bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A method for cleaning of used disposable plastic parts from automated RNA extraction system
Authors: Kumar Awanish , Shamni Ofer , Peretz Ayelet , Magenheim Judith , Klochendler Agnes , Fridlich Ori , Neiman Daniel , Oiknine‐Djian Esther , Vorontsov Olesya , Sido Tal , Wolf Dana G. , Dor Yuval , Domb Abraham J.
Published: October 2023

During the first wave of COVID‐19 worldwide pandemic, the number of testing in Israel was severely affected by the shortage of reagents and consumables required to operate the instrument performing the sample extraction before the reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), namely QIAsymphony instrument (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). We aimed to develop an assay to clean used plastic ware parts while maintaining the reliability and reproducibility of the RT‐PCR testing. Wells, rods cover, and tips used by the QIAsymphony instrument were washed using distilled water, 3% sodium hypochlorite or sodium hydroxide 0.01 M solutions, followed by an additional wash using distilled water and eventually using 3% hydrogen peroxide or ethanol solution. Following overnight drying, the cleaned parts were installed in the QIAsymphony instrument, and the reliability of the results was compared to the set of samples that were analyzed using a new plastic ware. The results of reusing the cleaned sets of consumables were comparable to those of the new sets.
Successful use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for life‐threatening macrophage activation syndrome after treatment with tocilizumab in an systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis patient
Authors: Yang Xi , Chen Yingfu , Dai Rongxin , An Yunfei , Yan Xin , Zhao Xiaodong , Tang Xuemei
Published: October 2023

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a rare, potentially life‐threatening condition in rheumatic diseases. The primary treatments consist of high‐dose corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs, although more recently, cytokine inhibitors like anakinra or tocilizumab (TCZ) have been reported. We present a case of a child with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA). After receiving a single infusion of TCZ, the child developed progressive hypoxia and was subsequently transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) after 4 days. An immediate postintubation chest X‐ray revealed a diffuse exudative lesion. Despite continuous efforts to provide mechanical ventilation and respiratory support, the patient's oxygen saturation continued to decline. Moreover, the patient developed hemodynamic compromise, necessitating the administration of norepinephrine. Eventually, vasopressin and dopamine were added to maintain stable hemodynamics. After an intensive but ineffective treatment, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was initiated in the PICU after 16 h. The patient successfully recovered and was weaned off ECMO support after 60 h. Following discharge from the PICU, given the severe refractory clinical features, we made an attempt to readminister TCZ treatment. However, within half an hour of TCZ infusion, the patient experienced anaphylaxis characterized by palpitations and chest tightness, leading to the discontinuation of TCZ. TCZ, as a biological agent, is commonly used in the treatment of sJIA. Nonetheless, the occurrence of MAS and anaphylaxis following TCZ administration for sJIA may be more prevalent than previously recognized. Pediatric rheumatologists should exercise caution when initiating TCZ for active sJIA. Furthermore, we want to underscore the importance of life‐saving techniques such as ECMO for sJIA patients in emergency situations.
Physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic model to predict doxorubicin and paclitaxel exposure in infants through breast milk
Authors: Damoiseaux David , Amant Frédéric , Beijnen Jos H. , Barnett Shelby , Veal Gareth J. , Huitema Alwin D. R. , Dorlo Thomas P. C.
Published: October 2023

Limited information is available concerning infant exposure and safety when breastfed by mothers receiving chemotherapy. Whereas defining distribution to breast milk is important to infer drug exposure, infant pharmacokinetics also determine to what extent the infant will be exposed to potential toxic effects. We aimed to assess the impact of chemotherapy containing breast milk on infants by predicting systemic and local (intestinal) exposure of paclitaxel and doxorubicin in infants through breast milk using a physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) approach. Whole‐body PBPK models of i.v. paclitaxel and doxorubicin were extended from the literature, with an oral absorption component to enable predictions in infants receiving paclitaxel or doxorubicin‐containing breast milk. For safety considerations, worst‐case scenarios were explored. Finally, paclitaxel and doxorubicin exposures in plasma and intestinal tissue of infants following feeding of breast milk from paclitaxel‐ or doxorubicin‐treated mothers were simulated and breast milk discarding strategies were evaluated. The upper 95th percentile of the predicted peak concentrations in peripheral venous blood were 3.48 and 0.74 nM (0.4%–1.7% and 0.1%–1.8% of on‐treatment) for paclitaxel and doxorubicin, respectively. Intestinal exposure reached peak concentrations of 1.0 and 140 μM for paclitaxel and doxorubicin, respectively. Discarding breast milk for the first 3 days after maternal chemotherapy administration reduced systemic and tissue exposures even further, to over 90% and 80% for paclitaxel and doxorubicin, respectively. PBPK simulations of chemotherapy exposure in infants after breastfeeding with chemotherapy containing breast milk suggest that particularly local gastrointestinal adverse events should be monitored, whereas systemic adverse events are not expected.
Microfluidic Printing of Vertically‐Oriented Nanosheets/MOFs Hetero‐Interface for Intensive Pseudocapacitive Storage
Authors: Yu Xude , Liu Hengyuan , Ling Sida , Wu Xingjiang , Lian Cheng , Xu Jianhong
Published: October 2023

Efficient manufacture of electroactive vertically‐oriented nanosheets with enhanced electrolyte mass diffusion and strong interfacial redox dynamics is critical for realizing high energy density of miniature supercapacitor (SC), but still challenging. Herein, microfluidic droplet printing is developed to controllably construct vertically‐oriented graphene/ZIF‐67 hetero‐microsphere (VAGS/ZIF‐67), where the ZIF‐67 is coordinately grown on vertically‐oriented graphene framework via Co─O─C bonds. The VAGS/ZIF‐67 shows ordered porous channel, high electroactivity and strong interfacial interaction, providing rapid electrolyte diffusion dynamics and high faradaic capacitance in KOH solution (1674 F g−1, 1004 C g−1), which are verified by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and density functional theory (DFT). Moreover, the VAGS/ZIF‐67 based SC exhibits large energy density (100 Wh kg−1), excellent durability (10 000 cycles and high/low temperature), and robust power‐supply applications in portable electronics.
Single Multifunctional Nanocabinets‐Based Target‐Activated Feedback for Simultaneously Precise Monitoring and Therapy
Authors: Li Binxiao , Lu Yanwei , Huang Xuedong , Ning Yujun , Shi Qian , Liu Jianwei , Liu Baohong
Published: October 2023

Stimulus‐responsive mode is highly desirable for improving the precise monitoring and physiological efficacy of endogenous biomarkers (EB). However, its integrated application for visual detection and therapy is limited by inappropriate use of responsive triggers and poor delivery of EB signal‐transducing agents, which remain challenging in simultaneous monitoring and noninvasive therapy of EB and EB‐mediated pathological events. Target microRNA (miRNA) as controllable reaction triggers and DNAzyme as signal‐transducing agent are proposed to develop target‐stimulated multifunctional nanocabinets (MFNCs) for the visual tracking of both miRNA and miRNA‐mediated anticancer events. The MFNCs, equipped with a target‐discriminating sequence‐incorporated DNAzyme motif, can specifically release therapeutic molecules through target‐triggered conformational switches, accompanied by transduction signal output. Target detection and molecule release performance are recorded in parallel via reverse dual‐signal feedback at the single‐molecule level. In addition, the intrinsic thermal‐replenishing of the MFNCs leads to tumor ablation without invasive exogenous aids. The system achieves visual target quantification, anticancer molecule real‐time tracking, and tumor suppression in vivo and in vitro. This work proposes a new paradigm for precise visual exploration of EB or EB‐mediated bio‐events and provides a demonstration of efficacious all‐in‐one detection and therapy based on the target‐triggered multifunctional nanosystem.
Improving fault localization via weighted execution graph and graph attention network
Authors: Yan Yue , Jiang Shujuan , Zhang Yanmei , Zhang Cheng
Published: October 2023

Software fault localization is commonly recognized as arduous and time consuming. Spectrum‐based fault localization (SBFL) has been widely used due to its lightness. However, the effectiveness of SBFL is limited since it only considers simple statistics on the coverage information, ignoring the tie problem that the spectrum matrixes of some statements are the same. Most existing deep learning‐based fault localization (DLFL) techniques convert the coverage information into a vector, which utilizes the spectrum in a simplified manner and still has limitations in practice. To solve the above problem, we propose an approach via the weighted execution graph and graph attention network (WEGAT). We use a graph structure to represent the coverage information between test cases and program elements. Then, we generate a weighted execution graph by applying the predicate execution sequence. Furthermore, we combine the weighted execution graph with the AST as an integrated graph, which is the input of the GAT for fault localization. We evaluate WEGAT in within‐project and cross‐project prediction scenarios on the Defects4J benchmark. Experimental results show that our approach outperforms traditional SBFL (Ochiai, DStar and Tarantula) and DLFL (TraPT, CNN‐FL, Grace, and AGFL) methods, effectively improving the accuracy of fault localization.
Mass ratio factor in control performance of optimum tuned liquid dampers
Authors: Ocak Ayla , Bekdaş Gebrail , Nigdeli Sinan Melih
Published: October 2023

Tuned liquid dampers provide structure control with the help of the liquid mass in tanks that are attached to the structure. The mass ratio affects the optimum tuned liquid damper (TLD) parameters. This study examines the effect of mass ratio on the control performance of TLD devices in providing seismic control of structures with different damping ratios. For this purpose, TLD devices with different mass ratios were placed on two different single‐story steel and reinforced concrete structure models, and their performance under earthquake excitation was investigated. TLD parameters for obtaining the optimum displacement level in the 0.5‐ and 1.0‐s structure natural period for both structure types were optimized with the Jaya algorithm (JA), which is a metaheuristic algorithm. By using the optimum TLD parameters, the structural displacement and total acceleration values were obtained by the critical earthquake analysis. When the results are examined, it is understood that TLD mass increase from a 20% mass ratio for both structure types and selected structure periods does not have a significant effect on TLD control performance.
Partnering for Success: Text and Peer Engagement During Paired Reading
Authors: Roberts Kathryn L. , Arya Poonam , Plond Kathleen K.
Published: October 2023

In this article we report the results and classroom implications of a qualitative study that explored third‐grade students' interactions with each other as they partner read. Participants included 10 students, each of whom engaged in three readings with a partner during recorded observations. All students had been taught structures for partner reading and numerous reading strategies by their classroom teacher. The transcripts of the readings were parsed, annotated with observational notes, and coded using descriptive phrases. Students' interactions with each other during the readings revealed that they are capable of productively using their time to support learning during partner reading and spend relatively little time off task and that their use of strategies varies with context (text interest, text difficulty, turn‐taking patterns). Classroom implications for these findings are discussed.
Everyone is welcome in our profession
Authors: Judson Anna
Published: October 2023

As Anna Judson steps into the role of BVA President, she explains her theme for the upcoming year and her ambition to create ‘a profession for everyone’.
NMR spectroscopic investigations on the successive implementation of nickel and zinc ions to a NacNac‐dibenzofuran‐Br ligand precursor
Authors: Krause Konstantin B. , Cula Beatrice , Dallmann André , Limberg Christian
Published: October 2023

The ligand precursor HNacNac‐dibenzofuran‐Br, LH, was synthesized by the condensation of 6‐bromo‐4‐dibenzofuranamine and 4‐(N‐(mesityl)amino)pent‐3‐en‐2‐one with the aim of preparing heterodinuclear nickel/zinc complexes in two successive steps. Reacting LH with Zn(HMDS)2, Zn(C6F5)2 and Zn(C2H5)2 led to the respective X‐Zn‐NacNac‐dibenzofuran‐Br complexes (X=HMDS (2), C6F5 (3), Et (4)). However, in case of 2 and 3 the subsequent treatment with Ni(COD)2/TMEDA did not lead to any conversion, probably as the steric bulk imposed by the NacNac‐Zn‐X entities was too high. 4 did react with Ni(COD)2/TMEDA, likely in the envisaged manner, but apparently the targeted product complex Et‐Zn‐NacNac‐dibenzofuran‐Ni(TMEDA)Br, once formed, immediately reacts further via a Negishi coupling reaction, so that Br‐Zn‐NacNac‐dibenzofuran‐Et (5) is formed. The reaction of 4 with triethylammonium bromide led to the formation of the Br‐Zn‐NacNac‐dibenzofuran‐Br (6) complex that could be reacted with Ni(COD)2/TMEDA successfully. All attempts to purify the product led to Zn(NacNac‐dibenzofuran‐Ni(TMEDA)Br)2, which is insoluble in THF and thus drives a dismutation reaction.
Identification of Causal Chains for Sustainable Tourism Development Within Two Chilean Patagonia National Parks: Cerro Castillo and Torres del Paine
Authors: Adiego Andrés , Vela-Ruiz Figueroa Germaynee , Repetto Giavelli Fiorella , Gale-Detrich Trace
Published: October 2023

The Austral Macrozone of ChileanPatagonia (Aysén and Magallanes Regions) is home to 80% of the total area of the 106 protected areas (PAs) of the National System of Wildlife Protected Areas (SNASPE), and many of its PAs are experiencing intense socio-environmental challenges related to the balance between effective conservation and growing tourism development, in the face of uncertainty and change. This chapter takes an in-depth look at the causal chains for sustainable tourism development within the Cerro Castillo and Torres del Paine National Parks, using Ante Mandić’s (Environ Syst Decis 40(4):560–576, 2020) conception of the Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, and Response (DPSIR) model for advancing the sustainability of PAs that are managing nature-based tourism growth. Outcomes of the study represent an important first step for developing a better understanding of the causal chains related to the economic, social, and environmental dynamics of tourism in PAs within Chilean Patagonia and validate the value of moving forward with Mandić’s (Environ Syst Decis 40(4):560–576, 2020) to advance understanding of tourism’s effects on their conservation and management and thus, improve their potential for sustainability.
Visual Dimensions of Conservation Landscapes: An Exploration of Patagonian Fjordic Landscapes from the Perspective of Prospective Chilean Tourists
Authors: Báez Montenegro Andrea , Gale-Detrich Trace , Rodríguez Laura
Published: October 2023

This chapter explores Chilean tourists’ valuation of tourism experiences in and around the Chilean village of Puyuhuapi. In 2020, local stakeholders were concerned about the impacts that salmon aquaculture infrastructure within the fjords surrounding Puyuhuapi might have on tourism. Research was undertaken to examine how prospective national tourists might perceive visible salmon aquaculture infrastructure within Puyuhuapi’s landscapes. Two hypothetical experience scenarios were designed, with short texts describing possible experiences and visual cues portraying typical destination landscapes. The scenarios were differentiated by the presence of movable floating sea cages. The scenarios were presented to potential tourists through an online survey (n = 804 responses). Results supported current nature-based tourism experience positioning, suggesting it was well received with and without the presence of salmon aquaculture infrastructure. The visible presence of the movable floating sea cages did not provoke significant differences in the valuation of the landscape for prospective tourists; nevertheless, several significant interactions occurred between tourism experience attributes and socio-demographic characteristics, including population density, level of education, and sex. Discussion focuses on defining a series of hypotheses to inform future research and the importance of expanding understanding of Chilean perspectives and imaginaries of Patagonia and its abundant natural settings and values.
Superstrings on Penrose limits of AdS7 solutions
Authors: Passias Achilleas
Published: October 2023

Abstract

We consider the Penrose limit of AdS7 solutions of massive Type IIA supergravity. The resulting pp-wave geometry is supported by RR and NSNS fields. We quantize the Green-Schwarz superstring on the obtained pp-wave background, in the light-cone gauge.
Next-to-leading order electroweak corrections to gg → HH and gg → gH in the large-mt limit
Authors: Davies Joshua , Schönwald Kay , Steinhauser Matthias , Zhang Hantian
Published: October 2023

Abstract

We compute two-loop electroweak corrections to Higgs boson pair and Higgs plus jet production, taking into account all sectors of the Standard Model. All diagrams with virtual top quarks are computed in an expansion for large top quark mass up to order 1/$$ {m}_t^8 $$

m
t
8

or more. We present analytic results for the form factors and discuss the convergence properties. For the process gg → gH we also consider QCD corrections in the large-mt limit.
Factors driving dispersal and habitat use of loggerhead sea turtle post-hatchlings and its conservational implications
Authors: Abalo-Morla Sara , Muñoz-Mas Rafael , Tomás Jesús , Belda Eduardo J.
Published: October 2023

Nesting events of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) are on the rise in the Western Mediterranean Sea, far from their usual nesting areas in the Mediterranean and Atlantic basins. The study of dispersal behavior toward potential developmental areas of loggerhead post-hatchlings from this new nesting area is crucial to comprehend this colonization process and determining grounded conservation strategies. To fill this gap, we investigated, for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, the dispersal strategies and habitat use based on data from 19 head-started loggerhead post-hatchlings released from the Spanish Mediterranean coast and satellite-tracked between 2016 and 2018. Turtles dispersed over large areas and showed active swimming phases, as they frequently dispersed against sea currents. Dispersal routes varied for each individual, although they consistently dispersed south-eastwards, especially during the coldest periods. Several post-hatchlings traveled through the Sicilian Channel to reach deep and warmer areas in the eastern Mediterranean basin. The most year-round suitable areas corresponded to the Ionian and Levantine Seas, which correspond with those found in their traditional nesting areas. Therefore, conservation measures focused on this stage should be taken in the path toward and these developmental areas.
Vom Gegenwartsmoment zur Gegenwartsgestalt
Authors: Plassmann Reinhard
Published: October 2023

Die Arbeit beschreibt, dass aktives emotionales Material in der Stunde Gegenwartsmomente erzeugt. Diese Gegenwartsmomente sind dann nicht Einzelereignisse, sondern bilden ein zunächst unbewusstes Narrativ, eine Gegenwartsgestalt. Sie hat den Charakter einer Erzählung über aktuelles emotionales Geschehen, über unbewusstes emotionales Übertragungsmaterial und über die infantile Vorgeschichte. Gegenwartsmoment und Gegenwartsgestalt enthalten in großer Deutlichkeit auch emotionale Wahrnehmungen von Zuständen und Vorgängen im eigenen Selbst. Dieser Typ von Emotionen, der bislang wenig Beachtung fand, kann nach dem Vorschlag des Autors Selbstemotion genannt werden. Aufgabe von prozessbezogenen Deutungen kann es dann sein, mit den Patientinnen und Patienten zunächst das Präsentwerden des emotionalen Materials, was in Gegenwartsmoment und Gegenwartsgestalt in die Stunde kommt, zu benennen. Daran schließt sich die Aufgabe an, mit dem in die Gegenwartsgestalt eingewobenen emotionalen Narrativ inhaltlich zu arbeiten, also die Prozesse von Regulation, Integration und Bewusstsein zu unterstützen. Dadurch können sich dissoziative Risse im Selbst schließen.
Comparative efficacy of ultrasound guidance and fluoroscopy or computed tomography guidance in spinal nerve injections: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kimura Ryota , Yamamoto Norio , Watanabe Jun , Ono Yuichi , Hongo Michio , Miyakoshi Naohisa
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Spinal nerve injections have traditionally been performed under fluoroscopic (FL) and computed tomography (CT) guidance. Recently, ultrasound (US)-guided procedures have provided an alternative guidance approach that does not expose the patient and operator to radiation. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of US-guided spinal nerve injections compared with FL- or CT-guided spinal nerve injections.

Methods

MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, international clinical trials registry platform (ICTRP) and ClinicalTrials.gov database searches for inclusion until February 2023 were independently performed by two authors using predefined criteria. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Primary outcomes were change in pain score (numeric rating scale or visual analogue scale) and major adverse events. Secondary outcomes were procedure time, change in functional disability score and minor adverse events. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effect model. We evaluated the certainty of evidence based on the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment and Development (GRADE) approach.

Results

Eight RCTs involving 962 patients were included. There might be little to no difference in the mean score of the pain change between the US-guided methods and the FL- or CT-guided injections (standard mean difference -0.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.26 to 0.15). US guidance probably reduced major adverse events (0.7% [3/433] and 6.5% [28/433], respectively), reduced procedure time (mean difference −4.19 min; 95% CI −5.09 to −3.30), and probably reduced minor adverse events (2.1% [9/433] and 4.2% [18/433], respectively) compared with FL or CT guidance. There was probably little to no difference in the change in functional disability score with either method.

Conclusion

US-guided spinal nerve injections remained effective and reduced adverse events compared with conventional FL- or CT-guided spinal nerve injections. Further RCTs are required to verify our results.

Study registration

Open Science Forum (Available from: https://osf.io/vt92w/).
Bear trade in Poland: an analysis of legal and illegal international trade from 2000 to 2021
Authors: Gomez Lalita , Kala Borys , Shepherd Chris R.
Published: October 2023

Commercial trade is one of the leading threats to bears as they are targeted for trophies, food and medicines. While the threat from illegal trade and trafficking has been extensively studied in Asia, understanding of bear trade dynamics outside this region is limited. Poland is an end use destination for wildlife products such as trophies and wildlife-based traditional medicines. To gain an understanding of the bear trade in Poland, we conducted an analysis of (1) seizure data, (2) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) trade data and (3) online surveys of Polish websites. We found that the trade of bears in Poland predominantly involves a demand for traditional bear-based medicines and, to a lesser extent, trophies. While trade in bear-based medicines and trophies is permissible with appropriate permits, illegal trade in such commodities is occurring in violation of CITES and European Union Wildlife Trade Regulations and in case of brown bear specimens—also national laws. This may possibly be due to a lack of public awareness regarding laws governing the import and export of bear parts and derivatives in which case education and awareness raising programmes might prove beneficial in eradicating trafficking of bear-based medicines and trophies. The use of bear bile for traditional medicine in Eastern Europe has not been previously documented and merits further research as to its scale, the source of bears used for these purposes and the potential impacts to bear populations.
Das zitternde Herz des Monarchen – Hintergründe zum Herzleiden von Kaiser Maximilian II
Authors: Heusinger Tobias , Stolberg Michael
Published: October 2023

Es ist in der Geschichtsforschung seit Langem bekannt, dass der Habsburger Kaiser Maximilian II (1527–1576) zeitlebens unter Herzbeschwerden litt. Zahlreiche Biografen erwähnen diesen Umstand. Seine Krankengeschichte und selbst die Ergebnisse der Obduktion seiner Leiche sind überliefert. Nur unzureichend untersucht ist dagegen, wie Maximilians Ärzte dessen häufig als „Herzzittern“, „tremor cordis“ bezeichnetes Herzleiden erklärten, welche Ursachen und Auslöser sie für die Beschwerden verantwortlich machten, im Allgemeinen und im konkreten Fall ihres berühmten Patienten. Der vorliegende Beitrag geht diese Fragen an, primär anhand eines ausführlichen Konsils des kaiserlichen Leibarztes Andrea Gallo aus dem Jahr 1555. Dieses bislang von der Forschung ignorierte Konsil fasst zunächst das damalige „Lehrbuchwissen“ zum Herzzittern zusammen. Im Anschluss daran wendet es sich dem Fall Maximilians zu und eröffnet dabei nicht zuletzt aufschlussreiche Einblicke in dessen seelische Befindlichkeit.
Spatial Distributions of Diarrheal Cases in Relation to Housing Conditions in Informal Settlements: A Cross-Sectional Study in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Pessoa Colombo Vitor , Chenal Jérôme , Koné Brama , Koffi Jeanne d’Arc , Utzinger Jürg
Published: October 2023

In addition to individual practices and access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, housing conditions may also be associated with the risk of diarrhea. Our study embraced a broad approach to health determinants by looking at housing deprivation characteristics as exposures of interest and confronting the latter’s spatial distribution to that of diarrheal cases. We tested the hypothesis that the risk of diarrhea in informal settlements is not only associated with WASH services, but also with inadequate dwelling characteristics, and that their spatial distributions follow similar patterns. We designed a cross-sectional study and collected primary data through georeferenced household surveys in two informal settlements in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. We used local join count statistics to assess the spatial distribution of events and multiple logistic regressions to calculate adjusted odds ratios between diarrhea and exposures. A total of 567 households were enrolled. We found that constant access to basic WASH services, non-durable building materials, cooking outdoors, and water service discontinuity were associated with higher risks of diarrhea in the general population. The spatial distribution of diarrheal cases coincided with that of dwelling deprivation characteristics. We observed significant heterogeneity within the study sites regarding the spatial distribution of diarrheal cases and deprived dwellings. Along with WASH infrastructure, communities also need dignified housing to effectively prevent diarrhea. We recommend that decision-makers acknowledge a “spectrum” of deprivation within the heterogeneous universe of informal settlements, adopting a site-specific approach based on high-resolution data to address diarrhea and improve people’s well-being.
Social Risk Factors That Increase Cardiovascular and Breast Cancer Risk
Authors: Obeidat Omar , Charles Kipson R. , Akhter Nausheen , Tong Ann
Published: October 2023

Purpose of Review

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and breast cancer (BC) are significant causes of mortality globally, imposing a substantial health burden. This review article aims to examine the shared risk factors and social determinants that contribute to the high prevalence of both diseases, with a focus on social risk factors.

Recent Findings

The common risk factors for CVD and BC, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, aging, and physical inactivity, are discussed, emphasizing their modifiability. Adhering to ideal cardiovascular health behaviors has shown a trend toward lower BC incidence. Increased risk of CVD-related mortality is significantly impacted by age and race in BC patients, especially those over 45 years old. Additionally, racial disparities in both diseases highlight the need for targeted interventions. Social determinants of health, including socioeconomic status, education, employment, and neighborhood context, significantly impact outcomes for both CVD and BC.

Addressing social factors is vital in reducing the burden of both CVD and BC and improving overall health equity.
Restringing some coral beads — nomenclatural notes on Nertera (Rubiaceae)
Authors: Turner I. M.
Published: October 2023

Geophila humifusa is reduced to the synonymy of Nertera granadensis. A new combination, Nertera major, is proposed to replace Nertera assurgens, as the name for a species endemic to Tristan da Cunha. Nine lectotypes are designated.
Performance Benefits of Pre- and Per-cooling on Self-paced Versus Constant Workload Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: van de Kerkhof Tessa M. , Bongers Coen C. W. G. , Périard Julien D. , Eijsvogels Thijs M. H.
Published: October 2023

Background and Objective

Exercise in hot environments impairs endurance performance. Cooling interventions can attenuate the impact of heat stress on performance, but the influence of an exercise protocol on the magnitude of performance benefit remains unknown. This meta-analytical review compared the effects of pre- and per-cooling interventions on performance during self-paced and constant workload exercise in the heat.

Methods

The study protocol was preregistered at the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/wqjb3). A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and MEDLINE from inception to 9 June, 2023. We included studies that examined the effects of pre- or per-cooling on exercise performance in male individuals under heat stress (> 30 °C) during self-paced or constant workload exercise in cross-over design studies. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomized trials.

Results

Fifty-nine studies (n = 563 athletes) were identified from 3300 records, of which 40 (n = 370 athletes) used a self-paced protocol and 19 (n = 193 athletes) used a constant workload protocol. Eighteen studies compared multiple cooling interventions and were included more than once (total n = 86 experiments and n = 832 paired measurements). Sixty-seven experiments used a pre-cooling intervention and 19 used a per-cooling intervention. Average ambient conditions were 34.0 °C [32.3–35.0 °C] and 50.0% [40.0–55.3%] relative humidity. Cooling interventions attenuated the performance decline in hot conditions and were more effective during a constant workload (effect size [ES] = 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.44–0.81) compared with self-paced exercise (ES = 0.30, 95% CI 0.18–0.42, p = 0.004). A difference in performance outcomes between protocols was only observed with pre-cooling (ES = 0.74, 95% CI 0.50–0.98 vs ES = 0.29, 95% CI 0.17–0.42, p = 0.001), but not per-cooling (ES = 0.45, 95% CI 0.16–0.74 vs ES = 0.35, 95% CI 0.01–0.70, p = 0.68).

Conclusions

Cooling interventions attenuated the decline in performance during exercise in the heat, but the magnitude of the effect is dependent on exercise protocol (self-paced vs constant workload) and cooling type (pre- vs per-cooling). Pre-cooling appears to be more effective in attenuating the decline in exercise performance during a constant workload compared with self-paced exercise protocols, whereas no differences were found in the effectiveness of per-cooling.
Academic mobility from a big data perspective
Authors: Pollacci Laura , Milli Letizia , Bircan Tuba , Rossetti Giulio
Published: October 2023

Understanding the careers and movements of highly skilled people plays an ever-increasing role in today’s global knowledge-based economy. Researchers and academics are sources of innovation and development for governments and institutions. Our study uses scientific-related data to track careers evolution and Researchers’ movements over time. To this end, we define the Yearly Degree of Collaborations Index, which measures the annual tendency of researchers to collaborate intra-nationally, and two scores to measure the mobility in and out of countries, as well as their balance.
Methods and perceptions of success for patient recruitment in decentralized clinical studies
Authors: Miyata Brian L. , Tafuto Barbara , Jose Nadina
Published: October 2023

Patient recruitment, diversity, and retention continue to impede successful and representative clinical studies. This systematic review aims to assess the impact of decentralized methods on recruitment, retention, and diversity in recent clinical studies. A systematic search of literature reporting on recruitment in decentralized clinical studies was performed. Studies were reviewed for those reporting the primary outcome of recruitment in decentralized clinical trials, observational studies, or those covering the topic of clinical trials. Secondary outcomes included retention, participant diversity, and participant satisfaction. This systematic search returned 13 studies highlighting the role of decentralized methods impacting participant recruitment, retention, and diversity in clinical studies. Eleven reported improved recruitment using decentralized methods. Seven of these reported improvements directly compared to traditional methods. Seven studies reported positive retention outcomes, with four directly comparing decentralized methods with traditional methods. Six studies were reported to have trended toward increased diversity in the demographics of the sample population, including race or geographic location. Related reviews have stated a lack of published comparable data to determine if decentralized clinical methods improved recruitment and retention. Results suggest this review addresses such a gap, providing data on how decentralized methods such as virtual visits can positively impact recruitment and retention.
By what measure? A signpost theory of the truth of doctrine
Authors: DeLaquil Edward
Published: October 2023

This article proposes a novel theory of the truth of doctrine. A signpost theory of the truth of doctrine is informed by practice-based philosophy of science. I argue that a theory of the truth of doctrine needs to explain the construction, use, and judgement of doctrine. So, I raise questions about the truth of doctrine in reference to the relation between a theory of the truth of doctrine and the role of doctrine in the religious practice of believers. I argue that a signpost theory of the truth of doctrine learns from an empirical understanding of measurement and modelling in scientific practice. The examples of entropy and time provide insights into the construction, use, and judgement of measurements and modelling in scientific practice. An empirical understanding of measurement in scientific practice provides resources for linking representations with reality without ignoring the contextual construction, use, and judgement of representations. I conclude with a brief articulation of how a signpost theory of the truth of doctrine learns from an empirical understanding of measurements and models in scientific practice by highlighting the similarities and differences between the construction, use, and judgement of doctrine and of scientific representations.
Political violence and financial markets in Tsarist Russia
Authors: Hartwell Christopher A.
Published: October 2023

There is little research studying the effects of political violence on financial markets over decades, especially in an atmosphere where the violence manifested itself in heterogeneous and geographically widespread ways. This article examines the authoritarian edifice of Tsarist Russia in the nineteenth century to examine the way in which capital markets perceived political instability in a country which had paradoxically strong financial institutions but weak political ones. Using a novel database on political violence in Russia in the nineteenth century matched to monthly financial data from Russian equity markets, this article provides strong evidence that Russia's financial markets were negatively affected in the long run by political violence. Consistent with modern views of financial information, the effects of political violence were quickly incorporated into asset prices, but the specific magnitude of such violence was different depending on where the violence occurred and in what manner. Overall, it appeared that political violence was perceived very negatively by investors in Russian equity markets.
Approach to red blood cell transfusions in post-operative congenital heart disease surgery patients: when to stop?
Authors: Tanyildiz Murat , Gungormus Asiye , Erden Selin Ece , Ozden Omer , Bicer Mehmet , Akcevin Atif , Odemis Ender
Published: October 2023

Background:

The best transfusion approach for CHD surgery is controversial. Studies suggest two strategies: liberal (haemoglobin ≤ 9.5 g/dL) and restrictive (waiting for transfusion until haemoglobin ≤ 7.0 g/dL if the patient is stable). Here we compare liberal and restrictive transfusion in post-operative CHD patients in a cardiac intensive care unit.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis was conducted on CHD patients who received liberal transfusion (2019–2021, n=53) and restrictive transfusion (2021–2022, n=43).

Results:

The two groups were similar in terms of age, gender, Paediatric Risk of Mortality-3 score, Paediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2 score, Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery-1 score, cardiopulmonary bypass time, vasoactive inotropic score, total fluid balance, mechanical ventilation duration, length of cardiac intensive care unit stay, and mortality. The liberal transfusion group had a higher pre-operative haemoglobin level than the restrictive group (p < 0.05), with no differences in pre-operative anaemia. Regarding the minimum and maximum post-operative haemoglobin levels during a cardiac intensive care unit stay, the liberal group had higher haemoglobin levels in both cases (p<0.01 and p=0.019, respectively). The number of red blood cell transfusions received by the liberal group was higher than that of the restrictive group (p < 0.001). There were no differences between the two groups regarding lactate levels at the time of and after red blood cell transfusion. The incidence of bleeding, re-operation, acute kidney injury, dialysis, sepsis, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome was similar.

Conclusions:

Restrictive transfusion may be preferable over liberal transfusion. Achieving similar outcomes with restrictive transfusions may provide promising evidence for future studies.
The advantages of naming rather than numbering the arteries of the pharyngeal arches
Authors: Anderson Robert H. , Graham Anthony , Hikspoors Jill P.J.M. , Lamers Wouter H. , Bamforth Simon D.
Published: October 2023

Controversies continue as to how many pharyngeal arches, with their contained arteries, are to be found in the developing human. Resolving these controversies is of significance to paediatric cardiologists since many investigating abnormalities of the extrapericardial arterial pathways interpret their findings on the basis of persistence of a fifth set of such arteries within an overall complement of six sets. The evidence supporting such an interpretation is open to question. In this review, we present the history of the existence of six such arteries, emphasising that the initial accounts of human development had provided evidence for the existence of only five sets. We summarise the current evidence that substantiates these initial findings. We then show that the lesions interpreted on the basis of persistence of the non-existing fifth arch arteries are well described on the basis of the persistence of collateral channels, known to exist during normal development, or alternatively due to remodelling of the aortic sac.
Editable, Persistent, and Emotionally Expressive
Authors: Kashian Nicole
Published: October 2023

Abstract: A 5-day diary study examined how channel affordances are related to channel use and outcomes in romantic conflict. Adults answered five consecutive days of surveys about daily conflict occurrence, channel affordances, channel use, and conflict behavior. The results of a 1–1–1 multilevel mediation analysis showed negative within-indirect effects for the channel affordances of editability and persistence on constructive conflict behavior via mobile text messaging, and a positive within-indirect effect for the channel affordance of bandwidth on constructive conflict behavior via face-to-face communication. The data suggest that channel affordances motivate channel use in romantic conflict and that these channel affordances are indirectly related to constructive conflict behavior.
MagNet—A Data‐Science Competition to Predict Disturbance Storm‐Time Index (Dst) From Solar Wind Data
Authors: Nair Manoj , Redmon Rob , Young Li‐Yin , Chulliat Arnaud , Trotta Belinda , Chung Christine , Lipstein Greg , Slavitt Isaac
Published: October 2023

Enhanced interaction between solar‐wind and Earth's magnetosphere can cause space weather and geomagnetic storms that have the potential to damage critical technologies, such as magnetic navigation, radio communications, and power grids. The severity of a geomagnetic storm is measured using the disturbance‐storm‐time (Dst) index. The Dst index is calculated by averaging the horizontal component of the magnetic field observed at four near‐equatorial observatories and is used to drive geomagnetic disturbance models. As a key specification of the magnetospheric dynamics, the Dst index is used to drive geomagnetic disturbance models such as the High Definition Geomagnetic Model—Real Time. Since 1975, forecasting models have been proposed to forecast Dst solely from solar wind observations at the Lagrangian‐1 position. However, while the recent Machine‐Learning (ML) models generally perform better than other approaches, many are unsuitable for operational use. Recent exponential growth in data‐science research and the democratization of ML tools have opened up the possibility of crowd‐sourcing specific problem‐solving tasks with clear constraints and evaluation metrics. To this end, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Centers for Environmental Information and the University of Colorado's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences conducted an open data‐science challenge called “MagNet: Model the Geomagnetic Field.” The challenge attracted 622 participants, resulting in 1,197 model submissions that used various ML approaches. The top models that met the evaluation criteria are operationally viable and retrainable and suitable for NOAA's operational needs. The paper summarizes the competition results and lessons learned.
Distribution and Evolution of Chorus Waves Modeled by a Neural Network: The Importance of Imbalanced Regression
Authors: Chu Xiangning , Bortnik Jacob , Li Wen , Shen Xiao‐Chen , Ma Qianli , Ma Donglai , Malaspina David , Huang Sheng
Published: October 2023

Whistler‐mode chorus waves play an essential role in the acceleration and loss of energetic electrons in the Earth’s inner magnetosphere, with the more intense waves producing the most dramatic effects. However, it is challenging to predict the amplitude of strong chorus waves due to the imbalanced nature of the data set, that is, there are many more non‐chorus data points than strong chorus waves. Thus, traditional models usually underestimate chorus wave amplitudes significantly during active times. Using an imbalanced regressive (IR) method, we develop a neural network model of lower‐band (LB) chorus waves using 7‐year observations from the EMFISIS instrument onboard Van Allen Probes. The feature selection process suggests that the auroral electrojet index alone captures most of the variations of chorus waves. The large amplitude of strong chorus waves can be predicted for the first time. Furthermore, our model shows that the equatorial LB chorus’s spatiotemporal evolution is similar to the drift path of substorm‐injected electrons. We also show that the chorus waves have a peak amplitude at the equator in the source MLT near midnight, but toward noon, there is a local minimum in amplitude at the equator with two off‐equator amplitude peaks in both hemispheres, likely caused by the bifurcated drift paths of substorm injections on the dayside. The IR‐based chorus model will improve radiation belt prediction by providing chorus wave distributions, especially storm‐time strong chorus. Since data imbalance is ubiquitous and inherent in space physics and other physical systems, imbalanced regressive methods deserve more attention in space physics.
The Short‐Time Prediction of Thermospheric Mass Density Based on Ensemble‐Transfer Learning
Authors: Wang Peian , Chen Zhou , Deng Xiaohua , Wang Jing‐Song , Tang Rongxing , Li Haimeng , Hong Sheng , Wu Zhiping
Published: October 2023

Reliable short‐time prediction of thermospheric mass density along the satellite orbit is always essential but challenging for the operation of Low‐Earth orbit satellites. In this paper, three machine‐learning prediction algorithms are investigated, including the Bidirectional Long Short‐Term Memory, the Transformer, and the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) ensemble model of the above models. We use satellite data from CHAMP, GOCE, and SWARM‐C to evaluate the robustness and accuracy of different density variations. The comparison demonstrates that all models achieve compelling predictions and are much better than NRLMSISE‐00. The LightGBM ensemble model (LE‐model) consistently outperforms others in accuracy and stability. Furthermore, when the obtained density data from the newly launched satellites are limited, the trained LE‐model can provide a valid prediction for the new satellite orbit by transfer learning. This study offers a promising insight into the short‐time prediction of thermospheric mass density using ensemble‐transfer learning and may be advantageous to future research on space whether.