bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving the prediction performance of leaf water content by coupling multi-source data with machine learning in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Zhang Xuenan , Xu Haocong , She Yehong , Hu Chao , Zhu Tiezhong , Wang Lele , Wu Liquan , You Cuicui , Ke Jian , Zhang Qiangqiang , He Haibing
Published: March 2024

Background

Leaf water content (LWC) significantly affects rice growth and development. Real-time monitoring of rice leaf water status is essential to obtain high yield and water use efficiency of rice plants with precise irrigation regimes in rice fields. Hyperspectral remote sensing technology is widely used in monitoring crop water status because of its rapid, nondestructive, and real-time characteristics. Recently, multi-source data have been attempted to integrate into a monitored model of crop water status based on spectral indices. However, there are fewer studies using spectral index model coupled with multi-source data for monitoring LWC in rice plants. Therefore, 2-year field experiments were conducted with three irrigation regimes using four rice cultivars in this study. The multi-source data, including canopy ecological factors and physiological parameters, were incorporated into the vegetation index to accurately predict LWC in rice plants.

Results

The results presented that the model accuracy of rice LWC estimation after combining data from multiple sources improved by 6–44% compared to the accuracy of a single spectral index normalized difference index (ND). Additionally, the optimal prediction accuracy of rice LWC was produced using a machine algorithm of gradient boosted decision tree (GBDT) based on the combination of ND(1287,1673) and crop water stress index (CWSI) (R2 = 0.86, RMSE = 0.01).

Conclusions

The machine learning estimation model constructed based on multi-source data fully utilizes the spectral information and considers the environmental changes in the crop canopy after introducing multi-source data parameters, thus improving the performance of spectral technology for monitoring rice LWC. The findings may be helpful to the water status diagnosis and accurate irrigation management of rice plants.
Intraoperative mechanical ventilation and incidence of pneumothorax in lymphangioleiomyomatosis
Authors: Sun Chen , Pei Lijian , Cheng Chongsheng , Bai Bing , Xu Kai-Feng , Huang Yuguang
Published: March 2024

Patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) are considered high risk for most surgeries and require specific anesthetic considerations mainly because of the common spontaneous pneumothorax (PTX). To explore whether intraoperative mechanical ventilation could increase the risk of PTX in those patients, we included 12 surgical patients with LAM in this study, of whom four (33.3%) experienced postoperative PTX. According to our results, patients with higher CT grade, poorer pulmonary function, and a history of preoperative PTX might be more likely to develop postoperative PTX. However, intraoperative mechanical ventilation did not show obvious influence, which might help clinicians reconsider the perioperative management of LAM patients.
Association between weight, weight perception, weight teasing and mental health among adolescents
Authors: Gu Wenxin , Yu Xiaoyan , Tan Yinliang , Yu Zhiping , Zhu Jingfen
Published: March 2024

Background

Adolescent mental health problems are becoming increasingly prevalent, and there are correlations between weight-related concerns and adolescent mental health. The aim of this study is to explore the association between three weight-related factors (actual weight, weight perception, and weight teasing) and mental health problems (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and loneliness) in Chinese adolescents.

Methods

10,070 adolescents between the ages of 11–18 from schools in Shanghai, China were selected using a stratified random cluster sampling method. Self-reported questionnaires were collected to investigate weight-related factors and mental health problems. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship.

Results

The prevalence of depressive symptoms, loneliness, mild anxiety symptoms, and moderate to severe anxiety symptoms among adolescents were 18.0%, 53.8%, 26.5%, and 12.3%, respectively, with a higher prevalence found in females. After adjusting for weight perception and weight teasing, actual weight had no harmful impact on adolescents’ mental health. Adolescents' perception of being overweight increased the risk of depressive symptoms, loneliness, mild anxiety symptoms, and moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, while the perception of being underweight had a similar but more profound impact (depressive symptoms OR = 1.590, 95% CI: 1.342–1.883; loneliness OR = 1.537, 95% CI: 1.353–1.746; mild anxiety symptoms OR = 1.368, 95% CI: 1.178–1.589; moderate to severe anxiety symptoms OR = 1.780, 95% CI: 1.449–2.186). Experiencing weight teasing more than once a year had a greater effect on adolescents' mental health, especially among adolescents with overweight/obesity (depressive symptoms OR = 2.970, 95% CI: 2.325–3.793; loneliness OR = 3.839, 95% CI: 3.119–4.727; mild anxiety symptoms OR = 2.822, 95% CI: 2.236–3.562; moderate to severe anxiety symptoms OR = 5.212, 95% CI: 3.846–7.065).

Conclusions

The prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents was high, especially loneliness. Weight perception and weight teasing, but not the actual weight, independently influenced adolescent mental health.
Vascular leak in sepsis: physiological basis and potential therapeutic advances
Authors: McMullan Ross R. , McAuley Daniel F. , O’Kane Cecilia M. , Silversides Jonathan A.
Published: March 2024

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition characterised by endothelial barrier dysfunction and impairment of normal microcirculatory function, resulting in a state of hypoperfusion and tissue oedema. No specific pharmacological therapies are currently used to attenuate microvascular injury. Given the prominent role of endothelial breakdown and microcirculatory dysfunction in sepsis, there is a need for effective strategies to protect the endothelium. In this review we will discuss key mechanisms and putative therapeutic agents relevant to endothelial barrier function.
Prevalence of non-falciparum malaria infections among asymptomatic individuals in four regions of Mainland Tanzania
Authors: Popkin-Hall Zachary R. , Seth Misago D. , Madebe Rashid A. , Budodo Rule , Bakari Catherine , Francis Filbert , Pereus Dativa , Giesbrecht David J. , Mandara Celine I. , Mbwambo Daniel , Aaron Sijenunu , Lusasi Abdallah , Lazaro Samwel , Bailey Jeffrey A. , Juliano Jonathan J. , Gutman Julie R. , Ishengoma Deus S.
Published: March 2024

Background

Recent studies point to the need to incorporate the detection of non-falciparum species into malaria surveillance activities in sub-Saharan Africa, where 95% of the world’s malaria cases occur. Although malaria caused by infection with Plasmodium falciparum is typically more severe than malaria caused by the non-falciparum Plasmodium species P. malariae, P. ovale spp. and P. vivax, the latter may be more challenging to diagnose, treat, control and ultimately eliminate. The prevalence of non-falciparum species throughout sub-Saharan Africa is poorly defined. Tanzania has geographical heterogeneity in transmission levels but an overall high malaria burden.

Methods

To estimate the prevalence of malaria species in Mainland Tanzania, we randomly selected 1428 samples from 6005 asymptomatic isolates collected in previous cross-sectional community surveys across four regions and analyzed these by quantitative PCR to detect and identify the Plasmodium species.

Results

Plasmodium falciparum was the most prevalent species in all samples, with P. malariae and P. ovale spp. detected at a lower prevalence (< 5%) in all four regions; P. vivax was not detected in any sample.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that malaria elimination efforts in Tanzania will need to account for and enhance surveillance of these non-falciparum species.

Graphical Abstract
Constituents of stable commensal microbiota imply diverse colonic epithelial cell reactivity in patients with ulcerative colitis
Authors: Inciuraite Ruta , Gedgaudas Rolandas , Lukosevicius Rokas , Tilinde Deimante , Ramonaite Rima , Link Alexander , Kasetiene Neringa , Malakauskas Mindaugas , Kiudelis Gediminas , Jonaitis Laimas Virginijus , Kupcinskas Juozas , Juzenas Simonas , Skieceviciene Jurgita
Published: March 2024

Background

Despite extensive research on microbiome alterations in ulcerative colitis (UC), the role of the constituent stable microbiota remains unclear.

Results

This study, employing 16S rRNA-gene sequencing, uncovers a persistent microbial imbalance in both active and quiescent UC patients compared to healthy controls. Using co-occurrence and differential abundance analysis, the study highlights microbial constituents, featuring Phocaeicola, Collinsella, Roseburia, Holdemanella, and Bacteroides, that are not affected during the course of UC. Co-cultivation experiments, utilizing commensal Escherichia coli and Phocaeicola vulgatus, were conducted with intestinal epithelial organoids derived from active UC patients and controls. These experiments reveal a tendency for a differential response in tight junction formation and maintenance in colonic epithelial cells, without inducing pathogen recognition and stress responses, offering further insights into the roles of these microorganisms in UC pathogenesis. These experiments also uncover high variation in patients’ response to the same bacteria, which indicate the need for more comprehensive, stratified analyses with an expanded sample size.

Conclusion

This study reveals that a substantial part of the gut microbiota remains stable throughout progression of UC. Functional experiments suggest that members of core microbiota – Escherichia coli and Phocaeicola vulgatus – potentially differentially regulate the expression of tight junction gene in the colonic epithelium of UC patients and healthy individuals.
Optimus: association-based dynamic system call filtering for container attack surface reduction
Authors: Yang Seungyong , Kang Brent Byunghoon , Nam Jaehyun
Published: March 2024

While container adoption has witnessed significant growth in facilitating the operation of large-scale applications, this increased attention has also attracted adversaries who exploit numerous vulnerabilities present in contemporary containers. Unfortunately, existing security solutions largely overlooked the need to restrict container access to the shared host kernel, particularly exhibiting critical limitations in enforcing the least privilege for containers during runtime. Hence, we propose Optimus, an automated and comprehensive system that confines container operations and governs their interactions with the host kernel using an association-based system call filtering. Optimus efficiently identifies the essential system calls required by containers and enhances their security posture by dynamically enforcing the minimal set of system calls for each container during runtime. This is achieved through (1) lightweight system call monitoring leveraging eBPF, (2) system call validation via association analysis, and (3) dynamic system call filtering by adopting covert container renewal. Our evaluation shows that Optimus effectively minimizes the necessary system calls for containers while maintaining their serviceability and operational efficiency during runtime.
Large-scale graph-machine-learning surrogate models for 3D-flowfield prediction in external aerodynamics
Authors: Roznowicz Davide , Stabile Giovanni , Demo Nicola , Fransos Davide , Rozza Gianluigi
Published: March 2024

The article presents the application of inductive graph machine learning surrogate models for accurate and efficient prediction of 3D flow for industrial geometries, explicitly focusing here on external aerodynamics for a motorsport case. The final aim is to build a surrogate model that can provide quick predictions, bypassing in this way the unfeasible computational burden of traditional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. We investigate in this contribution the usage of graph neural networks, given their ability to smoothly deal with unstructured data, which is the typical context for industrial simulations. We integrate an efficient subgraph-sampling approach with our model, specifically tailored for large dataset training. REV-GNN is the chosen graph machine learning model, that stands out for its capacity to extract deeper insights from neighboring graph regions. Additionally, its unique feature lies in its reversible architecture, which allows keeping the memory usage constant while increasing the number of network layers. We tested the methodology by applying it to a parametric Navier–Stokes problem, where the parameters control the surface shape of the industrial artifact at hand, here a motorbike.
Global sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification for design parameters of shallow geothermal systems
Authors: Richter Simon , Lubashevsky Katrin , Randow Jakob , Henker Steve , Buchwald Jörg , Bucher Anke
Published: March 2024

To improve the design process of geothermal systems, it is important to know which design parameters particularly affect the performance of the system. This article presents investigations on design parameters for borehole heat exchangers in the shallow subsurface. The study is based on numerical simulations with one double U-tube borehole heat exchanger and approximated models obtained using machine learning. As a result of the global sensitivity analysis, relevant parameters are identified and their respective influence on the performance of a borehole heat exchanger is compared. For example, according to this analysis, the three parameters with the highest sensitivity are the initial temperature, the heat demand and the share of the borehole heat exchanger that is surrounded by groundwater flow. Finally, the effects of uncertainties in the parameters identified as relevant for the design of a borehole heat exchanger are considered in an uncertainty quantification for a fictitious site. Uncertainties for regulatory compliance with respect to temperature limits as well as a large probability of oversizing the system were identified for the considered example. The results of the exemplary uncertainty quantification indicate that it has the potential to be a useful tool for planning practice.
Multi-sample $$\zeta $$-mixup: richer, more realistic synthetic samples from a p-series interpolant
Authors: Abhishek Kumar , Brown Colin J. , Hamarneh Ghassan
Published: March 2024

Modern deep learning training procedures rely on model regularization techniques such as data augmentation methods, which generate training samples that increase the diversity of data and richness of label information. A popular recent method,mixup, uses convex combinations of pairs of original samples to generate new samples. However, as we show in our experiments,mixup can produce undesirable synthetic samples, where the data is sampled off the manifold and can contain incorrect labels. We propose$$\zeta $$ζ-mixup, a generalization ofmixup with provably and demonstrably desirable properties that allows convex combinations of$${T} \ge 2$$T≥2samples, leading to more realistic and diverse outputs that incorporate information from$${T}$$Toriginal samples by using ap-series interpolant. We show that, compared tomixup,$$\zeta $$ζ-mixup better preserves the intrinsic dimensionality of the original datasets, which is a desirable property for training generalizable models. Furthermore, we show that our implementation of$$\zeta $$ζ-mixup is faster thanmixup, and extensive evaluation on controlled synthetic and 26 diverse real-world natural and medical image classification datasets shows that$$\zeta $$ζ-mixup outperformsmixup, CutMix, and traditional data augmentation techniques. The code will be released athttps://github.com/kakumarabhishek/zeta-mixup.
Promoting hEalthy Diet and Active Lifestyle (PEDAL): a protocol for the development and feasibility study of a multicomponent intervention among primary school children in Singapore
Authors: Chan Cindy Mei Jun , Müller-Riemenschneider Falk , Chia Michael Yong Hwa , Hildon Zoe Jane-Lara , Chong Mary Foong-Fong
Published: March 2024

Background

Setting healthy lifestyle habits during the formative years of childhood is critical as habits can track to adulthood and help prevent obesity and chronic disease risks in later life. While multicomponent interventions have been shown to be effective in changing the lifestyle behaviours of children, there is a limited understanding of the feasibility of such interventions in primary schools in Singapore. A multiphase mixed method study was conducted to develop and examine the feasibility of a theory-based multicomponent school-based intervention—Promoting hEatlthy Eating and Active Lifestyle (PEDAL).

Methods

Underpinned by Kincaid’s ideation model, the PEDAL intervention was developed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and decrease sedentary behaviours among children. This study consists of three phases. Phase 1 details the development of PEDAL, which consists of four components: (A) a series of interactive health education lessons, (B) actionable home activities to support habit formation, (C) parental/guardian engagement, and (D) optimising the school environment. In Phase 2, components A and B of PEDAL were implemented in two public, co-educational primary schools among Primary 5 students (aged 10–12 years) in Singapore. Data was collected quantitatively using questionnaires and qualitatively using focus group discussions (FGDs) with students and teachers. The feasibility dimensions of components A and B, including recruitment capability, data collection, social validity, and practicality were examined, and ideation on healthy eating and physical activity was explored. In Phase 3, the full PEDAL intervention was pilot-tested in two other public, co-education primary schools with the same target population, using a concurrent mixed method quasi-experimental study design. Feasibility dimensions and potential effectiveness of the intervention will be assessed.

Discussion

This study will provide insights into the feasibility of PEDAL and inform its refinement. Findings from the pilot test will guide the planning of a larger-scale definitive trial.

Trial registration

Registered with ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN16114046) on 16 October 2022.
Content validity of the EQ-HWB and EQ-HWB-S in a sample of Italian patients, informal caregivers and members of the general public
Authors: Masutti Sara , Falivena Camilla , Purba Fredrick Dermawan , Jommi Claudio , Mukuria Clara , Finch Aureliano Paolo
Published: March 2024

Background

The EuroQol Group recently developed two new instruments, the EQ Health and Wellbeing (EQ-HWB) and the EQ Health and Wellbeing short version (EQ-HWB-S). The EQ-HWB and EQ-HWB-S are intended to capture a broad range of health and broader quality of life aspects, which may be relevant to general public members, patients, their families, social care users and informal carers. This study assesses the content validity of the Italian version of the two instruments in a sample of Italian patients, social care users and informal carers.

Methods

Participants were recruited using a convenience sampling approach. One-on-one interviews were carried out using video-conferencing interviews. A semi-structured topic guide was used to guide the interview procedures, with open-ended questions supplemented by probes. Participants were asked to explain important aspects of their health and quality of life, to complete the questionnaires and verbalize their thoughts.

Results

Twenty participants comprising of patients (n = 9), informal carers (n = 6), and members of the general public (n = 5) participated to the study. Content validity was summarized into six main themes: comprehension, interpretation, acceptability, relevance, response options and recall period. All participants found the instruments easy or quite easy to understand and to respond to. Items were relevant for all three groups of participants, and response options appropriate.

Conclusions

The Italian version of the EQ-HWB showed content validity in measuring health and wellbeing in a mixed Italian population.
Computation of hyperfine multiplet oscillator strengths in Tantalum atom
Authors: Shujat Syed Qamar , Nasim Aafreena , Ur Rehman Shafiq , Zahid Muhammad Mustaqeem , Rajput Ahmed Ali , Khan Mahwish Mobeen
Published: March 2024

Background

The electronic transitions between two fine levels depend on the transition probability. The transition probability depends on spectral line strength and oscillator strength. The oscillator strength depends on the number of oscillators and their energies. In this research, we will find the oscillator strengths of hyperfine multiplets of the Tantalum atom. The oscillator strength of hyperfine multiplet investigation aims to enhance our understanding of Tantalum's spectral characteristics. This work provides valuable information in the spectroscopy of material, atomic/molecular, and astrophysics.

Result

Fourier transform spectra from ultraviolet to far infrared regions have been obtained from TUGRAZ. Fourier transform spectra give the most reliable position of the wavelength of hyperfine multiplets. The Fourier transform spectra of Tantalum contain thousands of Tantalum I and II spectral lines. Each spectral line can be characterized by its upper and lower levels and corresponding angular momenta and hyperfine constants. These properties of the spectral lines were collected from the literature. Hyperfine multiplets for each fine structure were calculated, and they revealed their spectroscopic behavior with high precision.

Conclusion

In this study, Tantalum's hyperfine multiplet oscillator strength was calculated using advanced computational techniques to address its atomic structure. The fine structure “gf” values were obtained from literature, and intensities of the multiplets were determined. They combined with the gf values to calculate the oscillator strengths of the hyperfine multiplets.
Formulation and evaluation of bio-grease from the blend of chemically modified rice bran oil and Calophyllum inophyllum oil
Authors: Prasanth M. A. , Rani S. , Singh S Prathap , Raja D. Elil , Barmavatu Praveen
Published: March 2024

Vegetable oils are a highly promising alternative to produce various lubricants, owing to their biodegradability and eco-friendliness. In comparison to mineral oil, these oils possess a higher flash point and viscosity index, along with superior lubricating properties. Additionally, most of the vegetable oils are easily accessible in local markets in India. However, their industrial application is limited by poor thermal and oxidative stability, which can be addressed through chemical modification, the addition of appropriate additives, or by blending these oils. Greases, characterized by their semi-solid consistency, are widely used lubricants. Most of the grease production is based on mineral oils as base oil and lithium soap as a thickener. These materials are not only non-biodegradable but also scarce and have health implications. Consequently, biodegradable grease represents an eco-friendly and healthy alternative. Grease made using vegetable oils with the required properties has the potential to bring about revolutionary changes. The present work focuses on the feasibility of using chemically modified blended rice bran oil (RBO) and Calophyllum inophyllum oil (CIO) as a bio-lubricant. The oils undergo a two-step modification process, involving a transesterification reaction followed by epoxidation. Significant improvements have been observed in the chemical properties (acid, peroxide, and iodine values) of transesterified epoxidized rice bran oil Calophyllum inophyllum oil mixture–50:50 (ETRCIO) when compared with Unmodified Rice bran oil Calophyllum inophyllum oil mixture–50:50 (RCIO). The acid value, peroxide value, and iodine value improved by 91.66%, 87.08%, and 15.78% respectively. The rheological, tribological, and chemical properties of the blended samples have been evaluated and compared to pure oils using American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Indian Standards (IS). Additionally, ETRCIO was used to develop a bio-grease, and its tribological properties were extensively analyzed. The mean coefficient of friction (COF) and wear scar diameter (WSD) of the ETRCIO grease sample improved by 10.20% and 29.32% respectively when compared with that of commercially available grease. These findings indicate that the ETRCIO bio-grease exhibits superior tribological properties in comparison to commercially available grease.
Research on the influence of geological factors on casing stress in casing-in-casing cementing in the horizontal section of shale gas wells
Authors: Zheng Youzhi , Zhao Jun , Hu Xihui , Li Zhilin , Zhang Zhanwu , Guo Ziming , He Yu , He Lang , Chen Yong , Xie Yi
Published: March 2024

Deep shale gas development has great potential, but the frequent occurrence of shale gas well casing change problems triggered by geological factors seriously restricts deep shale gas development. In order to investigate the influence of geological factors on the casing stress of the cemented casing in the sleeve, a model of formation-cement sheath-double casing assemblage was established, and the influence of three-way geostress and fault slip on the casing stress of the casing-in-casing cementing was investigated by using finite element analysis. The results show the following: the smaller the difference between the vertical geostress and the maximum horizontal geostress is, the lower the equivalent force on the casing is, and when the difference gradually decreases from 20 to 7 MPa, the maximum equivalent force of the inner casing under fracturing condition decreases by 9.4%; the increase of the minimum horizontal geostress leads to the increase of the equivalent force of the inner and outer casing. When the minimum horizontal stress gradually increases from 80 to 90 MPa, the maximum equivalent force of the inner casing under fracturing condition increases by 5.9%. The larger the fault slip and the fault angle, the larger the equivalent force generated on the casing. The shear resistance of the double-layer casing is significantly greater than that of the single-layer casing, with an average increase in fault slip distance that can be withstood of about 45.25% and 40.2% in the no internal pressure and fracturing conditions. The larger the casing steel grade and the thicker the wall thickness, the higher the shear resistance. It is recommended to reduce placing of wells in areas where the difference between the vertical and maximum horizontal ground stresses is large, and at locations where the fault slip angle is large, and to use both higher steel grades and larger wall thicknesses of casing. This research result demonstrates the feasibility of “milling + casing-in-casing” technology in severe casing change wells and also provides useful guidance for the application of this technology in the field.
Potassium Iodide Use and Patient Outcomes for Thyroid Storm: An Observational Study
Authors: Matsuo Yuichiro , Miyawaki Atsushi , Watanabe Hideaki , Matsui Hiroki , Fushimi Kiyohide , Yasunaga Hideo
Published: March 2024

Context

Iodine, combined with antithyroid drugs, is recommended as an initial pharmacologic treatment for thyroid storm according to some clinical guidelines. However, the clinical efficacy of iodine in managing thyroid storm remains unexplored.

Objective

This study aimed to determine whether early potassium iodide (KI) use is associated with mortality in patients hospitalized for thyroid storm.

Methods

Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, we identified patients hospitalized with thyroid storm between July 2010 and March 2022. We compared in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and total hospitalization costs between patients who received KI within 2 days of admission (KI group) vs those who did not (non-KI group). Prespecified subgroup analyses were performed based on the presence of the diagnosis of Graves’ disease.

Results

Among 3188 eligible patients, 2350 received KI within 2 days of admission. The crude in-hospital mortality was 6.1% (143/2350) in the KI group and 7.8% (65/838) in the non-KI group. After adjusting for potential confounders, KI use was not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] for KI use, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.62-1.34). In patients with the diagnosis of Graves’ disease, in-hospital mortality was lower in the KI group than in the non-KI group (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.25-0.88). No significant difference in in-hospital mortality was observed in patients without the diagnosis of Graves’ disease (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.67-1.85). Length of stay was shorter (subdistribution hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.05-1.27), and total hospitalization costs were lower (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.85-1.00) in the KI group compared with the non-KI group.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that KI may reduce in-hospital mortality among patients hospitalized for thyroid storm with Graves’ disease.
Clinicopathological Predictors of Positive Resection Margins in Breast-Conserving Surgery
Authors: Chauhan Hemali , Jiwa Natasha , Nagarajan Vikneswaran Raj , Thiruchelvam Paul , Hogben Katy , Al-Mufti Ragheed , Hadjiminas Dimitri , Shousha Sami , Cutress Ramsey , Ashrafian Hutan , Takats Zoltan , Leff Daniel Richard
Published: March 2024

Background

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is associated with risk of positive resection margins following breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and subsequent reoperation. Prior reports grossly underestimate the risk of margin positivity with IBC containing a DCIS component (IBC + DCIS) due to patient-level rather than margin-level analysis.

Objective

The aim of this study was to delineate the relative risk of IBC + DCIS compared with pure IBC (without a DCIS component) on margin positivity through detailed margin-level interrogation.

Methods

A single institution, retrospective, observational cohort study was conducted in which pathology databases were evaluated to identify patients who underwent BCS over 5 years (2014–2019). Margin-level interrogation included granular detail into the extent, pathological subtype and grade of disease at each resection margin. Predictors of a positive margin were computed using multivariate regression analysis.

Results

Clinicopathological details were examined from 5454 margins from 909 women. The relative risk of a positive margin with IBC + DCIS versus pure IBC was 8.76 (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.64–11.56) applying UK Association of Breast Surgery guidelines, and 8.44 (95% CI 6.57–10.84) applying the Society of Surgical Oncology/American Society for Radiation Oncology guidelines. Independent predictors of margin positivity included younger patient age (0.033, 95% CI 0.006–0.060), lower specimen weight (0.045, 95% CI 0.020–0.069), multifocality (0.256, 95% CI 0.137–0.376), lymphovascular invasion (0.138, 95% CI 0.068–0.208) and comedonecrosis (0.113, 95% CI 0.040–0.185).

Conclusions

Compared with pure IBC, the relative risk of a positive margin with IBC + DCIS is approximately ninefold, significantly higher than prior estimates. This margin-level methodology is believed to represent the impact of DCIS more accurately on margin positivity in IBC.
Entwicklung mehrsprachiger Kompetenz im DaF-Unterricht durch korpusbasierte Lernaufgaben.
Authors: Catone Antonella , Sorrentino Daniela
Published: March 2024

The present work aims at showing the didactic potential of the novel Zweinhalb Störche: Roman einer Kindheit in Siebenbürgen, written in 2008 by the German-Romanian author Claudiu M. Florian, for multilingual learning in GFL classes. The paper focuses on the possible use of corpus-based learning tasks and consists of two parts: the first will introduce the main features of multilingual didactics and multilingual competence and the possible teaching approaches of inter- and transcultural literature through the use of corpora; the second will focus on the use of the novel to promote multilingual competence within the GFL classroom. In particular, specific tasks will be suggested to achieve a didactic surplus through the use of corpus compilation and analysis tools such as Sketch Engine.
Il paesaggio linguistico plurilingue e la didattica: il caso dell’Alto Adige/Südtirol
Authors: Palermo Silvia , Sgambati Gabriella
Published: March 2024

Studies on the Linguistic Landscape (LL) have become a particularly prolific object of study and research in the last fifteen years. The most recent research perspective has led to new categorizations for the LL, which not only form the basis for further empirical research, but are also of great use in foreign language teaching (Malinowski/Maxim/Dubreil 2020). Indeed, working with the LL that is also interculturally specific fulfils one of the primary goals of foreign language teaching, as the close relationship between language and culture also promotes intercultural communicative competence. Our paper will examine in particular the great potential of this tool in the context of teaching German as a Foreign Language in Italy, in order to stimulate greater language awareness and linguistic reflection in the processes of learning and teaching German in which learners are involved.
By means of the administration of didactic sheets prepared by us, we will consider the possibility of applying to a didactic context data on both the German language and culture, taken from the observation of the LL of Alto Adige/Südtirol and collected on several occasions within a corpus, the LLSÜDTIROL, which will be discussed below.
Lingue e culture aumentate.
Authors: Bellinzona Martina , Manna Martina
Published: March 2024

As an emerging technology, Augmented Reality (AR) demonstrated several advantages in education. However, the implementation of AR for plurilingual and intercultural education is still at an early stage and more studies are needed. Therefore, the research presented here aims to evaluate the impact of the implementation of AR on the development of adolescent students’ plurilingual and intercultural competence, as well as on their motivation. To achieve the aims described, several educational activities centered on authentic stories of migrants were developed through a Game-Based Learning approach and implemented. The stories were drawn from the DiMMi project, which collects autobiographical testimonies related to the themes of migration. Results showed how the integration of AR in plurilingual and intercultural education consists of an effective strategy to bring adolescent students closer to contemporary migration issues. Moreover, it enables the development of citizen and cultural awareness, as well as plurilingual and digital skills and competences. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the potential of AR to stimulate students’ interest in the topics covered by the activities implemented.
What enables ‘real social work’ in adult social work? Examining mechanism-based explanations
Authors: Kivipelto Minna , Matthies Aila-Leena
Published: March 2024

The enduring contradiction between managerialism and professional social work has been a central focus of social work research for decades. This article explores the feasibility of implementing the original values and ideals of social work in the face of the pervasive managerialism brought about by New Public Management, which has infiltrated nearly every sector of society. Utilising qualitative research conducted within adult social work on local public welfare agencies, we investigate the mechanisms that enable social workers to align with their ideal professional goals, referred to here as ‘real social work’, as outlined by social workers themselves. Our analysis, grounded in critical realism and the associated theoretical-methodological framework of CAIMeR theory, revealed five key mechanisms that facilitated real social work: the role-taking mechanism, the response mechanism, the organisational autonomy and responsibility mechanism, the collective attraction and cohesion mechanism, and the critical consciousness mechanism. Our findings suggest the need for further investigation of these mechanisms that empower social workers to resist managerialism and implement real social work in their daily work. This study advocates for prioritising professional aspirations and offers insights for advancing discussions in the realm of adult social work.
The professional identity of highly educated migrant women: a multinational study of migration processes from a gender and educational perspective
Authors: Verderber Sara
Published: March 2024

Migration studies often focus on macro-level analyses, emphasising political and economic factors while overlooking personal (micro-level) aspects, whereas social work offers valuable insights into the individual experiences and needs of migrants. Little information exists regarding the perspectives of highly educated migrant women, including about the economic, social and emotional aspects of their migration experiences. This article focuses on how the professional identities of highly educated women in novel sociocultural settings are formed and examines how their professional identities influence their integration. Using snowball sampling, qualitative interviews were conducted with 36 participants from the Netherlands, Slovenia and Germany, supplemented by field notes and a demographic questionnaire. Looking through the micro-level contributes to a better understanding of the everyday lives of highly educated migrant women and the importance of maintaining their professional identities in a new environment in the context of social work and migration. By intersecting gender and education, this article addresses the complexities and the significance of professional identity among highly educated migrant women and its influence on their integration process, highlighting their challenges while also emphasising potential integration strategies and social policies for better social inclusion.
On the Distribution and Origin of Sortal Classifiers in Altaic Languages (in Chinese)
Authors: Chen Shen-An , Allassonière-Tang Marc , Liang Yung-Ping , Her One-Soon
Published: March 2024

The grammatical feature of sortal classifiers, common in East and Southeast Asian languages, is also found in 15 of the 65 Altaic languages we have examined, though the classifiers are far fewer and used optionally. These observations suggest that the Altaic classifier systems are not indigenous. Based on the Single Origin Hypothesis that Chinese is the only language with an indigenous classifier system in Eurasia, we propose that the rise of classifiers in Altaic is due to the influence of neighboring classifier languages. Having first confirmed that the putative classifiers in these 15 languages are genuine classifiers, we then examine the phonological and semantic characteristics of the classifiers identified in each language and detect the influence from either Chinese or Persian. Taking historical and geographical factors into consideration, we suggest that classifier languages east of Uyghur were influenced by Chinese, while those to the west are influenced by Persian; Uyghur itself was influenced by both. Assuming that Persian classifiers are not indigenous either, these findings suggest that the Single Origin Hypothesis is applicable to classifier languages in Altaic.
Effect of light-assisted tunable interaction on the position response function of cold atoms
Authors: Misra Anirban , Satpathi Urbashi , Sinha Supurna , Roy Sanjukta , Chaudhuri Saptarishi
Published: March 2024

The position response of a particle subjected to a perturbation is of general interest in physics. We study the modification of the position response function of an ensemble of cold atoms in a magneto-optical trap in the presence of tunable light-assisted interactions. We subject the cold atoms to an intense laser light tuned near the photoassociation resonance and observe the position response of the atoms subjected to a sudden displacement. Surprisingly, we observe that the entire cold atomic cloud
undergoes collective oscillations. We use a generalised quantum Langevin approach to theoretically analyse the results of the experiments and find good agreement.
Approximating common fixed points on multiplicative b-metricspaces using the weakly commuting mappings
Authors: Kuleshwari  , Verma Rohit Kumar , Singh Prachi , Shrivas Jaynendra
Published: March 2024

The aim of this paper is to prove some common fixed point theorems for four pair of weakly commuting mappings using multiplicative b-metric spaces. Our results obtained in this paper improve, extend and unify some related results in the literature.
The Application of the Whole Language Model in Improving the Narrative Essay Writing Skills of Class IV Madrasah Ibtidaiyah
Authors: Mila Rahayu
Published: March 2024

This research is classroom action research (CAR), which aims to improve the quality of students' activity processes in learning and improve students' skills in writing narrative essays using the whole language approach in Indonesian in class IV Madrasah Ibtidaiyah. The research was carried out in two cycles with 27 students in class IV at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah. The instruments used consisted of student observation sheets and student narrative essay writing test sheets. Observation data were analyzed using the average score and score criteria, while test data were analyzed using the average percentage of students' learning completeness. From the research conducted, there was an increase in the activity of students and the test results for writing narrative essays. For student activities in cycle 1, a score of 60 was obtained with good criteria, and in cycle 2, a score of 80 was obtained with good criteria, so the difference in scores between cycle 1 and cycle 2 was 20. For the test results of writing narrative essays in cycle 1, the average value obtained in class was 67.22%, with mastery of learning to write narrative essays classically reaching 37.04%. Meanwhile, cycle 2 received an average grade of 79.8, with mastery of learning to write narrative essays classically reaching 81.5%.
Abstrak
Penelitian ini merupakan Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (PTK) yang bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kualitas proses aktivitas peserta didik dalam pembelajaran dan meningkatkan keterampilan peserta didik dalam menulis karangan narasi dengan menggunakan pendekatan whole language pada mata pelajaran Bahasa Indonesia di kelas IV Madrasah Ibtidaiyah. Penelitian dilaksanakan dalam 2 siklus dengan subjek penelitian adalah peserta didik kelas IV di Madrasah Ibtidaiyah yang berjumlah 27 orang. Instrumen yang digunakan terdiri atas lembar observasi peserta didik dan lembar tes menulis karangan narasi peserta didik. Data observasi dianalisis dengan menggunakan rata-rata skor dan kriteria skor, sedangkan data tes dianalisis dengan menggunakan rata-rata nilai persentase ketuntasan belajar peserta didik. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan adanya peningkatan pada aktivitas peserta didik dan hasil tes menulis karangan narasi. Aktivitas peserta didik pada siklus 1 diperoleh skor 60 dengan kriteria baik dan pada siklus 2 diperoleh skor 80 dengan kriteria baik, selisih skor antara siklus 1 dan siklus 2 adalah 20. Sedangkan hasil tes menulis karangan narasi pada siklus 1 diperoleh nilai rata-rata kelas sebesar 67,22 dengan ketuntasan belajar menulis karangan narasi secara klasikal mencapai 37,04%. Sementara pada siklus 2 mendapat nilai rata-rata kelas 79,8 dengan ketuntasan belajar menulis karangan narasi secara klasikal mencapai 81,5%.
The Existence of the Quizizz Application as the 21st Century Digital Learning Media
Authors: Kamil Nurhusna , Kulsum Nur Hayati
Published: March 2024

It is undeniable that increasingly sophisticated and rapid technological developments have penetrated the world of education. Teachers, as educators, are required to be able to operate various kinds of learning media. As time progresses, learning media has also changed from conventional to digital. In the context of the 21st century, digital learning media have been in the spotlight since the pandemic began; one of them is the Quizizz application. Various levels of education, from elementary to tertiary, make this digital medium an alternative medium to be used in learning. This study discusses the existence of the Quizizz application as the most widely used digital learning medium today. The research method used is qualitative, with a phenomenological approach. The research sample participants were field study students at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta during the period of September–November 2023. Data collection techniques included interviews and documentation. The result of the research shows that the majority of educators tend to choose the Quizizz application as a learning tool in delivering the resultant material, and they can provide feedback for reference material to see the extent of students' responses to the material that has been presented.
Abstrak
Tidak dapat dipungkiri bahwa perkembangan teknologi yang semakin canggih dan cepat telah menembus dunia pendidikan. Guru, sebagai pendidik, diminta untuk dapat mengoperasikan berbagai jenis media pembelajaran. Seiring berjalannya waktu, media pembelajaran juga telah berubah dari konvensional ke digital. Dalam konteks abad ke-21, media pembelajaran digital telah menjadi fokus sejak pandemi dimulai; salah satunya adalah aplikasi Quizizz. Tingkat pendidikan yang berbeda, dari sekolah dasar hingga sekolah tinggi, membuat media digital ini menjadi media alternatif yang dapat digunakan dalam pembelajaran. Penelitian membahas keberadaan aplikasi Quizizz sebagai media pembelajaran digital yang paling banyak digunakan saat ini. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah kualitatif dengan pendekatan fenomenologis. Para peserta sampel penelitian, adalah mahasiswa studi lapangan di UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta selama periode September–November 2023. Teknik pengumpulan data termasuk wawancara dan dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa mayoritas pendidik cenderung memilih aplikasi Quizizz sebagai alat belajar dalam menyampaikan materi yang dihasilkan, dan mereka dapat memberikan umpan balik untuk materi referensi serta melihat sejauh mana respon siswa terhadap materi yang telah disajikan.