bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Free‐breathing 2D radial cine MRI with respiratory auto‐calibrated motion correction (RAMCO)
Authors: Krishnamoorthy Guruprasad , Tourais Joao , Smink Jouke , Breeuwer Marcel , Kouwenhoven Marc
Published: November 2022

Purpose

To develop a free‐breathing (FB) 2D radial balanced steady‐state free precession cine cardiac MRI method with 100% respiratory gating efficiency using respiratory auto‐calibrated motion correction (RAMCO) based on a motion‐sensing camera.

Methods

The signal from a respiratory motion‐sensing camera was recorded during a FB retrospectively electrocardiogram triggered 2D radial balanced steady‐state free precession acquisition using pseudo–tiny‐golden‐angle ordering. With RAMCO, for each acquisition the respiratory signal was retrospectively auto‐calibrated by applying different linear translations, using the resulting in‐plane image sharpness as a criterium. The auto‐calibration determines the optimal magnitude of the linear translations for each of the in‐plane directions to minimize motion blurring caused by bulk respiratory motion. Additionally, motion‐weighted density compensation was applied during radial gridding to minimize through‐plane and non‐bulk motion blurring. Left ventricular functional parameters and sharpness scores of FB radial cine were compared with and without RAMCO, and additionally with conventional breath‐hold Cartesian cine on 9 volunteers.

Results

FB radial cine with RAMCO had similar sharpness scores as conventional breath‐hold Cartesian cine and the left ventricular functional parameters agreed. For FB radial cine, RAMCO reduced respiratory motion artifacts with a statistically significant difference in sharpness scores (P < 0.05) compared to reconstructions without motion correction.

Conclusion

2D radial cine imaging with RAMCO allows evaluation of left ventricular functional parameters in FB with 100% respiratory efficiency. It eliminates the need for breath‐holds, which is especially valuable for patients with no or impaired breath‐holding capacity. Validation of the proposed method on patients is warranted.
Effectiveness research in oncology with electronic health record data: A retrospective cohort study emulating the PALOMA‐2 trial
Authors: Merola David , Young Jessica , Schrag Deborah , Lin Kueiyu Joshua , Alwardt Sarah , Schneeweiss Sebastian
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Oncology electronic health record (EHR) databases have increased in quality and availability over the past decade, yet it remains unclear whether these clinical practice data can be used to conduct reliable comparative effectiveness studies. We sought to emulate a clinical trial with EHR data in the advanced breast cancer population and compare our results against the trial.

Methods

This cohort study used EHR data from US oncology practices. All elements of the study were defined to mimic the PALOMA‐2 trial as closely as possible. Patients with hormone‐positive, HER‐2 negative metastatic breast cancer with no prior treatment for metastatic disease were included. Patients initiating palbociclib and letrozole on the same day following the earliest record of metastasis were compared to those initiating letrozole only. The primary associational measure was the conditional hazard ratio for time‐to‐next treatment (TTNT). TTNT is well‐measured in our data source and amenable for calibration against the randomized study results of the PALOMA‐2 trial. We used multiple imputation for several patient characteristics with missing values.

Results

There were 3836 study‐eligible women with advanced breast cancer. The hazard ratio for TTNT in the observational study (HR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.56–0.68) was closely aligned with that of the randomized trial (HR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.52–0.78).

Conclusions

Under our assumptions on missing data and comparability of the two study populations, results from our non‐randomized study closely matched that of the randomized trial. Further studies are needed to determine whether EHR data can yield reliable conclusions on treatment effects in oncology.
Thyroid dysfunction in Down's syndrome secondary to risperidone
Authors: Shaddel Farshad , Lockstone Matthew
Published: November 2022

Here, the authors discuss a patient with mild intellectual disability and Down's syndrome who appeared to experience deterioration in her well controlled thyroid function twice, secondary to higher dosages of risperidone for treatment of her delusional disorder. The case therefore suggests that thyroid function monitoring may be of value in individuals predisposed to thyroid dysfunction who are commenced on antipsychotic therapy, especially risperidone.
Structural insights at acidic pH of dye‐decolorizing peroxidase from Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Dhankhar Poonam , Dalal Vikram , Sharma Ashwani Kumar , Kumar Pravindra
Published: November 2022

Dye‐decolorizing peroxidases (DyPs), a type of heme‐containing oxidoreductase enzymes, catalyze the peroxide‐dependent oxidation of various industrial dyes as well as lignin and lignin model compounds. In our previous work, we have recently reported the crystal structures of class A‐type DyP from Bacillus subtilis at pH 7.0 (BsDyP7), exposing the location of three binding sites for small substrates and high redox‐potential substrates. The biochemical studies revealed the optimum acidic pH for enzyme activity. In the present study, the crystal structure of BsDyP at acidic pH (BsDyP4) reveals two‐monomer units stabilized by intermolecular salt bridges and a hydrogen bond network in a homo‐dimeric unit. Based on the monomeric structural comparison of BsDyP4 and BsDyP7, minor differences were observed in the loop regions, that is, LI (Ala64‐Gln71), LII (Glu96‐Lys108), LIII (Pro117‐Leu124), and LIV (Leu295‐Asp303). Despite these differences, BsDyP4 adopts similar heme architecture as well as three substrate‐binding sites to BsDyP7. In BsDyP4, a shift in Asp187, heme pocket residue discloses the plausible reason for optimal acidic pH for BsDyP activity. This study provides insight into the structural changes in BsDyP at acidic pH, where BsDyP is biologically active.
Enhanced Oxygen Mobility in Undoped ZrO2–CeO2 Heterostructure
Authors: Petrov Andrey V. , Ivanov-Schitz Alexey K. , Murin Igor V.
Published: November 2022

The structural and ionic transport properties of the low‐index undoped ZrO2/CeO2 interfaces are simulated within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). These results show partial “melting” of the oxygen subsystem with significant disordering of the oxygen layers located between the layers of zirconium and cerium atoms. This leads to the existence of anomalously high ionic diffusion in simple undoped oxide phases with the fluorite structure.
Balloon pulmonary angioplasty for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension concomitant with Klippel–Trenaunay–Weber syndrome
Authors: Suetomi Takeshi , Shimokawahara Hiroto , Sugiyama Yoichi , Miyagi Ayane , Ogawa Aiko , Nishizaki Mari , Matsubara Hiromi
Published: November 2022

Klippel–Trenaunay–Weber syndrome (KTWS) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by cutaneous capillary malformations, bone hypertrophy, and multiple venous or lymphatic malformations. KTWS is associated with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), presumably due to thromboembolism from multiple vascular malformations. Here, we report the first case series of patients with KTWS‐CTEPH who underwent balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA). Both patients are alive 20 years and 1 year after the initial diagnosis of CTEPH, respectively, and are stable with improved hemodynamics. BPA may be an effective treatment option for patients with KTWS‐CTEPH.
Realizing Li−S Batteries with Efficient Polysulfide Trapping and Conversion by using a High‐Nitrogen‐Content‐Doped Fe−N−C Porous Carbon Nanosheet‐Modified Separator
Authors: Huang Qigang , Xu Jie , Fang Minxiang , Ma Lianbo , Cao Yongjie , Fan Chuanjie , Hu Shuozhen , Zhang Xinsheng , Niu Dongfang
Published: November 2022

Lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) batteries with high theoretical energy density have earned much attention in recent years. Nevertheless, the shuttle effect and tardy conversion of polysulfides severely hinder their practical applications. Herein, the high‐nitrogen‐doped Fe−N−C porous carbon nanosheets (denoted as AT−Fe−N−C−Me) were synthesized and coated on separator as an effective electrocatalyst for Li−S batteries. Benefiting from the hierarchical porous carbon structure and rich Fe−Nx catalytic sites, the AT−Fe−N−C−Me coating layer can effectively suppress the polysulfides shuttling and promote their redox conversion simultaneously. As a result, the Li−S batteries with AT−Fe−N−C−Me modified separators deliver superior rate capability (785.5 mAh g−1 at 4.0 C) and cycling stability (capacity decay rate of 0.065 % per cycle over 1000 cycles at 1.0 C). This work provides a new strategy to design efficient electrocatalyst with high‐surface‐area porous structure for high‐performance Li−S batteries.
Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of RhB by Plasmonic Type‐II Ag/Ag2MoO4/BiOI Heterojunction
Authors: Zhou Yi , Zhou Yinghong , Chen Anna , Zhang Jin
Published: November 2022

In this study, an Ag/Ag2MoO4/BiOI photocatalyst was prepared through simple hydrothermal method and precipitation method. The as‐prepared Ag/Ag2MoO4/BiOI composites display a hierarchical flower‐like microsphere structure. The results show that under the irradiation of visible light, the AB‐60 (Ag2MoO4/BiOI ratio is 60 %) composite photocatalyst has the best degradation rate of 99.4 % for Rhodamine B (RhB), which is 3.17 times and 7.55 times higher than that of Ag2MoO4 and BiOI, respectively. Based on the capture experiment of active species, the possibility type‐II mechanism was proposed. Through the analysis of the photocatalytic mechanism, the significant improvement in photocatalytic performance was attributed to the effective separation of electron‐hole pairs caused by the formation of heterojunction and the enhancement of visible light absorption because of SPR effect. This study could provide an important perspective for heterojunction photocatalysts in environmental governance.
A Sensitive Fluorescent Probe with Large Stokes Shift for Real‐Time Tracking Lysosomal pH Changes in Live Cells
Authors: Li Siyuan , Yu Xianrong , Zeng Linlin , Xu Yuhan , Zhao Xiaolan , Tang Wei , Duan Xinrui
Published: November 2022

The lysosome is the typical acidic organelle involved in many biological processes, the fluctuation of its pH influences its normal digestive function and even the fate of the cells. To conveniently detect and visualize lysosomal pH changes during heatstroke, we designed and synthesized a lysosomal‐targeted ratiometric pH‐sensitive fluorescent probe TCF‐LysopH. TCF‐LysopH showed an ideal pKa value (pKa=6.12) in the lysosomal pH range during heatstroke (5.00–7.00), rapid response for the changes of pH in real‐time, reversible pH switching ability, good selectivity, low cytotoxicity, and excellent lysosome‐targeting ability. The large Stokes shift of 110 nm allows us to apply the probe for fluorescence imaging in MCF‐7 cells. The probe has much better photostability (only less than 20 % decrease in intensity for 15 min irradiation) than LysoTracker Green. The fluorescence intensity became higher with the increase of pH, which is consistent with the tendency of the lysosomal pH change during heatstroke. Importantly, TCF‐LysopH was applied to measure the change of lysosomal pH during heatstroke in live cells, the results prove once again that the pH of the lysosome is increased during heatstroke. Thus, TCF‐LysopH was successfully developed as a practical and useful tool to provide a better understanding of the complicated mechanisms between lysosome pH change and heatstroke.
Enabling Increased Delithiation Rates in Silicon‐Based Anodes through Alloying with Phosphorus
Authors: Huld Frederik T. , Lai Samson Y. , Tucho Wakshum M. , Batmaz Rasim , Jensen Ingvild T. , Lu Song , Eleri Obinna E. , Koposov Alexey Y. , Yu Zhixin , Lou Fengliu
Published: November 2022

The capability of battery materials to deliver not only high lithium storage capacity, but also the ability to operate at high charge/discharge rates is an essential property for development of new batteries. In the present work, the influence on the charge/discharge rate behaviour of substoichiometric concentrations of phosphorus (P) in silicon (Si) nanoparticles was studied. The results revealed an increase in rate capability as a function of the P concentration between 0 and 5.2 at %, particularly during delithiation. The stoichiometry of the nanoparticles was found to strongly affect the formation of the Li3.5Si phase during lithiation. Cyclic stability experiments demonstrated an initial increase in capacity for the SiPx materials. Galvanostatic intermittent titration technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrated the increased lithium diffusivity with inclusion of P. Density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics were deployed to provide a rationale for the electrochemical behaviour of SiPx.
Halogenation of Unsaturated Amides: Synthesis of Halogenated (Spiro)Oxazolines
Authors: Wang Xueqing , Chen Xuerong , Qi Liang , Ma Xingyu , Zhou Yifeng , Jiang Xianxing , Zhu Weiwei
Published: November 2022

Carbon‐halogen (F, Cl, Br, I) bond was constructed through halogenation of unsaturated amides using electrophilic halogen reagents as oxidant and halogen source. Various halogenated 2‐oxazolines (85 examples) and spirooxazolines (43 examples) were synthesized in high to excellent yields (up to 99 % isolated yield) through the mild, metal‐free and efficient halogenation reaction. This method provided an alternative method for construction of carbon‐halogen bond in organic synthesis, as well as synthesis of halogenated (spiro)2‐oxazoline derivatives. The reaction follows an “intermolecularly electrophilic addition/intramolecularly nucleophilic attack” cascade according to the supposed mechanism.
Reducing Water Exchange by Polyacrylic Acid Based Water‐Vapor‐Resistant Membrane in Zinc/Air Battery
Authors: Jing Ziheng , Yan Zhao , Wang Xueliang , Che Ruxin , Wang Erdong
Published: November 2022

Zinc/air batteries have received extensive attention due to their low cost, high safety, and high energy density. However, as the zinc/air battery is operated in the practical environment, water exchange between the battery and the environment occurs and affects the specific capacity and service life of the battery. In this paper, high relative‐humidity water‐vapor‐resistant membrane is prepared based on water‐absorbent polyacrylic acid. Using this membrane, water exchange is effectively reduced due to the decreased humidity gradient through gas diffusion electrode. When the thickness of the PAA wet film is 150 μm, the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) reduced to 51 % of the blank. The excellent discharge performance of zinc/air battery is also achieved with the discharge voltage plateau of 1.10 V and the specific capacity of 612.5 mAh g−1 under the current density of 20 mA cm−2, which is 33.8 % higher than that without PAA membrane.
Reactive Detection of Hydrazine by 6‐Hydroxy‐2‐Naphthonitrile Levulinate Anchored Colorimetric and Fluorescent Probe
Authors: Thakare Milind S. , Patil Dipak B. , Patil Jayashree V. , Kokate Siddhant V. , Pawar Nilesh S. , Patil Vikas
Published: November 2022

Herein, a new reaction‐based fluorescent probe 6‐cyanonaphthalen‐2‐yl 4‐oxopentanoate (NPCN‐OLV) was designed and synthesized for the detection of hydrazine (N2H4). The addition of N2H4 to a solution of probe NPCN‐OLV resulted in a striking fluorescence increase, moreover, it is complemented by a visual color change from colorless to yellow. Importantly, this distinct color response indicates that probe NPCN‐OLV could be implemented as a colorimetric tool for the recognition of N2H4. N2H4 can be detected quantitatively. The lower detection limit for the N2H4 is 5 μM where actual fluorescence observed and gradually increased with concentration. The probe NPCN‐OLV served the selective visible naked‐eye sensing of hydrazine in the presence of representative metal ions and common anions. Along with that we have also demonstrated the use of paper strip for the qualitative detection of hydrazine, which showed an evident color change (sky blue) only with the paper strip with hydrazine in PBS buffer.
Organocatalytic Synthesis and DFT Study of Versatile Biologically Active Scaffold of Isatylidene Malononitrile Derivatives
Authors: Kaur Sukhmeet , Kaur Jasneet , Islam Nasarul , Anand Amit
Published: November 2022

1,8‐Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU) efficiently catalyzed the Michael addition reaction of pyridine derivatives with isatylidene malononitrile derivatives to provide adducts in 88 % yield. The electronic and structural properties of the derivatives were estimated using the DFT calculations.
Acupuncture Needle‐Based Transistor Neuroprobe for In Vivo Monitoring of Neurotransmitter
Authors: Zhou Ying , Liu Binzhu , Lei Yongmin , Tang Lina , Li Tingxian , Yu Shanshan , Zhang Guo‐Jun , Li Yu‐Tao
Published: November 2022

Chemical communication via neurotransmitters is central to brain functions. Nevertheless, in vivo real‐time monitoring of neurotransmitters released in the brain, especially the electrochemically inactive molecules, remains a great challenge. In this work, a novel needle field‐effect transistor (FET) microsensor based on an acupuncture needle is proposed, which is demonstrated to be capable of real‐time monitoring dopamine molecules as well as neuropeptide Y in vivo. The FET microstructure is fabricated by successively wrapping an insulating layer and a gold layer on the top of the needle, where the needle and the Au served as the source and drain, respectively. After assembling reduced graphene oxide (RGO) between the source and drain electrodes, the specific aptamer is immobilized on the RGO, making this needle‐FET biosensor highly selective and sensitive to real‐time monitor neurotransmitters released from rat brain, even in a Parkinson's diseases model. Furthermore, the needle‐FET biosensor is applied to detect a variety of targets including hormones, proteins, and nucleic acid. By constructing a FET sensing interface on an acupuncture needle and implanting the sensor in a rat's brain for in vivo detection, this work provides a new sight in the FET domain and further expands the species of real‐time in vivo detection.
Surface Spin Enhanced High Stable NiCo2S4 for Energy‐Saving Production of H2 from Water/Methanol Coelectrolysis at High Current Density
Authors: Si Fengzhan , Liu Jianwen , Zhang Yan , Zhao Bin , Liang Yue , Wu Xuexian , Kang Xiaomin , Yang Xiaoqiang , Zhang Jiujun , Fu Xian‐Zhu , Luo Jing‐Li
Published: November 2022

Nickel based materials are promising electrocatalysts to produce hydrogen from water in alkaline media. However, the stability is of great challenge, limiting its practical material functions. Herein, a new technique for electro‐deposition flower‐like NiCo2S4 nanosheets on carbon‐cloth (CC@NiCo2S4) is proposed for energy‐saving production of H2 from water/methanol coelectrolysis at high current density by constructing array architectures and regulating surface magnetism. The optimized and fine‐tuned magnetism on the surface of the electrochemical in situ grown CC@NiCo2S4 nanosheet array result in (0 1 −1) surface universally exposed, high catalytic activity for methanol electrooxidation, and long‐term stability at high current density. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy in combination of density functional theory calculations confirm the valence electron states and spin of d electrons for the surface of NiCo2S4, which enhance the surface stability of catalysts. This technology may be utilized to alter the surface magnetism and increase the stability of Ni‐based electrocatalytic materials in general.
Analysis of waves in micropolar generalized thermoelastic plate with memory dependent derivatives
Authors: Kumar Sunil , Partap Geeta
Published: November 2022

A new model has been framed for mathematical investigation of a micropolar thermoelastic plate with memory dependent derivatives (MDDs). The governing equations are expressed for the two‐dimensional (2‐D) case and simplified by using dimensionless quantities. The resulting equations are decomposed by considering the Helmholtz decomposition approach and the normal mode analysis technique is applied for further investigation. The normal mode analysis is a powerful technique that provides appropriate solutions with no assumptive restriction on the temperature, displacement and stress distributions. The dispersion equations for symmetric and anti‐symmetric modes are obtained for stress‐free isothermal and insulated thermal restrictions on the boundary surface of the plate. The characteristics of waves for symmetric and anti‐symmetric modes are examined under the impact of MDD and different classical and generalized theories of thermoelasticity. Numerical solutions of the dispersion equations for both symmetric and anti‐symmetric modes are presented graphically employing MATLAB programming software. Various particular cases are explored. The obtained results are also compared with some earlier studies.
Finding and Accessing Shakespeare Scholarship in the Global South: Digital Research and Bibliography
Authors: Craig Heidi , Estill Laura
Published: November 2022

There was a time when articles about Shakespeare were published around the globe, but few knew where to find them all. Shakespeare studies thrived in non-Anglophone countries in the Global South: articles appeared in regional journals, institutional bulletins, and society newsletters, each of which might have a publication run of only a few dozen copies. This chapter traces the move from regionalized Shakespeare publication to truly global publication. It considers how online publishing (including open journal systems and open-access publishing), institutional repositories, and digital bibliography make research from around the Globe findable. This chapter examines how the World Shakespeare Bibliography participates in global Shakespeare studies by making multilingual criticism, editions, and performances searchable.
A state-of-the-art review on mechanical characteristics of different fiber metal laminates for aerospace and structural applications
Authors: Etri Hamza El , Korkmaz Mehmet Erdi , Gupta Munish Kumar , Gunay Mustafa , Xu Jinyang
Published: November 2022

The reduction of weight elements is considered as a major objective of several manufacturing companies. This objective will help in growing application sections of the used fiber composites for important structural elements. Modern fiber metal laminate (FML) having lightweight properties is established to be used instead of other substances in different applications including those related to the aerospace industrial sector. Fiber metal laminate is being deemed as an alternative significant substance that is being extensively explored due to its operation, unlike other current materials. There are different profitable FML such as GLARE (glass-reinforced aluminum laminate), established on elevated intensity ARALL glass fibers (aramid-reinforced aluminum laminate), built on fibers of aramid, in addition to CARALL (carbon-reinforced aluminum laminate), centered on fibers of carbon. This paper analyzes important information that contributes to the mechanical characteristics of FMLs under tensile, flexure, impact, etc. conditions.
On the conformal walk dimension: quasisymmetric uniformization for symmetric diffusions
Authors: Kajino Naotaka , Murugan Mathav
Published: November 2022

We introduce the notion of conformal walk dimension, which serves as a bridge between elliptic and parabolic Harnack inequalities. The importance of this notion is due to the fact that, for a given strongly local, regular symmetric Dirichlet space in which every metric ball has compact closure (MMD space), the finiteness of the conformal walk dimension characterizes the conjunction of the metric doubling property and the elliptic Harnack inequality. Roughly speaking, the conformal walk dimension of an MMD space is defined as the infimum over all possible values of the walk dimension with which the parabolic Harnack inequality can be made to hold by a time change of the associated diffusion and by a quasisymmetric change of the metric. We show that the conformal walk dimension of any MMD space satisfying the metric doubling property and the elliptic Harnack inequality is two, and provide a necessary condition for a pair of such changes to attain the infimum defining the conformal walk dimension when it is attained by the original pair. We also prove a necessary condition for the existence of such a pair attaining the infimum in the setting of a self-similar Dirichlet form on a self-similar set, and apply it to show that the infimum fails to be attained for the Vicsek set and theN-dimensional Sierpiński gasket with$$N\ge 3$$N≥3, in contrast to the attainment for the two-dimensional Sierpiński gasket due to Kigami (Math Ann 340(4):781–804, 2008).
Seismic data IO and sorting optimization in HPC through ANNs prediction based auto-tuning for ExSeisDat
Authors: Tipu Abdul Jabbar Saeed , Conbhuí Pádraig Ó , Howley Enda
Published: November 2022

ExSeisDat is designed using standard message passing interface (MPI) library for seismic data processing on high-performance super-computing clusters. These clusters are generally designed for efficient execution of complex tasks including large size IO. The IO performance degradation issues arise when multiple processes try accessing data from parallel networked storage. These complications are caused by restrictive protocols running by a parallel file system (PFS) controlling the disks and due to less advancement in storage hardware itself as well. This requires and leads to the tuning of specific configuration parameters to optimize the IO performance, commonly not considered by users focused on writing parallel application. Despite its consideration, the changes in configuration parameters are required from case to case. It adds up to further degradation in IO performance for a large SEG-Y format seismic data file scaling to petabytes. The SEG-Y IO and file sorting operations are the two of the main features of ExSeisDat. This research paper proposes technique to optimize these SEG-Y operations based on artificial neural networks (ANNs). The optimization involves auto-tuning of the related configuration parameters, using IO bandwidth prediction by the trained ANN models through machine learning (ML) process. Furthermore, we discuss the impact on prediction accuracy and statistical analysis of auto-tuning bandwidth results, by the variation in hidden layers nodes configuration of the ANNs. The results have shown the overall improvement in bandwidth performance up to 108.8% and 237.4% in the combined SEG-Y IO and file sorting operations test cases, respectively. Therefore, this paper has demonstrated the significant gain in SEG-Y seismic data bandwidth performance by auto-tuning the parameters settings on runtime by using an ML approach.
The Influence of Anticipated HIV Stigma on Health-related Behaviors, Self-rated Health, and Treatment Preferences Among People Living with HIV in East Asia
Authors: Yu Fei , Hsiao Yu-Hsiang , Park Sejun , Kambara Keita , Allan Brent , Brough Garry , Hwang Ta-Fen , Dang Nathalie , Young Benjamin , Patel Rickesh , Maldonado Andres , Okoli Chinyere
Published: November 2022

Long-acting injectable regimens for HIV treatment have been developed which are less frequent, more discreet, and more desirable for some people living with HIV (PLHIV) and may help reduce stigma-related barriers to HIV treatment. However, there is little information on the relationship between reported stigma and preference for these newer treatments. We characterized anticipated, experienced, and internalized HIV stigma and examined the associations with treatment preferences among an international sample of PLHIV. Data came from the international, web-based, cross-sectional study called “Positive Perspectives” conducted among PLHIV aged ≥ 18 years in 25 geographic locations during 2019 (n = 2389). Descriptive analyses were stratified among East Asian (n = 230) vs. non-Asian (n = 2159) participants. Results showed that prevalence of anticipated stigma was significantly higher among East Asian than non-Asian participants (72.2%[166/230] vs. 63.8%[1377/2159], p = 0.011). A significantly higher percentage of East Asian (68.7%[158/230]) than non-Asian participants (43.3%[935/2159] indicated that someone finding their HIV pills would cause them much “stress or anxiety” (p < 0.001). Actions taken by some PLHIV to prevent unwanted disclosure included restricting who they shared their HIV status with, hiding their HIV pills, or even skipping a dose altogether because of privacy concerns. Overall, 50.0%[115/230] East Asian participants believed HIV would reduce their lifespan and 43.0%[99/230] no longer planned for their old age because of HIV. Anticipated stigma was strongly associated with receptivity to non-daily regimens. Concerted efforts to reduce stigma and deliver flexible treatment options that address the unmet treatment needs of PLHIV, including confidentiality concerns, may improve their health-related quality of life.
Pre- and post-simulations of shake-table tests on a stone masonry building aggregate using finite-discrete elements
Authors: AlShawa O. , Liberatore D. , Sorrentino L.
Published: November 2022

This work presents the simulations of the non-linear dynamic response of a three-dimensional finite-discrete element model. The model simulates a half-scale masonry building aggregate tested on a shake table by other Authors. The aggregate is made of two un-connected building units having different heights and slightly different wall thicknesses. The floors are made of timber beams and boards. The modelling approach accounts jointly for in-plane and out-of-plane responses, which can be expected given the high flexibility of the floors, and for the separation between the two building units. The simulations are related both to the blind predictions, according to a scheduled testing sequence, and to the post-dictions according to the actual testing sequence and some model calibrations. The prediction model overestimates displacements, underestimates base shear and fairly predicts the damage pattern of comparable experimental runs. The use of the recorded shake table motion improves the accuracy of the post-diction simulations, while still delivering beam unseating. A higher Young’s modulus of the blocks improves markedly the predictions. The strengthening intervention with steel angles connecting floors to walls is only approximately modelled and does not improve the outcomes of the simulations. In summary, the adopted modelling approach is capable of accounting for the pounding between the two building units, predicting the most significant damage as well as estimating approximate average of peak values of base shear and displacements, while individual time histories are less accurately estimated.
Use a web-app to improve breast cancer risk factors and symptoms knowledge and adherence to healthy diet and physical activity in women without breast cancer diagnosis (Precam project)
Authors: Martín-Payo Rubén , Martínez-Urquijo Andrea , Zabaleta-del-Olmo Edurne , del Mar Fernandez-Alvarez María
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of an educational intervention using a web-app to improve knowledge of breast cancer risk factors and symptoms and adherence to healthy eating and physical activity among women without breast cancer diagnosis in Asturias (Spain).

Methods

A pragmatic randomized pilot trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of a web-app-based intervention for women without breast cancer diagnosis. Women in the intervention group participated in a 6-month intervention web-app based on the Behaviour Change Wheel Model. The web-app includes information about breast cancer risk factors, early detection, physical activity and diet.

Results

Two hundred and eighty-fifth women aged 25–50 were invited to join the study. Two hundred and twenty-four were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (IG = 134) or control group (CG = 90) according to their place of residence. Adherence among women in the IG increased significantly from pre- to post-intervention for eight of the 12 healthy behaviors and for the identification of six risk factors and six symptoms compared to women in the CG and, among whom adherence only increased for two behaviors, the identification of one risk factor and 0 symptoms. The intervention significantly improved the mean number of risk factors + 1.06 (p < 0.001) and symptoms + 1.18 (p < 0.001) identified by women in the IG.

Conclusions

The preliminary results of this study suggest that an educational intervention using a web-app and based on the Behaviour Change Wheel model could be useful to improve knowledge of breast cancer risk factors and symptoms and to improve adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity in women without a previous breast cancer diagnosis.
Explanatory Contextualism about Episodic Memory: Towards A Diagnosis of the Causalist-Simulationist Debate
Authors: McCarroll Christopher Jude , Michaelian Kourken , Nanay Bence
Published: November 2022

We argue that the causal theory of memory and the simulation theory of memory are not as straightforwardly incompatible as they are usually taken to be. Following a brief review of the theories, we describe alternative normative and descriptive perspectives on memory, arguing that the causal theory aligns better with the normative perspective and the simulation theory with the descriptive perspective. Taking explanatory contextualism about perception as our starting point, we then develop a form of explanatory contextualism about memory, arguing that, depending on the context in which we find ourselves, either the normative perspective or the descriptive perspective may be appropriate. It follows that, while the causal theory and the simulation theory cannot both be right with respect to a given perspective, and while it is necessary to choose one perspective or the other in a given context, there an important sense in which we need not choose between causalism and simulationism. We conclude by differentiating our position from and critiquing a related position developed by Craver (2020) and defending our position against objections.
Adherence of kelp (Saccharina latissima) gametophytes on ropes with different binder treatments and flow regimes
Authors: Visch Wouter , Larsson Ann I. , Åberg Per , Toth Gunilla B.
Published: November 2022

The cultivation of kelp typically involves two stages, where an indoor hatchery phase preceedes the grow-out phase at-sea. The in situ adhesion of microscopic propagules onto specifically designed substrates using binders has been proposed as an alternative to conventional hatchery methods where juvenile seaweeds are cultured on seeded twine, aimed at saving resources while increasing productivity as it obviates the hatchery phase. Here we tested how well kelp (Saccharina latissima) gametophytes adhere to cultivation ropes using two binder types (agar and κ-carrageenan) and application treatment (separate or mixed application) under two ecologically relevant flow regimes (5 and 15 cm s−1), and a control condition (0 cm s−1) in a laboratory flume. Our findings indicate that the effectiveness of a binder to retain S. latissima gametophytes onto cultivation rope, measured by the sporophyte density, was comparable for all binder types in the high flow velocity (15 cm s−1) treatments, including the non-binder control treatment. Sporophyte densities were highest in the low flow velocities (0 and 5 cm s−1) in the absence of a binder compared to all other treatment combinations. In conclusion, our results highlight that the effectiveness of binder assisted seeding of kelp propagules did not differ between the binder and non-binder treatments and was unaffected by flow velocities for the binder treatments. These findings are important in the development of novel methods and further optimisation of existing binder-based methods aimed at retaining seaweed propagules onto cultivation rope.
Predicting the Temperature Dependence of the Octanol–Air Partition Ratio: A New Model for Estimating $$\Delta {U^{ \circ}_{\text{OA}}}$$
Authors: Baskaran Sivani , Podagatlapalli Akshay , Sangion Alessandro , Wania Frank
Published: November 2022

The octanol–air partition ratio (KOA) describes the partitioning of a chemical between air and octanol and is often used to approximate other partitioning phenomena in environmental chemistry (e.g., blood–air, atmospheric particulate matter–air, polyurethane foam-air). Such partitioning processes often occur at environmental temperatures other than 25 °C. Enthalpies $$\Delta {H^{ \circ}_{\text{OA}}}$$

Δ

H
OA
∘

or internal energies $$\Delta {U^{ \circ}_{\text{OA}}}$$

Δ

U
OA
∘

of phase transfer are used to express the temperature dependence of the KOA. Existing poly-parameter linear free energy relationships (ppLFERs) for predicting $$\Delta {H^{ \circ}_{\text{OA}}}$$

Δ

H
OA
∘

were developed using a relatively small dataset. In this work we utilize a recently developed comprehensive KOA database to create and curate a $$\Delta {U^{ \circ}_{\text{OA}}}$$

Δ

U
OA
∘

dataset containing 195 chemicals and use this dataset in the development of new predictive equations. Using the QSAR development platform QSARINS we evaluate the use of Abraham descriptors, other molecular descriptors, and the log10KOA at 25 °C as variables in different multilinear regression equations for $$\Delta {U^{ \circ}_{\text{OA}}}$$

Δ

U
OA
∘

. The $$\Delta {U^{ \circ}_{\text{OA}}}$$

Δ

U
OA
∘

of neutral organic chemicals can be reliably predicted using only the log10KOA (RMSEEXT = 6.86 kJ·mol−1, $${\text{R}^{2} _{\text{adj}}}$$

R
adj
2

 = 0.94), only the solute’s hydrogen acidity A and the logarithm of the hexadecane–air partition ratio L (RMSEEXT = 7.23 kJ·mol−1, $${\text{R}^{2} _{\text{adj}}}$$

R
adj
2

 = 0.93), or A and log10KOA (RMSEEXT = 6.76 kJ·mol−1, $${\text{R}^{2} _{\text{adj}}}$$

R
adj
2

 = 0.95).
A brain-inspired algorithm for training highly sparse neural networks
Authors: Atashgahi Zahra , Pieterse Joost , Liu Shiwei , Mocanu Decebal Constantin , Veldhuis Raymond , Pechenizkiy Mykola
Published: November 2022

Sparse neural networks attract increasing interest as they exhibit comparable performance to their dense counterparts while being computationally efficient. Pruning the dense neural networks is among the most widely used methods to obtain a sparse neural network. Driven by the high training cost of such methods that can be unaffordable for a low-resource device, training sparse neural networks sparsely from scratch has recently gained attention. However, existing sparse training algorithms suffer from various issues, including poor performance in high sparsity scenarios, computing dense gradient information during training, or pure random topology search. In this paper, inspired by the evolution of the biological brain and the Hebbian learning theory, we present a new sparse training approach that evolves sparse neural networks according to the behavior of neurons in the network. Concretely, by exploiting the cosine similarity metric to measure the importance of the connections, our proposed method, “Cosine similarity-based and random topology exploration (CTRE)”, evolves the topology of sparse neural networks by adding the most important connections to the network without calculating dense gradient in the backward. We carried out different experiments on eight datasets, including tabular, image, and text datasets, and demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms several state-of-the-art sparse training algorithms in extremely sparse neural networks by a large gap. The implementation code is available on Github.
Hans Jonas and the phenomenological continuity of life and mind
Authors: Prokop Mirko
Published: November 2022

This paper offers a novel interpretation of Hans Jonas’ analysis of metabolism, the centrepiece of Jonas’ philosophy of organism, in relation to recent controversies regarding the phenomenological dimension of life-mind continuity as understood within ‘autopoietic’ enactivism (AE). Jonas’ philosophy of organism chiefly inspired AE’s development of what we might call ‘the phenomenological life-mind continuity thesis’ (PLMCT), the claim that certain phenomenological features of human experience are central to a proper scientific understanding of both life and mind, and as such central features of all living organisms. After discussing the understanding of PLMCT within AE, and recent criticisms thereof, I develop a reading of Jonas’ analysis of metabolism, in light of previous commentators, which emphasizes its systematicity and transcendental flavour. The central thought is that, for Jonas, the attribution of certain phenomenological features is a necessary precondition for our understanding of the possibility of metabolism, rather than being derivable from metabolism itself. I argue that my interpretation strengthens Jonas’ contribution to AE’s justification for ascribing certain phenomenological features to life across the board. However, it also emphasises the need to complement Jonas’ analysis with an explanatory account of organic identity in order to vindicate these phenomenological ascriptions in a scientific context.
What is subjectivity? Scholarly perspectives on the elephant in the room
Authors: Lundberg Adrian , Fraschini Nicola , Aliani Renata
Published: November 2022

The concept of subjectivity has long been controversially discussed in academic contexts without ever reaching consensus. As the main approach for a science of subjectivity, we applied Q methodology to investigate subjective perspectives about ‘subjectivity’. The purpose of this work was therefore to contribute with clarity about what is meant with this central concept and in what way the understanding might differ among Q researchers and beyond. Forty-six participants from different disciplinary backgrounds and geographical locations sorted 39 statements related to subjectivity. Factor analysis yielded five different perspectives. Employing a team approach, the factors were carefully and holistically interpreted in an iterative manner. Preliminary factor interpretations were then discussed with prominent experts in the field of Q methodology. These interviewees were selected due to their clear representation by a specific factor and led to a further enrichment of the narratives presented. Despite some underlying consensus concerning subjectivity’s dynamic and complex structure and being used as individuals’ internal point of view, perspectives differ with regard to the measurability of subjectivity and the role context plays for their construction. In light of the wide range of characterisations, we suggest the presented perspectives to be used as a springboard for future Q studies and urge researchers, within and beyond the Q community, to be more specific regarding their application of the concept. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of attempting to deeply understand research participants in order to truly contribute to a science of subjectivity.
Backward-Looking Principles of Climate Justice: The Unjustified Move from the Polluter Pays Principle to the Beneficiary Pays Principle
Authors: García-Portela Laura
Published: November 2022

Climate change involves changes in the climate system caused by polluting human activities and the social and natural effects of these changes. The historical and anthropogenic grounds of climate change play an important role in climate justice claims. Many climate justice scholars believe that principles of climate justice should account for the historical and anthropogenic sources of climate change. Two main backward-looking principles have been proposed: the polluter pays principle (PPP) and the beneficiary pays principle (BPP). The BPP emerged in the literature on climate justice in response to certain objections raised against the PPP. In this paper, I focus on two of these objections: the causation objection and the excusable ignorance objection. Defenders of the BPP have traditionally assumed that this principle is not vulnerable to those objections, which renders the BPP superior to the PPP. In this paper, I challenge this underlying assumption. My argument here is simple: moving from the PPP to the BPP in response to any of these objections might be unjustified because the BPP is affected by at least some of the considerations giving rise to these objections.
Everything right or nothing wrong? Regulatory fit effects in an e-learning context
Authors: Janson Marc P. , Siebert Jan , Dickhäuser Oliver
Published: November 2022

Feedback is a key factor in helping individuals to self-regulate their learning behavior. Informative feedback, as a very basic form of feedback informing learners about the correctness of their answers, can be framed in different ways emphasizing either what was correct or what must be improved. The regulatory focus theory describes different strategic orientations of individuals towards goals, which may be associated with different effects of different informative feedback types. A promotion orientation describes the preference for approaching positive outcomes, while a prevention orientation describes the preference for avoiding negative ones. Applied to the context of informative feedback in self-regulated e-learning environments, we predict that regulatory fit, defined as the congruence of individuals’ regulatory orientations and framed feedback, positively affects learning persistence and performance. In two experiments, we assessed individuals’ regulatory orientations and experimentally varied framed feedback in samples of university students preparing for exams with an e-learning tool (N = 182, experiment 1; N = 118, experiment 2) and observed actual learning behaviors. Using different operationalizations of regulatory-framed feedback, we found statistically significant regulatory fit effects on persistence and performance in both experiments, although some remain insignificant. In experiment 2, we additionally tested ease of processing as a mechanism for regulatory fit effects. This way, we expand the literature on regulatory fit effects and feedback on actual learning behavior and provide evidence for the benefits of adaptive learning environments. We discuss limitations, especially regarding the stability of regulatory fit, as well as future directions of research on regulatory-framed feedback.