bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Second Tutorial Review of the Solar Power Curve: Applications in Energy Meteorology
Authors: Yang Dazhi , Liu Bai , Zhang Hao , Xia Xiang’ao , Shen Yanbo , Mayer Martin János
Published: December 2024

The fundamental scientific and engineering knowledge concerning the solar power curve, which maps solar irradiance and other auxiliary meteorological variables to photovoltaic output power, has been gathered and put forward in the preceding tutorial review. Despite the many pages of that review, it was incomplete in the sense that it did not elaborate on the applications of this very important tool of solar energy meteorology. Indeed, solar power curves are ubiquitously needed in a broad spectrum of solar forecasting and solar resource assessment tasks. Hence, this tutorial review should continue from where it left off and present examples concerning the usage of solar power curves. In a nutshell, this tutorial review, together with the preceding one, should elucidate how surface shortwave radiation data, be they ground-based, satellite-retrieved, or model-output, are bridged to various power system operations via solar power curves.
Cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma: predictors of recurrence based on MRI morphology—a single-centre experience
Authors: Grin Katherina , Azizi Amedeo , Haberler Christine , Peyrl Andreas , Kasprian Gregor , Czech Thomas , Rössler Karl , Gojo Johannes , Dorfer Christian
Published: December 2024

Purpose

We aimed to present our surgical experience and the impact of a solid or cystic morphology of cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma (cPA) on surgery and the risk for a re-resection.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed all children operated at our institution between 2009 and 2023 for cPA. Tumours were categorized into 4 groups: (i) cystic PA without cyst wall enhancement, (ii) cystic PA with cyst wall enhancement, (iii) solid tumour, (iv) and solid tumour with central necrosis.

Results

Forty-two children with a median age at surgery of 7.1 years (range 0.7–14 years; male to female ratio 1.5) were identified. The median follow-up time was 3.1 years (0.6–14 years). Twenty-eight patients (66.6%) presented with cystic PA (20 without and 8 with cyst wall enhancement), 9 patients (21.4%) exhibited a solid tumour with central necrosis and 5 (11.9%) had a solid tumour without central necrosis. Gross total resection could be achieved in 31 patients (73.8%), near total resection in 6 (14.3%), and subtotal resection in 5 (11.9%). Progression occurred in 11 cases with 9 patients having a 2nd resection after a mean time of 3.4 years. The highest risk for a 2nd resection was seen in the group of solid tumours with a necrotic centre (odds ratio = 2.3), progression of enhancing cyst wall remnants was seen in one out of two patients with remnants needing reoperation.

Conclusion

Surgery in cerebellar PA should aim for gross total resection of the solid-enhancing tumour.
Cementless fixation in total knee arthroplasty: current evidence and future perspective
Authors: Haslhofer David J. , Kraml Nikolaus , Stadler Christian , Gotterbarm Tobias , Klotz Matthias C. , Klasan Antonio
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Cementless fixation plays an increasing role in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The objective of this review article is to analyze functional outcomes and survivorship of cementless TKA.

Materials and Methods

A comprehensive literature search for studies reviewing the outcome and survivorship of cementless TKA was conducted. This search was based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines using PubMed, Medline, and Embase. The included studies were screened by two independent observers.

Results

From 2010 to 2022, fifteen studies were included. Eleven studies compared cementless and cemented TKA. Four studies only covered cementless implants. Survivorship and functional outcomes of cementless TKA are at least comparable to those of cemented implants.

Conclusion

With improvement in manufacturing, and surgical tools for more precise delivery, such as robotic assisted TKA and 3D-printed implants, one can expect increase in usage of cementless TKA, due to a more biological fixation, better survivorship, and outcomes.
An effective surgical educational system in the era of robotic surgery: “Double-Surgeon Technique” in robotic gastrectomy for minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Kakiuchi Yoshihiko , Kuroda Shinji , Yoshida Yusuke , Kanaya Nobuhiko , Kashima Hajime , Kikuchi Satoru , Kagawa Shunsuke , Fujiwara Toshiyoshi
Published: December 2024

Purpose

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a major malignancy. Robotic gastrectomy (RG) has gained popularity due to various advantages. Despite those advantages, many hospitals lack the necessary equipment for RG and are still performing laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) due to its established minimal invasiveness and safety.

Methods

This study assessed the effectiveness of the “Double-Surgeon Technique” (DST) for improving surgical education and proficiency with LG. The DST involves both a console-side surgeon and a patient-side surgeon working actively in RG, enhancing the skill acquisition needed for LG and potentially reducing surgical time. Assessment of this method was performed by surgical time, and cases were divided into three groups: first half (Phase 1: P1) and second half (P2) before the introduction of DST, and after the introduction of DST (P3).

Results

Two surgical trainees were trained using the DST. The learning curve in both reached a plateau in P2, but descended again in P3. For one trainee, surgical time for P3 was significantly reduced compared to P1 (p = 0.001) and P2 (p = 0.0027) despite the intervals between laparoscopic distal gastrectomy as the main surgeon in P3 being significantly longer than in P2 (p = 0.0094). Other surgical results in both trainees did not differ significantly. Further, no difference in induction phase results of RG were evident between surgeons and trainees with or without DST experience.

Conclusion

Surgical education using the DST could be effective in the current context of the need for RG and LG.
Empowerment among breast cancer survivors using an online peer support community
Authors: Ruiz-Romeo Marina , Ciria-Suarez Laura , Medina Joan C. , Serra-Blasco Maria , Souto-Sampera Arnau , Flix-Valle Aida , Arizu-Onassis Alejandra , Moncada Carla Morales , Villanueva-Bueno Cristina , Escudero-Vilaplana Vicente , Juan-Linares Eva , Ochoa-Arnedo Cristian
Published: December 2024

Objectives

Breast cancer (BC) impacts the patients’ quality of life. Peer support can provide emotional understanding and enhances access to information, social support, coping strategies, and empowerment. Comunitats is an online peer support community app for BC survivors that involves healthcare professionals. This study aims to explore how participation in Comunitats promotes empowerment, and to identify the variables related to it.

Methods

A prospective, cross-sectional approach was applied. One hundred twenty-one women diagnosed with BC were included in Comunitats. Sociodemographic and clinical variables, along with measures of emotional distress (HADS), post-traumatic growth (PTGI), and empowerment (Van Uden-Kraan’s Empowerment Questionnaire), were collected through an online questionnaire completed by the participants. Additionally, data on participation in the online community were obtained directly from the app. Assessments were conducted at inclusion and again 3 months later. Correlations were used to guide linear regression analysis to identify the variables predicting greater empowerment outcomes.

Results

Empowerment assessment indicated that participants felt empowered by their involvement in Comunitats. The most commonly experienced empowerment outcomes were “being better informed” and “improved acceptance of the illness.” “Exchanging information” and “finding recognition” were the most strongly experienced empowerment processes and the strongest predictors of empowerment outcomes in the regression analysis.

Conclusion

Involvement in Comunitats enhances empowerment in BC survivors. Empowering processes within the community partially predict overall empowerment outcomes.

Practical implications

Empowerment positively impacts self-care autonomy, self-efficacy, and treatment adherence, promoting healthier lifestyles and enhanced treatment outcomes. Therefore, we recommend encouraging participation in online peer support communities, as it might enhance empowerment.
Dietary and lifestyle oxidative balance score was negatively associated with the risk of diabetic kidney disease: NHANES 2005–2020
Authors: Lu Yanhong , Huang Kai , Fu Youjuan , Huang Xiaoyan , Chen Ken , Zheng Qiaojun , Xiang Guangda , Yue Ling
Published: December 2024

Aims

There is a potential association between oxidative stress and the development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The Oxidative Balance Score (OBS), derived from dietary and lifestyle factors, acts as a comprehensive marker of oxidative stress. Research examining the relationship between OBS and DKD is scarce. This study aims to evaluate the association between OBS and the risk of DKD among U.S. adults.

Methods

This study enrolled 6,725 eligible participants from the U.S. population through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005–2020). Patients with DKD were defined as those with diabetes who had a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g and/or an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m². The OBS consists of 20 composite scores derived from dietary and lifestyle factors. To assess the potential relationship between OBS and DKD, weighted logistic regression and restricted cubic spline statistical approaches were employed.

Results

The risk of DKD was inversely correlated with OBS, dietary OBS, and lifestyle OBS (p < 0.05). Compared to the lowest quartile of OBS, the adjusted odds ratios (OR) for OBS, lifestyle OBS and dietary OBS, and DKD in the highest quartile were 0.58 (95% CI: 0.48–0.70), 0.64 (95% CI: 0.51–0.81), and 0.57 (95% CI: 0.46–0.70), respectively. A substantial nonlinear relationship between lifestyle OBS and DKD was identified using the RCS curve (p for nonlinearity = 0.0081), which appeared as an inverted ‘L’ shape. Using the two-piecewise logistic regression model, a turning point in lifestyle OBS was identified at a score of 3 (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Among the American population, OBS and DKD are significantly negatively correlated, suggesting that maintaining a higher OBS may reduce the risk of developing DKD.
Evaluating optic system compression in sellar tumors: A novel application of quantitative pupillometry
Authors: Lenga Pavlina , Grutza Martin , Kühlwein Daniel , Walter Johannes , Krieg Sandro M. , Beynon Christopher
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Tumorous growths in the sellar region pose significant clinical challenges due to their proximity to critical visual structures such as the optic chiasm and optic nerves. Given their proximity to the optic system, these tumors are often diagnosed due to a progressive decrease in visual acuity. Thus, surgical intervention is crucial to prevent irreversible damage, as timely decompression can halt the progression of edema and subsequent optic atrophy. Although Quantitative Pupillometry (QP) has been employed in various clinical settings, its application in patients with sellar region neoplasms remains unexplored. This study aims to evaluate the utility of QP to enhance treatment approaches in patients undergoing surgical resection of these tumors.

Methods

Pupillometry assessments were conducted prospectively using the automated NPi 200® Pupillometer on 45 patients who underwent surgical resection of tumors in the sellar region at our institution. The Neurological Pupil Index (NPi) was measured pre- and post-operatively, with a focus on correlations with visual acuity and tumor volume. Concurrently, MRI findings were analyzed to assess optic chiasm compression.

Results

Of the patients, 73.3% were diagnosed with pituitary tumors, 22.2% with tuberculum sellae meningiomas, and 4.4% with craniopharyngiomas. 66.7% of patients presented with decreased visual acuity, and 42.2% demonstrated paresis of the third cranial nerve (CN III). Compression of the optic chiasm was noted in 55.6% of cases. Patients with visual disturbances and CN III paresis exhibited significantly reduced NPi scores compared to unaffected individuals. In patients with pituitary adenomas, pathological NPIs were observed exclusively in cases of optic chiasm compression; compression of cranial nerve III (CN III) did not significantly affect the NPIs. Conversely, in patients with tuberculum sellae meningiomas, pathological NPIs were associated specifically with CN III compression, while optic chiasm compression tended to show a difference, however the results are not significant. Postoperatively, NPi values normalized among those who had presented with decreased visual acuity.

Conclusions

This study contributes to the field of skull base surgery by evaluating the utility of QP as a diagnostic tool for neurological assessment in patients with sellar region tumors. The findings suggest that QP may help in assessing the extent of tumor-related compression on the optic system. It particularly points to differences in the effects of optic chiasm and CN III compression, with observed variations in NPI scores corresponding to the type of compression in specific tumors, such as pituitary adenomas and tuberculum sellae meningiomas. By providing rapid and non-invasive assessments, QP supports enhanced correlation with clinical and radiological evaluations, potentially improving targeted interventions for these complex conditions.
International web-based survey of patients with non-hydrocephalic symptomatic pineal cysts
Authors: Harding Jessica , Masina Riccardo , Hill Anna , Ansanipour Ali , Steele Amber , Kolias Angelos , Santarius Thomas
Published: December 2024

Objectives

To report the results of an international patient-reported survey that adds to the growing body of evidence surrounding the role of surgery in the management of a subset of patients with non-hydrocephalic symptomatic pineal cyst.

Design

An international web-based survey of health outcomes in patients with nhSPC.

Subjects

All survey participants who self-reported a diagnosis of symptomatic pineal cyst without hydrocephalus after radiological imaging.

Methods

The survey was developed in collaboration with the patient group Pineal Cyst UK. It was publicised and distributed via several online platforms and social media. Data collected included demographics, cyst size, symptom frequency and severity, number of appointments with healthcare professionals, treatment options trialled, and whether patients underwent surgery.

Results

543 participants (mean age 38.6 years, range 1–83) were included in the analysis, of which 82 (mean age 38.9 years, range 16–72) had undergone cyst resection. After a median period of 18.3 months between date of surgery and date of questionnaire completion, 72 (90%) of the surgical cohort reported overall improvement, and all symptoms improved overall, whereas no symptoms improved overall in the non-surgical cohort. Of the non-surgical cohort (n = 461), 269 participants received some form of conservative treatment, of whom 194 (72.1%) did not experience symptom improvement on any treatment offered.

Conclusions

A cohort of patients with nhSPC who participated in this international survey reports substantial and durable improvement in symptom severity and quality of life after pineal cyst resection.
Iron–sulfur cluster redox chemistry and dimer dissociation in the outer mitochondrial membrane protein, mitoNEET
Authors: Chaudhry Kanita A. , Rajanayake Krishani K. , Carroll Richard T. , Isailovic Dragan , Funk Max O.
Published: December 2024

The outer mitochondrial membrane protein known as mitoNEET was discovered when it was labeled by a photoaffinity derivative of the anti-diabetes medication, pioglitazone. The biological role for mitoNEET and its specific mechanism for achieving this remains an active subject for research. There is accumulating evidence suggesting that mitoNEET could be a component of mitochondrial FeS cofactor biogenesis. The protein was composed of an N-terminal membrane associated domain and a C-terminal domain oriented to the cytosol. The cytosolic domain was an iron–sulfur (2Fe–2S) metalloprotein with a rare 3Cys/1His coordination environment. It was previously reported that mitoNEET formed dimers that were remarkably sensitive to pH, likely a consequence of the protonation of the single His-iron ligand. The hypothesis pursued in the research reported here was that perhaps the dissociation of mitoNEET was also sensitive to the redox state of the iron sulfur cluster. To use native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI–MS) to monitor the reduction reaction ammonium dithionite was envisioned as the appropriate reagent to avoid sodium ion adduct formation from sodium dithionite. The preparation of ammonium dithionite was updated and the compound had the same properties as the sodium salt with redox dyes and the oxidized form of glutathione. The dissociation of mitoNEET treated with ammonium dithionite anaerobically was readily evident as ammonium dithionite was found to be compatible with redox chemistry evaluated by native ESI–MS.

Graphical abstract
The digest framework: concurrency-sensitivity for abstract interpretation
Authors: Schwarz Michael , Erhard Julian
Published: December 2024

Thread-modular approaches to static analysis help mitigate the state space explosion encountered when analyzing multi-threaded programs. This is enabled by abstracting away some aspects of interactions between threads. We propose the notion of concurrency-sensitivity, which determines how an analysis takes the computation history of a multi-threaded program into account to exclude spurious thread interactions. Just as for other form of sensitivity, such as flow-, context, and path-sensitivity, there is a trade-off to be made between precision and scalability. The choice of concurrency-sensitivity is typically hard-coded into the analysis. However, the suitability of a chosen sensitivity hinges on the program and property to be analyzed. We thus propose to decouple the concurrency-sensitivity from the analysis and realize this in a generic framework. The framework allows for the seamless incorporation of custom abstractions of the computation history of a thread, so-called digests, to exclude spurious thread interactions. While concrete digests track properties precisely, the framework enables further abstraction through abstract digests. These may decrease analysis cost while hopefully retaining precision for the property of interest. We propose digests that, e.g., track held mutexes, thread IDs, or observed events. Digests tailored to programming language features, such as condition variables or recursive mutexes, highlight the framework’s versatility.
Pressure-improved Scott–Vogelius type elements
Authors: Bohne Nis-Erik , Gräßle Benedikt , Sauter Stefan A.
Published: December 2024

The Scott–Vogelius element is a popular finite element for the discretization of the Stokes equations which enjoys inf-sup stability and gives divergence-free velocity approximations. However, it is well known that the convergence rates for the discrete pressure deteriorate in the presence of certain critical vertices in a triangulation of the domain. Modifications of the Scott–Vogelius element such as the recently introduced pressure-wired Stokes element also suffer from this effect. In this paper we introduce a simple modification strategy for these pressure spaces that preserves the inf-sup stability while the pressure converges at an optimal rate.
Fatal dengue virus infection in an unvaccinated traveler
Authors: Steinke Jonathan , Di Cristanziano Veronica , Naendrup Jan-Hendrik , Cadar Dániel , Gabriel Martin , Grosser Roger , Sieg Noëlle , Altenrath Lisa , Welters Jesko , Simonis Alexander , Sprute Rosanne , Garcia Borrega Jorge , Steger Gertrud , Schmidt-Chanasit Jonas , Shimabukuro-Vornhagen Alexander , Gruell Henning
Published: December 2024

Dengue is an increasing threat to individuals living in or visiting endemic countries. Effective vaccines have become available, but their use in travelers is typically only recommended to individuals with documented prior infection. We present a fatal case of severe dengue in an unvaccinated traveler without known prior dengue virus infection but longitudinal serologic and molecular evidence for secondary infection. In the context of this case and vaccination guidance for travelers, we discuss pre-vaccination screening, potential implications for travelers to regions with ongoing outbreaks, and emphasize the importance of serostatus-independent vaccines.
Representations of the Super-Yangian of Type D(n, m)
Authors: Molev A. I.
Published: December 2024

We consider the classification problem for finite-dimensional irreducible representations of the Yangians associated with the orthosymplectic Lie superalgebras $$\mathfrak {osp}_{2n|2m}$$

osp

2
n
|
2
m

with $$n\geqslant 2$$

n
⩾
2

. We give necessary conditions for an irreducible highest weight representation to be finite-dimensional. We conjecture that these conditions are also sufficient and prove the conjecture for a class of representations with linear highest weights. The arguments are based on a new type of odd reflections for the Yangian associated with $$\mathfrak {osp}_{2|2}$$

osp

2
|
2

. In the Appendix, we construct an isomorphism between the Yangians associated with the Lie superalgebras $$\mathfrak {osp}_{2|2}$$

osp

2
|
2

and $$\mathfrak {gl}_{1|2}$$

gl

1
|
2

.
Lost in Translation: The Conceptual Drift from the Identity Status Interview to Questionnaire Measures
Authors: Carlsson Johanna , Wängqvist Maria , Syed Moin , Frisén Ann
Published: December 2024

The identity status model (Marcia et al., J Pers Soc Psychol 3:551--558, 1966)
is a widely used framework for identity research in adolescence and adulthood. This paper explores the conceptual and empirical relations between two identity status assessments – the identity status interview (Marcia et al., in Ego identity, Springer, New York, 1993) and the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS; Luyckx et al. in J Res Person, 42:58–82, 2008) ). Study 1 was a systematic review of studies that have statistically derived identity statuses based on the DIDS (k = 42 samples), revealing pronounced inconsistencies in the meaning and interpretations in the classifications. Study 2 examined the factor structure of the DIDS across three Swedish samples (N = 429), and then in a subsample of 123 young adults examined correspondence between the DIDS and the identity status interview. Although there were the expected correlations between commitment and exploration processes using the two methods, when the DIDS processes were plotted over the identity statuses as assessed in the identity status interview, expected relations were only detected for the moratorium status, and not for identity achievement, foreclosure, or diffusion. Together, our findings show that aside from the intentional changes made from Marcia’s identity status model to the dual-cycle model, there have been what appear to be a less intentional drift in the definition and operationalization of the core constructs shared by the two models. The findings highlight the need to keep the complexity in identity research, as the risk of getting lost in translation in measurement development is apparent.
Finding the Connections: A Scoping Review of Epistemic Network Analysis in Science Education
Authors: Reid Joshua W. , Parrish Jennifer , Syed Shifath Bin , Couch Brock
Published: December 2024

As science education scholars learn more about how people learn, instructors have begun to shift from teaching science as lists of facts and asking students to synthesize ideas into cognitive models or networks. Therefore, the methodologies we use to understand students’ and instructors’ ways of knowing need to capture this complexity. Within education, one methodology that has emerged to capture this complexity is epistemic network analysis (ENA). ENA is a potentially useful tool for understanding connections between people’s ideas and cognitive constructs. Because of its mixed methods approach, ENA is able to provide the depth of qualitative analysis and allow synthesis and comparison across large quantities of data. In this review, we present findings from a scoping literature review of ENA in science education. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 framework, we extracted data from 19 articles. This data consisted of both context-related variables (i.e., disciplinary field) and application-based variables (i.e., theoretical frameworks, research design). Finally, we discuss the findings from this review and their implications for science education.
In situ analysis of magnesium ([NH4]2Mg[CO3]2·4H2O), copper ([NH3]2Cu(CO3)), and zinc ((NH3)Zn(CO3)) ammonium carbonate thermal properties
Authors: Ammar Mohamed , Dambrauskas Tadas , Parvin Sahanaz , Gonzalez‐Casamachin Diego Alexander , Baltakys Kestutis , Baltrusaitis Jonas
Published: December 2024

Three metal ammonium (ammonia) carbonate double salts were mechanochemically synthesized including magnesium ammonium carbonate ([NH4]2Mg[CO3]2·4H2O, MAC), copper ammonium carbonate ([NH3]2Cu(CO3), CAC), and zinc ammonium carbonate ((NH3)Zn(CO3), ZAC), and their crystallinity and thermal stability were investigated using in situ X-ray diffraction. The crystal structures were investigated in the temperature interval from 25 to 355 °C. MAC exhibited relatively low thermal stability with its crystal structure rapidly losing crystalline water as well as ammonium ions already at 85 °C and transforming into an amorphous carbonate, as confirmed by in situ infrared spectroscopy. CAC and ZAC exhibited loss of the corresponding NH3 at much higher temperatures transforming into a mixture of the corresponding metal oxides according to the XRD with the outer layer of the carbonate, as suggested by infrared spectroscopy measurements. The thermogravimetric analysis has been carried out to investigate the thermal degradation behavior. Initial fast mass loss was observed in the parent [NH4]2CO3 already under 100 °C with complex mass loss patterns from basic carbonate precursors achieving stable mass at above 500 °C for magnesium carbonate. CAC and ZAC inherited intermediate responses to temperature when compared to the precursors exhibiting stable mass at ~ 300 °C. This can be associated with the distinct crystal structure of the compounds whereby CAC and ZAC exhibit strong bonds with metal ions, while in MAC crystalline water contributes to lower stability of the crystal as well as the loosely bound ammonium ion. Infrared spectra were obtained and interpreted at room temperature followed by their in situ thermal analysis up to 250 °C in attenuated total reflection mode. Changes in the complex room temperature spectra with increasing temperature were interpreted as loss of N–H bonds, as confirmed by the concurrent decrease in the 3350–3000 and 1248 cm−1 band region. It was found that ZAC was the most thermally stable compound among the three double salts. The thermal data obtained in this work have practical implications for nutrient recovery and their release in the environment.
Minimum reduced-order models via causal inference
Authors: Chen Nan , Liu Honghu
Published: December 2024

Constructing sparse, effective reduced-order models (ROMs) for high-dimensional dynamical data is an active area of research in applied sciences. In this work, we study an efficient approach to identifying such sparse ROMs using an information-theoretic indicator called causation entropy. Given a feature library of possible building block terms for the sought ROMs, the causation entropy ranks the importance of each term to the dynamics conveyed by the training data before a parameter estimation procedure is performed. It thus allows for an efficient construction of a hierarchy of ROMs with varying degrees of sparsity to effectively handle different tasks. This article examines the ability of the causation entropy to identify skillful sparse ROMs when a relatively high-dimensional ROM is required to emulate the dynamics conveyed by the training dataset. We demonstrate that a Gaussian approximation of the causation entropy still performs exceptionally well even in presence of highly non-Gaussian statistics. Such approximations provide an efficient way to access the otherwise hard to compute causation entropies when the selected feature library contains a large number of candidate functions. Besides recovering long-term statistics, we also demonstrate good performance of the obtained ROMs in recovering unobserved dynamics via data assimilation with partial observations, a test that has not been done before for causation-based ROMs of partial differential equations. The paradigmatic Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation placed in a chaotic regime with highly skewed, multimodal statistics is utilized for these purposes.
Competitive Price Discrimination in Asymmetric Oligopoly
Authors: Rhee Ki-Eun
Published: December 2024

Segmentation seldom results in symmetric market demands in the real world. We allow the demands in the segmented markets to exhibit asymmetric market characteristics across firms as well as markets, and study the effects of asymmetries on equilibrium prices and profits under price discrimination. Using a standard linear demand system for differentiated oligopolies, we show that both best-response symmetry and best-response asymmetry can arise—dependent on the parameter values. Distinguishing between inter-market and inter-firm parameter asymmetries, we find that the former is consequential in determining equilibrium price rankings as well as best-response (a)symmetries, while the latter controls the overall competitiveness of a segmented market and thus influences equilibrium profits. We also find that profits tend to increase with strong asymmetries, which results in enhanced profits with discrimination under the environments of best-response asymmetry. This result highlights the importance of a market expansion effect that is often overlooked in the best-response asymmetry literature that employs a unit-demand Hotelling structure.
Help-Seeking and Disclosure in University Students with Suicidal Thoughts and Self-Harm: A Systematic Review
Authors: Barnett Phoebe , Tickell Alice , Osborn Thomas , Delamain Henry , Fonagy Peter , Pilling Stephen , Gibbon Laura
Published: December 2024

Suicide is a serious problem among university students. As suicidal thoughts and self-harm are predictive of completed suicide, students experiencing these problems would benefit from seeking support. This systematic review synthesised research on help-seeking in university students with suicidal thoughts and self-harm, including rates, sources, and associated factors. Searches were conducted in Medline, PsychINFO, and ERIC (inception to 10/11/2023) and grey literature databases PsycEXTRA and BASE (inception to 23/12/2023) for population-based epidemiological or qualitative studies. Findings were narratively synthesised. Twenty-two studies using 16 unique datasets were included. Most studies were US-based. Over half of the students with suicidal thoughts and self-harm did not seek or receive help for their mental health while at university, with lower rates in men and ethnic minority groups. Demographic, social and service-use influencing factors were identified. The low rates of help-seeking identified in this at-risk group highlight the need for research into interventions to improve help-seeking as part of suicide prevention efforts.
Laparoscopic Reversal of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass with Hand-Sewn Gastro-Gastrostomy and Resection of the Alimentary Limb
Authors: Gero Daniel , Hawkins William , Pring Christopher , Slater Guy
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) reversal might be necessary to alleviate refractory surgical or nutritional complications, such as postprandial hypoglycemia, malnutrition, marginal ulceration, malabsorption, chronic diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, chronic pain, or excessive weight loss. The surgical technique of RYGB reversal is not standardized; potential strategies include the following: (1) gastro-gastrostomy: hand-sewn technique, linear stapler, circular stapler; (2) handling of the Roux limb: reconnection or resection (if remaining intestinal length ≥ 4 m).

Case Presentation

We demonstrate the surgical technique of a laparoscopic reversal of RYGB with hand-sewn gastro-gastrostomy and resection of the alimentary limb with the aim of improving the patient’s quality of life. The gastric pouch is horizontally divided proximal to the previous staple line. A hand-sewn end to end anastomosis is created between the distal gastric pouch and the horizontal part of the gastric remnant adjacent to the lesser curve. The posterior wall is sutured in two layers. The anterior layer is closed with continuous 3-0 PDS full-thickness stitches over a 36-French oro-gastric calibration bougie. After evaluation of intestinal limbs and ruling out of hernial defects, the alimentary limb is divided just above the jejuno-jejunal Roux-anastomosis and is resected.

Conclusion

Reversal of RYGB is a precious treatment option for otherwise unmanageable postbariatric complications in well-selected cases. The operation should be performed in high volume bariatric centers after multidisciplinary patient preparation. The early and late complications of the reversal are higher than the rates seen in primary MBS; therefore, patients should be informed and monitored accordingly to ensure the best achievable outcomes.
Identifying adolescents’ victimization experiences: a latent profile analysis approach
Authors: Peras Igor , Pivec Tina , Kališnik Anja , Košir Katja
Published: December 2024

This study investigates the profiles of students involved in different forms of victimization using a person-centered approach. It examines the associated psychosocial characteristics, including bullying perpetration, peer support, self-perceived personality, loneliness, social self-concept, and negative affect. A sample of 2081 students (59% girls; Mage = 15.49, SD = 1.51) was analyzed. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified three distinct profiles based on experiences of verbal, relational, and cyber victimization: nonvictims (89.8%), moderate victims (5.3%), and severe victims (4.9%). The analysis revealed significant differences among the profiles, with severe victims exhibiting the poorest psychosocial outcomes, characterized by high levels of loneliness, negative affect, and poor social self-concept. Moderate victims showed similarities to nonvictims in most characteristics, yet their role in bullying perpetration suggests they might be bully-victims. Nonvictims demonstrated the most favorable psychosocial profile. These findings indicate that victimization experiences are heterogeneous, with severe victims being the most negatively impacted. The study highlights the importance of differentiating between levels of victimization in research and practice to better address the needs of affected students. Future research should further explore the nuanced roles of moderate victims and the implications for intervention strategies.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Management and Outcomes
Authors: Ilonze Onyedika J. , Mazimba Sula
Published: December 2024

Purpose of Review

This review discusses the state of racial and ethnic inequities in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) focusing on disease burden, risk factors, management, and outcomes. The review also highlights an implementation science-based framework for alleviating disparities and improving quality equitable care.

Recent Findings

HFpEF is common, underdiagnosed, and characterized by uneven distribution of risk factors across racial and ethnic groups. Modest advances in HFpEF therapeutic agents have been made recently but access may be suboptimal in minoritized racial and ethnic groups. Phenocopies of HFpEF are also increasingly being recognized in Black populations.

Despite recent advances in understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment, HFpEF remains under-recognized in Black and Hispanic patients. Racial and ethnic inequities undergird disparities across the continuum of HFpEF care from access to specialized cardiovascular care to the utilization of guideline-directed therapies. Sodium-glucose cotransport 2 inhibitors are effective in HFpEF but are underutilized in minoritized racial and ethnic groups. There is a need for increased diagnostic certainty of phenocopies of HFpEF such as cardiac amyloidosis and hypertensive heart disease. Multi-pronged strategic interventions are critically needed to decrease racial and ethnic disparities across the HFpEF care continuum and foster improved outcomes for all patients.

Key points

•Racial and ethnic disparities in heart failure including HFpEF are widely prevalent and influence adverse outcomes.

• Underdiagnosis of HFpEF is a common diagnostic challenge often encountered clinically as “unexplained dyspnea”.

• Biological factors (such as low levels of brain natriuretic peptide in African Americans) and other operational factors such as the application of clinical risk scores derived from non-diverse cohorts may diminish ascertainment of HFpEF diagnosis in African American patients.

• Phenocopies of HFpEF such as infiltrative cardiomyopathies, hypertensive heart disease, and/or HCM need to be considered in the diagnostic schema of unexplained dyspnea.

• Guideline-directed pharmacologic therapy and cardiac rehabilitation are generally underutilized in racial and ethnic minority groups.

• Implementation science-based approaches that incorporate social determinants of health are required to achieve health equity and optimize HFpEF care.
Design study of a camera system for Earth observation as a payload on the small satellite ROMEO
Authors: Starzmann Dominik , Loeffler Thorben , Petri Jona , Bargiel Damian , Eidmann David , Denk Michael , Conrad Christopher , Klinkner Sabine
Published: December 2024

The importance of a safe food supply has increased due to climate change and its consequences. The number and severity of floods, droughts and plant diseases are rising which causes massive crop failures. Early and precise detection of plant diseases can lower crop failures as it enables early containment. Moreover, it promotes the targeted use of pesticides to protect the biodiversity. Satellite sensors improve the detection of plant diseases by enabling frequent and extensive vegetation observation. Hence, we present the design of a camera system for Earth observation on small satellites with a focus on the detection of plant diseases. The disease detection of sugar beets was chosen as the primary objective due to their importance for the German agriculture. This work is divided into two parts. First, the spectra of sugar beets are analyzed to determine spectral channels for a camera system. Second, a camera system is defined to capture spectral information within the previously defined wavelength ranges. The spectra of healthy and diseased sugar beets were measured in fields for agricultural research in Central Germany using a portable spectroradiometer. The investigated diseases are Cercospora leaf spot and virus yellows, which are among the most important pathogens worldwide. Based on the measured data, the so-called Normalized Difference Sugar Beet Index (NDSBI) is defined, which is a custom index to detect these diseases. We can prove that this index enables more precise detection of these sugar beet diseases than existing indices like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The camera system is designed as a payload for the small satellite Research and Observation in Medium Earth Orbit (ROMEO), which is being developed at the University of Stuttgart’s (US) Institute of Space Systems (IRS). The proposed design fulfills the high radiation requirements as well as the system constraints of mass and volume. Three different options for the camera system are developed: two designs for the development at the US, one with lens optics and one with mirror optics, and an adjusted commercial camera system. All defined camera systems permit the measurement of the NDSBI to precisely detect sugar beet diseases.
Mineralogy and geochemistry of sands from Playa las Golondrinas, Puerto Rico: an approach to establishing a geogenic background
Authors: Allen Audrey , McLeod Claire L. , Velázquez Santana Liannie C. , Zimmerer Maddy , Lytle Marion L. , Krekeler Ethan , Amick Will , Tegge Jonathan , Ventura-Valentín Wilnelly , Vest Jordan , O’Connor Abigale , Shaulis Barry , Stitle Landon , Snell Spencer , Krekeler Mark P. S.
Published: December 2024

Sands from the dune, berm, and shore environments at Playa las Golondrinas (18° 30′ 51″ N, 67° 3′ 26″) were investigated to explore how beach sands could be applied as a potential environmental (geogenic) background for the local region. Grain size is dominantly unimodal classifying as fine to medium sand. Hydraulic conductivity values range from 1.07 cm/s (berm) to 1.49 cm/s (shoreface). Sample mineralogy as constrained by X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals a dominance of quartz and feldspar with minor Mg-calcite, pyroxene, and olivine. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) support XRD data and indicate the presence of oxide-bearing lithic fragments in addition to biologic materials (e.g., corals. forams). Reflective spectra are consistent with XRD and microscopy. Bulk element concentrations determined using inductively coupled plasma—mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are consistent with derivation from the arc-related rocks of Puerto Rico’s interior exhibiting LILE enrichment, Pb-enrichment, and associated Nb–Ta depletion. The majority of the bulk elemental concentrations are below those of average upper continental crust (UCC) values and element co-variation trends (e.g., wt. % Fe2O3 vs. As) are interpreted as geogenic in origin. Berm sands are enriched in Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr, V, and As compared to dune and shore samples and this signature is interpreted as being from a wind-driven winnowing effect. The exact form of As (As3+ or As5+) remains unconstrained and thus it is unknown if As is mobile in this environment. Reflective spectra, supported by grain size, mineralogy, and bulk chemistry, enables future remote sensing investigations by providing detailed constraints on sand in environmentally sensitive areas. This study therefore provides local context for metal pollution studies across the region.
Transfer learning for linear regression with differential privacy
Authors: Hou Yiming , Song Yunquan , Wang Zhijian
Published: December 2024

Transfer learning, as a machine learning approach to enhance model generalization, has found widespread applications across various domains. However, the risk of privacy leakage during the transfer process remains a crucial consideration. Differential privacy, with its rigorous mathematical foundations, has been proven to offer consistent and robust privacy protection. This study delves into the problem of linear regression transfer learning under differential privacy and, on this basis, proposes a novel strategy incorporating prior information as a constraint to further enhance model performance and stability. In scenarios where the transferable source is known, a two-step transfer learning algorithm incorporating prior information is proposed. This approach leverages prior knowledge to effectively constrain the model parameters, ensuring that the solution space remains reasonable throughout the transfer process. For cases where transferable sources are unknown, a non-algorithmic, cross-validation-based method for transferable source detection is introduced to mitigate adverse impacts stemming from non-informative sources. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms is validated through simulations and real-world data experiments.
Decoupling Relationship Analysis Between Carbon Emissions and Industry Development of Urban Rail Transit in China
Authors: Yang Rong , Song Minhua , Guo Xuemeng , Hu Xiaoyi
Published: December 2024

As the scale of development continues to expand, carbon emissions of urban rail transit (URT) in China have gradually increased each year, posing certain pressure on the carbon emission reduction efforts in the URT industry. To evaluate the current status of low-carbon development in the URT industry, this paper first constructs an annual carbon emission accounting model for URT that considers both the construction and operation processes. Based on this model, the annual carbon emissions of URT in China from 2015 to 2023 are calculated. Furthermore, based on decoupling theory, the relationship between carbon emissions and industry development in URT is explored from both the construction and operation aspects. The results show that: (1) From 2015 to 2023, the total carbon emissions of URT in China increased significantly from 14.425 million tons to 24.7072 million tons. The proportion of carbon emissions from construction is higher during the study period, but the growth rate of carbon emissions from operation is faster. (2) The order of carbon emissions from URT in different regions from largest to smallest is: East > West > Central > Northeast. (3) During the study period, the carbon emissions from URT construction in China were weakly decoupled from the operational lines. (4) There was an expansive coupling relationship between carbon emissions from URT operation and passenger transport turnover in China. These findings can provide some guidance for the sustainable development of the URT industry.
DTIA: Disruptive Text-Image Alignment for Countering Text-to-Image Diffusion Model Personalization
Authors: Gao Ya , Yang Jing , Wu Minghui , Zhao Chenxu , Su Anyang , Song Jie , Yu Zitong
Published: December 2024

Personalized content synthesis technologies based on diffusion models have achieved significant breakthroughs, allowing for the creation of specific images from just a few reference photos. However, when these technologies are used to create fake news or unsettling content targeting individuals, they pose a substantial risk to society. To address this issue, current methods generate adversarial samples by adversarially maximizing the training loss, thus disrupting any personalized generation model trained with these samples. However, these methods are not efficient and do not fully consider the intrinsic mechanisms of successful personalization attacks. In this paper, we introduce an innovative Disruptive Text-Image Alignment (DTIA) framework. Based on the analysis that existing methods succeed in their attacks due to an overfitting of text to noise, which results in inaccurate face information matching, we have designed a Text-Image Mis-Match Attack framework. This framework aims to disrupt the model’s learning of associations between input faces and specific texts, thereby reducing unnecessary computational load. We also studied how the choice of timestep in diffusion models affects adversarial attacks and proposed a step schedule strategy to enhance algorithm efficiency. Extensive experiments on facial benchmarks have demonstrated that our DTIA framework not only disrupts personalized generation models but also significantly improves model efficiency.