bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current landscape of treating different cancers using nanomedicines: Trends and perspectives
Authors: Morales Carolina Salvador , Grodzinski Piotr
Published: September 2023

The efforts to use novel nanotechnologies in medicine and cancer have been widespread. In order to understand better the focus areas of cancer nanomedicine research to date, we conducted a survey of nanomedicine developmental and clinical research in conjunction with treatment of various cancers. The survey has been performed based on number of publications, rate of citations, entry into clinical trials, and funding rates by the National Cancer Institute. Our survey indicates that breast and brain cancers are the most and one of the least studied by nanotechnology researchers, respectively. Breast cancer nano‐therapies seem to also be most likely to achieve clinical translation as the number of publications produced, amount of funding, total citations, and clinical trials (active and completed) are the highest when compared with research in other cancers. Brain cancer, despite its low survival, has capture much less attention of nanomedicine research community as survey indicated, although nanotechnology can offer novel approaches which can address brain cancer challenges.

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease
A‐to‐I RNA editing by ADAR and its therapeutic applications: From viral infections to cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Datta Rohini , Adamska Julia Z. , Bhate Amruta , Li Jin Billy
Published: September 2023

ADAR deaminases catalyze adenosine‐to‐inosine (A‐to‐I) editing on double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) substrates that regulate an umbrella of biological processes. One of the two catalytically active ADAR enzymes, ADAR1, plays a major role in innate immune responses by suppression of RNA sensing pathways which are orchestrated through the ADAR1‐dsRNA‐MDA5 axis. Unedited immunogenic dsRNA substrates are potent ligands for the cellular sensor MDA5. Upon activation, MDA5 leads to the induction of interferons and expression of hundreds of interferon‐stimulated genes with potent antiviral activity. In this way, ADAR1 acts as a gatekeeper of the RNA sensing pathway by striking a fine balance between innate antiviral responses and prevention of autoimmunity. Reduced editing of immunogenic dsRNA by ADAR1 is strongly linked to the development of common autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In viral infections, ADAR1 exhibits both antiviral and proviral effects. This is modulated by both editing‐dependent and editing‐independent functions, such as PKR antagonism. Several A‐to‐I RNA editing events have been identified in viruses, including in the insidious viral pathogen, SARS‐CoV‐2 which regulates viral fitness and infectivity, and could play a role in shaping viral evolution. Furthermore, ADAR1 is an attractive target for immuno‐oncology therapy. Overexpression of ADAR1 and increased dsRNA editing have been observed in several human cancers. Silencing ADAR1, especially in cancers that are refractory to immune checkpoint inhibitors, is a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer immunotherapy in conjunction with epigenetic therapy. The mechanistic understanding of dsRNA editing by ADAR1 and dsRNA sensing by MDA5 and PKR holds great potential for therapeutic applications.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Processing > RNA Editing and Modification

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
On the Coestimation of Long-Term Spatio-Temporal Signals to Reduce the Aliasing Effect in Parametric Geodetic Mean Dynamic Topography Estimation
Authors: Brockmann Jan Martin , Borlinghaus Moritz , Neyers Christian , Schuh Wolf-Dieter
Published: September 2023

The geodetic estimation of the mean dynamic ocean topography (MDT) as the difference between the mean of the sea surface and the geoid remains, despite the simple relation, still a difficult task. Mainly, the spectral inconsistency between the available altimetric sea surface height (SSH) observations and the geoid information causes problems in the separation process of the spatially and temporally averaged SSH into geoid and MDT. This is aggravated by the accuracy characteristics of the satellite derived geoid information, as it is only sufficiently accurate for a resolution of about 100 km.

To enable the direct use of along-track altimetric SSH observations, we apply a parametric approach, where a
$$C^1$$

C

1

-smooth finite element space is used to model the MDT and spherical harmonics to model the geoid. Combining observation equations for altimetric SSH observations with gravity field normal equations assembled from dedicated gravity field missions in a least-squares adjustment, allows for a joint estimation of both – i.e. the MDT and an improved geoid.

In order to enable temporal averaging and to obtain a proper spatial resolution, satellite altimetry missions with an exact repeat cycle are combined with geodetic missions. Whereas the temporal averaging for the exact repeat missions is implicitly performed due to the regular temporal sampling, aliasing is introduced for the geodetic missions, because of the missing repeat characteristics. In this contribution, we will summarise the used approach and introduce the coestimation of long-term temporal sea level variations. It is studied how the additional spatio-temporal model component, i.e. linear trends and seasonal signals, reduces the aliasing problem and influences the estimate of the MDT and the geoid.
Learning Management Systems (LMSs)
Authors: Lang Susan
Published: September 2023

This chapter provides a brief overview of the history of Learning Management Systems before turning to those currently in widespread use. While surveying these systems, the chapter will focus on the extent of the ability of these platforms to contribute to writing instruction, writing analytics, and learning analytics. It will also discuss the development of LMSs designed specifically for writing instruction.
The Electronic Portfolio: Self-Regulation and Reflective Practice
Authors: Bräuer Gerd , Ziegelbauer Christine
Published: September 2023

This chapter focuses on the potential of ePortfolios as a tool for self-regulated learning and writing. What changes in the practice of academic writers when they include ePortfolios and reflective writing into their daily routines as students? Portfolios have been known for a long time as a complex modality in the construction of knowledge. Since the emergence of digital platforms (CMS/LMS) in education in the early 1990’s portfolio work transferred into the digital space being used for multiple purposes and audiences. As a consequence, ePortfolios became both mode and medium for adjusting the author’s intention toward the addressees’ expectations. This chapter will provide an overview of different ePortfolio designs and tools that have the potential to relieve the mental stress created by the complex nature of writing and reflection. ePortfolio work will be shown as a construct being organized and designed around both the different phases of mental recognition and the rhetorical steps in putting reflection into language. The chapter closes with some recommendations how to start, maintain, and reflect upon ePortfolio work in teaching as well as in institutional development.
Content Management System 3.0: Emerging Digital Writing Workspaces
Authors: Cummings Lance
Published: September 2023

In recent years, content creators and academics in online creator culture have re-imagined how we take notes using digital spaces like Roam Research, Notion, Obsidian, and Craft Docs. Though developers and users refer to these spaces as project or personal knowledge management systems, these digital spaces are a new kind of Content Management System (CMS), or wiki, at their core. These tools are no longer just about collecting and organizing information but cultivating new connections for ideation and content creation, both personally and collaboratively. This means downplaying or ridding these spaces of the folder interface and actively hyperlinking individual notes to be fluidly rearranged and connected in new ways. New CMS writing spaces like Roam Research, Notion, Obsidian, and Craft Docs have taken this strategy to a new level by incorporating more hypertext tools, like backlinks and knowledge graphs. This not only allows researchers and writers to cultivate new ideas but enhances content generation, helping researchers and writers renew the process of coming up with new ideas and manage the massive amount of information flow in the twenty-first century.
Word Processing Software: The Rise of MS Word
Authors: Kruse Otto , Rapp Christian
Published: September 2023

In the mid-1980s, more than 300 different versions of word processing software existed (Bergin, 2006a, b), but within a decade, Microsoft Word emerged from the pack and became the standard writing tool. MS Word convinced the public to exchange their typewriters for microcomputers with writing software. It gave writing an (inter)face to become familiar with. A new era of literacy had begun and started to shape writing, thinking, design, and communication in its own way. First, we provide an overview of the developments that made MS Word successful and describe in broad terms the core issues of word processing before we look at the functionalities that MS Word offers. Next, we reflect on the importance of research on word processors and show that it has dwindled since the initial wave of studies. Research ceased since the 2000s, even though new technological opportunities to study word processors arrived, such as key logging and screen recording. The report ends at the time when the internet had developed sufficiently to change literacy once more and when word processing had to adapt to the tasks, technologies, and demands of writing for the web or in the web.
Analytic Techniques for Automated Analysis of Writing
Authors: Shibani Antonette
Published: September 2023

Analysis of academic writing has long been of interest for pedagogical and research purposes. This involves the study of students’ writing products and processes, often enabled by time-consuming manual analysis in the past. With the advent of new tools and analytic techniques, analysis and assessment of writing has become much more time and resource efficient. Advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence also provide distinct capabilities in supporting students’ cognitive writing processes. This chapter will review analytical approaches that support the automated analysis of writing and introduce a taxonomy, from low-level linguistic indices to high-level categories predicted from machine learning. A list of approaches including linguistic metrics, semantic and topic-based analysis, dictionary-based approaches, natural language processing patterns, machine learning, and visualizations will be discussed, along with examples of tools supporting their analyses. The chapter further expands on the evaluation of such tools and links above analysis to implications on writing research and practice including how it alters the dynamics of digital writing.
The Future of Intelligent Tutoring Systems for Writing
Authors: Banawan Michelle , Butterfuss Reese , Taylor Karen S. , Christhilf Katerina , Hsu Claire , O’Loughlin Connor , Allen Laura K. , Roscoe Rod D. , McNamara Danielle S.
Published: September 2023

Writing is essential for success in academics and everyday tasks, but the development of writing skills depends on consistent access to high-quality instruction, extended practice, and personalized feedback. To address these demands and meet students’ needs, educators and researchers have turned to technology-based writing tools. Ideally, these tools integrate the core components of intelligent tutoring, including a domain model, student model, tutor model, and interface model to engage students with individualized feedback that is linked to adaptive writing instruction. However, the landscape of writing tools still has much room for improvement in terms of incorporating advanced artificial intelligence-enabled features to better approximate intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs). This chapter describes the key elements of ITS technologies and how they can be integrated to further develop ITS tools for writing. To this end, this chapter (1) summarizes evidence-based aspects of successful ITSs and how they might be integrated into computer-based tools for writing, (2) reviews how existing systems have leveraged intelligent tutoring approaches, and (3) articulates how future technology-based writing tools could implement advanced intelligent tutoring features to better meet students’ needs. The chapter concludes with the implications and future directions of intelligent tutoring for the teaching and learning of writing.
Investigating Writing Processes with Keystroke Logging
Authors: Wengelin Åsa , Johansson Victoria
Published: September 2023

Already in the 1970s, researchers in linguistics and psychology became interested in understanding how written language production worked, why students’ texts ended up in a specific way, and whether writing instruction could be improved by an increased understanding of students’ actual activities during writing - what happens “behind the scenes”. They observed writing processes through video-recordings and think-aloud protocols, both of which required laborious manual analyses, but with the advent of affordable computers in the 1990s keystroke logging was developed. Keystroke logging records all keystrokes and mouse movements and provide them with a time stamp to allow playback and analyses. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the reader to the concept of keystroke logging, explain briefly how it works, and give an overview of currently available software. First, we provide a short historical background. We then move into the core idea and functionality of keystroke logging in general before turning to descriptions of specific pieces of software. We summarise similarities and differences, aiming to show that choice of software should be governed by the research question. Finally, we discuss research that uses keystroke logging as a research tool, and provide examples of research about keystroke logging as a pedagogical tool.
Writing and Thinking: What Changes with Digital Technologies?
Authors: Kruse Otto , Anson Chris M.
Published: September 2023

The relationship between writing and thinking explicitly or implicitly runs through all the contributions to this book. There is no writing without thinking and there is no new writing technology that does not alter the way thinking in writing happens. Many layers of the relationship between thinking and writing await conceptualization. Four of them that seem most widely affected by the currently unfolding transformational processes are described in more detail in this chapter: (1) the connection of inscription and linearization to thinking; (2) the relation of sub-actions of the writing processes to thinking; (3) the influence of digital technology on connected thought, networked thinking, and collaborative writing; and (4) the challenges of higher-order support for writing, including automatic text generation for the conceptualization of the writing-thinking interplay. We close with a short statement on the necessity to adopt human-machine models to conceptualize thinking in writing.
Der Qualitätsatlas Pflege: Raumbezogene Qualitätsmessung bei Pflegeheimbewohnenden mittels QCare-Indikatoren
Authors: Behrendt Susann , Tsiasioti Chrysanthi , Özdes Tanyel , Jürchott Kathrin , Argüello Guerra Felipe , Klauber Jürgen , Schwinger Antje
Published: September 2023

Geographische Analysen zur gesundheitlichen Versorgung der Bevölkerung bzw. ausgewählter Subgruppen finden sich in zunehmendem Maße. Die raumbezogene Betrachtung von Pflegebedürftigen und ihren medizinischen und pflegerischen Leistungsinanspruchnahmen ist demgegenüber ein sehr wenig beforschtes Feld in Deutschland. Gleichzeitig weisen nicht erst seit gestern Studienbefunde der pflegebezogenen Versorgungsforschung auf deutliche regionale Unterschiede in der Versorgung und ihrer Qualität von Langzeitgepflegten hin. Der vorliegende Beitrag greift diesen Bedarf auf und stellt den „Qualitätsatlas Pflege“ vor, der vom Wissenschaftlichen Institut der AOK (WIdO) online zur Verfügung gestellt wird. Auf Basis der routinedatenbasierten QCare – Qualitätsindikatoren für die Pflege
Die Bedeutung und Herausforderungen der Weiterbildung für die Langzeitpflege
Authors: Elsbernd Astrid , Hahn Laura
Published: September 2023

Betriebliche Weiterbildung hat in allen beruflichen Handlungsfeldern sowohl für die Betriebe als auch für die Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer eine hohe und weiter steigende Bedeutung. „Deutschland hat sich im Rahmen der EU-2030-Strategie das Ziel gesetzt, die Weiterbildungsbeteiligung auf einen Wert von 65 % zu steigern“ (Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales 2022, S. 14). Die „Nationale Weiterbildungsstrategie. Gemeinsam für ein Jahrzehnt der Weiterbildung – Aufbruch in die Weiterbildungsrepublik“ wurde 2019 verabschiedet und befindet sich aktuell in der Umsetzung. Ziele sind u. a. die „Fortentwicklung des Weiterbildungssystems“ und die „Stärkung der Weiterbildungskultur“, um die „digitale, demografische und ökologische Transformation zu gestalten“ (Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales 2022, S. 4). Insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund des wachsenden Fachkraftmangels in vielen Arbeitsbereichen ist die Weiterbildung ein wichtiger Weg, um personellen Engpässen, den weitgreifenden Entwicklungen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt und den Veränderungen bzw. der Weiterentwicklung in den jeweiligen Arbeitsfeldern zu begegnen.
Angehörigenbefragung in der stationären Langzeitpflege
Authors: Strotbek Johannes , Tucman Daniel
Published: September 2023

Im Jahr 2019 entwickelte das Deutsche Institut für angewandte Pflegeforschung e. V. (DIP) im Auftrag der Weissen Liste, einer Transparenzinitiative der Bertelsmann Stiftung gemeinsam mit Patienten- und Verbraucherverbänden, eine Angehörigenbefragung für Einrichtungen der vollstationären Langzeitpflege. Mit dem Instrument soll die Qualitätsberichterstattung in der Pflege um die Perspektive der Betroffenen erweitert werden. Zur Unterstützung der konzeptionellen Entwicklung konnte die Behörde für Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz der Stadt Hamburg (heute Sozialbehörde) als begleitender Kooperationspartner gewonnen werden. Die Stadt Hamburg hat im 2018 novellierten Hamburgischen Wohn- und Betreuungsqualitätsgesetz die jährliche Durchführung und Veröffentlichung einer einrichtungsbezogenen Angehörigenbefragung zum Zwecke der Qualitätsberichterstattung und Verbraucherinformation verankert.
A sequential global programming approach for two-scale optimization of homogenized multiphysics problems with application to Biot porous media
Authors: Vu Bich Ngoc , Lukeš Vladimir , Stingl Michael , Rohan Eduard
Published: September 2023

We present a new approach and an algorithm for solving two-scale material optimization problems to optimize the behaviour of a fluid-saturated porous medium in a given domain. While the state problem is governed by the Biot model describing the fluid–structure interaction in homogenized poroelastic structures, the approach is widely applicable to multiphysics problems involving several macroscopic fields in which homogenization provides the relationship between the microconfigurations and the macroscopic mathematical model. The optimization variables describe the local microstructure design by virtue of the pore shape which determines the effective medium properties, namely the material coefficients, computed by the homogenization method. The numerical optimization strategy involves (a) precomputing a database of the material coefficients associated with the geometric parameters and (b) applying the sequential global programming (SGP) method for solving the problem of macroscopically optimized distribution of material coefficients. Although there are similarities to the free material optimization (FMO) approach, only effective material coefficients are considered admissible, for which a well-defined set of corresponding configurable microstructures exists. Due to the flexibility of the SGP approach, different types of microstructures with fully independent parametrizations can easily be handled. The efficiency of the concept is demonstrated by a series of numerical experiments that show that the SGP method can simultaneously handle multiple types of microstructures with nontrivial parametrizations using a considerably low and stable number of state problems to be solved.
Persuasion with ambiguous receiver preferences
Authors: Sapiro-Gheiler Eitan
Published: September 2023

I describe a Bayesian persuasion problem where Receiver has a private type representing a cutoff for choosing Sender’s preferred action, and Sender has maxmin preferences over all Receiver type distributions with known mean and bounds. This problem can be represented as a zero-sum game where Sender chooses a distribution of posterior mean beliefs that is a mean-preserving contraction of the prior over states, and an adversarial Nature chooses a Receiver type distribution with the known mean; the player with the higher realization from their chosen distribution wins. I formalize the connection between maxmin persuasion and similar games used to model political spending, all-pay auctions, and competitive persuasion. In both a standard binary-state setting and a new continuous-state setting, Sender optimally linearizes the prior distribution over states to create a distribution of posterior means that is uniform on a known interval with an atom at the lower bound of its support.
Traditional Chinese medicine treatment in sinusitis after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Yihan , Liu Jianfeng
Published: September 2023

Background

Radiation sinusitis after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma occupies a large proportion and affects the subsequent therapeutic process as well as diagnosis, which can be improved by traditional Chinese medicine treatments.

Methods

Based on the relevant clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from eight databases, a network meta-analysis (NMA) in a frequentist framework was constructed after study selection, data extraction, and quality evaluation of the included studies. The outcomes included total effect, the Lund Kennedy score of nasal endoscopy and the Lund Mackay score of sinus CT.

Results

For total effect, the order of probability for the effect is: external herbal medicine + herbal medicine orally > nasal saline + herbal medicine orally > herbal medicine orally > external herbal medicine > external herbal medicine + nasal saline > nasal saline + western medicine orally > none > nasal saline. For the Lund Kennedy score, the order of probability for the effect is: nasal saline + herbal medicine orally > herbal medicine orally > external herbal medicine > none > nasal saline. For Lund Mackay score, the order of probability for the effect is: herbal medicine orally > nasal saline + western medicine orally > nasal saline + herbal medicine orally > nasal saline > external herbal medicine.

Conclusions

Herbal medicine taken orally and through nasal cavities combined with nasal saline has a better clinical effect than a single intervention for total effect and Lund Kennedy score. As the classification of this research is relatively macro and the sample size is insufficient, further higher-quality studies are needed to verify the conclusion.

Trial registration

PROSPERO ID: CRD42022384113, 2022-12-25.
Heterogeneous response to TGF-β1/3 isoforms in fibroblasts of different origins: implications for wound healing and tumorigenesis
Authors: Urban Lukáš , Čoma Matúš , Lacina Lukáš , Szabo Pavol , Sabová Jana , Urban Tomáš , Šuca Hubert , Lukačín Štefan , Zajíček Robert , Smetana Karel , Gál Peter
Published: September 2023

Identification of therapeutic targets for treating fibrotic diseases and cancer remains challenging. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 on myofibroblast differentiation and extracellular matrix deposition in different types of fibroblasts, including normal/dermal, cancer-associated, and scar-derived fibroblasts. When comparing the phenotype and signaling pathways activation we observed extreme heterogeneity of studied markers across different fibroblast populations, even within those isolated from the same tissue. Specifically, the presence of myofibroblast and deposition of extracellular matrix were dependent on the origin of the fibroblasts and the type of treatment they received (TGF-β1 vs. TGF-β3). In parallel, we detected activation of canonical signaling (pSMAD2/3) across all studied fibroblasts, albeit to various extents. Treatment with TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 resulted in the activation of canonical and several non-canonical pathways, including AKT, ERK, and ROCK. Among studied cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts displayed the most heterogenic response to TGF-β1/3 treatments. In general, TGF-β1 demonstrated a more potent activation of signaling pathways compared to TGF-β3, whereas TGF-β3 exhibited rather an inhibitory effect in keloid- and hypertrophic scar-derived fibroblasts suggesting its clinical potential for scar treatment. In summary, our study has implications for comprehending the role of TGF-β signaling in fibroblast biology, fibrotic diseases, and cancer. Future research should focus on unraveling the mechanisms beyond differential fibroblast responses to TGF-β isomers considering inherent fibroblast heterogeneity.
Oncological recurrence following pathological complete response after neoadjuvant treatment in patients with esophageal cancer — a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Hipp Julian , Kuvendjiska Jasmina , Hillebrecht Hans Christian , Herrmann Stephan , Timme-Bronsert Sylvia , Fichtner-Feigl Stefan , Hoeppner Jens , Diener Markus K.
Published: September 2023

Background

To evaluate recurrence in patients with post-neoadjuvant pathological complete response (pCR) and in patients with complete response of primary tumor but persisting lymphatic spread of disease (non-pCR, ypT0ypN +) of esophageal cancer.

Methods

Seventy-five patients (63 pCR, 12 non-pCR) were analyzed retrospectively. Pattern and incidence of local and distant recurrence as well as the impact on overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were evaluated. The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy according to FLOT protocol was compared to neoadjuvant chemoradiation according to CROSS protocol.

Results

In the pCR group, isolated local recurrence was diagnosed in 3%, while no isolated local recurrence was observed in the non-pCR group due to the high incidence of distant recurrence. Distant recurrence was most common in both cohorts (isolated distant recurrence: pCR group 10% to non-pCR group 55%; simultaneous distant and local recurrence: pCR group 3% to non-pCR group 18%). Median time to distant recurrence was 5.5 months, and median time to local recurrence was 8.0 months. Cumulative incidence of distant recurrence (with and without simultaneous local recurrence) was 16% (± 6%) in pCR patients and 79% (± 13%) in non-pCR patients (hazard ratio (HR) 0.123) estimated by Kaplan–Meier method. OS (HR 0.231) and DFS (HR 0.226) were significantly improved in patients with pCR compared to patients with non-pCR. Advantages for FLOT protocol compared to CROSS protocol, especially with regard to distant control of disease (HR 0.278), were observed (OS (HR 0.361), DFS (HR 0.226)).

Conclusion

Distant recurrence is the predominant site of treatment failure in patients with pCR and non-pCR grade 1a regression, whereby recurrence rates are much higher in patients with non-pCR.
Prospective assessment of early developmental markers and their association with neuropsychological impairment
Authors: Cainelli Elisa , Vedovelli Luca , Trevisanuto Daniele , Suppiej Agnese , Bisiacchi Patrizia
Published: September 2023

Children who experience adversities in the pre-perinatal period are at increased risk of developing impairment later in life, despite the absence of overt brain and neurological abnormalities. However, many of these children exhibit sequelae several years after a period of normal appearance. As a result, the need for reliable developmental assessments for the early detection of infants at high risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes has emerged. The Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales have a promising but poorly explored prognostic ability. This longitudinal study evaluated the predictive power of the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales at 12 and 24 months on the cognitive and neuropsychological profile at 6 years of age in a sample of 70 children with a history of prematurity or perinatal asphyxia but without brain and neurological abnormalities. We found that the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales at 24 months had good predictive ability on the intelligence quotient at 6 years and the capacity to predict some neuropsychological performances. On the other hand, the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scale at 12 months was not associated with the performance at 6 years or 24 months.

   Conclusion: Data on brain development converge to indicate that the first two years of age represent a critical stage of development, particularly for children experiencing mild pre-perinatal adversities who are thought to exhibit white matter dysmaturity. For this reason, this age is crucial for identifying which children are at major risk, leaving enough time to intervene before overt deficits become apparent. Brain development in the first 2 years could explain the limited reliability of early neurodevelopmental testing.

What is Known:• Pre-perinatal adversities increase the risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders.• The predictive ability of the Griffith scale is poorly explored in low-grade conditions.

What is New:• The predictive ability of the Griffith scale has been investigated in low-risk children.• A complete neuropsychological profile could offer a more accurate prediction than the intellectual quotient.
Digitale und analoge Interventionskomponenten zur Stärkung von Peer-Beziehungen und Förderung des psychosozialen Wohlbefindens von Kindern und Jugendlichen
Authors: Dörfler Sylvia
Published: September 2023

Soziale Verbundenheit im Sinne unterstützender Peer-Beziehungen stellen protektive Faktoren für ein gesundes Heranwachsen dar. Das Forschungszentrum Transitionspsychiatrie zielt mit seiner Forschung auf die Schließung der häufig auftretenden Lücken in der psychiatrischen Versorgung beim Übergang ins Erwachsenenalter ab. Analoge und digitale Interventionskomponenten tragen dabei präventiv zur Stärkung des psychosozialen Wohlbefindens von Kindern und Jugendlichen bei. Das Serious Game „School can be a nightmare“ zielt auf die Vermittlung von interpersoneller Emotionsregulation ab. Das Rätselspiel „LINA“ dient zur Stärkung der Klassengemeinschaft. Das Lernprogramm zum sozialen Lernen vermittelt soziale und emotionale Kompetenzen. OPEN2chat bietet die Möglichkeit, sich kostenlos und anonym mit gleichaltrigen Peer-Begleiter:innen auszutauschen.
Inner approximations of coherent lower probabilities and their application to decision making problems
Authors: Miranda Enrique , Montes Ignacio , Presa Andrés
Published: September 2023

We consider a decision making problem under imprecision, where the probabilistic information is given in terms of a set of probability measures, and where finding the optimal alternative(s) may be difficult. To ease the computation, we propose to transform the initial model into another one that (1) belongs to some subclass with better mathematical properties, such as supermodularity or complete monotonicity; (2) is at least as informative as the original model, while being as close as possible to it. We show that the problem can be approached in terms of linear or quadratic programming and that it can be connected with the one of determining the incenter of a credal set. Finally, we compare the solutions of a decision making problem with the initial and the transformed models and illustrate how our approach can be applied in a decision making problem under severe uncertainty.
Enhancing yes/no question answering with weak supervision via extractive question answering
Authors: Dimitriadis Dimitris , Tsoumakas Grigorios
Published: September 2023

The effectiveness of natural language processing models relies on various factors, including the architecture, number of parameters, data used during training, and the tasks they were trained on. Recent studies indicate that models pre-trained on large corpora and fine-tuned on task-specific datasets, covering multiple tasks, can generate remarkable results across various benchmarks. We propose a new approach based on a straightforward hypothesis: improving model performance on a target task by considering other artificial tasks defined on the same training dataset. By doing so, the model can gain further insights into the training dataset and attain a greater understanding, improving efficiency on the target task. This approach differs from others that consider multiple pre-existing tasks on different datasets. We validate this hypothesis by focusing on the problem of answering yes/no questions and introducing a multi-task model that outputs a span of the reference text, serving as evidence for answering the question. The task of span extraction is an artificial one, designed to benefit the performance of the model answering yes/no questions. We acquire weak supervision for these spans, by using a pre-trained extractive question answering model, dispensing the need for costly human annotation. Our experiments, using modern transformer-based language models, demonstrate that this method outperforms the standard approach of training models to answer yes/no questions. Although the primary objective was to enhance the performance of the model in answering yes/no questions, it was discovered that span texts are a significant source of information. These spans, derived from the question reference texts, provided valuable insights for the users to better comprehend the answers to the questions. The model’s improved accuracy in answering yes/no questions, coupled with the supplementary information provided by the span texts, led to a more comprehensive and informative user experience.
COVID-19 Related Loss is Reliably Associated with Attentional Capture and Facilitation by COVID Related Stimuli: Evidence from the Emotional Stroop Dilution Task
Authors: Rubin Mikael , Evans Travis
Published: September 2023

Background

The losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread impacts on mental health. Although affective attentional processes are implicated in mental health concerns broadly, there has been limited research on the influence of COVID-19 related loss on affective attentional processes. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a COVID-19 related loss on affective attentional processes.

Methods

We recruited participants through Amazon Mechanical Turk in an initial study (Study 1: n = 136) and pre-registered replication (Study 2: n = 206). To measure affective attentional processes, participants completed the Emotional Stroop Dilution Task with word stimuli that were either neutral, generally trauma-related, or specific to COVID-19. To quantify affective attentional processes, novel response-based computation with superior psychometric properties and traditional attention bias computation approaches were used.

Results

Using response-based measures COVID-19 related loss was associated with greater attention capture and facilitation in response to COVID-19 specific words in Study 1. In Study 2 (pre-registered replication), we again found COVID-19 related loss was associated with high conflict attention capture and facilitation for COVID-19 related stimuli only. No associations between the two studies were replicated with the traditional approach.

Conclusions

Taken together, findings from these studies suggest that experiencing a COVID-19 related loss is associated with dysregulation of affective attentional processes, specific to COVID-related stimuli. Future research should examine whether dysregulated affective attentional processes can be addressed (e.g., with attention bias modification) which may be helpful for addressing mental health concerns in the wake of COVID-19 related loss.
Exploring DrugCentral: from molecular structures to clinical effects
Authors: Halip Liliana , Avram Sorin , Curpan Ramona , Borota Ana , Bora Alina , Bologa Cristian , Oprea Tudor I.
Published: September 2023

DrugCentral, accessible at https://drugcentral.org, is an open-access online drug information repository. It covers over 4950 drugs, incorporating structural, physicochemical, and pharmacological details to support drug discovery, development, and repositioning. With around 20,000 bioactivity data points, manual curation enhances information from several major digital sources. Approximately 724 mechanism-of-action (MoA) targets offer updated drug target insights. The platform captures clinical data: over 14,300 on- and off-label uses, 27,000 contraindications, and around 340,000 adverse drug events from pharmacovigilance reports. DrugCentral encompasses information from molecular structures to marketed formulations, providing a comprehensive pharmaceutical reference. Users can easily navigate basic drug information and key features, making DrugCentral a versatile, unique resource. Furthermore, we present a use-case example where we utilize experimentally determined data from DrugCentral to support drug repurposing. A minimum activity threshold t should be considered against novel targets to repurpose a drug. Analyzing 1156 bioactivities for human MoA targets suggests a general threshold of 1 µM: t = 6 when expressed as − log[Activity(M)]). This applies to 87% of the drugs. Moreover, t can be refined empirically based on water solubility (S): t = 3 − logS, for logS < − 3. Alongside the drug repurposing classification scheme, which considers intellectual property rights, market exclusivity protections, and market accessibility, DrugCentral provides valuable data to prioritize candidates for drug repurposing programs efficiently.
Intentionally Encouraging or Assisting Others to Commit an Offence: The Anatomy of a Language Crime
Authors: MacLeod Nicci
Published: September 2023

Since at least as far back as the infamous Derek Bentley case of the 1950s in which an unarmed 19-year-old was convicted and executed for murder based on his alleged uttering of the words let him have it to his gun-wielding accomplice, the issue of incitement has been positioned firmly as an object of interest for forensic linguists. An example of a language crime—i.e. an unlawful speech act (as reported by Shuy in Language crimes: The use and abuse of language evidence in the courtroom, Wiley Blackwell, Hoboken, 1993) the features of incitement—formalized as intentionally encouraging or assisting others to commit an offence in the law of England & Wales under section 44 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/27/contents)—have been widely debated by linguists and legal scholars alike. This paper draws on two webinars hosted by The Hunting Office in August 2020, which were subsequently leaked by the Hunt Saboteurs Association. Featuring senior figures from the hunting community addressing a nationwide audience of hunt masters, the webinars led to a police investigation and subsequent prosecution and conviction of one of the main speakers, Mark Hankinson, for encouraging or assisting others to commit an offence under the Hunting Act 2004. In this paper I explore what, linguistically, is meant by encouraging or assisting. Through corpus-assisted pragmatic and discourse analyses I interrogate the webinars to address the question of how precisely Hankinson implied his encouragement of illegal hunting with dogs. The phenomena of collocation and semantic prosody are crucial for understanding how such meanings came to be attached to the contributions Hankinson makes to the webinars. Moreover the paper will examine the contributions of other speakers and demonstrate that the same incriminating linguistic patterns in Hankinson’s talk are also evident in that of those who were not prosecuted.
Study on Optical of Chitosan-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane-SiO2 Nanocomposite Decorated with Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Mansour A. M. , Hammad Ali B. Abou , Nahrawy Amany M. El
Published: September 2023

In our study, we examined the growth of SiO2-aminopropyltriethoxysilane nanoparticles decorated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a chitosan matrix. This matrix was synthesized through a sol-gel process, where chitosan was dissolved into a silicate sol and subsequently gelled at 50 °C. To explore the structure, morphology, and optical properties of these semiconductor nanocomposites, we employed various analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy. From the UV-Vis spectroscopy measurements, the absorption, band gap, refractive index, and optical conductivity were extracted and analyzed with respect to the incident wavelength and content of CNTs. The incorporation of CNTs into the chitosan-SiO2-aminopropyltriethoxysilane semiconductor nanocomposite results in enhanced crystallinity, increased surface area, and modified optical properties. Therefore, it can be inferred that the optical characteristics of the chitosan-SiO2-aminopropyltriethoxysilane composite are significantly influenced by the ratio of CNT decoration.
Mobile wireless ad-hoc network routing protocols comparison for real-time military application
Authors: Al Ajrawi Shams , Tran Bang
Published: September 2023

Mobile wireless Ad-hoc has become more popular because it forms quickly, has an easy setup, and has easy extensibility. The mobile ad-hoc wireless networks can be further classified according to their applications as follows: Regular user ad-hoc networks are commercial communication that applies to vehicles to help avoid collisions and accidents and live connections to transfer data from car to car. Another application is disaster rescue ad-hoc networking, usually used when a normal infrastructure network is destroyed by storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. Nowadays, a lot of applications, particularly those related to the military and emergency situations, rely on mobile ad hoc wireless networks, where security needs are more challenging to provide than in regular networks. We present the tactical network needs for the military. This platform attempts to assess the possible advantages of mobile ad hoc networks in tactical military applications. This work proposes route discovery using reactive (on-demand) routing protocols where nodes need to just transfer data. This eliminates the requirement for each node to store and maintain any routing tables. This study presents and contrasts the benefits and drawbacks of two fundamental mobile ad hoc routing systems (AODV and DSR). Both protocols are On-Demand routing techniques, and when data needs to be sent, the discovery phase begins. The results of the simulation, the AODV routing approach outperforms the DSV routing method under identical simulated conditions.
Unterrichtsbezogene Kooperation und Differenzierung im inklusiven Grundschulunterricht
Authors: Lenkeit Jenny , Spörer Nadine , Hartmann Anne , Ehlert Antje , Knigge Michel
Published: September 2023

Eine zentrale Rolle erfolgreichen inklusiven Lernens nimmt die methodisch qualitätsvolle Gestaltung des Unterrichts ein, um alle Schüler*innen bestmöglich zu unterstützen. Zur Ausgestaltung des inklusiven Unterrichts richtet sich der Blick auf unterrichtsbezogene Kooperation und Maßnahmen der Differenzierung. Vor diesem Hintergrund geht der Beitrag erstens der Frage nach, welche Unterstützung Schüler*innen in inklusiv arbeitenden Grundschulen durch weitere Fachkräfte im Unterricht erhalten und wie Regellehrkräfte mit diesen zusätzlichen Fachkräften zusammenarbeiten. Zweitens soll betrachtet werden, in welchem Ausmaß Regellehrkräfte Maßnahmen zur Unterrichtsdifferenzierung nutzen. Drittens wird untersucht, inwiefern die Maßnahmen der unterrichtsbezogenen Kooperation und der Differenzierung mit Merkmalen der Unterrichtseinheiten und der Klassen, wie z. B. der Heterogenität der Schüler*innenschaft, zusammenhängen. Grundlage der Analysen bildet eine Stichprobe von N = 78 Deutsch- und Mathematiklehrkräften an inklusiv arbeitenden Grundschulen, die Auskunft zur Gestaltung von 642 Unterrichtseinheiten gaben. Die Erfassung der Unterrichtsgestaltung erfolgte mittels Logbüchern und fokussierte sowohl die Unterstützung durch weitere Fachkräfte als auch Formen der Unterrichtsdifferenzierung. Es zeigte sich, dass in etwa 30 % der Unterrichtseinheiten eine weitere Fachkraft anwesend war, aber überwiegend das „one teach, one assist“ Modell im Unterricht umgesetzt wurde. Für die Hälfte der Unterrichtseinheiten fanden im Vorfeld Absprachen zu Unterrichtsinhalten und individueller Förderung statt. In etwa 10 % der Unterrichtseinheiten wurde gar nicht differenziert. In 90 % wurde zumindest zeitweise in der Unterrichtseinheit differenziert. Differenzierungsmaßnahmen wurden vorrangig in Einzelarbeitsphasen realisiert. Ergebnisse hierarchisch linearer Regressionsmodelle deuteten darauf hin, dass in Klassen in sozial ungünstigeren Lagen seltener kooperiert und differenziert wird, als in solchen in sozial günstigeren Lagen.
From Archipelago to Pandemic Battleground: Unveiling Indonesia’s COVID-19 Crisis
Authors: Harapan Biyan Nathanael , Harapan Triswan , Theodora Lenny , Anantama Nadia Ayurini
Published: September 2023

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to countries worldwide, including Indonesia. With its unique archipelagic geography consisting of more than 17,000 thousand islands, Indonesia faces unique complexities in managing the spread of the virus. Based on existing literature, this review article elaborates on key issues that have shaped Indonesia’s COVID-19 response. The article begins by examining the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, along with the implementation of various preventive measures and the impact of the virus on public health. This article examines how Indonesia’s socio-economic factors have generally influenced its healthcare system and further delves into the COVID-19 response strategies implemented by the Indonesian government and public health authorities as well as overall crisis preparedness. It discusses the actions taken to control the spread of the virus, including testing strategies and vaccination efforts. The difficulties encountered in implementing these measures are presented. In conclusion, this review article provides a comprehensive understanding of the COVID-19 crisis in Indonesia, covering facts on multiple dimensions ranging from the timeline of the pandemic to vaccination efforts, epidemiology, socio-economic implications, testing strategies, mobility patterns, public holidays, the impact of working from home, and the utilization of complementary and alternative medicine in addition to the standard of care for COVID-19. The insights gained from this article can complement future strategies for pandemic management and response in Indonesia and other countries facing similar challenges.