bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Environmental Impact and the Significance of Shipboard Carbon Capture and Storage for Emission Reduction in Maritime Sector
Authors: He Zhengxin , Tanhaei Mohammad , Wandy Huang Kuniadi , Halimi Ibrahim Imran , Liu Ming , Yin Xunyuan
Published: October 2024

This study conducts Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of Shipboard Carbon Capture & Storage (SCCS) across its entire lifecycle. It examines the full-spectrum carbon capture and storage effects from well-to-tank and tank-to-propeller for four types of marine fuels: Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO), Marine Gas Oil (MGO), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and Methanol. Additionally, the study examines the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) of a current ocean-going container ship to quantify the potential benefits of SCCS in reducing ship carbon emissions. The results indicate that the application of SCCS can significantly reduce emissions from carbon-based fuels during ship operations. In particular, ships using VLSFO as fuel can achieve 61.0% reduction in emissions by installing SCCS. However, the application of SCCS leads to 7.8% increase in fuel consumption due to additional energy requirement. In addition, this study also found while fossil methanol reduces emissions during ship combustion, its life cycle emissions are 17.5%-19.6% higher than conventional fossil fuel due to production emissions. The overall SCCS has a positive impact on emission reduction for ships and is reflected in the improvements in EEXI and CII. With the implementation of SCCS, ships fuelled by VLSFO and MGO can remain compliant with IMO Greenhouse Gases emission strategy until 2030. For ships fuelled by LNG and Methanol, compliance can remain beyond 2030.
Just in Time Port Call Optimisation: Preliminary Regulatory Compliance Evaluation and Environmental Performance Assessment
Authors: Sotiralis Panagiotis , Annetis Manolis , Ntachan Faouzi , Diamantis Christoforos , Keratsa Lina , Ventikos Nikolaos P.
Published: October 2024

Just in Time (JIT) arrival, as an operational measure towards shipping decarbonisation, promises increased energy savings and reduced emissions. Integrated digital systems targeting the optimisation of the port call process allow vessels to adapt their speed to avoid the “hurry-up-and-wait” syndrome, and thus, reduce their fuel consumption at a certain extend. However, there are a lot of concerns and challenges ahead for a wide adoption of such a solution, that are either related to the regulatory and standardisation frameworks, or to the realisation of the actual benefits of a JIT optimisation system. Thus, this paper attempts to shed light on some of these challenges, by focusing on the maritime regulatory framework around JIT operations and on emission reduction potential from speed adaptation. Results provide a baseline for regulatory compliance evaluation for such a system, and a preliminary environmental performance assessment from JIT arrival applied on an actual ship case. These insights and early results will be further explored within the EU-funded MISSION project towards a full appreciation of the JIT concept benefits and regulatory compliance, which will lead to its wide implementation.
Drifting vessel statistics and emergency towing cases
Authors: Einar Berg Tor , Hirdaris Spyros , Ćatipović Ivan
Published: October 2024

Recent climate studies forecast violent weather events with impact on the safety of maritime transportation. For example, harsh weather may result in system failures such as blackouts or loss of steering capability. Problems met when performing planned maintenance at sea may lead to adverse events if the weather cause delays or makes it impossible to complete the planned work. A drifting vessel in general is a liability for collisions with offshore structures, groundings, and total loss due to capsizing. The increasing use of ocean structures for energy production at sea (coastal and deepwater windfarms) and the transfer of fish farming structures to more exposed locations increase the probability of collisions between drifting ships and ocean structures. To mitigate risks, several incidents and their consequences have been analysed by national administrations. In some cases, these analyses have recommended the use of dedicated emergency towing resources. The willingness of the national governments to fund such resources is directly related to the time since the last major incident in their territorial waters. This paper reviews some recent cases of emergency towing operations in Norwegian waters and highlights challenges interlinked to setting up an emergency towing connection between a drifting ship and an emergency towing vessel in harsh weather.
Characterization and correlation analysis of surface topography in ball-end milling
Authors: Wang Ben , Liu Zhongxun , Sun Jingwen
Published: October 2024

Surface texture is the most commonly used parameter for the quantitative characterization of surface topography. It is important for the study of the topography characteristics and functional properties of surfaces. In this paper, the surface topography characteristics, surface texture parameters, and change rule of the bearing area curve when the cutting vibration of the adjacent teeth of the ball-end milling cutter is asymmetric were analyzed, and the correlation between the inflection points and the surface texture parameters of the bearing area curve were studied according to the improved correlation analysis model. This study provides essential insights into the mechanism that drives the formation of the surface topography of ball-end milling and the intrinsic characteristic laws of the surface topography.
OnionVQE optimization strategy for ground state preparation on NISQ devices
Authors: Gratsea Katerina , Selisko Johannes , Amsler Maximilian , Wever Christopher , Eckl Thomas , Samsonidze Georgy
Published: October 2024

The variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) is one of the most promising and widely used algorithms for exploiting the capabilities of current Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices. However, VQE algorithms suffer from a plethora of issues, such as barren plateaus, local minima, quantum hardware noise, and limited qubit connectivity, thus posing challenges for their successful deployment on hardware and simulators. In this work, we propose a VQE optimization strategy that builds upon recent advances in the literature, and exhibits very shallow circuit depths when applied to the specific system of interest, namely a model Hamiltonian representing a cuprate superconductor. These features make our approach a favorable candidate for generating good ground state approximations on current NISQ devices. Our findings illustrate the potential of VQE algorithmic development for leveraging the full capabilities of NISQ devices.
Editorial: Climate change is a children’s health hazard
Authors: Gould Caitlin A , Gentile Lauren E , Sbiroli Emily , Berger Martha , Philipsborn Rebecca
Published: October 2024

As temperatures defy heat records, it is difficult to ignore the implications of climate change for public health, including impacts on population health more specifically. In short, climate change is happening now and presents an immediate hazard to human health on a global scale. Age-related health effects are an inalienable truth; physiology is relatively universal, and so are the ways in which our bodies respond to different types and levels of exposures to environmental stressors at different lifestages. Children are uniquely vulnerable to climate change stressors not only due to their physical and developmental immaturity, but also because they generally rely on adult caretakers for the fundamentals of survival. This article is the summary piece accompanying a special issue of Environmental Research: Health. It compiles new studies on children’s vulnerability to climate change as well as studies exploring climate adaptation strategies to promote and protect child health. In this special issue, we see how these concepts are reflected repeatedly in empirical data domestically and internationally. For example, the special issue includes articles investigating linkages between climate change and health hazards such as asthma, injuries, and malnutrition. While local context is extremely important, many of the health effects may be extrapolated to other communities around the world.
Introduction
Authors: Beiser Frederick C
Published: October 2024

This Introduction outlines the major issues and purpose behind the recovery of early German positivism. It argues that this tradition has been terribly neglected because almost all research on positivism focuses on the Vienna circle. But German positivism predates the Vienna Circle by many decades. The early positivists were Theodor Gomperz, Eugen Duehring, Ernst Laas, Friedrich Jodl, and Ernst Mach. The Introduction places these figures in their wider historical context and explains the fundamentals of their worldview, which consists in monism, naturalism, and historicism. The positivist critique of the synthetic a priori is placed in its historical context.
Origins of Positivism in Austria and Germany
Authors: Beiser Frederick C
Published: October 2024

This chapter is a survey of the early reception of positivism in Austria and Germany. Section 1 is an examination of early positivism in Austria. It looks at Theodor Gomperz, who was J. S. Mill’s publicist and translator. Before Comte, Mill was understood as the chief spokesman for positivism in Austria. Section 2 examines Franz Brentano, who was the first champion of Comte’s positivism in Austria. I argue that Brentano had difficulty in squaring positivism with his Roman Catholic faith. Section 3 is a survey of the first German reviews of positivism. It considers authors like Friedrich Buchholz, Karl Twesten, and Rudolf Haym. Section 4 is a treatment of the reception of Comte among the German historians, specifically, Johann Droyson, Wilhelm Dilthey, and Ernst Bernheim.
Friedrich Jodl
Authors: Beiser Frederick C
Published: October 2024

Chapter 4 is an examination of the philosophy of Friedrich Jodl, one of the chief fathers of positivism before the Vienna Circle. We find in Jodl all the paradigmatic traits of early positivism: faith in the power of science to know the world; science as the spearhead for the progress of humanity; radical empiricism and skepticism toward the synthetic a priori; utilitarianism in ethics; opposition to the policies of the Roman Catholic Church. Jodl was also a father of the “scientific conception of the world,” which advocated monism, naturalism, and historicism. Jodl’s most important writing was his Geschichte der Ethik in der neueren Philosophie, which was a survey of ethics since ancient times. Jodl saw history as the progress of scientific humanism. Jodl’s early philosophy was influenced by Hume, whom he saw as a founder of early positivism.
Making Families without Wives
Authors: Basu Srimati
Published: October 2024

Men’s Rights Activists (MRAs) in India primarily organized around legal problems with marriage and extended family living, linking their avowed antifeminism to wives’ failures in these settings. Drawing on my ethnographic fieldwork with MRAs in eight Indian cities, this chapter provides an account of how they conceptualize gendered labour, comportment, responsibility, and resources within the familial realm, often by framing their reckonings of kinship as gender-neutral, just, and attuned to discourses of care. The prospect of wives’ entitlement to affinal family property is one of the flashpoints drawing families to join the movement. In constructing post-divorce futures, some MRAs seek ideal patrilineal kinship, while others reject marriage and establish male communities based in shared trauma. Reading these perspectives through anthropological theories that privilege marriage versus feminist and queer theories that decentre familialism, the chapter considers whether MRAs are re-routing the traffic of marriage, or benefiting from its structural advantages.
Locating Friendship in Family
Authors: Bhandari Parul
Published: October 2024

In the context of family relationships, a woman is typically seen as a daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, or wife but rarely as a friend. This chapter argues that in the context of elite women in Delhi, it is often friendships within family that help women navigate challenging roles and expectations. These friendships, however, have their ups and downs that are intimately tied with family dynamics. The chapter thus focuses upon elite women in their role as friends in the wider kinship and family structures. The author argues that unpacking this specific role of women helps to better understand women’s vulnerabilities, insecurities, as well as responsibilities as a family member, as well as the intricacies of maintaining honour and the politics around joint property. As such, this chapter shows how a family’s networks, status, and sense of togetherness is tied with women’s friendships within families.
Household Formation of Indian Migrant Parents in Australia
Authors: Singh Supriya
Published: October 2024

This chapter focuses on the relation between migration and patterns of intergenerational household formation. It re-analyses qualitative data drawn from three studies of money, migration, and the transnational family (spanning 2005–19) to focus on a subset of twenty-one parent-migrants and twenty-four older Indians who have aged in Australia. Most Indian parent-migrants live in their sons’ household in an ‘upside-down’ joint family household as they become economically dependent on their sons due to visa costs, financial gifts mainly to sons, and difficulties of employment in Australia. Older Indians who have aged in Australia, however, live in nuclear family households, even if they had earlier lived in joint family households. They prefer ‘embedded households’ that are close enough to their children to receive and give care. The chapter reveals how parent-migrants’ economic dependence because of migration changes household formation in a migrant setting.
Displaying the ‘Family’ Online
Authors: Donald Nidhin
Published: October 2024

This chapter focuses on the family association album, which is a critical element of the family websites of Syrian Christians of Kerala, who have been using digital platforms to school and display their collective identities. The albums on the family websites offer visual insights into the relationship between families, community, region, and the Church, and are an active archive of their collective lives, notwithstanding the actual temporal, spatial, or emotional distances between them. This chapter expands upon how these online albums operate as pedagogic tools in defining the ideal Syrian Christian family and its relationship to the larger kin network. The chapter makes its argument with the help of the author’s own illustrations of the pictures in the albums, which though ‘caricatures’ of the original photos, serve as useful tools to highlight sociological patterns in Syrian Christian visual life.
‘Seeing’ Family through Wedding Albums
Authors: Narain Suryanandini
Published: October 2024

This chapter examines the photographic documentation of Indian weddings, and the role of these images in formulating civil, class, and cultural identities while also offering readings of intergenerational and gendered relationships within families. In modern times, the wedding has been appended by photographic images that visually enshrine the rite of passage in the form of individual portraits, albums, and videos, in both analogue and digital formats. These images residing in institutional and personal archives gain an afterlife through retrospective viewing and circulation, reviving and affirming the cohesive role of families at each spectatorial moment. Based on material and visual readings of these images, this chapter examines the methodological potential of wedding photographs to read familial particularities in north Indian urban society.
Polyploidy linked with species richness but not diversification rates or niche breadth in Australian Pomaderreae (Rhamnaceae)
Authors: Nge Francis J , Hammer Timothy A , Vasconcelos Thais , Biffin Ed , Kellermann Jürgen , Waycott Michelle
Published: October 2024

Background and Aims

Polyploidy is an important evolutionary driver for plants and has been linked with higher species richness and increases in diversification rate. These correlations between ploidy and plant radiations could be the result of polyploid lineages exploiting broader niche space and novel niches due to their enhanced adaptability. The evolution of ploidy and its link to plant diversification across the Australian continent is not well understood. Here, we focus on the ploidy evolution of the Australasian Rhamnaceae tribe Pomaderreae.

Methods

We generated a densely sampled phylogeny (90 %, 215/240 species) of the tribe and used it to test for the evolution of ploidy. We obtained 30 orthologous nuclear loci per sample and dated the phylogeny using treePL. Ploidy estimates for each sequenced species were obtained using nQuire, based on phased sequence data. We used MiSSE to obtain tip diversification rates and tested for significant relationships between diversification rates and ploidy. We also assessed for relationships between ploidy level and niche breadth, using distributional records, species distributional modelling and WorldClim data.

Key Results

Polyploidy is extensive across the tribe, with almost half (45 %) of species and the majority of genera exhibiting this trait. We found a significant positive relationship between polyploidy and genus size (i.e. species richness), but a non-significant positive relationship between polyploidy and diversification rates. Polyploidy did not result in significantly wider niche space occupancy for Pomaderreae; however, polyploidy did allow transitions into novel wetter niches. Spatially, eastern Australia is the diversification hotspot for Pomaderreae in contrast to the species hotspot of south-west Western Australia.

Conclusions

The relationship between polyploidy and diversification is complex. Ancient polyploidization events likely played an important role in the diversification of species-rich genera. A lag time effect may explain the uncoupling of tip diversification rates and polyploidy of extant lineages. Further studies on other groups are required to validate these hypotheses.
Cross-continental comparison of plant reproductive phenology shows high intraspecific variation in temperature sensitivity
Authors: Reeb Rachel A , Heberling J Mason , Kuebbing Sara E
Published: October 2024

The success of plant species under climate change will be determined, in part, by their phenological responses to temperature. Despite the growing need to forecast such outcomes across entire species ranges, it remains unclear how phenological sensitivity to temperature might vary across individuals of the same species. In this study, we harnessed community science data to document intraspecific patterns in phenological temperature sensitivity across the multicontinental range of six herbaceous plant species. Using linear models, we correlated georeferenced temperature data with 23 220 plant phenological records from iNaturalist to generate spatially explicit estimates of phenological temperature sensitivity across the shared range of species. We additionally evaluated the geographic association between local historic climate conditions (i.e. mean annual temperature [MAT] and interannual variability in temperature) and the temperature sensitivity of plants. We found that plant temperature sensitivity varied substantially at both the interspecific and intraspecific levels, demonstrating that phenological responses to climate change have the potential to vary both within and among species. Additionally, we provide evidence for a strong geographic association between plant temperature sensitivity and local historic climate conditions. Plants were more sensitive to temperature in hotter climates (i.e. regions with high MAT), but only in regions with high interannual temperature variability. In regions with low interannual temperature variability, plants displayed universally weak sensitivity to temperature, regardless of baseline annual temperature. This evidence suggests that pheno-climatic forecasts may be improved by accounting for intraspecific variation in phenological temperature sensitivity. Broad climatic factors such as MAT and interannual temperature variability likely serve as useful predictors for estimating temperature sensitivity across species’ ranges.
Indocyanine Green Angiography–Assisted Pure Hemi-periareolar Incision Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy and Direct-to-Implant Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Lee Mi Kyung , Kang Jung-min , Lim Woo Sung , Park Jin-Woo , Woo Kyong-Je
Published: October 2024

Background

Although pure hemi-periareolar incisions for mastectomy can prevent visible scarring, nipple-areolar complex (NAC) necrosis is a potential risk. Superficial-arterial inflow of the NAC can be evaluated by indocyanine green angiography (ICG-A).

Objectives

This study evaluated the impact of ICG-A–assisted periareolar incision on NAC necrosis during nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) and direct-to-implant (DTI) breast reconstruction.

Methods

Between December 2018 and November 2021, lateral hemi-periareolar incisions for NSM were routine. After that time, ICG-A–assisted hemi-periareolar incisions were performed between December 2021 and September 2023. The location of the main arterial inflow was evaluated during preoperative ICG-A and the periareolar incision was planned to avoid disruption. NAC necrosis in the ICG-A–assisted and blind-incision groups was compared by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

A total of 202 breasts were analyzed, comprising 80 breasts from 75 patients in the ICG-A–assisted group and 122 breasts from 115 patients in the blind-incision group. On preoperative ICG-A, superficial-arterial inflow was observed in 67 of 80 (83.75%) breasts. Perfusion of the nipple without superficial-arterial inflow (base-perfusion pattern) was observed in 13 breasts (16.25%). The main arterial inflow was most common in the upper-medial direction at the areolar margins (65.67%). The full-thickness NAC necrosis rate in the ICG-A–assisted incision group was significantly lower than that in the blind-incision group (2.5% vs 13.1%, P = .010). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that ICG-A–assisted incisions significantly reduced the risk of NAC necrosis (odds ratio, 0.155; P = .030).

Conclusions

ICG-A–assisted pure hemi-periareolar incisions reduced NAC necrosis in DTI breast reconstructions.

Level of Evidence: 3 (Therapeutic)
Cross-population enhancement of PrediXcan predictions with a gnomAD-based east Asian reference framework
Authors: Chan Han-Ching , Chattopadhyay Amrita , Lu Tzu-Pin
Published: October 2024

Over the past decade, genome-wide association studies have identified thousands of variants significantly associated with complex traits. For each locus, gene expression levels are needed to further explore its biological functions. To address this, the PrediXcan algorithm leverages large-scale reference data to impute the gene expression level from single nucleotide polymorphisms, and thus the gene-trait associations can be tested to identify the candidate causal genes. However, a challenge arises due to the fact that most reference data are from subjects of European ancestry, and the accuracy and robustness of predicted gene expression in subjects of East Asian (EAS) ancestry remains unclear. Here, we first simulated a variety of scenarios to explore the impact of the level of population diversity on gene expression. Population differentiated variants were estimated by using the allele frequency information from The Genome Aggregation Database. We found that the weights of a variants was the main factor that affected the gene expression predictions, and that ~70% of variants were significantly population differentiated based on proportion tests. To provide insights into this population effect on gene expression levels, we utilized the allele frequency information to develop a gene expression reference panel, Predict Asian-Population (PredictAP), for EAS ancestry. PredictAP can be viewed as an auxiliary tool for PrediXcan when using genotype data from EAS subjects.
Target controllability: a feed-forward greedy algorithm in complex networks, meeting Kalman’s rank condition
Authors: Khezri Seyedeh Fatemeh , Ebrahimi Ali , Eslahchi Changiz
Published: October 2024

Motivation

The concept of controllability within complex networks is pivotal in determining the minimal set of driver vertices required for the exertion of external signals, thereby enabling control over the entire network’s vertices. Target controllability further refines this concept by focusing on a subset of vertices within the network as the specific targets for control, both of which are known to be NP-hard problems. Crucially, the effectiveness of the driver set in achieving control of the network is contingent upon satisfying a specific rank condition, as introduced by Kalman. On the other hand, structural controllability provides a complementary approach to understanding network control, emphasizing the identification of driver vertices based on the network’s structural properties. However, in structural controllability approaches, the Kalman condition may not always be satisfied.

Results

In this study, we address the challenge of target controllability by proposing a feed-forward greedy algorithm designed to efficiently handle large networks while meeting the Kalman controllability rank condition. We further enhance our method’s efficacy by integrating it with Barabasi et al.’s structural controllability approach. This integration allows for a more comprehensive control strategy, leveraging both the dynamical requirements specified by Kalman’s rank condition and the structural properties of the network. Empirical evaluation across various network topologies demonstrates the superior performance of our algorithms compared to existing methods, consistently requiring fewer driver vertices for effective control. Additionally, our method’s application to protein–protein interaction networks associated with breast cancer reveals potential drug repurposing candidates, underscoring its biomedical relevance. This study highlights the importance of addressing both structural and dynamical aspects of network controllability for advancing control strategies in complex systems.

Availability and implementation

The source code is available for free at:Https://github.com/fatemeKhezry/targetControllability.
Application and integration of computer vision technologies for automated recognition and recording of chemical experiments
Authors: Sasaki Ryosuke , Fujinami Mikito , Nakai Hiromi
Published: October 2024

Advancements in computer vision have significantly improved motion and object recognition accuracy. These advancements should aid the automatic recognition of chemical experiments, potentially contributing to the recording of experiments. Creating an electronic laboratory notebook from experiment filming enhances convenience and allows more detailed information storage compared to traditional manual recording methods. Our previous research focused on employing object detection and action recognition to automate the recognition of chemical experiments. This paper presents a novel system that combines object detection, action recognition, multiple object tracking, and barcode recognition to automatically generate experimental flowcharts. We implemented our system as a graphical user interface-based application for laboratory use that successfully constructs flowcharts from videos of chemical experiments, including simple chemical manipulations.
Transnational networks of energy communities as counterpower in the European Union renewable energy transition framework
Authors: Esteves Ana Margarida , de Brito e Cunha Felipe Berlinski , Girardi André de Freitas , Quintão Felipe
Published: October 2024

This article explores the communicative process by which transnational networks of energy communities (ECs) in Europe build counterpower vis-a-vis the European Union (EU) institutional framework, with the purpose of effectively contributing to the shaping and management of the EU policy and regulatory framework for renewable energy transition. Such a process consists in the identification of obstacles to effective participation, the facilitation of access to information on EU regulation and policy frameworks, and the production of technical knowledge that reframes how renewable energy transition is understood as a field of political intervention. The impact of EC networks, and other networks of related community-led initiatives, on the EU energy policy framework is still relatively small when compared to centralized, large-scale providers of energy. It is constrained by how differently EU regulatory and policy packages address ‘techno-energetic systems’ in energy transition, as well as disparities in the transposition of EU legislation by Member States. Still, EC networks are building counterpower by facilitating bottom-up information and skill sharing, focusing on facilitating access to information on EU regulation and policy frameworks, as well as producing knowledge that frames the obstacles to effective participation of ECs in policymaking. It expands the understanding of renewable energy transition as a field of policy intervention beyond merely instrumental logic, centred on regulation and policy support to technological innovation, by mainstreaming a substantive logic based on a comprehensive socioecological framing that embeds energy transition in a multidimensional understanding of territorial development and governance.
A cross-sectional analysis of TikTok content relating to sunscreen conspiracy theories and correlation with published evidence on sunscreen risks
Authors: Kearney Nicola , Leahy Marion , Stanciu Maria , O’Flynn Aine , Walsh Mary Catherine , Laing Mary
Published: October 2024

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK and Ireland, with the number of skin cancers expected to increase further by 2038–2040. Conspiracy theories surrounding sunscreen use are becoming rampant across social media platforms. We aimed to further investigate the misinformation and conspiracy theories surrounding sunscreen use on TikTok by performing a cross-sectional analysis of relevant TikTok content. This analysis highlighted the presence of an alarming amount of sunscreen misinformation on the popular social media platform.
Strategic approaches to observing 39K NMR signals from potassium–graphite intercalation compounds
Authors: Ando Hideka , Hashi Kenjiro , Ohki Shinobu , Matsumoto Rika , Gotoh Kazuma
Published: October 2024

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance is an invaluable tool for potassium–graphite intercalation compounds, promising anode materials of K-ion batteries, but it has not yet been applied because of several issues. We attempted 39K NMR measurements of potassium–graphite intercalation compounds sealed in glass using an 18.8 T NMR spectrometer with a nuclear magnetic resonance probe adjusted to the samples. The first observed 39K NMR signal of potassium–graphite intercalation compounds showed the possibility of evaluating intralayer density, which cannot be ascertained from Raman measurements.
Comparative Safety of Different Antibiotic Regimens for the Treatment of Outpatient Community-Acquired Pneumonia Among Otherwise Healthy Adults
Authors: Butler Anne M , Nickel Katelin B , Olsen Margaret A , Sahrmann John M , Colvin Ryan , Neuner Elizabeth , O’Neil Caroline A , Fraser Victoria J , Durkin Michael J
Published: October 2024

Background

Evidence is limited on the comparative safety of antibiotic regimens for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We compared the risk of adverse drug events (ADEs) associated with antibiotic regimens for CAP treatment among otherwise healthy, nonelderly adults.

Methods

We conducted an active-comparator new-user cohort study (2007–2019) of commercially insured adults aged 18–64 years diagnosed with outpatient CAP, evaluated via chest X-ray, and dispensed a same-day CAP-related oral antibiotic regimen. ADE follow-up duration ranged from 2 to 90 days (eg, renal failure [14 days]). We estimated risk differences [RDs] per 1000 treatment episodes and risk ratios using propensity score–weighted Kaplan-Meier functions. Ankle/knee sprain and influenza vaccination were considered as negative control outcomes.

Results

Of 145 137 otherwise healthy CAP patients without comorbidities, 52% received narrow-spectrum regimens (44% macrolide, 8% doxycycline) and 48% received broad-spectrum regimens (39% fluoroquinolone, 7% β-lactam, 3% β-lactam + macrolide). Compared with macrolide monotherapy, each broad-spectrum antibiotic regimen was associated with increased risk of several ADEs (eg, β-lactam: nausea/vomiting/abdominal pain [RD per 1000, 3.20; 95% CI, 0.99–5.73]; non–Clostridioides difficile diarrhea [RD per 1000, 4.61; 95% CI, 2.47–6.82]; vulvovaginal candidiasis/vaginitis [RD per 1000, 3.57; 95% CI, 0.87, 6.88]). Narrow-spectrum antibiotic regimens largely conferred similar risk of ADEs. We generally observed similar risks of each negative control outcome, indicating minimal confounding.

Conclusions

Broad-spectrum antibiotics were associated with increased risk of ADEs among otherwise healthy adults treated for CAP in the outpatient setting. Antimicrobial stewardship is needed to promote judicious use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and ultimately decrease antibiotic-related ADEs.
Deep learning improves test–retest reproducibility of regional strain in echocardiography
Authors: Nyberg John , Østvik Andreas , Salte Ivar M , Olaisen Sindre , Karlsen Sigve , Dahlslett Thomas , Smistad Erik , Eriksen-Volnes Torfinn , Brunvand Harald , Edvardsen Thor , Haugaa Kristina H , Lovstakken Lasse , Dalen Havard , Grenne Bjørnar
Published: October 2024

Aims

The clinical utility of regional strain measurements in echocardiography is challenged by suboptimal reproducibility. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the test–retest reproducibility of regional longitudinal strain (RLS) per coronary artery perfusion territory (RLSTerritory) and basal-to-apical level of the left ventricle (RLSLevel), measured by a novel fully automated deep learning (DL) method based on point tracking.

Methods and results

We measured strain in a dual-centre test–retest data set that included 40 controls and 40 patients with suspected non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome. Two consecutive echocardiograms per subject were recorded by different operators. The reproducibility of RLSTerritory and RLSLevel measured by the DL method and by three experienced observers using semi-automatic software (2D Strain, EchoPAC, GE HealthCare) was evaluated as minimal detectable change (MDC). The DL method had MDC for RLSTerritory and RLSLevel ranging from 3.6 to 4.3%, corresponding to a 33–35% improved reproducibility compared with the inter- and intraobserver scenarios (MDC 5.5–6.4% and 4.9–5.4%). Furthermore, the DL method had a lower variance of test–retest differences for both RLSTerritory and RLSLevel compared with inter- and intraobserver scenarios (all P < 0.001). Bland–Altman analyses demonstrated superior reproducibility by the DL method for the whole range of strain values compared with the best observer scenarios. The feasibility of the DL method was 93% and measurement time was only 1 s per echocardiogram.

Conclusion

The novel DL method provided fully automated measurements of RLS, with improved test–retest reproducibility compared with semi-automatic measurements by experienced observers. RLS measured by the DL method has the potential to advance patient care through a more detailed, more efficient, and less user-dependent clinical assessment of myocardial function.
All-cause and cause-specific mortality among older migrant and non-migrant adults in Finland: a register study on all deaths, 2002–2020
Authors: Kemppainen Laura , Kemppainen Teemu , Raitanen Jani , Aaltonen Mari , Forma Leena , Kouvonen Anne , Pulkki Jutta
Published: October 2024

Migrant mortality advantage is established in various studies, but there is a lack of evidence on migrant mortality trends in old age. Previous studies have primarily concentrated on all-cause mortality, and few include older age groups. Discussions about the migrant mortality advantage continue due to concerns about data availability and accuracy. Additionally, the mechanisms explaining the migrant mortality advantage remain unclear. This study examines all-cause and cause-specific mortality among older migrant and nonmigrant adults aged 70 and above using Finnish Cause of Death register data (2002–20) and the corresponding risk population. We investigate differences in overall and cause-specific mortality between migrant and Finnish-born population and by geographical region of origin. We calculated direct age-standardized mortality rates and age group-specific death rates followed by Poisson regression to study relative mortality differences. Age at death, sex, income, region of residence, and year of death were controlled for in the regression analysis. We found evidence of migrant mortality advantage across various causes of death, but there was variation by regions of origin groups and sex. Notably, women exhibit the strongest advantage in respiratory and digestive system diseases, while men demonstrated pronounced advantages in external causes and respiratory diseases. Our study challenges the notion of a general diminishing healthy migrant effect in old age. Our findings emphasize the need for nuanced investigations into socioeconomic factors and tailored interventions for older migrants.
Anisogamy and sex roles: a commentary
Authors: Mokos Judit , Scheuring István , Liker András , Freckleton Robert P , Székely Tamás
Published: October 2024

The origin and maintenance of sex differences in reproductive behavior (often labeled sex roles) have remained controversial topics, and recent meta-analyses and theoretical models have helped to elucidate the processes that generate diverse sex roles. We are glad to see that our study (Mokos et al., 2021) generated a healthy debate, and in agreement with recent commentaries (Janicke, 2024; Lehtonen & Parker, 2024) we call for a more comprehensive approach to understanding sex role evolution.
Increased spending on low-value care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia
Authors: Rockwell Michelle S , Vangala Sitaram , Rider Jillian , Bortz Beth , Russell Kyle , Dachary Marcos , Walker Lauryn , Fendrick A Mark , Mafi John N
Published: October 2024

Characterizing the value and equity of care delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial to uncovering health system vulnerabilities and informing postpandemic recovery. We used insurance claims to evaluate low-value (no clinical benefit, potentially harmful) and clinically indicated utilization of a subset of 11 ambulatory services within a cohort of ∼2 million Virginia adults during the first 2 years of the pandemic (March 1, 2020–December 31, 2021). In 2020, low-value and clinically indicated utilization decreased similarly, while in 2021, low-value and clinically indicated utilization were 7% higher and 4% lower, respectively, than prepandemic rates. Extrapolated to Virginia's population of insured adults, ∼$1.3 billion in spending was associated with low-value utilization of the 11 services during the study period, with 2021 spending rates 6% higher than prepandemic rates. During March 1, 2020–December 31, 2021, low-value and clinically indicated utilization were 15% and 16% lower, respectively, than pre-pandemic rates among patients with the greatest socioeconomic deprivation but similar to prepandemic rates among patients with the least socioeconomic deprivation. These results highlight widening healthcare disparities and underscore the need for policy-level efforts to address the complex drivers of low-value care and equitably redistribute expenditures to services that enhance health.
The scion-driven transcriptomic changes guide the resilience of grafted near-isohydric grapevines under water deficit
Authors: Rodriguez-Izquierdo Alberto , Carrasco David , Valledor Luis , Bota Josefina , López-Hidalgo Cristina , Revilla Maria A , Arroyo-Garcia Rosa
Published: October 2024

The large diversity of grapevine cultivars includes genotypes more tolerant to water deficit than others. Widely distributed cultivars, like Merlot, are more sensitive to water deprivation than local cultivars like Callet, which are more adapted to water deficit due to their Mediterranean origin. Despite their tolerance, adaptation to water deficit influenced by grafting in rootstocks like 110 Richter is key to facing drought in vineyards, defining the scion–rootstock relationship. To understand these differences, we explored transcriptomic, metabolic, hormonal and physiological responses under three levels of water deficit (mild, high, and extreme), using 110 Richter as the rootstock in both cultivars. Results revealed that sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA) is essential for water deficit tolerance in the aerial part, guiding root responses. Callet/110 Richter activates more gene expression patterns in response to ABA, reducing water loss compared to Merlot/110 Richter in both aerial and root parts. This modulation in Callet/110 Richter involves regulating metabolic pathways to increase cell turgor, reducing photosynthesis, and producing molecules like polyphenols or flavonoids to respond to oxidative stress. In contrast, Merlot/110 Richter shows a lack of specific response, especially in the roots, indicating less resilience to water stress. Therefore, selecting genotypes more sensitive to ABA and their interaction with rootstocks is key for managing vineyards in future climate change scenarios.
Tracing competencies and product requirements in technology space: a new perspective on firm and industry evolution
Authors: Metzler Florian
Published: October 2024

This paper combines a resource-based perspective with a dynamic, evolutionary perspective to study firm and industry evolution. The technological competencies of firms and the technological requirements of products are projected onto a map of technology space where respective positions can be studied as a function of time. The potential of the developed approach is demonstrated by shedding new light on the mobile phone industry from 1993 to 2012, comparing new entrants Apple and Google with incumbents Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, and RIM. Findings highlight the importance of firms’ abilities to orient and situate themselves in their dynamic environments and to recognize and act upon opportunities and threats that result from evolving technological supply and demand.
Two Mosquito Salivary Antigens Demonstrate Promise as Biomarkers of Recent Exposure to Plasmodium falciparum–Infected Mosquito Bites
Authors: Lapidus Sarah , Goheen Morgan M , Sy Mouhamad , Deme Awa B , Ndiaye Ibrahima Mbaye , Diedhiou Younous , Mbaye Amadou Moctar , Hagadorn Kelly A , Sene Seynabou Diouf , Pouye Mariama Nicole , Thiam Laty Gaye , Ba Aboubacar , Guerra Noemi , Mbengue Alassane , Raduwan Hamidah , Gagnon Jacqueline , Vigan-Womas Inés , Parikh Sunil , Ko Albert I , Ndiaye Daouda , Fikrig Erol , Chuang Yu-Min , Bei Amy K
Published: October 2024

Background

Measuring malaria transmission intensity using the traditional entomological inoculation rate is difficult. Antibody responses to mosquito salivary proteins like SG6 have been used as biomarkers of exposure to Anopheles mosquito bites. Here, we investigate 4 mosquito salivary proteins as potential biomarkers of human exposure to mosquitoes infected with Plasmodium falciparum: mosGILT, SAMSP1, AgSAP, and AgTRIO.

Methods

We tested population-level human immune responses in longitudinal and cross-sectional plasma from individuals with known P falciparum infection from low- and moderate-transmission areas in Senegal using a multiplexed magnetic bead–based assay.

Results

AgSAP and AgTRIO were the best indicators of recent exposure to infected mosquitoes. Antibody responses to AgSAP, in a moderate-endemicity area, and to AgTRIO in both low- and moderate-endemicity areas, were significantly higher than nonendemic controls. No antibody responses significantly differed between low- and moderate-transmission areas, or between equivalent groups during and outside the malaria transmission seasons. AgSAP and AgTRIO reactivity peaked 2–4 weeks after clinical P falciparum infection and declined 3 months after infection.

Conclusions

Reactivity to AgSAP and AgTRIO reflects exposure to infectious mosquitoes or recent bites rather than general mosquito exposure, highlighting their promise for incorporation into multiplexed assays for serosurveillance of population-level changes in P falciparum–infected mosquito exposure.
Metagenomic insights into inhibition of soil microbial carbon metabolism by phosphorus limitation during vegetation succession
Authors: Wang Haocai , Wang Hang , Crowther Thomas W , Isobe Kazuo , Reich Peter B , Tateno Ryunosuke , Shi Weiyu
Published: October 2024

There is growing awareness of the need for regenerative practices in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate change. Yet, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how microbial community composition and functioning are likely to change alongside transition from high-density tillage to large-scale vegetation restoration. Here, we investigated the functional dynamics of microbial communities following a complete vegetation successional chronosequence in a subtropical zone, Southwestern China, using shotgun metagenomics approaches. The contents of total soil phosphorus (P), available P, litter P, and microbial biomass P decreased significantly during vegetation succession, indicating that P is the most critical limiting nutrient. The abundance of genes related to P-uptake and transport, inorganic P-solubilization, organic P-mineralization, and P-starvation response regulation significantly increased with successional time, indicating an increased microbial “mining” for P under P limitation. Multi-analysis demonstrated microbial P limitation strongly inhibits carbon (C) catabolism potential, resulting in a significant decrease in carbohydrate-active enzyme family gene abundances. Nevertheless, over successional time, microorganisms increased investment in genes involved in degradation-resistant compounds (lignin and its aromatic compounds) to acquire P resources in the litter. Our study provides functional gene-level insights into how P limitation during vegetation succession in subtropical regions inhibits soil microbial C metabolic processes, thereby advancing our understanding of belowground C cycling and microbial metabolic feedback during forest restoration.
Isolation and biogeography of the oligotrophic ocean diazotroph, Crocosphaera waterburyi nov. sp
Authors: Cleveland Catie S , Turk-Kubo Kendra A , Zhao Yiming , Zehr Jonathan P , Webb Eric A
Published: October 2024

Marine N2-fixing cyanobacteria, including the unicellular genus Crocosphaera, are considered keystone species in marine food webs. Crocosphaera are globally distributed and provide new sources of nitrogen and carbon, which fuel oligotrophic microbial communities and upper trophic levels. Despite their ecosystem importance, only one pelagic, oligotrophic, phycoerythrin-rich species, Crocosphaera watsonii, has ever been identified and characterized as widespread. Herein, we present a new species, named Crocosphaera waterburyi, enriched from the North Pacific Ocean. C. waterburyi was found to be phenotypically and genotypically distinct from C. watsonii, active in situ, distributed globally, and preferred warmer temperatures in culture and the ocean. Additionally, C. waterburyi was detectable in 150- and 4000-meter sediment export traps, had a relatively larger biovolume than C. watsonii, and appeared to aggregate in the environment and laboratory culture. Therefore, it represents an additional, previously unknown link between atmospheric CO2 and N2 gas and deep ocean carbon and nitrogen export and sequestration.