bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Step-by-step optimization of a heterologous pathway for de novo naringenin production in Escherichia coli
Authors: Gomes Daniela , Rodrigues Joana L. , Rodrigues Ligia R.
Published: August 2024

Naringenin is a plant polyphenol, widely explored due to its interesting biological activities, namely anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. Due to its potential applications and attempt to overcome the industrial demand, there has been an increased interest in its heterologous production. The microbial biosynthetic pathway to produce naringenin is composed of tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL), 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL), chalcone synthase (CHS), and chalcone isomerase (CHI). Herein, we targeted the efficient de novo production of naringenin in Escherichia coli by performing a step-by-step validation and optimization of the pathway. For that purpose, we first started by expressing two TAL genes from different sources in three different E. coli strains. The highest p-coumaric acid production (2.54 g/L) was obtained in the tyrosine-overproducing M-PAR-121 strain carrying TAL from Flavobacterium johnsoniae (FjTAL). Afterwards, this platform strain was used to express different combinations of 4CL and CHS genes from different sources. The highest naringenin chalcone production (560.2 mg/L) was achieved by expressing FjTAL combined with 4CL from Arabidopsis thaliana (At4CL) and CHS from Cucurbita maxima (CmCHS). Finally, different CHIs were tested and validated, and 765.9 mg/L of naringenin was produced by expressing CHI from Medicago sativa (MsCHI) combined with the other previously chosen genes. To our knowledge, this titer corresponds to the highest de novo production of naringenin reported so far in E. coli.

Key points

• Best enzyme and strain combination were selected for de novo naringenin production.

• After genetic and operational optimizations, 765.9 mg/L of naringenin was produced.

• This de novo production is the highest reported so far in E. coli.
Complications of cochlear implantation: a decade’s experience
Authors: Mostafa Badr Eldin , El Fiky Lobna
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Surgery for cochlear implantation is becoming increasingly common. It is a precise surgery and carries with it a number of very specific complications. Although uncommon, they can profoundly affect the recipients’ quality of life. We report on our patients’ population and compare with different series.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent cochlear implant surgery in our center or who were referred for management of complications between November 2012 and November 2022.

Results

There were 2126 patients aged 9 months-68 years [mean 3.2 yrs] with 147 adults > 18 yrs. The male: female ratio was nearly 1. We are reporting on late complications excluding device failures. There were 186 complications [8.7%], 124 minor complications [66% of the complications, 5.8% of the total population; and 62 major complications [ 33% of the complications and 2.9% of the total]. The commonest minor complication was surgical site infection [16%] and the commonest major complication was flap necrosis and device extrusion [26%].

Conclusion

Complications in our series were comparable to other series from different locations. But there seems to be a difference in the frequency of each complication depending on many factors which must be addressed. Standardization of reporting should be also more homogenized.
Facial soft tissue depth of a contemporary adult Greek population
Authors: Coşkun Gülçin , Fasoula Marina , Bontozoglou Nikolaos
Published: August 2024

Facial approximation is a technique that involves constructing the facial muscles and applying a suitable facial soft tissue depth (FSTD) dataset. To date, several FSTD studies have been conducted for varying population groups. This study aims to establish a FSTD dataset of an adult Greek population sample for the first time. The facial depths of subjects were measured on 100 head CT scans of 50 male and 50 female subjects aged from 18 to 99. The 3D head and skull models of subjects were segmented in Amira 6.1 by using histogram method. FSTDs were measured at 22 cranial landmarks (5 mid-sagittal, 17 bilateral). The FSTD dataset was generated by considering the age and sex of subjects. The impact of age and sex on the FSTD was limited. Slight inter-population depth variations were reported. Facial asymmetry calculated between the bilateral landmarks was insignificant for both male and female subjects.
Cerebral oxygenation during immediate fetal-to-neonatal transition and fidgety movements between six to 20 weeks of corrected age: An ancillary study to the COSGOD III trial
Authors: Wolfsberger Christina Helene , Schwaberger Bernhard , Urlesberger Berndt , Scheuchenegger Anna , Avian Alexander , Hammerl Marlene , Kiechl-Kohlendorfer Ursula , Griesmaier Elke , Pichler Gerhard
Published: August 2024

Fidgety movements provide early information about a potential development of cerebral palsy in preterm neonates. The aim was to assess differences in the combined outcome of mortality and fidgety movements defined as normal or pathological in very preterm neonates according to the group allocation in the randomised-controlled multicentre COSGOD III trial. Preterm neonates of two centres participating in the COSGOD III trial, whose fidgety movements were assessed as normal or pathological at six to 20 weeks of corrected age, were analysed. In the COSGOD III trial cerebral oxygen saturation (crSO2) was measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during postnatal transition and guided resuscitation in preterm neonates randomised to the NIRS-group, whereby medical support was according routine, as it was also in the control group. Fidgety movements were classified in normal or abnormal/absent at six to 20 weeks of corrected age. Mortality and fidgety movements of preterm neonates allocated to the NIRS-group were compared to the control-group. Normal outcome was defined as survival with normal fidgety movements. One-hundred-seventy-one preterm neonates were included (NIRS-group n = 82; control-group n = 89) with a median gestational age of 29.4 (27.4–30.4) and 28.7 (26.7–31.0) weeks in the NIRS-group and the control-group, respectively. There were no differences in the combined outcome between the two groups: 90.2% of the neonates in the NIRS-group and 89.9% in the control-group survived with normal outcome (relative risk [95% CI]; 0.96 [0.31–2.62]).

Conclusions: In the present cohort of preterm neonates, monitoring of crSO2 and dedicated interventions in addition to routine care during transition period after birth did not show an impact on mortality and fidgety movements defined as normal or pathological at six to 20 weeks corrected age.

What is Known• Fidgety movements display early spontaneous motoric pattern and may provide early information about a potential development of cerebral palsy in preterm neonates.

 What is New • This retrospective observational study of the randomised-controlled multicentre COSGOD III trial is the first study investigating the potential influence of cerebral oxygenation guided resuscitation during postnatal transition period on combined outcome of mortality and fidgety movements up to 20 weeks of corrected age in very preterm neonates.• This study adds to the growing interest of assessing cerebral oxygenation, that monitoring of cerebral oxygen saturation and dedicated interventions during postnatal transition period according to the COSGOD III trial has no significant influence on mortality and fidgety movements defined as normal or pathological in very preterm neonates.
Using fuzzy transforms for neural networks-based wireless localization in outdoor environments
Authors: Solmann Kristjan , Loffredo Rocco , Tomasiello Stefania
Published: August 2024

As neural network-based localization algorithms are becoming popular, there is a need to shorten the training time and the localization time for sustainability and efficiency purposes. To address such issues, the fuzzy transform (or F-transform for short) is employed here for the first time in a neural network-based localization algorithm. The F-transform is a dimensionality reduction method, which has found several applications over the last decade, but it has not been well explored in the form of a prepending layer to a neural network. In this respect, some properties (including the computational cost) of the F-transformed neural scheme are formally discussed here. The performance of the neural network-based approach with and without F-transform, and with a state-of-the-art reduction technique, i.e. the principal component analysis, is evaluated first on simulated data and then on publicly available real-world data. Different neural network architectures have been tried jointly with the above-mentioned reduction techniques. The numerical experiments show the excellent performance of the proposed fuzzy transform-based approach, which can ensure considerable savings in training time and query response time, without significant losses in accuracy.
Clinical outcome of non-surgical root canal treatment using different sealers and techniques of obturation in 237 patients: A retrospective study
Authors: Radwanski Mateusz , Pietrzycka Krystyna , Eyüboğlu Tan Fırat , Özcan Mutlu , Lukomska-Szymanska Monika
Published: August 2024

Objectives

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the clinical results of two root canal sealers and three obturation techniques used for non-surgical root canal treatment.

Materials and methods

A total of two hundred eighty-three root canal treated teeth in two hundred thirty-seven patients with minimum a 6-month follow-up was included for this study. The canals were filled with three different modes: 1) cold lateral condensation (CLC) and AH Plus Sealer; 2) continuous wave condensation technique (CWC) and AH Plus Sealer, and 3) sealer-based obturation technique (SBO) and AH Plus Bioceramic Sealer. The treatment outcome was analysed based on clinical signs and symptoms, and periapical radiograph (periapical index, PAI).

Results

There were no significant differences in treatment outcome between various sealers and filling techniques applied. The sealer extrusion was found most frequently in the CWC group (60.67%), followed by SBO (59.21%) and CLC (21.19%) with statistically significant differences (p < .05). The initial diagnosis, previous treatment and sealer extrusion (p < .05) were prognostic factors that affected treatment outcome.

Conclusions

Based on the findings of this study, neither the sealer type nor the filling technique affected the treatment success while preoperative diagnosis, previous treatment and sealer extrusion had significant effect on the outcome.

Clinical relevance

A bioceramic sealant applied along with the single-cone technique might be considered as an alternative method in root canal obturation.
The mediating role of social relationships between perceived classroom management and adolescents' attitudes toward school: a multilevel analysis
Authors: Obermeier Ramona , Schlesier Juliane , Heinrichs Karin
Published: August 2024

Social relationships in the school context – particularly teacher-student relationships and peer relationships – are related to students’ positive attitudes toward school, and consequently are of great importance regarding various aspects of learning and instruction. This can be concluded from studies that examine the influence of social integration on motivation, learning emotions, and positive attitudes toward school as an institution. Additionally, social relationships are closely related to the teacher’s style of instruction and student perceptions of the learning environment provided. However, there is little research so far, on the extent to which positive social relationships mediate correlations between aspects of teaching quality i.e., classroom management, and students’ positive attitudes toward school. Both classroom management and school-related social relationships are constructs that are assumed to be perceived similarly by students within one school, who experience similar conditions in regard to the intensity and frequency of common lessons. However, there are few research findings regarding shared assessments of classroom management and it’s correlations with teacher-student relationships by students within one school or class, and to date no results regarding the shared assessments of peer relationships. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the correlations between students’ individual and aggregated assessments of social relationships in school and classroom management, with their positive attitudes toward school. The sample consisted of N = 453 polytechnic school students in Upper Austria, from which a weighted dataset was derived. The findings from multilevel mediation analyses support the assumption of the mediating role of both teacher-student relationships and peer relationships regarding the correlation between classroom management and students’ positive attitudes toward school. However, significant correlations were found only at the individual student level.
Towards neuroadaptive navigation assistance to reduce spatial de-skilling
Authors: Fabrikant Sara Irina
Published: August 2024

Maps have been invaluable navigation aids for millennia and thus have been critical for human survival. The increasing popularity of and high dependence on digital, location-aware assistive navigation technology, however, has been shown to divert our attention from the environment and to negatively influence innate spatial abilities. To mitigate this, neuroadaptive mobile geographic information displays (namGIDs) are proposed that respond in real-time to navigators’ cognitive task demands and wayfinder’s situated visuo-spatial attention needs. In doing so, namGIDs may not only help navigators maintain navigation efficiency but more importantly, also continuously scaffold spatial learning. To do this, the proposed navigation assistance must strike the appropriate balance between welcomed mobility efficiency gains while limiting human spatial deskilling. Leveraging neuroadaptive cartography, we can ensure to remain effective navigators, empowered to explore the world with confidence.
Alpha Neurofeedback Training in Elite Soccer Players Trained in Groups
Authors: van Boxtel Geert J. M. , Denissen Ad J. J. M. , de Groot Joep A. , Neleman Marjolein S. , Vellema Jur , Hart de Ruijter Evelijne M.
Published: August 2024

Neurofeedback training is applied in the world of sports as a means to improve athletes’ performance. Training sessions are usually organized on an individual basis, one at a time. Here we investigated if the training could also be organized in groups. Forty-one national-level football (soccer) players (26 females, 15 males) carried out training sessions simultaneously in groups of up to 13, using a wearable device with Bluetooth connection, during their regular training hours at the club. It was possible to obtain good EEG measurements using this setup, albeit with a somewhat higher data loss than usual in standard laboratory sessions. The brain’s alpha activity was trained using music-based neurofeedback in a crossover design. A training session consisted of alternating periods of neurofeedback and execution of cognitive tasks. EEG alpha (8–12 Hz) activity was higher in the neurofeedback periods compared to the cognitive task periods, and the reverse was true for beta (13–30 Hz) activity. The training program resulted in an increase of 34% in alpha activity associated with the training, and improved the athletes’ performance on task switching and mental rotation tasks. In addition, self-reported sleep duration, as well as scores on the Being in Shape questionnaire (Feeling of Control and Flow) also improved. This study shows that neurofeedback training is feasible in groups of athletes, which can stimulate its application in team sports.
Statistical Inference of Upstream Turbulence Intensity for the Flow Around a Bluff Body with Massive Separation
Authors: Moussie Tom , Errante Paolo , Meldi Marcello
Published: August 2024

The Benchmarck on the Aerodynamics of a Rectangular 5:1 Cylinder is studied using a data-driven technique which bridges numerical simulation and available experimental results. Because of intrinsic features of the tools used for investigation, in particular in terms of set-up and boundary conditions, significant discrepancies have been observed in the literature when comparing experimental and numerical results. An approach based on the Ensemble Kalman Filter is here used to optimize a synthetic turbulent inlet used as boundary condition in the numerical calculation, in order to reduce the discrepancy with the available experiments. The data-driven method successfully optimizes the boundary condition features, which produce a significant improvement of the accuracy in the prediction of the flow. These findings open perspectives of application towards the analysis of realistic cases, where boundary conditions are complex and usually unknown.
The Space for Religion and Spirituality in Business, Management, and Entrepreneurship Education: Reflections on the Main Contributions and Tentative Directions
Authors: Moya Soledad , Toledano Nuria
Published: August 2024

The business, management, and entrepreneurship (BME) education provided by universities is believed to influence the way in which organisations are managed in the business world. In recent decades, it has been criticised for its focus on profit and short-term goals, while new approaches inspired by the humanities, particularly religious and spiritual traditions, have been proposed. Although research in this area is growing, it is scattered. In this study, we systematically review the existing literature to deepen our understanding of this emergent stream of research. From a sample of 216 papers, 51 articles from 1996 to 2023, selected from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, are analysed. Overall, the findings highlight that the literature on this topic is predominantly theoretical and suggest that some of the wisdom embedded in religion and spirituality might be considered to inform different discussions in BME courses, with a prominent application of sacred and ancient texts in the teaching of business ethics. Future research avenues are discussed in relation to a variety of themes and pedagogical and empirical approaches that can benefit scholars and advance this area of study.
Tumor microenvironment dynamics in oral cancer: unveiling the role of inflammatory cytokines in a syngeneic mouse model
Authors: Tobe-Nishimoto Ayano , Morita Yoshihiro , Nishimura Junya , Kitahira Yukiko , Takayama Shun , Kishimoto Satoko , Matsumiya-Matsumoto Yuka , Matsunaga Kazuhide , Imai Tomoaki , Uzawa Narikazu
Published: August 2024

The process of cervical lymph node metastasis is dependent on the phenotype of the tumor cells and their interaction with the host microenvironment and immune system; conventional research methods that focus exclusively on tumor cells are limited in their ability to elucidate the metastatic mechanism. In cancer tissues, a specialized environment called the tumor microenvironment (TME) is established around tumor cells, and inflammation in the TME has been reported to be closely associated with the development and progression of many types of cancer and with the response to anticancer therapy. In this study, to elucidate the mechanism of metastasis establishment, including the TME, in the cervical lymph node metastasis of oral cancer, we established a mouse-derived oral squamous cell carcinoma cervical lymph node highly metastatic cell line and generated a syngeneic orthotopic transplantation mouse model. In the established highly metastatic cells, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induction was enhanced compared to that in parental cells. In the syngeneic mouse model, lymph node metastasis was observed more frequently in tumors of highly metastatic cells than in parental cells, and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and lymphatic vessels in primary tumor tissues were increased, suggesting that this model is highly useful. Moreover, in the established highly metastatic cells, EMT induction was enhanced compared to that in the parent cell line, and CCL5 and IL-6 secreted during inflammation further enhanced EMT induction in cancer cells. This suggests the possibility of a synergistic effect between EMT induction and inflammation. This model, which allows for the use of two types of cells with different metastatic and tumor growth potentials, is very useful for oral cancer research involving the interaction between cancer cells and the TME in tumor tissues and for further searching for new therapeutic agents.
How do perceived and environmental values influence tourist satisfaction, loyalty, and environmental awareness?
Authors: Sahabuddin Md , Alam Md. Shariful , Nekmahmud Md.
Published: August 2024

This study investigates the sub-dimension of perceived value, environmental value, and employee service quality, influencing tourist satisfaction. This study also examines how tourist satisfaction impacts loyalty, environmentally responsible behavior, and environmental commitment. Data were collected from respondents who had visited the Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage mangrove forest in Bangladesh, resulting in 732 valid responses. The proposed model was investigated using PLS-SEM. Findings reveal that tourists are dissatisfied with the functional, social, and emotional values, while environmental value and employee service quality significantly influence tourist satisfaction. Tourist satisfaction demonstrates a positive relationship with tourist loyalty, environmentally responsible behavior, and environmental commitment to the destination. To our knowledge, this study is the first empirical examination that integrates environmental value and employee service quality with perceived value in the tourism industry of Bangladesh. Grounded in the consumption value theory, this study comprehensively assesses tourists’ satisfaction, loyalty, and environmental awareness within a single model. Theoretical, managerial, and policy implications are discussed to promote a better environment and sustainable tourism destination in the mangrove forest.
Big data and the risk of misguided responsibilization
Authors: Herzog Lisa
Published: August 2024

The arrival of “big data” promises new degrees of precision in understanding human behavior. Could it also allow drawing a finer line between “choice” and “circumstances”? In a culture in which individual responsibility continues to be celebrated, this raises questions about new opportunities for institutional design with a stronger focus on individual responsibility. But what is it that can be learned from big data? In this paper I argue that we should not expect a “god’s eye view” on choice versus circumstances from big data. “Responsibility” is a social construct that depends on the logic of different social situations, as well as our epistemic access to certain counterfactuals (e.g., whether an agent “could have acted differently”). It is this epistemic dimension that changes with the arrival of big data. But while this might help overcome some epistemic barriers, it might also create new problems, e.g., because of polluted and hence biased data. This is not just a theoretical problem; it is directly connected to the regulation of insurance. The new developments force us to directly confront questions about mutualist versus solidaristic forms of insurance, and more generally about how much weight to ascribe to individual responsibility, given all we know about unequal background circumstances.
Dietary salt concentrations influence growth, nutrient utilization, and fatty acid profiles of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) reared in brackish water
Authors: Sevgili Hüseyin , Kurtoğlu Adem , Oikawa Masahiro , Pak Faruk , Aktaş Özgür , Sivri Firdevs Mert , Eroldoğan O. Tufan
Published: August 2024

Expansion of economically viable turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) aquaculture depends on access to brackish-cold ground water sources in various parts of the world. Since brackish water sources can adversely affect the physiology and zoo technical performance of fish due to the burden of osmoregulation, dietary salt inclusion can alleviate the negative impacts of low-saline waters in several aquaculture species. This study investigated the effects of increasing dietary salt levels on the growth, feed utilization, body composition, and tissue fatty acid composition of juvenile turbot (initial live weight 120.3 ± 0.03 g/fish). Fish were fed five experimental diets supplemented with varying levels of sodium chloride (1.8–6.4%) or a control diet without salt. Each diet was tested in triplicate tanks for 9 weeks. Results showed that increasing dietary salt intake negatively impacted turbot performance, with significant reductions in weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed conversion ratio. Dry matter and ash content in the whole body and filet increased quadratically with increasing salt levels, whereas gill moisture and protein content decreased linearly. Furthermore, the nitrogen, lipid, and energy utilization efficiencies decreased with their respective intake and gain levels. Dietary salt significantly influenced the fatty acid profiles of gill, liver, and filet tissues. In the gill, monounsaturated fatty acids (16:1n-7, ΣMUFA) and n-6 PUFA (20:2n-6) increased, whereas EPA and DHA decreased. Liver ΣSFA (16:0, 18:0) increased, and n-3 PUFA (18:3n-3, 20:5n-3) decreased with increasing dietary salt. Filet saturated fatty acids (14:0, 15:0, 17:0) and n-6 PUFA (20:2n-6, 20:4n-6) increased, while n-3 PUFA (18:3n-3, EPA) decreased with dietary salt. DHA levels in filets showed a quadratic increase. Overall, this study shows that increasing dietary salt negatively impacts turbot growth, feed utilization, and tissue fatty acid composition in brackish water, highlighting the need for further studies on salinity management strategies for turbot aquaculture.
Strength-based strategies for addressing racial stressors in African American families: lessons learned from developing the LEADS health promotion intervention
Authors: Simmons Timothy , Quattlebaum Mary , Martin Pamela , Wilson Dawn K.
Published: August 2024

Recognizing the real-life impact of racial stress on physical and psychological health is vital for creating impactful health promotion interventions among African American families. Despite the known link between racial stress and poor physical health outcomes, no existing intervention to date has targeted stress management strategies to buffer racial stress and build positive health behaviors among African American families. The current study outlines the lessons learned throughout the development of the Linking Exercise for Advancing Daily Stress (LEADS) Management and Resilience program, a 10-week family-based health promotion, stress management, and resilience intervention that aimed to improve physical activity, healthy eating, and well-being among African American adolescents and parents. We highlight the evolution of the LEADS intervention from a health promotion and stress management intervention to a culturally salient health promotion, stress management, and resilience intervention utilizing community-based participatory research strategies. This paper chronicles our systematic journey in making those changes and the lessons we learned along the way. We provide specific recommendations and implications for future health promotion interventions developed for African American families. Overall, we argue for a research orientation that respects cultural and racial contexts, embraces diversity within research teams and self-reflection, recognizes the heterogeneity among African American populations, and applies strength-based approaches.
Negative Affect, Sensation Seeking, and Adolescent Substance Use Development: The Moderating Role of Executive Function
Authors: Folker Ann , Peviani Kristin M. , Deater-Deckard Kirby , Bickel Warren K. , Steinberg Laurence , Casas Brooks , Kim-Spoon Jungmeen
Published: August 2024

It is unknown how the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment markers—negative affect, sensation seeking, and executive function—contribute to substance use development. This study examined whether associations of negative affect and sensation seeking with substance use vary by executive function. Participants were 167 adolescents (47% female) who participated annually for four years (Mage = 14.07, SDage = 0.54 at Time 1). There were within-person bidirectional associations between higher negative affect and higher substance use for adolescents with lower executive function. Adolescents with higher sensation seeking at age 14 exhibited increasing substance use trajectories from age 14 to 17, regardless of executive function level. Negative affect and substance use influence each other within individuals, whereas sensation seeking predicts substance use between individuals.
Updating on the evidence of others
Authors: Pettigrew Richard , Weisberg Jonathan
Published: August 2024

One often learns the opinions of others without getting to hear the evidence behind them. How should you revise your own opinions in such cases? Dietrich (2010) shows that, for opinions about objective chance, the method known as upco effectively adds your interlocutor’s evidence to your own. We provide a simple way of viewing upco that makes properties like Dietrich’s easy to appreciate, and we do three things with it. First, we unify Dietrich’s motivation for upco with another motivation due to Easwaran et al. (2016). Second, we show that laypeople can sometimes use upco to resolve expert disagreements. And third, we use it to cricitize the social argument for the uniqueness thesis.
Asymptotics of reciprocal supernorm partition statistics
Authors: Lagarias Jeffrey C. , Sun Chenyang
Published: August 2024

We consider two multiplicative statistics on the set of integer partitions: the norm of a partition, which is the product of its parts, and the supernorm of a partition, which is the product of the prime numbers $$p_i$$

p
i

indexed by its parts i. We introduce and study new statistics that are sums of reciprocals of supernorms on three statistical ensembles of partitions, labelled by their size $$|\lambda |=n$$

|
λ
|
=
n

, their perimeter equaling n, and their largest part equaling n. We show that the cumulative statistics of the reciprocal supernorm for each of the three ensembles are asymptotic to $$e^{\gamma } \log n$$

e
γ

log
n

as $$n \rightarrow \infty $$

n
→
∞

.
Why and how to construct an epistemic justification of machine learning?
Authors: Spelda Petr , Stritecky Vit
Published: August 2024

Consider a set of shuffled observations drawn from a fixed probability distribution over some instance domain. What enables learning of inductive generalizations which proceed from such a set of observations? The scenario is worthwhile because it epistemically characterizes most of machine learning. This kind of learning from observations is also inverse and ill-posed. What reduces the non-uniqueness of its result and, thus, its problematic epistemic justification, which stems from a one-to-many relation between the observations and many learnable generalizations? The paper argues that this role belongs to any complexity regularization which satisfies Norton’s Material Theory of Induction (MTI) by localizing the inductive risk to facts in the given domain. A prime example of the localization is the Lottery Ticket Hypothesis (LTH) about overparameterized neural networks. The explanation of MTI’s role in complexity regularization of neural networks is provided by analyzing the stability of Empirical Risk Minimization (ERM), an inductive rule that controls the learning process and leads to an inductive generalization on the given set of observations. In cases where ERM might become asymptotically unstable, making the justification of the generalization by uniform convergence unavailable, LTH and MTI can be used to define a local stability. A priori, overparameterized neural networks are such cases and the combination of LTH and MTI can block ERM’s trivialization caused by equalizing the strengths of its inductive support for risk minimization. We bring closer the investigation of generalization in artificial neural networks and the study of inductive inference and show the division of labor between MTI and the optimality justifications (developed by Gerhard Schurz) in machine learning.
Care Planning in Ageing Families during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Social Unrest in Hong Kong
Authors: Bai Xue , Luk Ka Wing , Harper Sarah
Published: August 2024

The role of care planning in addressing eldercare challenges has received increasing attention. However, the influence of the uncertainty triggered by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, in conjuction with significant social unrest, on family eldercare planning remains unclear. This study examines eldercare planning experiences of families in Hong Kong, focusing on the evolving changes and adaptations faced by both local residents and mainland Chinese immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2019–2020 social unrest. Through purposive sampling, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 93 local residents and 66 migrants from 2020 to 2021. Five main themes emerged: (1) increased awareness of healthcare preparation and planning during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) residential care homes as a suboptimal choice after the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on financial planning for eldercare, (4) distant family care after the social unrest, and (5) the need to improve remote care under border restrictions. This study contributes to the literature by examining the intersection of crisis events and eldercare planning, viewing the family as a planning unit. It also deepens the understanding of caregiving within the context of health and social crises, providing valuable insights for the development of future support systems for older adults and their caregivers in similar circumstances.
Remnant cholesterol and the risk of diabetic nephropathy progression to end-stage kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Zhao Yuancheng , Liu Ke , Zou Yutong , Wu Yucheng , Yang Jia , Xiao Xiang , Ju Xuegui , Yang Qin , Lang Yanlin , Liu Fang
Published: August 2024

Aim

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Remnant cholesterol has been investigated as a predictor for the progression of DN in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients, as well as the incidence of DN in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. This study aimed to evaluate the longitudinal relationship between baseline remnant cholesterol and kidney outcomes using a Chinese T2DM with biopsy-confirmed DN cohort.

Methods

We included 334 patients with T2DM and biopsy-confirmed DN during 2010–2019 West China Hospital T2DM-DN cohort. Remnant cholesterol was defined by Martin-Hopkins equation. Patients were divided into four groups based on the median (IQR) remnant cholesterol concentration at the time of renal biopsy. The kidney outcome was defined as ESKD, which was defined as the need for chronic kidney replacement therapy or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 15 mL/min/1.73 m2. The relationship between remnant cholesterol and kidney outcome was analyzed using the Kaplan‒Meier method and Cox regression analysis.

Results

The mean age was 51.1 years, and 235 (70%) were men. During follow-up, a total of 121 (36.2%) patients reached ESKD. The Kaplan‒Meier analysis showed that patients in the highest quartile (quartile 4) group had lower cumulative renal survival (log-rank test, p = 0.033) and shorter median renal survival time [34.0 (26.4–41.6) vs. 55.0 (29.8–80.2) months] than patients in the lowest quartile (quartile 1) group. By univariate analysis, the high remnant cholesterol group was associated with a higher risk of progression to ESKD. Moreover, the risk of progression to ESKD in the highest quartile was still 2.857-fold (95% CI 1.305–6.257, p = 0.009) higher than that in the lowest quartile, and one-SD increase of remnant cholesterol was associated with a higher risk (HR = 1.424; 95% CI 1.075–1.886, p = 0.014) of progression to ESKD, after adjusted for confounding factors.

Conclusions

High remnant cholesterol is independently associated with a higher risk of ESKD in patients with T2DM-DN, and it may be a new noninvasive marker of ESKD.

Clinical relevance

Calculated remnant cholesterol has the advantages of being economical and clinically accessible. Moreover, to our knowledge, there are no longitudinal cohort studies for investigating the risk of progression of T2DM-DN to ESKD. In our study, higher remnant cholesterol was associated with a higher risk of ESKD in patients with T2DM-DN, and it may be a new noninvasive predictor of ESKD.
Identifying Potential Areas for New Railway Lines across Different Relief Roughness of Austrian Landscapes
Authors: Perauer Florian , Brezina Tadej , Edlinger Stefan
Published: August 2024

This work presents an operational model to identify potential areas for new railway lines in Austria, utilizing a topographic and passenger potential and considering the different inclination requirements for regional and main railway lines. By applying a GIS digital terrain model based on a 500 m squared reference system, we identified 61,497 cells suitable for new regional lines and 11,347 cells suitable for main railway lines. These cells show a variety of spatial potential classes. Out of Austria’s 83,883 km² total surface, all these identified cells sum up to an area of 15,374 km² for new regional lines and 2,837 km² for new main lines. We validate the identified cells with existing and abandoned railway alignments. The model shows a fit of 80%. Furthermore, we put the results into perspective by comparing individual cell potentials with their public transport quality levels of existing supplied services, and we apply a five-scenario sensitivity analysis to identify the impact of the model’s foundations. After debating the model’s particularities and their impact on planning procedures, we conclude that our model is more comprehensive than today’s strategic rail transport planning procedures, primarily based on political desires or selected expert suggestions.
Collaborative anthracology and cultural understandings of wood charcoal in Marra Country (northern Australia)
Authors: Walsh Matthew , Dotte-Sarout Emilie , Brady Liam M. , Bradley John , Ash Jeremy , Wesley Daryl , Evans Shaun , Barrett David
Published: August 2024

This paper presents results from the first collaborative anthracological (archaeological wood charcoal analysis) study in northern Australia’s southwest Gulf of Carpentaria region. The analysis focused on charcoal from a Late Holocene combustion feature and surrounding dispersed charcoal on a buried floor surface. The results suggest that the combustion feature likely functioned as a ground oven associated with a potential specific function, with the majority of fuel wood coming from wakuwaku/marnunggurrun (Callitris columellaris or White Cypress Pine) and Myrtaceae species. These species are found in low woodlands associated with hilly and freshwater springs settings, and their abundance and dispersal are influenced by fire regimes (e.g., Aboriginal fire regimes). Information provided by members of the Marra Aboriginal community about our findings focused on the social and cultural significance of wakuwaku/marnunggurrun, with particular emphasis around its role in past and present wood collection strategies (fire-making and transport, high value timber etc.). By exploring how anthracology and cultural knowledge intersect to generate new understandings about the relational qualities of wood (charcoal), we aim to highlight how collaborative archaeobotany can help reorient research questions in the discipline, providing an opportunity to make such specialised analyses meaningful to communities.
Power overwhelming: the one with the oscilloscopes
Authors: Gralka Patrick , Müller Christoph , Heinemann Moritz , Reina Guido , Weiskopf Daniel , Ertl Thomas
Published: August 2024

Visualization as a discipline has to investigate its practical implications in a world steadily moving toward greener computing methods. Quantifying the power consumption of visualization algorithms is thus essential, given the ever-increasing energy needs of GPUs. Previous approaches rely on integrated sensors or invasive methods that require modifications and special test setups. However, they still suffer from imprecision from low sampling rates and integration over time. Using a high-precision, high-frequency setup via steerable oscilloscopes, we can objectively measure the resulting quality of previous approaches. This is essential to establish a ground truth, pave the way for improved modeling of power consumption in general, and enable better estimates based on the output of lower-quality sensors. We finally discuss benefits that can be drawn from the additional insight of the higher-precision setup and which additional use cases can justify the incurred costs.

Graphical abstract
Selection of track form in railway tunnel from a life cycle analysis perspective
Authors: Prokopov Andrej , Olsson Birgitta Aava , Famurewa Stephen Mayowa , Rantatalo Matti
Published: August 2024

The use of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a criterion for decision-making within the rail industry is increasing. The demand for considering this criterion affects the type of decision models acceptable by railway infrastructure managers in the planning, construction, and maintenance of railway assets. The total amount of GHG emitted from a track solution in tunnels during its service life depends on the track form (i.e., ballasted track or ballastless track), the type of construction, maintenance machines used, current traffic profile, and tunnel length. However, the development in the design of ballastless track systems during recent decades to make them environmentally friendly motivates infrastructure managers to rethink and consider the use of the system. This study examines the effect of several design and maintenance factors not adequately addressed in previous research. These factors are (i) the modulus of elasticity of track support affecting the design of track forms, (ii) differences in maintenance and renewal required for track forms in the corresponding line condition, and (iii) recent developments in optimizing the environmental impact of ballastless tracks. The GHG emissions, represented by life cycle carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions, are calculated using the climate impact software developed by the Swedish Transport Administration Trafikverket. The result is compared with the estimated emission from the conventional ballasted tracks. The method proposed in this paper is applied in a case study to study the effect of applying the optimized ballastless track system Rheda 2000® in a railway tunnel (the Hallsberg-Stenkumla tunnel) as part of a new line project in Sweden. The model applied in the study is an integral part of an integrated decision support system for effectively selecting track solutions from a lifecycle perspective. The study´s findings are: (i) the life cycle CO2 equivalent emissions by a ballastless track during its life cycle are 10% lower than that of the ballasted track, (ii) the primary total emission driver for both track form solutions is the emissions generated at the manufacturing of rails. (iii) the second important emission factor for the ballasted track solution is the emission from the renewal of the track form during its life cycle, and (iv) the second important emission factor for the ballastless track solution is concrete manufacturing.
Comparison of postoperative pulmonary complications and intraoperative safety in thoracoscopic surgery under non-intubated versus intubated anesthesia: a randomized, controlled, double-blind non-inferiority trial
Authors: Wang Lingfei , Wang Dan , Zhang Yanmei
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Traditional anesthesia for video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) such as double-lumen tracheal intubation (DLT) and one-lung ventilation (OLV), may lead to post-operative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Non-intubation VATS (NIVATS) is an anesthetic technique that avoided DLT and OLV, maybe avoiding the PPCs. So we hypothesized that NIVATS would non-inferiority to intubation VATS (IVATS) in the risk of developing PPCs and some safety indicators.

Methods

This study is a randomised, controlled, double-blind, non-inferiority trial, 120 patients were randomly assigned to the NIVATS group and IVATS group according to 1:1. The primary outcome was the incidence of PPCs with a pre-defined non-inferiority margin of 10%. The second outcome was the safety indicators, including the incidence of cough/body movement, hypoxemia, malignant arrhythmia, regurgitation and aspiration, and transferring to endobronchial intubation intraoperatively (The malignant arrhythmia was defined as an arrhythmia that caused hemodynamic disturbances in a short period of time, resulting in persistent hypotension or even cardiac arrest in the patient).

Results

There was no significant difference in demographic indicators such as gender and age between the two groups. The incidence of PPCs in the NIVATS group was non-inferior to that in the IVATS group (1.67% vs. 3.33%, absolute difference: − 1.67%; 95%CI − 7.25 to 3.91). In additionan, no significant differences were found between the two groups for the incidence of cough/body movement (10.00% vs. 11.67%, p = 0.77), the incidence of hypoxemia (25% vs. 18.33%, p = 0.38), the incidence of malignant arrhythmia (1.67% vs. 6.67%, p = 0.36), the incidence of regurgitation and aspiration (0% vs. 0%, p > 0.999) and the incidence of transferring to endobronchial intubation intraoperatively (0% vs. 0%, p > 0.999).

Conclusion

We conclude that when using the non-intubation anesthesia for VATS, the incidence of PPCs was not inferior to intubation anesthesia. Furthermore, NIVATS had little effect on perioperative safety.
Teachers’ goal communication in Nordic mathematics classrooms
Authors: Selling Alexander J. V. , Klette Kirsti , Nortvedt Guri A.
Published: August 2024

Clear learning goals are an integral part of instructional clarity and seen as a factor influencing students’ motivation and learning processes. However, goal communication and the types of goals teachers set are rarely addressed in classroom studies. To further the understanding of these aspects, the purpose of this study was to investigate communicated learning goals in 146 videotaped lessons across 48 Nordic lower-secondary mathematics classrooms. A two-step analysis focusing goal clarity and types of communicated goals was applied to the data. Analyses indicated that the goals were often implicit and vague, and mostly focused on content and procedural skills, rather than on mathematical competencies and applications of mathematics. We conclude that the focus on content and procedures, coupled with implicit learning goals, could obscure the purpose of a lesson.