen and sulfide concentrations will be more important under conditions of higher ROL fluxes or more heterogeneous root distribution (lower root densities). Despite the small impact on predicted CH4 emissions, the simulated ROL drastically reduced porewater concentrations of sulfide, an effective phytotoxin, indicating that incorporating ROL combined with sulfur cycling into ecosystem models could potentially improve predictions of plant productivity in coastal wetland ecosystems.
Selling Who You Know: How We Justify Sharing Others’ Data
Authors: Ruckelshausen Susanne , Kamleitner Bernadette , Mitchell Vincent
Published: May 2024

Many apps request access to users’ contacts or photos and many consumers agree to these requests. However, agreeing is ethically questionable as it also gives apps access to others’ data. People thus regularly infringe each other’s information privacy. This behavior is at odds with offline practices and still poorly understood. Introducing a novel application of the theory of neutralization, we explore how people justify the giving away of others’ data and the emerging norms surrounding this behavior. To obtain a deeper understanding of the potentially ambiguous norms surrounding the behavior, we investigate how people justify, i.e., neutralize, the behavior from both offender and victim perspectives. Across four studies, offenders appear more likely to admit to moral wrongdoing than victims assume. This suggests moral disagreement between offenders and victims. The discrepancy appears to be reasonably robust across different samples, apps and whether the other is identified, but diminishes when people learn how easily others’ data could be protected. These insights offer suggestions for businesses, consumers and public policy.
Climate change, corporate risk-taking, and financialization: evidence from Chinese A-share non-financial listed companies
Authors: Zheng Lin , An Qiguang , Yang Mu
Published: May 2024

Climate change-induced risks, such as global warming, can affect the economic development of entities and, consequently, the stability of financial markets. Businesses are progressively making the transition to green in order to lessen the negative consequences of climate threats. This study examines the relationship between corporate risk-taking (CRISK) and financialization (FIN) in light of climate change. The impact of business risk-taking on financialization is experimentally investigated through the transmission chain of “CRISK - enterprise value – FIN” using a fixed-effects model. The study also analyzes the moderating effect of climate change on the direct and indirect channels of climate change by using “temperature” and “investors’ concern about climate,” respectively. In addition, the empirical results are tested for robustness using propensity score matching and an instrumental variable method. This study’s findings reveal the following key insights. First, CRISK significantly enhances FIN by improving firm value. Second, enterprises with high financing constraints and manufacturing enterprises are more likely to have a positive correlation between CRISK and FIN. Third, the relationship between CRISK and FIN is enhanced by the direct transmission channel of increasing climate risk, but the indirect transmission channel is not significant. This study proposes policy recommendations to address the effect of climate risk on CRISK and FIN. Among these suggestions are the prudent distribution of financial resources among enterprises according to their level of risk-taking and the reinforcement of regulatory authorities’ financial oversight of businesses with high financing constraints and the manufacturing sector. By implementing these policies, companies can better manage climate-related risks and contribute to financial stability.
The best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) method as a tool to estimate the lifetime risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in high-risk individuals with no known pathogenic germline variants
Authors: Cristina-Marianini-Rios  , Sanchez María E. Castillo , de Paredes Ana García García , Rodríguez Mercedes , Barreto Emma , López Jorge Villalón , Fuentes Raquel , Beltrán María Muñoz , Sanjuanbenito Alfonso , Lobo Eduardo , Caminoa Alejandra , Ruz-Caracuel Ignacio , Durán Sergio López , Olcina José Ramón Foruny , Blázquez Javier , Sequeros Enrique Vázquez , Carrato Alfredo , Ávila Jose Carlos Martínez , Earl Julie
Published: May 2024

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world. The number of diagnosed cases and the mortality rate are almost equal as the majority of patients present with advanced disease at diagnosis. Between 4 and 10% of pancreatic cancer cases have an apparent hereditary background, known as hereditary pancreatic cancer (HPC) and familial pancreatic cancer (FPC), when the genetic basis is unknown. Surveillance of high-risk individuals (HRI) from these families by imaging aims to detect PDAC at an early stage to improve prognosis. However, the genetic basis is unknown in the majority of HRIs, with only around 10–13% of families carrying known pathogenic germline mutations. The aim of this study was to assess an individual’s genetic cancer risk based on sex and personal and family history of cancer. The Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) methodology was used to estimate an individual’s predicted risk of developing cancer during their lifetime. The model uses different demographic factors in order to estimate heritability. A reliable estimation of heritability for pancreatic cancer of 0.27 on the liability scale, and 0.07 at the observed data scale as obtained, which is different from zero, indicating a polygenic inheritance pattern of PDAC. BLUP was able to correctly discriminate PDAC cases from healthy individuals and those with other cancer types. Thus, providing an additional tool to assess PDAC risk HRI with an assumed genetic predisposition in the absence of known pathogenic germline mutations.
Top degree $$\ell ^p$$-homology and conformal dimension of buildings
Authors: López Neumann Antonio
Published: May 2024

For a non-compact finite thickness building whose Davis apartment is an orientable pseudomanifold, we compute the supremum of the set of $$p>1$$

p
>
1

such that its top dimensional reduced $$\ell ^p$$

ℓ
p

-cohomology is nonzero. We adapt the non-vanishing assertion of this result to any finite thickness building using the Bestvina realization. Using similar techniques, we generalize bounds obtained by Clais on the conformal dimension of some Gromov-hyperbolic buildings to any such building.
Screening protocol for freshwater filamentous macroalgae bioremediation of primary municipal wastewater
Authors: Novak Indira N. , Magnusson Marie , Craggs Rupert J. , Lawton Rebecca J.
Published: May 2024

A screening protocol was developed and applied to isolate and select cultivars of freshwater filamentous macroalgae for year-round monoculture cultivation and nutrient bioremediation of primary municipal wastewater. The screening protocol is a step-by-step guide to identify robust cultivars which possess key attributes of competitive dominance, high biomass productivity and bioremediation performance under local seasonal and extreme conditions. Forty-four mixed samples of freshwater filamentous macroalgae were collected during summer and winter from a range of local aquatic environments. Eleven isolated cultivars were grown in primary treated municipal wastewater and their biomass productivity and bioremediation performance under local ambient (summer and winter), extreme summer (max. summer) and winter (min. winter) conditions were assessed. Extreme conditions proved to be an important determining factor for cultivar selection as biomass productivity and bioremediation performance significantly declined under min. winter conditions. However, biomass productivity was not directly related to bioremediation performance, as cultivars with low growth rates maintained high nutrient removal rates under min. winter conditions. Top performing cultivars were Klebsormidium sp. (KLEB B) which reduced total ammoniacal-N concentrations by 99.9% to 0.01 mg L-1 (± 0.01 SE), Oedogonium sp. (OEDO D) which reduced nitrate-N concentrations by 90.2% to 0.08 mg L-1 (± 0.7 SE) and Rhizoclonium sp. which reduced phosphate concentrations by 98.7% to 0.02 mg L-1 (± 0.01 SE). Based on overall biomass productivity and bioremediation performance across seasonal and extreme conditions Klebsormidium sp. (KLEB B), Stigeoclonium sp. (STIG A) and Ulothrix sp. were identified as top performing cultivars suitable for the nutrient bioremediation of primary municipal wastewater.
Flexible and robust detection for assembly automation with YOLOv5: a case study on HMLV manufacturing line
Authors: Simeth Alexej , Kumar Atal Anil , Plapper Peter
Published: May 2024

Automating assembly processes in High-Mix, Low Volume (HMLV) manufacturing remains challenging, especially for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Consequently, many companies still rely on a significant amount of manual operations with an overall low degree of automation. The emergence of artificial intelligence-based algorithms offers potential solutions, enabling assembly automation compatible with multiple products and maintaining overall production flexibility. This paper investigates the application of the YOLO (You Only Look Once) object detection algorithm in an HMLV production line within an SME. The performance of the algorithm was tested for different cases, namely, (a) on different products having similar product features, (b) on completely new products, and (c) under different lighting conditions. The algorithm achieved precision and recall greater than 98$$\%$$
%
and mAP50:95 greater than 97$$\%$$
%
.
Effects of Initial versus Frequent Preference Assessments on Skill Acquisition
Authors: León Yanerys , Campos Claudia , Baratz Stephania , Gorman Courtney , Price Amanda , DeLeon Iser
Published: May 2024

Previous researchers have demonstrated that using stimuli identified via daily brief preference assessments may produce more responding under concurrent-schedule arrangements than using stimuli identified via lengthy, pre-treatment preference assessments (DeLeon et al., 2001). To date, this has not been evaluated within the context of skill acquisition. Thus, the extent to which conducting daily brief preference assessments impacts the rate of skill acquisition during discrete trial instruction (DTI) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how frequent, pre-session preference assessments, influence the rate of skill acquisition relative to an initial preference assessment during DTI sessions for three children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two of the three children acquired the targeted skills faster in the frequent preference assessment condition. The third participant showed no difference in the rate of skill acquisition.
Sorption Behavior of Zirconium Ions from Aqueous Solutions Using Different Inorganic Sorbents Based on Titanate
Authors: Abass M. R. , Ibrahim A. B. , Abou-Mesalam M. M.
Published: May 2024

In this article, we explore the sorption behavior of Zr(IV) ions by lithium titanate (LiTi), magnesium titanate (MgTi), and lithium magnesium titanate (LiMgTi) sorbents. These sorbents, fabricated using the precipitation method, were used for the Zr(IV) sorption from aqueous solutions. We employed various analytical tools, including XRD, FT-IR, BET, SEM, and EDX, to examine the prepared sorbents’ structure, morphology, and functional groups. We also studied the effect of pH, time, initial metal concentrations, temperature, and interfering species on sorption. The kinetic data obey pseudo-first-order. Many isotherm models were utilised to investigate equilibrium data. The results of thermodynamic functions show an endothermic and spontaneous sorption process. Finally, the influence of the interfering species reveals that as the concentration of CaCl2, MgCl2, and NaCl increases, the Zr(IV) adsorption rate decreases. The investigation demonstrated that LiMgTi is suitable for retaining Zr(IV) from aqueous solutions and could purify effluent polluted with Zr(IV) ions.
14N break-up α emission with 59Co, 93Nb, and 197Au targets at an incident energy of 250 MeV
Authors: Bhuptani C. , Patel D. , Ojha V. K. , Mukherjee S.
Published: May 2024

The emission of α particles has been analyzed using a 14N projectile beam on 59Co, 93Nb, and 197Au targets at an incident energy of 250 MeV, in the angular range from 8° to 40°. The estimated α particles from the break-up channel and the pre-equilibrium mode were compared with the experimentally measured inclusive double differential cross sections at various angles at 250 MeV beam energy. The present results indicate that at such a high incident energy, a significant contribution to the α-particle emission comes from direct reactions, which are dominant at forward angles. At larger emission angles, non-equilibrium and evaporation processes increase and compete with direct reactions.
Lessons learned from four recent Turkish earthquakes: Sivrice-Elazığ, Aegean Sea, and Dual Kahramanmaraş
Authors: Tunç Gökhan , Mertol Halit Cenan , Akış Tolga
Published: May 2024

Türkiye is located in an earthquake-prone region where almost all of its population resides in risky areas. In the past 100 years, there has been a strong earthquake every two years and a major one every 3 years. This study investigates the impact of four recent earthquakes, that occurred between 2020 and 2023, on reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. The first, Sivrice-Elazığ, struck the eastern part of Türkiye on January 24, 2020, with a moment magnitude of Mw = 6.8. The second, the Aegean Sea, hit the western part of the country on October 30, 2020, with an Mw of 6.6. The third and fourth are the February 6, 2023 dual Kahramanmaraş earthquakes with Mws of 7.7 and 7.6, which struck the eastern part of Türkiye approximately 9 h apart. Immediately following these earthquakes, a technical team investigated each of the damaged areas. This study summarizes their findings on RC buildings. It was discovered that the majority of the collapsed or severely damaged RC buildings were constructed before 2000. The main reasons for this included technological limitations, specifically on producing high-quality concrete, as well as a lack of public policies and enforced laws in the construction sector to maintain an acceptable international standard. Furthermore, the damage patterns of buildings from these four earthquakes indicated poor workmanship, low material quality, improper structural framing, a common appearance of soft and weak stories, the inadequate use of shear walls, and defective reinforcement configuration. The significance of soil studies and the enforcement of building inspections are also discussed, along with the earthquake codes. The study concludes that the maximum peak ground accelerations from the dual Kahramanmaraş earthquakes were almost triple the code-prescribed values. Therefore, it is recommended that the current mapped spectral acceleration values be revised and that buildings constructed before 2000 should be prioritized while determining their structural performances.