bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of mechanical stress on biomass allocation in three species (Pachira aquatica Aubl., Sextonia rubra (Mez) van der Werff and Simarouba amara Aubl.) with contrasting posture control mechanisms
Authors: Ghislain Barbara , Coste Sabrina , Faure Grégory , Cazal Jocelyn , Prunier Jonathan , Clair Bruno
Published: January 2025

Key message

The posture control in Pachira aquatica, Sextonia rubra and Simarouba amara is achieved through contrasted mechanisms involving tensile stress in wood only, bark only or both. This study evidenced that the restoration of verticality does not imply an overall cost for trees but modifies growth kinetics and biomass allocation to organs and tissues, improving the posture control of the trees in the three species.

Context

All trees need a motor system to correct their position through the generation of asymmetric tensile stress around the stem, leading to active bending. In angiosperms, depending on the species, tensile stress is generated either in wood (tension wood), in bark or in both.

Aims

Here, we investigated how gravitropic stimuli (tilted stems without any movement) may affect growth and biomass allocation and whether this process depends on the posture control mechanism of the species.

Methods

Tree growth kinetics, final biomass allocation and wood and bark proportion, localisation and density were measured on young tilted plants and straight plants as controls. Pachira aquatica, Sextonia rubra and Simarouba amara were selected according to the location of their their motor system within bark only, wood only or both wood and bark, respectively.

Results

In response to tilting, trees from the three species increased their diameter and decreased their slenderness, but the total biomass (including stem and roots) was not different from that in the control trees, suggesting that reaction to artificial tilting does not imply a specific cost for the plant. However, the species exhibited strong differences in growth kinetics, in the amount and organisation of the tissues or in biomass allocation to different organs (root vs shoot, wood vs bark), adapted to the specificity of the posture control mechanisms and improving their motor function.

Conclusion

Whatever the posture control mechanism, uprighting does not modify the total biomass invested. However, allocation of biomass to different organs is strongly modified to obtain an efficient control of the posture.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-harm and self-harm/suicide ideation: population wide, data linkage study and time series analysis: Commentary, Patra et al
Authors: Patra Bichitra Nanda , Pant Ananya
Published: January 2025

The commentary raises important points like patients' actual availability of out- or in-patient services in the wake of pandemics and nationwide lockdowns. The focus is also drawn to missed opportunities to include data from hotlines and online services, a possible increase in death by suicides or changes in the factors that could add up to or protect a person from suicide.
Surrogate End Points for Overall Survival in Neoadjuvant Randomized Clinical Trials for Early Breast Cancer
Authors: Conforti Fabio , Nekljudova Valentina , Sala Isabella , Ascari Roberto , Solbach Christine , Untch Michael , Denkert Carsten , Bagnardi Vincenzo , Pala Laura , Fasching Peter A. , Schneeweiss Andreas , Lück Hans-Joachim , Pagan Eleonora , De Pas Tommaso , van Mackelenbergh Marion , Huober Jens , Müller Volkmar , Link Theresa , Karn Thomas , Reinisch Mattea , Marmé Frederik , Bjelic-Radisic Vesna , Schem Christian , Hartkopf Andreas , Stickeler Elmar , Hanusch Claus , Blohmer Jens-Uwe , Fehm Tanja , Rhiem Kerstin , Holtschmidt Johannes , Gelber Richard D. , Loibl Sibylle
Published: January 2025

PURPOSE

To assess trial-level surrogacy value for overall survival (OS) of the pathologic complete response (pCR) and invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for early breast cancer (BC).

METHODS

Individual patient data of neoadjuvant RCTs with available data on pCR, iDFS, and OS were included in the analysis. We used the coefficient of determination
R
2
from weighted linear regression models to quantify the association between treatment effects on OS and on the surrogate end points.

RESULTS

Eleven RCTs, for a total of 15 treatment comparisons and 12,247 patients, were included in the analysis. There was a weak association between hazard ratios (HRs) for OS and odds ratio of pCR overall (
R
2
, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.48), as well as in all the subgroups explored. Overall, the
R
2
for the association between HR OS and HR iDFS was 0.46 (95% CI, 0.08 to 0.71), which is just below the cutoff of 0.5 for moderate surrogacy. In the majority of subgroups explored, the
R
2
ranged from 0.5 to <0.7, while in hormone receptor–/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2– subtype, histologic grade 1-2 tumors, and lobular tumors, surrogacy was strong (ie,
R
2
≥0.7). The surrogacy value of iDFS for OS was affected by follow-up (FUP) length:
R
2
substantially increased up to 36 months of FUP, with little further improvement after 48 months of FUP.

CONCLUSION

iDFS with sufficient FUP is an acceptable surrogate end point to confidently anticipate final OS results of neoadjuvant RCTs for early BC. This recommendation holds true across many subgroups, with the notable exception of HR+ disease. There is definite need to reassess whether OS is the optimal end point for treatment efficacy measurement in HR+ early BC.
Results From First-in-Human Phase I Study of a Novel CD19-1XX Chimeric Antigen Receptor With Calibrated Signaling in Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Park Jae H. , Palomba M. Lia , Perica Karlo , Devlin Sean M. , Shah Gunjan , Dahi Parastoo B. , Lin Richard J. , Salles Gilles , Scordo Michael , Nath Karthik , Valtis Yannis K. , Lynch Alec , Cathcart Elizabeth , Zhang Honglei , Schoder Heiko , Leithner Doris , Liotta Kelly , Yu Alina , Stocker Kelsey , Li Jia , Dey Agnish , Sellner Leopold , Singh Reshma , Sundaresan Varsha , Tong Xin , Zhao Faye , Mansilla-Soto Jorge , He Changhao , Meyerson Joel , Hosszu Kinga , McAvoy Devin , Wang Xiuyan , Rivière Isabelle , Sadelain Michel
Published: January 2025

PURPOSE

We designed a CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) comprising a calibrated signaling module, termed 1XX, that differs from that of conventional CD28/CD3ζ and 4-1BB/CD3ζ CARs. Preclinical data demonstrated that 1XX CARs generated potent effector function without undermining T-cell persistence. We hypothesized that 1XX CAR T cells may be effective at low doses and elicit minimal toxicities.

METHODS

In this first-in-human, phase I, dose escalation and expansion clinical trial, patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma received 19(T2)28z-1XX CAR T cells at four dose levels (DLs), ranging from 25 to 200 × 10
6
.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients underwent apheresis and received CAR T cells. Sixteen and 12 patients were treated in the dose escalation and expansion cohorts, respectively. The overall response rate (ORR) was 82% and complete response (CR) rate was 71% in the entire cohort. The lowest dose of 25 × 10
6
was selected for dose expansion. In 16 patients treated at this DL, 88% achieved ORR and 75% CR. With the median follow‐up of 24 months, the 1-year event-free survival was 61% (95% CI, 45 to 82) and 14 patients remain in continuous CR beyond 12 months. In all cohorts, grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome rates were low at 4% and 7%, respectively. 1XX CAR T-cell products contain a higher proportion of CD8 T cells with memory features, and CAR T-cell persistence has been detected beyond 1-2 years in patients with ongoing remission.

CONCLUSION

The calibrated potency of the 1XX CAR affords excellent efficacy at low cell doses with favorable toxicity profiles and may benefit the treatment of other hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, and autoimmunity.
Proximity proteomics provides a new resource for exploring the function of Afadin and the complexity of cell-cell adherens junctions
Authors: Choi Wangsun , Goldfarb Dennis , Yan Feng , Major Michael B. , Fanning Alan S. , Peifer Mark
Published: January 2025

The network of proteins at the interface between cell-cell adherens junctions and the actomyosin cytoskeleton provides robust yet dynamic connections that facilitate cell shape change and motility. While this was initially thought to be a simple linear connection via classic cadherins and their associated catenins, we now have come to appreciate that many more proteins are involved, providing robustness and mechanosensitivity. Defining the full set of proteins in this network remains a key objective in our field. Proximity proteomics provides a means to define these networks. Mammalian Afadin and its Drosophila homolog Canoe are key parts of this protein network, facilitating diverse cell shape changes during gastrulation and other events of embryonic morphogenesis. Here we report results of several proximity proteomics screens, defining proteins in the neighborhood of both the N- and C-termini of mammalian Afadin in the premier epithelial model, MDCK cells. We compare our results with previous screens done in other cell types, and with proximity proteomics efforts with other junctional proteins. These reveal the value of multiple screens in defining the full network of neighbors and offer interesting insights into the overlap in protein composition between different epithelial cell junctions.
Regulating Conglomerates: Evidence from an Energy Conservation Program in China
Authors: Chen Qiaoyi , Chen Zhao , Liu Zhikuo , Suárez Serrato Juan Carlos , Xu Daniel Yi
Published: January 2025

We study a prominent energy regulation affecting large Chinese manufacturers that are part of broader conglomerates. Using detailed firm-level data and difference-in-differences research designs, we show that regulated firms cut output and shifted some production to unregulated firms within their conglomerate instead of improving their energy efficiency. To account for conglomerate and market spillovers, we interpret these results through the lens of an industry equilibrium model featuring conglomerate production. The policy raises welfare if the per ton benefits of carbon reduction exceed $161. Alternative policies that exploit public information on business networks can increase aggregate energy savings by 10 percent. (JEL D22, L22, L51, L60, P28, P31, Q48)
Sticky Wages on the Layoff Margin
Authors: Davis Steven J. , Krolikowski Pawel M.
Published: January 2025

We design and field an innovative survey of unemployment insurance (UI) recipients that yields new insights about wage stickiness on the layoff margin. A majority of UI recipients would accept pay cuts of 5–10 percent to save their jobs, and one-third would accept a 25 percent cut. Yet worker-employer discussions about cuts in pay, benefits, or hours in lieu of layoffs are exceedingly rare. Roughly one-quarter of the layoffs in our sample violate the theoretical condition for bilaterally efficient separations. We draw on our findings and other evidence to assess theories of wage stickiness and its role in layoffs. (JEL C83, E24, J31, J63, J65)
A Pedagogy of Grace: Love and Care in Edith Stein’s Thought
Authors: Cavalli Guido
Published: January 2025

The critical comparison with Heidegger’s existential analytics is of utmost importance in Edith Stein’s examination of the structure of the person. Within this framework, the philosopher highlights the necessity of reconsidering human finiteness and temporality as a means of transcending and partaking in the eternal. The fundamentally pedagogical nature of Stein’s thought is shaped by the possibility of attaining fullness and realisation of the essence of human being. The notion of existence itself, regarded as a transformative and educational relationship, enables her to revisit the phenomenological categories of care, anxiety, and freedom. The primary foundation of this pedagogical paradigm, which encompasses the entire ontic framework of the person, lies in the relationship of Grace as a manifestation of divine love.
Improving equity through global research initiatives: continuing to CONNECT
Authors: Hayes Maria , O'Keefe-McCarthy Sheila , Magboo Rosalie , Bowden Tracey , Bruneau Jill , Chen Yingyan , Pedrosa Rafaela , Then Karen L , Van Valen Richard , Fredericks Suzanne
Published: January 2025

CONNECT is a network of nursing and allied professional researchers that focuses on strengthening collaborative cardiac surgery research through shared initiatives. In the final instalment of this five-article series, the authors discuss the future innovations that CONNECT is planning for its members, centring on global research initiatives.
Análise epistemológica na noção de espaço na formação docente para o ensino médio
Authors: Do Nascimento Júnior José Vieira
Published: January 2025

Neste artigo propomos elementos para uma análise epistemológica da noção de espaço geométrico com possibilidades de implementação na formação de professores para o Ensino Médio. O contexto da análise foi o da formação docente na disciplina Astroquímica no tema “Teoria do big bang”, no Mestrado em Astronomia da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Brasil. O quadro teórico é o da metodologia da Engenharia Didática de Michèle Artigue, e Teoria das Situações Didáticas de Guy Brousseau, combinadas com as teorias cosmológicas mais recentes. O principal objetivo didático é o de criar condições favoráveis à introdução da Física Moderna no Ensino Médio. O objetivo de investigação é o de compreender como a Epistemologia e Didática da Física se relacionam. Assim, o avanço do conhecimento dos alunos é uma variável didática importante que poderá ser usada na validação dos modelos didáticos decorrentes da aplicação da proposta.
Enhancement of spin-orbit interaction and nearly perfect spin-reversed efficiency in a one-dimensional photonic crystal containing an anisotropic defect
Authors: Wang Xianjun , Liu Yufu , Li Yunlin , Lai Zhen , Wang Xuezhi , Zhang Haoran , Jiang Xunya
Published: January 2025

Although the defect modes of photonic crystals (PhCs) have been intensively investigated to enhance the interactions between light and special materials, e.g., nonlinear material for switches or gain material for lasers, the enhancement of photonic spin-orbit interaction (SOI) by the defect modes has not been well studied so far. In this work, based on the PhCs containing the anisotropic-material defect, we find rich and new phenomena for such systems from the enhanced SOI, such as the high vortex-conversion efficiency and saturation at 50% for the normally incident Gaussian beam, the large photonic spin Hall effect (PSHE) for obliquely incident beam beyond the Brewster angle and the nearly complete spin-reversed efficiency when we tune the different-order defect modes of s − and p − waves to coincide together. New mechanisms are also revealed, such as the very different sensitivity to the incident angle for the resonant frequencies of the defect modes of s − and p −waves, the tunable sensitivity by choosing proper cell-number N of PhCs for different designs, and the near π-phase jump between different-order defect modes. The hybrid of these new mechanisms is the novel resource of these new phenomena beyond traditional systems. Besides the theoretical importance, these new mechanisms from the defect modes of PhCs can also be widely used to design extremely compacted SOI devices, such as the vortex beam or spin-reverse generators and spin-sensitive detectors.
Approximate model for the coupling of far-field wavefront errors and jitter in space-based gravitational wave laser interferometry
Authors: Tao Ya-Zheng , Gao Rui-Hong , Jin Hong-Bo , Hao Zhen-Xiang , Jin Gang , Wu Yue-Liang
Published: January 2025

Space-based gravitational wave observatories, such as LISA, Taiji, and TianQin, employ long-baseline laser interferometry, necessitating displacement measurement sensitivity at 1 pm/ level. A significant challenge in achieving this precision is the coupling noise arising from far-field wavefront errors (WFE) and laser pointing jitter. This paper presents a comprehensive noise model that incorporates three critical factors: transmitted WFE, static pointing angle, and laser beam jitter. Utilizing the Nijboer-Zernike diffraction theory, we derive an approximate expression for far-field WFE, ensuring minimal error and efficient computational performance. The approximate expression has convincing physical interpretability and reveals how various Zernike aberrations and their coupling impact far-field WFE. Furthermore, the study identifies that correcting optical axis deviations induced by through beam tilt exacerbates far-field WFE, underscoring the necessity for active suppression of . The proposed model facilitates detailed system simulations of the laser link, evaluates tilt-tolength (TTL) noise, and offers theoretical insights for system optimization.
High power cylindrical vector beam fiber laser by integrating oscillator and amplifier
Authors: Chen Kai , Fang Wentan , Cao Ronglei , Ma Xiaohui , Zhou Yong , Zhang Wei , Chen Xiaolin , Huang Song , Liao Meisong , Ohishi Yasutake , Gao Weiqing
Published: January 2025

Cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) have attracted immense recent attention for material processing and particle manipulation. High power output is the base of CVB lasers for those applications. The traditional path to obtain high power CVB laser is the cooperation of the high-order mode (HOM) amplifier and CVB seed source, which is a complex and non-integrated system. This work proposed a compact high power CVB laser with an amplifier and an oscillator integrated into one fiber cavity. In the fiber cavity, the fundamental mode is resonant, and the HOM escapes in a leaky mode. Tunable output power and high slope efficiency of the fiber laser are realized due to the special structure. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the tunability of output power, which agree well with the experiment results. The maximum efficiency of single-sided output and total output of the laser can reach 16.20% and 25.03%, respectively, corresponding to maximum output power of 1.83W and 2.93W. The purity of CVB output from the laser can reach 97.9%. This leaky mode output fiber laser provides a new scheme for generating high power HOM laser and inspires research of HOM control in fiber.
Unveiling photon-driven nonlinear evaporation via liquid drop interferometry: erratum
Authors: Verma Gopal , Kumar Vinod , Kumar Ashwini , Li Wei
Published: January 2025

We correct a typographical error in our Letter [Opt. Lett. 49, 4074 (2024)10.1364/OL.527346]. The corrections have no influence on the results and conclusions of the original Letter.
Interaction of cardiac leiomodin with the native cardiac thin filament
Authors: Little Madison , Risi Cristina M. , Larrinaga Tania M. , Summers Mason D. , Nguyen Tyler , Smith Garry E. , Atherton Jennifer , Gregorio Carol C. , Kostyukova Alla S. , Galkin Vitold E.
Published: January 2025

Every heartbeat depends on cyclical contraction-relaxation produced by the interactions between myosin-containing thick and actin-based thin filaments (TFs) arranged into a crystalline-like lattice in the cardiac sarcomere. Therefore, the maintenance of thin filament length is crucial for myocardium function. The thin filament is comprised of an actin backbone, the regulatory troponin complex and tropomyosin that controls interactions between thick and thin filaments. Thin filament length is controlled by the tropomodulin family of proteins; tropomodulin caps pointed ends of thin filaments, and leiomodin (Lmod) promotes elongation of thin filaments by a “leaky-cap” mechanism. The broader distribution of Lmod on the thin filament implied to the possibility of its interaction with the sides of thin filaments. Here, we use biochemical and structural approaches to show that cardiac Lmod (Lmod2) binds to a specific region on the native cardiac thin filament in a Ca2+-dependent manner. We demonstrate that Lmod2’s unique C-terminal extension is required for binding to the thin filament actin backbone and suggest that interactions with the troponin complex assist Lmod2’s localization on the surface of thin filaments. We propose that Lmod2 regulates the length of cardiac thin filaments in a working myocardium by protecting newly formed thin filament units during systole and promoting actin polymerization at thin filament pointed ends during diastole.
Breast and cervical cancer screening among women at reproductive age in Cambodia: A secondary analysis of Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey 2022
Authors: Um Samnang , Sopheab Heng
Published: January 2025

Breast and cervical cancers are the most prevalent diagnosed in women worldwide, significantly contributing to maternal morbidity and mortality. We examined socio-demographic and behavioral factors associated with breast and cervical cancer screening among Cambodian women aged 15–49 years old. We analyzed women’s data from the 2022 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS). In total, 19,496 women were interviewed. Multiple logistic regression was performed using STATA V17 to examine factors associated with breast and cervical cancer screening. The proportion of breast and cervical cancer screenings was 10.6% and 15.3%, respectively. After being adjusted, factors independently associated with breast cancer screening included age group 20–29 years [AOR = 2.51; 95% CI: 1.55–4.06], 30–39 years [AOR = 4.34; 95% CI: 2.66–7.09], and 40–49 years [AOR = 4.66; 95% CI: 2.81–7.71], higher education [AOR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.26–2.93], exposure media [AOR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.32–2.10], and rich wealth quintile [AOR = 1.50; 95% CI: 1.25–1.80]. Similarly, the odds of having cervical cancer screening were age group 20–29 years [AOR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.76–4.71], 30–39 years [AOR = 5.94; 95% CI: 3.58–9.83], and 40–49 years [AOR = 7.61; 95% CI: 4.55–12.73], higher education [AOR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.55–2.73], exposure media [AOR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.35,1.95], and rich wealth quintile [AOR = 2.14; 95% CI: 1.78–2.5f8]. In conclusion, this study shows the low screening proportion for both breast and cervical cancers, and it also highlights that socio-economic factors are significantly important in determining the health care seeking for these two main cancer screening services among women aged 15–49 years in Cambodia. Therefore, increase of exposure media with health education focusing on these cancer screenings should be made better accessible to women, particularly those of low socio-economic status.
Video-based estimation of blood pressure
Authors: Dasari Ananyananda , Jeni Laszlo A. , Tucker Conrad S.
Published: January 2025

In this work, we propose a non-contact video-based approach that estimates an individual’s blood pressure. The estimation of blood pressure is critical for monitoring hypertension and cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease or stroke. Estimation of blood pressure is typically achieved using contact-based devices which apply pressure on the arm through a cuff. Such contact-based devices are cost-prohibitive as well as limited in their scalability due to the requirement of specialized equipment. The ubiquity of mobile phones and video-based capturing devices motivates the development of a non-contact blood pressure estimation method—Video-based Blood Pressure Estimation (V-BPE). We leverage the time difference of the blood pulse arrival at two different locations in the body (Pulse Transit Time) and the inverse relation between the blood pressure and the velocity of blood pressure pulse propagation in the artery to analytically estimate the blood pressure. Through statistical hypothesis testing, we demonstrate that Pulse Transit Time-based approaches to estimate blood pressure require knowledge of subject specific blood vessel parameters, such as the length of the blood vessel. We utilize a combination of computer vision techniques and demographic information (such as the height and the weight of the subject) to capture and incorporate the aforementioned subject specific blood vessel parameters into our estimation of blood pressure. We demonstrate the robustness of V-BPE by evaluating the efficacy of blood pressure estimation in demographically diverse, outside-the-lab conditions. V-BPE is advantageous in three ways; 1) it is non-contact-based, reducing the possibility of infection due to contact 2) it is scalable, given the ubiquity of video recording devices and 3) it is robust to diverse demographic scenarios due to the incorporation of subject specific information.
A new computational framework for simulating airway resistance, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide, and diffusing capacity for nitric oxide
Authors: Haut Benoit , Karamaoun Cyril , Rigaut Clément
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we present a new computational framework for the simulation of airway resistance, the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide, and the diffusion capacity for nitric oxide in healthy and unhealthy lungs. Our approach is firstly based on a realistic representation of the geometry of healthy lungs as a function of body mass, which compares well with data from the literature, particularly in terms of lung volume and alveolar surface area. The original way in which this geometry is created, including an individual definition of the airways in the first seven generations of the lungs, makes it possible to consider the heterogeneous nature of the lungs in terms of perfusion and ventilation. In addition, a geometry can be easily modified to simulate various abnormalities, local or global (constriction, inflammation, perfusion defect). The natural variability of the lungs at constant body mass is also considered. The computational framework includes the possibility to simulate, on a given (possibly modified) geometry, a test to measure the flow resistance of the lungs (including its component due to the not fully developed flow in the first generations of lungs), a test to measure the concentration of nitric oxide in the exhaled air, and a test to measure the diffusion capacity for nitric oxide. This is implemented in the framework by solving different transport equations (momentum and convection/diffusion) describing these tests. Through numerous simulations, we demonstrate the ability of our model to reproduce results from the literature, both for healthy lungs and lungs of patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Such a computational framework, through the possibilities of numerous and rapid tests that it allows, sheds new light on experimental data by providing information on the phenomena that take place in the distal generations of the lungs, which are difficult to access with imaging.
Improving myocardial infarction diagnosis with Siamese network-based ECG analysis
Authors: Gadag Vaibhav , Singh Simrat , Khatri Anshul Harish , Mishra Shruti , Satapathy Sandeep Kumar , Cho Sung-Bae , Chowdhury Abishi , Pal Amrit , Mohanty Sachi Nandan
Published: January 2025

Background

Heart muscle damage from myocardial infarction (MI) is brought on by insufficient blood flow. The leading cause of death for middle-aged and older people worldwide is myocardial infarction (MI), which is difficult to diagnose because it has no symptoms. Clinicians must evaluate electrocardiography (ECG) signals to diagnose MI, which is difficult and prone to observer bias. To be effective in actual practice, an automated, and computerized detection system for Myocardial Infarction using ECG images, must meet a number of criteria.

Objective

In an actual clinical situation, these requirements—such as dependability, simplicity, and superior decision-making abilities—remain crucial. In the current work, we have developed a model using a dataset that consists of a combination of 928 ECG images taken from publicly available Mendeley Data. It was converted into three classes Myocardial Infarction, Abnormal heartbeat, and Normal.

Methods

The dataset is then imported, pre-processed, and split into a 70:20:10 ratio of training, validation, and testing. It is then trained using the Siamese Network Model.

Results

The classification accuracy comes out to be 98%. The algorithm works excellently with datasets having class imbalance by taking pair of images as input. The validation and testing classification matrix is then generated and the evaluation metrics for both of them come out to be a near-perfect value.

Conclusion

In this study, we developed the ECG signals based early detection of cardiovascular diseases with Siamese network model.
Carotid artery stenosis and ischemic cerebrovascular events after radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer
Authors: Taengsakul Nawaphan , Nivatpumin Padungcharn , Chotchutipan Thong , Tungfung Sunanta
Published: January 2025

Radiotherapy is the main treatment for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) and is associated with an increased risk of ischemic cerebrovascular events (ICVE). The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the incidence of ICVE and carotid artery stenosis (CAS) in patients with HNC who receive radiotherapy and the risk factors for CAS. We enrolled 907 patients with HNC who underwent radiotherapy between February 2011 and June 2022 and obtained information on their clinical and tumor characteristics and their treatment from the clinical records. Data on risk factors for atherosclerosis, medications used, and radiotherapy were also collected. The patients were followed through to the end of 2023 unless they died or were lost to follow-up. The overall incidence of ICVE was 1.98%, with a cumulative incidence of 1.65% over 5 years. In patients who did not have a preexisting carotid artery lesion, the cumulative incidence of significant CAS was 1.3% at 12 months, 2.2% at 24 months, and 2.5% at 36 months post-radiotherapy. The most important risk factors for new CAS were age >65 years (aHR = 2.60, p = 0.008, 95% confidence Interval: 1.28–5.30), laryngeal cancer (aHR = 2.36, p<0.017, 95% confidence Interval: 1.01–5.55), and total plaque score (aHR = 1.38, p<0.001, 95% confidence Interval: 1.23–1.56). There was a significant increase in stenosis, plaque score, and wall thickness in all areas in the carotid artery (p<0.001). The incidence of ICVE and the cumulative incidence of CAS was found to be lower in the Thai population than in other populations. The main risk factors for new CAS were age >65 years, laryngeal cancer, and total plaque score. Changes in the carotid artery were detected early and affected all areas in the artery. Patients with HNC treated by radiotherapy should be assessed for risk factors for CAS and undergo vascular surveillance during follow-up.
A cross-sectional study on the assessment of adherence to cardiovascular medications in Sudan heart center
Authors: A. Mahmoud Adil , Saeed Ali Awadallah , Elnour Asim Ahmed , Nasreldin E. M. Osama , Menon Vineetha , Abdi Beshir Semira , Fatehi Abdalla Sami , Mohammed Abuelnor , Baraka Mohamed , T. Alsulami Fahad , Saeed Alqarni Yousef , Al Mazrouei Nadia , Awad Al-Kubaisi Khalid , Yousif El Khidir Israa , Ganana Kishore , Al Amoodi Abdulla
Published: January 2025

Background

Non-adherence to cardiovascular medications is a global problem with clinical, economic, and humanistic consequences. Investigation of this problem may open the road for proper management of cardiovascular diseases.

Objective

Our objectives were to assess the level of adherence to, and to examine factors influencing adherence to, cardiovascular medications in subjects visiting a heart center in Sudan.

Methods

We have conducted a cross-sectional study that assessed adherence to cardiovascular medications among subjects visiting outpatient cardiac clinics in a heart center-Khartoum State, Sudan. The validated Adherence to Refills and Medication Scale (ARMS) tool was used to assess the level of medication adherence. A score of >16 was used as a cut-off point to categorize surveyed patients into non-adherent (e.g., 17–48) and adherent (e.g., 12–16) in ARMS.

Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential tests such as One-Way ANOVA and Binary regression were used for data analysis.

Results

A total of 255 subjects were enrolled in this study. Slightly more than half the respondents were males (54.5%) and their ages ranged between (51–60 years), and have no insurance coverage (58%). Most of the subjects were married (60.4%), were from Khartoum-State (67.8%), and were unemployed (77.6%). About 39.6% had primary education while 34.5% had secondary (34.5%) education. Diabetes (56.1%) and hypertension (45.5%) were common among the study population. The results showed a high non-adherence prevalence rate (97.6%). The cited reasons for non-adherence include forgetfulness and the costs of refilling medications. Education and age were associated with the level of adherence. Those with high non-adherence behaviors were the more educated, younger and old patients, those not employed, and those having comorbid diseases.

Conclusion

The results generally showed a high level of non-adherence to cardiovascular medications, necessitating interventions to support patients’ adherence.
Incorporating preference uncertainty in best worst scaling
Authors: Areal Francisco J. , Perez Rubén
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we enhance the Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) method by incorporating participants’ preference uncertainty into the conventional BWS, known as case 1. In this context, respondents are tasked with making trade-offs among a set of items of interest. Applying this novel extended BWS method to a sample of Argentinian wine consumers (n = 342), we aim to a) provide a more informative elicitation of consumers’ relative preferences for 16 wine attributes; b) identify the level of uncertainty with each of the attributes, exploring differences between the most and least important wine attributes influencing purchasing wine; and c) compare the results of the extended BWS with the standard BWS. Our findings indicate variability in uncertainty levels on the importance of wine attributes when purchasing wine within and across attributes. Moreover, accounting for participants’ preference uncertainty can alter the ranking of preferences obtained through the standard approach. This alteration is due to both accounting for preference uncertainty itself as well as the uncertainty indicator used. Although this approach is a way to mitigate biases associated with respondents’ preference certainty, it is recommended that preference uncertainty heterogeneity is investigated using different indicators.
An efficient interpretable framework for unsupervised low, very low and extreme birth weight detection
Authors: Nawaz Ali , Ahmad Amir , Khan Shehroz S. , Masud Mohammad Mehedy , Ghenimi Nadirah , Ahmed Luai A.
Published: January 2025

Detecting low birth weight is crucial for early identification of at-risk pregnancies which are associated with significant neonatal and maternal morbidity and mortality risks. This study presents an efficient and interpretable framework for unsupervised detection of low, very low, and extreme birth weights. While traditional approaches to managing class imbalance require labeled data, our study explores the use of unsupervised learning to detect anomalies indicative of low birth weight scenarios. This method is particularly valuable in contexts where labeled data are scarce or labels for the anomaly class are not available, allowing for preliminary insights and detection that can inform further data labeling and more focused supervised learning efforts. We employed fourteen different anomaly detection algorithms and evaluated their performance using Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (AUCROC) and Area Under the Precision-Recall Curve (AUCPR) metrics. Our experiments demonstrated that One Class Support Vector Machine (OCSVM) and Empirical-Cumulative-distribution-based Outlier Detection (ECOD) effectively identified anomalies across different birth weight categories. The OCSVM attained an AUCROC of 0.72 and an AUCPR of 0.0253 for extreme LBW detection, while the ECOD model showed competitive performance with an AUCPR of 0.045 for very low LBW cases. Additionally, a novel feature perturbation technique was introduced to enhance the interpretability of the anomaly detection models by providing insights into the relative importance of various prenatal features. The proposed interpretation methodology is validated by the clinician experts and reveals promise for early intervention strategies and improved neonatal care.
Considering approaches towards sustainability through reflexive ethnographic research into two international music gatherings
Authors: Gibson Sarah-Jane
Published: January 2025

In this article, I consider how community music-making can help people become more engaged in climate action and responsible consumption. These are two of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. Through ethnographic fieldwork, I demonstrate how my lived experiences at two Ethno gatherings impacted my engagement with climate action (SDG13) and consumption and production (SDG12). Ethnos are JM International’s annual multi-sited, youth folk-music gatherings. They are active in over forty countries. Their mission is to revive, invigorate and disseminate global traditional musical heritage and to promote ideals such as peace, tolerance and understanding. Following a critique of the concept of sustainability, I explore how two musical gatherings impacted my responsiveness to environmental sustainability. This postdoctoral ethnographic research was conducted in 2019 and 2020 at Ethno England and Ethno New Zealand as part of Ethno Research. I demonstrate how these gatherings addressed environmental concerns through organizational processes, and how the location of the gatherings solidified the relationship between participatory music-making and nature. Finally, I consider the value of the broader social impact of these gatherings in relation to the climate emergency.
Community music and territorial experiences in Colombia: Communitas, buen vivir and sustainability
Authors: Samper Andres , Arenas Eliecer , Rodríguez Andrea , Puerta Natalia , Rojas Juan Sebastián , Middleton Ian
Published: January 2025

This article examines the process of ‘experience systematization’ based on three meetings organized in 2022 by Sonido Colectivo, a group of educators and musicians exploring the relationship between music and social construction in Colombia. These encounters centered on collective musical experiences as a reflective framework to bridge diverse perspectives in the musical field, including performers, educators, researchers, cultural practitioners, and community organizations.

The study identifies three primary fields of action: (a) initiatives that fostered reconciliation between victims and perpetrators of Colombia’s armed conflict, (b) efforts revitalizing music and community life in urban settings, and (c) processes aimed at regenerating the social fabric in southern Colombia by envisioning alternative futures for peace. Participants included Indigenous and Afro-Colombian community leaders, community musicians from Argentina, and sound artists and therapists from Bogotá, many of whom have worked directly with individuals affected by the conflict.

Preliminary findings highlight the diversity of ontological, epistemological, and axiological approaches to music, as well as the mediations that shaped these community practices. Shared elements include ritualization, ‘communitas’ (collective creation), sonorous interculturality, and the integration of memory, territory, and care through the lens of buen vivir (‘good living’). This work challenges Eurocentric paradigms, emphasizing music as a catalyst for resistance, cultural revitalization, and sustainability in the Global South.
Sustaining minoritized culture, community and well-being through online traditional music making: A case study of Bai urban migrants in China
Authors: Songzi Tao
Published: January 2025

Mass urban migration often engenders major sustainable development challenges, profoundly Mass urban migration often engenders major sustainable development challenges, profoundly affecting people’s well-being. As Waldron argues, online spaces can become vital forums for community music making. This study examines the online traditional music-making activities of the Bai ethnic minority group in the face of accelerated urban migration since the 2000s. Specifically, I explore the Bai people’s use of WeChat and Douyin (TikTok in China) for musical activity, drawing from interviews and online questionnaires conducted with villagers who remain ‘at home’ and migrants who have moved to cities. Together, these sources demonstrate that migration adds pressure and loneliness to Bai people, also posing significant challenges for the sustainability of Bai music. Informants pinpointed that online Bai folksong singing had relieved their negative emotions, with online platforms becoming crucial loci of musical engagement since 2018. Meanwhile, online Bai musical activities have sparked a boom of Bai antiphonal singing activities in the real world, as enthusiasts are motivated by their online interactions. Accordingly, this study advocates online platforms as empowering tools for promoting well-being and sustainable cultural development, enabling peripheral fragmented groups to continue engaging in what Schippers calls the ‘organic’ processes of community music despite major social change.
Erritmoaren pertzepzioa zenbait hizkuntzatan
Authors: Abasolo Juan , Eguskiza Naia , Etxebarria Aintzane , Iglesias Aitor , Ensunza Ariane
Published: January 2025

Lan honen helburu nagusia da zenbait hizkuntzaren erritmoaren pertzepzioa ikertzea. Horretarako, 9 hizkuntzatan (arabiera, norvegiera, poloniera, alemana, portugesa, errusiera, bereberra, lituaniera eta errumaniera) sortutako ahozko testuen (kantak, hitz-jokoak eta errezitatuak) erritmoaren korrelatu akustikoak kalkulatu dira. Zenbait indize kontuan hartuta pertzepzio-testen emaitzekin korrelazionatu dira. Hots, metriken neurriak kalkulatu dira eta 129 irakaslegai elebidunek erantzundako pertzepzio-testen emaitzekin zenbateko lotura duten kalkulatu da. Emaitzek erakutsi dute pertzepzio-testen eta erritmoaren metriken neurrien kontrastetik korrelazio esanguratsu batzuk badaudela. Azterketa erritmikoen emaitzek lagun dezakete iragartzen zer erantzungo duten informatzaileek.
The acquisition of rhotics in onset clusters in L2 Spanish
Authors: González Carolina , Weissglass Christine
Published: January 2025

This study examines the acoustic realization of rhotics in Spanish onset clusters in 10 native speakers and 25 second language learners (L2) with English as their L1. The comparison of rhotic manner, duration, and svarabhakti vowel occurrence shows partial evidence of English transfer in the L2 group, since fricative, retroflex approximant and coarticulated variants, common in English, account for almost 40% of realizations. Rhotics are also longer in the L2 group and svarabhakti vowels less frequent. Results also show that stop voicing and place of articulation impact rhotic realization in the L2 group. The examination of individual patterns shows that some L2 learners are in initial stages of rhotic acquisition, while others are approaching the native pattern.
Perceptual discrimination and categorization of vowels in different levels of foreign language instruction
Authors: Icardo Isasa Ane
Published: January 2025

This paper reports on the development of L2 English vowel pair perception by adult L1 Spanish/Basque speakers of differing levels of English instruction. This study focuses on vowel pairs /i-ɪ/, /u-ʊ/ and /ʌ-ɔ/, with differing levels of proximity to native categories. Results of two perceptual tasks show that learners are influenced by their native categories, but that regardless of level, they can still modify their representations. However, the success in categorization varies by sound based on acoustic distance and multiple category competition.
Bringing phonological oddities to the fore: The Basque sibilants
Authors: Igartua Iván
Published: January 2025

The contrast between apical and laminal articulations in Basque dento-alveolar sibilant consonants has traditionally attracted linguists’ attention. This distributedness distinction, as it has come to be known in the literature, was assumed to be very uncommon, a sort of typological oddity (perhaps the only one) of Basque consonantism, which, in all other respects, is not particularly remarkable in terms of its phonological characteristics. Many studies have been devoted to the articulatory and acoustic properties of sibilants in Standard Basque and several dialectal varieties. In this paper, written as a contribution to this well-deserved Festschrift in honor of José Ignacio Hualde, I compare the Basque system of sibilants and its features with other structurally more or less analogous systems, drawing on recent typological research, in order to gain a more nuanced understanding of the alleged uniqueness of the Basque sibilants.
Ana Ürrütiren "Ebanjelio Saintia Jesus-Kristena Jondane Johaneren arabera" (1873)
Authors: Padilla Moyano Manuel
Published: January 2025

Lan honetan Ana Ürrüti ebanjelista eta idazle zuberotarraren testu nagusiaren edizio kritikoa eskaintzen da. Alderdi biografiko eta bibliografikoen ondoren, Ebanjelio Saintiaren sorrera azalduko da, itzulpenaren iturrien aniztasuna agerian utzirik ere. Edizio kritikoa 1873ko eta 1888ko edizioen ale banaren transkripzioan oinarritzen da. Bi argitaraldi horietan atzeman diren akatsak zuzendurik, irakurleari eskaintzen zaion bertsioak testu originala berreraiki nahi du. Harago, Ana Ürrüti andereari aitortza ematea da lan honen azken xedea.
Graus de fixação e idiomaticidade nos usos da unidade fraseológica “ir de base” no português brasileiro
Authors: Okazaki Marcelo Eduardo Rodrigues , Nadin Odair Luiz
Published: January 2025

As transformações nas relações e hábitos sociais provocadas pelo desenvolvimento tecnológico estão diretamente relacionadas à evolução dos meios de comunicação e de entretenimento. A internet, em particular, trouxe uma mudança complexa, intensificando o surgimento de novas unidades lexicais e a atribuição de novos significados a unidades existentes. Os jogos online, como League of Legends, desempenharam um papel crucial nesse fenômeno linguístico, como é o caso de ir de base, oriunda do contexto dos jogos. Pensando nisso, propomos: (i) tecer discussões teóricas acerca de como as unidades fraseológicas se apresentam na língua, no contexto de Neologia; (ii) descrever os usos da unidade fraseológica ir de base e suas variantes em uma perspectiva sincrônica; e (iii) propor um verbete com suas acepções e possíveis variantes.