bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Problem of Words and Language in Interdisciplinary Collaborations
Authors: Lenz Taguchi Hillevi , Bodén Linnea
Published: February 2025

This chapter presents a discussion on the problem of language, concepts, and metaphors in interdisciplinary collaborations. The chapter relates back to Chap. 2 and the discussions on development to consider some of the problems and possibilities in language practices that involve researchers with different ontological and epistemological backgrounds. Outlining the discussions around words, metaphors, and language use in the Enhancing Children’s Attention project, the chapter shows how all researchers in interdisciplinary collaborations need to learn more about what their collaborators take for granted in terms of ontological, epistemological, and political notions in their respective disciplines and, thus, learn more about the ontological, epistemological, and political blockages inherent in their own disciplinary research practices.
Troubling Ethics in Developmental and Postdevelopmental Inquiry Involving Children
Authors: Lenz Taguchi Hillevi , Bodén Linnea
Published: February 2025

This chapter provides an analysis of how ethics is discussed in the literature within the field of child and childhood studies and early childhood education. Inquiry that involves children is often discussed in terms of whether the research is conducted on, to, with, for, or by children. In this chapter, we problematize a value scale that positions research on children at the bad end of the scale and research by children at the good end. We look at how research departs from certain philosophical assumptions about ethics: ethics as social justice and fairness; ethics as inclusion, participation, and empowerment; and ethics as producing potential new worlds. We argue for multiethical perspectives, where different ethical underpinnings are laid side by side to strengthen research practices.
Introduction: Service Design in East and Southeast Asia as a Phenomenon
Authors: Lee Jung-Joo , Baek Joon Sang , Yu Eun
Published: February 2025

This book explores the adoption and practices of service design within the socio-cultural contexts of East and Southeast Asia, where its applications are shaped by local economic, political, and cultural influences. Through case studies and narratives from academia and practice, the book highlights the plurality of service design in this region, examining how it is understood, institutionalized, and enacted in diverse localities. By focusing on cultural specificity, this work seeks to broaden the conceptualization and practice of service design, emphasizing the importance of local knowledge, values, and contexts in its global development. Key themes include pragmatic adoption, cultural manifestations of value co-creation, and the interplay between traditional and modern approaches in service design.
Two-loop master integrals for e+e− → μ+μ− process with account of electron mass
Authors: Lee Roman N.
Published: February 2025

Abstract

We calculate a subset of two-loop master integrals relevant for the differential cross section of e
+
e

−

→ μ
+
μ

−
process. We consider only those families for which the account of the electron mass m is necessary. Our results have the form of the Frobenius series in m with coefficients expressed via Goncharov’s polylogarithms.
The spectral torsion for the Connes type operator
Authors: Wang Jian , Wang Yong
Published: February 2025

Abstract

This paper aims to provide an explicit computation of the spectral torsion associated with the Connes type operator on even dimension compact manifolds. And we also extend the spectral torsion for the Connes type operator to compact manifolds with boundary.
More on stubs in open string field theory
Authors: Schnabl Martin , Stettinger Georg
Published: February 2025

Abstract

We continue our analysis of open string field theory based on A

∞
-algebras obtained from Witten’s theory by attaching stubs to the elementary vertex. Classical solutions of the new theory can be obtained from known analytic solutions in Witten’s theory by applying a cohomomorphism. In a previous work two such cohomomorphisms were found, one non-cyclic, obtained from the homological perturbation lemma and another one by geometric methods. Here we show that to first order in the stub length the two resulting maps are related by a combination of a gauge transformation and a term vanishing on-shell. We also extend our construction to more general gauges and explicitly calculate the first few orders of the new A

∞
-algebra solutions in the sliver frame.
Stop the bleed “ – Prehospital bleeding control in patients with multiple and/or severe injuries – A systematic review and clinical practice guideline – A systematic review and clinical practice guideline
Authors: Trentzsch H. , Goossen K. , Prediger B. , Schweigkofler U. , Hilbert-Carius P. , Hanken H. , Gümbel D. , Hossfeld B. , Lier H. , Hinck D. , Suda A. J. , Achatz G. , Bieler D.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Our aim was to develop new evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations for bleeding control in patients with multiple and/or severe injuries in the prehospital setting. This guideline topic is part of the 2022 update of the German Guideline on the Treatment of Patients with Multiple and/or Severe Injuries.

Methods

MEDLINE and Embase were systematically searched until June 2021. Further literature reports were obtained from clinical experts. Randomised controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, and comparative registry studies were included if they compared interventions for bleeding control in the prehospital setting using manual pressure, haemostatic agents, tourniquets, pelvic stabilisation, or traction splints in patients with multiple and/or severe injuries. We considered patient-relevant clinical outcomes such as mortality and bleeding control. Transfusion requirements and haemodynamic stability were surrogate outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using NICE 2012 checklists. The evidence was synthesised narratively, and expert consensus was used to develop recommendations and determine their strength.

Results

Fifteen studies were identified. Interventions covered were pelvic binders (n = 4 studies), pressure dressings (n = 1), tourniquets (n = 6), traction splints (n = 1), haemostatic agents (n = 3), and nasal balloon catheters (n = 1). Fourteen new recommendations were developed. All achieved strong consensus.

Conclusion

Bleeding control is the basic objective of treatment. This can be easily justified based on empirical evidence. There is, however, a lack of reliable and high-quality studies that assess and compare methods for bleeding control in patients with multiple and/or severe injuries. The guideline provides reasonable and practical recommendations (although mostly with a low grade of recommendation) and also reveals several open research questions that can hopefully be answered when the guideline is revised again.
Balancing storage cost and customization time in product platform design: a bi-objective optimization model
Authors: Naldi Ludovica Diletta , Galizia Francesco Gabriele , Bortolini Marco
Published: February 2025

In the modern market scenario governed by the Mass Customization paradigm, the so-called delayed product differentiation (DPD) rose as a production strategy best balancing traditional Make-to-Stock (MTS) and Make-to-Order (MTO), potentially reducing storage cost and customization time. In industry, DPD uses product platforms, defined as a set of components forming a common structure, from which a stream of derivative variants is produced. Early-stage platforms, made of few components, limit their storage cost, increasing the time to customize and turn them into final variants. The literature widely discusses the product platform design problem, asking to explore quantitatively the trade-off between platform storage cost and customization time. This paper contributes to applied research in mass customization, proposing and applying a bi-objective optimization model able to assign the most suitable production strategy to each product variant among MTS, MTO, and DPD. In the case of DPD selection, the model designs the product platforms best balancing storage cost and customization time as the target metrics to optimize, subject to industrial constraints to produce and store them, matching each variant to the most suitable platform. A case study adapted from the electronic components sector exemplifies the use of the bi-objective model, supporting companies in managing high-variety mixes.
Inhibition of protein phosphatases attenuates A1-adenosine receptor-stimulation induced negative inotropic effects of cAMP-increasing agents in the isolated human atrium
Authors: Schwarz Rebecca , Hofmann Britt , Gergs Ulrich , Neumann Joachim
Published: February 2025

N6-(R)-Phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA), an agonist at A1-adenosine receptors, alone exerts negative inotropic effects (NIE) in the human atrium. This NIE is augmented in the presence of cAMP-increasing agonists like phosphodiesterase inhibitors (cilostamide, rolipram) or a direct activator of adenylyl cyclase (forskolin). Cantharidin inhibits protein phosphatases 1 and 2A (PP1, PP2A). We hypothesized that cantharidin would attenuate this NIE of R-PIA in the presence of cilostamide or forskolin. During open heart surgery (patients were suffering from severe coronary heart disease), isolated human atrial preparations (HAP) were obtained. These HAP were mounted in organ baths and electrically stimulated (1 Hz). For comparison, we studied isolated electrically stimulated (1 Hz) left atrial preparations (LA) from wild type mice. We noted that R-PIA exerted negative inotropic effects in LA and HAP in the presence of cilostamide or rolipram and forskolin that were attenuated by cantharidin. We hypothesize that R-PIA in the presence of phosphodiesterase inhibitors or forskolin stimulates PP in the human atrium. Hence, R-PIA acts, at least in part, by stimulating PP in HAP.
Development and evaluation of [11C]DPA-813 and [18F]DPA-814: novel TSPO PET tracers insensitive to human single nucleotide polymorphism rs6971
Authors: Beaino Wissam , JM Kooijman Esther , Werry Eryn L. , Vellinga Rens J. , Van den Hoek Johan , Sohler Greta , Cumbers Grace A. , Genetzakis Elijah , Harvey-Latham Edward D. , Schuit Robert C. , Kassiou Michael , Windhorst Albert D. , Danon Jonathan J.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) is a widely used marker for imaging neuroinflammation via Positron Emission Tomography (PET). However, the vast majority of reported TSPO PET tracers display low binding affinity to a common isoform of human TSPO (rs6971; A147T), making them unsuitable for universal use in the general population. In this study, we have developed and preclinically validated two novel tracers designed to image TSPO in patients of all genotypes.

Methods

Novel analogues of known TSPO ligands were synthesised, evaluated for TSPO binding affinity in vitro (membranes prepared from transfected HEK-293T cells expressing wild-type (WT) or A147T TSPO) and radiolabelled with carbon-11 or fluorine-18. They were evaluated in situ (autoradiography on genotyped human brain tissue) and in vivo (rat, both WT and clinically relevant experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) neuroinflammation model) as potential polymorphism-insensitive TSPO PET tracers.

Results

Two new TSPO ligands, DPA-813 and DPA-814, displayed equivalent single-digit nanomolar binding affinities in vitro towards both human TSPO isoforms. [11C]DPA-813 and [18F]DPA-814 were synthesised in moderate radiochemical yields, high radiochemical purity, and high molar activity. Autoradiography on human MS tissues showed high specific binding for both tracers, irrespective of the TSPO isoform. The tracers demonstrated high plasma stability after 45 min and no brain metabolism with > 99% intact tracer. Biodistribution in WT animals indicated good brain uptake for both tracers (0.28 and 0.41%ID/g for [18F]DPA-814 and [11C]DPA-813, respectively). PET imaging in the clinically relevant EAE neuroinflammation model in rats showed significantly higher uptake of [11C]DPA-813 and [18F]DPA-814 in the spinal cord of the EAE rats compared to the controls.

Conclusion

We have developed two novel PET tracers that display indiscriminately high binding affinity to both common isoforms of human TSPO, show favourable metabolic stability and brain penetration in rats, and significantly higher uptake in the spinal cord of a neuroinflammatory rat model of multiple sclerosis. Going forward, first-in-human clinical validation will mark a critical juncture in the development of these tracers, which could offer substantial improvements over existing imaging tools for detecting neuroinflammation, irrespective of genetic variations.
Combining immunosuppressive therapy with low dosage eltrombopag in Chinese patients with severe aplastic anemia: mild aggravation of hepatic injury
Authors: Chen Xiaoyu , Yu Qingling , Qin ChengTao , Zhang Yawen , Sun Jingnan , Jia Jinsong , Ye Baodong , Gong Yuemin , He Guangsheng , Fan Lei
Published: February 2025

Eltrombopag (EPAG) is an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist analog with the potential risk to induce liver injury. This prospective registry study evaluated the prevalence and severity of hepatic injury in Chinese patients with severe aplastic anemia undergoing low-dose EPAG treatment (75 mg/day) in the context of standard immunosuppressive therapy (IST). The incidence of acute drug-induced liver injury was slightly higher in the IST + EPAG group than in the IST group at the 1st and 2nd month, but no statistically significant difference was observed: 10% vs 5% (p = 0.400), 9% vs 8% (p = 1.000). At the 1st month, the incidences of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin increased of grade 3 or higher in the IST + EPAG and the IST groups, were 5% vs 3% (p = 0.228), 2% vs 1% (p = 1.000), 2% vs 1% (p = 1.000), respectively. The logistic analysis indicated that serum ferritin level was associated with severe liver injury events. There was a slight increase in the incidence of severe hepatic injury events in the patients with SAA treated by EPAG, but it was insignificant.
Manual support during robotic-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Bay Benjamin , Goßling Alina , Rilinger Jonathan , von zur Mühlen Constantin , Hofmann Felix , Nef Holger , Möllmann Helge , Kellner Caroline , Seiffert Moritz , Brunner Fabian J.
Published: February 2025

Background

Robotic-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (R-PCI) is an efficacious and safe treatment option for coronary artery disease. However, predictors of manual support during R-PCI are unknown, which we aimed to investigate in a multi-center study.

Methods

We utilized patient-level data from R-PCIs carried out from 2020 to 2022 at four sites in Germany. Manual support was defined as the combination of partial manual assistance, where the procedure is ultimately completed using robotic techniques, and manual conversion. A two-step selection process based on akaike information criteria was used to identify the ideal multivariable model predicting manual support.

Results

In 210 patients (median age 69.0 years; 25.7% female), a total of 231 coronary lesions were treated by R-PCI. Manual support was needed in 46 lesions (19.9%). Procedures requiring manual support were associated with significantly longer procedural times, greater total contrast fluid volumes, longer fluoroscopy times, and higher dose-area products. Amongst the predictors of manual support were lesions in the left anterior descending artery [OR: 1.09 (95%-CI: 0.99–1.20)], aorto-ostial lesions [OR: 1.35 (95%-CI: 1.11–1.64)], chronic total occlusions [OR: 1.78 (95%-CI: 1.38–2.31)], true bifurcations [OR: 1.37 (95%-CI: 1.17–1.59)], and severe calcification [OR: 1.13 (95%-CI: 1.00–1.27)].

Conclusion

Our findings reveal that nearly one out five of patients undergoing R-PCI required manual support, which was linked to longer procedure durations. Predictors of manual support reflected characteristics of more complex coronary lesions. These results highlight the limitations of current R-PCI platforms and underscore the need for technical advancements to address different clinical scenarios.

Graphical abstract

Predictors for manual support during robotic-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention. 95%-CI: 95%-confidence interval, DES: Drug eluting stent, OR: Odds ratio, LAD: Left anterior descending coronary artery, R-PCI: robotic-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention.
Complications associated with subsequent tunneled central venous access device placement in children: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Moraleda Guyol Ines , Selvamoorthy Thanusiah , Siaj Ramsi , Kolorz Julian , Sabo Jan , Berger Michael , Jeske Julia
Published: February 2025

Central venous access devices (CVADs) are vital instruments in pediatric healthcare, enabling the administration of critical treatments such as chemotherapy and parenteral nutrition. However, despite their advantages, CVADs carry a significant risk of complications, including infections, mechanical failures, and thrombotic events. From the current literature, it is unknown whether previous CVAD placements lead to an increased risk for complications in subsequent CVAD placements. We retrospectively analyzed data regarding tunneled, surgically implanted CVADs in children over a period of 2 years at a single tertiary pediatric center regarding their complications. Between 2021 and 2022, 328 CVAD implantations were performed in 313 children. The average age at implantation was 6.6 ± 5.5 years, while most of the patients were younger than 5 years old. During the study period, a total of 102 complications occurred in 96 patients. Most frequent complications were infections (18.29% of all implantations), followed by dislocation of the catheter tip (6.4 0%) and mechanical dysfunctions (4.27%). No patient died from a complication. The choice of catheter type (Port versus Broviac) showed a significant influence on the occurrence of complications (hazard ratio of 3.964 (95% CI 1.993–7.886; p < 0.001). The risk of infection and dislodgement was also higher when comparing Broviac with Ports implantations (infection: HR = 3.236; 95% CI 1.239–8.454; p = 0.017; dislodgement: HR = 5.781; 95% CI 1.229–27.193; p = 0.026). Cox regression showed a statistically significant higher risk of complications (especially infections) when the catheter was inserted via venous cutdown instead of percutaneous puncture technique (complications: HR = 6.709; 95% CI 1.776–25.337; p = 0.005; infections: HR = 7.28; 95% CI 1.096–48.379; p = 0.04). Cox regression did not show a statistically significant influence on complications for neither of the following factors: age, gender, weight, and oncological/non-oncological diagnosis. The complication rate for patients with previous CVAD was nearly the same as for patients who received a CVAD for the first time (previous CVAD: 29.17%; no previous CVAD: 30.74%).

Conclusion: Our study challenges conventional assumptions regarding the impact of previous CVAD placements on complication rates. Nevertheless, ongoing vigilance and adherence to standardized protocols remain crucial in mitigating risks and improving outcomes in pediatric CVAD management.

What is Known:
• Risk factors predisposing for CVAD-related complications remain insufficiently understood.
• It is unknown whether previous CVAD placements lead to an increased risk for complications in subsequent CVAD placements.
What is New:
• The complication rate for patients with previous CVAD appears to be the same as for patients who receive a CVAD for the first time.
Integrating Spectrahedra
Authors: Vill Julian
Published: February 2025

Given a linear map on the vector space of symmetric matrices, every fiber intersected with the set of positive semidefinite matrices is a spectrahedron. Using the notion of the fiber body we can build the average over all such fibers and thereby construct a compact, convex set, the fiber body. We show how to determine the dimensions of faces and normal cones to study the boundary structure of the fiber body. We use this to study the fiber body of Gram spectrahedra in the case of binary sextics and ternary quartics and find a large amount of structure on the fiber body. We prove that the fiber body in the case of binary sextics has exactly one face with a full-dimensional normal cone, whereas the Gram spectrahedron of a generic positive binary sextic has four such points. The fiber body in the case of ternary quartics has a drastically different boundary structure compared to Gram spectrahedra of ternary quartics.
Fuzzing frameworks for server-side web applications: a survey
Authors: Dharmaadi I Putu Arya , Athanasopoulos Elias , Turkmen Fatih
Published: February 2025

There are around 5.3 billion Internet users, amounting to 65.7% of the global population, and web technology is the backbone of the services delivered via the Internet. To ensure web applications are free from security-related bugs, web developers test the server-side web applications before deploying them to production. The tests are commonly conducted through the interfaces (i.e., Web API) that the applications expose since they are the entry points to the application. Fuzzing is one of the most promising automated software testing techniques suitable for this task; however, the research on (server-side) web application fuzzing has been rather limited compared to binary fuzzing which is researched extensively. This study reviews the state-of-the-art fuzzing frameworks for testing web applications through web API, identifies open challenges, and gives potential future research. We collect papers from seven online repositories of peer-reviewed articles over the last ten years. Compared to other similar studies, our review focuses more deeply on revealing prior work strategies in generating valid HTTP requests for attack surface exploration, utilising security feedback from the Web Under Tests (WUTs), and expanding input spaces to uncover more security-related bugs. The findings of this survey indicate that several crucial challenges need to be solved, such as less effective web instrumentation and the complexity of handling microservice applications. Furthermore, some potential research directions are also provided, such as fuzzing for web client programming. Ultimately, this paper aims to give a good starting point for further research in web API fuzzer.
Efficacy of Fine-Tuned Large Language Model in CT Protocol Assignment as Clinical Decision-Supporting System
Authors: Kanemaru Noriko , Yasaka Koichiro , Okimoto Naomasa , Sato Mai , Nomura Takuto , Morita Yuichi , Katayama Akira , Kiryu Shigeru , Abe Osamu
Published: February 2025

Accurate CT protocol assignment is crucial for optimizing medical imaging procedures. The integration of large language models (LLMs) may be helpful, but its efficacy as a clinical decision support system for protocoling tasks remains unknown. This study aimed to develop and evaluate fine-tuned LLM specifically designed for CT protocoling, as well as assess its performance, both standalone and in concurrent use, in terms of effectiveness and efficiency within radiological workflows. This retrospective study included radiology tests for contrast-enhanced chest and abdominal CT examinations (2829/498/941 for training/validation/testing). Inputs involve the clinical indication section, age, and anatomic coverage. The LLM was fine-tuned for 15 epochs, selecting the best model by macro sensitivity in validation. Performance was then evaluated on 800 randomly selected cases from the test dataset. Two radiology residents and two radiologists assigned CT protocols with and without referencing the output of LLM to evaluate its efficacy as a clinical decision support system. The LLM exhibited high accuracy metrics, with top-1 and top-2 accuracies of 0.923 and 0.963, respectively, and a macro sensitivity of 0.907. It processed each case in an average of 0.39 s. The LLM, as a clinical decision support tool, improved accuracy both for residents (0.913 vs. 0.936) and radiologists (0.920 vs. 0.926 without and with LLM, respectively), with the improvement for residents being statistically significant (p = 0.02). Additionally, it reduced reading times by 14% for residents and 12% for radiologists. These results indicate the potential of LLMs to improve CT protocoling efficiency and diagnostic accuracy in radiological practice.
Existence and Uniqueness Results for Generalized Non-local Hallaire-Luikov Moisture Transfer Equation
Authors: Ilyas Asim , Malik Salman A. , Suhaib Kamran
Published: February 2025

This article focuses on inverse problem for Hallaire-Luikov moisture transfer equation involving Hilfer fractional derivative in time. Hallaire-Luikov equation is used to study heat and mass transfer in capillary-porous bodies. Spectral expansion method is used to find the solution of the inverse problem. By imposing certain conditions on the functions involved and utilizing certain properties of multinomial Mittag-Leffler function, it is shown that the solution to the equation, known as the inverse problem, is regular and unique. Moreover, the inverse problem exhibits ill-posedness in the sense of Hadamard. The article ends with an example to demonstrate these theoretical findings.
Neuroinflammaging and the Immune Landscape: The Role of Autophagy and Senescence in Aging Brain
Authors: Tamatta Rajesh , Pai Varsha , Jaiswal Charu , Singh Ishika , Singh Abhishek Kumar
Published: February 2025

Neuroinflammation is closely linked to aging, which damages the structure and function of the brain. It is caused by the intricate interactions of immune cells in the aged brain, such as the dysregulated glial cells and the dysfunctional astrocytes. Aging-associated chronic low inflammation, referred to as neuroinflammaging, shows an upregulated proinflammatory response. Autophagy and senescence play crucial roles as moderators of aging and neuroinflammatory responses. The dysregulated neuroimmune system, dystrophic glial cells, and release of proinflammatory factors alter blood-brain barrier, causing a neuroinflammatory landscape. Chronic inflammation combined with deteriorating neurons exacerbate neurological disorders and decline in cognitive function. This review highlights the neuroinflammaging and mechanism associated with immune cells interplay with central nervous system and aging, cellular senescence, and autophagy regulation in the brain's immune system under neuroinflammatory conditions. Moreover, the roles of microglia and peripheral immune cells in the neuroinflammatory process in the aging brain have also been discussed. Determining treatment targets and comprehending mechanisms that influence immune cells in the aged brain is necessary to decrease neuroinflammation.
Investıgatıon of seam performance and bıodegradabılıty of organıc cotton clothes for theır sustaınabılıty
Authors: Özbey Hatice Kübra , Gürarda Ayça
Published: February 2025

In recent years, it has become important for a sustainable environment that clothes are biodegradable, and that unused clothing does not pollute the environment by decomposing in nature. Cotton, especially organic cotton, can decompose very quickly in nature. Since organic clothing production has become important in recent years, the seam performance and biodegradability of these products, unlike conventional products, are important in creating new data for the textile and clothing industry. This paper presents an experimental study of the seam performance and biodegradability properties of organic clothes for their sustainability. In this study, six groups of fabrics with a plain weave structure were produced to examine the seam performance and biodegradability of clothes made of organic cotton woven fabrics. Each group includes three different samples of the fabric: conventional cotton fabric dyed with reactive dyes, organic cotton fabric dyed with reactive dyes, and organic cotton fabric dyed with natural dye. Therefore 18 samples having different properties were obtained. Fabric breaking strength, seam strength, seam efficiency and biodegradability tests of these fabric samples were determined. Sample women's blouses were sewn from the fabric samples used in the experimental study, and the blouse appearances were visually presented on the mannequin.
Using an acellular dermal matrix as a neuroprotective wrap-around for treating recurrent nerve entrapment syndromes: a proof of concept
Authors: Wagner Till , Ulrich Dietmar J. O.
Published: February 2025

Recurrent nerve entrapment syndrome is a well-known complication in peripheral nerve surgery that often leads to multiple reoperations and increases the risk of unfavorable outcomes due to scarring. In our outpatient clinic, we found two patients with recurrent nerve entrapment syndrome with significant symptoms such as complete sensory loss and chronic pain who were willing to undergo re-exploration of their entrapped nerves and cover them with a human acellular dermal matrix (ADM) as a protective shield against recurrence. Both patients had complete recovery of the nerve entrapment syndrome with satisfactory clinical results. The use of a human ADM appears to be a promising tool for recurrent nerve entrapment surgery without adding morbidity to the procedure.
Dimethyl sulfoxide–induced DNA demethylation during vitrification of early cleavage-stage embryos and possible countermeasures
Authors: Shida M. , Ito J. , Inoue Y. , Hara S. , Shirasuna K. , Iwata H.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) alters DNA methylation in vitrified-warmed embryos and potentially affects subsequent development. This study aimed to examine possible countermeasures against DMSO-induced demethylation.

Methods

In vitro-produced bovine embryos (8-cell stage) were vitrified using a combination of DMSO and ethylene glycol (EG) or propylene glycol (PG) + EG. After warming, the lipid content and expression levels of 5-methylcytosine (5mC), 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), DNMTs, and TETs were examined. In addition, RNA-sequencing was performed on blastocysts derived from the vitrified embryos. Furthermore, the effect of supplementation with a vitrification medium containing DMSO and N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC, 5 mM) on the levels of 5mC in embryos was examined.

Results

Vitrification decreased the levels of 5mC and increased the levels of 5hmC in 8-cell stage embryos. Low levels of 5mC persisted until the blastocyst stage in the DMSO group but increased in the PG group. The expression level of TET3A was higher in the DMSO group than in the fresh group, but not in the PG group. Both cryoprotectants reduced the lipid levels in post-warmed 8-cell stage embryos. The addition of NAC ameliorated DMSO-induced demethylation at both the 8-cell and blastocyst stages. RNA-seq analysis revealed that PG-specific pathways included ribosomes and mitochondria and that both DMSO and PG affected cGMP-PGK, MAPK, Wnt, and insulin secretion–related signaling. The K-medoids method predicted that DMSO affected cell adhesion molecules and that MAPK signaling was affected the most.

Conclusions

PG and NAC may antagonize DMSO-induced demethylation; however, PG exerts adverse effects on embryos.
Interpolation and SAT-Based Model Checking Revisited: Adoption to Software Verification
Authors: Beyer Dirk , Lee Nian-Ze , Wendler Philipp
Published: February 2025

The article Interpolation and SAT-Based Model Checking (McMillan in: Proc. CAV 2003, LNCS, Springer [56]) describes a formal-verification algorithm, which was originally devised to verify safety properties of finite-state transition systems. It derives interpolants from unsatisfiable BMC queries and collects them to construct an overapproximation of the set of reachable states. Although 20 years old, the algorithm is still state-of-the-art in hardware model checking. Unlike other formal-verification algorithms, such as "Image missing" or PDR, which have been extended to handle infinite-state systems and investigated for program analysis, McMillan’s interpolation-based model-checking algorithm from 2003 has not been used to verify programs so far. Our contribution is to close this significant, two decades old gap in knowledge by adopting the algorithm to software verification. We implemented it in the verification framework CPAchecker and evaluated the implementation against other state-of-the-art software-verification techniques on the largest publicly available benchmark suite of C safety-verification tasks. The evaluation demonstrates that McMillan’s interpolation-based model-checking algorithm from 2003 is competitive among other algorithms in terms of both the number of solved verification tasks and the run-time efficiency. Our results are important for the area of software verification, because researchers and developers now have one more approach to choose from.
Dynamic reference camera selection for free-viewpoint video multicast streaming
Authors: Huszák Árpád
Published: February 2025

Free-viewpoint video (FVV) is an advantageous technology that allows users to interactively change their viewpoint or perspective when viewing a video or a scene. It provides a three-dimensional, dynamic, and immersive viewing experience, allowing users to explore a video scene from different angles and viewpoints as if they were present within the scene. FVV requires transmitting multiple video streams with depth information for different perspectives simultaneously. This places a significant burden on network bandwidth and infrastructure, leading to congestion and potential service degradation. The paper investigates dynamic reference camera grouping approaches, which are based on the users’ specific viewpoint needs. The primary goal of these methods is to minimize the network bandwidth necessary for transmitting reference color and depth camera sequences, thus enabling the provision of interactive FVV services in networks with limited resources. To achieve a reduction in the number of essential camera streams, we introduce dynamic reference camera selection methods that effectively identify shared reference camera pairs capable of serving multiple users for their individual viewpoint synthesis requirements. We found that among the investigated methods, DBSAN performance was the most balanced among the investigated algorithms, achieving 10–20% network load decrease, depending on the network complexity.
A strategic approach to the development of sustainable rural tourism using the A’WOT–TOWS method: an example from the hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in Turkey
Authors: Kürüm Varolgüneş Fatma , Doğan Ebru , del Río-Rama María de la Cruz
Published: February 2025

This article critically examines the use of land in the development of hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) and provides actionable recommendations for establishing tourism destinations. The study assesses the impacts of these facilities on regional tourism and recreational areas, identifying key factors and motivations driving the region’s utilization for tourism activities. These insights were derived from comprehensive surveys and interviews with both visitors and local residents. The study employs hybrid methodologies, including A’WOT and TOWS analyses, to develop strategies that capitalize on regional strengths, address weaknesses, exploit opportunities, and mitigate potential threats. The outcomes of these methodologies provide a framework for sustainable development by integrating adaptation and conservation strategies to minimize damage in regions impacted by HPPs. The findings underscore the importance of balancing energy production with the promotion of sustainable tourism for local economic development. This research offers valuable recommendations for Turkey and other countries undergoing similar planning processes, emphasizing the role of HPPs in fostering eco-friendly tourism destinations.
Coverage matters: identifying and mitigating sampling frame issues in recreational fishing surveys
Authors: Taylor S. M. , de Groote A. , Hyder K. , Vølstad J. H. , Hartill B. W. , Foster J. , Andrews R. , Ryan K. L.
Published: February 2025

Surveys play an integral part in monitoring and maintaining sustainable recreational fisheries. For any probabilistic survey, the selection of a sampling frame (e.g., list of individuals or fishers) is an important decision because it influences the ability to provide unbiased estimates of recreational catch and effort. Undercoverage occurs when units of the target population (i.e., the population of interest) are missing from the frame population. This error can undermine the reliability of research advice generated from survey estimates. In this review, we: (i) define six sampling frame configurations that are commonly applied in probabilistic recreational fishing surveys; (ii) synthesise how coverage errors associated with each configuration have been addressed for marine recreational fisheries globally; (iii) outline approaches to identify and correct for coverage errors; and (iv) recommend how to future-proof coverage issues. In our six case studies, multiple types of undercoverage were identified and addressed to varying extents, depending on the characteristics of each fishery and type of sampling frame used. Generalised list frames (particularly phone lists) are arguably the most prone to undercoverage error. To assist in future-proofing surveys, we recommend: (1) considering coverage error during survey planning; (2) designing pilot surveys or scheduling concurrent surveys to evaluate and/or correct for potential bias; (3) recognising that coverage error often changes through time; (4) using technological or multi-frame approaches to mitigate coverage error; (5) considering model-based survey tools to correct for undercoverage; and (6) documenting the sampling frame and potential sources of coverage error in publications. These recommendations extend to inland recreational fisheries, commercial fishing surveys and fisheries-independent surveys.

Graphical abstract
Anisotropic multidimensional smoothing using Bayesian tensor product P-splines
Authors: Bach Paul , Klein Nadja
Published: February 2025

We introduce a highly efficient fully Bayesian approach for anisotropic multidimensional smoothing. The main challenge in this context is the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) update of the smoothing parameters as their full conditional posterior comprises a pseudo-determinant that appears to be intractable at first sight. As a consequence, existing implementations are computationally feasible only for the estimation of two-dimensional tensor product smooths, which is, however, too restrictive for many applications. In this paper, we break this barrier and derive closed-form expressions for the log-pseudo-determinant and its first and second order partial derivatives. These expressions are valid for arbitrary dimension and very fast to evaluate, which allows us to set up an efficient MCMC sampler with derivative-based Metropolis–Hastings (MH) updates for the smoothing parameters. We derive simple formulas for low-dimensional slices and averages to facilitate visualization and investigate hyperprior sensitivity. We show that our new approach outperforms previous suggestions in the literature in terms of accuracy, scalability and computational cost and demonstrate its applicability through an illustrating temperature data example from spatio-temporal statistics.
Perceptual QP optimization for VVC with dual hybrid neural networks
Authors: Ruiz Atencia Javier , López Granado Otoniel Mario , Pérez Malumbres Manuel , Martínez-Rach Miguel Onofre
Published: February 2025

This paper introduces a dual hybrid neural network model combining convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) to optimize the quantization parameter (QP) for both

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blocks in the versatile video coding (VVC) standard, enhancing video quality and compression efficiency. The model employs CNNs for spatial feature extraction and ANNs for structured data handling, addressing the limitations of current heuristic and just noticeable distortion (JND)-based methods. A dataset of luminance channel image blocks, encoded with various QP values, is generated and preprocessed, and the dual hybrid network structure is designed with convolutional and dense layers. The QP optimization is applied at two levels: the

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model provides a global QP offset, while the

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model refines the QP for further partitioned blocks. Performance evaluations using model error metrics like mean squared error (MSE), root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), as well as perceptual metrics like weighted PSNR (WPSNR), MS-SSIM, PSNR-HVS-M, and VMAF, demonstrate the model’s effectiveness. While our approach performs competitively with state-of-the-art algorithms, it significantly outperforms in VMAF, the most advanced and widely adopted perceptual quality metric. Furthermore, the dual-model approach yields better results at lower resolutions, whereas the single-model approach is more effective at higher resolutions. These results highlight the adaptability of the proposed models, offering improvements in both compression efficiency and perceptual quality, making them highly suitable for practical applications in modern video coding.
Toxicity and bioconcentration of bisphenol A alternatives in the freshwater pulmonate snail Planorbella pilsbryi
Authors: Gilroy Ève A. M. , Robichaud Karyn , Villella Maria , Chan Kara , McNabney David W. G. , Venier Carmen , Pham-Ho Victor , Montreuil Strub Émilie C. , Ravary Shelby A. , Prosser Ryan S. , Robinson Stacey A.
Published: February 2025

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical identified as a vertebrate endocrine disruptor. Numerous alternatives have been developed, for which toxicity data are lacking. The present study assessed the toxicity of BPA and its replacement products bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol S (BPS), and bisphenol AF (BPAF) in freshwater snail (Planorbella pilsbryi) embryos and adults. The chronic toxicity of BPA and BPAF was further characterized in 28-day tests with adult snails, followed by 21-day assessments of hatching and survival of embryos produced at the end of the test (F1 generation). In acute tests, BPAF was the most toxic of the substances tested (maximum acceptable toxicant concentration [MATC], 136 µg/L), followed by BPA (MATC, 1404 µg/L), BPF (MATC, 1525 µg/L), and BPS (MATC > 8590 µg/L). In the chronic test with BPA, although we observed no significant effects on adult snails up to 479 µg/L, the hatching and survival of juveniles from the F1 generation decreased (MATC, 13 µg/L), and was delayed by 7.5 days, on average. In contrast, we did not observe any decrease in hatching or survival of juveniles from the F1 generation during exposure to BPAF. Effects were observed at concentrations above most reported environmental exposure concentrations, although there was an overlap between exposure and effect concentrations. Given that concentrations of alternative substances are expected to increase, and in the absence of data on potential effects of mixtures, further research is needed.
Trust and care robots: philosophical considerations, ethical challenges, and viable options
Authors: Kropf Mario
Published: February 2025

This article presents a new moral idea of trust, which seems appropriate when dealing with care robots. When we trust our counterpart, an ambivalent relationship emerges. This is often assumed, at least in the professional debate, because the person who places this trust enters a relationship of dependence and thereby also takes a risk. At the same time, due to the given trust, there is a good reason that the respective addressee will do everything not to compromise this assumed security, sincerity, and trustworthiness. This article first examines the concept of trust and derives a moral approach for application in the context of care robots. These machines are increasingly finding their way into the care sector and can support people receiving care, mobilize them, or monitor health conditions. Nevertheless, it seems more than doubtful whether AI-based robots can be trusted at all. For this reason, in a second step, numerous studies and works are examined which not only present the integration and interaction with care robots in real settings, but also allow a better understanding of the connection to the presented moral idea of trust. This is followed by an ethical discussion of the opportunities and risks of care robots, which should help to illustrate the problems of a trusting relationship with them. An ethically justifiable approach to these robot companions and trust as an important component in the sense of the idea presented seem reasonable.
Discussions on Human Enhancement Meet Science: A Quantitative Analysis
Authors: Żuradzki Tomasz , Bystranowski Piotr , Dranseika Vilius
Published: February 2025

The analysis of citation flow from a collection of scholarly articles might provide valuable insights into their thematic focus and the genealogy of their main concepts. In this study, we employ a topic model to delineate a subcorpus of 1,360 papers representative of bioethical discussions on enhancing human life. We subsequently conduct an analysis of almost 11,000 references cited in that subcorpus to examine quantitatively, from a bird’s-eye view, the degree of openness of this part of scholarship to the specialized knowledge produced in biosciences. Although almost half of the analyzed references point to journals classified as Natural Science and Engineering (NSE), we do not find strong evidence of the intellectual influence of recent discoveries in biosciences on discussions on human enhancement. We conclude that a large part of the discourse surrounding human enhancement is inflected with “science-fictional habits of mind.” Our findings point to the need for a more science-informed approach in discussions on enhancing human life.
Age-related sensitivity deterioration evaluation of positron emission tomography utilizing cross-calibration factor measurement data
Authors: Kikuchi Asuka , Watanuki Shoichi , Watabe Hiroshi , Tashiro Manabu
Published: February 2025

Age-related deterioration in positron emission tomography (PET) systems can be monitored using cross-calibration scans for scanner calibration. This study aimed to evaluate changes in the sensitivity of a PET system over time using routinely collected cross-calibration factor (CCF) measurement data and NEMA sensitivity measurement data acquired at our facility. We used CCF measurement data acquired over eight years, from 2016 to 2023. The count rates were calculated from raw data. The NEMA sensitivity measurements were also performed in 2017 and 2024 to compare with the sensitivities obtained from the CCF measurements. The PET images were reconstructed using the CCF data. A region of interest (ROI) was placed at the center of the PET images and count rates from the PET images were obtained. The sensitivity changes in the CCF data showed a linear decrease in sensitivity over eight years, with a mean annual reduction rate of approximately 2.0%. A comparison of the NEMA sensitivity measurements indicated a decrease in sensitivity, with a 12% reduction over eight eight years. The sensitivity was higher at the center of the axial field of view than at the edges. The ROI data also showed a linear decrease in sensitivity. This is consistent with the CCF data. Additionally, the coefficient of variation increased towards the edge of the slice. By utilizing the CCF measurement data, we obtained age-related changes in the PET system, suggesting that the PET system used in our facility may experience an annual sensitivity deterioration of approximately 2.0%.