bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NBS-Predict: An Easy-to-Use Toolbox for Connectome-Based Machine Learning
Authors: Serin Emin , Vaidya Nilakshi , Walter Henrik , Kruschwitz Johann D.
Published: December 2024

NBS-Predict is a prediction-based extension of the Network-based Statistic (NBS) approach, which aims to alleviate the curse of dimensionality, lack of interpretability, and problem of generalizability when analyzing brain connectivity. NBS-Predict provides an easy and quick way to identify highly generalizable neuroimaging-based biomarkers by combining machine learning (ML) with NBS in a cross-validation structure. Compared with generic ML algorithms (e.g., support vector machines, elastic net, etc.), the results from NBS-Predict are more straightforward to interpret. Additionally, NBS-Predict does not require any expertise in programming as it comes with a well-organized graphical user interface (GUI) with a good selection of ML algorithms and additional functionalities. The toolbox also provides an interactive viewer to visualize the results. This chapter gives a practical overview of the NBS-Predict’s core concepts with regard to building and evaluating connectome-based predictive models with two real-world examples using publicly available neuroimaging data. We showed that, using resting-state functional connectomes, NBS-Predict: (i) predicted fluid intelligence scores with a prediction performance of r = 0.243; (ii) distinguished subjects’ biological sexes with an average accuracy of 65.9%, as well as identified large-scale brain networks associated with fluid intelligence and biological sex.
Normative Modeling with the Predictive Clinical Neuroscience Toolkit (PCNtoolkit)
Authors: Rutherford Saige , Marquand Andre F.
Published: December 2024

In this chapter, we introduce normative modeling as a tool for mapping variation across large neuroimaging datasets. We provide practical guidance to illustrate how normative models can be used to map diverse patterns of individual differences found within the large datasets used to train the models. In other words, while normative modeling is a method often applied to big datasets containing thousands of subjects, it provides single subject inference and prediction. We use an open-source Python package, Predictive Clinical Neuroscience Toolkit (PCNtoolkit) and showcase several helpful tools (including an interface that does not require coding) to run a normative modeling analysis, evaluate the model fit, and visualize the results.
Establishing a Reproducible and Sustainable Analysis Workflow
Authors: Ramduny Jivesh , Garcia Mélanie , Kelly Clare
Published: December 2024

Getting started on any project is often the hardest thing—and when it comes to starting your career in research, just figuring out where and how to start can seem like an insurmountable challenge. This is particularly true at this moment—when there are so many programming languages, programs, and systems that are freely available to neuroimaging researchers, and even more guides, tutorials, and courses on how to use them. This chapter is intended to set you off on the right foot as you get stuck into the task of learning to work with large neuroimaging data. We will cover a number of processes, systems, and practices that you should adopt to help ensure that your work is efficient, your processing steps traceable and repeatable, your analyses and findings reproducible, and your data and processing scripts amenable to sharing and open science. While this chapter is aimed at those getting started, it will also be of use to established researchers who want to streamline their processes and maximize robustness and reproducibility of their neuroimaging analyses. Finally, this chapter is also intended to help make neuroimaging work practices and processes more environmentally sustainable by reducing demands on computational resources through better planning, efficiency, and awareness of resource use.
End-to-End Processing of M/EEG Data with BIDS, HED, and EEGLAB
Authors: Truong Dung , Robbins Kay , Delorme Arnaud , Makeig Scott
Published: December 2024

Reliable and reproducible machine-learning enabled neuroscience research requires large-scale data sharing and analysis. Essential for the effective and efficient analysis of shared datasets are standardized data and metadata organization and formatting, a well-documented, automated analysis pipeline, a comprehensive software framework, and a compute environment that can adequately support the analysis process. In this chapter, we introduce the combined Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS) and Hierarchical Event Descriptors (HED) frameworks and illustrate their example use through the organization and time course annotation of a publicly shared EEG (electroencephalography) dataset. We show how the open-source software EEGLAB can operate on data formatted using these standards to perform EEG analysis using a variety of techniques including group-based statistical analysis. Finally, we present a way to exploit freely available high-performance computing resources that allows the application of computationally intensive learning methods to ever larger and more diverse data collections.
Actionable Event Annotation and Analysis in fMRI: A Practical Guide to Event Handling
Authors: Denissen Monique J. M. , Richlan Fabio , Birklbauer Jürgen , Pawlik Mateusz , Ravenschlag Anna N. , Himmelstoß Nicole A. , Hutzler Florian , Robbins Kay
Published: December 2024

Many common analysis methods for task-based functional MRI rely on detailed information about experiment design and events. Event recording and representation during cognitive experiments deserves more attention, as it forms an essential link between neuroimaging data and the cognition we wish to understand. The use of standardized data structures enables tools to directly use event-based metadata for preprocessing and analysis, allowing for more efficient processing and more standardized results. However, the complex paradigms utilized by cognitive neuroscience often have different requirements for event representation. The process of generating event files from experimental logs and to iteratively restructuring these event files is a time-intensive process. Careful planning and effective tools can reduce the burden on the researcher and create better documented and more shareable datasets. This chapter discusses event representation within the BIDS (Brain Imaging Data Structure) framework. We discuss some of the common pitfalls in event representation and introduce tools to easily transform event files to meet specific analysis requirements. We demonstrate these tools and the corresponding analysis by comparing two BIDS datasets in which participants performed a stop-signal task. We work through the required event restructuring, and use Fitlins to calculate several comparable contrasts across the two datasets.
Effect of Water-Binder Ratio, Alkali Mass Fraction and Lightweight Aggregate Size on Mechanical Properties of Alkali-Activated Concrete
Authors: Deng Peng , Niu Zhiwei , Yang Kun , Liu Yan , Zhang Xianglong
Published: December 2024

Alkali-Activated Ceramsite Concrete (AACC), a novel green building material, is important for the reutilization of industrial waste. Although there has been considerable progress in research on AACC, further investigation is still needed on ceramsite size, early strength, etc. In this paper, 11 groups containing 198 standard cubic specimens were fabricated to investigate the effects of water-binder ratio, alkali mass fraction and ceramsite diameter on compressive strength and splitting tensile strength at different ages. And the slump constant of the mixtures was tested for different water-binder ratios and alkali mass fractions during fabrication. The results showed that the slump and strength increased with the increase of water-binder ratio. As the alkali mass fraction increased the slump decreased and then increased but the strength increased and then decreased. Therefore the proper value of alkali mass fraction was about 6%. When the diameter of ceramsite increased, the compressive strength first increased and then decreased. Thus the 5–15 mm diameter was the optimum. Splitting tensile strength always decreased with the increase of diameter of ceramsite.
Experimental Study on the Behaviour and Deformation Prediction of Underwater Deep Cement Mixing (DCM) Foundation
Authors: Huang Ruiyi , Tao Ran , Cao Zhongxin , Peng Yun
Published: December 2024

Based on the marine project of Hong Kong Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase 1, this paper presents the static loading test of the underwater DCM foundation, and compares the instrumentation monitoring results with the predicted results by finite element analysis. In conclusion, the predicted total DCM compression and settlement is significantly higher than the actual site-measured records. Therefore, the adopted design parameters for the DCM are appropriate and conservatively under-estimate the field strength, which satisfies the requirement as stipulated in the specification.
Analysis of Impact Resistance and Optimization of Protective Capacity for Steel Reinforced Concrete Columns
Authors: Hu Zongbo
Published: December 2024

Through simulated horizontal impact tests on steel-reinforced concrete column components, the dynamic response of steel-reinforced concrete columns under different impact heights, boundary conditions, and impact velocities was obtained. The results indicate that with an increase in impact energy, the peak impact force shows an upward trend. As the impact height increases, the impact force gradually decreases, with higher forces near the end. When the mass of the impacting object is 2580 kg and the minimum velocity is 4.58 m/s, the maximum residual displacement occurs in the impact zone. Based on the simulated test results, the impact failure modes of steel-reinforced concrete columns can be classified as slight damage, moderate damage, severe damage, and critical damage. A model reflecting the changes in mechanical characteristics of steel-reinforced concrete column structures was established based on the damage states and impact resistance mechanisms at each loading stage of the column components. Active and passive protective structures were proposed.
The Influence of Nonlinear Characteristics of Diagonal Rod Insulators on the Seismic Performance of Converter Valve
Authors: Zhang Lihong , Xiao Jin , Zeng Di , Lü Wei
Published: December 2024

Seismic safety of the converter valve is crucial for the safe operation of the entire flexible DC transmission system. In order to enhance the seismic resistance of the supported converter valve, composite diagonal rod insulators were designed to be added between the support insulators, which have a nonlinear property that can only be subjected to tension but not compression. Using finite element method, modal analysis of the valve structure was first conducted to study the impact of diagonal rod insulators on the dynamic characteristics of the valve structure. Secondly, artificial seismic waves were input for dynamic time history analysis, and the differences in dynamic response between two valve structure models with nonlinear and linear characteristics of diagonal rod insulators were compared and analyzed. Finally, according to the current specification requirements, three seismic waves were input to conduct seismic safety analysis and evaluation of the valve structure with nonlinear property of diagonal rod insulators. The results indicate that the acceleration and stress response results of the nonlinear valve structure model are greater than those of the linear model, indicating that using a linear model for seismic safety evaluation is more risky. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the nonlinear characteristics of diagonal rod insulators for seismic performance analysis of valve structure.
Mean-Squared Response Sensitivity Method for Bridge Damage Detection
Authors: An Ning , Ma Rui , Dong Peng
Published: December 2024

A new sensitivity approach for detecting bridge deterioration using the mean-squared response is proposed, in which the dynamic responses of the bridge are estimated using a vehicle-bridge dynamic interaction model. The sensitivity of the mean-squared response to bridge damage is investigated and matrices are generated by defining the stiffness variation of the bridge element as an index of damage factor. The mean-squared response sensitivity method detects local bridge damage with significantly fewer iteration times, and the identification accuracy is proportional to the number of measuring points. The mean-squared response sensitivity approach may correctly identify bridge local damage, including single-element and two-element damage.
Study on Seismic Design Method of 30-Storey Self-Centering Buckling-Restrained Brace Steel Frame Considering the Influence of High Order Vibration Modes
Authors: Wang Binlei , Tan Xiao
Published: December 2024

A design method of 30-storey self-centering buckling-restrained brace steel frame (SCBRBF) is presented considering the effect of high order vibration modes. For SCBRBF, the equal strength principle and capability design method can be used to design from BRBF. The research shows that, for the 30-storey SCBRBF, the structure is greatly affected by the high-order vibration modes, and there is a problem of conservative design by adopting the capability design method. By considering the influence of the high vibration mode of the structure in the capacity design method, the secondary design can be carried out by reasonably changing the distribution form of the corresponding brace axial force. The structure designed by this method has a small amount of steel and the seismic resistance can still meet the requirements.
Research on the Conversion Relationship of Nuclear-TNT Blast Loading Based on a Protective Door Test Under TNT Blast Loading
Authors: Dong Shangwei , Tian Zhimin , Tian Ce , Li Jiuyi
Published: December 2024

To solve the technical problem of converting the nuclear blast loading to equivalent chemical blast loading, based on a certain protective door test under TNT blast loading, taking the same maximum dynamic response of the protective door as the equivalent principle, numerical simulation method, impulse equivalence method, and Duhamel integration method are carried out to obtain the peak overpressure of nuclear blast under different TNT blast, conversion function of nuclear-TNT blast loading is fitted as a consequence. The fitting results show that all three methods are reasonable and effective. In comparison, when the stand-off distance z is greater than or equal to 1.71 m/kg1/3, the Duhamel integration method is more suitable, while when z is less than 1.71 m/kg1/3, the impulse equivalence method is.
Study on the Durability of Manufactured Sand Concrete with the Change of Mix Proportion Parameters
Authors: Guo Liangyu , Ma Fushan , Zhao Binhui
Published: December 2024

Cement, aggregate, mineral admixture, concrete admixture, and mixing water were used as the main raw materials to prepare manufactured sand concrete. By adjusting the proportioning parameters of manufactured sand concrete, such as sand ratio and water-cement ratio, the influence of proportioning parameters on the durability of manufactured sand concrete was studied. Experimental results show that when the sand ratio is between 0.38 and 0.44, the mechanism of sand best workability and durability of the concrete strength, the best value for the mechanism of sand concrete, sand ratio range within the scope of the young stage of mechanism sand concrete stress is almost not affected by sand ratio increase, age stage mechanism of sand concrete stress along with the increase in sand ratio decreased significantly; The stress of natural medium sand concrete and manufactured sand concrete increases with the increase in the water-cement ratio, and the compressive strength of manufactured sand concrete is slightly higher than that of ordinary natural sand concrete. When the stone powder content is 10.5%, its filling performance is better, and the frost resistance of mechanized sand concrete can be improved by adjusting the stone powder content. When the powder volume is 158 dm3, the manufactured sand concrete has good workability and the highest durability. The increase in the water-binder ratio will lead to the aggravation of carbonization depth, serious carbonization phenomenon, and reduced durability of machined sand concrete.
Aquaphotomics study of fresh cannabis inflorescence: near infrared spectral analysis of water matrix structures
Authors: Birenboim Matan , Brikenstein Nimrod , Kenigsbuch David , Shimshoni Jakob A.
Published: December 2024

Aquaphotomics is an approach that describes the water–light interactions in aqueous solutions or biological systems and retrieves information about the nature of the underlying water-related interactions. We evaluated the water spectral pattern (WASP) and water matrix structure of freshly harvested cannabis inflorescence from seven different chemovars using near-infrared (NIR) spectral data coupled with chemometric models. Six activated water bands—1342, 1364, 1384, 1412, 1440, and 1462 nm, occurred consistently in all of the spectrum exploration steps as well as in the partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) steps. However, according to major class and chemovar aquagram values, the largest spectral variation was associated with the following bands: 1412, 1364, 1374, 1384, 1488, and 1512 nm. A strong positive correlation between 1364, 1374, and 1384 nm aquagram values and a strong negative correlation between 1412 and 1512 nm aquagram values were observed through all aquagram analysis steps. These water activated bands were found to serve as good discriminators and classifiers according to either major class or chemovar. Furthermore, significant differences in the water matrix structure of different cannabis chemovars were observed, with the highest variations associated with the presence of free water molecules, small molecule solvation shells, extent of strongly bound water, and the number of hydrogen bonds per water molecule. Minor cannabinoids and terpenes such as cannabigerolic acid and (-)-guaiol displayed relatively high correlations with these bands. The results of this study suggest that the most accurate way to explore the cannabis inflorescence water matrix spectral pattern is by chemovars and not by major classes.

Graphical Abstract
Optimal designs for spherical harmonic regression
Authors: Haines Linda M.
Published: December 2024

This short paper is concerned with the use of spherical t-designs as optimal designs for the spherical harmonic regression model in three dimensions over a range of specified criteria. The nature of the designs is explored and their availability and suitability is reviewed.
Intraprocedural 3D-vena contracta area predicts survival after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair: results from MITRA-PRO registry
Authors: Rottländer Dennis , Hausleiter Jörg , Schmitz Thomas , Bufe Alexander , Seyfarth Melchior , von Bardeleben Ralph Stephan , Beucher Harald , Ouarrak Taoufik , Schneider Steffen , Boekstegers Peter ,   the MITRA-PRO investigators
Published: December 2024

Background

The MITRA-PRO registry revealed residual mitral regurgitation (MR) to be an important predictor of survival following transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). Intraprocedural MR assessment using 3D-Vena Contracta Area (VCA) might be a feasible tool to guide mitral TEER procedures. The study aimed to assess the impact of residual MR assessed by 3D-VCA on 1-year mortality.

Methods

823 patients with residual MR quantification using 3D-VCA in the MITRA-PRO registry, were included in this study. 1-year mortality, NYHA classification and major adverse events were assessed 1-year after mitral TEER.

Results

Patients with trace residual MR after mitral TEER were allocated to the 3D-VCA < 0.1 cm2 group (27.8%), while a 3D-VCA ≥ 0.1 < 0.3 cm2 (55.4%) was considered as mild and a 3D-VCA ≥ 0.3 cm2 (16.8%) as relevant residual MR. One-year mortality was significantly lower in patients with non-relevant residual MR (3D-VCA < 0.1 cm2: 10.5%; ≥ 0.1 < 0.3 cm2: 16.0%; ≥ 0.3: 24.8%, p = 0.003). An increasing 3D-VCA post mitral TEER was associated with a higher 1-year mortality. At a 3D-VCA of 0.07 cm2 mortality increased significantly (1-year mortality 3D-VCA post mitral TEER ≥ 0.07 cm2: 16.5% vs. < 0.07 cm2: 7.8%; p = 0.005) indicating a 3D-VCA of 0.07 cm2 to be a cut-off value for survival in daily practice.

Conclusions

Residual MR assessed by 3D-VCA after TEER is associated with 1-year mortality. Therefore, 3D-VCA is a valuable echocardiographic tool for intraprocedural MR assessment during mitral TEER and achieving a lower 3D-VCA improve patient survival. (German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00012288).

Trial Registration Number

DRKS00012288
Impact of levetiracetam use in glioblastoma: an individual patient-level meta-analysis assessing overall survival
Authors: Vychopen Martin , Güresir Agi , Basaran Alim Emre , Güresir Erdem , Wach Johannes
Published: December 2024

Background

Levetiracetam (Lev), an antiepileptic drug (AED), enhances alkylating chemotherapy sensitivity in glioblastoma (GB) by inhibiting MGMT expression. This meta-analysis evaluates Lev's impact on GB treatment by analyzing overall survival of individual patient data (IPD) from published studies.

Methods

IPD was reconstructed using the R package IPDfromKM. Pooled IPD Kaplan–Meier charts of survival stratified by Lev therapy were created using the R package Survminer. One- and two-stage meta-analyses of Lev treatment regarding survival was performed.

Results

Three articles covering 825 patients were included out of 3567 screened records. Lev usage prevalence was 0.36. IPD from 590 IDH wild-type glioblastomas, with a median follow-up of 16.1 months, were utilized. Pooled data revealed median survival times of 19.2 months (95%CI: 16.4–22.0) for Lev users versus 16.5 months (95%CI: 15.2–17.8) for partial/no use (p = 0.006). One-stage meta-analysis indicated a significant association between Lev use and survival in IDH wild-type GB (HR: 1.33, 95%CI: 1.08–1.64, p = 0.007). Two-stage meta-analysis confirmed these results.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis highlights that Lev use may prolong survival in IDH wild-type GB patients. Further randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings and identify subgroups benefiting most from Lev treatment.
The preferred mix of urban and rural destinations in domestic and international travel
Authors: Hon-Snir Shlomit , Teitler-Regev Sharon
Published: December 2024

While tourists usually choose a combination of urban and rural destinations for the same trip, research in tourism has focused primarily on one type of tourism. The purpose of this research is to investigate the tourist’s continuum preferences of urban and rural destinations and ascertain the influence of the tourists’ residence, experience, and characteristics on their preferences in the contexts of international and domestic travel. The study proposes a mediation model to examine the direct and indirect effects of tourist’s experience and characteristics on urban and rural preferences and to shed more light on differences obtained by sociodemographic variables. We found that most respondents prefer a combination of urban and rural destinations as opposed to just one. Our results indicate that growing up in the city influences tourists’ experiences and characteristics, which, in turn, affects their urban/rural preferences. Urban residents prefer more urban destinations and vice versa for rural residents.
Patient-related factors that link chronic kidney disease and periodontitis: a scoping review
Authors: Bunte Kübra , Brunet-Llobet Lluís , Rocha-Eiroa María Dolores , Ramírez-Rámiz Albert , Mahmoud Muhiddin Abdi , Mashala Elias Isaack , Miranda-Rius Jaume
Published: December 2024

Several studies have proposed the existence of an association between periodontitis and chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on biological premises. There is growing evidence that chronic inflammation caused by periodontitis may contribute to the progression of CKD. The present study aimed to investigate studies that link CKD and periodontitis, including periodontitis proxies such as oral hygiene and tooth loss, and patient-related factors such as inflammatory response and genetic polymorphisms. An electronic search was conducted on the MEDLINE (Pubmed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Scopus, and Web of Science databases using an advanced search option up until August 2024. Thirty-two studies were included: 4 interventional, 16 cohort, and 12 case–control. Overall, the prevalence of periodontitis was significantly higher in patients with CKD: the diagnosis of periodontal disease was associated with an increase in the risk of incident CKD, and parameters of periodontal disease were negatively correlated with kidney function. Inside the field of periodontal medicine, the current evidence indicates a possible association between CKD and periodontitis and supports future longitudinal studies to investigate the two-way relationship between the diseases and their pathophysiology, and possibly to establish cause and effect.
Bi-accessible and Bipresentable 2-Categories
Authors: Di Liberti Ivan , Osmond Axel
Published: December 2024

We develop a 2-dimensional version of accessibility and presentability compatible with the formalism of flat pseudofunctors. First we give prerequisites on the different notions of 2-dimensional colimits, filteredness and cofinality; in particular we show that

$$\sigma $$

σ

-filteredness and bifilteredness are actually equivalent in practice for our purposes. Then, we define bi-accessible and bipresentable 2-categories in terms of bicompact objects and bifiltered bicolimits. We then characterize them as categories of flat pseudofunctors. We also prove a bi-accessible right bi-adjoint functor theorem and deduce a 2-dimensional Gabriel-Ulmer duality relating small bilex 2-categories and finitely bipresentable 2-categories. Finally, we show that 2-categories of pseudo-algebras of finitary 2-monads on

$$\textbf{Cat}$$

Cat

are finitely bipresentable, which in particular captures the case of

$$\textbf{Lex}$$

Lex

, the 2-category of small lex categories. Invoking the technology of lex-colimits, we prove further that several 2-categories arising in categorical logic (Reg, Ex, Coh, Ext, Adh, Pretop) are also finitely bipresentable.
Receipt of guideline-concordant care and survival among young adult women with non-metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Bhattacharya Manami , Liu Benmei , Kurian Allison W. , Stevens Jennifer , Enewold Lindsey , Penn Dolly C.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

Adolescent and young adults (AYA) with breast cancer, compared to older adults, are diagnosed with more aggressive cancers, at more advanced stages and may undergo more aggressive treatment but have worse survival. Despite this, no research has studied the effects of the receipt of National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) defined guideline-concordant care (GCC) for breast cancer on AYA survival. We examined the association of GCC with survival among young adult (20–39 years old) breast cancer survivors.

Methods

We used the Patterns of Care Study; a stratified random sample of 952 young adult women diagnosed with Stage I–III breast cancer in 2013. NCCN guidelines were used to categorize treatment as GCC or non-GCC. We used Kaplan–Meier curves, log-rank tests, and Cox-proportional hazards models to evaluate the effect of GCC on breast cancer-specific survival, stratifying by triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and non-TNBC, and adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical factors.

Results

All univariate analyses showed that non-GCC was associated with worse survival than GCC. The association was statistically significant for non-TNBC (Hazard ratio: 3.45, CI 1.64–7.29) and TNBC (Hazard ratio: 3.70, CI 1.02–13.43) in multivariable Cox models adjusted for sociodemographic variables and for non-TNBC (Hazard ratio: 3.13, CI 1.13–8.72) when the model was adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables.

Conclusion

Among young adult women with non-metastatic breast cancer, while receipt of NCCN GCC is univariately associated with better survival for both TNBC and non-TNBC, the effect of sociodemographic and clinical factors on the association differs by TNBC status. Further investigation with larger TNBC samples is needed.
A comparison of representations in grammar-guided genetic programming in the context of glucose prediction in people with diabetes
Authors: Ingelse Leon , Hidalgo J. Ignacio , Colmenar J. Manuel , Lourenço Nuno , Fonseca Alcides
Published: December 2024

The representation of individuals in Genetic Programming (GP) has a large impact on the evolutionary process. In previous work, we investigated the evolutionary process of three Grammar-Guided GP (GGGP) methods, Context-Free Grammars GP (CFG-GP), Grammatical Evolution (GE) and Structured Grammatical Evolution (SGE), in the context of the complex, real-world problem of predicting the glucose level of people with diabetes two hours ahead of time. We concluded that representation choice is more impactful with a higher maximum depth, and that CFG-GP better explores the search space for deeper trees, achieving better results. Furthermore, we find that CFG-GP relies more on feature construction, whereas GE and SGE rely more on feature selection. Additionally, we altered the GGGP methods in two ways: using $$\epsilon$$
ϵ
-lexicase selection, which solved the overfitting problem of CFG-GP and helps it to adapt to patients with high glucose variability; and with a penalization of complex trees, to create more interpretable trees. Combining $$\epsilon$$
ϵ
-lexicase selection with CFG-GP performed best. In this work, we extend on the previous work and evaluated the impact of initialization methods in the quality of solutions. We found that they have no significant impact, even when the change of representation has.
Synthesis and characterization of magnetically-active nickel-yttrium oxide (Ni-Y2O3) nanocomposite particles prepared with modified ultrasound spray pyrolysis device
Authors: Krajewski Marcin , Rudolf Rebeka , Švarc Tilen , Majerič Peter , Sobczak Kamil , Lewińska Sabina , Osial Magdalena , Tokarczyk Mateusz
Published: December 2024

The synthesis of magnetically-active nickel-yttrium oxide (Ni-Y2O3) nanocomposite particles is described in this work. The investigated material is produced with a modified ultrasound spray pyrolysis (USP) device which differs from a common USP setup in terms of use of three independently heating zones. They provide a direct feed of H2 to the second reaction zone and allow controlling the formation of the nanocomposite particles and facilitating their post-reaction stabilization with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). According to the morphological and structural studies, the Ni-Y2O3 material takes a form of nanoparticles whose sizes are not homogeneously distributed as well as shapes are not smooth due to the successful formation of composite material with two interpenetrating phases. Moreover, the organic layer is detected on the surface of the nanoparticles which confirms the presence of PVP stabilizer. The magnetic investigations confirm that the Ni-Y2O3 nanocomposite reveals a spin glass-like behavior in which a collective freezing of magnetic moments might occur due to the interparticle interactions between Ni nanocrystallites presented in the sample.
Interference effects in differential cross sections for two-electron transfer
Authors: Belkić Dževad
Published: December 2024

Differential cross sections for simultaneous capture of both electrons by alpha particles from helium targets are computed. Employed are several quantum-mechanical distorted wave four-body methods of first- and second-orders. The main focus is on the cross section sensitivity as a function of different perturbation interactions and scattering states. Two aspects are considered. One is for theories with the same perturbation interactions and different scattering states. The other is for theories with the same scattering states and different perturbation interactions. In this context, the interference effect on two levels is examined. One compares the yields from the internuclear potential and the interactions between nuclei and two electrons. The other contrasts the contributions from the channel states with and without the distorted waves generated by the relative motions of nuclei. Depending on the employed theory, differential cross sections can be strongly or mildly influenced by the variability in all the mentioned frameworks. The salient illustrations are reported at intermediate energies 180-900 keV for which the experimental data are available. It is found that the second-order theories are in much better agreement with the measured cross sections than the first-order theories.
Pharmacist-led interventions at hospital discharge: a scoping review of studies demonstrating reduced readmission rates
Authors: Weber Carole , Meyer-Massetti Carla , Schönenberger Nicole
Published: December 2024

Background

Substantial numbers of hospital readmissions occur due to medication-related problems. Pharmacists can implement different interventions at hospital discharge that aim to reduce those readmissions. It is unclear which pharmacist-led interventions at hospital discharge are the most promising in reducing readmissions.

Aim

This scoping review aimed to summarise pharmacist-led interventions conducted at hospital discharge that demonstrated a reduction in readmissions.

Method

We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases up to February 2024. We included studies that focused on pharmacist-led interventions at hospital discharge and reported significant readmission reductions. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts. Data extracted included study characteristics, populations and the type of implemented pharmacist-led interventions along with the reduction in readmission rates achieved.

Results

We included 25 articles for data synthesis. Many of the studies included either implemented at least two interventions concurrently or were part of broader programmes involving other healthcare professionals. The most common pharmacist-led interventions associated with reduced readmission rates included medication reconciliation, counselling and post-discharge follow-up by telephone. Follow-up primarily aimed to improve patients’ treatment adherence through education about their medications. Furthermore, many studies reported on multi-component interventions that began at hospital admission or during inpatient stays, not only at discharge.

Conclusion

Successfully reducing readmissions through pharmacist-led interventions at hospital discharge suggests the effectiveness of a holistic approach incorporating multiple interventions. While these findings offer insights for pharmacists, further research should focus on conducting high-quality studies using a multifaceted approach to identify the most appropriate timing and combination.
Willful ignorance in law and epistemology
Authors: Bnefsi Sayid R.
Published: December 2024

In analytic epistemology, the propositional ignorance of an agent is consistently defined in terms of an agent not having knowledge or true belief that something is the case. Recently, however, Piedrahita (2021) and Pritchard (2021) have argued that ignorance involves some kind of epistemic fault. Pritchard claims that ignorance is the product of an intellectual defect in the agent as an inquirer, whereas Piedrahita claims that ignorance involves an agent being in a certain kind of epistemically suboptimal position. This article uses willful ignorance in Anglo-American criminal law as a lens through which to assess these claims. First, I argue that willful ignorance is a counterexample to Piedrahita’s view of ignorance. Second, I argue that Pritchard’s view of ignorance illuminates the epistemic culpability of willful ignorance, but the view faces challenging questions about the relationship between epistemic norms and epistemic values.
Racial variations in maxillomandibular advancement for obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Nanu Douglas P , Diemer Tanner J. , Nguyen Shaun A. , Tremont Timothy , Meyer Ted A. , Abdelwahab Mohamed
Published: December 2024

Purpose

We aimed to explore alterations in polysomnographic, cephalometric, and subjective outcomes amongst different ethnic/racial groups after MMA for OSA.

Methods

A meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA reporting guidelines. The COCHRANE Library, CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus were searched from inception to August 8, 2023. Each measure was weighted according to the number of patients affected. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using χ2 and I2 statistics with fixed effects (I2 < 50%) and random effects (I2 ≥ 50%).

Results

Twenty studies with a total of 469 patients (n = 257 Caucasians, n = 204 Asians, n = 8 Latinos) with a mean patient age of 40.0 years (range: 18–67; 95% CI: 38.0, 42.1). The mean difference for Caucasians were AHI: -39.6 (95% CI: -55.0, -24.1; p <.001), LSAT: 7.5 (95% CI: 5.7, 9.3; p <.0001), and ESS: -4.5 (95% CI: -5.6, -3.4; p <.0001). The mean difference for Asians were AHI: -42.7 (95% CI -49.3, -36.0; p <.0001), LSAT: 13.8 (95% CI: 10.0, 17.4; p <.0001), and ESS: -6.7 (95% CI: -9.9, -3.5; p <.0001). The mean difference for Latinos were AHI: -21.2 (95 CI%: -37.7, -4.6; p =.01), and ESS: -2.0 (-7.9, 3.9; p =.50). Greater reduction of AHI was seen in Asians vs. Caucasians and Asians vs. Latinos. Lastly, the reduction of ESS was significantly better for Asians vs. Caucasians.

Conclusion

The study highlights significant variations in MMA outcomes among different ethnic/racial groups. Asians tend to have more severe OSA preoperatively and experience greater postoperative improvements in AHI, LSAT, and ESS compared to Caucasians.
Strategic initiatives to address greenwashing
Authors: Buttigieg Christopher P. , Pulis Sarah
Published: December 2024

This article examines the December 2023 report by the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) titled “Supervisory Practices to Address Greenwashing,” alongside the European Union’s regulatory framework aimed at curbing greenwashing in sustainable finance disclosures. Greenwashing—defined as the misrepresentation of sustainability credentials to attract investors—poses significant threats to investor protection and market integrity, potentially leading to a loss of trust in financial providers. Despite efforts by IOSCO and the EU to improve transparency, the persistence of greenwashing is fueled by fragmented regulations, complex disclosure requirements, and the rapid growth of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing. This article argues for greater international harmonization, proportionate regulation, and effective enforcement of oversight mechanisms to preserve the credibility of sustainable finance. It highlights the crucial role of global cooperation and national initiatives, specifically those by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), in addressing these challenges. Structured into four sections—covering the role of IOSCO in the ESG regulatory landscape, EU initiatives for sustainable finance, supervision and enforcement against greenwashing, and MFSA’s local efforts—the article provides a comprehensive review of current ESG investment practices and the ongoing struggle for enhanced transparency and accountability in financial markets.
Experiences of Acculturation Stress in First-Generation Immigrant Children: Examining the Relationship Among Acculturation Stress, Depression, and Family Dynamics
Authors: Allen Myles , Armenta Belinda , Watters Elizabeth R. , Aflatooni Laleh , Sorenson Laurie
Published: December 2024

Throughout the years, immigration has been a significant movement in the USA and leads to the examination of acculturative stress. By employing the acculturation stress and vulnerability models, the present study aimed to examine the association among acculturation stress, self-esteem, depression, family cohesion, and familism in first-generation immigrant children. Longitudinal data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS) were used. The analytical sample (n = 5262) was predominantly female (51.1%) and between the ages of 12 and 18 (M = 14.23) years old. SPSS 27 and AMOS 27 were utilized to conduct a path analysis to examine the relationships among acculturation stress, self-esteem, depression, family cohesion, and familism. Our results showed good fit (χ2/df ratio = 11.49; CFI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.05, CI [.04, .05]) for the full path model. Acculturation stress had a significant, negative association with depression (β = − 0.12, p < .001); a significant, negative association with self-esteem (β = − 0.12, p < .001); and a significant, positive association with family cohesion (β = 0.60, p < .01) and the familism index (β = 0.05, p < .05). Acculturation stress was found to be predictive of self-esteem, depression, and family cohesion for first-generation immigrant children between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. This study provides general implications for how mental health providers can understand the struggles and provide culturally competent therapeutic services for children and their families.
Inotuzumab ozogamicin for relapse prevention in a boy with Down syndrome and relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Kohso Atsushi , Toyoda Hidemi , Hanaki Ryo , Niwa Kaori , Okumura Yosuke , Morimoto Mari , Ito Takahiro , Hirayama Masahiro
Published: December 2024

Inotuzumab ozogamicin (InO), a CD22-directed antibody conjugated to calicheamicin, has demonstrated excellent efficacy in B-cell precursor (BCP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It has been used for patients with relapsed or refractory BCP-ALL as a bridge to allo-HCT. Children with Down syndrome (DS) have an increased risk of BCP-ALL and higher rates of relapse and toxicity, including treatment-related mortality. Although allo-HCT is potentially curative for relapsed or refractory ALL, post-transplant leukemic relapse rates and transplant-related mortality are dismal in patients with DS-ALL, which results in less frequent use of allo-HCT in this group than in the non-DS population. Therefore, novel and less toxic therapeutic strategies are required to improve outcomes. Here we report the case of a child with DS who was diagnosed with a second relapse of BCP-ALL and has maintained complete remission through regular single-agent InO therapy. Single-agent maintenance using InO can be a good option to avoid subsequent relapse in patients with relapsed or refractory BCP-ALL who cannot proceed to allo-HCT and require less-toxic treatments.
Twisted Adiabatic Limit For Complex Structures
Authors: Popovici Dan
Published: December 2024

Given a complex manifold X and a smooth positive function

$$\eta $$

η

thereon, we perturb the standard differential operator

$$d=\partial + \bar{\partial }$$

d
=
∂
+

∂

¯

acting on differential forms to a first-order differential operator

$$D_\eta $$

D
η

whose principal part is

$$\eta \partial + \bar{\partial }$$

η
∂
+

∂

¯

. The role of the zero-th order part is to force the integrability property

$$D_\eta ^2=0$$

D
η
2

=
0

that leads to a cohomology isomorphic to the de Rham cohomology of X, while the components of types

$$(0,\,1)$$

(
0
,

1
)

and

$$(1,\,0)$$

(
1
,

0
)

of

$$D_\eta $$

D
η

induce cohomologies isomorphic to the Dolbeault and conjugate-Dolbeault cohomologies. We compute Bochner-Kodaira-Nakano-type formulae for the Laplacians induced by these operators and a given Hermitian metric on X. The computations throw up curvature-like operators of order one that can be made (semi-)positive under appropriate assumptions on the function

$$\eta $$

η

. As applications, we obtain vanishing results for certain harmonic spaces on complete, non-compact, manifolds and for the Dolbeault cohomology of compact complex manifolds that carry certain types of functions

$$\eta $$

η

. This study continues and generalises the one of the operators

$$d_h=h\partial + \bar{\partial }$$

d
h

=
h
∂
+

∂

¯

that we introduced and investigated recently for a positive constant h that was then let to converge to 0 and, more generally, for constants

$$h\in \mathbb {C}$$

h
∈
C

. The operators

$$d_h$$

d
h

had, in turn, been adapted to complex structures from the well-known adiabatic limit construction for Riemannian foliations. Allowing now for possibly non-constant functions

$$\eta $$

η

creates positivity in the curvature-like operator that stands one in good stead for various kinds of applications.
Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment for the North China Plain Earthquake Belt: Sensitivity of Seismic Source Models and Ground Motion Prediction Equations
Authors: Ma Jian , Goda Katsuichiro , Hong Han-Ping , Liu Kai , Xu Weijin , Cheng Jia , Wang Ming
Published: December 2024

In this study, a multi-source data fusion method was proposed for the development of a Hybrid seismic hazard model (HSHM) in China by using publicly available data of the 5th Seismic Ground Motion Parameter Zoning Map (NSGM) and historical seismic catalogues and integrating with modern ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs). This model incorporates the characteristics of smoothed seismicity and areal sources for regional seismic hazard assessment. The probabilistic seismic hazard for the North China Plain earthquake belt was investigated through sensitivity analysis related to the seismicity model and GMPEs. The analysis results indicate that the Hybrid model can produce a consistent result with the NSGM model in many cases. However, the NSGM model tends to overestimate hazard values in locations where no major events have occurred and underestimate hazard values in locations where major events have occurred. The Hybrid model can mitigate the degree of such biases. Compared to the modern GMPEs, the GMPE with epicentral distance measures significantly underestimate the seismic hazard under near-field and large-magnitude scenarios. In addition, a comparison of the uniform hazard spectra (UHS) obtained by the models, with China’s design spectrum, shows that the current design spectrum is more conservative than the calculated UHS.
The Impact of Floods on the Mobility of Automobile Commuters in Shanghai Under Climate Change
Authors: Yao Qian , Shan Xinmeng , Li Mengya , Wang Jun
Published: December 2024

As sea level rises, low-lying coastal cites face increasing threat of flood disruption, particularly in terms of human mobility. Commuters are vulnerable to bad weather, as it is difficult to cancel trips even in extreme weather conditions. Using Shanghai’s automobile commuting population as an example, we categorized commuters by travel distance and income level to assess disruptions and delays due to floods, considering future sea level rise. The results show that local flooding disrupts commuting patterns by affecting roadways, with disruption decreasing with distance from the flooded area. This offers a mobility perspective on the indirect impacts of floods. During baseline flood events, long-distance commuters and the low-income group are most affected, while short-distance commuters and the high-income group are less impacted. As sea level rises, floods will threaten all commuting groups, especially the high-income group. Using inaccessibility-commuting delay bivariate maps, this study revealed how socioeconomic differences impact mobility recovery after floods under climate change. The research highlights the differential impacts of floods on various socioeconomic groups in the context of climate change, offering insights for future urban planning and disaster mitigation strategies.