bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling Strategies in Sports
Authors: Santos Ricardo Manuel
Published: May 2024

This paper presents a model that examines sports teams’ strategic choices about the extent of offense/defense to adopt in competing with other teams. The mathematical formulation adopted permits the derivation of a team’s optimal strategy under different game scenarios (current score and time left to play), and team characteristics (playing at home or away, and each team’s quality). A novel feature of the model is that teams can choose a strategy at several moments in the game, thereby incorporating a comprehensive dynamic element. The National Hockey League is used as an application. Optimal coaching behavior is derived in this setting, and the impact of rule changes is assessed. The study found that removing the overtime period, disproportionally increasing the rewards for a win, or removing the point that is currently awarded to the team that loses the shootout at the end of overtime, would all lead to the adoption of more offensive strategies during the game. That outcome is aligned with higher fan interest and team revenue.
A robust, low-temperature, closed-loop anaerobic system for high-solid mixed farm wastes: advancing agricultural waste management solutions in Canada
Authors: Bele Vaibhavi , Goyette Bernard , An Chunjiang , Achouri Inès Esma , Chaib Oumaima , Rajagopal Rajinikanth
Published: May 2024

This study investigates the effectiveness of low-temperature (20 ± 1 °C) anaerobic digestion (AD) for two organic multiple farm substrate combinations: Set 1 comprising chicken manure (CM), dairy manure (DM), and waste corn silage (CS) and Set 2 comprising CM, DM, pig manure (PM), and CS. Inoculum adaptation steps were carried out using CM and CM+DM for Set 1 and Set 2, respectively. Over three consecutive operating cycles spanning 245 days with increasing organic loads, 4.3 and 2.8 g VS L−1 d−1 for Sets 1 and 2 during Cycles 1 to 5.1 and 4.6 g VS L−1 d−1for Sets 1 and 2 during Cycle 3, a closed-loop two-stage liquid-solid AD system was employed, with performance assessed via stability ratios of short-chain volatile fatty acids and alkalinity. Results demonstrate that mono-digestion of CM with adapted inoculum yielded the highest biogas production of 424 ± 4 L over 77 days, indicating superior performance by Set 1 during Phase I, whereas a similar performance was observed during Phase 2, where Sets 1 and 2 exhibited highest specific methane yields of 0.233 ± 0.028 and 0.262 ± 0.004 L g−1 VSfed, respectively, over 68 days. Analysis of heavy metal concentrations in digestates revealed a significant decrease compared to initial raw substrate concentrations, highlighting their role as nutrients for microbial growth. This study, the first of its kind, highlights the potential of low-temperature AD systems to manage diverse organic residues/byproducts and offers insights into effective performance monitoring without compromising system integrity.
Advancing surgical VQA with scene graph knowledge
Authors: Yuan Kun , Kattel Manasi , Lavanchy Joël L. , Navab Nassir , Srivastav Vinkle , Padoy Nicolas
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The modern operating room is becoming increasingly complex, requiring innovative intra-operative support systems. While the focus of surgical data science has largely been on video analysis, integrating surgical computer vision with natural language capabilities is emerging as a necessity. Our work aims to advance visual question answering (VQA) in the surgical context with scene graph knowledge, addressing two main challenges in the current surgical VQA systems: removing question–condition bias in the surgical VQA dataset and incorporating scene-aware reasoning in the surgical VQA model design.

Methods

First, we propose a surgical scene graph-based dataset, SSG-VQA, generated by employing segmentation and detection models on publicly available datasets. We build surgical scene graphs using spatial and action information of instruments and anatomies. These graphs are fed into a question engine, generating diverse QA pairs. We then propose SSG-VQA-Net, a novel surgical VQA model incorporating a lightweight Scene-embedded Interaction Module, which integrates geometric scene knowledge in the VQA model design by employing cross-attention between the textual and the scene features.

Results

Our comprehensive analysis shows that our SSG-VQA dataset provides a more complex, diverse, geometrically grounded, unbiased and surgical action-oriented dataset compared to existing surgical VQA datasets and SSG-VQA-Net outperforms existing methods across different question types and complexities. We highlight that the primary limitation in the current surgical VQA systems is the lack of scene knowledge to answer complex queries.

Conclusion

We present a novel surgical VQA dataset and model and show that results can be significantly improved by incorporating geometric scene features in the VQA model design. We point out that the bottleneck of the current surgical visual question–answer model lies in learning the encoded representation rather than decoding the sequence. Our SSG-VQA dataset provides a diagnostic benchmark to test the scene understanding and reasoning capabilities of the model. The source code and the dataset will be made publicly available at: https://github.com/CAMMA-public/SSG-VQA.
Mangelnde Verständlichkeit durch Fachsprache in Gesundheitsinformationen zu chronischen Erkrankungen – eine qualitative Korpusanalyse
Authors: Kröger Janina , Maaß Christiane
Published: May 2024

Hintergrund

Digitale Gesundheitsinformationen vermitteln fachliches Wissen über gesundheitsrelevante Themen an fachliche Lai:innen und unterstützen bspw. eine informierte Entscheidung. Funktionale Gesundheitsinformationen müssen verständlich, verknüpfungsfähig und handlungsorientierend sein. Gesundheitsinformationen weisen oft eine geringe Verständlichkeit auf, was ihre Nutzung erschwert. Bisherige Forschungsergebnisse fokussieren die messbare Verständlichkeit anhand von Lesbarkeitsindices. Der vorliegende Beitrag erweitert die Verständlichkeitsprüfung um weitere verdeckte Einflussfaktoren.

Methodik

Die Verständlichkeit von fünf digitalen Gesundheitsinformationen wurde softwaregestützt und manuell analysiert. Die Texte stammen aus dem Online-Gesundheitsportal der Apotheken Umschau. Sie informieren über chronische Erkrankungen und richten sich an medizinische Lai:innen. Es handelt sich um eine textseitige Verständlichkeitsanalyse, die Eigenschaften wie die Wort- und Satzlänge, Fachterminologie und Nominalstil berücksichtigt. Darüber hinaus wird explorativ der Umgang mit Fachwörtern analysiert, um daraus verdeckte Einflussfaktoren auf die Verständlichkeit zu ermitteln.

Ergebnisse

Der Hohenheimer Verständlichkeitsindex (HIX) weist auf eine mittlere bis geringe Verständlichkeit der Texte hin. Obwohl sie sich an fachliche Lai:innen richten, haben sie eine hohe Fachlichkeit, erkennbar an nominalen Strukturen, einer hohen Anzahl von Fachtermini sowie einer komplexen syntaktischen Struktur. Der Umgang mit Fachtermini setzt Fachwissen bei den Nutzer:innen voraus. Daraus resultiert eine geringe Verständlichkeit der Texte, was das Risiko erhöht, dass sie insbesondere von Nutzer:innen mit geringer Gesundheitskompetenz nicht verstanden und in Folge nicht angewendet werden können.

Schlussfolgerung

Gesundheitsinformationen müssen, damit sie von den Nutzer:innen verstanden werden können, verständlich sein. Texteigenschaften wie der Einsatz von Fachsprache und die Bezugnahme auf vorausgesetztes Wissen verringern die Verständlichkeit. Produzent:innen von Gesundheitsinformationen sollten Texte an die Sprach- und Wissensvoraussetzungen der Nutzer:innen anpassen, z. B. durch Übersetzungen in Einfache Sprache.
Förderung bewegungsbezogener Gesundheitskompetenz am Arbeitsplatz – qualitative Evaluation eines Pilotprogramms
Authors: Oppermann Leonard , Posselt Jacqueline , Seidel Gabriele , Dierks Marie-Luise
Published: May 2024

Hintergrund

Körperliche Aktivität kann einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Prävention chronischer Erkrankungen leisten. Büroangestellte bewegen sich jedoch häufig zu wenig. Deshalb wurde ein digitales Bewegungsprogramm für diese Zielgruppe entwickelt, das sich direkt am Schreibtisch durchführen lässt. Es enthält wöchentliche Videoübungen, die durch wissensbasierte Aspekte und motivationsfördernde Informationen auf Basis des Modells der bewegungsbezogenen Gesundheitskompetenz ergänzt wurden. Begleitend wurden die Teilnahmemotivation am Bewegungsprogramm und potenzielle Barrieren aus der Perspektive der Nutzenden erhoben mit dem Ziel, das Programm zu evaluieren und anhand der Ergebnisse anzupassen.

Studiendesign und Untersuchungsmethoden

Auf Basis von leitfadengestützten Interviews wurden 11 Personen aus der Interventionsgruppe (5 Abbrecher*innen und 6, die die Studie abgeschlossen haben; Altersdurchschnitt: 49 ± 8 Jahre) zu ihrer Wahrnehmung des Bewegungsprogramms befragt. Der Leitfaden beinhaltete Fragen zur Bewegung im (Arbeits)alltag, dem Ablauf und der Bewertung des Bewegungsprogramms. Die Auswertung erfolgte anhand der strukturierenden qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach Kuckartz.

Ergebnisse

Die Befragten bewerten das Bewegungsprogramm, insbesondere die kurzen Videos, die jeweils eine Übung und Erklärungen dazu beinhalten, mehrheitlich positiv. Ein förderlicher Faktor zur Teilnahme am Bewegungsprogramm war dessen Design. Zu Barrieren für die Teilnahme zählen das Arbeitsumfeld, insbesondere die Bürosituation, potenzielle Reaktionen von Kolleg*innen, oder wahrgenommene Einstellungen der Vorgesetzten. Zum Abbruch der Teilnahme führten persönliche oder arbeitsbezogene Gründe wie Mehrarbeit oder ein eigenes Trainingsprogramm. Von den Teilnehmenden beschriebene Effekte des Programms beinhalten ein höheres Bewusstsein darüber, dass Bewegung wichtig ist, ebenso wie die Adaption von einzelnen passenden Übungen im eigenen Alltag.

Schlussfolgerung

Aus Sicht der Teilnehmenden besteht ein Bedarf nach mehr Bewegung am Arbeitsplatz. Damit die Implementierung gelingt, braucht es aber Unterstützung von den Organisationen (z. B. Unternehmen) und Kolleg*innen sowie Möglichkeiten, das Programm auf die eigene Arbeitssituation abzustimmen.
On the added value of considering effects of generic and subject-specific instructional quality on students’ achievements – an exploratory study on the example of implementing formative assessment in mathematics education
Authors: Besser Michael , Hagena Maike , Kleickmann Thilo
Published: May 2024

Formative Assessment (FA) is a promising teaching practice for supporting students’ learning at school. However, implementing FA into teaching (mathematics) is challenging, effects of implementation of FA vary between empirical studies. Therefore, recent studies additionally consider instructional quality of teaching when analyzing effects of FA on students’ learning. The current exploratory study builds on this idea and highlights the added value of considering both generic and subject-specific instructional quality (GIQ and SSIQ) when analyzing effects of FA: Based on a re-analyzation of data from the research project Co2CA, 856 students from 39 mathematics classes of German middle schools took part in an intervention control-study aiming at implementing FA into mathematics education at school. On the student level, students’ mathematics achievement is assessed by standardized tests before and after the intervention. During the intervention, on the class level GIQ and SSIQ are assessed by low- and high-inference ratings of 72 video-taped lessons. GIQ is based on the model of Three Basic Dimensions, SSIQ is based on the normative idea that mathematics teaching should offer opportunities for a deep understanding of subject matter and for building up competencies. Multi-level regression analyses highlight different (interaction) effects of GIQ and SIQ on students’ performances. It becomes obvious: Considering GIQ and SIQ can have an added value for the better understanding of implementing FA into teaching (in mathematics education).
The Role of Stigma and Confidentiality in Police Officer Utilization of Stress Relief Programs
Authors: Whittington Michael , Basham Sherah L.
Published: May 2024

Police officers face challenges from operational and organizational stressors. Officers often have access to stress relief programs offered by their employers, such as peer support programs, employee assistance programs, or chaplaincy programs. Using survey data from 247 police officers in a large metropolitan agency in CA, this exploratory study examines police officers’ likelihood to utilize stress relief programs (SRPs) based on prior utilization, perceived stigma, and confidentiality of the process. Additionally, officer selection of program is assessed. Findings illustrate that officer utilization of SRPs is negatively influenced by perceived coworker stigma, while supervisor stigma was not influential. Belief in the confidentiality of the program and prior utilization of an SRP is positively associated with SRP utilization. In terms of selecting a specific SRP, only prior utilization was found to be a factor. Suggestions for department policy to promote utilization and confidentiality and reduce stigma are discussed.
Morphine-Driven m6A Epitranscriptomic Neuroadaptations in Primary Cortical Cultures
Authors: Dabrowski Konrad R. , Daws Stephanie E.
Published: May 2024

Opioid overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States and remains a major public health concern, despite significant resources aimed at combating opioid misuse. Neurobiological research to elucidate molecular and cellular consequences of opioid exposure is required to define avenues to explore for reversal of opioid-induced neuroadaptations. Opioids impart well-documented regulation of the transcriptome and epigenetic modifications in the brain, but opioid-induced epitranscriptomic posttranscriptional regulation of RNA is vastly understudied. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation is significantly enriched in the brain and involved in learning, memory, and reward. m6A modifications have not been studied in opioid use disorder, despite being the most common RNA modification. We detected significant regulation of m6A-modifying enzymes in rat primary cortical cultures following morphine treatment, including AlkB Homolog 5 (Alkbh5). The m6a demethylase ALKBH5 functions as an m6A eraser, removing m6A modifications from mRNA. We hypothesized that chronic opioid treatment regulates m6A modifications through modulation of Alkbh5 and profiled m6A modifications in primary cortical cultures following chronic morphine treatment and Alkbh5 knock-down. We observed differential regulation of m6A modifications for a common set of transcripts following morphine or Alkbh5 knock-down, and the two treatments elicited concordant m6A epitranscriptomic profiles, suggesting that a subset of morphine-driven m6A modifications may be mediated through downregulation of Alkbh5 in cortical cultures. Gene Ontology terms of commonly regulated transcripts included serotonin secretion, synapse disassembly, neuron remodeling, and immune response. Thus, we conclude that morphine can drive epitranscriptomic changes, a subset of which may occur in an Alkbh5-dependent manner.
50-year Deprivation Trajectories: Local Area Change in England and Wales, 1971–2021
Authors: Norman Paul , Lloyd Chris , McLennan David , Ferguson Sara , Catney Gemma
Published: May 2024

Since 1971, the decennial censuses of England and Wales have underpinned the construction of various local level deprivation measures. Many policy-related and academic studies have used deprivation scores calculated cross-sectionally to identify geographical areas in need of regeneration and to explain spatial variations in health outcomes. However, such an approach masks the sometimes very distinct challenges faced in areas with different deprivation histories. There is, therefore, a need to consider the deprivation trajectories of areas over a long time run. This can then enable, for example: monitoring the effects of industry closure; assessing the impacts of area-based planning initiatives; and determining whether a change in the level of deprivation leads to changes in health outcomes. It can also be used to consider what interventions may be linked with positive changes and which could then possibly be implemented elsewhere. Here we extend previous work to cover a 50-year period using input variables relating to employment, housing, and car accessibility, from the six censuses from 1971 to 2021. We identify areas of persistent (dis-)advantage, those areas which have improved their deprivation situation, and those places where the situation has worsened. We cross-classify the changing deprivation measurements with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Supergroups area classification to thereby determine how different types of area are faring. On average, areas are less deprived in 2021 than in 1971. However, the trajectories of the input variables and of overall deprivation are not linear. The earlier decades are distinctive in rapid falls in non-home ownership and lack of car access but rises and falls in unemployment. The more recent decades have seen rises in non-home ownership and household overcrowding. Geographically, there has been a shift from a widespread level of deprivation, including in more rural areas in 1971, to being more concentrated in urban areas in the 21st Century.
Study of late toxicity biomarkers of locally advanced head and neck cancer patients treated with radiotherapy plus cisplatin or cetuximab points to the relevance of skin macrophages (TOX-TTCC-2015-01)
Authors: Rullan Antonio , Marín-Jiménez Juan A. , Lozano Alicia , Bermejo Oriol , Arribas Lorena , Ruiz Nuria , Linares Isabel , Taberna Miren , Pérez Xavi , Plana María , Oliva Marc , Mesía Ricard
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Radiotherapy (RT) with concomitant cisplatin (CRT) or cetuximab (ERT) are accepted treatment options for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (LA-SCCHN). Long-term adverse events (AEs) have a vast impact on patients’ quality of life. This study explored tissue biomarkers which could help predict late toxicity.

Methods/patients

Single-institution prospective study including patients aged ≥ 18 with histologically confirmed newly diagnosed LA-SCCHN treated with RT and either concomitant cisplatin q3w or weekly cetuximab, according to institutional protocols. All patients underwent pre- and post-treatment skin biopsies of neck regions included in the clinical target volume. Angiogenesis, macrophages, and extracellular matrix (ECM) markers were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results

From April 15, 2016, to December 11, 2017; 31 patients were evaluated [CRT = 12 (38.7%) and ERT = 19 (61.3%)]. 27 patients (87%) had received induction chemotherapy. All patients finished RT as planned. IHC expression of vasculature (CD34) and collagen (Masson’s Trichrome) did not differ significantly between and within CRT and ERT arms. Conversely, an increased CD68 and CD163 macrophage infiltration expression was observed after treatment, without significant impact of treatment modality. Patients with higher late toxicity showed lower expression of macrophage markers in pre-treatment samples compared with those with lower late toxicity, with statistically significant differences for CD68.

Conclusions

Angiogenesis and ECM biomarkers did not differ significantly between CRT and ERT. Macrophage markers increased after both treatments and deserve further investigation as predictors of late toxicity in LA-SCCHN patients. [Protocol code: TOX-TTCC-2015-01/Spanish registry of clinical studies (REec): 2015-003012-21/Date of registration: 27/01/2016].
The Role of Wild Plants in Cultural Restoration: Community Collaboration and Engaged Ethnobotany in the Nineveh Plains, Northern Iraq
Authors: Osterhoudt Sarah , Eddens Katherine S. , Abdulkhaliq Zubeida S. , Armia Remonda Eshaya , Mahdi Honar Safar , Mahmood Ahmed , Muhamed Hassan
Published: May 2024

The Nineveh Plain region of Northern Iraq is a site of ecological and cultural diversity. Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh, severely disrupted the region, resulting in community displacement, particularly for members of ethnic minority groups. This article highlights an ongoing multinational, multidisciplinary collaboration between botanists, ecologists, mental and public health specialists, sociologists, and anthropologists to foster cultural and ecological restoration among the Christian, Yezidi, Shabak, Turkman, and Kaka’i minority groups of the Plains. Members of these groups identified wild plant collection as an important cultural and economic practice and expressed a shared concern over the decreased access to wild plant resources. Researchers are partnering with local communities using engaged, decolonial methodologies to bring communities together around this shared interest in wild plants. Project activities include producing videos highlighting local plant knowledge, hosting workshops on using wild plants for art and textile design, offering trainings on herbal medicine, collecting recipes for a wild plant cookbook, and increasing awareness of the sustainable use of wild plants. Through collaborative knowledge production, this partnership aims to bring diverse stakeholders together around an interest in wild plants to promote cultural understanding and exchange.
The earliest large carpenter bee (Xylocopa) and its adhering pollen (Araliaceae, Theaceae)
Authors: Geier Christian , Engel Michael S. , Bouchal Johannes M. , Ulrich Silvia , Grímsson Friðgeir , Wedmann Sonja , Wappler Torsten
Published: May 2024

The association of pollinators with their host plants is a critical element of ecosystem functioning and one that is usually determined indirectly in the fossil record from specific morphological traits of flowers or putative pollinating animals. The exceptionally fine preservation at Messel, Germany, offers an excellent source of data on pollen from fossil flowers as well as preserved adhering to insects as direct evidence of their association with specific floral lineages. Here, we report on pollen recovered from the body and legs of a large carpenter bee (Apidae: Xylocopinae: Xylocopini) from the Eocene of Messel. The fossil is the earliest occurrence of the tribe Xylocopini and represents an extinct subgenus and species, described as Xylocopa (Apocolyx) primigenia subgen. et sp. nov. Two eudicot pollen types were recovered from the bee, one of the family Theaceae (Asterids: Ericales) and another of Araliaceae (Euasterids: Apiales). The pollen grains are compared with various extinct and extant pollen types, and data on floral visitors to modern theaceous and araliaceous flowers are explored in relation to understanding the association of the fossil carpenter with these floral types in the paratropical Eocene biota of Messel.
The Calibrated Bayesian Hypothesis Test for Directional Hypotheses of the Odds Ratio in $$2\times 2$$ Contingency Tables
Authors: Kelter Riko
Published: May 2024

The $$\chi ^{2}$$

χ
2

test is among the most widely used statistical hypothesis tests in medical research. Often, the statistical analysis deals with the test of row-column independence in a $$2\times 2$$

2
×
2

contingency table, and the statistical parameter of interest is the odds ratio. A novel Bayesian analogue to the frequentist $$\chi ^{2}$$

χ
2

test is introduced. The test is based on a Dirichlet-multinomial model under a joint sampling scheme and works with balanced and unbalanced randomization. The test focusses on the quantity of interest in a variety of medical research, the odds ratio in a $$2\times 2$$

2
×
2

contingency table. A computational implementation of the test is developed and R code is provided to apply the test. To meet the demands of regulatory agencies, a calibration of the Bayesian test is introduced which allows to calibrate the false-positive rate and power. The latter provides a Bayes-frequentist compromise which ensures control over the long-term error rates of the test. Illustrative examples using clinical trial data and simulations show how to use the test in practice. In contrast to existing Bayesian tests for $$2\times 2$$

2
×
2

tables, calibration of the acceptance threshold for the hypothesis of interest allows to achieve a bound on the false-positive rate and minimum power for a prespecified odds ratio of interest. The novel Bayesian test provides an attractive choice for Bayesian biostatisticians who face the demands of regulatory agencies which usually require formal control over false-positive errors and power under the alternative. As such, it constitutes an easy-to-apply addition to the arsenal of already existing Bayesian tests.
Cerebral Metastases in Breast Cancer Patients: a Narrative Review
Authors: Müller Carolin , Schmidt Gilda , Solomayer Erich-Franz , Popp Ilinca , Grosu Anca-Ligia , Juhasz-Böss Ingolf , Jung Lisa , Huwer Sarah
Published: May 2024

Purpose of the Review

The purpose of this review is to address the rising incidence of cerebral metastases in breast cancer patients, which is now estimated to affect 30–40% of advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients.

Recent Findings

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the gold standard for brain metastases (BM) diagnosis, with follow-up scans recommended every 3 months. Treatment options for BM include neurosurgery, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic fractionated radiation therapy (SFRT), or whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), selected based on BM number, size, and location. Local therapies like SRS or neurosurgery are preferred for single or oligo metastases, while SRS or WBRT may be used for multiple BM. Concurrent systemic treatment tailored to tumor biology is crucial, particularly with recent advancements in HER2-positive patient management..

Symptomatic BM warrants local treatment alongside systemic therapy, considering patient condition and prognosis.
Constraint programming for reservoir operation optimization of Bhumibol dam
Authors: Sawangphol Wudhichart , Kraisangka Jidapa , Rittima Areeya , Phankamolsil Yutthana , Tabucanon Allan Sriratana , Talaluxmana Yutthana , Vudhivanich Varawoot
Published: May 2024

The modern constraint programming (CP) was adopted to minimize water scarcity and excessive water which are the critical issues in reservoir operation of Bhumibol Dam (BB) to solve consecutive droughts in the Chao Phraya River Basin (CPYRB), Thailand. The situations of the severe droughts have been frequently occurred in a broad area of CPYRB due to an extremely low rainfall leading to unusually low water levels and inflow in major reservoirs. Therefore, multi-objective optimization was conducted to characterize the actual operation and physical reservoir system of BB Dam. Two different CP models with seasonal and yearly constraints were manipulated using MiniZinc programming language and the constraint solver IPOPT to find the optimal daily release scheme from 2000 to 2018 of BB Dam. The potential of downstream flow conditions was also considered to partially supply downstream water demand and store savable water in a reservoir for subsequent use during possible future droughts. The results reveal that CP models can diminish some extent of yearly reservoir release, while daily long-term release scheme conforms well with the actual operation particularly during dry and wet seasons in specific drought years. These mean that amount of reservoir water of approximately 47.12–103.83 MCM/year can be saved and stored in reservoir for subsequent use in CPYRB when CP models are deployed. This results in a reservoir storage increase of 7.10–7.94% at the end of the wet season for seasonal and yearly CP models, respectively. When potential side flow is considered, the increase climbs up to 10.49%. This envisages the higher possibility of supplying reservoir water for agricultural water needs over the dry season in the Greater Chao Phraya Irrigation Scheme. As the potential hydraulic head is subject to increased reservoir water storage, therefore, the increase in hydropower production is definitely found of ranging from + 6.10% to + 13.79% by these two sorts of CP models. In addition, handling with huge volumes of flood and drought by CP models is well managed as the specific release constraints during refilled and drawdown periods are used to define the constraint satisfaction problem.
Oleogels for the ocular delivery of epalrestat: formulation, in vitro, in ovo, ex vivo and in vivo evaluation
Authors: Kattar Axel , Vivero-Lopez Maria , Concheiro Angel , Mudakavi Rajeev , Chauhan Anuj , Alvarez-Lorenzo Carmen
Published: May 2024

The ocular administration of lipophilic and labile drugs such as epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor with potential for diabetic retinopathy treatment, demands the development of topical delivery systems capable of providing sufficient ocular bioavailability. The aim of this work was to develop non-aqueous oleogels based on soybean oil and gelators from natural and sustainable sources (ethyl cellulose, beeswax and cocoa butter) and to assess their reproducibility, safety and efficiency in epalrestat release and permeation both ex vivo and in vivo. Binary combinations of gelators at 10% w/w resulted in solid oleogels (oleorods), while single gelator oleogels at 5% w/w remained liquid at room temperature, with most of the oleogels displaying shear thinning behavior. The oleorods released up to 4 µg epalrestat per mg of oleorod in a sustained or burst pattern depending on the gelator (approx. 10% dose in 24 h). The HET-CAM assay indicated that oleogel formulations did not induce ocular irritation and were safe for topical ocular administration. Corneal and scleral ex vivo assays evidenced the permeation of epalrestat from the oleorods up to 4 and 2.5 µg/cm2 after six hours, respectively. Finally, the capacity of the developed oleogels to sustain release and provide significant amounts of epalrestat to the ocular tissues was demonstrated in vivo against aqueous-based niosomes and micelles formulations loaded with the same drug concentration. Overall, the gathered information provides valuable insights into the development of oleogels for ocular drug delivery, emphasizing their safety and controlled release capabilities, which have implications for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy and other ocular conditions.

Graphical abstract
DSBAV-Net: Depthwise Separable Bottleneck Attention V-Shaped Network with Hybrid Convolution for Left Atrium Segmentation
Authors: Ocal Hakan
Published: May 2024

Accurate and precise segmentation of the left atrium (LA) is crucial in the early diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), which is the most common heart rhythm disease in cases. The size of fibrotic tissue in patients with AF is based on manual examination of images obtained from the gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. However, manual examination of the acquired images is time-consuming and has many difficulties, such as LA thickness between observers and resolution according to MR devices. To overcome the challenges of manual segmentation of images obtained from MRI devices, end-to-end, fully automated deep learning-based segmentation architectures have become extremely important today. In this study, an encoder–decoder-based V-shaped deep learning architecture is proposed for precise segmentation of LA. In the proposed architecture, standard convolution and depthwise separable convolution are used together. Thus, sparsely connected blocks with fewer parameters and deeply separable convolutions learn the feature representations better, increasing the robustness of the model. In addition, the bottleneck attention module has been added to each encoder layer, allowing the network to learn which features to focus on and which features to suppress in images by attention mapping channel and spatially. The proposed architecture obtained 0.915 dice and 0.844 Jaccard scores in the STACOM 2018 challenge dataset. The obtained results draw attention to the robustness of the model.
The impact of the Mediterranean diet on immune function in older adults
Authors: Ecarnot Fiona , Maggi Stefania
Published: May 2024

Diet is one of the lifestyle factors that is most amenable to intervention, and has a substantial effect on the potential for successful aging and mitigation of the risk of disease. Good nutrition is a pillar of healthy aging, and a large body of evidence attests to the benefits of the Mediterranean diet on the quality of the aging process. The Mediterranean diet comprises a wide range of nutrients which, both individually and collectively, exert positive effects on immunity, in large part mediated by the gut microbiota. In this article, we review the effect of the Mediterranean diet on immunity, and how its beneficial effects are mediated by the gut microbiota. We review the effects of certain key components of the Mediterranean dietary pattern, including vitamins, zinc, selenium, and polyphenols. Overall, the existing body of evidence convincingly demonstrates that the Mediterreanean diet affects immune health by maintaining a healthy body weight and reducing the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases; by reducing inflammation and by promoting a healthy gut microbiota profile.
Safety and efficacy of tixagevimab/cilgavimab for pre-exposure prophylaxis in kidney transplant recipients: a multicenter retrospective cohort study
Authors: Simone Simona , Pronzo Virginia , Pesce Francesco , Bavaro Davide Fiore , Infante Barbara , Mercuri Silvia , Schirinzi Annalisa , Panaro Antonella , Conte Eleonora , Belati Alessandra , Troise Dario , Pontrelli Paola , Conserva Francesca , Gallo Pasquale , Panico Maddalena , Spilotros Marco , Lucarelli Giuseppe , Saracino Annalisa , Stallone Giovanni , Di Serio Francesca , Ditonno Pasquale , Gesualdo Loreto
Published: May 2024

Background

Immunocompromised patients show an impaired vaccine response and remain at high risk of severe COVID-19, despite vaccination. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been developed for prophylaxis and treatment. The combination tixagevimab/cilgavimab (AZD7442) has been authorized for emergency use as pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19, but data on safety and efficacy in kidney transplant recipients during the Omicron period are limited.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study including 253 kidney transplant recipients, of whom 98 were treated with tixagevimab/cilgavimab 150 mg/150 mg and 155 who received only four doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine.

Results

Only 13.3% of patients developed SARS-CoV-2 infection after the administration of tixagevimab/cilgavimab; in comparison, 34.2% of patients had been infected after the fourth dose of vaccine (p = 0.00013). Most infected patients in the AZD7442 group remained asymptomatic (92.3% vs 54.7%), 7.7% had mild symptoms and none had severe disease, need for hospitalization or died, while in the control group, 9.4% of patients had moderate or severe disease (p = 0.04). Using Kaplan–Meier curves we demonstrated that the controls presented early infection compared to the AZD7442 group (p = 0.000014). No changes in eGFR or proteinuria, assessed before and after the administration, were observed.

Conclusions

In conclusion, our study showed that tixagevimab/cilgavimab 150/150 mg is effective and safe in preventing infection and severe disease when administered to patients with weak or no response to COVID-19 vaccine.

Graphical abstract
Achieving Negatively Charged Pt Single Atoms on Amorphous Ni(OH)2 Nanosheets with Promoted Hydrogen Absorption in Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Liu Yue , Liu Gui , Chen Xiangyu , Xue Chuang , Sun Mingke , Liu Yifei , Kang Jianxin , Sun Xiujuan , Guo Lin
Published: May 2024

Single-atom (SA) catalysts with nearly 100% atom utilization have been widely employed in electrolysis for decades, due to the outperforming catalytic activity and selectivity. However, most of the reported SA catalysts are fixed through the strong bonding between the dispersed single metallic atoms with nonmetallic atoms of the substrates, which greatly limits the controllable regulation of electrocatalytic activity of SA catalysts. In this work, Pt–Ni bonded Pt SA catalyst with adjustable electronic states was successfully constructed through a controllable electrochemical reduction on the coordination unsaturated amorphous Ni(OH)2 nanosheet arrays. Based on the X-ray absorption fine structure analysis and first-principles calculations, Pt SA was bonded with Ni sites of amorphous Ni(OH)2, rather than conventional O sites, resulting in negatively charged Ptδ−. In situ Raman spectroscopy revealed that the changed configuration and electronic states greatly enhanced absorbability for activated hydrogen atoms, which were the essential intermediate for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. The hydrogen spillover process was revealed from amorphous Ni(OH)2 that effectively cleave the H–O–H bond of H2O and produce H atom to the Pt SA sites, leading to a low overpotential of 48 mV in alkaline electrolyte at −1000 mA cm−2 mg−1Pt, evidently better than commercial Pt/C catalysts. This work provided new strategy for the controllable modulation of the local structure of SA catalysts and the systematic regulation of the electronic states.
Perceptual Learning of Fine Contrast Discrimination Under Non-roving, Roving-Without-Flanker, and Roving-with-Flanker Conditions and its Relation to Neuronal Activity in Macaque V1
Authors: Thiele Alexander , Chen Xing , Sanayei Mehdi , Chicharro Daniel , Distler Claudia , Panzeri Stefano
Published: May 2024

Perceptual learning refers to an improvement in perceptual abilities with training. Neural signatures of visual perceptual learning have been demonstrated mostly in mid- and high-level cortical areas, while changes in early sensory cortex were often more limited. We recorded continuously from multiple neuronal clusters in area V1 while macaque monkeys learned a fine contrast categorization task. Monkeys performed the contrast discrimination task initially when a constant-contrast sample stimulus was followed by a test stimulus of variable contrast, whereby they had to indicate whether the test was of lower or higher contrast than the sample. This was followed by sessions where we employed stimulus roving; i.e. the contrast of the sample stimulus varied from trial to trial. Finally, we trained animals, under ‘stimulus roving-with-flanker’ conditions, where the test stimuli to be discriminated were flanked by ‘flanking stimuli’. Perceptual discrimination abilities improved under non-roving conditions and under roving-with-flanker conditions as training progressed. Neuronal discrimination abilities improved with training mostly under non-roving conditions, but the effect was modest and limited to the most difficult contrast. Choice probabilities, quantifying how well neural activity is correlated with choice, equally increased with training during non-roving, but not during either of the roving conditions (with and without flankers). Noise correlations changed with training in both monkeys, but the changes were not consistent between monkeys. In one monkey, noise correlations decreased with training for non-roving and both roving conditions. In the other monkey, noise correlations changed for some conditions, but lacked a systematic pattern. Thus, while perceptual learning occurred under non-roving and roving-with-flanker conditions, the changes in neural activity in V1 were overall modest and were essentially absent under the different roving conditions.
Design, Development, and Formative Evaluation of a Hybrid Remote Quantum Laboratory Supporting HBCU Partnerships
Authors: Clark-Stallkamp Rebecca , Reis Nikita
Published: May 2024

Quantum information science and engineering are expanding and scaling worldwide. As government and industry push to expand quantum applications around the world, education institutions scramble to train the next generation of quantum-aware engineers in the Quantum pipeline. However, as educational institutions seek to expand the pipeline, not all learners have access to Quantum training or equipment. Quantum laboratories, an expensive component of STEM education, often remain exclusively accessible to institutions with affluence and funding, thus creating systemic barriers for underrepresented learners to the Quantum pipeline. This design-based case study describes the three-year design and development of a hybrid remote online Quantum laboratory in partnership with historically black colleges and universities across the US with the goal of expanding access for underrepresented learners to Quantum training. The study describes the prototypical design, development, and formative evaluation of the prototype’s iterations and reflects on design decisions made resulting from formative feedback during the design process.
Biochar soil addition alters ant functional traits as exemplified with three species
Authors: Liu Sha , Li Jinsuo , Zhou Zhaomin , Steinberg Christian E. W. , Pan Bo , Tao Shu , Xing Baoshan
Published: May 2024

The response of soil microorganisms and plants in soil ecosystems to biochar is well recognised. However, biochars’ impact on large soil animal, such as ants, is inadequately understood, with only limited studies focusing on the abundance and mortality rates of some specific ant species. In this study, soil physicochemical properties, and ant community diversity and functional characteristics were compared between experimental plots with and without biochar application. No significant differences in soil (soil physicochemical properties) or ants (ant community richness, species abundance, and morphological characteristics) were observed between the two plots before biochar application. However, the biochar-treated plot soil surface temperatures, pH, and soil water content were significantly higher after 48 weeks. Biochar application promoted Cardiocondyla nuda (by 426%) and Formica japonica abundance (by 93%), but decreased Solenopsis invicta invasive ant species richness (by 54%), consistent with the fact that changes in soil properties were more beneficial to the former two species. In addition, in biochar-treated plots, F. japonica and S. invicta generally showed larger body size (18% and 6.7%), larger eyes (2.7% and 4.0%), and longer femurs (6.3% and 7.9%), which enabled them to respond better to potential barriers, such as plants. Our results highlighted that, besides species abundance and community structure, certain ant functional morphological indicators were also informative in evaluating biochar ecological implications.

Graphical abstract
Sustainable Implementation of Physician-Pharmacist Collaborative Clinics for Diabetes Management in Primary Healthcare Centers: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Xiao Jie , Huang Shuting , Wang Qing , Tan Shenglan , Chen Lei , Yuan Haiyan , Xiang Daxiong , Zhang Bikui , Li Xia , Guo Yan , Huang Haiying , Li Qun , Liao Yaqi , Tan Yuhan , Cheng Yining , Lu Hao , Xu Ping
Published: May 2024

Background

Although physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics for diabetes management have been shown to be effective and cost-effective worldwide, there is limited understanding of the factors that influence their sustainable implementation. This study aims to identify the associated factors and provide sustainability strategy to better implement physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics for diabetes management in primary healthcare centers in China.

Methods

A sample of 43 participants were participated in face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics for diabetes management in primary healthcare centers, and to explore discriminating factors between low and high implementation units. A sustainable strategy repository based on dynamic sustainability framework was established to inform further implementation.

Results

This study demonstrated that clear recognition of intervention benefits, urgent needs of patients, adaptive and tailored plan, highly collaborative teamwork and leadership support were the major facilitators, while the major barriers included process complexity, large number and poor health literacy of patients in primary areas, inappropriate staffing arrangements, weak financial incentives and inadequate staff competencies. Six constructs were identified to distinguish between high and low implementation units. Sixteen strategies were developed to foster the implementation of physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics, targeting Intervention, Practice setting, and Ecological system.

Conclusion

This qualitative study demonstrated facilitators and barriers to implementing physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics for diabetes management in primary healthcare centers and developed theory-based strategies for further promotion, which has the potential to improve the management of diabetes and other chronic diseases in under-resourced areas.
Collaborative Ethnography of Global Environmental Governance
Authors: Aykut Stefan C. , Rödder Simone , Braun Max
Published: May 2024

Environmental mega conferences have become the format of choice in environmental governance. Conferences of the Parties (COPs) under the climate change and biodiversity conventions in particular attract global media attention and an ever-growing number of increasingly diverse actors, including scholars of global environmental politics. They are arenas for interstate negotiation, but also temporary interfaces that constitute and represent world society, and they focalise global struggles over just and sustainable futures. Collaborative event ethnography (CEE) as a research methodology emerged as a response to these developments. This volume retraces its genealogy, explains its conceptual and methodological foundations and presents insights into its practice. It is meant as an introduction for students, an overview for curious newcomers to the field, and an invitation for experienced researchers wishing to experiment with a new method. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
A novel small-scale self-focusing suppression method for post-compression in high peak power lasers
Authors: Pan Shuren , Wu Fenxiang , Zhao Yang , Hu Jiabing , Zhang Zongxin , Xu Yi , Leng Yuxin , Li Ruxin , Khazanov Efim
Published: May 2024

A novel method, combining an asymmetric four-grating compressor (AFGC) with pulse post-compression, is numerically demonstrated to improve the spatial uniformity of laser beams and hence to suppress small-scale self-focusing (SSSF) during the beam propagation in nonlinear materials of high peak power lasers. The spatial uniformity of laser beams is an important factor in performing post-compression, due to the spatial intensity modulation, or hot spots will be aggravated during the nonlinear propagation and then seriously damage the subsequent optical components. Three-dimensional numerical simulations of post-compression are implemented based on a femtosecond laser with a standard compressor and an AFGC, respectively. The simulated results indicate that post-compression with the AFGC can efficiently suppress the SSSF and also shorten the laser pulses from 30 fs to sub-10 fs. This work can provide a promising route to overcome the challenge of SSSF and will be meaningful to promote the practical application of the post-compression technique in high peak power lasers.
A REMARK ON THE N-INVARIANT GEOMETRY OF BOUNDED HOMOGENEOUS DOMAINS
Authors: GEATTI LAURA , IANNUZZI ANDREA
Published: May 2024

Let
$\mathbf {D}$
be a bounded homogeneous domain in
${\mathbb {C}}^n$
. In this note, we give a characterization of the Stein domains in
$\mathbf {D}$
which are invariant under a maximal unipotent subgroup N of
$Aut(\mathbf {D})$
. We also exhibit an N-invariant potential of the Bergman metric of
$\mathbf {D}$
, expressed in a Lie theoretical fashion. These results extend the ones previously obtained by the authors in the symmetric case.