bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical-metallurgical-corrosion behavior of Cr-Si-S-C ferritic/ferromagnetic stainless steel, known as AISI 430F, before and after isothermal recrystallization annealing
Authors: Bazri Shahab , Mapelli Carlo , Barella Silvia , Gruttadauria Andrea , Mombelli Davide , Nemfardi Renato , Bedini Roberto , Zucchelli Giorgio
Published: January 2024

The research investigates the mechanical and corrosion behavior of Cr-Si-S-C ferritic stainless steel (FSS), known as EN1.4105, which is equivalent to AISI430F. The static isothermal recrystallization annealing is applied to the cold-drawn (CD) materials with two different reduction rates (RRs) of 20 and 35%, under various conditions of soaking temperature and incubation time, which provide 42 unique specimens. The microstructures of CD and annealed materials are characterized by using the electron backscatter diffraction method. X-Ray diffraction analysis alongside scanning electron microscopy linked with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy are also employed to scrutinize the precipitation of any secondary phases, morphologies, and the related chemical compositions. Two different corrosive chlorinated and acidic electrolyte solutions are used for the potentiostatic-based corrosion tests to investigate the passivation kinetics. The results show that the higher RR, which provides faster recrystallization, results in a higher scale of non-hardenable materials. In addition, the effects of RR and annealing conditions are found to have an impact on the corrosion resistance. Moreover, the material exhibits varied behavior in terms of both passivation layer formation as the immersion in the sulfuric acid electrolyte solution (SAES) and active electrochemical behavior immersing in sodium chloride electrolyte solution (SCES). However, this material shows lower corrosion current density and higher corrosion potential in the SCES compared to the SAES medium. The comprehensive findings underscore the intricate relationship between reduction rates, annealing conditions, microstructural evolution, and corrosion behavior in this FSS. The observed trends provide valuable insights for optimizing material performance and corrosion resistance in practical applications.

Graphical abstract
Machine learning for multi-dimensional performance optimization and predictive modelling of nanopowder-mixed electric discharge machining (EDM)
Authors: Sana Muhammad , Asad Muhammad , Farooq Muhammad Umar , Anwar Saqib , Talha Muhammad
Published: January 2024

Aluminium 6061 (Al6061) is a widely used material for various industrial applications due to low density and high strength. Nevertheless, the conventional machining operations are not the best choice for the machining purposes. Therefore, amongst all the non-conventional machining operations, electric discharge machining (EDM) is opted to carry out the research due to its wide ability to cut the materials. But the high electrode wear rate (EWR) and high dimensional inaccuracy or overcut (OC) of EDM limit its usage. Consequently, nanopowder is added to the dielectric medium to address the abovementioned issues. Nanopowder mixed EDM (NPMEDM) process is a complex process in terms of performance predictability for different materials. Similarly, the interactions between the process parameters such as peak current (Ip), spark voltage (Sv), pulse on time (Pon) and powder concentration (Cp) in dielectric enhance the parametric sensitivity. In addition, the cryogenic treatment (CT) of electrodes makes the process complex limiting conventional simulation approaches for modelling inter-relationships. An alternative approach requires experimental exploration and systematic investigation to model EWR and overcutting problems of EDM. Thus, artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used for predictive modelling of the process which are integrated with multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) for parametric optimization. The approach uses experimental data based on response surface methodology (RSM) design of experiments. Moreover, the process physics is thoroughly discussed with parametric effect analysis supported with evidence of microscopic images, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D surface topographic images. Based on multi-dimensional optimization results, the NT brass electrode showed an improvement of 65.02% in EWR and 59.73% in OC using deionized water. However, CT brass electrode showed 78.41% reduction in EWR and 67.79% improved dimensional accuracy in deionized water. In addition to that, CT brass electrode gave 27.69% less EWR and 81.40% improved OC in deionized water compared to kerosene oil.
Deep transformer-based personalized dosimetry from SPECT/CT images: a hybrid approach for [177Lu]Lu-DOTATATE radiopharmaceutical therapy
Authors: Mansouri Zahra , Salimi Yazdan , Akhavanallaf Azadeh , Shiri Isaac , Teixeira Eliluane Pirazzo Andrade , Hou Xinchi , Beauregard Jean-Mathieu , Rahmim Arman , Zaidi Habib
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Accurate dosimetry is critical for ensuring the safety and efficacy of radiopharmaceutical therapies. In current clinical dosimetry practice, MIRD formalisms are widely employed. However, with the rapid advancement of deep learning (DL) algorithms, there has been an increasing interest in leveraging the calculation speed and automation capabilities for different tasks. We aimed to develop a hybrid transformer-based deep learning (DL) model that incorporates a multiple voxelS-value (MSV) approach for voxel-level dosimetry in [177Lu]Lu-DOTATATE therapy. The goal was to enhance the performance of the model to achieve accuracy levels closely aligned with Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, considered as the standard of reference. We extended our analysis to include MIRD formalisms (SSV and MSV), thereby conducting a comprehensive dosimetry study.

Methods

We used a dataset consisting of 22 patients undergoing up to 4 cycles of [177Lu]Lu-DOTATATE therapy. MC simulations were used to generate reference absorbed dose maps. In addition, MIRD formalism approaches, namely, singleS-value (SSV) and MSV techniques, were performed. A UNEt TRansformer (UNETR) DL architecture was trained using five-fold cross-validation to generate MC-based dose maps. Co-registered CT images were fed into the network as input, whereas the difference between MC and MSV (MC-MSV) was set as output. DL results are then integrated to MSV to revive the MC dose maps. Finally, the dose maps generated by MSV, SSV, and DL were quantitatively compared to the MC reference at both voxel level and organ level (organs at risk and lesions).

Results

The DL approach showed slightly better performance (voxel relative absolute error (RAE) = 5.28 ± 1.32) compared to MSV (voxel RAE = 5.54 ± 1.4) and outperformed SSV (voxel RAE = 7.8 ± 3.02). Gamma analysis pass rates were 99.0 ± 1.2%, 98.8 ± 1.3%, and 98.7 ± 1.52% for DL, MSV, and SSV approaches, respectively. The computational time for MC was the highest (~2 days for a single-bed SPECT study) compared to MSV, SSV, and DL, whereas the DL-based approach outperformed the other approaches in terms of time efficiency (3 s for a single-bed SPECT). Organ-wise analysis showed absolute percent errors of 1.44 ± 3.05%, 1.18 ± 2.65%, and 1.15 ± 2.5% for SSV, MSV, and DL approaches, respectively, in lesion-absorbed doses.

Conclusion

A hybrid transformer-based deep learning model was developed for fast and accurate dose map generation, outperforming the MIRD approaches, specifically in heterogenous regions. The model achieved accuracy close to MC gold standard and has potential for clinical implementation for use on large-scale datasets.
Early port site and peritoneal metastasis following robot-assisted radical cystectomy: a rare case report
Authors: Tripathi Shashank , Bhirud Deepak Prakash , Singh Mahendra , Singh Vikram , Choudhary Gautam Ram , Navriya Shivcharan , Jena Rahul , Sandhu Arjun Singh
Published: January 2024

Radical cystectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection is the recommended treatment for managing muscle-invasive carcinoma of the urinary bladder. Early recurrence is observed in only about 4.1% of cases. Port-site metastasis following robot-assisted radical cystectomy is extremely rare. We encountered a challenging and a rare case of bladder cancer that manifested with port-site and peritoneal metastasis within 6 weeks of surgery.
Chemical composition of four essential oils and their adulticidal, repellence, and field oviposition deterrence activities against Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Farag Shaimaa M. , Moustafa Moataz A. M. , Fónagy Adrien , Kamel Omnia M. H. M. , Abdel-Haleem Doaa R.
Published: January 2024

Effective mosquito repellents can limit the transmission of vector-borne diseases to humans. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop mosquito control strategies that prioritize eco-friendly and cost-effective repellents. Essential oils (EOs) have enormous potential for mosquito repellency. Here, cinnamon, basil, eucalyptus, and peppermint EOs were investigated for adulticide and repellency properties against Culex pipiens as well on the oviposition behavior of gravid females from laboratory (lab test) and field (field test) populations. Cinnamon oil was an effective oviposition deterrent regardless of the population and had high adulticidal activity with toxicity index of 75.00% at 24 h of exposure, relative to deltamethrin. In addition, it exhibited effective repellency at 98.01% and 71.22% at 6.67 and 1.71 µl/cm2, respectively. Peppermint oil had the least adulticidal activity with toxicity index of 6.2% at 24 h, and it resulted in low repellency at 70.90% and 50.64% at 6.67 and 1.71 µl/cm2, respectively. On average, basil and eucalyptus oils showed some adulticidal efficiency, repellency, and oviposition deterrent activity. For all treatments, the oviposition deterrent index values of gravid females from natural populations (field test) were lower than those from lab-reared (lab test) females. Different ratios of monoterpenoids, phenylpropanoids, and fatty acids in the EOs tested likely account for the activity variations observed. Our results suggest cinnamon, basil, eucalyptus, and peppermint EOs, which are widely available, economical, and eco-friendly, with good potential for mosquito control strategies.
LSVT® BIG versus progressive structured mobility training through synchronous telerehabilitation in Parkinson’s disease: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Kaya Aytutuldu Guzin , Ersoz Huseyinsinoglu Burcu , Karagoz Sakalli Nazan , Sen Aysu , Yeldan Ipek
Published: January 2024

Background

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative illness associated with motor symptoms.

Aim

The aim of study was to compare the effects of synchronous telerehabilitation-based Lee Silverman Voice Treatment® BIG (LSVT® BIG) protocol and progressive structured mobility training in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Methods

Thirty-two patients diagnosed with PD (aged 40–72 years, Hoehn-Yahr stage 1–3) were randomly allocated into LSVT® BIG (Group 1) and Progressive Structured Mobility Training (Group 2) groups. Exercises were performed in both groups for 60 min a day, 4 days a week, for 4 weeks under the supervision of a physiotherapist with synchronous online videoconference method. Dynamic balance was assessed with Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) as a primary outcome measure. The secondary outcome measurements were Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), spatiotemporal parameters of gait from Kinovea® software, and postural stability from the Biodex Balance System. Other outcome measures were Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale-Short Form (ABC-SF), Parkinson’s Activity Scale (PAS), and Parkinson’s Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQ-39).

Results

This study showed significant group-by-time interactions on Mini-BEST (p = 0.042), ABC-SF (p = 0.029), and PAS (p = 0.022) in favor of group 1. Also, TUG (p < 0.01), spatiotemporal parameters of gait (p < 0.01), and PDQ-39 (p < 0.01) were improved in both groups.

Conclusion

Both synchronous telerehabilitation-based exercise protocols enhanced balance and gait, as well as activity level and quality of life in patients with PD. LSVT® BIG may be preferred to improve dynamic balance, balance confidence, and activity status in the early stages of PD. These results should be confirmed in future studies with more robust methodology.

Trial registration

NCT04694872.
Dual frames compensating for erasures—a non-canonical case
Authors: Arambašić Ljiljana , Stoeva Diana
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we study the problem of recovering a signal from frame coefficients with erasures. Suppose that erased coefficients are indexed by a finite set E. Starting from a frame $$(x_n)_{n=1}^\infty $$

(

x
n

)

n
=
1

∞

and its arbitrary dual frame, we give sufficient conditions for constructing a dual frame of $$(x_n)_{n\in E^c}$$

(

x
n

)

n
∈

E
c

so that the perfect reconstruction can be obtained from the preserved frame coefficients. The work is motivated by methods using the canonical dual frame of $$(x_n)_{n=1}^\infty $$

(

x
n

)

n
=
1

∞

, which however do not extend automatically to the case when the canonical dual is replaced with another dual frame. The differences between the cases when the starting dual frame is the canonical dual and when it is not the canonical dual are investigated. We also give several ways of computing a dual of the reduced frame, among which we are the most interested in the iterative procedure for computing this dual frame.
The impacts of non-native watercress in Oklahoma spring ecosystems
Authors: Bergey Elizabeth A.
Published: January 2024

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) has spread widely from Europe and commonly occurs in Oklahoma (USA) springs. Watercress is usually an emergent plant and affects water flow patterns and may provide habitat for biota. Although watercress is not considered an invasive species, its impacts in springs have not been reported. With a goal to describe possible impacts of watercress in springs, 14 karst-associated springs (12 with watercress) were surveyed for sediment characteristics, macroinvertebrates, and diatoms in July 2021. The effects of watercress were evident. Sediment particle size was unaffected by the presence of watercress but sediment organic matter was higher under watercress beds than outside of beds. Although there was no difference in total benthic macroinvertebrate density or richness, higher organic matter was associated with slightly higher abundances of detritivorous and predatory macroinvertebrates (SIMPER). Submerged portions of watercress had significantly much lower diatom density than other spring substrates, with diatom composition similar to other plants but different from that of rocks. Self-shading or possible allelopathy may cause the low diatom density. The significantly lower macroinvertebrate density within watercress mats relative to that of other plants may result from a reduced food source because the plant’s low diatom density. Only predatory damselflies were more common in watercress than in other plants, which had more abundant grazers. Although watercress can increase heterogeneity in sediments and is sometimes valued as an edible plant, watercress supports low algal and macroinvertebrate densities, such that extensive growth of watercress can have an overall negative impact on spring ecosystems.
KGTN-ens: few-shot image classification with knowledge graph ensembles
Authors: Filipiak Dominik , Fensel Anna , Filipowska Agata
Published: January 2024

We propose KGTN-ens, a framework extending the recent Knowledge Graph Transfer Network (KGTN) in order to incorporate multiple knowledge graph embeddings at a small cost. There are many real-world scenarios in which the amount of data is severely limited (e.g. health industry, rare anomalies). Prior knowledge can be used to tackle this task. In KGTN, one can use a single knowledge source at once. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of combining multiple knowledge sources. We evaluate it with different embeddings in a few-shot image classification task. Our model is partially trained on $$k \in \{ 1, 2, 5, 10\}$$

k
∈
{
1
,
2
,
5
,
10
}

samples. We also construct a new knowledge source – Wikidata embeddings – and evaluate it with KGTN and KGTN-ens. With ResNet50, our approach outperforms KGTN in terms of the top-5 accuracy on the ImageNet-FS dataset for the majority of tested settings. For $$k \in \{ 1, 2, 5, 10\}$$

k
∈
{
1
,
2
,
5
,
10
}

respectively, we obtained +0.63/+0.58/+0.43/+0.26 pp. (novel classes) and +0.26/+0.25/+0.32/–0.04 pp. (all classes).
circGRHPR inhibits aberrant epithelial-mesenchymal transformation progression of lung epithelial cells associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Wu Wensi , Wang Zhi , Zhang Huiying , Zhang Xiaojun , Tian Hui
Published: January 2024

Air pollution has greatly increased the risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to play a significant role in the advancement of IPF, but there is limited evidence of correlation between circRNAs and lung epithelial cells (LECs) in IPF. This research aimed to explore the influence of circRNAs on the regulation of EMT progression in LECs, with the objective of elucidating its mechanism and establishing its association with IPF. Our results suggested that the downregulation of circGRHPR in peripheral blood of clinical cases was associated with the diagnosis of IPF. Meanwhile, we found that circGRHPR was downregulated in transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1)–induced A549 and Beas-2b cells. It is a valid model to study the abnormal EMT progression of IPF-associated LECs in vitro. The overexpression of circGRHPR inhibited the abnormal EMT progression of TGF-β1-induced LECs. Furthermore, as the sponge of miR-665, circGRHPR released the expression of E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase NEDD4-like (NEDD4L), thus promoting its downstream transforming growth factor beta receptor 2 (TGFBR2) ubiquitination. It is helpful to reduce the response of LECs to TGF-β1 signaling. In summary, circGRHPR/miR-665/NEDD4L axis inhibited the abnormal EMT progression of TGF-β1-induced LECs by promoting TGFBR2 ubiquitination, which provides new ideas and potential targets for the treatment of IPF.

Graphical Abstract

Graphical headlights

1. Downregulation of circGRHPR in peripheral blood is associated with clinical diagnosis of IPF.

2. circGRHPR inhibits the abnormal EMT progression of TGF-β1-induced LECs in vitro.

3. circGRHPR/miR-665/NEDD4L axis inhibits the abnormal EMT progression of TGF-β1-induced LECs by promoting ubiquitination of TGFBR2 in vitro.
TFEB and TFE3 cooperate in regulating inorganic arsenic-induced autophagy-lysosome impairment and immuno-dysfunction in primary dendritic cells
Authors: Xu Guowei , Peng Huaguang , Yao Ran , Yang Yuqing , Li Bing
Published: January 2024

Arsenic (As) is a prevalent and hazardous environmental toxicant associated with cancer and various health problems, which has been shown suppressive effects on dendritic cells (DCs). Autophagy is essential for the innate and adaptive immune responses of DCs, and the transcription factors TFEB and TFE3 are key regulators of autophagic and lysosomal target genes. However, the detrimental alterations of the autophagy-lysosome pathway in As-exposed DCs and the possible coordinating roles of TFEB and TFE3 in the immune dysfunction of this cell are less understood. In this paper, we found that As exposure significantly impaired lysosomal number, lysosomal acidic environment, and lysosomal membrane permeabilization, which might lead to blocked autophagic flux in cultured DCs. Furthermore, our results confirmed that TFEB or TFE3 knockdown exacerbated the disorders of lysosome and the blockade of autophagic flux in As-exposed DCs, and also enhanced the inhibitory expression of co-stimulatory molecules Cd80 and Cd83; adhesion molecule Icam1; cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6; chemokine receptor Ccr7; and antigen-presenting molecules MHC II and MHC I. By contrast, overexpression of TFEB or TFE3 partially alleviated the above-mentioned impairment of DCs by inorganic As exposure. In conclusion, these findings reveal a previously unappreciated inhibition of lysosome-mediated degradation and damage of lysosomal membrane integrity leading to dysregulated autophagy and impaired immune functions of DCs by arsenicals, and also suggest TFEB and TFE3 as potential therapeutic targets for ameliorating As toxicity.

Graphical abstract
POU6F1 promotes ferroptosis by increasing lncRNA-CASC2 transcription to regulate SOCS2/SLC7A11 signaling in gastric cancer
Authors: Wang Jingyun , Jia Qiaoyu , Jiang Shuqin , Lu Wenquan , Ning Hanbing
Published: January 2024

Objective

This study investigated the effect and mechanism of POU6F1 and lncRNA-CASC2 on ferroptosis of gastric cancer (GC) cells.

Methods

GC cells treated with erastin and RSL3 were detected for ferroptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and cell viability. The expression levels of POU6F1, lncRNA-CASC2, SOCS2, and ferroptosis-related molecules (GPX4 and SLC7A11) were also measured. The regulations among POU6F1, lncRNA-CASC2, FMR1, SOCS2, and SLC7A11 were determined. Subcutaneous tumor models were established, in which the expressions of Ki-67, SOCS2, and GPX4 were detected by immunohistochemistry.

Results

GC patients with decreased expressions of POU6F1 and lncRNA-CASC2 had lower survival rate. Overexpression of POU6F1 or lncRNA-CASC2 decreased cell proliferation and GSH levels in GC cells, in addition to increasing total iron, Fe2+, MDA, and ROS levels. POU6F1 directly binds to the lncRNA-CASC2 promoter to promote its transcription. LncRNA-CASC2 can target FMR1 and increase SOCS2 mRNA stability to promote SLC7A11 ubiquitination degradation and activate ferroptosis signaling. Knockdown of SOCS2 inhibited the ferroptosis sensitivity of GC cells and reversed the effects of POU6F1 and lncRNA-CASC2 overexpression on ferroptosis in GC cells.

Conclusion

Transcription factor POU6F1 binds directly to the lncRNA-CASC2 promoter to promote its expression, while upregulated lncRNA-CASC2 increases SOCS2 stability and expression by targeting FMR1, thereby inhibiting SLC7A11 signaling to promote ferroptosis in GC cells and inhibit GC progression.
Establishing Quality and Outcome Measures for Recovery Housing: A Tiered Approach Supporting Service Evolution
Authors: Thompson Robin A. , Johnson David , Ashworth Madison , Stott Milena
Published: January 2024

With over one-hundred thousand drug overdose deaths in 2021, substance use disorder (SUD) is a public health crisis in the United States. Medical stabilization has been the predominant focus of SUD interventions despite low levels of retention. Consequently, national quality measures for SUD care outside the clinical continuity of care are limited. The expansion of recovery support services addressing social drivers of health outside clinical settings is needed. The current SUD quality measures are not applicable nor feasible for recovery support service providers with limited resource capacities, like the estimated 17,900 recovery housing providers nationwide. Despite widespread support for recovery housing and its documented effectiveness, no universal set of measures has been developed for widespread adoption. In this brief, a matrix of quality measures are proposed to meet the needs of recovery housing providers with various capacities to support service evolution and improve equitable SUD treatment and recovery care.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Entrée or Sampler? A Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Approaches to Single Session Internet-Based Interventions
Authors: Bartels Graham C. , Cheavens Jennifer S. , Strunk Daniel R.
Published: January 2024

Background

Interventions teaching cognitive-behavioral skills feature prominently among evidence-based treatments for emotional disorders. However, the relative impact of interventions that teach one cognitive-behavioral skill in-depth (i.e., an entrée intervention) versus those that provide limited coverage of multiple skills (i.e., a sampler intervention) remains unclear. In this study, we compared these two approaches using unguided single-session internet-based cognitive-behavioral interventions.

Methods

A total of 657 participants living in the U.S. with elevated depressive symptoms were randomly assigned to the entrée, sampler, or no-intervention control conditions. The entrée approach focused in-depth on developing one skill and the sampler condition introduced three skills. Both interventions lasted approximately 30 min. All participants completed measures of depressive symptoms, loneliness, and coping skill use and quality before the intervention and a week after the intervention.

Results

There were no condition differences in change in depressive symptoms, coping skill usage, coping skill quality, or loneliness. Those in the sampler condition were less likely to drop out than those in the entrée condition. In addition, condition differences were moderated by initial depressive symptom severity, such that among the more severely depressed the sampler condition led to greater symptom reduction than the entrée and control conditions.

Conclusions

We did not find overall differences between the entrée, sampler, and control conditions on primary outcomes. Nonetheless, the differences that did emerge suggest offering a variety of skills improves retention and provides greater relief for those with high initial depressive symptom severity in single-session internet-based interventions.

Clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT04643964, registered on 11/12/2020.
Compositional non-blockingness verification of finite automata with prioritised events
Authors: Tang Yiheng , Moor Thomas
Published: January 2024

This paper addresses the verification of non-blockingness for modular discrete-event systems, i.e., discrete-event systems that are composed from component models. For such systems, the explicit construction of a monolithic representation turns out intractable for relevant applications, since such a construction in general is of exponential cost w.r.t. the number of components. One well established approach to circumvent the need for a monolithic representation for the verification task at hand is to alternate (a) the substitution of individual components by abstractions and (b) the composition of only a small number of strategically chosen components at a time. When successful, one ends up with a single moderately sized automaton which does not represent the overall behaviour in any detail but which does block if and only if the original modular system fails to be non-conflicting. This approach is referred to as compositional verification and originates from the field of process algebra with more recent adaptations to finite automata models. The main contribution of the present study is the development of a number of abstraction rules valid for compositional verification of non-conflictingness in the presence of global event priorities, i.e., where high priority events from one component possibly preempt events with lower priority of all components.
Factors influencing student teachers’ intention to use mobile augmented reality in primary science teaching
Authors: Nikou Stavros A.
Published: January 2024

Thanks to the advancement of mobile technologies, Augmented Reality (AR) has become broadly accessible through mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Mobile Augmented Reality can benefit science education in a variety of ways. However, except from some sporadic experimental cases, it is rather rarely employed by teachers and has not yet been fully introduced in education. Moreover, little research exists about the adoption behavior of mobile AR by pre-service teachers. Against this background, the current study proposes and validates an integrated adoption model to explain and predict the factors that significantly influence student teachers’ intentions to use mobile AR in teaching primary science. The study also introduces two new constructs, Perceived Immersion and Perceived Educational Value in the context of mobile AR. Eighty-nine undergraduate pre-service primary school teachers participated in a mobile augmented reality workshop creating mobile augmented reality experiences for teaching physics to primary school pupils. Following that, student teachers answered an online survey. The quantitative survey data was analysed using structural equation modelling. The study confirmed the proposed model explaining and predicting approximately 72% of the variance of student teachers’ Behavioral Intention to Use mobile AR to teach primary science. Perceived Immersion and Perceived Educational Value significantly influence Behavioral Intention to Use after being mediated by Perceived Usefulness. The study offers insight into the factors influencing pre-service primary teachers’ intentions to utilise mobile augmented reality (AR) in their future lessons, which is relevant given the growing interest in utilising these technologies in education. Implications are discussed.
Trapped in Place? Ethnic and Educational Heterogeneity in Residential Mobility and Integration of Young Adults in Brussels
Authors: Imeraj Lena , Gadeyne Sylvie
Published: January 2024

Spatial assimilation theory asserts that immigrants’ socioeconomic progress leads to residential adaptation and integration. This association has proven robust in USA and European urban areas through much of the twentieth century, but drastic change of ethnic and class compositions yet persistent (neighbourhood) inequality in the urban landscape urge us to reconsider the dynamic interaction between stability and change. In this study, we investigate to what extent education shapes residential mobility differently for young adults with varying ethnic and social origins. Focussing on Brussels, we use multinomial logistic regressions on linked longitudinal population-based censuses from 1991 and 2001 and register data for the period 2001–2006. Analyses show that dispersal away from poor inner-city neighbourhoods appears least likely for the offspring of poor low-educated non-Western households, regardless of their own educational attainment. While our approach roughly confirms traditional arguments of socio-spatial integration, it also reveals how educational success generates opportunities to escape poor neighbourhoods for some but not for others. With this, it points at the subtle ways in which factors and mechanisms in traditional spatial assimilation theory affect residential behaviour of young adults over their life course, at the intersection of specific locales, ethnic groups, social classes and generations.
Extremes for stationary regularly varying random fields over arbitrary index sets
Authors: Passeggeri Riccardo , Wintenberger Olivier
Published: January 2024

We consider the clustering of extremes for stationary regularly varying random fields over arbitrary growing index sets. We study sufficient assumptions on the index set such that the limit of the point processes of the exceedances above a high threshold exists. Under the so-called anti-clustering condition, the extremal dependence is only local. Thus the index set can have a general form compared to previous literature (Basrak and Planinić in Bernoulli 27(2):1371–1408, 2021; Stehr and Rønn-Nielsen in Extremes 24(4):753–795, 2021). However, we cannot describe the clustering of extreme values in terms of the usual spectral tail measure (Wu and Samorodnitsky in Stochastic Process Appl 130(7):4470–4492, 2020) except for hyperrectangles or index sets in the lattice case. Using the recent extension of the spectral measure for star-shaped equipped space (Segers et al. in Extremes 20:539–566, 2017), the $$\Upsilon$$
Υ
-spectral tail measure provides a natural extension that describes the clustering effect in full generality.
Breast density in NF1 women: a retrospective study
Authors: De Santis R. , Cagnoli G. , Rinaldi B. , Consonni D. , Conti Beatrice , Eoli M. , Liguori A. , Cosentino M. , Carrafiello G. , Garrone O. , Giroda M. , Cesaretti C. , Sfondrini M.S. , Gambini D. , Natacci F.
Published: January 2024

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant condition caused by neurofibromin haploinsufficiency due to pathogenic variants in the NF1 gene. Tumor predisposition has long been associated with NF1, and an increased breast cancer (BC) incidence and reduced survival have been reported in recent years for women with NF1. As breast density is another known independent risk factor for BC, this study aims to evaluate the variability of breast density in patients with NF1 compared to the general population. Mammograms from 98 NF1 women affected by NF1, and enrolled onto our monocentric BC screening program, were compared with those from 300 healthy subjects to verify differences in breast density. Mammograms were independently reviewed and scored by a radiologist and using a Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) software. The comparison of breast density between NF1 patients and controls was performed through Chi-squared test and with multivariable ordinal logistic models adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), number of pregnancies, and menopausal status.breast density was influenced by BMI and menopausal status in both NF1 patients and healthy subjects. No difference in breast density was observed between NF1 patients and the healthy female population, even after considering the potential confounding factors.Although NF1 and a highly fibroglandular breast are known risk factors of BC, in this study, NF1 patients were shown to have comparable breast density to healthy subjects. The presence of pathogenic variants in the NF1 gene does not influence the breast density value.
The role of an Ascophyllum nodosum extract in lowering the environmental impact and improving nitrogen use efficiency in pasture systems under a reduced nitrogen regime
Authors: Quille Patrick , Kacprzyk Joanna , O’Connell Shane , Ng Carl K.-Y.
Published: January 2024

Nitrogen is a macronutrient that is applied in substantial amounts as a chemical fertiliser to conventional agricultural systems. However, loss of nitrogen from agricultural systems to the environment, in the form of gases (N2O) and leachate (NO3), is detrimental to the environment. As such, improving the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crops is an essential component of sustainable agriculture. Biostimulants are a category of products that improve NUE when applied to crops and/or soil. Here, we examined the effects of PSI-362, an Ascophyllum nodosum biostimulant mixed with and applied on calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) granules, on grass yield, quality traits, and environmental impacts in lysimeter trials under natural weather conditions. By using PSI-362, it was possible to reduce nitrogen application by 25% without a significant loss in yield compared to a conventional 100% N system. We also observed an increase in NUE under a 75% N with PSI-362 co-application fertilisation regime, and a significant increase in crude protein content compared to the 100% N fertilisation controls. Furthermore, this reduced nitrogen application also resulted in reduced nitrogen loss through leachate (NO3) and N2O to the atmosphere. The total NUE for PSI-362 + fertiliser granules ranged from 58.7% to 78.6% depending on the biostimulant dose, which was significantly better than the fertiliser alone. Our results showed that this biostimulant, which can easily be incorporated into conventional agronomic practices, allows for a more sustainable approach to pasture-based systems.
High-temperature sensitivity complex dielectric/electric modulus, loss tangent, and AC conductivity in Au/(S:DLC)/p-Si (MIS) structures
Authors: Tataroglu A. , Durmuş H. , Vahid A. Feizollahi , Avar B. , Altındal Ş.
Published: January 2024

Complex dielectric (ε* = ε′ − jε″)/electric modulus (M* = M′ + jM″), loss tangent (tanδ), and ac conductivity (σac) properties of Au/(S-DLC)/p-Si structures were investigated by utilizing admittance/impedance measurements between 80 and 440 K at 0.1 and 0.5 MHz. Sulfur-doped diamond-like carbon (S:DLC) was used an interlayer at Au/p-Si interface utilizing electrodeposition method. The capacitance/conductance (C/G) or (ε' ~ C) and (ε″ ~ G) values found to be highly dependent on both frequency and temperature. The increase of them with temperatures was attributed to the thermal-activated electronic charges localized at interface states (Nss) and decrease in bandgap energy of semiconductor. The observed high ε′ and ε″ values at 0.1 MHz is the result of the space/dipole polarization and Nss. Because the charges are at low frequencies, dipoles have sufficient time to rotation yourself in the direction of electric field and Nss can easily follow the ac signal. Arrhenius plot (ln(σac) vs 1/T) shows two distinctive linear parts and activation energy (Ea) value was found as 5.78 and 189.41 from the slope; this plot at 0.5 MHz is corresponding to low temperature (80–230 K) and high temperature (260–440 K), respectively. The observed higher Ea and ε′ (~ 14 even at 100 kHz) show that hopping of electronic charges from traps to others is predominant charge transport mechanism and the prepared Au/(S:DLC)/p-Si structure can be used to store more energy.
Spatial earnings inequality
Authors: Schluter Christian , Trede Mark
Published: January 2024

Earnings inequality in Germany has increased dramatically. Measuring inequality locally at the level of cities annually since 1985, we find that behind this development is the rapidly worsening inequality in the largest cities, driven by increasing earnings polarisation. In the cross-section, local earnings inequality rises substantially in city size, and this city-size inequality penalty has increased steadily since 1985, reaching an elasticity of .2 in 2010. Inequality decompositions reveal that overall earnings inequality is almost fully explained by the within-locations component, which in turn is driven by the largest cities. The worsening inequality in the largest cities is amplified by their greater population weight. Examining the local earnings distributions directly reveals that this is due to increasing earnings polarisation that is strongest in the largest places. Both upper and lower distributional tails become heavier over time, and are the heaviest in the largest cities. We establish these results using a large and spatially representative administrative data set, and address the top-coding problem in these data using a parametric distribution approach that outperforms standard imputations.
The TES-based Cryogenic AntiCoincidence Detector (CryoAC) of ATHENA X-IFU: A Large Area Silicon Microcalorimeter for Background Particles Detection
Authors: D’Andrea M. , Macculi C. , Lotti S. , Piro L. , Argan A. , Minervini G. , Torrioli G. , Chiarello F. , Ferrari Barusso L. , Celasco E. , Gallucci G. , Gatti F. , Grosso D. , Rigano M. , Brienza D. , Cavazzuti E. , Volpe A.
Published: January 2024

We are developing the Cryogenic AntiCoincidence detector (CryoAC) of the ATHENA X-IFU spectrometer. It is a TES-based particle detector aimed to reduce the background of the instrument. Here, we present the result obtained with the last CryoAC single-pixel prototype. It is based on a 1 cm2 silicon absorber sensed by a single 2 mm × 1 mm Ir/Au TES, featuring an on-chip heater for calibration and diagnostic purposes. We have illuminated the sample with 55Fe (6 keV line) and 241Am (60 keV line) radioactive sources, thus studying the detector response and the heater calibration accuracy at low energy. Furthermore, we have operated the sample in combination with a past-generation CryoAC prototype. Here, by analyzing the coincident detections between the two detectors, we have been able to characterize the background spectrum of the laboratory environment and disentangle the primary (i.e. cosmic muons) and secondaries (mostly secondary photons and electrons) signatures in the spectral shape.
Craniometric variation and taxonomic boundaries in the Madras Treeshrew (Scandentia, Tupaiidae: Anathana ellioti [Waterhouse, 1850]) from India
Authors: Juman Maya M. , Olson Link E. , Sargis Eric J.
Published: January 2024

The Madras Treeshrew, Anathana ellioti (Waterhouse, 1850), is a small, poorly studied mammal from South Asia. It is the only treeshrew found across the southern half of the Indian subcontinent and is the westernmost member of its order (Scandentia). The phylogenetic relationship between Anathana and its putative sister genus, Tupaia, remains unresolved, and the morphological differences between these two genera have yet to be analyzed with craniometric data. Here we describe some features that distinguish Anathana from other treeshrews. However, our comparative morphometric analyses reveal that Anathana overlaps with Tupaia in morphospace; it is smaller than most species (including the only other species found on the Indian mainland, T. belangeri) but larger than T. minor, Dendrogale melanura, and Ptilocercus lowii. At the infraspecific level, there is some separation between eastern and western populations, but this requires further investigation with larger sample sizes. Unfortunately, Anathana is disproportionately scarce in museum collections relative to other scandentians, and additional biological surveys across South India will be critical for future research on the taxonomy, distribution, and conservation of this elusive taxon.
Macrophages regulate healing-associated fibroblasts in diabetic wound
Authors: Xiao Yu , Qian Jieqi , Deng Xiaohui , Zhang Huifeng , Wang Jiancheng , Luo Zhijun , Zhu Lingyan
Published: January 2024

Background

Recovery from a foot ulcer is compromised in a diabetic status, due to the impaired tissue microenvironment that consists of altered inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrosis. Phenotypic alterations in both macrophages and fibroblasts have been detected in the diabetic wound. Recently, a fibroblast subpopulation that expresses high matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), MMP3, MMP11 and Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 (CHI3L1) was associated with a successful diabetic wound healing. However, it is not known whether these healing-associated fibroblasts are regulated by macrophages.

Methods and Results

We used bioinformatic tools to analyze selected public databases on normal and diabetic skin from patients, and identified genes significantly altered in diabetes. In a mouse model for diabetic wound healing, we detected not only a loss of the spatiotemporal changes in interleukin 1β (IL1β), IL6, IL10 and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in wound macrophages, but also a compromised expression of MMP1, MMP3, MMP11, CHI3L1 and VEGF-A in healing-associated wound fibroblasts in a diabetic status. Co-culture with diabetic macrophages significantly reduced the expression of MMP1, MMP3, MMP11, CHI3L1 and VEGF-A in fibroblasts from non-diabetic wound. Co-culture with non-diabetic macrophages or diabetic macrophages supplied with IL6 significantly increased the expression of MMP1, MMP3, MMP11, CHI3L1 and VEGF-A in fibroblasts from diabetic wound. Moreover, macrophage-specific expression of IL6 significantly improved wound healing and angiogenesis in diabetic mice.

Conclusions

Macrophages may induce the activation of wound-healing-associated fibroblasts, while the defective macrophages in diabetes may be corrected with IL6 treatment as a promising therapy for diabetic foot disease.
NUNI-Waste: novel semi-supervised semantic segmentation waste classification with non-uniform data augmentation
Authors: Qi Jianchun , Nguyen Minh , Yan Wei Qi
Published: January 2024

Waste categorization and recycling are critical approaches for converting waste into valuable and functional materials, thereby significantly aiding in land preservation, reducing pollution, and optimizing resource usages. However, real-world classification and identification of recyclable waste face substantial hurdles due to the intricate and unpredictable nature of wastes, as well as the limited availability of comprehensive waste datasets. These factors limit efficacy of the existing research work in the domain of waste management. In this paper, we utilize semantic segmentation at individual pixel level and introduce a semi-supervised metod for authentic waste classification scenarios, leveraging the Zerowaste dataset. We devise a non-standard data augmentation strategy that mimics the ever-changing conditions of real-world waste environments. Additionally, we introduce an adaptive weighted loss function and dynamically adjust the ratio of positive to negative samples through a masking method, ensuring the model learns from relevant samples. Lastly, to maintain consistency between predictions made on data-augmented images and the original counterparts, we remove input perturbations. Our method proves to be effective, as verified by an array of standard experiments and ablation studies, achieved an accuracy improvement of 3.74% over the baseline Zerowaste method.
Type-shifting in headless relative clauses
Authors: Little Carol Rose , AnderBois Scott , Coon Jessica
Published: January 2024

Research on the (in)definiteness of bare nouns has developed various proposals regarding which type-shifters exist in human language and which principles are needed to govern their distribution (Carlson 1977; Partee 1987; Chierchia 1998; Dayal 2004; i.a.). At the same time, literature on headless relative clauses (HRCs), primarily focusing on free relatives (FRs) in Indo-European languages, has also developed type-shifting principles (Jacobson 1995; Caponigro 2003, 2004). The type-shifting principles from the FR literature, however, are fundamentally different than those found in proposals for bare nouns. Here, we present case studies from two Mayan languages which diverge from one another in the behavior of bare nouns, and which possess several different kinds of headless relative clauses. We show that “super-free relative clauses” (Caponigro et al. 2021; Caponigro 2022), which lack a wh-word, pattern in ways parallel to bare nouns in the respective languages. We also demonstrate that HRCs headed by a wh-word—i.e., FRs—diverge from bare nouns; they pattern similarly to one another across the languages under investigation, and in ways similar to what has been reported for FRs crosslinguistically. We provide evidence that there is a dedicated FR type-shifter (FR-ι) used as a post-syntactic mechanism to repair a type-mismatch at the CP level, building on work by Caponigro (2004). Our novel contribution is that this type-shifter is available regardless of the presence or absence of other type-shifters in a language. This paper adds new data to our understanding of the range and applicability of different definiteness-related type-shifters as well as captures certain typological tendencies regarding HRCs.
Error analysis of the exponential wave integrator sine pseudo-spectral method for the higher-order Boussinesq equation
Authors: Canak Melih Cem , Muslu Gulcin M.
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we derive a new exponential wave integrator sine pseudo-spectral (EWI-SP) method for the higher-order Boussinesq equation involving the higher-order effects of dispersion. The method is fully-explicit and it has fourth order accuracy in time and spectral accuracy in space. We rigorously carry out error analysis and establish error bounds in the Sobolev spaces. The performance of the EWI-SP method is illustrated by examining the long-time evolution of the single solitary wave, single wave splitting, and head-on collision of solitary waves. Numerical experiments confirm the theoretical results.
Nonparametric estimation of allocative efficiency using indirect production theory: Application to container ports in Norway
Authors: Rødseth Kenneth Løvold , Holmen Rasmus Bøgh , Kuosmanen Timo , Schøyen Halvor
Published: January 2024

Adaption to prices is an important feature of productivity development. This paper proposes an extension of the StoNED model to accommodate estimation of allocative efficiency. It demonstrates how indirect production theory is suited for assessing allocative efficiency and helps alleviating the curse of dimensionality for stochastic nonparametric estimators compared to conventional measures of allocative efficiency. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on the appropriate cost of capital for the estimation of allocative efficiency. The proposed model framework is utilized to study allocative efficiency of Norwegian container ports, thereby adding to the literature on seaport terminal efficiency studies.