bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can biosecurity on farms reduce bovine tuberculosis risks in cattle in England? A review of observational and literature‐based evidence
Authors: Voller Chelsea , Perrin Lauren D. , Gibbens Jane C. , Donnelly Christl A. , Delahay Richard J. , Heasman Lindsay , Vial Flavie , Prosser Alison , Heard Jenny , Robertson Andrew , Brunton Lucy , Enticott Gareth , Downs Sara H.
Published: January 2025

Background

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a burden to cattle farming in Great Britain. Poor biosecurity has been identified as contributing to the epidemic.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of epidemiological studies published in the scientific literature between 1921 and 2024 that measured the association between farm biosecurity and cattle TB. Eligible studies controlled for confounding factors and reported statistically significant association/s between biosecurity and TB (p < 0.05) and/or an effect ratio/s of more than 3. Biosecurity uptake in England was assessed using official Disease Report Forms (DRFs) from 4074 TB incidents occurring in 2018 and 2019.

Results

Thirty‐three papers with 116 effect estimates met the inclusion criteria and were grouped according to a five‐point biosecurity plan. There was consistent evidence for TB risk being reduced by reducing contact with neighbouring herds and preventing cattle at higher TB risk from entering herds. The evidence for the effectiveness of measures for reducing contact between badgers and cattle was inconsistent. The DRF data showed a low uptake of biosecurity to reduce contact between badgers and cattle.

Limitations

All the studies identified were retrospective. Biosecurity was measured using different instruments, for example, questionnaires.

Conclusions

There is analytical epidemiological evidence supporting guidance for improving biosecurity, but there are some limitations. Further research is needed to identify the most effective wildlife‐focused measures.
Ginger genes: decoding the cause of the colouring
Authors: Gray Arabella
Published: January 2025

Arabella Gray delves into two new pieces of research which have simultaneously revealed the genetics behind the orange coat colour of cats.
Food wastage along the global food supply chain and the impact of food packaging
Authors: Uhlig Elisa , Sadzik Anna , Strenger Mara , Schneider Anna-Maria , Schmid Markus
Published: January 2025

Inadequate food handling throughout the food supply chain can result in food loss and waste, leading to significant environmental, economic and social impacts. Identifying the causes of food loss and waste across the food supply chain, including the role of packaging, is critical for developing reduction and prevention strategies. This review examines 54 scientific studies to identify packaging-related causes of food loss and waste, evaluate whether and how packaging contributes to or mitigates these issues, and propose measures to address them. The findings highlight the need for standardized terminology and methodologies to improve comparability among studies. Key packaging-related issues identified include difficulty emptying, damage and oversized packaging, which could be addressed through improved packaging design and machinery, customized packaging sizes, and consumer education. The packaging design must be adapted to address these key issues and simultaneously consider geographical areas, specific food products and types of packaging. Further research is needed to explore these connections more comprehensively and improve data comparability across methodologies and nomenclature.
Nonlinear semimartingales and Markov processes with jumps
Authors: Criens David , Niemann Lars
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we study a family of nonlinear (conditional) expectations that can be understood as a semimartingale with uncertain local characteristics, which are prescribed by a time and path-dependent set-valued function. We show that the associated control problem coincides with both its weak and relaxed counterparts. Furthermore, we establish regularity properties of the value function and discuss their relation to Feller properties of sublinear semigroups. In the Markovian case, we provide conditions that allow us to identify the corresponding semigroup as the unique viscosity solution to a nonlinear Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation. To illustrate our results, we discuss a random $$G$$
G
-double exponential Lévy setting.
Determination of the water diffusivity dependence with the flow rate using a DVS equipment
Authors: Sánchez-Ferrer Antoni , Engelhardt Max
Published: January 2025

The effects on the measurement of water sorption and apparent diffusivity when using different flow rate values and different experimental setups, i.e., closed pan, open pan and hanging setup, have been studied in a series of Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) experiments on a spruce sample. The results confirm a concave exponential growth dependency between apparent diffusivity and flow rate and an effect from the setup used, with the hanging setup being optimal for conducting such experiments due to the exposure of both areas of the disk to the airflow.
The Association between Social Support and Musculoskeletal Health in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study
Authors: Bevilacqua Gregorio , D’Angelo Stefania , Laskou Faidra , Zaballa Elena , Harvey Nicholas C. , Dennison Elaine M.
Published: January 2025

Previous studies suggest social support is associated with musculoskeletal health in later life. We explored this relationship further in community-dwelling older adults, by considering associations between different aspects of social support and musculoskeletal health in community-dwelling adults. Participants from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study reported level of confiding/emotional, practical, and negative support using the Close Persons Questionnaire. Muscle strength was measured by grip strength dynamometry, and physical capability by timed up-and-go, chair rises, and walking speed tests. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Linear regression, adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), alcohol, smoking, physical activity, social class, and diet, was used for analysis. 1842 men and women (mean age 65.7 years) participated. Low emotional support correlated with weaker grip strength and poorer physical capability tests, although estimates were not robust to adjustment for confounders. Low practical support was linked to shorter timed up-and-go (β − 0.171, 95%CI − 0.319, − 0.024) and walking speed times (β − 0.157, 95%CI − 0.306, − 0.007), following adjustment for confounders. Negative support (i.e. the perceived inadequacy of the support received) was associated with lower grip strength (β − 0.145, 95%CI − 0.223, − 0.067) and slower walking speeds (β 0.159, 95%CI 0.004, 0.314). No social support exposures were associated with BMD. Different types of social support are linked to various measures of musculoskeletal health in older adults. Limited requirement for practical support correlated with better physical capability, while negative support correlated with poorer outcomes. No social support measure was associated with BMD.
Impact of acetylsalicylic acid on perioperative bleeding complications in deceased donor kidney transplantation
Authors: Friedersdorff Frank , Schulz Matthias , Weinberger Sarah , Ramos Scarlet Munayco , Ralla Bernhard , Liefeldt Lutz , Kanne Martin , Sakar Senem , Lerchbaumer Markus H. , Schlomm Thorsten , Lichy Isabel , Peters Robert , Schmidt Jacob
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The objective of this study was to evaluate the perioperative outcomes and complications associated with the use of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in deceased donor kidney transplantation (KTX), with a particular focus on bleeding events.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 157 kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) who underwent KTX at Charité Berlin, Department for Urology, between February 2014 and December 2017. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with ASA in their preoperative medication (Group A, n = 59) and patients without ASA use (Group B, n = 98). Data on demographic information, medical conditions, surgical details, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Complications were classified using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Statistical analyses included t-tests, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

Group A had significantly older donors (59.7 ± 12.9 years vs. 52.0 ± 14.1 years, p < 0.001) and a higher incidence of coronary artery disease (42.4% vs. 3.1%, p = 0.001). There were no significant differences in perioperative hemoglobin loss and perioperative bleeding events between the groups, but a tendency towards higher rates of intraoperative bleeding (15.3% vs. 8.2%, p = 0.17) and postoperative transfusions (22% vs. 13.3%, p = 0.15) in Group A. Mortality was higher in Group A (18.6% vs. 4.1%, p = 0.003), with one death attributed to a cardiac event. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significantly inferior overall survival for Group A (p = 0.02), but no significant difference in graft survival (p = 0.18).

Conclusion

ASA use is associated with a trend towards increased intraoperative bleeding and postoperative blood transfusion but does not significantly increase major postoperative bleeding complications. Careful perioperative monitoring of patients with ASA is recommended.
Detailed analysis of cystic lesions in patients after open fetal repair and postnatal myelomeningocele closure
Authors: Salwi Sanjana R. , Land Sierra D. , Gallagher Taryn , Reynolds Tom A. , Zarnow Deborah M. , Viaene Angela , Moldenhauer Julie S. , Adzick N. Scott , Flanders Tracy M. , Heuer Gregory G.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

We sought to evaluate the incidence, natural history, and management of cystic spinal lesions following myelomeningocele/myeloschisis closure.

Methods

We performed a single-center retrospective review of all patients who underwent myelomeningocele/myeloschisis closure from 2013 to 2018 with follow-up to 5 years old.

Results

We analyzed 100 fetal repairs and 81 postnatal closures from 305 total surgeries. Patients within this cohort systematically underwent serial MRI scans of the lumbar spine and had clinical follow-up until at least 5 years of age. Ninety-three (51.2%) developed radiographic evidence of cystic lesions with 28 (30.1%) requiring surgical intervention. Presence of cysts was higher in fetal repair (67/100, 67%) compared with postnatal (26/81, 32.1%; p < 0.01). Of the 93 patients with radiographic cysts, 28 (30.1%) underwent surgical resection at a median age of 27.6 months old ([Q1, Q3], [13.0, 48.6 months]). Fetal repair patients had a higher rate (26/67, 38.8%) of cysts requiring surgical resection compared with postnatal closure (2/26, 7.7%, p value < 0.01). Pathology demonstrated 18 of resected cysts were dermoid, 8 were epidermoid, and 2 were fibrous tissue. Post-operatively, no patients experienced a worsened ambulation status. Bladder compliance showed a non-significant trend toward improvement.

Conclusions

Cystic lesions in myelomeningocele/myeloschisis patients are common findings that result in nerve root tethering. We propose regular screening in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients to circumvent nerve injury. Most cystic lesions do not require surgical resection though fetal repair is associated with a higher incidence of operative cysts. However, these lesions can be safely surgically resected with maintenance of ambulation and urologic function.
Do perilunate dislocations and fracture-dislocations result in different radiological outcomes following wrist alignment reconstruction? A single-center retrospective study including 51 patients with perilunate injuries
Authors: Rachunek-Medved Katarzyna , Medved Fabian , Besz Wojciech , Illg Claudius , Lauer Henrik , Krauß Sabrina , Daigeler Adrien , Thiel Johannes Tobias
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Perilunate dislocations (PLD) and perilunate fracture-dislocations (PLFD) are high-energy wrist injuries often linked to significant post-traumatic osteoarthritis. This study aims to determine whether PLD and PLFD yield different radiological outcomes following surgical treatment while identifying prognostic factors for worse outcomes.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively analyzed 51 patients treated for perilunate injuries between 2000 and 2022. Radiographic evaluation included postoperative carpal alignment, scapholunate distance, ulnar translocation, and postoperative arthrosis according to the Kellgren-Lawrence scale. Logistic regression models were used in the study. The analyzed explanatory variables included: type of injury (PLFD/PLD), Mayfield classification, capsulodesis, repair of intercarpal- and extrinsic ligaments, and number of wrist transfixations. The significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05. The calculations were performed with R (version 4.3.2).

Results

Among 51 patients, the mean follow-up was 4.33 years (1-22.13), and the mean age was 37.76 years. PLFD accounted for 55% of cases. Patients in the PLD group were older at the time of injury (p = 0.0031) compared to PLFD. Older patients presented also with higher stages of perilunate instability (p = 0.0061). Midcarpal arthrosis was the most common site of wrist degeneration (58.8%). Ordinal logistic regression indicated that PLFD was associated with a lower risk of midcarpal arthrosis (OR = 0.293, p = 0.04), while a higher number of wrist transfixations increased the risk of advanced arthrosis (OR = 2.427, p = 0.02), The logistic regression model detected a positive effect of the number of wrist transfixations on lunate fovea arthrosis (p = 0.048). The number of wrist transfixations did not correlate with the number of fractures (p = 0.06), Mayfield classification (p = 0.16), or intraoperative reduction outcome (p = 0.6).

Conclusion

PLD and a greater number of wrist transfixations were associated with a higher risk of wrist arthrosis. Limiting wrist pinning to essential procedures may help prevent additional iatrogenic chondral lesions.
Description of changes in chemical bonding along the pathways of chemical reactions by deformation of the molecular electrostatic potential
Authors: Żurowska Olga , Michalak Artur
Published: January 2025

Context

The analysis of the changes in the electronic structure along intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) paths for model reactions: (i) ethylene + butadiene cycloaddition, (ii) prototype SN2 reaction Cl− + CH3Cl, (iii) HCN/CNH isomerization assisted by water, (iv) CO + HF → C(O)HF was performed, in terms of changes in the deformation density (Δr) and the deformation of MEP (ΔMEP). The main goal was to further examine the utility of the ΔMEP as a descriptor of chemical bonding, and to compare the pictures resulting from Δr and ΔMEP. Both approaches clearly show that the main changes in the electronic structure occur in the TS region. The ΔMEP picture is fully consistent with that based on Δρ for the reactions of the neutral species leading to the neutral products without large charge transfer between the fragments. In the case of reactions with large electron density displacements, the ΔMEP picture is dominated by charge transfer leading to more clear indication of charge shifts than the analysis of Δr.

Methods

All the calculations were performed using the ADF package. The Becke–Perdew exchange–correlation functional was used with the Grimme’s dispersion correction (D3 version) with Becke-Johnson damping. The Slater TZP basis sets defined within the ADF program were applied. For the analysed reactions, the stationary points were determined and verified by frequency calculations, and the IRC was determined. Further analysis was performed for the structures of reactants, TS, products, and the points corresponding to the minimum and maximum of the reaction force. For each point, two fragments, A and B, corresponding to the reactants were considered. The deformation density was calculated as the difference between the electron density of the system AB and the sum of densities of A and B,

$$\Delta \rho \left(r\right)= {\rho }^{AB}\left(r\right)-{\rho }^{A}\left(r\right){-\rho }^{B}\left(r\right),$$

Δ
ρ

r

=

ρ

AB

r

-

ρ

A

r

-
ρ

B

r

,

with the same fragment definition as in the ETS-NOCV method. Correspondingly, deformation in MEP was determined as

$$\Delta V\left(r\right)={V}^{AB}\left(r\right)- {V}^{A}\left(r\right)- {V}^{B}\left(r\right)$$

Δ
V

r

=

V

AB

r

-

V

A

r

-

V

B

r

.
The Effect of Water Colour on Fish Communities in Boreal lakes
Authors: Horppila Jukka , Nurminen Leena , Rajala Salla , Estlander Satu
Published: January 2025

The water colour of numerous lakes is increasing, with consequences for biotic communities. The effects of water colour on the abundance of fish in boreal lakes were examined by evaluating gillnet catches in 78 lakes with a water colour range from 18.9 to 380.0 mg Pt L−1. In all, 22 different fish species were captured. Perch (Perca fluviatilis) and roach (Rutilus rutilus) were the most abundant species. Water colour had no effect on fish species diversity. The captured fish biomass per unit effort (BPUE) varied between 192.5 and 5681.2 g net−1 and decreased significantly with increasing water colour. Except for pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), the effect of water colour was significant for all the dominant fish species (bleak Alburnus alburnus, bream Abramis brama, perch, pike Esox lucius, roach, ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus). The main factor behind the effect of water colour was probably the decreasing availability of food, as indicated by the decreased abundance of roach that is not vulnerable to low light intensity. The negative effect of water colour on the planktonic feeder bleak suggested that reduced visibility and prey capture rate in high-colour lakes also had a role. Total phosphorus had a positive effect on BPUE but did not compensate for the effect of colour. BPUE:chlorophyll a ratio for the total catch and for bleak, perch, and roach decreased significantly with increasing water colour, reflecting decreasing transfer efficiency from basal trophic levels to consumers. BPUE and BPUE:chlorophyll a ratio for total gillnet catch or for selected species could be potential fish-based indicators of lake brownification.
Prognostic value of carcinoembryonic antigen in colorectal adenocarcinoma: expanding hypotheses into clinical practice
Authors: Cristaudo Adam Thomas , Morris David Lewis
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study seeks to resolve a fundamental question in oncology: Why do appendiceal and colorectal adenocarcinomas exhibit distinct liver metastasis rates? Building on our prior hypothesis published in the British Journal of Surgery, our institution has investigated potential DNA mutations within the carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM5) gene’s Pro-Glu-Leu-Pro-Lys (PELPK) motif to evaluate its role as a biomarker for liver metastasis risk.

Methods

Partnering with the Australian Genome Research Facility, the PELPK motif of CEACAM5 was analysed in colorectal and appendiceal adenocarcinomas to detect DNA mutations associated with liver metastasis. Additionally, our institution performed the COPPER trial to assess carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in portal versus peripheral blood in patients with appendiceal adenocarcinoma and a systematic review and meta-analysis of 136 studies on CEA’s prognostic significance among patients with colorectal and appendiceal adenocarcinoma.

Results

No mutations were identified within the PELPK region. The COPPER trial further demonstrated no statistically significant differences in CEA levels between portal and peripheral blood in appendiceal adenocarcinoma. However, the systematic review and meta-analysis confirmed CEA’s prognostic role in patients with appendiceal or colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Conclusion

The absence of DNA mutations suggests that metastatic potential may be driven by downstream mRNA or protein modifications in the CEA PELPK region. Future work will include surface plasmon resonance studies to investigate CEA–receptor interactions and development of immunohistochemistry for CEA PELPK expression. Such findings are poised to redefine global strategies for cancer stratification and targeted immunotherapy, setting the stage for groundbreaking advancements in cancer prognosis and patient outcomes.
Boosting bug localization in software models of video games with simulations and component-specific genetic operations
Authors: Casamayor Rodrigo , Arcega Lorena , Pérez Francisca , Cetina Carlos
Published: January 2025

The development and maintenance of video games present unique challenges that differentiate them from Classic Software Engineering (CSE) such as the increased difficulty in locating bugs within video games. This distinction has given rise to Game Software Engineering (GSE), a subfield that intersects software engineering and video games. Our work proposes a novel way for bug localization in video games by evolving simulations via an evolutionary algorithm, which helps to explore the large number of possible simulations. Simulations generate data (i.e., traces) from the behavior of non-player characters (NPCs). NPCs are not controlled by the player and are key components of video games. We hypothesize that such traces can be instrumental in locating bugs. Our approach automatically locates potential buggy model elements from traces. Furthermore, we propose a novel way of applying genetic operations to evolve simulations by selectively combining their components, rather than combining all components as a whole. We evaluate our approach in the commercial video game Kromaia, and the results indicate that evolving simulations using our novel component-specific genetic operations boosts bug localization. Specifically, our approach improved the F-measure for all bug categories over randomly combining all components, the baseline (which focuses on CSE and utilizes bug reports), and Random Search by 7.93%, 27.17%, and 46.34%, respectively. This work opens a new research direction for further exploration in bug localization within GSE and potentially in CSE as well. Moreover, it encourages other researchers to explore alternative genetic operations rather than selecting them by default.
Ethical Sourcing and Decision Making in the Fashion Industry: A Longitudinal Qualitative Examination
Authors: Tandon Anushree , Dhir Amandeep , Kaur Puneet , Ogbonnaya Chidiebere
Published: January 2025

Ethical sourcing is a crucial issue for the fashion industry, which is under intense pressure to build ethical and responsible supply chains. Despite its importance, we know little about how individual employees working in the fashion supply chain view ethical sourcing and the ethical considerations they encounter during their work. We adopted the moral agency theory to address these lacunas and conducted a longitudinal qualitative research study. We collected data from a highly heterogenous sample of employees based in the United Kingdom through open-ended essays in three waves (N1 = 50, N2 = 43, N3 = 30) over 9 months that were analyzed using the grounded theory method. The analysis revealed the following themes: a contemporary outlook on boundaries, external considerations, and three levels of action for ethical considerations: Supplier, organization, and employee (i.e., individual). We offer a revitalized view of ethical sourcing as a concept from a practice perspective and discuss critical ethical issues that affect employees’ moral agency to enact ethical sourcing decisions. Our findings offer insights into avenues to advance theoretical knowledge through a comprehensive framework derived from our results. We also propose significant practical implications to promote the widespread integration of ethical sourcing.
Brexit metaphors in UK higher education: loss, agency and interconnectedness
Authors: Papatsiba Vassiliki , Koller Veronika
Published: January 2025

This interdisciplinary study examines how senior leaders in UK higher education use everyday metaphors to convey their perspectives on Brexit and its implications. By analysing a corpus of 127 interviews conducted between 2017 and 2019 as part of a larger ESRC-funded project spanning 12 universities across the UK, this research employs critical sociocognitive theories and established metaphor identification methods to systematically uncover and interpret metaphors and metaphor scenarios related to Brexit in higher education discourse. The study reveals that seemingly neutral metaphors such as ‘access’, ‘networks’, ‘streams’, ‘links’ and ‘barriers’ carry significant ideological weight, subtly conveying evaluative perspectives that might otherwise remain guarded. These metaphors illuminate deeper and longer-term concerns about interconnectedness, loss of resources, talent and opportunities, and institutional agency within the higher education sector. Notably, the analysis of metaphor scenarios reveals a paradoxical juxtaposition of apprehension and hope, reflecting the complex ways in which university leaders conceptualise and respond to Brexit’s uncertainties. By examining everyday metaphor use, this study offers a unique window into how Brexit was understood and framed within UK higher education leadership circles during a critical period of uncertainty. Our findings not only contribute to our understanding of Brexit’s impact on UK higher education but also underscore the value of metaphor analysis in elucidating complex sociopolitical issues with likely lasting implications. This calls for further research on Brexit’s discourse and effects on higher education while highlighting the crucial role of discourse during major policy shifts.
Seeing butô Performances: Synesthetic Vision
Authors: Nishizaka Aug , Suzuki Minato
Published: January 2025

This study empirically addresses some aspects of how seeing Japanese avant-garde dance performances (butô) is organized in interaction. Using conversation analysis, it analyzes two episodes in detail. In these episodes, different practices are used to perceptually restructure the appearance of a performance. In the first episode, a person explains the difference between the appearances of two performances by transforming modalities (such as verbalization and vocalization). In the second episode, a person directly points out the change in how a performance appears. We suggest, via the juxtaposition of these two episodes, that the difficulty of explaining the appearances of butô performances is the constitutive part of their appearances to which the participants themselves orient. The data are in Japanese with English translation.
Sheet metal localization using deep learning and synthetic data
Authors: Behnen Hannes , Boada-Gardenyes Guillem , Schmitt Robert H. , Teschner Marc , Pönitz Willi , Weiß Korbinian
Published: January 2025

Improving the accuracy of sheet metal localization in industrial machines is of great interest to many automated manufacturing systems. Current vision-based systems typically rely on traditional image processing algorithms to locate the position of sheets in images. However, these algorithms often do not generalize robustly in real production setups. To achieve this, we propose a novel framework consisting of two deep learning models that locate sheets based on their corners, and a data generation pipeline capable of creating the annotated data required to train the models. Evaluation of this framework on real production data shows that the proposed approach locates sheet metal corners highly accurate with an average error of 2.17 pixels, which is at the edge of the theoretically achievable limit defined by the human annotation error in the test dataset. Extensive experiments show that the proposed framework generalizes well and can therefore be used as a backbone for various automated systems for which sheet metal localization is a relevant task.
The Role of Friendship in Mediating and Moderating the Relationship Between Exposure to Gendered Racism and Mental Health among Young Women of Color
Authors: Tao Xiangyu , Fisher Celia B.
Published: January 2025

Young women of color frequently face discrimination, reflecting the intersecting societal influences of sexism and racism. Although friendships play a significant role in women’s lives, there is a lack of research on the role of friendships in navigating exposure to gendered racial discrimination (in-person and social media) and associated mental health. This study investigated the extent to which the content of friendship conversations (i.e., co-rumination against gendered racism, socializing messages related to gendered racial pride and empowerment and oppression awareness) and perceived friendship intimacy and support mediated or moderated the positive association between exposure to gendered racism and mental health. Co-rumination was tested as a mediator, while the other variables were examined as moderators. Online survey data were collected from 339 cisgender women aged 18–24 (M age = 20.90, SD = 1.96; 32.74% Asian, 33.92% Black, and 33.33% Hispanic or Latina; 68.14% identified as straight or heterosexual). Participants described friendship communications and perceived intimacy and support with a same gender and race close friend. Exposure to gendered racial discrimination was significantly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms and substance use as a coping mechanism. Co-rumination about gendered racism was positively correlated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conversely, pride and empowerment socialization was negatively associated with substance use for coping, while oppression awareness socialization was positively correlated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Structural Equation Modeling Analyses indicated that co-rumination partially mediated the relationship between gendered racism exposure and anxiety symptoms, with other friendship indices not moderating these associations. These findings highlight co-rumination about gendered racism as a risk factor for young women of color and underscore the importance of exploring how the multifaceted nature of friendships is associated with exposure to gendered racism and mental health.
Efficient and simplified numerical contact model for the braking simulation of a magnetic track brake
Authors: Kocbay Emin , Steininger Alois , Pavicsics Andreas , Arslan Eray , Edelmann Johannes
Published: January 2025

The magnetic track brake is a mechanical contact (with friction) based braking system that is typically actuated electromagnetically and used as an emergency brake in railway transport. Within this paper, the practically relevant task of predicting the effective local and global forces of the contacting bodies and the respective deformations during the quasi-static braking process is addressed. Therefore, a simplified, yet efficient and accurate numerical contact model is developed to treat the frictional sliding contact problem. In order to verify and validate the model a couple of numerical experiments are carried out. The proposed model and algorithm are first tested against an analytic benchmark problem of a parabolic indenter indenting an elastic half-space. The developed model is then compared against a reference Abaqus finite element simulation in application-oriented braking simulations that treat the contact problem between a single braking element (pole shoe) and the rail. The results demonstrate and highlight the applicability and efficiency of the proposed model but also show the current limitations and shortcomings that hint at possible future augmentations.
Data-efficient handwritten text recognition of diplomatic historical text
Authors: Mayr Martin , Neumeier Katharina , Krenz Julian , Bürcky Simon , Kordon Florian , Seuret Mathias , Zöllner Jochen , Wu Fei , Maier Andreas , Christlein Vincent
Published: January 2025

Traditional methods in handwritten text recognition primarily focus on generating basic transcriptions, which often fall short for in-depth humanities research. Our study enhances this by providing diplomatic transcriptions for German studies, meticulously reproducing the original manuscripts, including layout and expanded abbreviations. State-of-the-art sequence-to-sequence approaches for handwritten text recognition predominantly use Connectionist Temporal Classification (CTC) as an auxiliary loss of the encoder output to improve robustness and accuracy. This is not possible in this task due to the great differences in the length of diplomatic transcriptions. We propose using the basic transcription instead of the diplomatic one as an additional target for the CTC feedback. Additionally, we introduce positional encoding at the intersection between the encoder and decoder to resolve the conflict of competing encoder objectives, balancing CTC loss reduction with the maintenance of implicit positional encoding for the decoder. Our empirical tests on the newly created dataset “Nuremberg Letterbooks” demonstrate significant data efficiency improvements. With only 4000 training lines (about 130 transcribed pages), we achieve a Character Error Rate (CER) of 9.39% without expanded abbreviations and 12.07% with expanded abbreviations, outperforming the baseline errors of 14.26% and 68.21%, respectively.
Stereotactic implantation of diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy sources in the swine brain: a potential new focal therapy for brain tumors
Authors: Shoshan Yigal , Gomori Moshe J. , Moss Lior , Bari Saleem Eben , Edery Nir , Den Robert B. , Arazi Lior , Popovtzer Aron , Feldman Jon , Moscovici Samuel
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Diffusing alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy (“Alpha DaRT”) is a new cancer treatment modality that employs radium-224-loaded metal sources implanted in solid tumors to disperse alpha-emitting atoms within a therapeutic “kill-zone” of a few millimeters around each source. Preclinical studies have demonstrated tumor growth delay in various cancer types, including glioblastoma multiforme, and the method is used in clinical trials for patients with skin and head and neck cancer. This study aims to assess the safety and feasibility of implementing Alpha DaRT for brain tumor treatment in a large animal model.

Methods

Alpha-DaRT sources were delivered via image-guided stereotactic implantation into both hemispheres of eight swine. 1–3 layers of radial deployment of 7 sources were delivered through a single penetration point into each hemisphere. A 90-day follow-up period included clinical evaluation, brain MRI, head CT, blood, CSF, urine, and feces sampling, and an analysis of source location over time. Brain tissue pathology was performed on termination.

Results

Alpha-DaRT sources were reproducibly and efficiently delivered to the brain cortex and subcortex. No unexpected abnormalities were detected in blood or CSF samples. MRI and CT scans revealed no evidence of major bleeding or infection. Measurements of 212Pb in blood and CSF exhibited the expected exponential decay from day 7 to day 14 post-source implantation. Minimal spatial and temporal movements of the sources were noted. Histopathological analysis demonstrated locally confined findings in brain parenchyma in a very close proximity to the sources.

Conclusion

Alpha-DaRT sources can be safely delivered into a large animal brain using image-guided stereotactic implantation. These findings support further exploration of Alpha DaRT as a potential treatment modality for brain tumors.
How does rural in-migration affect forest clearing and smallholder land use in tropical forest frontiers? Evidence from the Zambian Miombo woodlands
Authors: Zhunusova Eliza , Kazungu Moses , Sadeghi Azin , Kalaba Felix Kanungwe , Kabwe Gillian , Günter Sven
Published: January 2025

One of the main sources of increasing population pressure in forested landscapes of Zambia is in-migration from other rural areas. This in-migration is driven by environmental degradation and limited employment options in the villages of origin, and, to a limited extent, in-migration from urban areas due to widespread unemployment and increased cost of living in cities. The current study examines the relationship between in-migration, forest clearing, and land use change in forested landscapes in Zambia. This question is especially relevant considering that in 2020, 85% of total carbon dioxide emissions in the country were attributed to Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF). Based on a dataset of 1123 households living in or near the Miombo woodlands in Zambia, we estimate a multivariate tobit model to explain forest clearing and the area under annual crops at the household level. Households reported the availability of agricultural land, natural resources, or fertile soils as their main reason for migration. Regression results showed that being an in-migrant household was associated with 28% more forest area cleared for crop production during the 5 years prior to data collection and with an 8% increase in area cultivated with annual crops. Our results add to limited available quantitative evidence on the impacts of in-migration on forest clearing and land use in tropical forest frontiers at the micro-scale. With rising in-migration in the future that leads to further forest clearing in migrant-receiving areas, the cycle can repeat itself, where increasing population pressure and deforestation can lead to environmental degradation and migration to other forested landscapes. To address this chain, future policy should aim to deal with the root causes of internal migration, including by investing in landscape restoration and sustainable agricultural intensification in origin areas.
Phraseology and Terminology Challenges and Approach to Translating Divorce Decrees
Authors: Halimi Sonia A.
Published: January 2025

In the context of international mobility and migration, where highly sensitive documents relating to personal status or qualifications need to be translated, a certified translation of official documents is on the increase. A certified translation requires the involvement of a sworn translator who guarantees the exact reproduction of official documents to be registered with a foreign authority. As a personal status document, divorce decrees must also be translated with rigorous standards in order to be recorded elsewhere. The rules governing Arabic divorce decrees are codified separately in Arabic civil codes and refer to the Family Code or Personal Status Code. Matters related to personal status are subject to religious considerations and contain religiously charged terms that are strictly defined in accordance with the Islamic law and require special attention when translated. This paper aims to explore translation challenges of a particular type of Arabic civil status deed, namely divorce decrees. For this purpose, the study first explains the most prominent concepts relating to certified translation and to Arabic divorce decrees. A number of Arabic divorce decrees are then subjected to a descriptive analysis to define shared linguistic features and to outline the relevant translation techniques in dealing with religiously embedded terminology and phraseology. The relevance of this analysis is assessed by examining a French certified translation of an Arabic divorce document in order to draw meaningful conclusions about the approach to translating this legal genre.
BayesAge 2.0: a maximum likelihood algorithm to predict transcriptomic age
Authors: Mboning Lajoyce , Costa Emma K. , Chen Jingxun , Bouchard Louis-S. , Pellegrini Matteo
Published: January 2025

Aging is a complex biological process influenced by various factors, including genetic and environmental influences. In this study, we present BayesAge 2.0, an upgraded version of our maximum likelihood algorithm designed for predicting transcriptomic age (tAge) from RNA-seq data. Building on the original BayesAge framework, which was developed for epigenetic age prediction, BayesAge 2.0 integrates a Poisson distribution to model count-based gene expression data and employs LOWESS smoothing to capture nonlinear gene-age relationships. BayesAge 2.0 provides significant improvements over traditional linear models, such as Elastic Net regression. Specifically, it addresses issues of age bias in predictions, with minimal age-associated bias observed in residuals. Its computational efficiency further distinguishes it from traditional models, as reference construction and cross-validation are completed more quickly compared to Elastic Net regression, which requires extensive hyperparameter tuning. Overall, BayesAge 2.0 represents a step forward in tAge prediction, offering a robust, accurate, and efficient tool for aging research and biomarker development.
Integration of Immune Cell-Target Cell Conjugate Dynamics Changes the Time Scale of Immune Control of Cancer
Authors: Yang Qianci , Traulsen Arne , Altrock Philipp M.
Published: January 2025

The human immune system can recognize, attack, and eliminate cancer cells, but cancers can escape this immune surveillance. Variants of ecological predator–prey models can capture the dynamics of such cancer control mechanisms by adaptive immune system cells. These dynamical systems describe, e.g., tumor cell-effector T cell conjugation, immune cell activation, cancer cell killing, and T cell exhaustion. Target (tumor) cell-T cell conjugation is integral to the adaptive immune system’s cancer control and immunotherapy. However, whether conjugate dynamics should be explicitly included in mathematical models of cancer-immune interactions is incompletely understood. Here, we analyze the dynamics of a cancer-effector T cell system and focus on the impact of explicitly modeling the conjugate compartment to investigate the role of cellular conjugate dynamics. We formulate a deterministic modeling framework to compare possible equilibria and their stability, such as tumor extinction, tumor-immune coexistence (tumor control), or tumor escape. We also formulate the stochastic analog of this system to analyze the impact of demographic fluctuations that arise when cell populations are small. We find that explicit consideration of a conjugate compartment can (i) change long-term steady-state, (ii) critically change the time to reach an equilibrium, (iii) alter the probability of tumor escape, and (iv) lead to very different extinction time distributions. Thus, we demonstrate the importance of the conjugate compartment in defining tumor-effector T cell interactions. Accounting for transitionary compartments of cellular interactions may better capture the dynamics of tumor control and progression.
Building Bridges in a Sanctuary City: Pan-ethnic Identity Among Precarious Latino Immigrants
Authors: Mallet-Garcia Marie L. , Garcia Edwin
Published: January 2025

This article examines the strategies developed at the local level to strengthen pan-ethnic solidarity within Latino communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. It explores how local organizations and migrant communities may foster a pan-ethnic identity and the subsequent effects on the inclusion process of Latino immigrants with precarious legal status. Based on 87 in-depth interviews, this study offers a novel perspective on integration by focusing on intra-ethnic dynamics within Latino communities, particularly at the local level, rather than broader inter-ethnic or national contexts. The findings highlight the critical role of local contexts in shaping the mechanisms of inclusion for Latino immigrants, revealing the complexities of identity formation under conditions of legal precarity. In particular, they show how in exclusionary contexts, within-group solidarity can be built. This research contributes to broader sociological and political debates on immigrant inclusion, pan-ethnic identity formation, and the influence of local environments in these processes.
The effects of diet enhancement on the health of commercial bumblebee colonies
Authors: Hulse Rosaline A. , Van Oystaeyen Annette , Carnell Joanne D. , Beckett Danielle , Grey William G. , Goulson Dave , Wackers Felix , Hughes William O. H.
Published: January 2025

Commercially reared bees provide economically important pollination services for a diversity of crops. Improving their health is important both to maximise their pollination services and to avoid possible pathogen spillover or spillback with wild pollinators. Diet quality may directly or indirectly affect diverse aspects of bumblebee health, including colony development, individual size and immune health, but the impact of this remains unclear. Here we investigate experimentally the effect of diet quality during bumblebee colony development using three diets: (1) a standard pollen diet used in commercial rearing of colonies for sale, (2) an enhanced diet comprised of a wildflower pollen mix that was expected to be nutritionally superior (including by having an elevated protein content) and (3) a diet of pollen substitute mixed with the standard diet that was expected to be nutritionally poorer. The effect of diet quality on colony health was quantified using colony-level measures (colony weight, size [number of live workers] and number of dead individuals), and individual-level measures (body size, fat body size [proportion of body weight], total haemocyte count and phenoloxidase immune enzyme activity). Diet quality significantly affected colony growth, with colonies fed the enhanced diet growing larger and producing more reproductives than those fed either a standard or poor diet. The enhanced diet also resulted in bees that were significantly larger and had better immune health. The results show that diet can have important effects on the health of commercially reared bumblebees and suggest that the enhancement of standard-rearing diets may improve colony health.
Quantifying the benefits of incorporating biochar in green roof substrates: field study on the highrise rooftop in temperate climate setting
Authors: Petreje Marek , Sněhota Michal , Šípek Václav , Hnátková Tereza , Punčochář Jan , Buchtelík Stanislav , Hardman Michael , Trakal Lukáš
Published: January 2025

Biochar is a promising material with a wide range of applications. One area of application is as an additive in substrates for green roofs. Green roofs are a way of mitigating climate change, with biochar offering an opportunity to further enhance this benefit and upscale practice. In this field study, the effect of a 5-vol.% addition of wood-based biochar to a green roof substrate is evaluated with respect to a water balance (reduced runoff, increased evapotranspiration, increased plant available water) and hydrophysical properties. Substrate, with and without biochar amendment, was used in different green roof sections. Laboratory hydrophysical analysis, in-situ Volumetric Water Content and meteorological measurements, alongside vegetation monitoring, enabled the development of a 1D Hydrus water balance model and revealed differences between both of the surveyed green roofs. The study demonstrated that the addition of biochar to the substrate improved its hydrophysical properties, leading to increased water retention (7.7% increase in maximum water capacity) and enhanced vegetation growth The biochar amendment resulted in the minor changes in grain size distribution (increase in the 0.01 to 0.1 mm fraction) and increased substrate moisture, which is related to an increase in the plant-available water content (14.2%). This was observable in the retention curves and resulted in an increased moisture availability for plants, leading to an increase in vegetation cover in areas with biochar. The numerical analysis using Hydrus-1D soil hydraulic model showed that the inclusion of biochar in the substrate resulted in a 23.5% increase in evapotranspiration and a 54.7% decrease in runoff. These findings suggest that the addition of biochar to the green roof substrate could enhance the system's capacity to retain water, reduce runoff and bulk density, and increase the amount of water available for plant growth. The study provides evidence for the potential of wood-based biochar as a sustainable and effective addition to green roof substrates, contributing to the development of more resilient and sustainable urban environments.

Graphical Abstract