bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study regarding the influence of a student’s personality and an LMS usage profile on learning performance using machine learning techniques
Authors: Rico-Juan Juan Ramón , Cachero Cristina , Macià Hermenegilda
Published: May 2024

Academic performance (AP) is crucial for lifelong success. Unfortunately, many students fail to meet expected academic benchmarks, leading to altered career paths or university dropouts. This issue is particularly pronounced in the early stages of higher education, highlighting the need for the instructors of these foundational courses to have access to simple yet effective tools for the early identification of students at high risk of academic failure. In this study, we propose a streamlined conceptual model inspired by the Model of Human Behavior (MHB) to which we have incorporated two dimensions: capacity and willingness. These dimensions are assessed through the definition of three variables: Prior Academic Performance (PAP), Personality and Academic Engagement, whose measurements can easily be obtained by the instructors. Furthermore, we outline a Machine Learning (ML) process that higher education instructors can use to create their own tailored models in order to predict AP and identify risk groups with high levels of transparency and interpretability. The application of our approach to a sample of 322 Spanish undergraduates studying two mathematical subjects at a Spanish university demonstrates its potential to detect failure early in the semester with a precision that is comparable with that of more complex models found in literature. Our tailored model identified that capacity was the primary predictor of AP, with a gain-to-baseline improvement of 21%, and the willingness variables increasing this to 27%. This approach is consistent over time. Implications for instructors are discussed and an open prediction and analysis tool is developed.
Nepeta cataria L. (catnip) can serve as a chassis for the engineering of secondary metabolic pathways
Authors: Geissler Marcus , Neubauer Christoph , Sheludko Yuriy V. , Brückner Adrian , Warzecha Heribert
Published: May 2024

Objective

Evaluation of Nepeta cataria as a host with specific endogenous metabolite background for transient expression and metabolic engineering of secondary biosynthetic sequences.

Results

The reporter gene gfp::licBM3 as well as three biosynthetic genes leading to the formation of the cannabinoid precursor olivetolic acid were adopted to the modular cloning standard GoldenBraid, transiently expressed in two chemotypes of N. cataria and compared to Nicotiana benthamiana. To estimate the expression efficiency in both hosts, quantification of the reporter activity was carried out with a sensitive and specific lichenase assay. While N. benthamiana exhibited lichenase activity of 676 ± 94 μmol g−1 s−1, N. cataria cultivar ‘1000’, and the cultivar ‘Citriodora’ showed an activity of 37 ± 8 μmol g−1 s−1 and 18 ± 4 μmol g−1 s−1, respectively. Further, combinatorial expression of genes involved in cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway acyl-activating enzyme 1 (aae1), olivetol synthase (ols) and olivetolic acid cyclase (oac) in N. cataria cv. resulted presumably in the in vivo production of olivetolic acid glycosides.

Conclusion

Nepeta cataria is amenable to Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression and could serve as a novel chassis for the engineering of secondary metabolic pathways and transient evaluation of heterologous genes.
Comparison of the characteristics of the population eligible for lung cancer screening under 2013 and population newly eligible under 2021 US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations
Authors: Yell Nicholas , Eberth Jan M. , Alberg Anthony J. , Hung Peiyin , Schootman Mario , McLain Alexander C. , Munden Reginald F.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

In 2021, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) revised their 2013 recommendations for lung cancer screening eligibility by lowering the pack-year history from 30+ to 20+ pack-years and the recommended age from 55 to 50 years. Simulation studies suggest that Black persons and females will benefit most from these changes, but it is unclear how the revised USPSTF recommendations will impact geographic, health-related, and other sociodemographic characteristics of those eligible.

Methods

This cross-sectional study employed data from the 2017–2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys from 23 states to compare age, gender, race, marital, sexual orientation, education, employment, comorbidity, vaccination, region, and rurality characteristics of the eligible population according to the original 2013 USPSTF recommendations with the revised 2021 USPSTF recommendations using chi-squared tests. This study compared those originally eligible to those newly eligible using the BRFSS raking-dervived weighting variable.

Results

There were 30,190 study participants. The results of this study found that eligibility increased by 62.4% due to the revised recommendations. We found that the recommendation changes increased the proportion of eligible females (50.1% vs 44.1%), Black persons (9.2% vs 6.6%), Hispanic persons (4.4% vs 2.7%), persons aged 55–64 (55.8% vs 52.6%), urban-dwellers(88.3% vs 85.9%), unmarried (3.4% vs 2.5%) and never married (10.4% vs 6.6%) persons, as well as non-retirees (76.5% vs 56.1%) Respondents without comorbidities and COPD also increased.

Conclusion

It is estimated that the revision of the lung cancer screening recommendations decreased eligibility disparities in sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, respiratory comorbidities, and vaccination status. Research will be necessary to estimate whether uptake patterns subsequently follow the expanded eligibility patterns.
A new Neu—a syngeneic model of spontaneously metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer
Authors: Baugh Aaron G. , Gonzalez Edgar , Narumi Valerie H. , Kreger Jesse , Liu Yingtong , Rafie Christine , Castanon Sofi , Jang Julie , Kagohara Luciane T. , Anastasiadou Dimitra P. , Leatherman James , Armstrong Todd , Chan Isaac , Karagiannis George S. , Jaffee Elizabeth M. , MacLean Adam , Roussos Torres Evanthia T.
Published: May 2024

Metastatic disease results from the dissemination of tumor cells beyond their organ of origin to grow in distant organs and is the primary cause of death in patients with advanced breast cancer. Preclinical murine models in which primary tumors spontaneously metastasize are valuable tools for studying metastatic progression and novel cancer treatment combinations. Here, we characterize a novel syngeneic murine breast tumor cell line that provides a model of spontaneously metastatic neu-expressing breast cancer with quicker onset of widespread metastases after orthotopic mammary implantation in immune-competent NeuN mice. The NT2.5-lung metastasis (-LM) cell line was derived from serial passaging of tumor cells that were macro-dissected from spontaneous lung metastases after orthotopic mammary implantation of parental NT2.5 cells. Within one week of NT2.5-LM implantation, metastases are observed in the lungs. Within four weeks, metastases are also observed in the bones, spleen, colon, and liver. We demonstrate that NT2.5-LM metastases are positive for NeuN—the murine equivalent of human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2). We further demonstrate altered expression of markers of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), suggestive of their enhanced metastatic potential. Genomic analyses support these findings and reveal enrichment in EMT-regulating pathways. In addition, the metastases are rapidly growing, proliferative, and responsive to HER2-directed therapy. The new NT2.5-LM model provides certain advantages over the parental NT2/NT2.5 model, given its more rapid and spontaneous development of metastases. Besides investigating mechanisms of metastatic progression, this new model may be used for the rationalized development of novel therapeutic interventions and assessment of therapeutic responses.
Reifying actions into artifacts: process–object duality from an embodied perspective on mathematics learning
Authors: Shvarts Anna , Bos Rogier , Doorman Michiel , Drijvers Paul
Published: May 2024

Grasping mathematical objects as related to processes is often considered critical for mathematics understanding. Yet, the ontology of mathematical objects remains under debate. In this paper, we theoretically oppose internalist approaches that claim mental entities as the endpoints of process–object transitions and externalist approaches that stress mathematical artifacts—such as physical manipulatives and formulas—as constituting mathematical objects. We search for a view on process–object duality that overcomes the dualism of mind and body. One such approach is commognition that describes mathematical objects as discursive entities. This paper expands the nature of mathematical objects beyond discourse and highlights the role of learners’ interaction with the environment by adopting ecological onto-epistemology. We develop a functional dynamic systems perspective on process–object duality in mathematics learning emphasizing embodied actions and the re-invention of artifacts’ affordances. As a main result, we reconsider process﻿–object duality as a reification of repetitive actions into a cultural artifact that consists of two steps: (1) forming a new sensory-motor coordination that brings new perception to the fore and (2) crystallizing a new artifact in a mathematical environment that captures this new perception. An empirical example from research on embodied action-based design for trigonometry illustrates our theoretical ideas.

Graphical abstract
Prospective benchmarking of an observational analysis in the SWEDEHEART registry against the REDUCE-AMI randomized trial
Authors: Matthews Anthony A. , Dahebreh Issa J. , MacDonald Conor J. , Lindahl Bertil , Hofmann Robin , Erlinge David , Yndigegn Troels , Berglund Anita , Jernberg Tomas , Hernán Miguel A.
Published: May 2024

Prospective benchmarking of an observational analysis against a randomized trial increases confidence in the benchmarking process as it relies exclusively on aligning the protocol of the trial and the observational analysis, while the trials findings are unavailable. The Randomized Evaluation of Decreased Usage of Betablockers After Myocardial Infarction (REDUCE-AMI, ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03278509) trial started recruitment in September 2017 and results are expected in 2024. REDUCE-AMI aimed to estimate the effect of long-term use of beta blockers on the risk of death and myocardial following a myocardial infarction with preserved left ventricular systolic ejection fraction. We specified the protocol of a target trial as similar as possible to that of REDUCE-AMI, then emulated the target trial using observational data from Swedish healthcare registries. Had everyone followed the treatment strategy as specified in the target trial protocol, the observational analysis estimated a reduction in the 5-year risk of death or myocardial infarction of 0.8 percentage points for beta blockers compared with no beta blockers; effects ranging from an absolute reduction of 4.5 percentage points to an increase of 2.8 percentage points in the risk of death or myocardial infarction were compatible with our data under conventional statistical criteria. Once results of REDUCE-AMI are published, we will compare the results of our observational analysis against those from the trial. If this prospective benchmarking is successful, it supports the credibility of additional analyses using these observational data, which can rapidly deliver answers to questions that could not be answered by the initial trial. If benchmarking proves unsuccessful, we will conduct a “postmortem” analysis to identify the reasons for the discrepancy. Prospective benchmarking shifts the investigator focus away from an endeavour to use observational data to obtain similar results as a completed randomized trial, to a systematic attempt to align the design and analysis of the trial and the observational analysis.
Sandy beach erosion: impacts and adaptation strategies in Thailand
Authors: Thepsiriamnuay Hiripong , Pumijumnong Nathsuda
Published: May 2024

This paper focuses on sandy beach erosion as a result of rising sea levels, including adaptation option analysis in Thailand. Twenty-seven beaches in the provinces of Rayong, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Trang were selected as study areas with high rates of erosion. The major scientific challenge entailed determining the relevance and contribution of rising sea levels (including storms) to beach erosion. The SimCLIM/CoastCLIM model was utilized to forecast changes in sea level and shoreline during the period of 1940–2100. A cost–benefit analysis (CBA) was conducted to evaluate adaptation options in terms of economics. The main outcome was a relevant contribution to knowledge on sea-level rise (including storm alteration) and its effects on sandy beach erosion, in terms of loss of sandy beach area and population migration. The results indicate that Mae Phim, Ban Ko Fai, and Pak Meng beaches are all threatened by erosion, and 8.02 and 23.26% of the erosion are attributed to storms and sea-level rise. Future scenarios (in 2100) showed 124.38 cm rise in 2100 sea level (compared to the 1995 baseline) leading to 507.90 m of eroded beaches, 2.15 km2 of sand loss and 873 people migrating. The results of CBA show that scenario 2 (beach nourishment) is not proper for application as an adaptation option on sandy beaches with high amounts of erosion (Ban Ko Fai and Pak Meng beach), while the option of beach nourishment alone is likely to be applied on Mae Phim beach due to its lower rate of erosion.
Determinants of thermal homeostasis in the preimplantation embryo: a role for the embryo’s central heating system?
Authors: Leese Henry J. , Sturmey Roger G.
Published: May 2024

A number of factors may impinge on thermal homeostasis in the early embryo. The most obvious is the ambient temperature in which development occurs. Physiologically, the temperature in the lumen of the female tract is typically lower than the core body temperature, yet rises at ovulation in the human, while in an IVF setting, embryos are usually maintained at core body temperature. However, internal cellular developmental processes may modulate thermal control within the embryo itself, especially those occurring in the mitochondria which generate intracellular heat through proton leak and provide the embryo with its own ‘central heating system’. Moreover, mitochondrial movements may serve to buffer high local intracellular temperatures. It is also notable that the preimplantation stages of development would generate proportionally little heat within their mitochondria until the blastocyst stage as mitochondrial metabolism is comparatively low during the cleavage stages. Despite these data, the specific notion of thermal control of preimplantation development has received remarkably scant consideration. This opinion paper illustrates the lack of reliable quantitative data on these markers and identifies a major research agenda which needs to be addressed with urgency in view of laboratory conditions in which embryos are maintained as well as climate change–derived heat stress which has a negative effect on numerous clinical markers of early human embryo development.
Aluminum-doped zinc oxide thickness controllable wavelengths in visible light and high responsivity devices using interrupted flow atomic layer deposition
Authors: Tseng Po-Hsien , Lai Yu-Sheng , Huang Cheng-Ming , Tsai Shang-Yu , Ko Fu-Hsiang
Published: May 2024

In this study, we develop a highly sensitive visible light photodetector that utilizes a thin-film structure composed of low-cost aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) and n-type silicon. The AZO thickness can be adequately controlled to fit the different wavelengths of interest for photodetectors in the visible light range using interrupted flow atomic layer deposition (ALD). This in situ aluminum doping method ensures a uniform aluminum distribution within the AZO thin films and effectively increases the internal film reflections and photoresponsivity. The Schottky interface with n-type silicon is created by degenerated AZO due to the lower Fermi level, and visible light can effectively penetrate the underlying depletion zone. Optical simulation of the high conductivity of AZO indicated that the optimal thickness was 54.6, 65.8, and 91.7 nm for devices illuminated with 450 nm blue, 525 nm green and 700 nm red light, respectively. Hall effect measurements confirmed that the AZO film can achieve a low resistivity of 5 × 10–4Ω-cm and high carrier concentration of 3 × 1020 cm−3at a suitable precursor ratio. Additionally, AZO films offer multifunctionality by providing optical antireflective properties and forming Schottky junctions with n-type silicon to enable photoelectric conversion. This multifunctional role of AZO was experimentally validated through electrical, optical, and optical-to-electrical experiments, which showed that the optimized device can reach an optical responsivity of approximately 10.7 AW−1at specific visible light wavelengths. The significant photoelectrical conversion efficiency and simple thin-film structure design facilitate future applications in light intensity measurement, such as in colorimetry or fluorometry.
MiR-99a-3p downregulates TRIM21 to promote gastric cancer development
Authors: He Ling , Zhou Jiaoli , Ding Doukun , Jiang Yongjing , Yang Rui , Li Zhiming
Published: May 2024

Gastric cancer (GC) stands as one of the most formidable malignancies worldwide. It is well-established that miRNAs play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of various human cancers. Among these, miR-99a-3p has been implicated in the pathogenesis of GC. In the context of our study, we embarked on the comprehensive examination of miR-99a-3p expression in GC cells. Additionally, we sought to establish a correlation between miR-99a-3p expression levels and the overall survival (OS) of GC patients, and our findings hinted at its potential role in predicting an unfavorable prognosis. To further investigate the functional implications of miR-99a-3p in GC, we conducted a series of cell-based experiments after successfully knocking down miR-99a-3p. These investigations uncovered a substantial inhibition of cellular events associated with tumor progression. Moreover, employing TargetScan, we identified Tripartite motif-containing protein 21 (TRIM21) as a putative target with a binding site for miR-99a-3p. Subsequent dual-luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed the direct interaction between miR-99a-3p and TRIM21. Western blot analysis validated the alteration in TRIM21 expression levels, revealing an upregulation upon miR-99a-3p knockdown. Building on these molecular findings, we extended our investigations to human GC tissues, where we observed a downregulation of TRIM21, which, notably, correlated with shorter overall survival. Lastly, to further solidify our conclusions, we conducted a series of in vitro and in vivo rescue experiments, collectively suggesting that miR-99a-3p promoted the progression of GC cells through the downregulation of TRIM21. In summary, our study comprehensively explored the role of miR-99a-3p in GC, revealing its association with unfavorable patient outcomes, functional implications in tumor progression, and a direct regulatory relationship with TRIM21. These findings collectively underscore the significance of miR-99a-3p in the pathogenesis of GC and present a potential therapeutic avenue for further investigation.
A Prototype-Based Neural Network for Image Anomaly Detection and Localization
Authors: Huang Chao , Kang Zhao , Wu Hong
Published: May 2024

Image anomaly detection and localization perform not only image-level anomaly classification but also locate pixel-level anomaly regions. Recently, it has received much research attention due to its wide application in various fields. This paper proposes ProtoAD, a prototype-based neural network for image anomaly detection and localization. First, the patch features of normal images are extracted by a deep network pre-trained on nature images. Then, the prototypes of the normal patch features are learned by non-parametric clustering. Finally, we construct an image anomaly localization network (ProtoAD) by appending the feature extraction network with L2 feature normalization, a $$1\times 1$$

1
×
1

convolutional layer, a channel max-pooling, and a subtraction operation. We use the prototypes as the kernels of the $$1\times 1$$

1
×
1

convolutional layer; therefore, our neural network does not need a training phase and can conduct anomaly detection and localization in an end-to-end manner. Extensive experiments on two challenging industrial anomaly detection datasets, MVTec AD and BTAD, demonstrate that ProtoAD achieves competitive performance compared to the state-of-the-art methods with a higher inference speed. The code and pre-trained models are publicly available at https://github.com/98chao/ProtoAD.
Relative Performance of Volume of Distribution Prediction Methods for Lipophilic Drugs with Uncertainty in LogP Value
Authors: Coutinho Ana L. , Cristofoletti Rodrigo , Wu Fang , Al Shoyaib Abdullah , Dressman Jennifer , Polli James E.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The goal was to assess, for lipophilic drugs, the impact of logP on human volume of distribution at steady-state (VDss) predictions, including intermediate fut and Kp values, from six methods: Oie-Tozer, Rodgers-Rowland (tissue-specific Kp and only muscle Kp), GastroPlus, Korzekwa-Nagar, and TCM-New.

Method

A sensitivity analysis with focus on logP was conducted by keeping pKa and fup constant for each of four drugs, while varying logP. VDss was also calculated for the specific literature logP values. Error prediction analysis was conducted by analyzing prediction errors by source of logP values, drug, and overall values.

Results

The Rodgers-Rowland methods were highly sensitive to logP values, followed by GastroPlus and Korzekwa-Nagar. The Oie-Tozer and TCM-New methods were only modestly sensitive to logP. Hence, the relative performance of these methods depended upon the source of logP value. As logP values increased, TCM-New and Oie-Tozer were the most accurate methods. TCM-New was the only method that was accurate regardless of logP value source. Oie-Tozer provided accurate predictions for griseofulvin, posaconazole, and isavuconazole; GastroPlus for itraconazole and isavuconazole; Korzekwa-Nagar for posaconazole; and TCM-New for griseofulvin, posaconazole, and isavuconazole. Both Rodgers-Rowland methods provided inaccurate predictions due to the overprediction of VDss.

Conclusions

TCM-New was the most accurate prediction of human VDss across four drugs and three logP sources, followed by Oie-Tozer. TCM-New showed to be the best method for VDss prediction of highly lipophilic drugs, suggesting BPR as a favorable surrogate for drug partitioning in the tissues, and which avoids the use of fup.
Strangers in the Homeland? The Academic Performance of U.S.-Born Children of Return Migrants in Mexico
Authors: Hoffmann Nathan I.
Published: May 2024

The number of return migrants from the U.S. to Mexico has swelled in recent years, yet we know little about the academic performance of the over 500,000 U.S.-born children who have accompanied them. This study compares Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test scores of U.S.-born children of return migrants in Mexico to two groups: Mexican-born students in Mexico and students in the U.S. born to Spanish-speaking immigrant parents. While previous work often highlights the struggles these children face in adapting to schools in Mexico, at age 15 they attain slightly higher PISA scores than their Mexican-born counterparts. However, these adolescents’ scores are much lower than similar youths’ in the U.S. Results for both comparisons change little in models controlling for variables related to immigrant selection and are consistent across possible individual moderators, including age at migration. This paper highlights the importance of a cross-border perspective and attention to institutional context in studies of immigrant education.
The medium is the message: toxicity declines in structured vs unstructured online deliberations
Authors: Klein Mark , Majdoubi Nouhayla
Published: May 2024

Humanity needs to deliberate effectively at scale about highly complex and contentious problems. Current online deliberation tools—such as email, chatrooms, and forums—are however plagued by levels of discussion toxicity that deeply undercut the willingness and ability of the participants to engage in thoughtful, meaningful, deliberations. This has led many organizations to either shut down their forums or invest in expensive, frequently unreliable, and ethically fraught moderation of people's contributions in their forums. This paper includes a comprehensive review on online toxicity, and describes how a structured deliberation process can substantially reduce toxicity compared to current approaches. The key underlying insight is that unstructured conversations create, especially at scale, an “attention wars” dynamic wherein people are often incented to resort to extremified language in order to get visibility for their postings. A structured deliberation process wherein people collaboratively create a compact organized collection of answers and arguments removes this underlying incentive, and results, in our evaluation, in a 50% reduction of high-toxicity posts.
Gender differences in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a pilot study
Authors: Fabozzi Antonio , Pasqualotto Federico , Laguardia Marianna , Natuzzi Pietro Francesco , Capone Rosaria , Steffanina Alessia , Pellegrino Daniela , Olmati Federica , Antonaglia Caterina , Palange Paolo
Published: May 2024

Purpose

OSAS is a syndrome that often presents clinically differently between men and women. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical presentation, nocturnal home sleep cardiorespiratory monitoring and therapeutic adherence to CPAP in both sexes to identify the most frequent patterns.

Methods

Data from the first visit, the nocturnal home sleep cardiorespiratory monitoring and follow-up visit of 74 OSA patients were collected. Exclusion criteria included other respiratory and/or neuromuscular diseases (including Obesity hypoventilation syndrome) and other non-respiratory sleep disorders.

Results

Men were older and had a higher supine AHI and ODI compared to women. In addition, BMI and age correlated positively with AHI in males. Women had a higher hypopneas frequency and better therapeutic adherence to CPAP.

Conclusions

Men were associated with a higher AHI when sleeping in the supine position and this may be useful to look for new therapeutic options in combination with or as an alternative to CPAP. BMI correlated positively with AHI in men and this should be considered to stimulate weight loss as the main treatment to reduce the number of apneas/hypopneas, as men also had less therapeutic adherence to CPAP in our study. Females presented a significantly higher frequency of hypopneas than men, as well as a lower number of desaturation events per hour (ODI): these differences in the nocturnal home sleep cardiorespiratory monitoring could reflect different pathophysiological mechanisms of OSAS onset between the two sexes, which should be investigated in future scientific studies.
Assessment of EHR Efficiency Tools and Resources Associated with Physician Time Spent on the Inbox
Authors: Bundy Richa , Moses Adam , Stambaugh Elisabeth , Stewart Paschal , Witek Lauren , Carlasare Lindsey , Rosenthal Gary , Sinsky Christine , Dharod Ajay
Published: May 2024

Background

Physicians are experiencing an increasing burden of messaging within the electronic health record (EHR) inbox. Studies have called for the implementation of tools and resources to mitigate this burden, but few studies have evaluated how these interventions impact time spent on inbox activities.

Objective

Explore the association between existing EHR efficiency tools and clinical resources on primary care physician (PCP) inbox time.

Design

Retrospective, cross-sectional study of inbox time among PCPs in network clinics affiliated with an academic health system.

Participants

One hundred fifteen community-based PCPs.

Main Measures

Inbox time, in hours, normalized to eight physician scheduled hours (IB-Time8).

Key Results

Following adjustment for physician sex as well as panel size, age, and morbidity, we observed no significant differences in inbox time for physicians with and without message triage, custom inbox QuickActions, encounter specialists, and message pools. Moreover, IB-Time8 increased by 0.01 inbox hours per eight scheduled hours for each additional staff member resource in a physician’s practice (p = 0.03).

Conclusions

Physician inbox time was not associated with existing EHR efficiency tools evaluated in this study. Yet, there may be a slight increase in inbox time among physicians in practices with larger teams.
Effect of faba bean nectar on longevity and fecundity of Plutella xylostella and its parasitoid Cotesia vestalis
Authors: Ruhanen Helena M. , Räty Emma , Mäkinen Joonas , Kasurinen Anne , Blande James D.
Published: May 2024

Intercropping faba bean with vegetables provides a possibility to promote pest control and better nutrient cycling in sustainable agriculture. Faba bean produces extrafloral nectar which supports parasitoid wasps that play a role in the biological control of pest insects. However, adult lepidopteran pests also benefit from nectar, increasing their lifespan and the number of offspring they produce. Here, a laboratory-based study was conducted to assess the role of faba bean on the components of a Brassica-based host-parasitoid system. We measured how access to faba bean affected the longevity and fecundity of the brassica pest Plutella xylostella and its parasitoid Cotesia vestalis. It was also studied if odors of flowering faba bean disrupt host finding by C. vestalis in Y-tube bioassays and volatile organic compounds were analyzed to explain the olfaction-based choices made by the parasitoids. The longevity of C. vestalis was 6.6 times longer and the number of pupae produced almost 10 times greater when they had access to faba bean. Meanwhile, the longevity of P. xylostella was 3.6 times longer and it laid 4.6 times more eggs when provided access to faba bean. In Y-tube bioassays, C. vestalis females also oriented toward host-related odors of the damaged cabbage more than intact cabbage when odors of faba bean were mixed with both of them. In conclusion, faba bean provided sustenance to both pest insects and their natural enemies that prolonged their lifespans and their reproductive capacity.
Artificial Intelligence Techniques for the Photovoltaic System: A Systematic Review and Analysis for Evaluation and Benchmarking
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Dubey Ashutosh Kumar , Segovia Ramírez Isaac , Muñoz del Río Alba , García Márquez Fausto Pedro
Published: May 2024

Novel algorithms and techniques are being developed for design, forecasting and maintenance in photovoltaic due to high computational costs and volume of data. Machine Learning, artificial intelligence techniques and algorithms provide automated, intelligent and history-based solutions for complex scenarios. This paper aims to identify through a systematic review and analysis the role of artificial intelligence algorithms in photovoltaic systems analysis and control. The main novelty of this work is the exploration of methodological insights in three different ways. The first approach is to investigate the applicability of artificial intelligence techniques in photovoltaic systems. The second approach is the computational study and analysis of data operations, failure predictors, maintenance assessment, safety response, photovoltaic installation issues, intelligent monitoring etc. All these factors are discussed along with the results after applying the artificial intelligence techniques on photovoltaic systems, exploring the challenges and limitations considering a wide variety of latest related manuscripts.
Italian validation of the mentalization scale (MentS)
Authors: Cosenza Marina , Pizzini Barbara , Sacco Mariagiulia , D’Olimpio Francesca , Troncone Alda , Ciccarelli Maria , Dimitrijević Aleksandar , Nigro Giovanna
Published: May 2024

The research aimed to assess the reliability, factor structure, and validity of the Italian adaptation of the Mentalization Scale (MentS), a 28-item self-report questionnaire that measures mentalization across three dimensions. The psychometric properties of the Italian version were examined in two studies with large samples of adults and adolescents. The first study (Study 1) aimed to evaluate, through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the construct validity of the Italian version of the MentS in adolescents (N = 618) and adults (N = 720). The second study (Study 2) was undertaken to test the convergent validity and temporal stability of the Italian version of the MentS. Specifically, the study assessed the relationship between the MentS and scores on the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8), one of the most widely used instruments to assess mentalization, in a large sample of high-school students (N = 472). Furthermore, the study evaluated the 4-week test-retest reliability of the instrument in a sample of undergraduates (N = 128). The questionnaire exhibited strong internal consistency across both adult and adolescent samples, with Cronbach’s alphas ranging from 0.71 to 0.83. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses consistently identified three correlated underlying factors within both age groups, demonstrating the robust factor structure of the Italian version of the MentS. Furthermore, the tool demonstrated strong convergent validity with the RFQ-8 and acceptable test-retest reliability over a 4-week period. These findings provide compelling evidence supporting the Italian version of the MentS as a reliable and valid self-report measure for comprehensively assessing different facets of mentalization.
Federated Constrastive Learning and Visual Transformers for Personal Recommendation
Authors: Belhadi Asma , Djenouri Youcef , de Alcantara Andrade Fabio Augusto , Srivastava Gautam
Published: May 2024

This paper introduces a novel solution for personal recommendation in consumer electronic applications. It addresses, on the one hand, the data confidentiality during the training, by exploring federated learning and trusted authority mechanisms. On the other hand, it deals with data quantity, and quality by exploring both transformers and consumer clustering. The process starts by clustering the consumers into similar clusters using contrastive learning and k-means algorithm. The local model of each consumer is trained on the local data. The local models of the consumers with the clustering information are then sent to the server, where integrity verification is performed by a trusted authority. Instead of traditional federated learning solutions, two kinds of aggregation are performed. The first one is the aggregation of all models of the consumers to derive the global model. The second one is the aggregation of the models of each cluster to derive a local model of similar consumers. Both models are sent to the consumers, where each consumer decides which appropriate model might be used for personal recommendation. Robust experiments have been carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the method using MovieLens-1M, and Amazon-book. The results reveal the superiority of the proposed method compared to the baseline methods, where it reaches an average accuracy of 0.27, against the other methods that do not exceed 0.25.
Association between wrist-worn free-living accelerometry and hand grip strength in middle-aged and older adults
Authors: Crowe Colum , Barton John , O’Flynn Brendan , Tedesco Salvatore
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Wrist-worn activity monitors have seen widespread adoption in recent times, particularly in young and sport-oriented cohorts, while their usage among older adults has remained relatively low. The main limitations are in regards to the lack of medical insights that current mainstream activity trackers can provide to older subjects. One of the most important research areas under investigation currently is the possibility of extrapolating clinical information from these wearable devices.

Methods

The research question of this study is understanding whether accelerometry data collected for 7-days in free-living environments using a consumer-based wristband device, in conjunction with data-driven machine learning algorithms, is able to predict hand grip strength and possible conditions categorized by hand grip strength in a general population consisting of middle-aged and older adults.

Results

The results of the regression analysis reveal that the performance of the developed models is notably superior to a simple mean-predicting dummy regressor. While the improvement in absolute terms may appear modest, the mean absolute error (6.32 kg for males and 4.53 kg for females) falls within the range considered sufficiently accurate for grip strength estimation. The classification models, instead, excel in categorizing individuals as frail/pre-frail, or healthy, depending on the T-score levels applied for frailty/pre-frailty definition. While cut-off values for frailty vary, the results suggest that the models can moderately detect characteristics associated with frailty (AUC-ROC: 0.70 for males, and 0.76 for females) and viably detect characteristics associated with frailty/pre-frailty (AUC-ROC: 0.86 for males, and 0.87 for females).

Conclusions

The results of this study can enable the adoption of wearable devices as an efficient tool for clinical assessment in older adults with multimorbidities, improving and advancing integrated care, diagnosis and early screening of a number of widespread diseases.
Attributional styles are associated with care burden in geriatric depression: older adults and their caregivers in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Ching-Yen , Chen Jian‑Hong , Ree Shao‑Chun , Chen Chia‑Hui , Yu Sheng-Hsiang
Published: May 2024

Background

Given the rising prevalence of depression among older adults and the associated increase in caregiving responsibilities, understanding factors influencing caregiver burden is crucial. Previous research has not extensively explored the impact of caregivers’ attributional styles, that is, how individuals interpret the causes of life events, on their care burden.

Aim

This study examined the relationship between caregivers’ attributional styles and their care burden for older patients with depression.

Methods

This cross-sectional study enrolled older adults aged ≥ 65 years diagnosed with depression and their caregivers. Depression was diagnosed according to the DSM-V criteria for Major Depressive Disorder or Persistent Depressive Disorder. Caregivers completed the Chinese Depression Caregiver Burden Scale (CDCBS) to assess care burden, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) to evaluate patient symptom severity, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) for measuring caregivers’ depression, and the Chinese Depression Patient Caregiver Attribution Style Scale (CDPCAS) to assess attributional styles. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to identify the factors independently associated with the caregiver’s subjectively assessed care burden.

Results

The sample included 146 caregivers of geriatric patients with depression. Most depression patients were women (74.7%) with a mean age of 74.3 years, whereas the mean age of caregivers was 57.7 years. Hierarchical regression analysis identified that caregivers’ gender (β = − 0.14, p = .044), educational level (β = 0.19, p = .008), caregivers’ own depression assessed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (β = 0.41, p < .001), and attributional styles, particularly manipulation (β = 0.29, p < .001) and illness/stress attributional style (β = 0.23, p = .002) as independent factors associated with care burden. Patient symptom severity assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale was not significantly correlated with care burden after controlling for attributional styles.

Conclusions

Certain attributional styles, particularly the manipulation and illness/stress attributional styles, significantly increased self-reported care burden. These findings highlight the need for educational resources to change the attribution style, along with support systems and accessible mental health services for caregivers to potentially ease the care burden.
Agents, Actions, and Mere Means: A Reply to Critics
Authors: Kleingeld Pauline
Published: May 2024

The prohibition against using others ‘merely as means’ is one of Kant’s most famous ideas, but it has proven difficult to spell out with precision what it requires of us in practice. In ‘How to Use Someone “Merely as a Means”’ (2020), I proposed a new interpretation of the necessary and sufficient conditions for using someone ‘merely as a means’. I argued that my agent-focused actual consent interpretation has strong textual support and significant advantages over other readings of the prohibition. In the present essay, I respond to comments by Claudia Blöser, Irina Schumski, and Oliver Sensen. I first address the role of maxims in relation to the Formula of Humanity, and I spell out in more detail the relation between the agent’s belief and the actual facts pertaining to the consent of the person who is used as means to the agent’s end. I then discuss the importance of the requirement that agents make their use of others conditional on the others’ consent as a matter of moral principle. I next show that the proposed reading of the prohibition, despite its focus on the agent’s maxims and practical reasoning, yields important conclusions about the moral status of external actions, and I address several cases that are purported to spell trouble for my reading of Kant’s prohibition. I end by outlining two challenges for possible (rational) consent readings of the prohibition against using others merely as means.
Evaluating optimal reference translations
Authors: Zouhar Vilém , Kloudová Věra , Popel Martin , Bojar Ondřej
Published: May 2024

The overall translation quality reached by current machine translation (MT) systems for high-resourced language pairs is remarkably good. Standard methods of evaluation are not suitable nor intended to uncover the many translation errors and quality deficiencies that still persist. Furthermore, the quality of standard reference translations is commonly questioned and comparable quality levels have been reached by MT alone in several language pairs. Navigating further research in these high-resource settings is thus difficult. In this paper, we propose a methodology for creating more reliable document-level human reference translations, called “optimal reference translations,” with the simple aim to raise the bar of what should be deemed “human translation quality.” We evaluate the obtained document-level optimal reference translations in comparison with “standard” ones, confirming a significant quality increase and also documenting the relationship between evaluation and translation editing.
The pioneers of vestibular physiology in the 19th century
Authors: Dasgupta Soumit , Mandala Marco , Guneri Enis Alpin , Bassim Marc , Tarnutzer Alexander Andrea
Published: May 2024

It was known from ancient times that vertigo was a malady and that the inner ears of animals contained an intricate network of structures named the labyrinth, whose function was unknown. The flourishing of human vestibular anatomy in the Renaissance period still adhered to age-old notions of traditional spiritual philosophy. In the post-Renaissance period, when science was being redefined and challenging these traditional thoughts, vestibular physiology was born. Started by Flourens, it gathered momentum with Hogyes, Goltz, Breuer, Mach, Crum Brown, Ewald, Brown Sequard and Baginsky in the 19th century. They discovered the role of the vestibular organ in sensing balance and the fine intricacies of vestibular physiology valid to this day. Ménière shattered the concept of traditional aetiology of vertigo and de Cyon challenged the Kantian concept of space. The science catapulted to the modern century. This article traces the history of these pioneers of vestibular physiology.
Towards the understanding of molecular motors and its relationship with local unfolding
Authors: Alavi Zahra , Casanova-Morales Nathalie , Quiroga-Roger Diego , Wilson Christian A.M.
Published: May 2024

Molecular motors are machines essential for life since they convert chemical energy into mechanical work. However, the precise mechanism by which nucleotide binding, catalysis, or release of products is coupled to the work performed by the molecular motor is still not entirely clear. This is due, in part, to a lack of understanding of the role of force in the mechanical–structural processes involved in enzyme catalysis. From a mechanical perspective, one promising hypothesis is the Haldane–Pauling hypothesis which considers the idea that part of the enzymatic catalysis is strain-induced. It suggests that enzymes cannot be efficient catalysts if they are fully complementary to the substrates. Instead, they must exert strain on the substrate upon binding, using enzyme-substrate energy interaction (binding energy) to accelerate the reaction rate. A novel idea suggests that during catalysis, significant strain energy is built up, which is then released by a local unfolding/refolding event known as ‘cracking’. Recent evidence has also shown that in catalytic reactions involving conformational changes, part of the heat released results in a center-of-mass acceleration of the enzyme, raising the possibility that the heat released by the reaction itself could affect the enzyme’s integrity. Thus, it has been suggested that this released heat could promote or be linked to the cracking seen in proteins such as adenylate kinase (AK). We propose that the energy released as a consequence of ligand binding/catalysis is associated with the local unfolding/refolding events (cracking), and that this energy is capable of driving the mechanical work.